Star Trek: The Next Generation - Bloodlines

I was up late Sunday night, into Monday morning, and I had Star Trek: The Next Generation on in the background while putting together my write-up for the Lost episode, Expose. The episode was Bloodlines, and I had forgotten about it. This episode, to me, was a missed opportunity. Why not let Picard leave the episode a father? Picard isn't the same man he was when Wesley Crusher was on the turbolift wanting to view the Bridge during Encounter at Farpoint. He's more receptive to being parental and not against the idea of being a father. Jason Vigo (Ken Olandt; Summer School, April Fool's Day) is the possible product of Picard and an independent, strong-willed woman named Miranda during a temporary stay on Earth before departing on another mission for Starfleet. This young man is in his 20s, on a mining planet, had been involved in crimes like theft, was found underground during some dangerous climbing activity, and is a target of an old nemesis of Picard from the Stargazer days, Ferengi Bok. Bok has this vendetta that has driven him mad, and transporter technology that allows him to board the Enterprise with words of warning to Picard...his son will die just like Bok's son at the command of Picard. Picard had no choice before, but nonetheless Bok has marked for death Vigo. All that said, ultimately Crusher uncovers a genetic mutation in Vigo created by Bok to fool Picard into believing they were father and son. And I just felt this sadness for Picard as Vigo leaves, and it is because Patrick Stewart produces such disappointment in the realization that he actually doesn't have a son. He spends the episode trying to connect with Jason, making an effort to get to know him. Jason resists but Picard patiently allows him time to adjust to the presence of a father emerging in his life all of a sudden. That is until they both discover the truth. Picard's face as Jason transports back to his home planet speaks volumes...for a brief time, he felt like a father. And he finally bonded with this young man. I guess I just wish the writers had pulled the trigger on this development and not relented in favor of the easy dismissal of Picard being a father. He'd been able to know what it was like to have a family. It's too bad really.