Todd Stashwick’s Captain Liam Shaw became a breakout fan favorite by the end ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3. In its third and final season,PicardreunitedStar Trek: The Next Generation’screw aboard the newly rebuilt USS Enterprise-D for one final adventure. WhenAdmiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) received a distress call from his friend and former flame Dr. Beverly Crusher(Gates McFadden), he didn’t hesitate to come to her aid. Picard reached out to his former first officer,Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes)and the two hatched a plan to help Dr. Crusher — with or without Starfleet.
When Picard and Riker arrived on the USS Titan for a surprise “inspection,” Captain Liam Shaw immediately knew they were up to something. Shaw was not impressed with Picard and Riker despite their objectively impressive Starfleet careers.Shaw’s cold and downright rude reception of twoStar Trekgreatsdid not exactly endear him to fans,but popular opinion of the new Titan captain would soon shift. Despite Shaw’s refusal to help, Riker and Picard commandeered the Titan anyway, pulling the reluctant and delightfully snarky Shaw into a dangerous and ill-fated mission. For all his antagonism, Shaw’s status as a fan favorite was quickly established.
Todd Stashwick Played Captain Liam Shaw In Star Trek: Picard
Stashwick Previously Worked With Showrunner Terry Matalas On 12 Monkeys
A former engineer and self-proclaimed"grease monkey,“Shaw ran a tight ship, doing things by the book to keep his crew safe. Picard and Riker’s arrival completely upended Shaw’s routine,plunging him into a dangerous battle he never asked forand putting his entire ship in danger. Shaw never tried to hide his annoyance, but he helped when he could, getting injured numerous times in the process. With his compelling backstory and entertaining quips, Shaw became one ofStar Trek’sbest new characters, ultimately sacrificing himself to help Picard and his friends escape.
Captain Shaw was brought to life by Todd Stashwick, who has appeared in numerous popular films and television shows since he began acting in 1997.Stashwick is perhaps best known for portraying Theodore Deacon in Syfy’s12 Monkeys,which wasco-created byPicardseason 3 showrunner Terry Matalas. He has also appeared in episodes ofSupernatural, Heroes, Justified,The Originals,andThe Last Thing He Told Me.Stashwick is set to reunite with Terry Matalas for Marvel’s upcomingVisionseries, in which he will portray an assassin hunting Paul Bettany’s Vision.
Todd Stashwick Played A Vulcan On Star Trek: Enterprise
Stashwick Portrayed Talok In Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4, Episode 9, “Kir’Shara”
Star Trek: Picardwasnot the firstStar Trekshowthat Todd Stashwick appeared in, although his previous role was relatively minor compared to Captain Shaw. In 2004,Stashwick played a Romulan named Talok inStar Trek: Enterpriseseason 4, episode 9, “Kir’Shara.” Although Talok was posing as a Vulcan military officer, he was actually a Romulan agent in deep cover. Talok had previously served under Command T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) during the Tomed Mission, although the details of this mission remain known.
Talok’s ultimate desire was to “reunite” Romulan and Vulcan society by having the Romulans conquer and subjugate the Vulcans.
Talok was involved in a covert alliance with Administrator V’Las (Robert Foxworth), the head of the Vulcan High Command. In his oneEnterpriseappearance,Stashwick’s Talok set out to find the Kir’Shara, which contained the writings of Surak(Bruce Gray). Talok tried and failed to prevent Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) from presenting the Kir’Shara to the High Command. After acquiring Surak’s true teachings, the Vulcans relieved V’Las from his position and disbanded the High Command, and Talok traveled back to Romulus.
Why Todd Stashwick’s Captain Shaw Became So Popular In Star Trek: Picard
Stashwick Made Shaw Impossible To Hate
Captain Shaw may have been less than friendly to Picard and Riker, but he grew onStar Trekfans over the course ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3.Todd Stashwick’s captivating performance as Shaw was undoubtedly one of the main reasons for this surge in popularity.From his hilarious quips and one-liners to his devastating monologue aboutthe Battle of Wolf 359, Stashwick made Shaw impossible to hate. Anyone who refers to changelings as"goo-people, walking, talking clay-dough"can’t be all bad. Shaw’s tense relationship with his first officer, Commander Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), also made for a fascinating storyline.
I’ve Never Seen A Star Trek Character Go From Hated To Beloved As Fast As This Guy
I’ve never seen reactions to a Star Trek character flip so fast from “this guy sucks” to “if he dies, we riot” until Star Trek: Picard season 3.
As more about Shaw’s history was revealed, it brought his actions into context, offering an explanation for his earlier behavior. As an ensign,Shaw was understandably traumatized by his experience at the Battle of Wolf 359,during which he watched Picard - as Locutus of Borg - order the destruction of nearly forty Federation starships. Although this does not justify Shaw’s insistence on using Seven of Nine’s human name, it explains why he has such resentment and fear of the Borg. In the end, not only does Shaw sacrifice himself to save the others, but he also leaves a recording praising Seven and promoting her to Captain.
Will Todd Stashwick’s Shaw Return To Star Trek?
The Short Answer Is: Maybe?
Captain Shaw may have died in the penultimate episode ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3, but both Terry Matalas and Todd Stashwick have confirmed that the character can come back. Stashwick himself has referred toShaw as"Spock dead,“and Matalas has said that there is already an"amazing"plan laid out for Shaw’s return. After the end ofPicardseason 3,fans began clamoring for a spin-off following Captain Seven of Nineand her adventures aboard the USS Enterprise-G. Despite this fan enthusiasm, the proposedStar Trek: Legacyspin-off remains dead in space as Paramount focuses on otherTrekprojects.
A younger version of Liam Shaw has popped up in some of theStar Trektie-in comics published by IDW.
Hopefully, audiences will one day get to see Shaw return ifStar Trek: Legacyor a similarPicardspin-off gets made. Matalas and Stashwick certainly seem on board, and several other cast members have also expressed a desire to tell moreStar Trekstories. In the meantime,Matalas and Shaw will both be involved in Marvel’sVisionseries,which will likely keep them busy for the time being. Ultimately, Captain Shaw’s onscreen return depends entirely on whether Paramount Studios decides to continue the story that began inStar Trek: Picardseason 3.
