why do people hate Wesley Crusher?

[Praxius]

I think the time I most wanted to slap him silly was when he was stood up on the bridge in the middle of a crisis and whined "If I was an adult, you'd take me seriously!"

Shut UP Wesley!

I agreed with him... if he was Riker or LaForge saying it was Lore not Data, based on this or that.... Picard would have probably looked into it further, rather then pass them off and not knowing wtf they were doing.... he put Wesley on the bridge as an acting officer afterall.... he's gotta have some brains to him.

 

[Vasquez Rocks]

The problem with Wesley was not that he was a precocious child, or that he was a nerd (which I'm not sure is accurate anyway - Geordi was portrayed as a nerd rather than Wesley). I love precocious kids, I was rather precocious myself. But the thing is, Wesley is absolutely not a realistic, true to life portrayal of a precocious kid. When you're a kid and you're a bit mature for your age and interested in 'adult' stuff, and you want desperately to be taken seriously... you're likely to be frustrated, because, truth of the matter is, the adults will NOT take you seriously. (And your peers would probably just dislike you.) And there's no frakking way that a teenager would be treated anything like the way Wesley is treated on TNG. Not to mention that, no matter how smart or talented he might be, someone who is lacking experience and proper education is certainly not going to be better than people with years of experience, and Wesley's role was just a ridiculous wish fulfillment fantasy.

I agree, but I think the writers got around this somewhat by adding The Traveller character, who basically comes on board and tells Picard that Wesley is special and has to be encouraged and taken seriously. Now, I don't think any of this was a good idea. The only thing it accomplished was giving an explanation as to why he was made an ensign at such a young age.

And on the subject of The Traveller, he was one of the worst ideas for the show. Instead of a mentor, he came off as just plain creepy with his obession for Wesley. The worst for me though, was Journey's End where Wesley suddenly gains super powers. Super powers?! When did this become the X-Men?

 

[Roberta Lincoln]

I never liked him all that much, either. I'm not sure why or how but I was able to ignore him fairly easily.

 

[Praxius]

I agree, but I think the writers got around this somewhat by adding The Traveller character, who basically comes on board and tells Picard that Wesley is special and has to be encouraged and taken seriously. Now, I don't think any of this was a good idea. The only thing it accomplished was giving an explanation as to why he was made an ensign at such a young age.

And on the subject of The Traveller, he was one of the worst ideas for the show. Instead of a mentor, he came off as just plain creepy with his obession for Wesley. The worst for me though, was Journey's End where Wesley suddenly gains super powers. Super powers?! When did this become the X-Men?

Creepy? One could say that..... and now Wesley is off exploring the universe all alone with this galactic pedophile.

Oh sorry, did I say that out loud?

But from the start, they showed he could pull off some unusual things that others couldn't... Wesley did help the Time Traveler out a couple of times and showed he had similar abilities.... so it wasn't a sudden thing that he gained these super powers.

 

[Vasquez Rocks]

That's true. I forgot about those other times he used some kind of power. I guess it just felt more blatant and in your face in Journey's End with the whole freezing time bit. That scene made me cringe. In fact the episode itself would have been alright if the Traveler hadn't of shown up.

Here's my theory on Wesley's super powers. I believe that it was really the Traveler's powers all along. Wesley never had any. This was just his creepy way of getting closer to him. By the time of Nemesis, Wesley finally realizes what's going on and high-tails it back to Starfleet and away from him.

 

[kes7]

That's true. I forgot about those other times he used some kind of power. I guess it just felt more blatant and in your face in Journey's End with the whole freezing time bit. That scene made me cringe. In fact the episode itself would have been alright if the Traveler hadn't of shown up.

Here's my theory on Wesley's super powers. I believe that it was really the Traveler's powers all along. Wesley never had any. This was just his creepy way of getting closer to him. By the time of Nemesis, Wesley finally realizes what's going on and high-tails it back to Starfleet and away from him.

That theory makes a hell of a lot more sense than the alternative.

 

[The Wormhole]

Kirk was precocious, even in classic Trek. He was the youngest Captain and the youngest admiral. Even in new trek he was precocious, a tearaway too.

At no point in TOS was it indicated Kirk was the youngest captain. He was young for a captain, yes, and he did have officers under his command older than him, but there is no evidence he was the youngest captain in Starfleet.

 

[Cheapjack]

I think TMP novelistation says he was.

 

[Willieck]

Praxius Wrote

Creepy? One could say that..... and now Wesley is off exploring the universe all alone with this galactic paedophile.

Paedophile? Where did that one come from??

 

[Praxius]

Praxius Wrote

Creepy? One could say that..... and now Wesley is off exploring the universe all alone with this galactic paedophile.

Paedophile? Where did that one come from??

From the inner workings of my mind..... he had a thing for Wesley since the sixth episode when he was still a minor.... it was a joke by the way and wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.

 

[RegFan]

Creepy? One could say that..... and now Wesley is off exploring the universe all alone with this galactic pedophile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA0TrP8jpX0

 

[Cheapjack]

The thing is, in our time, children and children's viewpoints and attitudes and ideas and wants, are seen as more important than adults, at the moment.

And, children, in our time, don't know as much. Wesley knew things that adults didn't know.

We're a little bit topsy-turvy at the moment.

 

[Willieck]

Just watched "Coming of Age", the one where Wes takes the Starfleet entrance exam. One of his fellow competitors says "If you weren't cute you'd be obnoxious. I think she was about right.

 

[Cheapjack]

How the hell would people today have coped with Leonardo Da Vinci, or Mozart? They were child prodigies.

Would they make it past ten?

I think in the 24thC they would do well, even be liked. Pampered, even.

----------------

'This town needs an enema!'

 

[Willieck]

How the hell would people today have coped with Leonardo Da Vinci, or Mozart? They were child prodigies.

Would they make it past ten?

I think in the 24th C they would do well, even be liked. Pampered, even.

Do I sense some deeply hidden hurt here?

 

[Cheapjack]

Only a little. My kids will be very careful what they say to people, even ones that have smashed their chemistry sets to bits out of pure spite, and laughed in their faces. Or, even have ruined a date out of jealousy. Very careful. I suppose if there's more than one of them, they will be able to handle it. Wesley's an only child too. He handled Picard's adopted son quite well, so he can't be that bad!

Also, I didn't agree with that DS9 episode, with those very clever people, who were in intelligence, who were portrayed as disfunctional and a bit weird. That may be the way such people are treated in some countries, but I think in the 24thC they could mix with 'ordinary' humans. Quite well, in fact.

 

[Willieck]

Only a little. My kids will be very careful what they say to people, even ones that have smashed their chemistry sets to bits out of pure spite, and laughed in their faces. Or, even have ruined a date out of jealousy. Very careful. I suppose if there's more than one of them, they will be able to handle it. Wesley's an only child too. He handled Picard's adopted son quite well, so he can't be that bad!

Also, I didn't agree with that DS9 episode, with those very clever people, who were in intelligence, who were portrayed as dysfunctional and a bit weird. That may be the way such people are treated in some countries, but I think in the 24thC they could mix with 'ordinary' humans. Quite well, in fact.

OK. I take your point.

However, with the regard to the genetically enhanced people on DS9 it has been an ongoing theme that these people (genetically enhanced in general)through no fault of their own were unable to function in normal society not because they were clever but because they did indeed have psychological disorders. In other storylines they were supermen or women who had no innate moral sense.

Wesley on the other hand had not been altered but was just very intelligent so the situation was quite different.

As people have not been genetically enhanced in our time (as far as we know) it is not possible for us to know in what way they would affected. DS9 TNG and ENT just explored possible outcomes of such tampering. They are what would have at one time been called cautionary tales.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

I don't care how much of a genius Wesley is, or how many super-beings like the Traveller say he's destined for great things...no teenager belongs on the bridge of any ship, much less the flag ship.

Quite the contrary. I can see how a teenager, or even a child, could belong there. In the 24th century we are supposed to let go of our prejudices. If a kid turns out to be a genius, enters Starfleet Academy at the age of five, completes it in two years instead of four and shows unbelievable talents during his training, why shouldn't he be on the bridge of a starship?

Starfleet has been open to accept anyone who can prove that he is capable of serving there after evaluating them by forgetting any prejudices. We had a Klingon and a Ferengi serving on the bridge of an important ship, despite the fact that both races have really unwelcome qualities (for Starfleet, at least), probably even more than a child would have.

There was a 3 year old that was trying to serve as a medical assistant on Voyager (never got to watching the rest of the series). She could become a medical officer, or a bridge officer, she seemed to have the talents for both. No one was concerned about her age.

What about aliens that look like human kids even when they are older? Are they off-limits to the bridge, too? And by the way, Nog's height made him feel like a youngling in DS9.

I was angry when the crew of Enterprise had trouble carrying their duties when Picard was transformed in to a child. The choice of he child actor was bad for him to start ordering them around, but he had the knowledge, training, experience and qualities, yet he was forced to give up his position until he was restored. That was unprofessional.

The problem with Wesley is that he was awful, annoying, and he wasn't believable at all. He was a nuisance. And boring. A teenager or a child might have worked if his role was well-written and well-acted. Also, why did Wesley have to act like a stereotypical nerd, and why did he have to display complete social (and other) idiocy at some points, and ask the most stupid questions that one can think of? I'm a nerd, and even I'm not that stupid.

(Also, in the Abramaverse, James Kirk managed to become the captain of the flagship immediately after leaving the academy, and without having any experience, even though we was acting like a child just before going there. Now that's bad, but it didn't bother anyone.)

 

[Cheapjack]

But, would you have liked Wesley, if he was socially clever?

I knew someone at university, who knew someone else, who could finish people's sentences, before they said them! That's how he used to chat girl's up! He could go on the bus and not pay, by just looking at the conductor, and thinking 'I've already paid', at him!

Maybe, as long as he didn't get the girl every episode, and tripped over now and again, he would have been liked? Just saying, 'Yes, your'e right, there!' every now and again, might have worked?

Wesley had a few girlfriends, didn't he? He was quite good looking.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

It wasn't about what he actually managed to do, it was about how he acted, and how he made me feel when I watched the series. He made me feel annoyed. His character lacked any charm. That's all.


........also.......


What is wrong with Wesley Crusher?

Wesley was an intelligent but boring kid. He always sticked with her mother and couldn't or wouldn't really do anything in real life by himself. To me his mother was brilliant doctor and a really attractive woman, but for him she was a terribly annoying mother. Only an absolutely desperate child would willingly accept to stay longer around a mother like her. But for him she was the only one who took him seriously. Other people didn't like him, and wouldn't give him much chance. And if they did, the only thing that he was going to do was to annoy them.

But Wesley had one magnificent quality. He was a Traveler. He could feel the spacetime of the Universe, which would allow him to see and learn things that no other human can, and he could also change the Universe as he saw fit. Shortly after he followed his mother to a starship where he managed to irritate the captain as soon as he arrived, his abilities started to manifest. Using them he discovered, much to his amazement, that his Universe existed inside of a TV show. At first he learned to sense when he was on a scene of the show so that he could pretend to be cool in front of the camera. Shortly after that he learned how to communicate with the Makers of the series and threatened to reveal their secret unless they let him cheat life. Even though he didn't have the qualities, the Makers deluded everyone else into believing that he was brilliant, and interfered directly to help him solve the problems he had to.

But Wesley was greedy. He wasn't satisfied with being just becoming a Starfleet officer, especially after he saw what Q was capable of. He requested that the Makers make him a Q. Satifying his request would ruin the show of the Makers, so they nervously started to look for another solution to please their character. Desperate, they decided to communicate with him directly, by introducing another traveller who had mind of a Maker. The Traveler allowed Wesley to abilities that seemed to be greater than those of Q. He never reveled his true indentity to Wesley, so he was able to manipulate him until he forgot his original request.

But the Makers had no choice but to destroy Wesley. First they tried to kill him by trapping his in another imaginary Universe where he would posed no threat. Unfortunately, there was an accident, and they trapped his mother instead. Then they made sure that his success will lead him as far as possible from the TV screen so that he wouldn't be able to affect the show and the future shows. Slowly, without realising it, Wesley was finally trapped away from all of the Star Trek shows and he isn't able to affect them anymore.

(The only reason the character of the Traveler seemed so uninteresting and out of place is that he wasn't a character but a Maker sent there to do his job.)