Regarding Wes

[RyuRoots]

Did anyone else, upon watching Nemesis, notice Wes in Starfleet dress uniform at the reception feel happy? Personally, I'm going to take it that after he left in "Journey's End" he eventually came back and just...resumed his Starfleet education/career.

"Journey's End" was one of the single worst character derailments I've ever seen, and while I'm aware that many fans don't care and would love nothing more than to see Wil Wheaton impaled by a thousand tinfoil bat'leths, I thought he became a decent character during season 3, and someone who was actually likable by the time eps like "Final Mission" or "The First Duty" came around.

In "Journey's End", it felt to me like the writers pulled Wes' motivations out of nowhere and contradicted every other ep Wesley had been in with his reasons for feeling out of whack. I mean, this is the guy who was excited to be on the Ent-D and tried to have a more active role on the ship and eventually got it. And he was genuinely happy to get into the academy! Crusher sure as hell never pressured him. And Picard pressured him the OTHER way if anything, for quite a while.

So I, for one, find his cameo in Nemesis to be a FAR better both character story resolution (a simple one, but good; he's an officer now) and final appearance. Thoughts?

 

[Iborg]

After looking up Wil Wheaton on wikipedia.org, I was surprised to learn so many people did not like his character, even though I thought he took a good part in the series. The episode 'The game' was probably one of the best TNG episodes ever.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Did anyone else, upon watching Nemesis, notice Wes in Starfleet dress uniform at the reception feel happy? Personally, I'm going to take it that after he left in "Journey's End" he eventually came back and just...resumed his Starfleet education/career.

He had a scene with dialog, but it was cut from the film.

 

[CaptainStoner]

It made sense to me, though I don't find it out of character with "Journey's End". That was a trip he had to take, and it would only make sense that once done, he would come full circle and end up in Starfleet.

 

[32JaX]

I was a little confused - why would he backtrack to Star Fleet when he could achieve Traveler status? I thought Journey's End made sense in light of what happened in "First Duty." I guess the full circle idea makes sense, but it also seems like it would be terribly constricting.

I know most people do not like genius teenagers, and I think the reason so many people hated Wed as a charter was because Will played him so perfectly. What I wouldn't give to be a mathematical Wunderkind myself!

 

[WillsBabe]

Did anyone else, upon watching Nemesis, notice Wes in Starfleet dress uniform at the reception feel happy?

Yes. I was pleased to see him in the film and I was pleased to see that he was in uniform. It added to his story, even though he was only on screen so briefly. I think I read somewhere (the novelisation?) that he was going to be Riker's chief engineer on the Titan. That might have been in a deleted scene, that they mentioned it, if not the novelisation.

Personally, I'm going to take it that after he left in "Journey's End" he eventually came back and just...resumed his Starfleet education/career.

Yes, that's my take on it, too. I like to think that Starfleet is flexible in giving people career breaks, or whatever. After all, I imagine that Wes is going to bring back some interesting and useful experiences.

 

[DGCatAniSiri]

Honestly, I think more along the lines of the writers of 'Journey's End' - Here's this kid, who's supposed to be some kind of prodigy, and he's just going off to be an (albeit brilliant and likely quickly-rising star) average Starfleet officer? It's a thing about TNG and VOY - EVERYONE is portrayed as wanting to be in Starfleet, that it's somehow the only way that you can make something of yourself. So Wesley's leaving is a sort of statement of 'You guys can do this, it's fine, but it's not for me, personally.' And especially given that becoming a Traveler is apparently this big thing, taking him to a slightly higher plane of existence than the rest of humanity... Seeing him in a Starfleet uniform really guts the impact of that thought.

So I'm kinda partial to how the novels have dealt with that (excluding the Nemesis novelization) by having Wesley as a Traveler appear for Will and Deanna's wedding, expecting it to be a traditional Betazoid one and finding himself in front of Picard and his mother (fortunately for him, only them) and Picard having a uniform beamed down for him to wear.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I like to think that Starfleet is flexible in giving people career breaks, or whatever. After all, I imagine that Wes is going to bring back some interesting and useful experiences.

Normally I would think so, too. However for Wesley, it doesn't make sense that they would let him back in. He practically started the Maquis with his actions in Journey's End. Somehow I don't see Starfleet being too forgiving of that, even if Picard called in a bunch of favors.

 

[Lt.Cmdr.LaForge]

Its nice to see a positive thread about Wesley for a change, instead of the usual “I hate Wesley, how much do you hate Wesley?” Anyway I agree totally that by season 3 Wesley had indeed become a likeable character. Though I do believe that his position on the bridge (/role on the ship generally) was very unrealistic. It was nice to see Wes hadn’t been wiped off the face of Star Trek in Nemesis. Though if you had the power to traverse alternate realities, time travel and do all the things 'travellers' can do, would you really want to re-enlist in star fleet? did Wesley just get bored of his 'gift' or something?

 

[WillsBabe]

He practically started the Maquis with his actions in Journey's End.

He did? Hell, I don't remember any of that! So long since I saw that episode.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Wesley alerted the colonists to Picard's plan to remove them from the planet by force, in preparation for turning the planet over to the Cardassians. The colonists then began capturing Cardassian soldiers. A resistance movement is born.

Wesley didn't exactly directly go out and form the Maquis, but his actions were the cause of it all.

 

[TS-1838-SWATH]

Wesley didn't exactly directly go out and form the Maquis, but his actions were the cause of it all.

That is a stretch !!!

 

[Red Ranger]

I do think Wes' character in Journey's End was inconsistent with all we know about him. But perhaps he was so embittered or upset by what happened in The First Duty that he began to question his choice of a Starfleet career. -- RR

 

[Delta1]

Wesley burned pretty much all his bridges before he left Starfleet. But several years as a Traveler can make up for a lot.

STARFLEET RECRUITER
I hear you've expressed an interest in joining Starfleet. Enlistment in Starfleet confers a number of benefits--

WESLEY
Actually, I want to be an officer.

STARFLEET RECRUITER
Okay. You'd have to go to the Academy, which is a four year course of study. You'll need a sponsor, and the waiting list--

WESLEY
Actually, I've been to the Academy. I dropped out right before graduation.

STARFLEET RECRUITER
Oh. Readmission is a lengthy process, requiring an application, a personal letter, and review by at least two--

WESLEY
I want a direct commission.

STARFLEET RECRUITER
Do you have a professional degree or license?

WESLEY
I spent the last four years travelling through higher planes of existence studying the intersection of space, time, and thought. I've written extensively on Tau Cetan physics and patented several inventions based on my own reformulation of the standard model. I'm my own transwarp engine, and I can create universes.

STARFLEET RECRUITER
How does Lieutenant j.g. and choice of posting sound?

 

[Alrik]

^


Fantastic!