Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.It may not be a particularly controversial take, but it's safe to say that the depiction of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets in the earlier seasons of Star Trek: Picard was a far cry from what many fans were used to. Hearing Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy (Ann Magnuson) F-bomb Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) for his attempts to evacuate Romulans from the devastation of their sun going supernova didn't seem to line up with the Federation we'd grown accustomed to. To hear Sir Patrick Stewart and Alex Kurtzman tell it, the early run of Picard was intended to mirror our current cultural anxieties and social conflicts, and it certainly did so, because many of us hadn't seen Starfleet officers and the Federation at large behave so combatively, especially when it came to perceived threats like the Romulan Star Empire or synthetic life-forms.
This darker take had its audience, to be sure, but many fans yearned for the more traditional way that Starfleet officers were portrayed in the past. In much of the Rick Berman era of Trek, from The Next Generation to Enterprise, Starfleet officers who were written as antagonists were obstacles typically due to Starfleet politicking or a difference in command philosophy. Fast-forward to Picard's third season though, and you'll find an officer who fits this concept quite nicely: Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick), captain of the USS Titan-A.
Shaw Is an Excellent Mix of Antagonist and Protagonist
Picard Season 3 takes no time dawdling before introducing us to Captain Shaw, and the first time we meet him, he doesn't leave the best impression. During a mock inspection by none other than Admiral Picard and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), the iconic duo attempt to coax Shaw into heading to the Federation border, where they can hopefully make their way to the Ryton system as part of their plan to aid Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) after her private vessel was attacked by assailants.
During dinner, Picard and Riker learn quickly that Shaw isn't exactly your rank-and-file Starfleet captain. He's already having his own dinner, and almost immediately criticizes both Picard and Riker by throwing a little shade at being gifted Château Picard wine (he prefers Malbec, I guess) and also tells Riker that he doesn't care for jazz or Riker's freewheeling style of command on the previous USS Titan. He alludes to his knowledge of Picard and Riker's service records, complete with the many rough-and-tumble adventures that led to the USS Enterprise-D taking plenty of damage (and being outright destroyed in Star Trek: Generations). He refuses to change course to the edge of Federation space after catching Picard in a lie, reminding them that the Titan is his vessel now, and the crew will follow his command.
We're also quickly enlightened to Shaw's staunch disgust towards the Borg and even ex-Borg. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), his First Officer, is addressed by her human name, Annika Hansen, on Shaw's order. He refers to Picard as an ex-Borg, pointing back to the devastating Battle of Wolf 359 when Picard was assimilated into the Borg Collective and became Locutus, or as Shaw remarks, "the only Borg so deadly they gave him a goddamn name." To add insult to injury, Shaw prepares accommodations for Riker and Picard on the Titan, except that they're a bunk bed used by the crew on the ship's lower decks. So... this particular captain is a bit of a jerk, to put it lightly.
He might be rough around the edges, but Shaw isn't some one-dimensional character with a plain antagonistic bent. He's still a Starfleet officer, and he knows his objectives and his mission even if he's quite the hard-ass. When Beverly Crusher's ship, the Eleos, is attacked in the Ryton system by a massive unknown vessel, Shaw directs the Titan to assist them (with a little help from Seven of Nine, who had already directed the ship to the system against his wishes). Despite causing plenty of friction with his First Officer, Shaw and the crew of the Titan successfully manage to beam up Picard, Riker, an injured Beverly Crusher, and her son Jack (Ed Speelers), even if Shaw remarked that his ship was becoming a hotel in the process. Unfortunately, the Titan is heavily outgunned by the ship known as the "Shrike" and its captain, Vadic (Amanda Plummer), who is hoping to take Jack Crusher alive. Shaw considers it as an option but does so out of the interest of protecting the Titan and keeping his crew alive.
Jack escapes, leading to a standoff. Shaw initially maintains that the young and reckless Crusher should be given over to the Shrike to save the Titan and all onboard. However, Picard changes his tune by giving voice to the truth he grappled with for quite some time: Jack is Picard's son with Beverly. In light of this, a begrudgingly annoyed Shaw orders the Titan into combat, stating that what happens next is on Picard's conscience. Unfortunately, combat with the Shrike certainly doesn't go well for Shaw, as he ends up with serious injuries. As he makes his way to sickbay, he transfers command of the Titan to Riker. Given these events, Shaw might be a serious pain in the neck for our heroes, but he does the right thing at the end of the day. He might command with an iron fist, but he does what he does to keep his ship and crew safe. Sure, Shaw's plan of evading the Shrike may not have been ideal, but his plan wasn't conceived out of malice.
Shaw Is a Lot Like Old-School Starfleet Officers
It'd be one thing if Liam Shaw did what he did in Picard's third season purely out of self-interest or an inherent sense of aggression or spite. However, his style of command and behavior isn't too far removed from what fans have seen in the past, particularly in shows like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Characters like Edward Jellico (Ronny Cox) certainly come to mind as a fellow hardliner, but Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) may be an even more apt comparison. This is especially true given the fact that both Shaw and Sisko were present at the Battle of Wolf 359, and were among the few survivors who escaped the onslaught by the Borg. It's no surprise then that both characters have a particularly big hang-up with Picard in particular, as they blame him for the losses incurred that day. Every so often, Shaw utters a line that one might very well attribute to Sisko if they didn't know better.
Thinking back to Jellico has parallels with Shaw as well, particularly when it comes to the style of command. Jellico took command of the Enterprise-D while then-Captain Picard was on a secret mission on Celtris III, which resulted in him being captured by Cardassians. In the interim, Jellico didn't make many friends among his bridge officers. He was incredibly detail-oriented, was particular about procedures and formalities, and pushed for maximum efficiency whenever possible. After a particularly significant dispute over how to help Captain Picard, Jellico relieved Riker of his station and replaced him with Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner). However, Jellico still held true to his position as a Starfleet officer, and when he began a mission to lay anti-matter mines on the Cardassians' ships, Riker was the best pilot for the job. The two acknowledged their differences, and the plan succeeded, leading to the Cardassians' retreat and Picard's retrieval and reinstatement as captain. As he left the Enterprise, Jellico remarked that it had been an honor to serve with the crew. Both Jellico and Shaw are emblematic of a different command style, but they still respect the tenets of the Federation.
While there are certainly still a few episodes left of Picard Season 3 to see Captain Shaw take a particularly dark turn, he's already demonstrated that he isn't cut from the same cloth as the more hateful (and essentially xenophobic) Starfleet officers seen in earlier seasons. He might be hard-hearted to the extreme but considering what he's been through, you can at least understand where he's coming from. After witnessing the death of thousands at the Battle of Wolf 359, he clearly places a premium on the survival of those who serve alongside them. Obviously, the methods he employs puts him at odds with other officers, even those on his own bridge, but being a no-nonsense captain isn't illegal in Starfleet, and it can bring the right results in some situations.
When Liam Shaw is on-screen, it's tough not to roll your eyes at his sardonic quips or his views on leadership, but he still gets things done when they matter most. He lacks Picard's analytical demeanor and Riker's charm, but he's a captain you can hate, appreciate, and understand all at once. He won't be winning any votes to be admitted and the pantheon of Star Trek's greatest captains, but his equal-handed approach as both a protagonist for Starfleet and an antagonist for our heroes makes his presence and character a huge plus.