Season 1
- Thread starter ELCHawk
- Start date
That's a lot considering that usually episodes aired once a week originally.
Perhaps Wesley saving the ship ... once again was so common that most never even made the screen. That he got a stern-speaking-to during his yearly review because his saving-the-ship-averages had dropped below once per day.
Okay, I'm going to debunk this myth of Wesley saving the ship all the time.
The incidents where he 'saved the ship'...
"The Naked Now" - I will agree he bought them time using his repulser beam which was enough to save the ship. But he caused the scenario by him taking over Engineering in the first place.
"Where No One Has Gone Before" - his concern for the Traveler's well being is likely what helped give him the focus he needed to bring them back to where they started. So I can put this under saving the ship... but his distracting the Traveler the first time is what got them in the situation to begin with.
"The Battle" - he figured out that the brain wave pattern was the same as what his scans saw coming from the Ferengi ship. This led to the others piecing together the thought device being used on Picard. He was part of the solution, but he was NOT the sole part.
"The Big Goodbye" - I agree this was him saving Picard, Data, and his mom from the holodeck on his own. Which is ridiculous, since you have an entire Engineering department of officers. Completely agree that this was a bad use of him saving the day, though the episode is fun otherwise.
"Datalore" - I also agree this was an episode that made all the officers look stupid so Wesley can out Lore posing as Data.
"When The Bough Breaks" - His getting the kids to do the hunger strike was actually a good use of his character, as was him getting the medical scan of the woman with Beverly's tricorder scanner. Both were essential in saving the day.
"The Icarus Factor" - Wesley discovers, through research, why Worf was in such a bad mood. This enabled everyone to create the holodeck celebration. Not really 'saving the day', but it was helping a crewmember through a depression.
"Pen Pals" - Wesley was put in command of the mineral survey team, and it was his job to find the cause and solution to the planet breakups. He did so, but can this be considered 'saving the day' when he was ordered to do this?
"Peak Performance" - Wesley brought the experiment to the Hathaway that allowed it to do the 2 second warp. This was cheating, but it was needed at the end. However, his was a part of the overall plan, so he was not alone in saving the day.
"Evolution" - Wesley's experiment got loose, and caused the problems. He did not save the day.
"The Enemy" - Wesley came up with the neutrino pulse idea to save Geordi. And while it did give Picard a bargaining tool with Bochra beaming up with him, he really only saved Geordi.
"The High Ground" - Wesley's idea and assistance got them on the right track to find Beverly. In his own words at the end, "I was just a part of the team."
"Menage a Troi" - Wesley discovered Riker's hidden message. He got Riker, Troi, and her mother saved. He got a full promotion to ensign.
"Final Mission" - Wesley saved Picard's life. Straight up. He didn't save the ship, he saved one man. Which is not to take away from that accomplishment, but it's quite different than saving an entire ship.
In short, he didn't save the ship any more often than Data or Geordi or Picard or Riker. In fact, season 1 is the only one where he really does this, and otherwise he's either a part of a team or he is saving a single person. I think it's a bit of hyperbole to say he was saving the ship every week.
The incidents where he 'saved the ship'...
"The Naked Now" - I will agree he bought them time using his repulser beam which was enough to save the ship. But he caused the scenario by him taking over Engineering in the first place.
"Where No One Has Gone Before" - his concern for the Traveler's well being is likely what helped give him the focus he needed to bring them back to where they started. So I can put this under saving the ship... but his distracting the Traveler the first time is what got them in the situation to begin with.
"The Battle" - he figured out that the brain wave pattern was the same as what his scans saw coming from the Ferengi ship. This led to the others piecing together the thought device being used on Picard. He was part of the solution, but he was NOT the sole part.
"The Big Goodbye" - I agree this was him saving Picard, Data, and his mom from the holodeck on his own. Which is ridiculous, since you have an entire Engineering department of officers. Completely agree that this was a bad use of him saving the day, though the episode is fun otherwise.
"Datalore" - I also agree this was an episode that made all the officers look stupid so Wesley can out Lore posing as Data.
"When The Bough Breaks" - His getting the kids to do the hunger strike was actually a good use of his character, as was him getting the medical scan of the woman with Beverly's tricorder scanner. Both were essential in saving the day.
"The Icarus Factor" - Wesley discovers, through research, why Worf was in such a bad mood. This enabled everyone to create the holodeck celebration. Not really 'saving the day', but it was helping a crewmember through a depression.
"Pen Pals" - Wesley was put in command of the mineral survey team, and it was his job to find the cause and solution to the planet breakups. He did so, but can this be considered 'saving the day' when he was ordered to do this?
"Peak Performance" - Wesley brought the experiment to the Hathaway that allowed it to do the 2 second warp. This was cheating, but it was needed at the end. However, his was a part of the overall plan, so he was not alone in saving the day.
"Evolution" - Wesley's experiment got loose, and caused the problems. He did not save the day.
"The Enemy" - Wesley came up with the neutrino pulse idea to save Geordi. And while it did give Picard a bargaining tool with Bochra beaming up with him, he really only saved Geordi.
"The High Ground" - Wesley's idea and assistance got them on the right track to find Beverly. In his own words at the end, "I was just a part of the team."
"Menage a Troi" - Wesley discovered Riker's hidden message. He got Riker, Troi, and her mother saved. He got a full promotion to ensign.
"Final Mission" - Wesley saved Picard's life. Straight up. He didn't save the ship, he saved one man. Which is not to take away from that accomplishment, but it's quite different than saving an entire ship.
In short, he didn't save the ship any more often than Data or Geordi or Picard or Riker. In fact, season 1 is the only one where he really does this, and otherwise he's either a part of a team or he is saving a single person. I think it's a bit of hyperbole to say he was saving the ship every week.
The Game: He resisted the game, brought Data back online, and put himself at risk as a decoy so no one would notice that Data was back in play. Remember, even though he got rid of his phaser, there was no guarantee that the hypnotized crew would take him alive. Yes, we know they saw him as an opportunity to compromise Starfleet Academy, but he was not present for that conversation.
That was the one use of Wes that actually fit a kid on the Enterprise... he took charge of the kids and worked to secure their release. There is a lot I don't like about that episode, especially the bit where Picard unnecessarily risks two of his officers, and the stupid ending. But Wes's actions are not on the list.
Beyond that though... even if he created some of the problems and was part of the team in others... he sure saved the day a lot, my prior hyperbole aside.
That was the one use of Wes that actually fit a kid on the Enterprise... he took charge of the kids and worked to secure their release. There is a lot I don't like about that episode, especially the bit where Picard unnecessarily risks two of his officers, and the stupid ending. But Wes's actions are not on the list.
Beyond that though... even if he created some of the problems and was part of the team in others... he sure saved the day a lot, my prior hyperbole aside.
I didn't count "The Game" because he was only a guest star at that time instead of being a series regular.
The problem was that he saved the day way too much when TNG started (five times in the first twelve episodes by your list). Fortunately, they dialed it way back after that.
I think if they had made him a fresh from the academy engineering wunderkind ensign it would have made more sense, other than being maybe 5-6 years older they wouldn't have needed to change anything else about the character.
^ This. After all we are talking about S1 in this thread, and this is one, and a typical early S1 problem at that. Later seasons gave us a better Wesley.
And even him saving the ship 'only' as often as Riker, Geordi, etc. would not have been credible. They are fully trained officers with years of experience, he's a fifteen-year-old (or so) boy without either training or experience- even if he's an incredibly gifted indivicual.
Also perhaps he was ordered in Pen Pals to find the cause and solution, but that's still a fairly tall order to fulfill, and therefore I still call it a significant 'saving the day' achievement. For all we know Kirk had 'saving planets, the galaxy or even the universe when circumstances call for it' in his job description handed down to him from his superiors.
And even him saving the ship 'only' as often as Riker, Geordi, etc. would not have been credible. They are fully trained officers with years of experience, he's a fifteen-year-old (or so) boy without either training or experience- even if he's an incredibly gifted indivicual.
Also perhaps he was ordered in Pen Pals to find the cause and solution, but that's still a fairly tall order to fulfill, and therefore I still call it a significant 'saving the day' achievement. For all we know Kirk had 'saving planets, the galaxy or even the universe when circumstances call for it' in his job description handed down to him from his superiors.
Last edited:
I thought later seasons gave us not only a better Wesley, but a better Worf, a better Riker, a better Geordi, a better O'Brien, a better Data, a better Beverly, a better Deanna because that's what developing characters are supposed to happen. Growth was always part of the process.
If you spread out the Wesley saving the Enterprise to all four seasons he was in the show it's not that common, or is it?
Others saved the ship few times too.
Others saved the ship few times too.
And the kid grew up, he wasn't a toddler season 3 onwards.
^^this
As much as I will poke fun at something, it's rarely out of anything approaching actual hate.
I loved Armus - conceptually alien in design and an interesting allusion over the negative aspects of emotions, certainly for the alien species he brought up -- Armus was pretty crafty too for being just an oil glob. How much more powerful were his species, and how many more slicks are blopping around the galaxy?
Minos' arms-creation machine was pretty nicely done and Picard's solution with "the logic nag" is genuinely refreshing.
The Bynars are an eminently clever idea. Not sure how they could be explored in multiple episodes, but not all cool things need a sequel. That reminds me, I need to rewatch Doctor Who's "Terror of the Zygons" and then nip forward in time to when they bring back the Wirrn for no reason except pandering to fanwank.
Season 2 is indeed criminally underrated. Nagilum, the best time travel paradox episode involving a double (of Picard), the arc of questioning Data as being sentient (starting with "Elementary, Dear Data"), ditto for Dr Pulaski changing her tune on the robot, genuinely questioning the Prime Directive (Pen Pals, which features a key moment for the Pulaski/Data hatemance), Q questioning the sincerity of Picard (Q Who), war games infiltrated (Peak Performance)... Riva and his Chorus inspiring Herman's Head (which inspired some movie a couple decades later)... hell, even Okona for its misfires had a decent story in there and in ways no season 1 story could match; some episodes were woolly but the ideas were generally nifty. I'd readily rewatch the worst of 2 over the best of 6... I'd say 5 except I adore "The Next Phase" too much.
This thread makes me want to revisit the first two seasons.
It's been many, many years since the last time going through the early years apart from 'Q Who' and 'The Measure of a Man' which are in my STNG marathon.
I'm not entirely sure but might it even be a decade since I last went through the first two seasons.
Could it be even more than that, I should write these things down.
Don't tell anyone, but I've revisited the first two seasons more often than the rest, and I'll pick up on something different each time and questioning my take on the episode. Season 2 creates the tone that season 3 perfects, but for me, the tone only complements a story. Seasons 1 and 2 really do a lot that makes their reputation less than deserved.
I would watch Season 1 on loop before I'd waste my time with Season 7 again.
I think the downward trend starts in season 4, and much prefer the first 3 seasons.
100%
S1 and 2 took far more risks and was much more "fresh" than most of what came after S4. Yes, both seasons were flawed and awkward in places, but at least they were interesting. The middle seasons had some brilliant stuff, but most of it felt very mundane and paint-by-numbers, and S7 was mostly horrific.
Similar threads
