>Aren't most of our heroes?

There are actual heros living among us that deserve recognition before some made-up movie, TV or comic book character. For me at least, non-fiction > fiction.

This is not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy Patrick Stewart in that role. He did a great job of acting.

>> Patrick Stewart or the show writers?

>Both, but mostly Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart has no writing credit on TNG. He did not come up with the plot or the lines he spoke, and at most he fine-tuned the lines for his delivery of them.

If the writers of TNG had written stories like modern day Star Trek with some rather ridiculous plots, and Patrick Stewart played a more vapid character that the writers wrote, this post wouldn't be a thing.

I doubt Patrick Stewart would have taken a role for a show with shitty writing, he'd have stayed in theater and most people in this thread would have no clue who he was.

The writers made that character, he delivered it well, and the synergy made it memorable.