A fair position, but I take the opposite view: Picard and Crusher had their time, and proved through their actions again and again that they ultimately just can’t work it out. Crusher ghosting not only Picard but everybody for twenty years compounds that: at the end of the day, for her own very good reasons, she chose not to be with him. (At least, until she needed his help.). Laris chose quite the opposite, and has consistently had Picard’s back. I’m absolutely Team Laris. Crusher’s a great character, but in this context she should become for Picard the wistfully-viewed ex (and sure, part of the family, being the mother of his son). Dumping Laris for her now would be a thoroughly d*ck move.
I agree with the first paragraph. Picard still has his lingering feelings toward Beverly somewhere in his heart. But I don't know if that lingering feeling can drive Picard to approach Beverly again. at least I don't see that in Picard season 3. His relation with Beverly seems limited to their connection as father and mother to Jack. It is Jack that make them together again. Well, maybe as a couple, or maybe just as a friend. I don't see that they're doing candle light dinner, doing romantic dance, or even kiss in season 3. But both of them always stay together whenever it is about Jack. Like when Jack ready to serve in the Enterprise G.
Not right away at the end of PIC S3 after the final battle where you see Jack stand on the bridge of the Enterprise-D. But remember there was a time jump of ~1 year, ALOT can happen in one year in terms of romance rekindling. We also see Beverly & Jean-Luc in the same shuttle as Jack, that can be indications that they are on the right path to being a couple / husband & wife.
Mind you, I wouldn’t be surprised if the first thing the apparent Picard movie does (if it happens) is establish that Laris died tragically offscreen — or worse, not even mention her. But I’ll be quite angry if that happens.
I think it's fair to say that it can be taken either way - which, it wouldn't surprise me if that was the idea. A "fitting sendoff" after what happened to her husband, eugh.
It was the idea to remain ambiguous about what's going on in Jean-Luc's love life now. Remember, y'all, at least we were spared Sir Patrick's terrible idea of an unknown wife calling Jean-Luc over for dinner at the end voiced by his real life wife. THAT would just have angered EVERYONE, Team Crusher, Team Laris, Team Q, Team Whoever Else There Is In Canon Jean-Luc Could Have Ended Up With In Some Way. Either way tho, I'd love it if Jean-Luc realizes he's just not cut out for anything relationship anymore. When you've spent so many years on your own you have an incredibly hard time getting used to being in a relationship again, and with Jean-Luc as someone who has always struggled with relationships in the first place I don't think it would be surprising to learn that he filed this under "I tried once more but eh nah". But then, Sir Patrick seems hell-bent on giving him someone to end up with, so... chances are he'd refuse to be in the movie if they don't give it the relationship ending he wants for it to have (oh look, another JLP issue on which I disagree with him 100%, lol)
I can't remember if I've posted in this thread or not but hey, I've been drinking. But my general position is that to maximise Picard-ness without taking away from season 3's ending is to make a movie within the "one year later" gap. This would allow us to maintain the current ending while having a good old fashioned classic TNG adventure, i.e. "Captain's Log - the Enterprise has just finished its mission *checks notes* doing the Borg Star run at Earth and is due to rendezvous *checks notes* at Starbase 1 which is surrounded by the remnants of starfleet *we lost how many ships*, Captain Riker has kindly...OMG RANDOM SPACE ANOMOLY HAS TAKEN US IN AND WE'RE NOW FIGHTING A RANDOM SPACE THING WITH THE 1701-A!" - maybe not that exact scenario, but I feel there's room to use that one year gap. Yes Paramount, I am available to help write scripts.