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

“Captain’s Holiday” (S3E19)

Picard perks: Annoyed Picard, Picard in love, and Picard in civvies (an outer-space speedo, to boot!).

What it’s about: It all starts when Dr. Crusher threatens to order the captain to shore leave. She riles up the entire crew, Riker cornering Picard in the Turbolift, Troi dropping obnoxious hints until Picard finally agrees to visit the resort planet of Risa.

Slightly out of character, Picard is annoyed left and right by everyone’s carefree, friendly approaches. Riker pranks Picard by asking him to pick up a Horga’hn as a souvenir, which unbeknownst to Picard is a sexual invitation to the women of Risa. He just wants to read a good book and get back to work, but all these women keep trying to make love to him! I could enjoy an entire episode of annoyed Picard, but there is, in fact, plot in this episode.

He meets his intellectual match in Vash, an outer-space archaeologist. She leads Picard on a treasure hunt. There’s fun chemistry between the honorable Picard and the mischievous Vash as they take turns outwitting the other, and there are other quirky characters involved in the adventure as well.

But we know that Picard had a mischievous, wild streak in his youth, and so he and Vash work well together to keep the priceless future artifact out of the wrong hands — each racing to outpace the other intellectually.

Needless to stay, there’s a spring in his step when he returns to the bridge.

Picard quotes:

• “You’ll find Ferengi demands carry little weight with me.”
• “I don’t recall saying I was embarrassed; it’s just that I prefer to be acquainted with the women that I kiss.”