Star Trek: Prodigy is finally fixing Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) misakes. In the first few seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wesley was often depicted as childish and rash. Somehow, the untrained teenager was able to fix complex problems that seasoned Starfleet officers could not solve. Even the other characters in Star Trek: The Next Generation often had issues with Wesley’s impulsiveness and out-of-place expertise.
Wesley Crusher’s parents, Lt. Commander Jack Crusher (Doug Wert) and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), impacted his life in many ways. After his father’s death when Wesley was five years old, his mother continued to serve as one of Starfleet’s best medical officers. Still, despite his parents’ fame and success in Starfleet, Wesley had abilities beyond what even a prodigy would have. This inconsistency proved to be a problem for many fans, who ended up hating Wesley Crusher as an official member of the Starship Enterprise’s crew. Luckily, Star Trek has finally redeemed Wesley’s questionable abilities.
Why Fans Hated Wesley Crusher In Star Trek: The Next Generation
A teenage Wesley Crusher caused a lot of headaches for the Enterprise crew
At just fifteen years old, Wesley was on board the USS Enterprise-D with his mother, who served as the ship’s Chief Medical Officer. Unfortunately for Wesley, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) hated kids. Wesley was different from other children on the Enterprise because, as Dr. Crusher’s son, he had access to more parts of the ship, including the bridge, and often found himself getting into trouble. Star Trek: The Next Generation established this theme very early on, and fans found his troublemaker status and incredible (and often unfounded) intelligence annoying.
Wil Wheaton’s portrayal isn’t to blame for fans’ dislike of Wesley Crusher.
Wil Wheaton’s portrayal isn’t to blame for fans’ dislike of Wesley Crusher. The young actor played the only child among the adult crew, so the plots he ended up with throughout the first few seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation were ones deemed too childish or silly for the seasoned officers. Captain Picard eventually gave Wesley the unofficial rank of acting ensign, on account of Wesley’s loyalty and growing set of engineering skills, as well as his love for starships. Nevertheless, it was all too easy to blame Wesley Crusher for many of the show’s weakest episodes.
Wesley Crusher Was Never Meant To Be In Starfleet
Wesley Crusher was always destined for something greater than Starfleet
With such strongly embedded ties to Starfleet in Wesley’s life, it was an obvious choice for the young acting ensign to officially apply to become a Starfleet Academy cadet. However, this choice seemed to stem from Captain Picard more than Wesley himself. Young Crusher failed the entrance exam but passed the next year. However, while attending Starfleet Academy as a cadet, Wesley obviously didn’t feel at home. He had issues while serving aboard the Enterprise, but he still felt capable of important things, aided by the ship’s exploration. At Starfleet Academy, Wesley fell short of his potential and ended up feeling unfulfilled.
Since Starfleet was never truly his dream anyway, the scandal and its consequences proved too much for Wesley to overcome.
After a scandal at the Academy involving an elite Starfleet cadet group known as Nova Squadron, Wesley’s motivation to join Starfleet quickly decreased. Since Starfleet was never truly his dream anyway, the scandal and its consequences proved too much for Wesley to overcome. Wesley’s encounter with the mysterious Travelers in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1 was the most important part of his time on the Enterprise, and became a Traveler. The ease of this transition proves that Starfleet was never Wesley’s destiny.
How Star Trek: Prodigy Finally Fixed Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher as the Traveler redeems TNG’s mistakes
After a short appearance in Star Trek: Picard season 2, Wesley Crusher made another more substantial comeback. Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 revealed the full extent of Wesley Crusher’s Traveler powers and redeemed many of the issues about Wesley in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Instead of having abilities that don’t match his experience, Wesley’s powers are now backed up by the Travelers. His teenage innocence was often overpowered by his constant heroics that didn’t add up. As a seasoned Traveler, Wesley’s ability to save the day in Star Trek: Prodigy finally makes much more sense.
Instead of being boxed in by offhanded writing and childish narratives, Wesley has become a joy to watch on screen.
As the Traveler, Wesley Crusher has overcome the struggles of his youth and surpasses the limitations placed on him by Star Trek: The Next Generation. Instead of being boxed in by offhanded writing and childish narratives, Wesley has become a joy to watch on screen. Thanks to his role in Star Trek: Prodigy depicting him as the Traveler, Wesley Crusher has grown into one of Star Trek’s most fascinating and important characters.