I've never seen a Star Trek character go from hated to beloved as fast as this Star Trek: Picard character. Star Trek has had its fair share of characters that I've grown to love, but it's always been a slow burn as Star Trek reveals characters' sympathetic backstories or understandable motives. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Quark (Armin Shimerman) took a while for me to warm up to, and I've changed my mind on Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett-Roddenberry) over the years. And after nearly 30 years, Star Trek: Prodigy made me like Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran) from Star Trek: Voyager.
Making the unlikable actually likable is one of the things that Star Trek does best, of course. Star Trek's aliens become more sympathetic when we know what makes them tick, and communication helps us find meeting points between alien values and human morals. Star Trek has always wrapped "the other" in an alien metaphor, so I've been trained as a life-long Star Trek fan to find humanity beneath a rubber facade, but Star Trek's humans directly opposing our heroes, like Star Trek's "badmirals", are painted as misguided, if not flat-out wrong. That changed in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Why Star Trek: Picard’s Captain Shaw Was Hated At First
Captain Shaw Didn't Like Picard And Riker, So We Didn't Like Shaw: That Was The Point
In Star Trek: Picard season 3's premiere episode, "The Next Generation", Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) is the abrasive Captain of the USS Titan-A, a character tailor-made to be hated because Shaw treats Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) like filthy interlopers instead of Starfleet heroes. When Picard and Riker board the USS Titan-A intending to use Shaw's starship for their own mission, Shaw sees right through their ruse. Shaw makes Picard and Riker wait, starts dinner without them, and shuts the Star Trek: The Next Generation alumni down with a memorable "No."
I've watched Picard and Riker succeed time and again in Star Trek: The Next Generation, so I'm automatically on their side.
At this point in Star Trek: Picard season 3's story, I'm not supposed to like Captain Shaw. I've watched Picard and Riker succeed time and again in Star Trek: The Next Generation, so I'm automatically on their side, and I believe that they have the most honorable of intentions. It doesn't matter that Shaw rightfully denies Picard and Riker's plan because it would put the Titan's crew at risk. I don't love the way this new Shaw guy is flat-out rejecting legendary Starfleet officers that I respect, so I mentally categorize Captain Shaw as an antagonistic "other". He might as well be Cardassian.
Captain Shaw’s Star Trek: Picard Backstory Made Him An Instant Favorite
Captain Shaw Survived Starfleet's Stand Against Locutus Of Borg In The Battle Of Wolf 359
Like other fans, my opinion of Captain Shaw turned around in Star Trek: Picard season 3, episode 4, "No Win Scenario", watching Todd Stashwick's visceral monologue detailing Shaw's backstory. In those moments, it becomes clear that some part of Captain Shaw is still stuck in the Battle of Wolf 359, facing down death on a massive scale. With his past laid bare, Shaw invites sympathy with parallels between the Titan-A's current no-win scenario, and surviving Starfleet's deadliest stand against the Borg. Liam doesn't differentiate between Picard and Locutus. They're both deadly.
With a backstory that makes Captain Shaw a more sympathetic character, Star Trek: Picard proves that it’s best not to rush to judgment before a Star Trek show finishes telling its story. Instead of being framed as right or wrong, Captain Shaw's hostility towards Admiral Picard and Captain Riker and microaggressions against Seven of Nine are explained by Shaw's experience as a survivor of Wolf 359. Instead, Shaw's cautious, by-the-book leadership style stems from a trauma-induced need to protect himself and the Titan-A by doing everything just right. Captain Shaw isn't malicious; he needs support.
It’s Too Bad Shaw Can’t Return To Star Trek Without Legacy
We Barely Knew Liam Shaw Before His Tragic End
Unfortunately, Captain Liam Shaw's return to Star Trek is unlikely without Star Trek: Legacy. Barring a potential surprise like Todd Stashwick appearing in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 as a younger version of Liam Shaw, or visiting the 32nd century Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as a hologram, Star Trek: Legacy is our best bet for seeing Captain Shaw again. Unfortunately, Star Trek: Picard's proposed spinoff starring Jeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nine on the USS Enterprise-G isn't in development in any way, so Shaw's return is on indefinite hold.
Even though Shaw died on-screen, the character's popularity surged so much during Picard season 3 that showrunner Terry Matalas would almost certainly figure out how to bring Captain Shaw back for Star Trek: Legacy .
My opinion of Shaw changed quickly because his vulnerable character development made him relatable and familiar. Star Trek has always taught me not to judge people for being different, and Picard's storytelling pushed that lesson further by asking me to examine why I was so quick to hate Captain Shaw in the first place. I saw my changed opinion reflected in other fans' reactions to Shaw's story. Star Trek: Picard quickly changed fans' opinions of Shaw to positive by revealing Captain Shaw's backstory, which became a reminder to approach real people with curiosity instead of judgment.
