[Editor's Note: The article contains major spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 9, "Võx."]

With the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, the series introduced audiences to Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), the by-the-books captain of the U.S.S. Titan who was thoroughly unamused with the antics of legends like Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes). The self-proclaimed "dipshit from Chicago" had his reasons for being stand-offish and downright mean to Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and his traumatic backstory at the hands of the Borg helped pave the way for him to become the fan-favorite character of the season.

While some fans likely saw the handwriting on the wall for Shaw—especially after he had two near-death experiences already in Season 3—others were likely blindsided by his emotional death in the penultimate episode "Võx." Once again, faced with the imminent threat of the Borg, Shaw finds himself in a bit of a role reversal from what he experienced on the U.S.S Constance. This time, he's the one that gets to ensure that people get to safety. During an interview with Collider, Picard's showrunner Terry Matalas discussed Shaw's death and teased what the future could hold for the character, should Paramount+ decide to pursue Star Trek: Legacy. "It was always part of Shaw's arc to die at the hands of the Borg. It was always going to be, from the beginning, how he went out." Matalas explained, before going on to say:

"It's his worst nightmare, but one he faces heroically, and he gets to be the one who sends them on the escape pod. They are the lucky ones this time. You know, the story was always about the brave lieutenant who sent them off. He gets to be the one who does that, and I think he'd probably have it no other way. And in his last moments, he gets to show Seven of Nine the respect that he always knew she was due. That was always his story."

Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine and Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw in Star Trek Picard Season 3 Episode 8
Image via Paramount+

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Despite his surly personality and love-to-hate attitude, Captain Shaw easily won over fans, with many taking to social media to voice their support for a Captain Shaw spin-off or an animated series about his exploits before Star Trek: Picard. When asked about how tough it was to keep the secret of his death, Matalas teased that fans can expect to see a little more of him, saying, "I love that people have loved him because the journey has been from hate to love with him, you know? So, that has been gratifying. I will say that we're not done with Shaw yet, in some ways, [and] that Todd Stashwick appears in all 10 episodes this season. But he is dead."

The Future of Shaw in Star Trek: Legacy

There is no shortage of Star Trek adventures headed to Paramount+ in the near future, but Trekkies are chomping at the bit for news about the future of the characters that they've fallen in love with in Star Trek: Picard. Paramount+ may not have any plans for a spin-off at the moment, but the cast is definitely just as eager as the fans to see the next generation of The Next Generation carry the torch. In recent weeks, LeVar Burton and his daughter Mica Burton voiced their support for the spin-off idea, as has Gates McFadden who called it a "fantastic" idea during an interview with Collider's Samantha Coley. Despite the buzz about Star Trek: Legacy, Matalas' answer about how Captain Shaw might fit into the spin-off was delivered with the news that Legacy isn't a sure thing. He explained:

"I will say this, because I have to say this, there is currently no Star Trek: Legacy in development at Paramount+. But from the very beginning of this season, there has always been a plan for this character to be part of the spin-off, and it is absolutely amazing how. And should we be so lucky to ever have a discussion, it would be very cool, and Todd Stashwick would absolutely be a part of it."

While Matalas couldn't share the specifics of how Shaw would factor into the potential series, Collider can tease that the concept is one that would make Star Trek fans very happy. Perhaps, if fans are loud enough, Paramount+ will listen to the pleas for Star Trek: Legacy, and Todd Stashwick will get a second chance to break hearts all over again.

The final season of Star Trek: Picard is streaming now on Paramount+. Check out our interview with Stashwick and Ryan from the start of the season below: