Season three of Star Trek: Picard has been all about getting the band back together–reuniting the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation for one final adventure. Unlike the first two seasons, there wasn’t much reason to go adding new characters–other than the villains, of course. So why, oh why, was there a new Starfleet captain suddenly all up in our faces?
Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick) served no real purpose. Why was he there? When Picard and Riker needed a ship, and Riker declared the Titan-A to be one they could use…well, how did that make sense when the ship’s actual captain was this dude?
Now I understand why Shaw was introduced, though, because he’s my favorite thing about a season that has been far better than the two that preceded it. He’s there to speak to me, specifically me, and my generation, X.
That’s right, Captain Shaw is Gen X.
He was born in the 24th century so he’s not literally Gen X, which as a generation was born between 1965-1980. But he embodies us in every way.
Remember how I said this was a story about the original cast of TNG? That means it’s a show about a bunch of old people–which Will Riker points out all the time, hilariously, so I’m not calling anybody names here. But in universe, what it means is that this is a season about a group of old “legends” who made their name being incredibly fucking reckless with people’s lives and futures, not to mention with massively expensive spacecraft paid for with public funding, and who now refuse to stay retired even though some of them–especially Picard–don’t understand how things work these days.
In other words, they’re Boomers.
Picard and Riker sashay onto Shaw’s ship and just expect him to be in awe of them and their reputations and fly off on an unplanned, unsanctioned mission merely because they want him to. Shaw tells them to go fuck themselves and then makes them sleep in a bunk bed.
I love him so much.
Seven of Nine–who Shaw doesn’t like because he has PTSD from the Battle of Wolf 359, when Picard-as-Locutus-of-Borg killed eleven thousand people, including almost everyone Shaw served with–commits a little light mutiny and does what Picard wants. (She deserves to be in the brig for the rest of the season, and I say this as someone who loves Seven.) So even though he explicitly refused to do what the Boomers wanted, Shaw is dragged along on their mission anyway. Find me a Gen X-er who can’t relate to that.
As usual, Picard and Riker get out over their skis, stealing one of Titan’s shuttles and flying off to be heroes. But it all goes wrong, because of course it does. Now they’re out of Federation space and facing a terrifyingly well-informed, well-armed enemy…and they presume Shaw will bail them out. Fix their problem, that they made themselves by being so extra. Does he want to? Nope. Should he have to? Nope. Is it his job to make sure their own mistakes don’t end up making them suffer in their old age? Should he have to bear the responsibility of cleaning up their mess? Couldn’t they have perhaps planned better instead of using up all the resources and depleting the social safety net and then refusing to get out of the workforce so that Gen X could have maybe a couple of years of high earning to build up our nest egg since we won’t be getting the Social Security the Boomers all got?????
Anyway, Shaw does the right thing because like Gen X, he’s fundamentally good. Also fundamentally–and rightfully–pissed off, but good.
Thus the saga of Liam Shaw continues, as he is reluctantly dragged along on the Boomer-driven quest with no ability to stop their madness. He gets seriously injured while they don’t–relatable. His PTSD is triggered by their actions–relatable. And through it all, his resentment is expressed in glorious, scathing sarcasm and an absolute refusal to come around to the sort of saccharine hero-worship Picard and his ilk are used to–FUCKING RELATABLE. (Except he has a soft spot for Geordi La Forge, because Gen X loves LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow.)
I’ve been watching Star Trek since I was pre-verbal, but I have never felt so represented on the final frontier. Godspeed, Liam Shaw. Gen X is with you.
