Coming of Age

"Coming of Age," from Season 1 of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," brings a refreshing focus on character development amidst its narrative of tests and trials. This episode cleverly intertwines two main plots: Wesley Crusher's attempt to join Starfleet Academy and Captain Picard's unexpected evaluation by Starfleet officials.

The episode shines in its portrayal of Wesley, providing him a chance to shine with his peers, adding depth to his character beyond the wunderkind stereotype. The interactions, especially with the alien Mordock, played by John Putch, are delightful, showcasing some of the best makeup work of the series to date (it even got an Emmy nomination!). Putch's performance under all that latex is commendable, bringing humanity to his character without overplaying.

On the other side, the subplot involving Captain Picard and the mysterious visit from Admiral Quinn and his aide, Remick, adds tension and intrigue. The crew's loyalty to Picard is tested, offering viewers a glimpse into the dynamics and trust within the ship. However, the conspiracy element feels somewhat underdeveloped, leaving one wanting more follow-through on this plot thread.

The episode does stumble in its pacing, taking a while to engage fully. Once it does, though, it delivers some memorable moments, particularly the scenes between Picard and the young Jake, and Wesley's interactions with the seasoned crew like Worf, giving us pivotal character moments that are both educational and heartfelt.

While the idea of only one slot available at Starfleet Academy seems a bit odd, it serves the story's purpose, emphasizing the competitive nature of the test and Wesley's eventual growth through failure. The episode's conclusion, with its lessons on resilience and the value of teamwork, gives it a feel-good quality that's quintessentially "Star Trek."

"Coming of Age" is a strong episode for its character focus and some standout performances. It might not push the boundaries of the "Star Trek" universe, but it solidifies the series' commitment to exploring personal growth and loyalty, making it a worthy watch for fans of the franchise.

"Coming of Age" is an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" that is very transitional in nature. In other words, it concerns events that will SOON be unfolding. Because of that, you might not enjoy the episode so much until you learn more about what REALLY is happening. In one plot, Lt. Cmdr. Remmick and Admiral Quinn later appear in "Conspiracy"--and exactly WHO they are and WHAT they are doing finally becomes apparent. Here in this particular episode, however, their goals are unclear and the pair are involved in some sort of loyalty investigation--and it comes off a bit like the investigations during the so-called 'Red Scare' of the late 1940s and into the 50s. The other plot involves Acting Ensign Crusher going to take the Starfleet exam. While Crusher does not yet enter the academy, this will take up quite a bit of the show later--when he is absent from the ship and a few episodes involve his academy life.

Despite not having the answers, this is a very good episode and when seen as a whole, they are excellent and should be seen by fans. Well worth seeing and well written.

Enterprise faces an internal review and Wesley goes through Starfleet recruitment tests.

This is a strong episode with an excellent story and a number of great character moments.

The story has two interesting plot threads that are similar in theme and unfold superbly with the lead characters coming together at the end for a nice moment of reflection. Another strength is that it displays good continuity with other episodes with a number references that help the Star Trek universe feel connected.

Several characters have moments to shine. Picard is especially strong as he displays great leadership throughout and one incredibly cool moment that impresses everyone.

It's enjoyable to see Riker's hostility to outside inspections. This is written in a way that brings out his pride in Enterprise and extreme loyalty to Picard.

Other crew members have solid moments under interrogation, such as Dr Crusher, Data, Troi, Worf and Geordie. These scenes are very well done, particularly the ones that seamlessly transition between each other.

Certain aspects of what happens are slightly predictable, but for me it does not diminish the level of entertainment.

The visuals are quite effective with some great makeup effects and costuming of one character. There are some action based moments that work well. The strongest aspect of the episode is the editing as there is a perfect balance between the two plots and generally great pacing.

Performances are great with Patrick Stewart and Will Wheaton leading their character arcs well. All the series regulars such as Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Michael Dorn, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis and LeVar Burton contribute well.

Like so many first-season episodes, this one includes elements (and characters) who will become more meaningful later on -- but aren't very much here. Yes, we'll continue one plot on the later episode "Conspiracy", of which this is practically Part One -- so that's not too bad. But it's rather heavily over-played, like they don't know that's where the story will later go. The result feels rather like a story that was written without Trek in mind, because it doesn't really go anywhere. The two guest actors are very good, though -- as is, of course, Patrick Stewart.

The other plot, of course, is the Wesley story -- and there's simply nothing really good about it. The one girl is earnestly cute but gets no substance to her character; Mordock is essentially the same, despite the script trying hard to give him some gravitas. The other girl is wasted as Vulcan, having very few lines and nothing really to do. Ito is wasted as the instructor, and there is no real drama in any part of the story -- never mind wondering why Starfleet should deny admission to three candidates it regards as eminently suitable, just because a fourth one scores higher ... in some nebulous way that isn't actually described, but suits the plot.

Like so much TNG Trek, it's all just a bit too mild: mildly pleasant, mildly dramatic but not very convincing.

It took 18 episodes but finally TNG *works*. Wunderkind Wesley at long last becomes a real boy. Picard really shines as both as a leader and a substitute father. And while the whole "mysterious threat" thing has been overplayed and makes you roll your eyes nowadays (see: JJ Abrams mystery box), here it is a detail, not the entire focus. Plus there's an actual payoff which isn't awful. Those were the days...