Patrick Stewart Tribute: Where to Stream Star Trek: The Next Generation

Patrick Stewart has died at 86. Throughout his long career, the English actor became widely recognized for portraying Professor Charles Xavier, the steady leader of the X-Men in numerous films (including the upcoming December release, Avengers: Doomsday). But for me, my first encounter with Stewart was as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Over the years Picard grew into more than a TV role — he stood for integrity and bravery and, for many viewers, took on something like a parental presence.

Picard was deliberately written as a contrast to the franchise’s earlier captain, James T. Kirk (William Shatner). While Kirk was open with his feelings, impulsive and thrill-seeking, Picard arrived as reserved, exacting, and composed. He left a peaceful life working a family vineyard in France for a career among the stars, and he rose to command the starship Enterprise. There he proved to be a tactical thinker and, often surprisingly, a compassionate leader — famously defending the android Data’s personhood in the Season 2 episode “Measure of a Man.”

As the series evolved, Stewart’s roots in theater and his time with the Royal Shakespeare Company helped him lift plots that could have felt campy into moments of real emotional power: his abduction and conversion by the Borg into “Locutus,” and the lingering trauma he suffered afterward; the many holodeck episodes that let the cast slip into period pieces and genre playfulness; his long-running, on-again/off-again connection with Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden); and his fraught, often witty exchanges with the omnipotent troublemaker “Q” (John de Lancie).

Star Trek: The Next Generation endures because Stewart’s layered portrayal set a tone that encouraged the rest of the ensemble to explore the show’s moral and imaginative edges. Whether you’re discovering the series for the first time or revisiting favorite TNG storylines to honor Patrick Stewart’s legacy, here’s where you can find Star Trek: The Next Generation to watch.

RIP Patrick Stewart: How to Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation for Free

Most Star Trek series and films stream on Paramount+. If you’d prefer a free option, every episode of The Next Generation is also available with ads on Pluto TV.

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How to Stream Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+

If your plan is to watch every Captain Picard appearance, the majority of Stewart’s Trek work is on Paramount+. (Notably, Star Trek: Insurrection is absent from the service for reasons that aren’t clear.)

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Available on Paramount+ are Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard, and the films Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, and Star Trek: Nemesis. Don’t have a Paramount+ account?

Paramount+ provides two tiers: an ad-supported Essential plan and an ad-free Premium tier. At the moment, the Premium plan comes with a seven-day free trial so you can binge without commercials for a short period.

The Essential (ad-supported) package is normally $8.99 per month, while the Premium (ad-free, which also includes Showtime content and live CBS) typically costs $13.99 per month.

Is Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix?

No — Star Trek: The Next Generation is not streaming on Netflix at this time.

Again, you can watch the series for free with ads on Pluto TV, or remove commercials with a Paramount+ subscription.