Senior Gameplay Engineer @thatgamecompany | Tinertia | Weapon Kit | Candescent Games | Views are my own.
Austin, TX
Joined July 2011
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Vilas retweeted
Wow. Now that’s a Ghostbusters costume!
Source: reddit.com/r/ghostbusters/s/…
Vilas retweeted
Since everyone is posting their fav scene with Stewart, here is mine. Masterclass acting from him (and phenomenal acting from Frakes too, for that matter) to convey the subtext under the formalities that he feels terribly hurt by someone he thought he knew better.
Vilas retweeted
Gene Roddenberry had a rule that drove the writers of Star Trek The Next Generation absolutely crazy: there can't be any interpersonal conflict amongst the crew. The result was a cultural product I consider almost unique: a story about good people trying to do the right thing that isn't boring.
These days, moral ambiguity, twisted anti-heros and an apocalyptic vision of the future practially comes standard in our stories. Dark and complicated is synonymous with "smart," but in fact it's probably ten times harder to write a compelling story about principled, competent and psychologically healthy people. Star Trek TNG dared to imagine a future for humanity where we outgrew our petty squabbles and became our highest selves, where we travel the stars fulfilling our curiosity and genuinely making the universe a better place.
Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean-Luc Picard was the indispensable anchor to this vision. Instead of William Shatner's campy swagger as James T. Kirk, Stewart's Picard made "tea, Earl Grey, hot" iconic. His depth and gravitas as a thespian specializing in Shakespeare sold the moral dilemmas that were so often at the heart of the best TNG episodes.
The dramatic tension in TNG comes from people sharing the same ethical framework as a group facing difficult problems. The buck stops with the Captain. He listens to and respects his crew, but ultimately it is up to him to "make it so."
For TNG to work as a show, Stewart had to take those very internal struggles between a man and his conscience and make it dramatic. He made Captain Picard's very moral seriousness charismatic. He made you believe that...yeah...of course there is a moral arc to the universe and it bends towards justice. Of course it is worth paying the price to stay true to our principles. And of course, the struggle to discern what is right action is actually much more interesting than wallowing in how broken everything and everyone is.
Bon Voyage, mon Capitaine
Vilas retweeted
Sweet. It's a 1 megawatt nuclear microreactor that fits in a shipping container.
Gas-cooled, first by helium, then air.
Runs for five years, then you ship it back to the factory, where they take care of the spent fuel and refuel it.
Vilas retweeted
Yes. This is a big part of why TNG has broad appeal: the progressivism is tempered by a conservative emphasis on duty, the chain of command, respect for the law etc. A very 80s / early 90s combination.
Vilas retweeted
I loved this scene growing up (the ending of the ST:TNG Season 4 episode Reunion) both for Patrick Stewart's performance and for the writing. At its core, it's all about how leaders reconcile respect for differences with a shared mission and sense of purpose.
Vilas retweeted
Scenes like this were foundational and influencal to me as a person.
Captain Picard holds a special place in my heart and still does to this day.
Thank you, Mr. Stewart. Your talent and acting meant so much to me.
Vilas retweeted
📺 The late Sir Patrick Stewart on "Wogan" in 1988 talking Star Trek and how it wouldn't be on British TV for another 2 years
Vilas retweeted
Patrick was one of those icons who we somehow all took for granted would always be with us.
I grew up as a fan, and was later gifted the privilege of becoming a colleague and friend, working with him for many years on “American Dad!”, “Family Guy”, and “Ted”. He was that rare actor who could take any bit of dialogue and elevate it, making a good writer sound great, and a great writer sound masterful. He was also as humble as they come. I remember exchanging emails with him a number of years ago when he was beginning day 1 of a new film. He commented to me that he always walked onto a new set feeling like the biggest novice there. My stunned reaction was the same as anyone’s would be. I said, “Patrick, if you feel that way, the rest of us are screwed.” We have lost a legendary actor today, and for many of us, a good friend. He will be deeply missed by the entire planet.
Vilas retweeted
AI may well be able to write massive software projects “from scratch”, but that almost certainly isn’t the fastest / highest performance / highest security / most token efficient way to do things. Good building blocks matter.
In addition to RL’ing the agents on final task loss, we should try to get them to regularize the building blocks as well. What would the standard library look like that makes the agents most effective?
It is likely at the limit that it turns out to be some alien organization of code, but given the existing human-bias in training, I bet that in the near term it would be lovely code that old programmers would appreciate.
I suspect the same could be said for mathematics, but that is out of my lane.
Vilas retweeted
My favorite performance of Patrick Stewart was in the TNG episode "Tapestry".
There are some days I look back to this episode for a reminder of overcoming difficulties and harsh truths.
I used to beat myself up over bad choices I had made and bad people I associated with. Led me into to conflicts, ruination, and at worst: homelessness.
But those were the things that made me into who I was. A lot of people just give up. They might lose their mind or spirit along the way. But you can't ever give those up -they're all you really have.
That almost sounds like it could be a cope, but in many cases, that's just how it goes. You have to live to know.
Vilas retweeted
SIR PATRICK STEWART (1940-2026)
Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions. My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in 'Star Trek'. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk—getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”. Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did for not just his devoted Trekkies but film and theatre audiences, who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes ('X-Men' of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin. But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.
His farewell performance in 'Avengers: Doomsday' is yet to be seen.
Ian McKellen 29 October 2026
Photo: University of Huddersfield
Vilas retweeted
Captain Picard had an ineffable influence on a young me. There's so many good moments from 'The Drumhead' alone but this scene is seared into my brain. I remember the first time I saw it and how it would come to form my moral compass.
Rest In Peace Patrick Stewart.
Vilas retweeted
See you later Captain. R.I.P. to a legend
Patrick Stewart, 'Star Trek's' Captain Picard and 'X-Men's' Charles Xavier, Dies at 86 variety.com/2026/tv/news/pat…
Vilas retweeted
Heartbreaking 💔 Rest in peace Sir Patrick Stewart!
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:
Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Fund
alzresearch.org/giving/
Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Caregiver Resources
alzfdn.org/donate/
Photo Credit: Tommy Garcia
Vilas retweeted
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." -Captain Jean-Luc Picard
(rest in peace to one of the best actors of all time)
Vilas retweeted
What a heartbreaking week it has been. Sir Patrick Stewart was a friend, a colleague, and a magnificent actor. From the stage to the bridge of the Enterprise, he brought intelligence, grace, and a deep sense of humanity to everything he did. Captain Picard stood for the best of us, and so did the man who played him. I was filled with affection and admiration for him and his work.
My heart goes out to Sunny and his family. He will be deeply missed.