15 essential Captain Picard episodes to get you pumped for his return

“The Inner Light” (S5E25)

Picard perks: Picard in civvies, Picard plays the flute, Picard wears a man-romper, Picard in love.

What it’s about: You either love or hate this episode. It’s a nice departure into their slice of life in outer space, yet we still get to watch the crew spit technobabble nonsense and panic during a red-alert.

The crew encounters a roaming satellite. Upon inspection, it shoots a unique tractor beam at Captain Picard and he falls unconscious. The rest of the episode is Picard living out another man’s life on his planet before the sun explodes and kills them all. The satellite turned out to be the people’s last hope for immortality, that someone somewhere would experience a life of theirs and be able to share with the universe that they existed.

Picard lives as Kamin, trying to solve the crisis of a drought and raising a son. Again and again, his efforts are met by refusal from the community’s council. Once he is elderly, he finally is on the council himself, but it is too late to save anyone. Their technology into space travel is not advanced enough to evacuate anyone. The planet and all its people are doomed.  All that is left is finding some way to leave a mark on the world.

As Kamin/Picard is at the end of his life, a very old man, his family appears vibrant and healthy and bring him to a space launching. He doesn’t understand, knowing that they cannot be saved. Now the show is over and his wife and friends explain that the probe he is witnessing the launch of is, in fact, the probe he discovered just before coming to this place.

As the rocket launches, he hears Kamin’s family request that he “tell them of us,” and Picard awakes. Inside the satellite probe are some small mementos of the man Picard “lived” as. The space-flute (it’s just a pretty recorder) is one of these, and Picard dedicates himself to keeping it up in the man’s memory.

Picard quotes:

• “Seize the time… Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.”

Which of these is your favorite Picard episode? Have one we didn’t mention? Let us know by leaving a comment!