Patrick Stewart Reveals His All-Time Favorite STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Episode

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As a die-hard Star Trek: The Next Generation enthusiast who has spent countless hours navigating the final frontier alongside Captain Jean Luc Picard, it comes as no surprise that Patrick Stewart‘s favorite episode is none other than “The Inner Light.” This episode, much like a Klingon bat’leth, strikes deep into our souls.

As a die-hard Star Trek: The Next Generation fan, I’ve witnessed its seven-year journey filled with timeless classics and, yes, a few forgettable episodes. Back then, a show ran for 26 episodes per season, not all of them could be top-notch. But with an impressive collection of 178 episodes, you might wonder which episode was my favorite as Captain Jean Luc Picard? If you’re a TNG enthusiast, you may have already guessed. However, now we have confirmation! Through Slash Film, I learned that my all-time favorite outing as Picard was the one where I barely played that character – season five’s “The Inner Light.

In “The Inner Light,” the Starship Enterprise comes across an ancient alien artifact hailing from a deceased civilization. This artifact, as is often the case with such discoveries, scans Captain Picard’s mind and imprints memories of an entire lifetime into his brain. Upon waking up on a planet called Katan, he found himself with a new identity – Kamin. In this life, Katin, he got married, had children and grandchildren, mastered the flute, and grew old. However, as time passed in his new life, it was revealed that this life was a simulation, a sort of time capsule depicting a planet on the brink of extinction. Upon returning to his original life, Picard found that decades had elapsed for him, while only a few minutes had transpired in reality.

Here’s what Stewart said about the experience of making “The Inner Light:”

Over the course of many years, I found myself transforming into someone other than Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as I led a life far removed from the starship’s bridge. I morphed into a more domestic individual, a stark contrast to my former self as a captain. Additionally, there was a deeply personal reason behind this transformation: in “The Inner Light,” my on-screen son Daniel was portrayed by none other than my real-life son. That episode was an unforgettable journey for both of us.

While our favorite Star Trek: TNG episode remains season two’s “The Measure of a Man,” we certainly understand why Patrick Stewart would love “The Inner Light” so much. It’s a beautiful episode, and it afforded the classically trained actor to go through an entire lifetime of a character in the span of 50 minutes. It’s one of those episodes that always leaves you a bit teary-eyed at the end. If you plan on doing a TNG rewatch anytime soon, there are far worse places to start than with “The Inner Light.”

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2024-10-03 00:32