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■ Star Trek
The Star Trek television franchise spans multiple live-action and animated series created by Gene Roddenberry and expanded by subsequent showrunners

I woke up to the news that Patrick Stewart, my Captain Picard, has died at the age of 86.

As a longtime Star Trek fan, particularly of The Next Generation series, this is devastating news. Like many of you, I grew up watching the original Star Trek series on syndication. When The Next Generation was launched, I was glued to my television set, watching the curious Data, that cool visor of Geordi La Forge, and… what on earth? An old bald man as the captain. That was such a contrast to the dashing young Captain Kirk.

I remembered (or maybe misremembering?) watching interviews with Patrick Stewart about his Star Trek role, he almost didn’t want it. I think at the time, he was already an established Broadway and Theater actor, and many people didn’t think he would fit well in this future Sci-Fi television. But you know what? Patrick Stewart was the perfect captain for this next generation of Star Trek.

I watched him for years and years, and when Star Trek was over, Stewart, of course, became known to a generation of new fans for playing Professor X in Fox’s The X-Men movies… but he’ll always be Picard to me. In semi-recent years, you know I was not a fan of his Picard television series. Whoever ran that show just didn’t understand Star Trek. I can go on, and on, why modern Star Trek sucks… but at least I’ll always have my Star Trek: The Next Generation on DVD and Bluray.