It Still Annoys Me That Star Trek: Insurrection Didn't Reignite Picard's Best Love Story

Star Trek: Insurrection missed an opportunity to rekindle Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) greatest romance. After the action-packed Star Trek: First Contact, Insurrection told a smaller story that sent The Next Generation's Captain Picard and his Enterprise crew to the unique planet of Ba'ku. The United Federation of Planets had allied with the enemies of the Ba'ku, the Son'a, and sought to forcibly relocate the Ba'ku. The planet of Ba'ku had special regenerative properties that the Son'a (and the Federation) desperately wanted.

When Captain Picard and his crew visited Ba'ku, the planet's regenerative properties affected them all in different ways. Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) went through the Klingon's version of puberty, Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) gained his eyesight, and Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) rekindled their romance. Meanwhile, Picard developed feelings for a Ba'ku villager named Anij (Donna Murphy), and while their love story was sweet, Star Trek: Insurrection should have paired Jean-Luc with Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden).

Star Trek: Insurrection Should’ve Given Picard & Dr. Crusher Their Star Trek Romance

Beverly Crusher Did Not Even Get A Significant Subplot In Insurrection

The regenerative properties of the Ba'ku planet reignited feelings in Riker and Troi, but Star Trek: Insurrection completely ignored the potential for sparks between Picard and Crusher. Star Trek: The Next Generation established that there was something going on between Jean-Luc and Beverly in the show's first season and teased their feelings for one another throughout the show's entire run. Even when they finally confessed their feelings in TNG season 7, episode 8, "Attached," they still did not officially become a couple.

All four Star Trek: The Next Generation films appeared to forget about the feelings Picard and Crusher once had for one another. While Jean-Luc had more important things to worry about in Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: First Contact, Insurrection would have been the perfect movie to explore his relationship with Beverly. Plus, the nature of the Ba'ku planet would have given Picard and Crusher the perfect excuse not to continue their romance after the events of the film, if that's what the writers wanted.

Star Trek: Insurrection even has a scene that hints at what could've been. Early in the film, Picard attends a diplomatic dinner where he will be expected to dance with the alien leader. Dr. Crusher suggests the mambo, commenting that "the Captain used to cut quite a rug." Later, after Picard begins feeling the effects of the Ba'ku planet, he orders the Enterprise computer to play a mambo as he performs a few dance steps alone. This could have been a cute moment between Jean-Luc and Beverly that revealed their lingering feelings for one another.

The Star Trek: TNG Films Underused Dr. Beverly Crusher

Dr. Crusher Deserved Better

Dr. Crusher barely had anything to do in Star Trek: Insurrection, or any of the other TNG films, for that matter. As the Chief Medical Officer on the USS Enterprise-D, Crusher may not have always gotten the best stories on TNG, but she stayed relatively busy. She proved herself to be an intelligent scientist and a dedicated doctor several times over and was one of the few people willing to challenge Captain Picard. Beverly's profound compassion meant that she would always fight for others, even when it went against Starfleet's Prime Directive.

Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher had a complicated history — Picard had been best friends with Beverly's husband, Jack Crusher (Doug Wert), who was killed on an away mission under Picard's command. The TNG films (and Star Trek: Insurrection, in particular) could have continued to explore their complex dynamic, as they tried to resist their obvious feelings for one another. Aside from a few scenes, Crusher played a relatively small role in the TNG films, despite being a fascinating character who deserved more screen time.

Captain Picard & Dr. Crusher Never Officially Became A Couple On Screen

Picard & Crusher Have A Son Now & Have Still Never Been Seen As A True Couple

Although Picard and Crusher metaphorically dance around one another throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, even confessing their true feelings, they never officially became a couple on screen. Even in the alternate future seen in TNG's series finale, "All Good Things...," Picard and Crusher had already divorced. Beverly Crusher returned in Star Trek: Picard season 3, which revealed another part of her love story with Jean-Luc that viewers never saw. Sometime after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, Picard and Crusher had a romantic encounter that resulted in the birth of Jack Crusher (Ed Speelers).

Jean-Luc did not learn about his son until over twenty years later when Beverly came crashing back into his life at the beginning of Picard season 3. This led to an intense (and beautifully acted) conversation between Jean-Luc and Beverly in Picard season 3, episode 3, "Seventeen Seconds." Picard and Crusher have a child together, but viewers have still never seen them as an actual couple. Star Trek missed the perfect opportunity to explore Jean-Luc and Beverly's romance in Star Trek: Insurrection, robbing fans of the chance to finally see them get together on screen.