This week’s episode is Coming of Age. I think it’s the first A/B episode in the franchise. I like the Wesley storyline better, but the episode is probably best remembered for setting up Conspiracy. It’s too bad the story lines don’t intersect. It might have been interesting to see Remmick grill Wesley.
I think Remmick is played somewhat over the top. For example, when he rises to his feet, leans across Picard’s desk to get in Riker’s face, and shouts “You are required to answer my questions, Mister Riker, unless you're trying to cover something up!!!” I think it would be more effective if he just said it matter-of-factly like he was confidently in control of the situation.
I find it amusing how elated Riker is when he’s told Starfleet wants to promote Picard off the Enterprise, and how quickly the smile disappears from his face when he realizes Picard hasn’t accepted it.
Jake steals a shuttlecraft to run away because he can’t face his father after failing an exam. What kind of dysfunctional relationship do they have? Picard’s only response (as far as we see on screen) is to tell Riker to discipline Jake. He should probably tell the ship’s counselor to talk to him too. It would give her something to do besides saying things like “I sense deception” and “He’s afraid of something.”
Wesley’s help to Mordock during the exam is handled poorly. What if it turned out to be the margin of victory and the second-place finisher weren’t Wesley? I’d expect the Academy to have rules against that kind of help during an exam and to communicate those rules to the candidates very clearly.
I think Remmick is played somewhat over the top. For example, when he rises to his feet, leans across Picard’s desk to get in Riker’s face, and shouts “You are required to answer my questions, Mister Riker, unless you're trying to cover something up!!!” I think it would be more effective if he just said it matter-of-factly like he was confidently in control of the situation.
I find it amusing how elated Riker is when he’s told Starfleet wants to promote Picard off the Enterprise, and how quickly the smile disappears from his face when he realizes Picard hasn’t accepted it.
Jake steals a shuttlecraft to run away because he can’t face his father after failing an exam. What kind of dysfunctional relationship do they have? Picard’s only response (as far as we see on screen) is to tell Riker to discipline Jake. He should probably tell the ship’s counselor to talk to him too. It would give her something to do besides saying things like “I sense deception” and “He’s afraid of something.”
Wesley’s help to Mordock during the exam is handled poorly. What if it turned out to be the margin of victory and the second-place finisher weren’t Wesley? I’d expect the Academy to have rules against that kind of help during an exam and to communicate those rules to the candidates very clearly.
I noticed that too. People go on about Riker's lack of ambition in passing up Captaincy after Captaincy but what about Picard? He passes up the Admiralty in this episode and remains as Captain for at least 15 years that we know of, closer to 20 if you follow the novelverse. Did he really never get offered a promotion again? Afterall Rikers lack of ambition is simply down to Picards reluctancy to vacate the Enterprise's Captains chair.
