Star Trek: Picard - 7 Ups & 2 Downs From Stardust City Rag

3. Patrick Stewart

This scene, and the performance that went with it, should not have worked.

Posing as Borg-trafficking rogues, Picard, Elnor, Seven and Rico beam down to Freecloud to try and spring Bruce Maddox from his underworld captors. Presumably not convinced that Jean-Luc could master the subterfuge with a soft English accent he, instead, goes full am-dram, campy... I don't even know the word... french... i... fied(?) pantomime villain and you have never seen a man having more fun with a role.

It should, as I've said, absolutely not have worked. It should have detracted from the tension in the scene or the emotion of the reveals but, in Patrick Stewart's hands it's the shows first, real Show Your Non-Star Trek Friends moment. It's daft, enjoyable TV, and a welcome break from the intensity of the show thus far.