Tapestry

Season 6, Episode 15, Aired
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Episode Summary

Stardate: Unknown ''''Picard is mortally wounded, and arrives in the afterlife, only to be welcomed by Q. Picard regrets decisions he had made earlier in his life that led to his eventual death, and Q offers him a second chance.
8.9
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Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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  • Utterly Rubbish

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By cale1234567, Oct 03, 2011 Report Abuse
    Picard gets the chance to avert his fight with the nausicans who skewered him as ensign.

    Unfortunately the central premise of the show is fataly flawed.This episode has you believe if picard had not fought the nausicans his life would have been
    that of an unmovivated drifter ,a 60+ junior leutentant.
    Unfortunately I DONT BUY IT
    Is this the same picard that spent his life pushing himself to get great grades at school?
    "He always won the ribbon" as his brother remembers.
    The same young man who spent his night looking at the stars and dreaming of space ships?
    The same young man who stood his girlfriend up at the eiffel tower to pursue a starfleet career?
    The same young man who won the academy marathon as a freshman.(the only fresh ever to do so ).
    And just because He Didt Get Stabbed he suddenly became a giant loser???
    not a chance Ron moore has discussed this ep
    he remebered crashing out of college and screwing up his life but it eventually put him in a position to get on star trek.Good for him.Alls well that ends well etc

    Okay buddy that your life not Picards

    Yes past mistakes and triumphs define who we are today.

    But he really should have watched an episode of star (just one) before he did thismoreless

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    3 12

  • Great insight into Picard!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By sephmerrittx, Jun 15, 2011 Report Abuse
    First off, I have to say that the final scenes where Picard is "lieutenant, junior grade, astrophysics," are so haunting. He is an absolutely defeated, pathetic person, and everyone treats him like that. Even the blue looks sad on him! It was actually quite heart-wrenching to see him ask Riker, "well, couldn't I do more? More than astrophysics, like even command?" And Riker just treats him like the village idiot (or like Barclay, even). Great acting from everyone.

    I also really liked the final fight where Picard fixes everything back to the way it was. He laughed when he got stabbed by the sword, but it was for a different reason this time - not because he was arrogant, but because he knew what he was doing was right.

    Finally, I was pretty surprised that the romance DIDN'T work out with the female ensign. But, I guess the reason she was interested in him was because he was an arrogant risk-taker, and when that was gone, she lost all interest.moreless

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    1 0

  • The best Q episode. John DeLancie and Patrick Stewart make for a great odd couple.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By pharoahsdance, Jun 02, 2010 Report Abuse
    I have more mixed feelings than most fans about the Q character, which often led to coasting by the writers and producers. "Yeah, we've got this totally over-the-top character which dominates every scene he's in - maybe we don't actually have to create an interesting story!" Both of the other Star Trek Q episodes that ran this season - "Q Less" (DS9) and "True Q" (TNG) - fall victim to that problem.

    "Tapestry" certainly does not. There's plenty of the great Q-Picard chemistry, but without the pitfalls - less overacting by John DeLancie, less of the ponderous speeches that writers gave Picard in his presence.

    Besides the fun of sending Picard to revisit his youth (and it is a lot of fun) with Q in tow, we get a thoughtful story about how each little choice matters. The scenes with Picard as a junior science officer really are heartbreaking.

    Aside from "Chain of Command", the best of the 6th season.moreless

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    3 1

  • Picard enters the afterlife

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By AvatarBlue, Jun 02, 2010 Report Abuse
    *** Some SPOILERS ***

    A fine story centering on a pivotal event in Picards life onboard a starbase awaiting his first assignment with two of his closest friends.

    The story begins with Q hauling Picard into an apparent afterlife as he lies on the surgery table apparently set to die.

    The episode is heavily themed upon the dramatic situation of past regrets, what if we could go back and change things and is cleverly framed around the results of what would have happened to Picard if hed done things differently.

    Among the things that weigh on Picards mind are foremost his brash behaviour with the ladies, getting into fights and shirking conseqences. The main point is to show how a Picard aged with experience would have done things differently and we should not look back at past events with wise eyes, indeed to the level that its almost a paradox in that we can never do a better job if given a second chance. Infact that it is better to do and learn from mistakes, because ultimately we if dont be can never become the person with all that wisdom and experience to have those regrets and wishes.

    There are several key subplots to the events of the main thread, that led to Picards artificial heart which provide the basis for more Q gloating and goading of Picard which make for wonderful viewing. Afterall their relationship is one of the key ones in this franchise and if you love to see these two adversaries battle their wits against the other then youll love this story.

    Esp. so as the the setting is not from the normal timeframe and the choices Picard makes concerning the cheating of the Nausicaans and his bedding his colleague and close friend Marty Batanides turn out far worse than he could have predicted if hed done things "right". There are also moments of doubt when he tries to do the "right thing" by stopping Corey from cheating to gain his revenge.

    However, all the changes he makes lead to some uncomfortable admission from Picard as things change beyond his comprehension to the delight of Q.

    All this leads to a very dramatic and heartfelt finale. As Picard is forced to realise that the changes he made to his regretted action will lead his to live our a dreary life of unfulfilment and worse know what it should have been like.

    Loved the few scenes where the crew's perception of his alter-ego are so different than the norm. Probably the best dream type episode across the seven seasons.moreless

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    4 0

  • Picard is wounded and dies on the operating table. Heaven isn't what it's cracked up to be, God turns out to be Q. Q offers Picard a chance to change the greatest mistake of his life, one that cost him his heart.moreless

    9.4
    "Superb"
    By Brettlew22, Jun 02, 2010 Report Abuse
    The best Q episode of all-time. In it, we are given a great deal of insight on Captain Picard. We see that there is far more to him than his dignified exterior. The episode shows us the event that forever changed Picard. We find out that a long time ago he was a womanizing, arrogant, and cocky jerk. One that acted on impulse and was never one to shy away from a fight. In this, it provides the best backstory the series has ever had. It also fleshes out Picard's character and gives him more depth than anyone previously thought. I'm a big fan of character development episodes. This is one of the greatest in the entire series. On top of that we get another entertaining Q and Picard episode.moreless

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    1 0
 

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • Trivia: Picard's artificial heart is first mentioned in episode 2-17, "Samaritan Snare." Edit
    • Trivia: We learn in this episode that Picard graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2327. Edit
    • Since much of this episode takes place in a mindscape either created by Q, or is a near-death hallucination by Picard which may not even involved Q, some contradictions and continuity errors may simply be the result of Picard's mental state rather than actual issues in the "real" Trek universe. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • In "Yesterday's Enterprise," the crew of the Enterprise-C wears Kirk-era movie uniforms minus the turtlenecks and belts. In "Tapestry," Picard wears the same uniform, minus the tutrleneck but with a belt. It seems the turtleneck was the first element of Kirk's movie uniform to go. (The actors in Star Trek II-VI complained the turtlenecks were very uncomfortable, so it can be assumed the officers would feel the same way and Starfleet eliminated the turtlenecks for comfort reasons.) Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Lt.(jg) Picard: How would you evaluate me as an officer? Deanna: Well. Um, your performance records have always been good. You're thorough, dedicated... Riker: ...steady, reliable (searching for something to say) ...punctual. Picard: I see. What would you say if I told you I thought I was capable of being more than that. Riker: Frankly, Lieutenant, I don't think that's realistic. Picard: Why? Please. This is important to me. I know I can do more. Troi: Hasn't this been the problem all along? Throughout your career, you've had lofty goals. But, you've never been willing to do what's necessary to attain them. Picard: Would that be your evaluation as well? Riker: I'd have to agree with Troi. You talk about wanting more. But, when it comes to doing something about it, you hang back. If you want to get ahead, you have to take chances. Stand out from the crowd. Get noticed. Edit
    • Picard: Having a good laugh now, Q? Does it amuse you to think of me living out the rest of my life as a dreary man in a tedious job? Q: I gave you something most mortals never experience: a second chance at life. And now all you can do is complain? Picard: I can't live out my days as that person. That man is bereft of passion and imagination! That is not who I am! Q: Au contraire, he is the person you wanted to be -- one who was less arrogant and undisciplined in his youth, one who is less like me? The Jean-Luc Picard you wanted to be, the one who did not fight the Nausicaans, had quite a different career from the one you remember. That Picard never had a brush with death, never came face-to-face with his own mortality, never realized how fragile life is, or how important each moment must be. So his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career. No plan or agenda. Going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves. He never led the away team on Millica 3 to save the ambassador, or take charge of the Stargazer's bridge when its captain was killed. And no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever, got noticed by anyone. Picard: You're right, Q. You gave me the chance to change, and I took the opportunity. But I admit now, it was a mistake. Q: Are you asking me for something, Jean-Luc? Picard: Give me a chance to put things back the way they were before. Q: Before. You died in sickbay. Is that what you want? Picard: I would rather die as the man I was, than live the life I just saw. Edit
    • Picard: There are many parts of my youth that I'm not proud of. There were loose threads--untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads, it unraveled the tapestry of my life. Edit

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