#beverly crusher returns

[pktechgirlus]

Creation Con

LA June 1989

[mceproductions]

MCE The Jaw Droppers 2023 #2: The Enterprise D Returns to the fold.

Along with the 3rd season of Picard being so great in getting the crew of the enterprise D back together for a final journey. There was one player nobody saw coming.

In the wake of a return of an old enemy, Picard and company were brought back to a piece of their past being unexpectedly restored after they had lost it long ago.

What magic happens when Geordi brings the crew together on the rebuilt bridge is nothing short of stunning.

Even the welcome voice of Majel Barrett as the Starfleet computer was a very welcome touch.

We knew the reunion was going to happen from the start. Nobody expected the original ship would come back in the play.

And jaws were dropped.

[dataentryspecialist]

Captain Picard: Lore's going to drag this out. So, Mister Data, what's his play?

Lieutenant Commander Data: He has an army of former Borg drones. They're not of the Borg specifically or any specific world. He means to lead them against the Federation. They will win him the quadrant. In return, I suspect, for his leadership.

Picard: An army? From outside of Federation space?

Lieutenant Commander Geordi LaForge: So he's building a transwarp conduit. To attack.

Data: Precisely

Picard: I wish to know why Lore is hellbent on this course of action. Surely he doesn't see the entire Federation as a threat.

Geordi: I don't think we should be focusing on Lore. That guy's positronic brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him.

Data: I would ask that you consider your words, Geordi. Lore is beyond reason, but he is my brother.

Doctor Beverly Crusher: He killed an entire colony of over 400 people

Data: Technically, we are not biologically related.

[stitching-in-time]

Finished Star Trek: Prodigy season 2! Overall, I loved it, it was everything I hoped for, and then some. I love time travel paradoxes and alternate universes and that kind of stuff, so this season's story arc was right up my alley, and I think they did it just right. From story, to visuals, to character development, this whole season was just mindblowing the whole way through. The very ending leaves me trepidatious for the future, unfortunately, but I still very much want another season, and I want to celebrate what a monumental achievement season 2 is, both as thing unto itself, and as an epic expansion of what Star Trek can be.

Thoughts and analysis (with major spoilers!) below!

The biggest things for me this season were how Dal and Gwyn grew as characters, Janeway and Chakotay's relationship becoming even more of a central thing, and my boy Wesley Crusher returning as basically a Time Lord to help the Protostar kids save the timeline. As a Next Gen fan, I can't begin to describe how much it means to see Wesley again, and know that he's still out there, doing good in the universe, like I always knew he would. Beverly Crusher raised a good kid! As fans, we always joked about how Wesley Crusher is a Time Lord now, and now Prodigy said, yeah, he really is! That's what the Travellers do! They're literally like the Time Lords in Doctor Who, but with more hands on helping and fixing things, and I'm like yes, perfect!! I couldn't have asked for better, honestly, and Wil Wheaton does a terrific job as manic pixie Time Lord Wesley (there's no other way to describe him lol) without losing the essence of the Wesley we knew. After the horrible, hurtful disappointment of what they did with Picard and the rest of the Next Gen crew in the Picard series, seeing at least one of my first Trek crew getting the respectful treatment their character deserves means, so, so much to me, I can't even begin. My boy Wes! I love him!! (But dude- call your Mom ffs! Janeway is such a space mom herself for calling him on that. The scene at the end where Wes and Beverly hug was EVERYTHING to me. I cried. 30 years I have waited for that!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!)

Gwyn and Dal's character arcs this year were great too. Gwyn always had the commanding presence that said 'captain' to me, from the beginning. Much as I like Dal, I felt like it didn't make sense for him to be the captain, given his personality and experience, and it kind of seemed like they gave him that because the lead character always has to be a boy, by default, in any children's media that isn't explicitly aimed primarily at girls. But seeing how it shifted this season was really wonderful. How Gwyn stepped up to be a leader, and how Dal realized that being the right hand of someone you trust and respect is just as important a role as being the one in charge, was lovely, and paralleled the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay. Gwyn and Dal are kind of coming from opposite ends of the childhood trauma spectrum; Gwyn being forced to ignore her own judgement, and obey her father's commands without question; and Dal, being undervalued by his surrogate mother, being told and shown by her that he's unimportant and uneeded. The positions that they came to here, as a Captain and her Number One, and are the direct opposite of the roles their parents forced on them, and the exact places they need to be to overcome those negative beliefs and let their true natures shine through. It's so good!! And they actually talked to each other about their relationship! (or at least tried before they got interrupted.) That's honestly way more emotionally mature of them than almost any other romantic pairing in Trek! The kids are all right!! And I love that Gwyn is taller than Dal, and nobody cares. I can't think of the last time I saw a show where a girl being tall wasn't presented as a problem for her boyfriend to be insecure and crappy about it. Not making girls feel bad for being tall, and not making boys insecure about being short, is so important, especially in a show aimed at kids. Way to break down those gendered stereotypes!!

Janeway and Chakotay got so much to do this season, and I loved every minute of it. I love that Prodigy is basically a Voyager sequel. Janeway in the Captain's chair on a new Voyager is like, a dream come true, and seeing Voyager characters again is a special thrill for those of us who grew up with them and love them. (Ngl I was thrilled that my boy Tom Paris got namedropped twice! And so much yes to having him design the Nova Flyers!!! I've always headcanoned that Tom and B'Elanna stayed on Earth after Voyager and designed ships and warp engines and stuff at Starfleet HQ so they could give their kids a more stable childhood, and I'm beyond thrilled and thankful to have that somewhat canonized!!) I kinda wish it had been Tuvok rather than the Doctor along for this voyage, since he's Janeway's best friend, but the Andorian guy (Tysis? Why can't I remember his name??) does remind me of Tuvok a lot, so it might have been an odd vibe to have two similar characters. And anyway having the Doctor along did prove useful to the mission later on. (Though I don't know what it is, but the voice Robert Picardo uses for the Doctor on Prodigy is off, somehow- it's higher pitched, and the cadence is different. If I didn't know it was him, I'd think it was a different actor, and it's pretty distracting. But luckily the Doctor was mostly just there to be comic relief, and didn't have a ton of scenes.)

The character who surprised me the most here, though, was Chakotay. I like him a lot better on Prodigy than I ever did on Voyager. It's not even that I disliked him before, so much as that I feel the writing wasn't always there for him, and that they didn't really care to fully flesh him out and make his characterization consistent. His love for Janeway was one of the only things about him that was consistent, and they really highlighted that aspect here. I've never been much of a Janeway/Chakotay shipper, but I'm shipping it now. I know the die hard J/C shippers are probably livid that we didn't get a kiss or a direct acknowlegement of their feelings this season, and from the way it was going, I don't blame them, I expected it too. But I feel like Prodigy's writers aren't dumb enough to tease it so heavily without paying it off- I'd wager they're playing the long game and saving it for later, what with all the insanely shippy stuff going on between them here. The pda! The longing! That reunion scene! Heck, even Starfleet command knows they have a thing going on, and that Janeway can't be normal about Chakotay! Even the kids give them looks like they know there's something going on between them! The parallels between them and Dal and Gwyn, who already are a romantic couple, make it pretty obvious that Janeway and Chakotay are like a template for them to emulate. I didn't care one way or another about whether Janeway/Chakotay became a thing when this season started, but now I'm invested. They're in love, just admit it!

I love that they added Ma'jel to the Protostar gang, it's nice to have another girl to balance things more. And the fact that they named her after Majel Barrett hits me straight in the heart. So much love for the OG queen of Star Trek!!

I really appreciated Gwyn getting the chance to meet the younger version of her father, and get the chance to recieve some kindness and care from him, at last. I hope now that the timeline is different, she'll be able to have a better relationship with him at last. (I'm still not entirely sure how Gwyn can exist now that he's not going back to become the Diviner in the new timeline, but I think maybe it's some sort of alternate timeline/parallel universe stuff?? That's the one part of the timey wimey plot I was a little fuzzy on, but honestly the rest of it is so awesome that I don't even care that much.)

One of the few things that I disliked this season was Voyager A having a 'cetacean ops' tank on board. It was fine on Lower Decks because it's a comedy, so I don't take anything that happens there too seriously. (I just thought it was a SeaQuest joke, tbh.) But for a drama series, it really bothers me that Starfleet would take wild animals from their homes and plunk them on a starship. Even though they can communicate with the whales now, so we infer that the whale consented to be there, it seems incredibly unlikely that any wild creature would chose to live in a tiny tank away from their ecosystem and others of their kind. Animal captivity is not a cool thing to be promoting in this day and age, so I hope that will go away, and we won't have to see any more of that.

The biggest problem I had with this season though, was all of the references to stuff from Picard at the very end. Worse still than animal captivity was Picard's horrible storyline about using slaves to build Starfleet ships. It's like the writers on that show had never seen an episode of Star Trek in their lives, and had no idea what it's even about. They literally referenced the Next Gen episode 'The Measure of a Man', so they must have seen it, and yet they totally ignored it's message that androids aren't property, and it's assertion that creating an army of android slaves would abominable, and against everything the Federation stands for. The whole point of that episode was that they established the legal precedent to prevent that. To turn around and have that happen is a huge betrayal of the optimistic spirit of the show, and a shows a deep misunderstanding of all of the characters. You cannot sit there and tell me that any of the characters we know would sit idly by and let the Federation institute slavery. You can't convince me that they would just go on with their lives like everything was fine while that was happening around them. You can't tell me Starfleet wouldn't have a wave of resignations in mass protest, that there wouldn't have been protests all over Earth to stop it. Just casually dropping something as horrific as 'oh, our android slaves rebelled and blew up the fleet we forced them to build for us' in the middle of a show aimed at children is deeply disturbing, and deeply wrong- allowing slavery in the Federation negates everything it is, and demolishes Star Trek as a beacon of hope for the future.

I'm very worried for Prodigy's future if it's going to take place in that awful reality, for which there is absolutely no excuse or explanation that can be had to justify it. I'm absolutely horrified to think that it might become the status quo that we're just supposed to accept, but conversely, if they don't gloss over it, if they look at it head on, in all it's horror, there's no way to deny that everything that Starfleet and the Federation stand for is a lie. There's just no good way forward with it, I fear. If the Protostar gang were to find out that someone was messing with the timeline to create that reality in the first place, and that they had to go back to stop it from happening, and erase that timeline from existence, then I could be okay with it, but I doubt they'd do another time paradox plot so soon. I'm just afraid that I won't be able to love Prodigy anymore either, because it will have let me down, just like Picard did.

I desperately hope this season wasn't Prodigy's pinnacle, and that it will continue to believe in hope and kindness and the possibility of a better future, and to fight against the cruelty and cynicism that Picard's writers poisoned the Star Trek universe with. I care about these characters, and this world, and I want to see more of them. I would love a third season, but only if it lives up to Star Trek's ideals of love and equality and compassion. Prodigy has been such a bright spot for me, I've come to love this new crew, and being able to see my beloved Voyager crew members still out there being heroic, and being happy. I hope it can continue to be that bright spot. Based on what wonderful things I've seen overall in these first two seasons, I'm going to choose to have faith that it will.

Here's hoping we get a season 3 that's just as amazing!

[driftwoodthrone]

Ok, so that episode of Picard was a lot.

But I think the story they're trying to tell us is one about grief. It has always been about grief for Data. The first season of Picard underscored that, and we are getting the bigger picture of how each character has been changed by it. Data's sacrifice fractured this family, but it also told us that given the chance they would have each taken his place, and I think that's what they all grapple with when they return.

It makes total sense to me that Thad and Jack were born back-to-back after Data's death, and in that timeframe, none of these characters have processed their loss. In the aftermath, Picard threw himself into life-threatening situations that didn't inspire a lot of faith in Beverly, certainly when her whole life has been painted by loss and abandonment. Was she absolutely wrong for taking that choice away from him? Yes. I don't think Beverly thought herself big enough to ask Picard to drastically change his life to fit around her and this baby. But she could do it for Jack, she can give up everything to protect him. Grief doesn't always sound rational or feel right to other people.

The end of the episode shows us exactly why Picard's stand-your-ground and fight mentality frightens them all. For Troi and Riker and Beverly and I'm sure Geordi, the emotional stakes were too high after Data. When Thad got sick, Riker and Troi left Starfleet. When Beverly and Jack were being hunted they ran. It takes Picard seventeen seconds to get to sickbay and watch Beverly revive Jack to fully understand why a parent would grab their children and run when danger is knocking on their door. The Next Generation has always been a story about legacy, of course, they're going to tell one more for its title character. Just as the story has weaved through Alexander, Thad, and Kestra. Just as we know Dahj and Soji and Elnor. We will know Sydney and Alandra. Just as it has always been about Wesley. This too is about Jack Crusher. It has always been about family.

[spacedocmom]

Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom Viruses can't be reasoned with or negotiated with. They don't understand how well you avoided them yesterday, nor reward you by avoiding you in return today, nor understand your social/economic/mental health needs. They just want to get in you to make more of themselves. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked, spoon 3:36 PM · May 5, 2024

[neutralgray]

Okay, so like. I've recently gotten into Star Trek TNG and am on season 3. Return of Beverly Crusher and all that. Then I realize a few episodes in that we haven't seen Katherine Pulaski, the doctor in season 2, at all.

And so I looked it up and the show like. Doesn't even really address it? Crusher leaves (due to contract dispute irl apparently) and now comes back and Pulaski is just completely forgotten because Crusher is back.

The most baffling thing to me tho is how divisive she apparently was to the 80's fandom? And like, for what?? Simply because she wasn't Crusher?? Like, a lot of those historical criticisms seem to be that she didn't "fit in" with the crew but what?? How did she not???

She was fucking awesome. She had a completely different dynamic than Crusher that worked to make a quickly more complicated character.

Crusher has a sort of sex appeal. Humanistic compassion. Intelligence and empathy.

Pulaski felt pragmatic but highly moral. Daring and authoritative. She matched Picard's ego and intelligence, often creating conflicts due to their different approaches to moral problems. She was flawed and headstrong but genuinely trying to do the right thing, which is how most compelling characters in TNG feel.

It's just so crazy to me that she wasn't popular and the show didn't even write her character an "out."

[jesternene]

The Women of Star Trek: Picard

It is that time of year and the Emmy buzz is loud and proud among the different outlets promoting certain shows and actors that made an impact during their season. I agree with a lot of the articles that I have seen. However, there is one thing that is missing in their spotlight: The women.

As a Star Trek fan, the hype of the Final Season of Star Trek: Picard not only succeeded in their approach but they went above and beyond. The nice mix of new and nostalgia to the story was blended well and it deserves “Outstanding Drama Series” in the upcoming Emmys. The problem that I am having is not what we saw in the Season but how the Women of the series seem to be missing in that hype Star Trek: Picard is getting.

I agree that Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Levar Burton, and Michael Dorn were fantastic this season and do deserve to be recognized for their new approach to their characters, but the women were just as equally if not more deserving because the story mostly revolved around them.

Let’s start with Jeri Ryan. The beginning of Seven’s story started with controversy due to how they approached her character during her time in Star Trek: Voyager. As much as fans wanted to see the former Next Gen characters when Picard was announced, it was nice to see another character outside of that particular show, as all the characters in the Star Trek universe are important to the story. Seeing Seven as a rogue Fenris Ranger, going outside the law to do the greater good, was fantastic. It showed a different side to the character and the way Jeri approached that character was a breath of fresh air to those who adored her on Voyager. With the series ending, It was nice seeing the conflict with Seven on wanting to do the greater good but being stuck with regulations. Her performance in showing Seven’s struggle was brilliantly done. We knew why she did what she did and didn’t question her one bit. That was based on how Jeri approached it and seeing now Captain Seven, and wanting more of Captain Seven, is all to Jeri’s credit.

Michelle Hurd was new to the franchise but you never would have known. Her character Raffi worked so well with Picard, that you forgot she was never around during the TNG days. You bought that she had a history with Picard, even if we didn’t see it. The emotional turmoil her character went through brought Star Trek to a new level and it was character development that fans longed for. I give that credit to Michelle's approach to that. She embodied the struggle that Raffi was going through. The emotional roller coaster we saw was not only entertaining on so many levels, but it invoked emotional and tear-jerking scenes that the fans could feel and understand. When fans can relate to a character, you know the actor and the writer are doing their job.

Of course, fans not only wanted to see past and new characters in the franchise, but we wanted great stories as well. During the TNG days, some stories fell flat as they didn’t bring the characters to the level that the fans felt they should have. What was interesting about the final season of Star Trek: Picard is the writers decided to not only take that extra step but put the characters through those emotional scenes that the fans waited 35 years for. Gates McFadden was a fan favorite to return and she did not disappoint with those types of scenes.

Giving her character a complete 180 backstory, allowed Gates to showcase just how great an actress she is. With over 40+ years under her belt, Gates brought everything she had ever done in her career and embodied it in the character of Dr. Beverly Crusher. A character that she holds dear to her heart, she wanted to make sure that the fans understood the love and heartbreak of Beverly. She had scenes that required no words but it tugged on the heartstrings of the viewer that we wanted to see more. Her chemistry with Patrick Stewart only highlighted his scenes for the better. Ed Speelers, who plays her son Jack Crusher, mixed well with how Gates approached this side of Beverly and it was the Mother Son scenes that fans longed for. This season not only went down as one of the best in the Star Trek Franchise but for Gates as well. The emotion she played, minor details of a chin quiver, or even a small smile, really brought out why Beverly Crusher is the fan's character. They can relate to her on so many levels and it is that acting that deserves to be recognized among her fellow peers and the industry.

And let's not forget, more powerhouse women showcased their chops in every scene they were given. Amanda Plummer as the new villain, Vadic, made fans delight in her sarcastic demeanor. Even though it was one episode, the return of Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren, was the highlight as her character was redeemed in a way that fans always wanted. Seeing Deanna Troi, played by Marina Sirtis, was more in tune with her empathic side, and being one of the instrumental heroes of the season was also a highlight we wanted to see. The industry can not forget how much the women impacted this season and with an award season causing so much buzz, It is important we focus on why. 

All in all, the entire cast of Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard was the best mix anyone could hope for. We already knew that the TNG cast was perfect, but adding the new characters just focused more on that. We love these characters and we love the actors that play them. Let’s give them the attention they deserve because, without them, Season 3 wouldn’t have been what it was.

J

[nerds-yearbook]

After 3 seasons, the last episode of Star Trek: Picard aired on April 20, 2023. Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his friends took a final stand to save Earth from a Borg Invasion. Picard travelled to Jupitor to face off with the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) and a Borg assimilated Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) aboard a giant Borg Cube. Walter Koening, who played Chekov in Star Trek the original series, returned to play Anton Chekov who was the President of Earth and an ancestor of his former role. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) was promoted to Admiral and made head of Starfleet Medical. Seven (Jeri Ryan) was promoted to Captain. Tim Russ also reprised his role of Tuvok. John de Lancie also made a surprise appearance as Q. ("The Last Generation", Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek TV Event)

[lindsayvanekart]

Happiest of birthdays to the amazing Gates McFadden! Her return as Beverly Crusher in Picard just makes me so damn happy <3

www.lindsayvanek.com

[divinemissem13]

🔮 and 🪭 for Beverly Crusher, please!

Thanks for asking! I'm gonna answer these for Picard-era Beverly Crusher because I find her more interesting (and also more in need of therapy 😝 )

🔮 Do they feel like they're connected to the world around them?

I think yes. I feel like she was stuck in a holding pattern for many years, just reacting to the people around her (mostly Jack Crusher and then Wesley and then Picard...). Her choice to leave Starfleet and raise a child on her own finally led her to a life where she got to make all the choices. She chose her ship, she chose what she would do with it, where she would go, who she would or wouldn't spend time with. Even after returning to Starfleet, I still think we see a Beverly who is more grounded and connected to her life than ever before.

🪭 What does their ideal life look like in 2, 5, or 10 years?

I don't know what Bev wants but my head canon is that in 10 years, she would be semi-retired, in a stable, loving relationship with Kathryn Janeway someone other than Picard, although they would still be good friends and she stays at the Chateau often, especially when Jack is on planet. She lives somewhere rural and has a huge garden filled with all kinds of exotic and alien plant species.

[grissomesque]

Watching Star Trek with his dad every Sunday from the living room couch, Matalas felt like Captain Picard and his chief medical officer on the Enterprise were among the "will they, won't they" greats of television. "It feels like, 'Why didn't they for decades?'" he asks himself. "It felt like it should have gone there in a feature film. Now that you're here at the end, wouldn't it be great to see, 'Oh, they went there alright.'"

With the return of McFadden as Beverly Crusher, Matalas says "we get to see the fallout of that," as well as "a coming together" in the final season.

via

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Wesley Crusher

By Ames

Grab your favorite hideous sweater! It’s time to talk about Wesley Crusher. He’s one of the most polarizing characters on TNG, with a lot of hate directed his way, but he also has a number of great Trek moments which we on A Star to Steer Her By are going to sort through today!

We can probably blame Gene Roddenberry for making this character so insufferable, especially in the first season when he seemed to have the easy solution for the engineering problem of any given episode. Gene designed him to characterize a person’s infinite potential and then slapdashedly shoehorned him into every place he could, and you’ll notice that right after the big writers room turnover, the child prodigy started feeling more like a character and less like a cheat code. Scroll on for the list below and listen to our chatter on this week’s podcast episode (warp over to timestamp 57:36) for all the dirt. Just unplug your nanite experiment first.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Don’t shut up, Wesley While I’ll give Wesley the deserved scrutiny in a moment for the absurd number of times in season one of TNG that he saved the day, we do have to give him some credit for figuring out that Lore was impersonating Data in “Datalore.” Even while pretty much everyone on the crew was telling him to shut up, Wes had it all figured out and topped it off by beaming Lore into space.

Double dumbass on you! Wesley actually does get to shine during “Coming of Age,” an episode that really uses his youth to its advantage by having him take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. And he gets pretty far! He even figures out that Rondon is a Zaldan, so Wesley realizes that apologizing for getting run into himself is the wrong reaction for that culture and comes away looking like a badass.

Teamwork makes the dream work Speaking of “Coming of Age,” Wesley is also this close to solving the dynamics relationships test first when he helps Mordock figure it out too. Wesley’s natural affinity for helping his crewmates is more important to him than getting the top score, which TAC Officer Chang takes into consideration in the final results. I’m not sure it helped much, but it’s a good character moment.

You never forget your first “I'm never going to feel this way about anyone else,” Wesley says to Guinan after watching his first crush leave in “The Dauphin.” Strangely, it’s a very mature little conversation considering Wesley was ready to write Salia off as some kind of alien monster earlier in the episode. But he learns to accept her differences, score some relationship experience points, and get his first smooch.

The minute you walk through that door they’re your team Slowly, the show starts putting Wesley in more age-appropriate situations in which he isn’t just saving the day, so it’s fitting for him to be overwhelmed when leading his first committee in “Pen Pals.” His team member Davies effectively takes over because Wes initially lacks confidence, but he soon takes charge and they work together to save Drema IV. Go team!

You told me to improvise During the war games in “Peak Performance,” Wesley thinks outside the box and retrieves one of his many, many experiments from the Enterprise to use on the less advantaged Hathaway. While Riker initially accuses young Crusher of cheating, no one said he couldn’t sneak tools off the other ship, and it’s that kind of ingenuity that could be useful in a fight.

Begin by letting go of your guilt, Wesley His mother Beverly may be on full display in “Remember Me” as we discussed last week, but Wesley also gets some interesting development. Back in “Where No One Has Gone Before” the Traveler saw potential in the child prodigy, and when the two of them use their special powers here to open the door for Dr. Crusher to return from the warp bubble, we witness some of that weird potential get unlocked.

I’ve done it all because I want you to be proud of me We joke a lot on the podcast that Picard is secretly Wesley’s father, and it’s mostly for laughs. But when we get touching scenes between the two of them like the one in “Final Mission,” we think we may be onto something. Stranded on a planet without water, Wesley keeps an injured Picard alive (can’t say the same for Dirgo, but whatever), fueling paternity theories for years to come.

I just lost the game After Wesley leaves the crew after “Final Mission,” his appearances are more methodical, and thus his character feels more and more appropriate each time. In “The Game,” he’s just visiting but his tendency to see how things work helps him and Lefler to discover that the video game everyone’s playing is actually harmful before the whole crew turns on them.

I would like to add something to my testimony We get even more glimpses of how far Wesley has come when he’s attending Starfleet Academy in “The First Duty.” All of Nova Squadron has lied about the circumstances of Josh Albert’s flight accident, and it’s Wesley who comes clean in the end because he can’t bear the guilt and the dishonesty of covering up their nefarious actions. Take that, Locarno!

These people deserve better than to be removed from their homes We found Picard’s actions inexcusable and entirely out of character in “Journey’s End” but you know who was actually on point? Wesley freakin’ Crusher. How on earth the boy was the only Starfleet-adjacent person to actually try to defend the colonists on Dorvan V is beyond us. It strikes us as opposing Federation ideals to force the colonists to move, and Wes knows that.

I had to find my own path Finally, it is a fabulous resolution to the Wesley Crusher character for him to decide on his own to leave Starfleet and go with the Traveler to discover his true potential in “Journey’s End.” For too many kids, it’s the parents who put pressure on them to walk certain paths, and we celebrate Wes for finding his own. Ya know, until he’s randomly back in Starfleet for that cut scene from Nemesis for some reason.

—

Worst moments

Wesley Saves the Day! Okay, I’m gonna lump all the obnoxious “Wesley Saves the Day!” instances into one blurb because it’s so damn repetitive. Every single time, Wesley – a child amidst some of Starfleet’s best of the best – figures out some impossible engineering problem before any of the adults in the room can, and we got so tired of it. 

Whether it’s by getting drunk and taking over engineering only to use his reverse tractor beam in “The Naked Now,” or saving the day with the Traveler in “Where No One Has Gone Before,” or spotting Picard’s brain scan from across the room and deducing there are Ferengi shenanigans afoot in “The Battle,” or cracking the lock on the holodeck door while La Forge had already admitted defeat in “The Big Goodbye,” or seeing through Lore’s disguise as we mentioned above while all the adults in the room tell him to shut up in “Datalore,” or probably a ton of others all from the first season, it was clear no one knew how to write him except as some kind of magical prodigy. Alakazam!

Keep off the grass It’s all the more clear that having a child character on the crew is just a cringey idea in “Justice.” Sure, it could have been anyone who broke the stringent rules of the Edo, but just the fact that it’s Wesley gallumphing through a flower bed like an uncoordinated doofus, destroying it utterly, makes us roll our eyes and seriously wish they’d let them execute the brat. 

Frosty the no-no man Let us not forget that it was Wesley who hit the captain with a snowball in “Angel One,” an immature and obnoxious little scene that seems to prove Picard’s point that letting children run roughshod all over the ship is an inconvenience at best and a liability at worst. And it happens to be the latter in this episode, because he ends up getting the whole ship sick with some disease!

Drug Abuse Resistance Education is futile! While we can go on about Wesley’s whole exchange with Tasha about drug addiction in “Symbiosis,” what’s most egregious is how sheltered and clueless Wesley (normally some kind of child genius) has to be to not understand how narcotics work in the first place. It’s such a forced scene that we can just feel the Reagan Era war on drugs sentimentality written all over.

I guess leaving’s gotten easy for you It’s easy to find fault with “The Outrageous Okona” – it is my least favorite TNG episode, after all. Literally everyone in this episode is annoying, and as usual, that includes Wesley who first idolizes the charming rogue, then seems really judgey of his independent and carefree lifestyle, and finally he sasses the guy into making him conclude the soap opera plot of the episode.

How do you tell each other apart? It’s a pretty cheap joke when Wesley meets Mendon in “A Matter of Honor” and mistakes him for Mordock, whom we met in “Coming of Age.” I can’t tell if the writers were trying to make a racist “you people all look alike” kind of gag, but regardless, it makes Wesley look like an idiot for not knowing anything about Benzites and Benzite culture.

Klingons hate surprise parties Everything Wesley does in “The Icarus Factor” is annoying. He blathers like a maniac at the impatient Klingon, but then takes that impatience to assume something greater is going on than just being fed up with an obnoxious tween like anyone else would be. But to make things more exasperating, the little twerp is right, as he always is, and throws Worf an Age of Ascension party. Ugh.

I think that everything that’s been going wrong might be my fault It’s not until season three that, instead of saving the day as he did so many times already, Wesley actually screws up big by releasing the nanites in “Evolution.” While it’s refreshing to see Wes finally admit to some kind of flaw, his escaped nanites end up taking over the ship and start attacking people. And what’s worse is that he tries to lie about it until Guinan catches him!

Broccoli on the side You’ll remember this from La Forge’s spotlight as well, but Geordi reveals in “Hollow Pursuits” that it was Wesley who initiated the cruel nickname “Broccoli” for Lt. Barclay. Wes, you might still be a child, but you’re in a room with adults so stop acting like one! I don’t know what’s worse: being such a dick to one of your coworkers, or all the adults in the room condoning it.

I’m the one trapped in the bubble As if his misadventure in “Evolution” weren’t enough, Wesley botches another science experiment in “Remember Me” and nearly gets his mother killed in a pocket dimension! I know we just gave him some credit for bringing her back (though I mostly give that credit to the Traveler), someone’s got to stop letting Wes hook shit up to the warp core just because he’s the CMO’s kid! Nepotism much?

The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth Here’s another Wesley moment that ended up on both lists because as much as we can see the character growth and lesson learned when he comes clean in “The First Duty,” it also needs to be said that he is fully prepared to follow Nick Locarno like a little sheep. Wesley almost certainly wouldn’t have done the right thing in the end if Picard hadn’t basically threatened him first!

You are out! Auf wiedersehen! Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t poopoo Wesley’s fashion choices. Again. It’s a trainwreck of a fashion show. Sweater after sweater – all oversized, hideously patterned, and monstrously ugly. Ames has the full write up in an early blogpost: Wesley's Sweaters: An Unfashionable Collection, but this coral nightmare from “Where No One Has Gone Before” might take the cake.

—

Well, we’re off to go exploring with the Traveler, so that’s gonna wrap things up for this one. We’re back next week with more characters to spotlight and also more Enterprise to watch over on the podcast, which you can find on SoundCloud or wherever you listen. You can also get our help on your Academy entrance exams over on Facebook and Twitter, and watch out for those flowers!

[stardate2603]

Fights and Reconciliations ( Worf x Reader )

git belongs to me

Worf had confessed to you one night that he had reservations about entering a relationship with you. And ever since those doubts stayed with you months after your conversation about said reservations. You tried to prove him wrong, but Worf didn't appreciate your attempts to soothe any fears he had about dating a human. After a few weeks, you crashed into your worst fight yet and Worf regretted every second, knowing his tone did not reveal how he felt about you but rather portrayed every reason why you were both incompatible.

He wished he hadn't risen to the argument so easily, his temper getting the better of him, sparking a night filled with silent fury on opposite ends of the bed. You would never kick him out of the bed, because despite everything, every harsh word spat in the heat of the moment, neither of you could have a decent night's sleep without each other. Even if it meant him sleeping on the sofa of your quarters, or vice versa.

Worf was caught off guard by your questions which felt more like an interrogation, spawned by a conversation you overheard during your break, and when he felt cornered he always became defensive, leading to the argument he was certain landed you under in the care of Doctor Crusher.

"Her external injuries are manageable. The internal injuries are - we're still finding them all."

Worf nodded in acknowledgment of Doctor Crusher's closing report, his eyes unable to glance away even for a second, your frighteningly still body filling him with unease and bringing his fears to the surface. Klingons were stronger than humans. It was a known fact. Klingons healed differently from humans. Also a fact.

Seeing you lying on the bed made it near impossible for Worf not to fear the worst.

"I am confident she will recover from this." Beverly's words of comfort meant nothing while you remained unconscious and Worf felt useless as he stared down at your body, finding new injuries as his eyes scanned you head to toe. And those injuries were the ones visible, external, and any internal were sure to be worse.

Days passed and Worf found himself drifting throughout his shifts on the bridge. His mind was struggling to focus on his work when all he could think about was you, dreading Beverly announcing your death.

Worf visited before his shift began, while he was on his break, and before he resigned to bed for the night, knowing you would argue that he should never let his work suffer. As a Klingon, he always felt a strong pressure to achieve excellence, and you understood it long before he confided in you about it, but you empathetic soul which allowed you to view the world from various perspectives and a highly valued member of the bridge.

And the bridge seemed so much bigger, empty, whilst you were gone.

Worf entered the medical bay after his shift for the fourth night in a row, Beverly knew better than to disturb him as he stood next to your bed. She had provided a chair for him, but the Klingon always stood, believing it was the best view of you. Worf grasped your hand gently, lacing your fingers as you did, bowing his head to kiss your knuckles.

"Jih parmaq tlhih." He murmured.

"Jih parma tsh. To you too." You whispered, causing his eyes to widen. "No wait. That didn't sound like you -"

"Close enough." Worf rested a hand on your cheek, before moving your hair away from cheek. "ChenmoHwI'."

"You're such a softie." Your dry lips formed a smile, and Worf chuckled. "QaparHa'qu'

"QaparHa'qu'." He bowed his head, pressing a kiss to your forehead and you closed your eyes as his lips lingered for a moment. "I will consult Doctor Crusher."

You held his hand, slowly letting go as he moved further away. "Okay." You whispered.

Worf returned moments later with Beverly who smiled brightly, thrilled you were awake, but you knew better than to expect an immediate release. And despite his wishes, Worf knew better than to expect this as well.

"So...tomorrow?" Beverly sent you a petulant glance and you held your hands up a little, "Alright, not tomorrow."

Worf rested his hands on the bed as he spoke to Beverly who knew he was the only one who could convince you to embrace the next few days of necessary bedrest, and you held your hands above your head, covering his hands, earning an emotional glance lasting mere seconds. Beverly smiled as she walked away after briefing Worf who held in a sigh of disappointment, and meeting your gaze with pursed lips.

"Don't pout. Or do. It'll give the crew something to talk about." Worf raised an eyebrow at your dazed state, a smile forming on his lips.

"Get some rest." His tone left no room for argument, seeing the exhaustion in your eyes after a lengthy fight for survival. Now was the time to recover. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Promise?"

"'Ach bangwI'." He bowed his head and you closed your eyes when he rested his forehead against yours.

"I'm sorry." You whispered, needing no elaboration as the towering Klingon knew exactly what you were referring to.

The argument that could've been the last you ever had.

"No need, chenmoHwI'. Get some rest."

"You need it more than I do." You remarked, seeing how exhausted his eyes appeared, despite how driven he appeared to everyone else. You always saw through him.

Worf kissed your forehead and you smiled softly, your eyes following him as he began to move away. "Goodnight."

Worf paused, looking back at you with a small smile. "'Ej qoghDaj, tlhuHqu'mo' qoy'pu'bogh."

You smiled fondly, your eyes following him as he left. You knew it was harder than an outsider believed for him to leave, but you knew he would rather stay until he knew you were back to full strength. Worf was a towering Klingon with a brooding presence, but you were always able to see beneath his tough exterior And Worf knew that no words had to be said between you, the argument about your biological incompatibility forgotten since your admittance to the medical bay began.

And despite your previous insecurities, you knew that during your recovery, Worf would be by your side, and waiting when Beverly delivered the news that you were discharged.

You approached the towering Klingon with a small smile, which he returned, along with a nod. His eyes told you everything you needed to know. Always.

The thought of losing you was enough to render him near useless. But having you alive, walking, talking, teasing him was the second greatest feeling in the world. The first? Well...that night you reminded him of what it was after over a week without feeling your touch over his skin, feeling the passion in your kiss. And Worf knew that his doubts could never change how he felt about you. Nor could he regret a single moment, finding it only made him treasure every second with you more, while wishing it would never end.

You were his forever and he was everything you needed and could ever crave. A Klingon and a human may not make sense to his species, nor yours, but to you and Worf, it meant everything and was everything. Your love knew no boundaries and Worf knew that no matter what the future held, he could fact it all if he had you right by his side.

[mceproductions]

Best of 2023 TV Shows #1: Star Trek Picard (Paramount+)

For many, The saga of the enterprise D crew unceremoniously ended with Data’s death in Star Trek Nemesis.

An unfitting way to end 15 years of adventure for a crew that many felt eclipsed the originals 25 years of their own.

Which is why in the wake of the return to Trek after Discovery came out we got Star Trek Picard as a more fitting way to continue the story. And although the first season was good, many did feel that the Q inclusion for Season 2 was a miss.

Which is fitting because the 3rd and final season brought the band back together to give a fitting ending to one of the show’s greatest crews.

While giving us the best show of the year because of it.

25th Century and Beverly Crusher continues doing what she did best. Along with her son Jack, Bev ends up running into a wall forcing her to bring in Picard.

Picard brings along Willam Riker and with the help of First Officer Seven of Nine takes control of the nearest ship to Bevs location for a rescue.

Only this sets the stage for the biggest threat Starfleet had seen in 25 years forcing the hand of Worf and Raffi Muskier into revealing a bigger picture that may affect all.

Like Orville a year ago, Picard delivers an unexpected surprise and brings characters and moments we’ve known for years into one final journey.

Including one major event player nobody saw coming at the start of things (not that which will be addressed but Ro Laren coming back was great)

Nice to see what this crew meant to those who came before and what we hope to be again.

As Picard says.

“There are more letters left in the alphabet.”

SUM 22: Patrick Stewart gives a send off to his signature role as the years best show delivers the true final journey for a generation.

[antimatterpod]

We’re putting on our old uniforms, hijacking a starship and stealing a shuttle to rescue Beverly Crusher, and we have NO REGRETS. Yes, it’s finally time for Anika and Liz to talk about Star Trek: Picard…

There is a strong possibility that this was … bad

In Star Trek: Picard, Borg nonsense is always on the horizon

Is Terry Matalas mirror!Anika? The signs are there!

A lot of our problems with this season are actually with season 2, ie, the discarding of the original cast

Some TNG characters were incredibly well-served in season 3. Others… 

Returning female characters, fridging, and men who hold grudges for three decades

The MCUification of Star Trek

Anika cannot be normal about Jack Crusher

Something very odd is happening with the passage of time in this series, and in the absence of any other evidence, we’re going to assume it’s Janeway’s fault

Hey, remember when Soji was the female lead? Anyone?