The Next Generation’ Captain Picard Figure – TrekMovie.com

TNG Capt. Jean-Luc Picard  (“Essential Duty” Edition)

Manufacturer: EXO-6
Price: $190
Grade: A+

A new captain for a new generation

It’s hard to exaggerate the impact the casting of Patrick Stewart had on the success of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and even harder to imagine the series without him. Gene Roddenberry had been keen on casting a more traditionally masculine, non-bald actor for the part before producer Robert Justman saw Stewart doing a dramatic reading at UCLA and became convinced that the British stage actor was perfect for Jean Luc Picard, the French commander of the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D. TNG producer Rick Berman was equally impressed but Roddenberry rejected the idea out of hand and Justman began a protracted battle to wear the Great Bird of the Galaxy down on the matter.

Stewart was far from a household name at the time. He had appeared in a very popular and superbly done BBC adaptation of the novel I, Claudius and in the early ‘80s had been in Jon Boorman’s magnificent Arthurian fantasy Excalibur and in Tobe Hooper’s insane sci-fi thriller Lifeforce—in small but very effective roles that demonstrated his powerful presence and acting technique. Eventually Stewart won a very reluctant Roddenberry over and took his place as captain of the Enterprise. He’s apparently even tried on a fairly Shatnerian hairpiece due to Roddenberry’s aggravation at the idea of casting a bald actor in the role, but calmer, balder heads prevailed, and Stewart’s very appearance as Jean Luc Picard said to potential viewers that this was a new kind of Star Trek.

Stewart’s authority and gravity in the role was immediately apparent, even though Picard was thinly fleshed out in the show’s first two seasons. Stewart himself finally complained that his talents weren’t being used well enough on the show and by season three the scripts were stronger and Stewart was able to show off his acting chops in episodes like “Sarek,” where Picard projects the shame and madness of Spock’s gravely ill father after a mind meld, and “Chain of Command,” where the captain undergoes torture at the hands of a Cardassian.

EXO-6 Captain Figure

Of course, Jean Luc Picard has been immortalized in numerous action figures over the years, from 4-inch plastic Playmates figures to 12-inch versions. Playmates itself did a fairly nice 12-inch “Masterpiece Edition” Picard in 1997, Dragon released an unrecognizable black-eyebrowed Picard a few years later, and of course QmX, the proto-EXO-6, released their version around 2017. EXO-6 itself released a Picard from First Contact in their very first batch of figures and a Next Generation Picard has been one of their most eagerly-awaited projects, as the company has cannily pushed lines from more recent Treks like Discovery, Voyager, Deep Space Nine and Strange New Worlds to take advantage of younger fans’ pocketbooks and build anticipation for the more iconic figures from the franchise.

EXO’s quality and technical mastery has been sharpening greatly over the past few years and recent releases like Star Trek II’s Saavik and Trek III’s Lord Kruge easily attain Hot Toys quality at a much lower price point. Their TNG Picard is no exception. This not only blows the earlier QmX release out of the water, it easily eclipses EXO’s own First Contact Picard.

The facial sculpt by Godwin Nerona and Sean Dabbs is positively photographic in capturing the classically defined lines of Stewart’s face from his strong cheekbones to his distinctive nose, his expression reflecting Picard’s sharp intelligence and the stoic mask of command. The subtle paint details show off the barest hint of five o’clock shadow, the glint of focus in the character’s eyes and the closely cropped fringe of gray hair and Picard’s elegant eyebrows.  Like the best Hot Toys figures, EXO-6’s Picard looks alive, like a real human being shrunk down to 12 inches in height.

Finally we get a Next Generation figure in command burgundy, and respect must be paid to William Ware Theiss’ ingenious TNG costume designs which subtly reflect the Starfleet delta in the way they break up the upper uniform color on the chest and arms with black. This was originally done as a kind of stretchy jumpsuit and I still prefer that look even though the actors hated the discomfort (and in Brent Spiner’s case, back injury) they caused, but the revised shirt-and-trousers design is still classic, making these characters look futuristic and ready for action.

The “Essential” edition Picard that I purchased is a basic version that includes a cobra phaser and holster as well as a tricorder and holder. It comes with six hands—two fists, two relaxed hands and two posed to hold the phaser and tricorder. Be warned, this version does NOT include one essential Picard feature—a “make it so” gesture hand. You can sort of pull that off with a relaxed or phaser-holding hand but in order to get the classic “make it so” hand you’ll need to purchase the “Standard” edition Picard.

In fact, you’ll have to, because the Essential Picard figure has already sold out! There are still two options left for Picard fans, however. The “Darmok” edition features Picard with the open “casual” jacket introduced in the episode “Darmok,” with a gray shirt underneath, the same hand options and the same equipment—that sells for $200, $10 more than the $190 Essential edition. Meanwhile the “Standard” edition pulls out all the stops and provides everything the other two versions have (yes, TWO complete uniforms) as well as PADD, a teacup for Earl Grey tea, Picard’s Ressikan flute from “The Inner Light,” a Picard Day banner from the episode “The Pegasus,” and a Horgha’hn fertility symbol from “Captain’s Holiday,” just in case you want your Picard ready for some real action.

EXO-6 has figured out the recipe to do high-quality 1/6 scale Trek figures without immediately going bankrupt, and their plan is to crank these figures out over a limited five year period—and we’ve already been through three. These figures can and do sell out and it’s highly unlikely anyone else will take up the 1/6 mantle after EXO is done—certainly not at this price point and quality. So if you’re interested in these figures, grab one now—I doubt the Darmok and Standard Picard issues will last long.

EXO-6 has figured out the recipe to do high-quality 1/6 scale Trek figures without immediately going bankrupt, and their plan is to crank these figures out over a limited five year period—and we’ve already been through three. These figures can and do sell out and it’s highly unlikely anyone else will take up the 1/6 mantle after EXO is done—certainly not at this price point and quality. So if you’re interested in these figures, grab one now.

The “Essential” edition has sold out, but the “Darmok” edition is available now on the EXO-6 site for $200.

And if you want it all, the “Standard” edition is available now on the EXO-6 site for $245.

A closer look at Picard

And here is an instructional video for the Picard figure, released by EXO-6…

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Jeff Bond is a freelance writer and book author who’s addicted to plastic models and action figures. You can catch up with him on Facebook and Instagram where he posts model works in progress, and takes commissions. His latest Star Trek book is Star Trek: The Motion Picture: The Art and Visual Effects.

Find more Star Trek merchandise news and reviews at TrekMovie.com.