Did Picard deliberately kill Jack Crusher?

[NiteTrek]

So, how exactly did Jack Crusher die? The specifics were never mentioned but from the one episode where Wesley Crusher goes to take some Starfleet Academy entrance exams, he sort of hints towards it.

After the "Psyche" test, he mentions that his father died because Captain Picard had to make a decision which resulted in Jack Crusher's death.

We also know that Picard was in love with Beverly at some point, so I have to wonder if Picard deliberately or even at a subconscious level, put Jack Crusher in harm's way?

Later, he has a guilt trip over it and distances himself from Beverly because his desire to get into her pants ended up costing his best friend his life.

Yep....that's the way I think it went down!

 

[Michael]

Questions like this one make me wonder if others saw a different series from the one I watched all these years. I mean, The Next Generation assuredly leaves a lot of room for interpretation about some elements of the character's backstories. But I don't see how Picard deliberately killing Jack Crusher fits into anything we know about the character after 176 episodes and four movies.

 

[Kegg]

God no. Picard is a man of principle, discipline, and integrity. And perhaps a trifle uptight. It's sort of hard to believe that the guy who went to the pleasure planet to read a good book would kill a man just to sleep with his wife.

 

[NiteTrek]

Oh C'mon....where's the fun? Maybe it was his guilt trip that turned him into the man we saw on screen.

After all...look at his wild youth...would you have believed he started a bar room brawl if you hadn't seen the episode with Q?

I think Picard may have a skeleton or two in his closet.

I'VE BROUGHT DOWN BIGGER MEN THAN YOU, PICARD!!!

 

[Kegg]

After all...look at his wild youth...would you have believed he started a bar room brawl if you hadn't seen the episode with Q?

Yeah, I did. And it's that event that sets him on the road to being the responsible adult that we all know him to be - that's sort of the point of the episode, isn't it?

And true, I'll admit I'm a trifle humourless about this. But hey, you asked, what did you expect?

 

[Pemmer Harge]

David and Bathsheba in space?

 

[NiteTrek]

Ok...perhaps "deliberately" was too strong a word, I don't mean he was plotting to murder him but maybe a dangerous away mission came up and Picard's subconscious mind had him pick Jack Crusher...maybe he didn't realize what he was doing.

After Jack was killed, Picard thought..."WTF did I send him on the mission? LT. Redshirt33 would have been a better choice!"

In fact, I'd like to see Troi's counseling sessions on Picard...but we all know they've been sealed up forever.

 

[NiteTrek]

Yeah, I did. And it's that event that sets him on the road to being the responsible adult that we all know him to be - that's sort of the point of the episode, isn't it?

Um...I thought the point of the whole episode was to show him that his "wild streak" plays a vital role in command abilities and without it, he wouldn't be fit to be in a commanding role.

Sort of like the evil Kirk in "The Enemy Within" - Kirk's "evil" side is what made him such a great command officer.

 

[Kegg]

Ok...perhaps "deliberately" was too strong a word, I don't mean he was plotting to murder him but maybe a dangerous away mission came up and Picard's subconscious mind had him pick Jack Crusher...maybe he didn't realize what he was doing.

Eh. When it comes down to it, yeah, Jack Crusher's death is conveinent, but solely because it was written that way. They wanted Picard to be a father figure to someone and have a potential romantic interest, and well, said romantic interest probably didn't create the boy in need of a father figure via magic.

It's just not in Picard's nature to do that sort of thing. Even the wilder, more reckless Picard was still not the sort of guy who'd send his friend to his death.

 

[T'Girl]

...Picard deliberately ... put Jack Crusher in harm's way ... Later, he has a guilt trip over ... costing his best friend his life.

This part of the OP makes a lot of sense.

 

[NiteTrek]

It's just not in Picard's nature to do that sort of thing. Even the wilder, more reckless Picard was still not the sort of guy who'd send his friend to his death.

Unless it was required....to save the ship or something.

That was part of Wesley's psyche test and also Troi's "command" test....you have to be able to order people to die if it warrants it.

Another interesting thing....remember the episode where Picard falls for a new crewmember (he plays the flute with her, she plays a roll up keyboard)...anyway, she almost dies on an away mission. Afterwards Picard has her transferred off the ship because he doesn't think he would be able to put her in danger again. Maybe it brought back old and painful memories.

 

[Kegg]

It's just not in Picard's nature to do that sort of thing. Even the wilder, more reckless Picard was still not the sort of guy who'd send his friend to his death.

Unless it was required....to save the ship or something.

Of course. But he's not sending him to his death so he can sleep with his wife. These are two completely different things.

Another interesting thing....remember the episode where Picard falls for a new crewmember (he plays the flute with her, she plays a roll up keyboard)...anyway, she almost dies on an away mission. Afterwards Picard has her transferred off the ship because he doesn't think he would be able to put her in danger again. Maybe it brought back old and painful memories.

Nella Darren, and yes, it might have. That relationship is actually interesting because I felt it was sort of a commentary by the writers on how a Picard/Crusher relationship would have really ended up - if he got emotionally involved he may have been unable to work with her properly under such conditions.

 

[Marie1]

There is an awesome book about that event, written by either KRAD or DRGIII... I think it's called Serpents Among Ruins?

 

[nx1701g]

I don't think he did it on purpose; I think it was a horrible accident.

Noncanon novels:

In the noncanon novels if anyone killed Jack Crusher it was Pug Joseph (the Security Chief).

Spoiler: Novel reason

The Stargazer had a nacelle that was about to overload and the nacelle ejection system was offline. Picard asked for volunteers to go out and fix it and Crusher and Joseph volunteered. Later Picard went out to help them get back aboard the Stargazer and Joseph faked injury so Picard would help him instead of Crusher (he pretended to be unconscious). While Picard was bringing Joseph - the Security Chief - back aboard the ship Crusher was killed.

 

[Tom Riley]

It's just not in Picard's nature to do that sort of thing. Even the wilder, more reckless Picard was still not the sort of guy who'd send his friend to his death.

Unless it was required....to save the ship or something.

That was part of Wesley's psyche test and also Troi's "command" test....you have to be able to order people to die if it warrants it.

Another interesting thing....remember the episode where Picard falls for a new crewmember (he plays the flute with her, she plays a roll up keyboard)...anyway, she almost dies on an away mission. Afterwards Picard has her transferred off the ship because he doesn't think he would be able to put her in danger again. Maybe it brought back old and painful memories.

Well, Wesley's test and Troi's test were different. Troi had to learn to be able to send someone into a possibly fatal situation if it means that one sacrifice to save the ship. Also it was to teach her not to hesitate and just do what had to be done. Wesley's test on the other hand, as it was stated in the episode, was to help him learn to be able to make a choice between two people in need of saving. It says right in the episode (Wesley says it I believe) that Wesley was afraid he wouldn't be able to make the same choice that Picard had to make with his father: choosing one person to save over another.

I don't think he did it on purpose; I think it was a horrible accident.

Noncanon novels:

In the noncanon novels if anyone killed Jack Crusher it was Pug Joseph (the Security Chief).

Spoiler: Novel reason

The Stargazer had a nacelle that was about to overload and the nacelle ejection system was offline. Picard asked for volunteers to go out and fix it and Crusher and Joseph volunteered. Later Picard went out to help them get back aboard the Stargazer and Joseph faked injury so Picard would help him instead of Crusher (he pretended to be unconscious). While Picard was bringing Joseph - the Security Chief - back aboard the ship Crusher was killed.

That fits in with Wesley's test perfectly. Wesley had to choose between someone who was injured and couldn't get out of that room themself, while the other guy was perfectly fine and just too scared to move. In the novel Reunion I do believe is where the actual situation was mentioned that you posted here.

Spoiler: further Reunion reasoning

In the novel it said that Picard chose the *seemingly* injured guy over Crusher who was perfectly well, but was just being too stubborn and refused to stop trying to cut the nacelle away from the ship.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

There is an awesome book about that event, written by either KRAD or DRGIII... I think it's called Serpents Among Ruins?

Serpents was about the Tomed Incident in 2311, well before Jack was born and when Picard was just starting elementary school. I believe you're thinking about The Art of the Impossible (by KRAD), which includes the death of Ian Troi, not Jack Crusher.

 

[nx1701g]

Jack Crusher's death was shown in the TNG Novel Reunion.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Of course he deliberatley killed Jack Crusher.

No annoying child with a "special destiny" is complete without 1-2 or so dead/missing parents.

 

[Triskelion]

I've yet to see actual proof Jack Crusher actually (fictitiously) existed. Maybe they just wanted to clean up Beverly's past a little bit because, while they allow pole dancers in med school, it's frowned upon in Starfleet.

We just have a bunch of stories and a hologram lifted from a Sears mannequin. I mean, isn't that convenient that Beverly just happened to have a video to show her son on the occasion of his eighteenth birthday? Who does that??

Dear son: I made this video in case I die. We all do it, just like Leah Brahms' "I'm with you every day" speech and Tasha Yar's "Hailing Frequencies Closed".

Yeah? I bet Riker has one like this:
"Dear Captain Pretentious, we weren't laughing with you, we were laughing at you. And another thing, fish are stupid."

Or Worf:
"You smothered me Russian mom, well I told you you'd live to regret it! I'm dead, so there!"

But you never see those.

Jack Crusher's?

 

[Bones2]

Yeah? I bet Riker has one like this:
"Dear Captain Pretentious, we weren't laughing with you, we were laughing at you. And another thing, fish are stupid."