I think most Trekkies will agree with me on this. Star Trek, The Next Generation, was the best show in the franchise. TNG was written well, with solid character development and compelling plots. In command of it all, Captain Jean Luc Picard. A man so dedicated to duty that he rarely had time to mingle with his crew. Unlike Captain Kirk from The Original Series, Picard didn’t try to bed every alien he met. And unlike Sisko, Picard never got married or had children. But if he had made time, what would Captain Picard’s type be?
Picard is very much portrayed as a quiet professional. An influential leader who is dedicated to his career. He cares deeply about the moral and philosophical aspects of leadership. He is well-read, intelligent, and quite introverted. Picard loves poetry and history. He is fascinated by old things and is even an amateur archaeologist. Later in the series, he finds a love for playing music and can be seen in several episodes practicing. He spends his free time reading or trying to solve mysteries on the holodeck but doesn’t interact much with his crew during downtime. Picard is a deep methodical thinker and likes women who are the same.
Now let’s look at some of the women Picard was involved with throughout the show.
Lwaxana Troi
Let’s first look at the best example of a women Captain Picard didn’t find appealing. I am, of course, talking about the fun-loving Lwaxana Troi. Lwaxana is an annoyingly chatty telepath who seems to do a fine job of irritating everybody, including her own daughter. She is confident and holds herself in extremely high regard. She was attractive but lacks subtlety. Lwaxana is the polar opposite of captain Picard’s type. She hits on Picard (and other prominent characters) in several episodes, but Picard is very obviously not interested in her.
Lwaxana doesn’t give a damn about protocol, rules, or discipline. She doesn’t take things seriously, even in dire situations. Lwaxana presents herself as the most important person in the room, no matter the occasion. She is loud and very opinionated. She presents herself as a high-class woman, though her actions make me think she is a bit undereducated for her role as an ambassador.
Beverly Crusher
On the other end of the scale, we have Dr. Beverly Crusher. There is a lot of obvious chemistry between the two though they only admit it about halfway through the series and never really act on it. Beverly is duty-driven, like Picard. She is disciplined and intelligent. Like Picard, she is very much an intellectual and rarely spends free time with her crewmates. She is passionate about her work and takes her jobs, both as a physician and a mother, very seriously. At times she provides moral and ethical advice to Picard, and he very much respects her insight.
Most people who watched the show agree that Beverly is a beautiful woman. Many people, including myself, would even say she was the most attractive regular cast member on TNG. I believe the friendship between Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher is one of the most realistic character dynamics of the show. Neither of them wanted to sacrifice that friendship in pursuit of something more. Though in the last episodes of TNG, when Picard was traveling forward and backward in time, in the future, Dr. Crusher was introduced as his ex-wife. Implying that they did go on to get married in that alternate timeline.
Captain Picard’s Other Love Interests
Throughout the show, many other women were enamored with captain Picard. And he even had relationships with some of them. Vash, the archeologist. The two seemed to have a short fling, but it fell apart quickly. Her apparent love for archeology and history had Picard intrigued. And even when he found out she was a thief, he didn’t seem to completely lose interest. Though it was pretty obvious, they would never advance or continue their relationship, at least romantically.
Kamala the empath.
While nothing happened between the two, it was implied that Picard found Kamala very appealing. As did every man on the ship. Her telepathic and empathic abilities, combined with her training, made her seem like the perfect mate to everyone.
Anij the leader of the Ba’ku.
Part of the dynamic between Picard and Anij was due to circumstance, but she was both intelligent and attractive. Since the planet she lived on was making everyone younger, there might have been some hormones of a younger Picard driving their relationship. As the calm, collected leader of the Ba’ku, Anij met pretty much all of captain Picard’s criteria. He even told her he planned to come back for extended shore leave just to be with her.
Nella Daren.
Last but not least, Nella Daren. The science officer who came aboard the enterprise and chewed Picard out the first time they met. She was very dedicated to her work and from what we can tell, was very good at it. She was well-read and also a talented musician. Music brought them together, and the two played a few duets together. As Picard fell for her, he had a hard time coming to terms with it. His dedication to his career and how he felt a captain should act made fraternization difficult. Their romance only lasted a short while before duty seems to have gotten the best of them.
Captain Picard’s type
Captain Picard’s type would be an introverted intellectual from what we can observe. Someone who would rather read a good book than go to a party. Someone who is calm and collected. Picard likes women who work hard at what they do and are as passionate about their careers or positions as he is. He tends to gravitate to women with a strong presence and good leadership qualities. He likes women who share his love for philosophy and history. These are the type of women who can have a long deep conversation. Picard likes the explorers and pioneers of the galaxy.
Of course, it would also seem he has a thing for attractive, middle-aged, fit redheads too. Obviously, physical attraction is important to Picard, albeit not as important as having a good head on their shoulders. Picard doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would tolerate women who are too clingy or high maintenance. Though he does like somewhat headstrong women. His perfect mate would be self-sufficient and doesn’t need him to make her feel complete.
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