Actress, choreographer and now podcaster Gates McFadden has taken part in a lot of public appearances for Star Trek: The Next Generation in her career, and because of that, she's answered a lot of the same questions time and time again, by fans and journalists alike. She'll probably be asked the same questions plenty more in the future, too, so for any fan that may have such an opportunity in the future, don't ask her why Picard and Crusher never got together.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Gates McFadden about her new podcast InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are? (which premiered Wednesday, May 12), a project that features McFadden speaking to her former castmates from Star Trek: The Next Generation. To avoid getting in hot water early in the interview, I asked which Star Trek question she was tired of answering. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was very specifically about Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard never officially becoming a couple (outside of that alternate timeline, that is).
I guess it’s about, you know, what happened to Crusher and Picard. Probably that sort of thing. Because it wasn’t up to me. Ask that to Patrick, ask that to the producers, but I’m not the one you should ask about it because I really can’t say anything. I know we have a great chemistry, and he’s fantastic. So it really depends on what the studio wants and what he’s hoping for his character, and that’s just the way of the biz, you know?
Gates McFadden did not have any say or control over whether Picard and Crusher got together romantically or otherwise during Star Trek: The Next Generation, and she also doesn't have a say if it'll happen in Star Trek: Picard. She really doesn't even know if she's going to be in the upcoming seasons of the Paramount+ series, though it did seem like there were once plans in place for that pre-COVID. The bottom line is, fans can ask her that question until the cows come home, but they're going to be disappointed because she just doesn't have much she can say about it. And also, let's just pretend the cows are home already.
Fans can learn a lot about what Gates McFadden does and doesn't know on her new podcast, which launched its first episode recently with Jonathan Frakes as her debut guest. The two discuss the influential and much-beloved The Next Generation series, as well as what was going on in their personal lives both before and after the show took place, and there's a promise of never-before-heard stories that will be revealed. It certainly sounds like the perfect thing for a Star Trek fan to enjoy, especially the ones who like the stories of what happened behind the scenes as the show was being produced.
InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are? Episode 1 is currently available to stream on all major podcasting platforms. Continue to stick with us at CinemaBlend for more on Gates McFadden, and her thoughts on why former co-star LeVar Burton would make an excellent permanent host of Jeopardy!
