Picard Showrunner Regrets One Scene That Happened In Season 2

When Dr. Soong hit Picard with a car in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Picard," it hurt showrunner Terry Matalas just as much as the captain. 

On an episode of the "Dropping Names with Brent and Jonny" podcast, Matalas appeared alongside Brent Spiner, who played both Data and Adam Soong, and Jonathan Frakes, the director of Episode 6, "Two of One." Spiner recalled Matalas questioning the scene's logic: "How can Data hit Picard with a car?" Frakes asked Matalas to elaborate. He replied: "It violated my sense of decent storytelling and character. Think about it: What are the great 'Star Trek' moments? There's Kirk and 'Khaaaaan!' There's the Borg. And then there is when Brent Spiner hit Patrick Stewart with a car."

Spiner, however, enjoyed the scene: "Well, it's the only note I gave: 'I would like to hit Patrick with a car while wearing a tuxedo.'" 

The scene occurs at the gala for the Europa Mission, after Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) reassures his ancestor Renée Picard (Penelope Mitchell) as she struggles with doubts about her expedition. Picard notices an oncoming car and pushes Renée out of the way, taking the brunt of the impact. In exchange for a cure for his ailing daughter, Dr. Soong (Brent Spiner) had agreed to Q's (John de Lancie) plan to prevent Renée from participating in the Europa mission. 

Matalas might not have delved into the specifics of why he disliked the scene, but fan criticisms can offer possible explanations. One Reddit user noted Renée's reaction to the attack was not explored meaningfully, especially given the tender moment she shared with Picard beforehand: "did I miss something or was Renee completely glossed over after the car attack?" Rather, her character arc for the rest of the season is tied to Tallinn, the Romulan supervisor who saves Renée from Soong's poisoning attempt in the "Picard" Season 2 finale. Another user noticed a flaw in the murder attempt: "There is something fascinating about how weak Q's plan is." For a character portrayed as intelligent, Soong trying to run down Renée during a packed event is both conspicuous and reckless.