Mark Sabalauskas
Explorer
Of course, if they hadn't resolved this, we'd have had to endure endless "speculation" about the next season or, more realistically, the resolution would arrive in the form of p/r related to Stewart filming season 2.Picard's death and resurrection too close together.
This was a cheap poke at emotions tied to really opaque themematic concerns (mentioned in Ready Room") the only winning move was not to do this.