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Star Trek fans never doubted the community’s affection for Patrick Stewart, who passed away Wednesday at age 86. However, one fan experienced that deep adoration firsthand in 2021 when her husband, Rob, dressed as Captain Jean-Luc Picard for the Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle.
Costume Creation and Immediate Convention Reactions
The costume planning was straightforward. Finding an outfit to match his shaved head, he wore a red and black Star Trek uniform shirt, a combadge, four pips indicating the rank of captain, and black shoes, alongside his glasses and a COVID-19 pandemic mask. Once inside the Seattle Convention Center, the respect for Picard transferred directly to his lookalike. Attendees immediately called out with glee and respect, shouting phrases like “Hey, Captain! Captain!”, “Jean-Luc!”, “Make it so, sir!”, “Engage!”, and “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!”
Because he was in a rush, Rob had paired his Starfleet top with blue jeans instead of authentic costume pants, prompting humorous remarks about whether it was casual day on the bridge. Despite many attendees wearing far more elaborate and expensive costumes from Star Wars, Pokémon, and anime, very few received such a universally awed reception.
Encounters With Fellow Star Trek Characters and the Borg
Other Star Trek characters made appearances as well. Two separate actors portraying Will Riker rushed up at different times for photos with their captain, and a woman dressed as Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Voyager also posed for a two-captain photo.
Later, a group of attendees dressed as the Borg spotted the Picard lookalike and approached him. The four Borg members wore intricate costumes featuring working lights, cranial implants, corpse-like makeup, and cybernetic arms, with a woman leading them as the Borg Queen. After joking about the casual jeans, the group whisked him away to stroll and snap photos together before returning him unharmed.
Reflecting on a Generation’s Space Dad
While the family had attended the convention previously with different costumes, including a Dr. Stone cosplay, the reception for Captain Picard was unmatched. Described as a generation’s space dad, the character brought genuine delight to convention-goers who spotted his doppelganger on that cold December day in 2021.
Recalling the famous Star Trek: Next Generation episode Darmok, the writer reflected on the Tamarian phrase “Kiazi’s children, their faces wet,” noting that there is no downplaying the severity of this loss for the fandom.
