7.20 — “Journey’s End”
Plot: Wesley Crusher returns to the Enterprise on break from the Academy, but he doesn’t look happy to be there. In fact, he acts like quite a pill. Meanwhile, Picard is ordered by Starfleet to evacuate a colony, consisting of Native Americans who left Earth 200 years ago to preserve their cultural identity, which is on the wrong side of a newly negotiated border between Starfleet and the Cardassian Empire.
Thoughts: It’s difficult to unpack all the sins committed by this episode, but here’s one that’s damning enough: It’s dull.
This week we check off the box of resolving loose ends relating to Wesley Crusher. Except the producers seem determined to prove that we didn’t really miss the character, by making him as unpleasant as possible.
This is what The Traveler said about him, all the way back in TNG 1.6, “Where No One Has Gone Before”:
TRAVELER: He will forget me in time, which is as it should be. It’s Wesley I wanted to speak to you about.
PICARD: The boy?
TRAVELER: It’s best you do not repeat this to the others, especially not to the mother. Whatever may happen, it is imperative that it proceed naturally.
PICARD: I must get my ship back. Do we have time for this?
TRAVELER: Oh, yes. He and a few like him are why I travel. You have it in your power to encourage him without interfering.
PICARD: Encourage him in what?
TRAVELER: How shall I explain? Are you familiar with the intricacies of what is called here music?
PICARD: Somewhat.
TRAVELER: Such musical genius I saw in one of your ship’s libraries. One called Mozart, who as a small child wrote astonishing symphonies. A genius who made music not only to be heard, but seen and felt beyond the understanding, the ability of others. Wesley is such a person. Not with music, but with the equally lovely intricacies of time, energy, propulsion. and the instruments of this vessel which allow all that to be played. You’re right, I must hurry now. But you’re right in something else. He is just a boy for now. He should be encouraged, but told none of this.
Wesley is no longer excited by Starfleet, but is he still excited by physics and math? Actual geniuses are curious and lively thinkers. This sullen boy, whose grades keep dropping, who says things like “That’s all I need. More studying!” is not the character described in that episode or depicted in the early seasons of TNG. This Wesley is emphatically unconvincing as either a prodigy or a good student.
While the producers are known to not be Wesley fans, some of the blame must fall on Wil Wheaton, who gives a very one-note and uninteresting performance. His only halfway good scene is his come-to-Jesus talk with Beverly about wanting to leave Starfleet, because Gates McFadden is acting circles around him. Think about that.
I don’t feel qualified to determine if the subplot with the “North American Indians” is offensive or not as a whole, but I was offended by the character of the wise spirit guide who takes Wesley on a vision quest (Jack Crusher! Check the box!) and turns into The Traveler. This appears to be a variation on the Magical Negro stereotype: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro.
As for Picard’s ancestral guilt, I would point out that if you go back 23 generations, Picard can trace his ancestry to up to 4.2 million grandsires (fewer if the family tree lines are crossed). That’s a pretty wide cone to ascribe personal responsibility. Does Picard absolve all the descendants of that generation, a potentially larger number? Genealogy records in the future are very impressive, although they should probably be kept more private.
If I were Picard I would not be so sanguine about the resolution that leaves the colony at the mercy of the Cardassian Empire, known for its subjugation of Bajor, with far less reason to be solicitous of the colonists than Starfleet. I don’t see how he can sleep after making this deal.
The establishment of the demilitarized zone with the Cardassian Empire will reportedly crossover into DS9. Memory Alpha relates that the character of Gul Evek will recur in TNG, DS9, and Voyager.
Selecting the bottom five episodes is going to be challenging this season.
1.5 of 5 fire rituals.
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