Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Picard episode “Surrender” are ahead!
Although the main draw of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 has been seeing the core cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation back together, this series also introduced members of… well, the next generation for this corner of the sci-fi franchise. Namely, we have Ed Speleers playing Jack Crusher, the son of Beverly Crusher and Jean-Luc Picard, and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut’s Sidney La Forge, the daughter of Geordi La Forge. These younger characters have been getting flirty with each other in recent Picard episodes, and Chestnut opened up to CinemaBlend about her dynamic with Speleers, as well as why their action sequence together in Episode 7 was so significant.
Starting off, during my conversation with Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut prior to the premiere of this week’s episode “Surrender” (which, among other things, saw Brent Spiner’s Data reunite with his cat Spot… sort of), I noted how Sidney La Forge and Jack Crusher have been getting closer with one another in this latter half of Picard Season 3. As such, I was wondering what she liked most about their characters’ connection, as well as inquired about her experience working with Ed Speleers. Chestnut answered:
I think because our characters, we are the children of these iconic legends… and we’re around the same age, it was inevitable for us to, I think, flirt around. Ed has been so gracious as an acting partner. It’s been a phenomenal ride, and I’m really grateful that I’ve been able to work with him and cross paths.
Although they came from quite different walks of life when they first crossed paths, with Sidney being an ensign aboard the USS Titan and Jack having built quite the criminal record while traveling across the galaxy with his mother, these two have formed a special connection in the midst of Picard’s leading characters getting enveloped in a conflict with the Changelings. However, when I asked Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut about if we’ll see further romantic developments between Sidney and Jack, or if they’ll simply stay friendly with one another, she slyly responded with “anything is possible.” With just two episodes left to go until Picard concludes, we’ll find out one way or another what’s in store for these two crazy kids.
Beyond their flirtation, Picard viewers also know that Sidney and Jack are good together in a stressful situation. Season 3’s seventh episode, a.k.a. “Dominion,” saw them serving as distractions for Vadic’s forces when they invaded the Titan, and when they found themselves corners, Jack was able to use his mysterious ability to take control of Sidney’s body and defeat her opponent. I was curious what the process was like of shooting that action sequence, and Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut has this to say:
So we started stunt rehearsal back in December 2021, then we had another stunt rehearsal in January 2022, and then we jumped right in shooting that in late January. It was my first time doing actual stunt work, so it was definitely a test and learning experience for memorizing, if you will, stunt choreography. But it was so much fun. I hope we get to do that more in a spinoff in Legacy.
The good news is that by the end of “Surrender,” Vadic and her remaining minions are all dead, and their ship, the Shrike, was destroyed for good measure (which also meant Jean-Luc Picard’s original body has been obliterated). However, there’s still an attack planned for Frontier Day by the Changelings that have infiltrated Starlet, and it’s tied to Jack Crusher and whatever is happening with him, which Deanna Troi attributes to a “darkness” around him and a voice inside of him that’s “ancient and weak.” Hopefully we’ll continue seeing Sidney La Forge by Jack’s side as the remaining questions in this elaborate mystery are finally answered.
Catch up with Star Trek: Picard, as well as all the other current Star Trek TV shows, with your Paramount+ subscription. As Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut mentioned, there’s also been talk among the fanbase and talent about the hypothetical Star Trek: Legacy spinoff, and if that ends up being greenly, we’ll let you know about it.
