The Wild Plan That May Carry Again A Common Useless Character

The third season of “Star Trek: Picard” launched top-of-the-line new “Star Trek” characters in a few years. Captain Liam Shaw, performed by Todd Stashwick, was the commanding officer of the usS. Titan-A, a massively retrofitted model of the ship as soon as commanded by Captain Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Shaw was brusque, protecting, and had no endurance for propriety. When Riker and Picard (Patrick Stewart) — deeply revered all through Starfleet — ask to borrow the Titan for a secret, private mission, Shaw instantly refused. No, you can’t use my ship. He then assigns them uncomfortable bunk beds to sleep in. 

Shaw is a little bit of an a-hole, however he isn’t flawed. He’s below no obligation to flout the foundations for Riker and Picard, and will get livid with them when their private mission attracts attackers and bounty hunters. He did not ask for that. Shaw additionally had a combative relationship together with his first officer, Commander Seven of 9 (Jeri Ryan), previously of “Star Trek: Voyager.” He insisted, fairly rudely, on calling her by her beginning identify. He lives by the e book, and is a former engineer who by no means actually needed to be a captain. That is novel for “Star Trek”: the captain who hates his job. He was gloriously cantankerous, and lots of Trekkies had been very, very upset when he died earlier than “Picard” ended. 

Showrunner Terry Matalas, within the remaining episodes of “Picard,” was clearly organising a backdoor pilot. The collection ended with Seven of 9 because the captain of the Titan-A, not too long ago rechristened the Enterprise-G, as she trekked into the celebrities on her personal mission of exploration. This was meant to steer right into a spin-off collection that Matalas needed to name “Star Trek: Legacy.” Sadly, Shaw wouldn’t be a part of this new present, as he was useless.

However at a current Star Trek conference in Las Vegas, Nevada (as lined by TrekMovie), Matalas and Stashwick each went on document as to how Captain Shaw might need returned.

It appears Shaw would have been the Enterprise-G’s emergency engineering hologram. It ought to instantly be famous that Matalas’ ploy did not work. Though he handed Paramount a brand new collection on a silver platter, the corporate did not take the bait. “Star Trek: Legacy” was not greenlit, and no official motion was made on manufacturing. Many Trekkies needed “Star Trek: Legacy,” and there have been letter-writing campaigns supporting Matalas’ concepts, however they bore no fruit. Matalas moved on to the collection “Imaginative and prescient Quest,” and the Shaw character remained without end useless. 

There have been some enjoyable fan theories suggesting Shaw would have returned for “Legacy,” nevertheless, introduced again to life by Borg nanites. This might have been an irony for the character, as he at all times hated the Borg for the untold destruction they wrought on Starfleet. Matalas has been notoriously coy concerning the state of “Legacy,” however the venture had been shut down for lengthy sufficient that he doubtless felt snug talking about it at a Trek conference. A fan requested if Shaw would have been resurrected by Borg expertise for “Legacy,” and Matalas stated no. He did, nevertheless, say that there was nonetheless a spot for Shaw. In his phrases: 

“I’ll say, since we’re so distant from the opportunity of ‘Legacy,’ that [Shaw] wasn’t going to return again to life with Borg nanites … He was going to be the Emergency Engineering Hologram who didn’t wish to flip off, and was actually pissed off that the Titan was changed into the Enterprise, and would refuse to name it the Enterprise, till late.” 

Stashwick added that he can be referred to as the “Shaw-logram.” That is excellent for Shaw. 

As talked about, Captain Shaw was a former engineer. It is defined in “Picard” that he solely stumbled into starship command throughout a high-stakes battle whereby his commanding officer was killed. He seemingly resented being a captain, did not like high-risk missions, and was far more considering mechanics and engineering. The concept of getting an emergency humanoid hologram on a starship was launched in “Star Trek: Voyager,” when the ship’s chief medical officer died and was changed by a brief holographic helper. The holographic Physician (Robert Picardo) finally gained sentience and fashioned a persona of his personal. 

And if there’s an emergency medical hologram, then absolutely different starship departments would have their very own emergency replacements as nicely. On “Star Trek: Prodigy,” there was an emergency command hologram performed by Kate Mulgrew, as an illustration. Why not have a holographic engineer as nicely? And why not have Shaw’s recollections and persona implanted within the hologram, successfully resurrecting him? He can be relieved to not be captain anymore, and he would certainly be pissed off that his ship, the Titan-A, was rechristened the Enterprise-G with out his say. The dynamic between Shaw and Seven of 9 was fascinating: They needed to work very carefully collectively as colleagues, however hated one another personally. With a holographic Shaw, that dynamic may have been maintained. 

However then, that is all tutorial. “Legacy” stays a dream, and it appears an increasing number of unlikely that it’s going to ever be made. Matalas has been calmly diplomatic concerning the present, saying: 

“There’s nonetheless a lot of Trek to stay up for. There’s the ultimate season of ‘Unusual New Worlds,’ and ‘Starfleet Academy.’ So I believe even we’re although we’re all on the sidelines, we’re nonetheless cheering on the franchise.”

That is very ambassadorial of him, which is within the spirit of “Star Trek.” The truth that we have been robbed of extra Liam Shaw tales is another excuse to be upset that “Legacy” won’t ever come into being.