Unveiling the Hidden Brilliance of Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher: How TNG Missed the Mark

Summary

Star Trek: TNG struggled to properly write Wesley Crusher as a boy genius, often making him the unrealistic savior of the ship.

Fans didn't like Wesley Crusher because he always managed to solve problems effortlessly, even when the more experienced officers couldn't.

Despite receiving criticism, Wil Wheaton delivered strong performances as Wesley Crusher and continues to be involved in the Star Trek community, embracing his connection to the show.

The character of Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation faced challenges due to the writers' inability to effectively portray him as a gifted young genius. Wesley, a key member of the TNG cast since its inception in 1987 with "Encounter at Farpoint," often found himself caught up in questionable storylines as the sole child amidst the senior staff of the USS Enterprise-D. As the son of Dr. Beverly Crusher, the Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise, Wesley had access to areas of the ship that most children would not, and he consistently showcased his prodigious abilities.

Despite his youth, Wil Wheaton's fame as an actor skyrocketed prior to TNG, thanks to his leading role in the 1986 film Stand by Me. While Wheaton demonstrated immense talent, the TNG writers struggled to effectively incorporate his character into the series. In numerous early episodes, Wesley would swoop in and save the day by devising solutions that even the more experienced officers aboard the Starship Enterprise failed to produce. The frequency at which Wesley single-handedly rescued the entire ship seemed implausible and became tiresome for many fans as the narrative device was repetitively utilized.

TNG's Writers Didn't Know How to Write For Boy Genius Wesley Crusher

Star Trek: The Next Generation's executive producer, Rick Berman, mentioned in interviews that Wesley Crusher served as a representation of a young Gene Roddenberry. As the esteemed creator of the Star Trek franchise, Roddenberry had a fondness for the character of Wesley and incorporated him into various storylines during TNG's first season. However, Wesley's portrayal as a prodigy and boy genius often made him appear haughty and unsympathetic. Despite the brilliance of the ship's highly intelligent officers, Wesley effortlessly resolved problems on the Enterprise, which seemed beyond their capabilities.

Wesley's inaugural act of saving the ship occurs in TNG's season 1, episode 2, titled "The Naked Now." When a majority of the crew becomes infected with an unknown contagion inducing a state of intoxication, Wesley takes the lead and assumes the role of acting captain all by himself. Engineering becomes his fortress as he establishes a force field, effectively barricading himself within. Here, he gains complete control over the entire ship. Although it takes the Chief Engineer, with the assistance of Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), the whole episode to disable Wesley's force field, Wesley, despite also being impacted by the polywater intoxication, manages to reverse the Enterprise's tractor beam – a task that the Engineer claims would have taken weeks – consequently preserving the ship from a collision.

Wil Wheaton is Great Despite Wesley's Weak Storylines

Wheaton consistently delivered impressive performances as Wesley, despite his young age. Critics lauded his portrayal of Gordie in Stand by Me. However, he faced difficulty due to the challenges presented by the writers of Star Trek: The Next Generation. They struggled with writing for a gifted teenage boy surrounded by experienced adults on a starship. Although Wheaton had no control over the stories or the fans' reactions to his character, he bore the brunt of the criticism. In his annotated memoir, "Still Just a Geek," Wil Wheaton reveals his personal resentment towards the fans' animosity towards Wesley Crusher. During his late teens and early twenties, he felt unjustly targeted by people who disliked a character he played on a television show. This led him to distance himself from Star Trek and attempt to erase it from his life's narrative.

Wheaton had a realization later on that Wesley's impact extended beyond himself and reached numerous individuals, particularly children who were avid viewers of TNG. Fortunately, Wheaton has embraced his Star Trek past wholeheartedly and actively participates in the Star Trek fandom. In addition to frequently appearing at conventions, he also fulfills the role of the host for the official Star Trek aftershow, named The Ready Room. This platform grants him the opportunity to conduct interviews with various actors from a range of Trek shows.

Why Wesley Crusher's Star Trek Traveler Storyline Works

Despite departing as a regular cast member in season 4 of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil Wheaton made guest appearances in four additional episodes throughout the series. In episode 20 of TNG's seventh season, titled "Journey's End," Wesley opts to resign from Starfleet and become part of the enigmatic group known as the Travelers. Wesley later resurfaces in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard and discloses that he, along with the other Travelers, dedicates themselves to observing and safeguarding various species and cultures across different periods and dimensions. In a heartfelt gesture, Wesley offers Kore Soong (Isa Briones) an opportunity to join the Travelers, which she eagerly accepts.

With Wesley's newfound ability as a Traveler, Wil Wheaton has the opportunity to make appearances in various Star Trek series, thanks to his ability to travel through space and time. Despite being prohibited from interacting with his loved ones, Wesley as a Traveler could still make enigmatic appearances as an observer or engage with new Trek characters. The Travelers themselves are an intriguing and mysterious group, and a potential future storyline could provide a deeper understanding of their culture. Regardless of any opinions about his character from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wil Wheaton will always be warmly received in the Star Trek universe.