I’ve never seen aStar Trekcharacter go from hated to beloved as fast as thisStar Trek: Picardcharacter.Star Trekhas had its fair share of characters that I’ve grown to love, butit’s always been a slow burn asStar Trekreveals characters' sympathetic backstories or understandable motives.Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Quark (Armin Shimerman) took a while for me to warm up to, and I’ve changed my mind on Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) over the years. And after nearly 30 years,Star Trek: Prodigymade me like Captain Chakotay(Robert Beltran) fromStar Trek: Voyager.
Making the unlikable actually likable is one of the things thatStar Trekdoes best, of course.Star Trek’s aliens become more sympathetic when we know what makes them tick, and communication helps us find meeting points between alien values and human morals.Star Trekhas always wrapped"the other"in an alien metaphor, so I’ve been trained as a life-longStar Trekfan to find humanity beneath a rubber facade, butStar Trek’s humans directly opposing our heroes, likeStar Trek’s"badmirals",are painted as misguided, if not flat-out wrong. That changed inStar Trek: Picardseason 3.
Why Star Trek: Picard’s Captain Shaw Was Hated At First
Captain Shaw Didn’t Like Picard And Riker, So We Didn’t Like Shaw: That Was The Point
InStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s premiere episode, “The Next Generation”, Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is the abrasive Captain of the USS Titan-A, a character tailor-made to be hated becauseShaw treats Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) like filthy interlopers instead of Starfleet heroes. When Picard and Riker board the USS Titan-A intending to use Shaw’s starship for their own mission, Shaw sees right through their ruse. Shaw makes Picard and Riker wait, starts dinner without them, and shuts theStar Trek: The Next Generationalumni down with a memorable"No."
I’ve watched Picard and Riker succeed time and again inStar Trek: The Next Generation,so I’m automatically on their side.
At this point inStar Trek: Picardseason 3’s story, I’m notsupposedto like Captain Shaw. I’ve watched Picard and Riker succeed time and again inStar Trek: The Next Generation,so I’m automatically on their side, and I believe that they have the most honorable of intentions. It doesn’t matter that Shaw rightfully denies Picard and Riker’s plan because it would put the Titan’s crew at risk.I don’t love the way this new Shaw guy is flat-out rejecting legendary Starfleet officers thatIrespect,so I mentally categorize Captain Shaw as an antagonistic"other".He might as well be Cardassian.
Captain Shaw’s Star Trek: Picard Backstory Made Him An Instant Favorite
Captain Shaw Survived Starfleet’s Stand Against Locutus Of Borg In The Battle Of Wolf 359
Like other fans, my opinion of Captain Shaw turned around inStar Trek: Picardseason 3, episode 4, “No Win Scenario”, watching Todd Stashwick’s visceral monologue detailing Shaw’s backstory. In those moments, it becomes clear thatsome part of Captain Shaw is still stuck in the Battle of Wolf 359, facing down death on a massive scale. With his past laid bare, Shaw invites sympathy with parallels between the Titan-A’s current no-win scenario, and surviving Starfleet’s deadliest stand against the Borg. Liam doesn’t differentiate between Picard and Locutus. They’re both deadly.
8 Biggest Ways TNG’s Wolf 359 Battle Changed Star Trek
TNG’s Battle of Wolf 359 was the most devastating conflict until DS9’s Dominion War, and its aftermath lasted into Star Trek’s early 25th century.
With a backstory that makes Captain Shaw a more sympathetic character,Star Trek: Picardproves that it’s best not to rush to judgment before aStar Trekshowfinishes telling its story. Instead of being framed as right or wrong, Captain Shaw’s hostility towards Admiral Picard and Captain Riker and microaggressions against Seven of Nine are explained by Shaw’s experience as a survivor of Wolf 359. Instead,Shaw’s cautious, by-the-book leadership style stems from a trauma-induced need to protect himselfand the Titan-A by doing everything just right. Captain Shaw isn’t malicious; he needs support.
We Barely Knew Liam Shaw Before His Tragic End
Unfortunately, Captain Liam Shaw’s return toStar Trekis unlikely withoutStar Trek: Legacy. Barring a potential surprise like Todd Stashwick appearing inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5 as a younger version of Liam Shaw, or visiting the 32nd centuryStar Trek: Starfleet Academyas a hologram,Star Trek: Legacyis our best bet for seeing Captain Shaw again.Unfortunately,Star Trek: Picard’s proposed spinoff starringJeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nineon the USS Enterprise-G isn’t in development in any way, so Shaw’s return is on indefinite hold.
Even though Shaw died on-screen, the character’s popularity surged so much duringPicardseason 3 that showrunner Terry Matalas would almost certainly figure out how to bring Captain Shaw back forStar Trek: Legacy.
My opinion of Shaw changed quickly because his vulnerable character development made him relatable and familiar.Star Trekhas always taught me not to judge people for being different, andPicard’s storytelling pushed that lesson further by asking me to examine why I was so quick to hate Captain Shaw in the first place. I saw my changed opinion reflected in other fans' reactions to Shaw’s story.Star Trek: Picardquickly changed fans' opinions of Shaw to positive by revealing Captain Shaw’s backstory, which became a reminder to approach real people with curiosity instead of judgment.
