.gif)
Tapestry (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"Tapestry" is the 141st episode of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
.
, who is featured in this episode to the general exclusion of the rest of the cast. Its primary theme, explored in many other stories (starting with H. G. Wells
' The Time Machine
), is the effect on the present of changing the past. However, the primary literary theme is the balance of order
and chaos within the individual.
, who bluntly says, "Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead".
To prove Picard is dead, Q introduces him to people that Picard knows have died, including his father and the voices of people for whose deaths Picard is responsible. When Picard accuses Q of causing his death, Q reveals that Picard's artificial heart caused his demise: a natural heart would have endured the energy blast he suffered.
Picard's original heart was damaged during a bar brawl with Nausicaans - a quick-tempered, bullish race, one of whom stabbed him through the heart. Picard realizes his regret for his "wild youth" and that it has caught up with him. His current disciplined personality and seriousness is rooted in regret over his earlier lifestyle.
Q offers to let Picard go back in time to prevent himself from being stabbed. Q assures him that any changes he makes will not affect anyone other than himself. He is sent back to two days before the injury, meeting with friends and academy classmates Corey Zweller and Marta Batanides. His "newly changed" personality comes as somewhat of an unpleasant surprise, and he alienates his friends - the person they knew as fun loving and quick to anger is now staid, slow to anger, and often unintentionally insulting.
Events proceed as they did with Zweller becoming enraged with a group of Nausicaans who cheat him at dom-jot. Picard short-circuits Zweller's plan to rig the dom-jot table, angering his best friend. The next day the Nausicaans taunt Picard and his friends. Instead of taking on the Nausicaans, Picard throws Zweller out of the way of the fight. The Nausicaans call them cowards and leave - as do Zweller and Batanides. Picard has destroyed his friendship with them by refusing to stand up for Zweller. Q tells Picard that he saved his heart, and returns him to the present.
Picard finds himself on the Enterprise
as a Lieutenant junior grade
in the astrophysics
department. Q tells him that, as a consequence of the changes to his past, he has led an unremarkable career doing routine work. Picard consults with Riker and Troi on the possibility of him moving on to higher positions; while they consider Picard a competent and hardworking officer, he fails to show initiative and does not take the necessary risks to have a successful, well-rounded career in Starfleet.
Picard confronts Q, who tells him that although the bout with the Nausicaan nearly cost him his life, it also gave him a sense of his mortality
. It taught him that life was too precious to squander by playing it safe. Picard realizes that his attempts to suppress and ignore the consequences of his indiscretions have resulted in him losing a part of himself. Picard would rather die as captain of the Enterprise than live as a nobody. Q sends him back to the bar fight and events unfold as they did originally, with Picard being stabbed through the heart and laughing as he collapses to the ground. In the present, Captain Picard awakes having been revived by Dr. Crusher.
As Picard recovers from his injuries, he wonders whether he really journeyed into the past or whether it was merely a hallucination or one of Q's tricks. Riker expresses some difficulty imagining Picard taking on three Nausicaans. As the episode ends, Picard launches into another story about an encounter with Nausicaans.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Overview
The episode serves to provide character development of Captain Jean-Luc PicardJean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
, who is featured in this episode to the general exclusion of the rest of the cast. Its primary theme, explored in many other stories (starting with H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
' The Time Machine
The Time Machine
The Time Machine is a science fiction novella by H. G. Wells, published in 1895 for the first time and later adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It indirectly inspired many more works of fiction...
), is the effect on the present of changing the past. However, the primary literary theme is the balance of order
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
and chaos within the individual.
Plot
When Captain Picard and an away team are attacked by a group of radicals, an energy blast damages his artificial heart. Picard finds himself in the afterlife, which appears to be the domain of his nemesis QQ (Star Trek)
Q is a fictional character who appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as in related products. In all of these programs, he is played by John de Lancie....
, who bluntly says, "Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You're dead".
To prove Picard is dead, Q introduces him to people that Picard knows have died, including his father and the voices of people for whose deaths Picard is responsible. When Picard accuses Q of causing his death, Q reveals that Picard's artificial heart caused his demise: a natural heart would have endured the energy blast he suffered.
Picard's original heart was damaged during a bar brawl with Nausicaans - a quick-tempered, bullish race, one of whom stabbed him through the heart. Picard realizes his regret for his "wild youth" and that it has caught up with him. His current disciplined personality and seriousness is rooted in regret over his earlier lifestyle.
Q offers to let Picard go back in time to prevent himself from being stabbed. Q assures him that any changes he makes will not affect anyone other than himself. He is sent back to two days before the injury, meeting with friends and academy classmates Corey Zweller and Marta Batanides. His "newly changed" personality comes as somewhat of an unpleasant surprise, and he alienates his friends - the person they knew as fun loving and quick to anger is now staid, slow to anger, and often unintentionally insulting.
Events proceed as they did with Zweller becoming enraged with a group of Nausicaans who cheat him at dom-jot. Picard short-circuits Zweller's plan to rig the dom-jot table, angering his best friend. The next day the Nausicaans taunt Picard and his friends. Instead of taking on the Nausicaans, Picard throws Zweller out of the way of the fight. The Nausicaans call them cowards and leave - as do Zweller and Batanides. Picard has destroyed his friendship with them by refusing to stand up for Zweller. Q tells Picard that he saved his heart, and returns him to the present.
Picard finds himself on the Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
The USS Enterprise is a 24th century starship in the Star Trek fictional universe and the principal setting of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series...
as a Lieutenant junior grade
Starfleet ranks and insignia
Starfleet ranks and insignia are fictional titles and badges that form the hierarchy of Starfleet in the Star Trek television shows and movies.-Overview:...
in the astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
department. Q tells him that, as a consequence of the changes to his past, he has led an unremarkable career doing routine work. Picard consults with Riker and Troi on the possibility of him moving on to higher positions; while they consider Picard a competent and hardworking officer, he fails to show initiative and does not take the necessary risks to have a successful, well-rounded career in Starfleet.
Picard confronts Q, who tells him that although the bout with the Nausicaan nearly cost him his life, it also gave him a sense of his mortality
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
. It taught him that life was too precious to squander by playing it safe. Picard realizes that his attempts to suppress and ignore the consequences of his indiscretions have resulted in him losing a part of himself. Picard would rather die as captain of the Enterprise than live as a nobody. Q sends him back to the bar fight and events unfold as they did originally, with Picard being stabbed through the heart and laughing as he collapses to the ground. In the present, Captain Picard awakes having been revived by Dr. Crusher.
As Picard recovers from his injuries, he wonders whether he really journeyed into the past or whether it was merely a hallucination or one of Q's tricks. Riker expresses some difficulty imagining Picard taking on three Nausicaans. As the episode ends, Picard launches into another story about an encounter with Nausicaans.