Star Trek Picard: Every Major Character Ranked
9. Elnor
The issue with Elnor is not the writing or the performance. The issue here is that there wasn't enough of him! This character was very clearly written to stand in as a son for Picard, struggling first with the rejection he felt as a child and then growing to love the man again through their trials.
On a base level, the show succeeds in pulling this off. However, his lack of screen time doesn't allow the audience to really warm to him other than to have him deliver some funny lines and excellent fighting moments. Evan Evagoria's portrayal is honest and fresh and perhaps moreso than any of the other characters on the show, Elnor is the most consistent. He is what he is.
The moment in Stardust City Rag where he laments the fact he can't be anything other than Elnor should have been given more time to unfold. Rios comments that the kid wouldn't last in the big wide universe, despite the fact he is a killing machine. His vulnerability and openness required more time than was allotted.
These are all issues that could be addressed in the next season so it is with profound hope that he ranks here. Hopefully, the writers don't feel that they have established his character sufficiently, which would be a disservice to Elnor and to Evagoria. There is potential greatness here, given enough material to work with.