Summary
- Captain Picard shines in "Booby Trap," showing his piloting skills and passion for archeology.
- Episodes like this highlight Picard's multifaceted character beyond his role as a Starship Captain.
- Picard's love of archeology is a recurring theme in TNG and even continues in "Star Trek: Picard."
One Star Trek: The Next Generation episode may have been embarrassing for Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), but it was a great showcase for Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Following the adventures of the USS Enterprise-D and its crew, TNG had its fair share of ups and downs, but ultimately delivered more great episodes than bad ones. Still, some episodes were a mixed bag, with two separate storylines that didn't quite gel. For example, Geordi's awkward attempts at romance brought down one episode that otherwise told a solid and intense story.
Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 6, "Booby Trap," is most remembered for Geordi's unfortunate holodeck "romance" with Dr. Leah Brahms (Susan Gibney), but the hour also has some great Captain Picard moments. When the Enterprise detects a distress call from a Promellian battlecruiser, Picard insists on boarding the ancient ship to investigate. At the site of the final battle between the Promellians and the Menthars, Picard's interest in archeology takes over. When the Enterprise gets stuck in a trap left by the Menthars, Geordi works to find a solution, but Picard gets to fly the ship out of the debris field.
Forget Geordi, Star Trek: TNG's "Booby Trap" Is A Great Episode For Captain Picard
Picard gets to indulge in his interests and show off his piloting skills.
When Captain Picard first sees the Promellian battlecruiser floating amongst the debris, Jean-Luc cannot hide his excitement at the prospect of exploring a historical relic. Picard even reminiscences about the ships in bottles he built as a boy, saying he probably had a Promellian battlecruiser. Although Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) points out that there could be dangers lurking on the old ship, Picard insists on leading the away team. With his interest in archeology and history, Picard is not about to let this opportunity pass by.
It's a joy to see the usually stoic Captain Picard express genuine excitement, as Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) points out. When Picard questions why Riker and Troi are sharing a look, Troi remarks: "It's just a rare pleasure to meet this side of your personality." Picard also gets to show off his piloting skills as he maneuvers the Enterprise out of the debris field, using an asteroid's gravitational pull as a slingshot to gain extra momentum. Geordi (with help from Holo-Leah Brahms) may have come up with the solution that saves the day, but Captain Picard is the one who ultimately saves the Enterprise.
Picard's Love of Archeology Comes Up Several Times On TNG & Star Trek: Picard
Picard never stops being fascinated by ancient history & archeology.
Established in TNG season 2, episode 11, "Contagion," Captain Picard's interest in archeology pops up several times throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation. Inspired by Professor Galen (Norman Lloyd), his archeology instructor at Starfleet Academy, Picard likely would have been an archeologist if he had not become a Starship Captain. When Picard takes time for shore leave on Risa in TNG season 3, episode 19, "Captain's Holiday," he gets pulled into an archeological treasure hunt with the intriguing archaeologist Vash (Jennifer Hetrick). Although Jean-Luc does not get much time to indulge in his personal interests, it's always fun to see him get excited about an important archeological find.
As revealed in Star Trek: Lower Decks , Picard continued to support the Independent Archaeologists Guild and even funded the efforts of archeologist Petra Aberdeen (Georgia King).
In Star Trek: Picard season 1, Jean-Luc has retired from Starfleet and spends his time tending to his family's vineyard in La Barre, France. Picard finds this life unfulfilling, and he retains a vault at the Starfleet Archive Museum that contains artifacts from his many adventures. Like an archeologist collects ancient relics and pieces of history, Picard has amassed a collection of objects from the most important parts of his life, including a banner from Captain Picard Day and paintings done by Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner). Jean-Luc Picard may be a Starfleet Captain first and foremost, but his love of archeology stretches throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation and beyond.
