Star Trek: The Next Generation is one of the more popular entries in the sci-fi television franchise, primarily because of its diverse and intriguing cast of characters. In the series, Patrick Stewart stars as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, a fan-favorite character synonymous with the actor before he went on to portray Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men films.
However, unbeknownst to many Stewart shared the screen with one of his future X-Men co-stars during an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. In an episode, actress Famke Janssen played a love interest of Stewart’s character years before she appeared as Jean Grey in the X-Men franchise. Moreover, given the nature of Janssen’s character, the episode could have proven extremely controversial, and here is why.
X-Men Co-stars Patrick Stewart and Famke Janssen Worked Together on an Episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation
The fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation sees Patrick Stewart‘s Captain Jean-Luc Picard develop feelings for Kamala, a young Kriosian woman destined for an arranged marriage. The 21st episode of the show’s fifth season, titled The Perfect Mate, sees this particular storyline unfold between Picard and Kamala, who is described as an ideal mate for any male.
In the episode, Dutch actress Famke Janssen made her Star Trek debut in the role of Kamala. The episode marked Janssen’s second television acting credit and her first time sharing the screen with Stewart. The duo would later reunite for the 2000 superhero movie X-Men, featuring Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier and Janssen as his student Jean Grey.
While the episode received mixed reviews from critics and fans, the performances of Stewart and Janssen were largely praised. However, Janssen turned down the chance to return to the sci-fi franchise in a larger capacity when she refused a main cast spot on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, which was a successor to TNG.
Star Trek: The Next Generation Writers Were Concerned Famke Janssen’s Character Would Be Too Controversial
The episode featuring Stewart and Janssen could have proven quite controversial given the nature of the latter’s character. The Perfect Mate sees Janssen play Kamala, an alien who can read their partners’ feelings and adjust themselves accordingly. As a result, showrunner Michael Piller found the subject material risky and felt the need to revise it.
In the companion book, Piller explained why he thought the nature of Kamala’s abilities could prove to be controversial. The showrunner explained (via /Film):
For all those people who thought we were so s****lly open-minded with the other shows, they’re going to start sending in their letters and saying what’s wrong with you guys on this one? This is the [most] adolescent male fantasy of all time.
Piller’s words implied that the character needed to be handled with sensitivity or it could have resulted in fans dismissing the story’s progressive themes as mere adolescent fantasy.
Piller further explained that the solution devised by the writers to avoid controversy was to portray Kamala as the perfect mate for Picard and make the episode a character study examining if the latter could resist her charms. As a result, the episode relied greatly on the chemistry between Picard and Janssen.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is streaming on Paramount+.
The post “What’s wrong with you guys on this one?”: Patrick Stewart Once Did a Star Trek: TNG Episode With an X-Men Co-Star That Could’ve Brought Down the Show appeared first on FandomWire.