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Wesley Crusher

• View history
• 1.1 Aboard the Enterprise -D
• 1.2 Starfleet Academy
• 1.3.1 First Splinter timeline
• 1.3.2 Return to Starfleet
• 1.3.3 Further journeys as The Traveler
• 2 Other alternate timelines
• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2.1 Middle name
• 3.3.1 Appearances
• 3.4 External link

Biography [ ]

Son of Beverly and Jack Crusher , Wesley was born on 29 July 2348 . Wesley's father loved him, but Jack realized that his Starfleet career could mean that he wouldn't always be around as Wesley grew up; when Wesley was 10 weeks old, Jack began recording messages for his son. ( TNG episodes : " Coming of Age ", " Family ", " Conundrum ")

In 2354 , Wesley's father was killed following a dreadful accident aboard the USS Stargazer . Although the five-year-old boy did not completely understand what was happening, he remembered that Jack's body was brought home by his command officer and friend, Captain Jean-Luc Picard . ( TNG episode & novelization : Encounter at Farpoint ; TNG novel : Reunion )

From an early age, Wesley began to express an aptitude for advanced learning. In 2358 , 10-year-old Wesley studied every piece of text written by the escape artist Bophur the Unholdable , after he observed one of his final acts. ( TNG novel : Balance of Power )

Aboard the Enterprise -D [ ]

Crusher in 2364 .

In 2364 , Wesley boarded the USS Enterprise -D with his mother who was assigned as the ship's chief medical officer . He quickly became friends with several of the Enterprise senior staff, including Commander William T. Riker , Data , and Geordi La Forge . Initially, Wesley's relationship with Captain Picard was very tense and for some weeks Wesley was barred from the bridge . ( TNG episode : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

A few months into the mission, the Enterprise was visited by an unusual being known as The Traveler , from Tau Alpha C . The Traveler urged Captain Picard to encourage Wesley and make him realize his potential. As a result, Picard promoted Wesley to acting ensign and granted him access to the bridge, as well as posting his application to Starfleet Academy . ( TNG episode : " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

A few months later, Wesley took his Academy entrance exam on Relva VII , but failed to gain entry. Wes considered dropping the idea, but Picard changed his mind when he told him about his own failure to enter the Academy on his first try. ( TNG episode : " Coming of Age ")

Early in 2365 , Wes' mother left the Enterprise to take up the position of Head of Starfleet Medical . Wes was affected by her absence but soon began to adjust to not having her around. On one of his first missions after his mother's departure, Wes joined an away team to The Armada , where the Enterprise 's personnel were investigating crop failures. After getting to know some of the resident youngsters, he correctly deduced they were responsible and, after a short brawl in which he delivered a black-eye to the boy named Cumin , he convinced them to confess to what they had done. ( TNG comic : " Space Seeds ")

Ensign Wesley Crusher in 2366 .

Later that year, Wes took his exam on Starbase 515 , passed, and was offered a position at the Academy. His entry had to be moved to early 2367 when he remained aboard the Enterprise to help locate Commander Riker and Deanna Troi after they were captured by the Ferengi . Thanks to his actions, Riker and Troi were rescued, and Picard field-promoted Wesley to ensign . ( TNG episodes : " Samaritan Snare ", " Ménage à Troi ")

Wesley's role of helmsman aboard the Enterprise , despite his civilian status, was disapproved of by some Starfleet officers, including Edward Jellico . In his time aboard the Enterprise , Wesley gained the nickname "Brain Trust", a name he was not particularly fond of. ( NF novel : House of Cards ; TNG novels : Strike Zone , A Rock and a Hard Place )

Starfleet Academy [ ]

Despite entering the Academy a few months late, Wesley managed to catch up with all assignment work and managed to make many friends, including Cadet Joshua Albert . On the advice of Captain Picard, Wesley also sought out the Academy groundskeeper, Boothby , who helped him through his early days at the Academy ( TNG episodes : " The Game ", " The First Duty ")

At the start of his second year at the Academy, Wesley joined Nova Squadron , an Academy flight squad led by Nicholas Locarno . Wesley also flew alongside with Joshua Albert and Sito Jaxa . In early 2368 , the squad attempted to perform a Kolvoord Starburst maneuver near Titan , which resulted in all test ships being destroyed, and the death of Cadet Albert. Wesley originally went along with the others, who attempted to bury the incident, but Captain Picard forcefully persuaded him to tell the truth. As a result, Wes was reprimanded but allowed to stay in the Academy. ( TNG episode : " The First Duty ")

In 2369 , Wesley had a relationship with fellow Starfleet cadet Krystyna Peladon . ( TNG novel : A Fury Scorned)

Later that year, returned to the Enterprise while on vacation from the Academy. While Wesley was aboard, the Enterprise was sent to the planet Megara to investigate Ferengi dealings which had seen them become more advanced, a violation of the Prime Directive . ( TNG novel : Debtors' Planet )

Wesley's roommate at the Academy during 2370 was Fred Kimbal , a young man who invented a device that would transform worthless chaseum into valuable latinum. Upon learning of the device, a team of Ferengi marauders kidnapped Wesley, whom they had mistaken for his roommate, and took him with the device to an interplanetary auction. With the help of his former Enterprise crewmates, Wesley exposed the Ferengi scheme. He was reproved for his involvement with the scheme, but his roommate Fred was expelled for creating the device. Wesley was extremely disillusioned with the shortsightedness of Starfleet, who he felt had failed his roommate. ( TNG novel : Balance of Power )

Over the next year, Wesley became increasingly disillusioned with the Academy, with his grades slipping and his work decreasing. When Wesley returned to the Enterprise for a vacation in mid- 2370 he also seemed distant and uninterested in his mother and friends. Shortly after, Wesley encountered The Traveler on Dorvan V and, after undergoing a spiritual quest, decided to leave Starfleet and conventional space-time to explore with the Traveler. ( TNG episode : " Journey's End ")

Wesley did return to the primary universe as it existed at the time to attend the wedding of Will Riker and Deanna Troi in the year 2379 . ( TNG movie : Nemesis )

The Journey [ ]

Upon leaving Dorvan V, The Traveler became Wesley's mentor, and was tasked in teaching him about life as a Traveler, the power they wield, and the rules they must abide by. While The Traveler kept a tight reign on what Wesley could initially do, in 2373 Wesley altered history by erasing the Maquis , and instead created a short border war between the Federation and the Cardassian Union . The original timeline was reinstated when Agents Dulmer and Gariff Lucsly from the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations encouraged Wesley to do so. ( TNG - Strange New Worlds II short story : " Gods, Fate, and Fractals ")

First Splinter timeline [ ]

Around the end of the Dominion War , Wesley encountered J. R. Rasmussen , a time-traveling researcher for 20th century television program, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Wesley proposed a union between them, and was flatly turned down. ( TNG - Strange New Worlds II short story : " Research ")

In 2377 , Wesley briefly boarded the USS Enterprise -E under the guise of Evan Jackson . During his stay there, he transported Commander Riker to a jazz club in 1920s Illinois as a thank you for all Riker had done for him. When Riker was returned to the Enterprise , he believed he had been in a holodeck program. ( TNG - Strange New Worlds VII short story : " Adventures in Jazz and Time ")

In 2378 , Wesley gave advice and assistance to Starfleet Captain Chakotay when Chakotay temporarily possessed the power of the Sky Spirits . ( VOY - Spirit Walk novel : Enemy of My Enemy )

Later that year, Wesley had learned a lot from The Traveler and, following an observation of a colony world being evacuated from Starfleet , they returned to Tau Alpha C so that Wesley could be re-born as a Traveler . Before becoming a Traveler, Wesley had to gaze into the Pool of Prophecy to undergo the final test. Inside the Pool, he witnessed the destruction of the Enterprise at the Rashanar Battle Site . Following this, he left Tau Alpha C and went to the Enterprise to successfully prevent their destruction from the " demon flyer ," a shape-shifting vessel from another dimension. ( ST - A Time to... novels : A Time to Be Born , A Time to Die )

In late 2379 , Wesley appeared at the wedding of William Riker and Deanna Troi. Assuming it was a traditional Betazoid wedding, he appeared nude. Picard found this unacceptable, and gave him a Starfleet Lieutenant 's uniform to wear to the wedding. In 2381 , Wesley materialized, this time with clothes, at the wedding of his mother, Beverly Crusher, and Jean Luc Picard. ( ST - A Time to... novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace ; TNG novel : Greater Than the Sum )

In 2384, Wesley witnesses a Machine destroying several star systems, including inhabited ones, by casting them into the black hole Abbadon. He contacts the Travelers for help but they flee, having had many unsuccessful encounters with the Machine in the past. Instead, he turns to the Enterprise -E for help.

Wesley uses his Traveler powers to transport the Enterprise to the location of the Machine. Attempts to communicate with the Machine and even sabotage it fail. After the Enterprise rescues Data from a rogue group of synthetic beings attempting to merge with the Machine, Picard, Data, and Wesley convince the Machine to work with the Travelers and repair the damage to subspace, instead of destroying galaxies as part of its grander legacy. ( TNG - Cold Equations novel : The Body Electric )

When the First Splinter timeline and various other associated splinter realities became a victim of Devidian attack, multiple versions of Wesley intervened by informing his old crewmates of the situation, helping them identify the original divergence event that caused the timeline splinter, and giving them (and some of their mirror universe counterparts) support in collapsing their splintered reality to prevent the vulnerability that would have allowed the Devidian victory. ( ST - Coda novels : Moments Asunder , The Ashes of Tomorrow , Oblivion's Gate )

Return to Starfleet [ ]

In at least one reality, Wesley rejoined Starfleet and offered his abilities as an officer aboard the USS Titan . ( TNG novelization : Nemesis )

Wesley Crusher serving aboard the USS Titan .

Wesley briefly served aboard the USS Titan as assistant chief engineer . On one mission, he helped second officer Tuvok defeat an attacking Klingon starship. ( TTN movie : Star Trek: The Tour )

Further journeys as The Traveler [ ]

Wesley and Kore.

Wesley learned much in his time as the Traveler, eventually becoming aware of the Travelers' various Supervisors assigned to monitor key points in history . In the year 2024 , Q made an attempt to influence historical changes in order to help Jean-Luc Picard to recover a repressed memory . Wesley did not directly intervene in the situation, but monitored the influence that Q had on Adam Soong , eventually deleting some of the critical data on a computer system that Q had infiltrated. Following Picard's return from 2024, Wesley met with his former captain. The two of reminisced about the time they had aboard the Enterprise -D, their friendship with it's crew and hope they would meet again. ( PIC episode : " Farewell "; PIC - Star Trek 400th Issue comic : " A Matter of Choice ")

Wesley later returned to 2024. There, Wesley approached Soong's cloned daughter, Kore and offered her a chance to leave with him and become an apprentice Traveler. ( PIC episode : " Farewell ")

Other alternate timelines [ ]

Captain Wesley Crusher, circa 2395 .

In one alternate future, 2408 saw Wesley as captain of the USS Hood . He had been married twice and was the father of three children. When Deanna Troi was killed in 2368 he had been in the middle of his extra year at Starfleet Academy. ( TNG novel : Imzadi )

In another alternate timeline, Wesley served as chief engineer of the Enterprise -D following Geordi La Forge being promoted to first officer of the same vessel. In addition to tending to the Enterprise 's systems, Wesley was also tasked with tending to the ship's android crewmembers, A. Isaac and Dalen Quaice . ( Myriad Universes - Echoes and Refractions novel : Brave New World )

In another alternate timeline, the Klingons conquered Earth when the Khitomer Conference failed in 2293 . Wesley was part of Picard's resistance cell, but after the death of his lover Robin Lefler , Wesley and a group of his followers attempted to betray Picard's own efforts to make peace with the Klingons in favour of destroying them. ( TNG - The Last Generation comic : " What Happens Now ")

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], background [ ], middle name [ ].

The entry for Wesley at StarTrek.com establishes his middle name as "Robert", which matches the barely-legible initial "R" given onscreen in TNG episode : " Conundrum ".

Wesley's middle name is given as "Eugene" in the TNG novel : A Time for War, A Time for Peace , as an homage to Gene Roddenberry's full name "Eugene Wesley Roddenberry". No explanation was given why this work ignored the canon initial "R" seen in "Conundrum", but it might be a reflection of a disruption in history, as that work took place in the First Splinter timeline , or it might simply have been an error of some sort.

Appearances and references [ ]

Appearances [ ], external link [ ].

• Wesley Crusher article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Wesley Crusher article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
• 1 Cetacean Probe
• 2 Eclipse class
• 3 Resurgence

Star Trek: Why The Next Generation's Wesley Crusher Was So Hated

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Star Trek Is Getting a Kelvinverse Origin, but Why Are Fans Skeptical?

How did brooklynn die in jurassic world: chaos theory, doctor who: who is roger ap gwilliam.

Star Trek is a huge pop culture phenomenon that's introduced audiences to iconic and beloved characters, from the original series ' Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to Deep Space Nine 's Odo (René Auberjonois) and Voyager 's Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). But for every breakout character, there's one mainstay of the franchise who consistently earns the ire of many Star Trek fans: Wesley Crusher, the boy genius and Starfleet hopeful played by Wil Wheaton.

Many fans dislike Wesley because they believe is deeply annoying and arrogant, he saved the day too often and got to pilot the flagship of the Federation despite his limited experience compared to the professionals he shared the bridge with. He was also always in Captain Jean-Luc Picard's way and interjected himself into whatever mission the Enterprise was engaging in. In reality, though, Wesley was just an enthusiastic -- for better or worse -- dreamer with his eyes to the stars.

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Introduced in The Next Generation 's pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," Wesley is the son of Doctor Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer. His father, Jack, died in the line of duty while serving with Picard. Given his mother's busy schedule, Wesley sought the attention of the other members of the Enterprise crew, frequently ambushing them with untamed excitement over whatever project he was working on and generally making Picard, who wasn't a huge fan of children in the first place, uncomfortable. Despite Wesley's brilliance, he was looked down on by the rest of the crew because he was a child. Eventually, with everyone on the ship against him, he earns the attention of a being known as the Traveler, who recognizes the boy's prodigious abilities.

Through TNG 's first four seasons, Wesley becomes an acting ensign on the Enterprise despite failing his entrance exams into Starfleet. He remains serving on the Enterprise even after his mother left the series for a season to teach at Starfleet medical, irritating fans who were hoping to see him leave the ship with Dr. Crusher. Instead, with his promotion to acting ensign, Wesley played even more of a role in missions and had an excuse to be on the bridge. He'd often come up with solutions when none of the adults in the room could, and he was given a level of importance in the show fans didn't think he deserved. The final straw for many came when he rejects Starfleet after multiple seasons of expressing his adoration of the Federation and his excitement over his future studies and leaves the show to explore the galaxy with the Traveler.

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Wesley was written as a character to appeal to younger audiences, but even they couldn't connect with him because he was never seen doing anything the average kid did. He spent all his time hanging around the adults, and his genius-level intellect meant that he was awkward in an unrelatable way.

In the years since TNG went off the air, the widespread disdain for the character has become a running joke in pop culture, and Picard's line, "Shut up, Wesley," is one of the most recognizable from the series. The character had some potential, but, unfortunately, Wesley could never escape the bad taste he left during  TNG 's first season.

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Published Apr 26, 2022

Wesley Crusher, Nog, and the College Students of Tomorrow

Wesley and Nog's experiences at Starfleet Academy highlight their different backgrounds and privileges

StarTrek.com

Star Trek is regarded as one of the most influential works of science fiction in history and a major source of trailblazing futuristic and innovative thinking, both technological and otherwise. One of the areas where the utopian vision of Star Trek has not historically met its idyllic aspirations, however, is in regards to education. In particular, higher education in the universe of Star Trek faces many of the same – or highly similar – challenges as what the institution sees today. This is perhaps no clearer than in the depictions of how two characters – The Next Generation ’s Wesley Crusher and Deep Space Nine ’s Nog – navigate their ways into and through Starfleet Academy over the course of their narrative journeys.

Wesley Crusher and Nog

Wesley Crusher is introduced in the first episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as the young son of two Starfleet officers: Chief Medical Officer Beverly Crusher and the deceased Lieutenant Jack Crusher. During his time living on board the Starfleet flagship Enterprise with his mother, he is shown to be highly intelligent, ambitious, and curious, and attempts to enter the prestigious Starfleet Academy as soon as he reaches the minimum age of admittance. Even prior to his initial attempt to enter Starfleet Academy, he impresses Captain Jean-Luc Picard enough with his skills to earn an appointment as Acting Ensign on the Enterprise , and is even permitted to act as a helmsman on the bridge. During his initial Starfleet Academy entrance examination, he utilizes his privileged experiences on the Enterprise to pass a surreptitious diplomatic test, in which he was required to recognize a subtle alien characteristic in an adversary, and then utilize one of that species’ social norms to disarm a conflict. While Wesley does not earn admittance to the Academy on this first attempt, the testing process revealed the advantages of both his privileged position on the Enterprise and his status as a continuing-generation college student: a college student whose parents both attended higher education.

Once Wesley does eventually earn his way into Starfleet Academy, his experiences continue to pay off, as he is offered a special position among an ace group of cadet pilots – Nova Squadron – explicitly due to his experiences on the Enterprise . While this association ultimately leads Crusher into major disciplinary trouble following his participation in the coverup of a fatal Nova Squadron training accident, he ultimately evades expulsion from Starfleet Academy. Though Wesley ultimately takes an extended leave of absence from the Academy, he eventually returns to complete his studies, and eventually earns the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade in Starfleet.

In stark contrast to the privileged higher education journey of Wesley Crusher is that of Nog, the young Ferengi ne’er-do-well of Deep Space Nine . Unlike Wesley Crusher, who is a human with close family connections to Starfleet Academy, Nog is a complete outsider to higher education. As a Ferengi – a race outside of the United Federation of Planets – he is raised from vastly different cultural norms from humans. For instance, Ferengi do not engage in formal higher education. Instead, part of their coming-of-age ritual is the selection of a mentor, whom they pay a ceremonial fee to apprentice under in order to enter a profession . Nog, as a resident of Federation-operated starbase Deep Space Nine , is exposed to members of Starfleet, and is impressed by their trained skills in engineering. Ferengi are culturally pressured into the field of business and are thus not offered clear pathways to pursue scientific fields like engineering. Nog and his father – Rom – are both more naturally inclined to engineering, to the disappointment of their Ferengi family. Nog sees becoming a Starfleet officer as his best opportunity to avoid becoming an unsuccessful businessman like his father. However, Nog is unfamiliar with the customs and norms surrounding Starfleet and the Federation, and has to be informed that entrance into Starfleet isn’t done through apprenticing. As a member of a non-Federation race, Nog is forbidden from entering Starfleet Academy without a letter of recommendation from a Command-level Starfleet officer. To make things more difficult, Nog also has to struggle with his own family due to his Starfleet ambitions, including overcoming an overt attempt to sabotage his Academy entrance exam by his uncle Quark.

Nog’s journey to Starfleet Academy includes jumping through additional proverbial hoops as well. He is forced to participate in a preparation program before qualifying to become a cadet at Starfleet Academy, another step that Wesley Crusher was never subjected to. This process further exposes both his and his family’s inexperience with Federation customs, as his father has a Starfleet Academy cadet uniform made for Nog before his is officially admitted – apparently a violation of custom and decorum for the Academy. His struggles continue once he attends the Academy, as he generally fails to socially connect with his peer cadets. While Nog works his way through the Academy and into an officer position in Starfleet, it is evident that he has a highly different experience of the process than Wesley Crusher. Several factors contribute to why the higher education experiences of these two characters are so different, including their family relationships to the Academy, their nationalities, and their different racial backgrounds.

First-Generation v. ‘Next Generation’

Nog fits the definition of a first-generation college student, a term used to describe people who are the first in their family to attend higher education. First-generation college students frequently struggle with what is called ‘the hidden curriculum’ – the unspoken set of norms, practices, and rules that govern an education institution. Continuing generation students typically have some familiarity with higher education through their parents – and are often already familiar with the intricacies of the hidden curriculum because of their proximity to the institution. Wesley Crusher, for instance, was raised by two parents who both attended Starfleet Academy, and was intimately familiar with the institution, its processes, and its customs from a young age. Unlike Nog, Crusher never struggles to understand the admissions requirements to enter Starfleet Academy. As mentioned previously, Crusher’s privileged experiences and position aided him in his journey into and through Starfleet Academy in both his curricular and extracurricular pursuits. Nog has an inverse experience – his lack of familiarity with the norms of the Federation affects his ability to socially acclimate to Starfleet Academy, and his lack of privileged experiences prevent him from receiving coveted appointments to exclusive clubs like Nova Squadron or Red Squad. However, the issues that Nog faces go beyond merely being a first-generation college student. Nog is also technically an international student – a group that is often subject to social isolation within higher education today, and who struggle to acclimate to their local communities. Even more prominently, Nog is also a racial outsider to Starfleet Academy, which comes with its own deep set of challenges.

Exclusion in Utopia

Nog is shown to be the first Ferengi to ever attend Starfleet Academy. As is seen over the course of Deep Space Nine , the process of his admission differs from that of Wesley Crusher due to his racial outsider status. Most notably, Nog is required to have a letter of recommendation from a Command-level Starfleet officer in order to be considered for admission into the Academy. For obvious reasons, it would be rare for a child from a non-Federation planet or race to be intimately familiar enough with a Starfleet commander to earn a letter of recommendation. As Commander Sisko notes in a conversation with Nog, writing such a recommendation for an outsider to attend the Academy “puts [their] reputation on the line,” indicating that this is a rare concession for a Command-level officer to make. Nog ultimately has to emotionally divulge an immense amount of sensitive personal information to convince Commander Sisko to take a chance on recommending him to the Academy, a vulnerable process that Wesley Crusher certainly never had to go through. The higher admission standards to Starfleet Academy for members of outsider groups mirrors exclusionary practices from reality, which have been used to keep members of marginalized groups outside of specific higher education institutions. Nog is not the only character in Star Trek to be the first member of their race to attend Starfleet Academy.

Worf, a central character on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , is the first member of the Klingon race to attend Starfleet Academy. Mardock, who competes with Wesley Crusher in his initial attempt to enter the Academy, is the first Benzite to earn admission. However, the character who best exemplifies the racial challenges of Federation education is Voyager’s B’Elanna Torres. Torres – a multiracial Klingon-human – is subject to racial bullying and disparate treatment from both peers and authority figures throughout her education experience, which includes Starfleet Academy. Her experience aligns with an unfortunate reality – Black and multiracial students are disciplined at far higher rates than their peers within the American education system today, and are more frequently targets of bullying. Torres ultimately drops out of Starfleet Academy due to her constant conflicts with peers and professors. Torres seems to experience a documented effect called racial battle fatigue: social-psychological stress responses that result from repeated treatment as a racial outsider in an institution, which includes experiencing repeated microaggressions and ultimately becoming resistant or withdrawn. Nog, unlike Torres, persists to graduate from the Academy, and successfully serves as a Starfleet officer. However, Nog also exhibits signs of racial battle fatigue, particularly in regards to his isolated social experience in Starfleet Academy. It is also worth noting that, had Nog been embroiled in a similar incident as Wesley Crusher with Nova Squadron, it is more likely that he would have been expelled.

As mentioned previously, Crusher evades expulsion for his part in the Nova Squadron cover-up. However, there is aforementioned research that indicates that members of marginalized racial groups are disciplined more harshly than white students in our education system today. Based on B’Elanna Torres’s experiences and the explicitly inequitable admission processes for racial outsiders to Starfleet Academy, Star Trek ’s education system is clearly not beyond racial power dynamics, so it is not unreasonable to expect different disciplinary treatments for students based on their race.

The narratives of Wesley Crusher and Nog both echo challenges and experiences of today’s college students, with a slight twist to a futuristic science-fiction setting. However, Star Trek - and science fiction in general - are valuable as venues of speculation about where we could be going. What new challenges await us? So far, the franchise hasn’t showcased much innovation in what higher education or the college student experience could look like in a vastly different world: one with a legacy of utopian imagination. However, there is an optimistic element of the journeys of Nog and Wesley Crusher - they are both last seen in the franchise as holding the equivalent rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

All of this said, the Star Trek franchise seems poised to dive into the world of higher education head first in the coming years. The latest season of Picard offers at least a glimpse of a Starfleet Academy under Admiral Jean-Luc Picard’s administration, with the institution reconsidering elements of its curriculum and admitting its first fully-Romulan cadet in Elnor. Discovery recently saw Lieutenant Tilly depart the eponymous vessel to take a position at the recently reopened Starfleet Academy of the even more distant future. I have my fingers crossed that we’ll see more than remixed echoes of today’s education issues on display in these new forays into the future of learning.

Gordon Maples (he/him) is a PhD student in Higher Education Opportunity, Equity, and Justice at North Carolina State University’s College of Education. He is a published scholar and researcher in the field of higher education, an IMDb-recognized external critic, and has written and presented at conferences about popular culture and higher education (including two appearances at Con of Thrones and an ongoing written series on portrayals of higher education in film ). He writes film reviews at Misan{trope}y Movie Blog .

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The Game (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entries
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Story and script
• 3.2 Production
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Sets, props, special effects, and costumes
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
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Summary [ ]

" What is this? " " It's a game. "

Commander Riker is on shore leave on Risa , where he's been spending time with a Ktarian woman named Etana . In his room at the resort he is staying at, she teases him by taking his combadge , and then, to his disbelief, throws it out a window. While they lie down together, Etana introduces to him a game involving a device that fits over the ears and projects signals into the eyes. This creates in the wearer's field of vision an image of discs going into funnels. When a disk goes into one of said funnels, the player is "rewarded" by receiving pleasure signals from the device. Etana says that the game can go as far as the player will take it, and Riker decides to continue playing.

Act One [ ]

Riker enters the bridge and notices that things are starting to get busy around the Enterprise . He says that five new science teams have just beamed in from the USS Zhukov with quarters filling fast. Captain Picard adds that on top of everything else, they only have two weeks to complete the exploration – something that Riker doesn't like, as he thought they had five weeks. This is due to the recent addition of a diplomatic mission to Oceanus IV to the agenda. Picard tasks Riker to ensure that all the science teams have an equal chance to complete their research, which would be a tough juggling act, says Riker. Picard also tells the first officer that they also have a scheduled rendezvous with a shuttle carrying Wesley Crusher , who is on vacation from Starfleet Academy and could provide some much-needed extra help.

In Engineering , Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge is up to his neck in observation schedules and explains to Riker the biggest hurdle would be sensor availability, a task made more difficult since two new exobiologists and three stellar cartographers transferred from the Zhukov . Getting down to the business of availability, La Forge tells Riker that the lateral sensors are booked solid for planetary observation, and the gamma ray scanners are being reprogrammed by Ensign Robin Lefler . La Forge compliments her work in engineering, remarking that she's the specialist for this mission. Lefler explains to Riker that they're increasing the available bandwidth of the sensors so more science teams can use the sensors at once. This is done by multiplexing the array, and Lefler assures the first officer that it will be done before they arrive at the Cluster. Riker tells La Forge that he's brought something back from Risa that he has to try. La Forge reluctantly takes a pass as he is running a full sensor recalibration in ten minutes but promises to see Riker about it later.

In Ten Forward , Riker enters and immediately eyes Deanna Troi , who is sitting at a table enjoying a large chocolate sundae . Jokingly, he asks if she's depressed, to which Troi replies, " I'm fine, Commander. " She offers him a spoonful, but he politely declines, saying he doesn't like fudge . Troi smiles and tells Riker she never met a chocolate she didn't like. Getting technical, she describes the experience by explaining the best way to eat it and enjoy it, a detailed ritual which amuses Riker. " Chocolate is a serious thing ", she informs him. He then tells her about the game he brought back from Risa, which he promises would be " better than chocolate ".

Act Two [ ]

The Enterprise makes a rendezvous with the USS Cochrane , and Wesley is transported aboard and greeted by Chief O'Brien . He congratulates him on the recent birth of his daughter . O'Brien says that she's the spitting image of her father. He informs Wesley that the senior officers are currently in a meeting, and that Wesley can go to his mother 's quarters . At Wesley's request, O'Brien hails the bridge and confirms that it's all right for Wesley to drop into the observation lounge to say hello. Worf tells O'Brien that he supposes that that would be acceptable. Wesley thanks O'Brien and leaves the transporter room with a confused look on his face.

A darkened room awaits Wesley, who looks around in confusion. The lights go on and Doctor Beverly Crusher greets her son with a big hug, followed by Picard. He speaks to him in Latin and Wesley responds back; Picard credits that his Latin has improved. Troi compliments the uniform as he is looking handsome, and La Forge says the uniform probably "drives the girls wild". Worf offers him a Tarvokian pound cake which he made himself. Data then asks if their attempts to make him uncomfortable were effective. Wesley admits they were, having wondered if he was on the wrong ship. Riker asks Wesley to assist the crew with the Phoenix Cluster survey, a request that Wesley accepts without hesitation. La Forge wants him to settle in first and then to see him in engineering to get started. Beverly then asks Troi about the game, and she invites the doctor to come by her quarters to check it out.

Wesley and Data talk about his time at the Academy, which Wesley found surprisingly challenging, as there's much more to know there than starship operations . Data recounts his awkward early days at the Academy, during which his lack of Human understanding put him at a social disadvantage. One example was practical jokes , of which the android was a victim of several. Wesley completely understands and shares a practical joke that was played on him by fellow cadet Adam Martoni . Another social obstacle was the Academy's annual Sadie Hawkins Dance . It was an awkward experience for both. Wesley admits he's not a dancer, and Data shares that he personally learned to dance thanks to Beverly, a talented former dancer. He offers to share what he learned with Wesley.

Getting right to work, Wesley begins to modify the planetary scans while keeping the datalines open for the stellar physicists . Seeing that he's having difficulties with the sensors, Lefler walks over and gives him a hand. They introduce themselves, but before they can chat, Lefler points out that Wesley's neutrinos are drifting, leaving Wesley scrambling to get back to work. Wesley looks at her as she leaves, then turns back to his work. Lefler takes a look back at him as well.

Conflicts arise between the stellar physicists and the planetary evolution team, with both of them wanting to be the first to use the thermal imaging array , Data reports. La Forge suggests they flip a coin , as they won't be able to finish the mission without working together. Data is then called away to sickbay by Beverly, who needs assistance. As he enters, she is working on an experiment using bioactive silicon and needs her tricorder modified to a certain specification. Data agrees to help, but as he works on the tricorder, Beverly shuts him off. Troi and Riker enter sickbay and Riker carries him to a bio-bed , and has the computer secure the doors. Beverly then takes a cutting tool , opens a panel on the back of Data's head, and begins to work on the android.

Act Three [ ]

Enjoying some tea with Picard, Wesley details his instructors at the Academy: Novakovich for anthropology , Walter Horne for creative writing . Picard is pleased to hear that Wesley met Boothby his first week, as he had suggested the year before . When asked how he was doing and mused that Boothby may have told Wesley some stories about Picard in his Academy days, Wesley admits Boothby didn't remember Picard until he saw an old yearbook picture. Boothby was very proud that Picard had become captain of the Enterprise and showed Wesley a grand tour of the gardens – the very same tour Picard got when he was at the Academy. Wesley then asked about the initials "A.F." that Boothby caught Picard carving in his prized elm tree , which Picard admits was an old acquaintance of his. His preoccupation with her cost him a passing grade in organic chemistry . Picard advises Wesley that whenever he meets someone whose initials he would carve in that elm tree, it should not interfere with his studies. Picard is then summoned to sickbay by Beverly.

Beverly explains to the captain that Data was complaining about a servo malfunction , and although her scans came up negative, he collapsed. La Forge determines that his higher signals are intact, but none of them are entering the rest of his body through his positronic brain , leaving him in an almost comatose state. Picard wants to be kept up-to-date on the situation.

In Data's quarters, Riker and La Forge end up with a dead end with no evidence to support a shutdown. The personal , diagnostic , and duty logs all show normal and a standard security sweep shows nothing out of the ordinary. Riker assures the troubled La Forge that Dr. Crusher has everything taken care of, and suggests that La Forge takes a break to unwind. La Forge agrees, which opens the opportunity for Riker to introduce him to the game.

Still working on the sensors, Lefler shares with Wesley her view of conduit configuration quoting her personal Law #36: " You have to go with what works ". The laws are her personal rules: whenever she learns something new, she makes a law so as not to forget it. To date, she has 102 laws . She credits Wesley's reputation for being good. Wesley realizes that Lefler knows more about him than he realizes. She admits she's heard about him from a few friends at the Academy. She also wants to know about the revenge prank he played on Adam Martoni. Wesley mentions there is another side to the story, and then Lefler inquires about his birthmark . Wesley complains he is at a disadvantage, as he hardly knows Lefler. While he needs to work on the sensor relays, he offers a chance to even the score. He invites her to meet him for coffee , but she counters with a dinner proposal, which he accepts.

Beverly clears a challenging level of the game in her quarters , but is interrupted by Wesley, who inquires about it. Embarrassed, she concedes that the game was meant for him, but she couldn't resist trying it out. When offered a chance to try it, Wesley passes and instead asks about Data's condition. She says La Forge has everything under control, and stops Wesley from going to help out, reminding him he's on vacation. Running late for his date with Lefler, Wesley promises his mother he will have time to spend with her while he's on board. She then becomes adamant for her son to try one round of the game, but he insists he needs to get ready for his date. She tells Wesley to have a good time and sets the game down on a table.

Lefler begins to talk about her life in Starfleet ; her childhood involved frequent moving, as her parents were highly in demand as plasma specialists . As a child, she enjoyed playing with a tricorder , as Wesley did with a warp coil . She concedes her parents didn't have much time to spend with her, even when she needed them, which prompted her to make her first law: You can only count on yourself . They begin to discuss the game. Lefler says everyone in engineering are going crazy over it. They glance over at a crewman at another table playing the game in a trance-like state. Lefler dismisses it as a fad, but Wesley wants to find out more before playing it. They team up to look into it, and as they leave Ten Forward, another crewman in a command red uniform begins playing while seated at the bar .

The two begin to study the game, and what it does to the brain . The highest concentration of activity is in the pleasure center of the brain, a key component in the game: it's addictive. Another unusual reading comes from the prefrontal cortex , which handles reasoning. Wesley concludes he needs to inform the captain about this discovery.

In the captain's ready room , Wesley explains to Picard what he and Lefler discovered, having concluded that the game is psychotropically addictive. Picard is even further concerned when he learns the game affects the brain's reasoning center. Picard says that he'll start an investigation immediately, and thanks Wesley for bringing it to his attention, mentioning how good it is to have him back. As soon as Wesley leaves, he turns around, picks up the game he had hidden when Wesley arrived, and resumes playing.

Act Four [ ]

By now, the game has spread through most of the ship. Wesley meets Lefler in Ten Forward and the two discuss how they're constantly being approached by people who are almost desperate to get them to try the game, as Chief O'Brien had a moment ago. Wesley tells Lefler that he's told the captain, however a crewmember interrupts asking them why they're not trying the game and is about to force hers onto Lefler's head before the two leave, but not before deducing that only Data would be immune to the game and how convenient it was that he suffered a mysterious "malfunction" just after it arrived. Wesley and Lefler look over Data's systems and determine that someone has severed a connection between his positronic brain and the rest of his body. Wesley is disturbed and tells Lefler that only two people on board the Enterprise have the training and experience to disable Data in this way: La Forge and his mother. They deduce that he has been deactivated to be kept out of the way so that the game could be spread throughout the rest of the susceptible crew.

The Enterprise arrives at some designated coordinates, and Picard sends the senior staff to see to it that the few unaffected crewmembers left are introduced to the game, reminding them not to forget about Wesley. Worf and Beverly go to see to it that Wesley plays the game, only to find that he and Lefler have already seemingly succumbed to it. Satisfied, they leave, only for Wesley and Lefler to return to normal, having replicated dummy devices to fool the rest of the crew. They agree that no one can be trusted now, however Robin has to leave to report for duty, knowing that her absence could arouse suspicion. Wesley asks her to access the codes for the security tracking system as he has a plan, and she tells him to watch his back.

Now believing the entire crew has played the game, Captain Picard summons all the senior offices to the bridge. Worf tells Picard that an alien ship is approaching and is hailing the Enterprise . Picard asks Worf to put the message on the video screen. It is Etana Jol, the woman from Risa who originally gave the game to Riker during his shore leave . She is in fact a Ktarian commander, and she now asks Captain Picard for a report. Picard answers " The Enterprise has been secured. We await further instructions ".

Act Five [ ]

Etana is delighted with Picard's response, and it is now apparent that her encounter with Riker back on Risa was designed to be more than just a romantic interlude but was part of her plan to addict Riker to the game to the point that he would bring it back to the ship. Over time, the game's addictive and mind control properties would allow Etana to gain control of the Enterprise and its crew. The true intention of the game is also clear now: it is part of a Ktarian "expansion project" and a plot to help the Ktarians take over the Federation . She now orders various members of the crew to visit nearby Federation outposts and installations to distribute the devices there, and also to make sure that all other ships in the sector get the game. In a reference to Wesley, Picard also informs Etana that they may be able to get the devices to Starfleet Academy. Etana closes the transmission by saying the crew will all be rewarded when the "expansion" is completed.

Nurse Ogawa playing the game

Wesley meets up with Lefler in engineering, where he tells her he's prepared a site-to-site transporter program in case of an emergency and asks how she's been doing with the security system. However, he then notices that she's staring at him blankly. He realizes something is wrong as Lefler reveals she's been exposed to the game and tells Wesley it's his turn. Riker and Worf have been hiding in order to perform an ambush. Wesley manages to escape from engineering and makes a run for it with Riker and Worf in pursuit. When further progress is blocked by a force field , he activates the transport program. He is beamed to transporter room 3, on Deck 6. In order to prevent the crew from tracking his whereabouts, Wesley ditches his combadge and deactivates it as he flees the room.

After working through some of Wesley's sabotage , the crew tracks him to deck six and traps him with force fields. Wesley takes out a type 1 phaser and sets it to randomly fire on the force field. This activity is detected, tricking the crew into thinking he was trying to cut through it and buying him time to get away. He escapes into the Jefferies tubes , but they scan for his body heat in that quarter of the saucer section . Knowing where he's going, Worf and Riker corner Wesley in a Jefferies tubes junction and capture him. Even though he grabs onto a grate to anchor himself, they eventually manage to drag him to the bridge, struggling the entire way.

Held down into the captain's chair , he is forced to use the game device, his head held still and at Picard's encouraging, his eyes forced open by Riker and Worf. Wesley still fights them while his mother encourages him to just relax and let the game play itself. In fact, the game does play itself: Wesley refuses to throw the disks into the funnels, but the funnels stretch toward the disks and pull the disks into themselves, triggering the same effects that would have been triggered if Wesley had voluntarily thrown the disks into the funnels. It would seem that he is now addicted – and Ktarian control of the Enterprise is now complete.

Data foils the Ktarian plot

At that moment, the lights on the bridge go out, plunging the room into darkness. Data appears from the turbolift and, using a palm beacon , flashes an optical burst pattern into everyone's eyes which disrupts the games effects and returns everyone to normal. He has the lights turned back on before telling Worf to lock onto the Ktarian ship with the tractor beam . As Worf goes to do so, Data asks Picard if he is alright, and the shaken captain says " I think so, Mr. Data. "

As soon as Etana's ship is captured, she angrily hails the Enterprise , demanding an explanation. When Picard says that her plot has failed, she threatens to open fire on the Enterprise , but Worf scans her ship and pointedly reports that with her ship's limited defenses, she is not a threat at all. After making it clear to Etana that she cannot escape, Riker closes the channel on a speechless Etana.

Riker is curious of how Data is working again despite being disabled. Wesley explains that he had managed to reconnect Data's positronic matrix before he went to Engineering. After learning of the situation, Data had set to work in finding a way of counteracting the game's mind control (eventually modifying the palm beacon), while Wesley distracted the crew for as long as possible with his wild goose chase. As for the rest of the crew, Data had programmed the computer to send the same coded burst patterns to all of the display screens, work stations, and terminals throughout the ship, which should cure everyone. With the conspiracy over, Picard decides to take the Ktarian ship to the nearest starbase .

Lefler is helping Wesley prepare to leave the Enterprise . His vacation is over – back to the Academy and his studies. Riker informs Wesley that his ship is waiting, and he should report to the transporter room. Wesley acknowledges that he'll be there shortly. But first he and Lefler say their goodbyes to each other, they kiss , and she gives Wesley a going-away gift – a copy of her 102 laws written down. Wesley decides to add "Law 103… A couple of light years can't keep good friends apart". She nods her approval and Wesley is transported to the USS Merrimac that will return him to Starfleet Academy. Lefler watches Wesley longingly as he leaves.

Log entries [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2368

Memorable quotes [ ]

" You see the disk and the cone? " " Yeah. " " Concentrate. Make the disk go into the cone. " " How do I do that? " " Just let go. "

" Would you like me to leave the two of you alone? "

" I never met a chocolate I didn't like. "

" Chief O'Brien to bridge. " " Bridge here. " " Wesley Crusher has arrived and wants to know if he can stop by the observation lounge to say "Hi." " " I suppose that is acceptable. "

" Wesley… Tarvokian pound cake . I made it myself. "

" Chocolate is a serious thing. "

" No, thanks. I don't like fudge. "

" Quomodo tua Latinitas est? " (Translation: " How's your Latin? ") " Praestat quam prius. " (Translation: " It's better than before. ") " Oppido bonum. (Translation: " Very good. ") Your Latin has improved. "

" Report. " " Welcome, Etana. The Enterprise has been secured. We await your further instructions. "

" Your neutrinos are drifting. "

" It's your turn. Play the game, Wesley. "

" Geordi, a conflict has started between the planetary evolution team and the stellar physicists. Each wishes to be the first to use the thermal imaging array. " " Well, tell 'em to flip a coin . We've got to work together on this mission otherwise we're never gonna get it done. " " A coin. Very good. I will replicate one immediately. "

Background information [ ]

• Final draft script: 23 August 1991 [1]
• Filmed: 28 August 1991 – 6 September 1991
• Additional day of second unit filming: 3 October 1991
• Premiere airdate: 28 October 1991
• First UK airdate: 25 January 1995

Story and script [ ]

• Like " Darmok ", the story for this episode had a somewhat tumultuous path to the screen. It had originally been pitched by Susan Sackett and Fred Bronson during the fourth season . However, as Ronald D. Moore recalled, " 'The Game' kicked around for quite a while and went through lots of permutations. " Many writers had taken many approaches to the story, including two drafts that were abandoned. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230-1)
• Bronson recalled, " It was based on the fact that I had a Tetris game on my computer at home. Whenever I wanted to […] distract myself I would play Tetris and it was very addictive. " ( Starburst Special #29, p. 58)
• Michael Piller was convinced the premise couldn't be saved. However, Rick Berman reminded Piller that he had been concerned about the lack of science fiction premises on the show. Berman thus suggested giving the story to Brannon Braga , as his first assignment after joining the writing staff. Braga took the pitch in a darker direction, summarizing his treatment as " Wesley's come home and his family's out to get him. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230-1; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Braga compared the plot of this episode to Invasion of the Body Snatchers . ( Intergalactic Guest Stars , TNG Season 5 DVD special features) Jeri Taylor commented, " Through an evolutionary process – without really intending to ape that movie – this insidious spread of a game had its origins in kids being addicted to video games now, and what happens to them. That was the original intent and that's what drove the final story and script. That insight followed the development. " Braga added, " It's ironic to have the adolescent come back to find all the adults are addicted to a game which is something you'd expect the other way around. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)
• Braga observed, " We were going for fun and high concept. It's an atypical show in some ways and a lot of people had trouble believing Picard would become addicted and all these people would get hooked, but that's the story. Either you tell it or you don't. Not that we didn't give a lot of thought to how the characters became addicted. The characters only become addicted because they were getting the game from people they trusted, which is exemplified in the notorious chocolate scene, which had a very mixed reaction, but I had a lot of fun writing it. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)
• Braga saw this episode as a chance to make the character of Wesley Crusher "a little hipper", by giving him a girlfriend and by showing him to be a cadet capable of pulling practical jokes. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181)) Braga remarked, " When I was writing the teleplay, I tried to relax him a little bit and took the opportunity to make him a more relaxed character with some personality and some spunk. He's more savvy because he was at the Academy and has gone through some changes and he'll pick up on Robin Lefler. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230)

Production [ ]

Director Corey Allen instructing Brent Spiner and Wil Wheaton

• "The Game" was filmed between Wednesday 28 August 1991 and Friday 6 September 1991 on Paramount Stage 8 , 9 , and 16 . On Monday 2 September 1991 , the production was off for Labor Day Holiday. An additional day of second unit filming was on Thursday 3 October 1991 on Paramount Stage 9 and 16.
• While at Dragon Con 2011, Brent Spiner recalled that during production of this episode, the scene wherein Data is deactivated by Dr. Crusher and falls down onto a bio-bed, Spiner actually hit the bed so hard he cut his chin and had to go to the hospital. After returning to the set, director Corey Allen immediately asked Spiner to do the scene again. [2]
• On Thursday 29 August 1991 , a camera crew from CBS This Morning visited the set and interviewed the cast members.
• "The Game" was the first episode to air following Gene Roddenberry 's death on 24 October 1991 .

Cast and characters [ ]

• This was the second and last appearance of Ensign Robin Lefler ( Ashley Judd ). After her first appearance, in " Darmok ", the writers had been looking for a vehicle for her return, and this story was seen as a perfect fit. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Wil Wheaton fondly remembered working with Judd, noting that he was Judd's first on-screen kiss. ( Intergalactic Guest Stars , TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
• Brannon Braga admitted that he hit on Judd during filming, and was "dutifully ignored". ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 227)

Sets, props, special effects, and costumes [ ]

The optical extension of the Jefferies tube behind Worf

• The headpieces for the Ktarian game were created by property master Alan Sims , using telephone headsets . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 226)
• A suite on Risa , as it appeared in " Captain's Holiday ", was recreated for this episode. It has the same architecture and similar decorations (including a horga'hn ) as Captain Picard's room and even features the Risian ocean, seen through the window.
• The engineering laboratory is a re-use of the sickbay lab, also seen as the tactical laboratory . It includes the star chart seen behind Dexter Remmick in " Conspiracy ".
• The Ktarian vessel is a re-use of the Zalkonian warship , which itself was a redress of the Tarellian plague ship .
• Several parts of the bridge of the Ktarian ship, including the chair and the viewscreen, also appeared on Romulan ships.
• This is the first appearance of Wesley Crusher 's cadet -style Starfleet uniform . The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181) notes that Wesley's cadet uniform lacks pips, as was later established in " The First Duty ".
• The blue-grey shirt that Wil Wheaton wore as Wesley in this episode was sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [3] [4]
• This is the first appearance of a matte painting as optical extension of the Jefferies tube . The call sheet features the note "Art/Graphic – translight backing of tube".

Continuity [ ]

• Data references the events of TNG : " Data's Day " when he tells Wesley that his mother recently taught him how to dance. This also means that Data broke his promise to Doctor Crusher that he keeps this fact between the two of them.
• Deanna Troi 's love of chocolate was established in " The Price ".
• Wesley and Picard also discuss Boothby , who was first mentioned by Picard in TNG : " Final Mission ".
• While in a turbolift , Nurse Alyssa Ogawa comments to Wesley that she is on level 47 of the Game, repeating the theme of including that number in the series.
• This episode was the second time the sonic shower was referenced and the first to mention it by name, though it was several years before one was seen again, on Star Trek: Voyager .

Reception [ ]

• Michael Piller commented, " I thought it was a great episode. That was an episode that dealt with my fascination in watching my two sons with their obsession for video games and doing a show that dealt with a non-world shattering issue but people's obsession, almost addiction, to certain types of games. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 230) Piller praised Braga's efforts, and thought it showed that he had promise as a writer. " He delivered that script and did some wonderful things. He wrote scenes that didn't depend on action but went straight to character; and a two minute scene with Troi and a chocolate sundae which was wonderfully written. He has an extraordinary talent to find the moments in [a] script where you can throw in character development and spend the time doing that for the sheer delight of getting to know the character better – and not interrupting the flow. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., p. 181))
• Brannon Braga remarked, " It was corny, even at the time. But I enjoyed writing it. It was fun to realize that Picard had been seduced by the game, and it was fun to watch Beverly Crusher attempt to entice her son. The script was produced exactly as I wrote it, so it was an extremely positive experience for me. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 227)
• Jonathan Frakes also enjoyed "The Game", commenting, " That's a fun episode… It was like O.D.'ing on Nintendo . " However, he was disappointed with the computer graphics used to depict the Ktarian game , stating " They told me it was going to be this incredible graphic, and all it was… was a tuba on a checkerboard ". ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 231)
• Writer Marc Scott Zicree was not impressed by how this episode developed the character of Wesley Crusher. Commented Zicree, " He falls in love with a girl and they share chocolate mousse – give me a break. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 106)
• A mission report for this episode by John Sayers was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 18 , pp. 38-41.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 53, 5 October 1992
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 5.2, catalog number VHR 4761, 22 July 2002
• As part of the TNG Season 5 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

• Ashley Judd as Robin Lefler
• Katherine Moffat as Etana
• Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
• Patti Yasutake as Alyssa Ogawa
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Co-stars [ ]

• Diane M. Hurley as Woman
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Arratia as Alfonse Pacelli
• Rachen Assapiomonwait as Nelson
• Joe Baumann as Garvey
• Cece Bell as command division officer
• Bowman as civilian
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez
• Camara as operations division officer
• Victoria Cameron as Ten Forward waitress
• Max Cervantes as operations division officer
• Cullen Chambers as command division officer
• Tony Cruz as Lopez
• Denise Deuschle as science division officer
• A. Flores as science division officer
• Goldie Ann Gareza as civilian
• Keith Gearhart as science division officer
• Melba Gonzalez as command officer
• Eben Ham as operations division ensign
• Linda Harcharic as command division ensign
• Grace Harrell as operations division officer
• Melanie Hathorn as sciences officer
• Gary Hunter as science division officer
• Joly as command division ensign
• Kast as command division officer
• Alex Landi as operations division officer
• Mark Lentry as science division lieutenant
• Debbie Marsh as command division ensign
• Michael Moorehead as science division ensign
• Randy Pflug as Jones
• Greg Poole as civilian
• Bill E. Rogers as operations division officer
• Noriko Suzuki as operations division ensign
• Curt Truman as command division officer
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Dru Wagner as Daniels
• Christina Wegler Miles as civilian
• Garvey (voice)
• Male civilian
• Ten Forward waiter #1
• Ten Forward waiter #2

Stand-ins and photo doubles [ ]

• David Keith Anderson – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Cameron – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Foster – stand-in for Wil Wheaton
• Debbie Marsh – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner , Wil Wheaton , and Colm Meaney
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden , Katherine Moffat , and Ashley Judd
• Diane Reilly – stand-in for Ashley Judd
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in and photo double for Jonathan Frakes and stand-in for Colm Meaney
• Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton
• Dana Vitatoe – photo double for Brent Spiner
• Steve Voboril – photo double for Wil Wheaton
• James Washington – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Anne Woodberry – photo double for Gates McFadden
• Diane York – photo double for Katherine Moffat

References [ ]

" a juggling act "; A.F. ; access code ; addiction ; advice ; alien ; announcement ; anthropology ; antimatter regulator ; astronomical survey ; bandwidth ; bearing ; bioactive silicon ; biosystem ; birthmark ; blade ; body ; Boothby ; bow ; brain ; brain activity ; bypass ; cadet ; calibration ; cat ; chance ; cherry ; chili sauce ; chocolate ; chocolate chips ; chocolate fudge ; chocolate ice cream ; chocolate sundae ; Cleon system ; Cochrane , USS ; coffee ; coin ; coma ; communicator ; computer ( main computer ); conduit ; cone ; coordinates ; corridor ; cortex processor ; course ; course (education); Creative Writing ; Crusher One ; dad ; damage ; dance ( dancing ); " Dancing Doctor, The "; data line ; date ; deception ; deck ; depression ; detector ; device ; diagnostics ; dinner ; diplomatic mission ; disc ; display screen ; duty logs ; ear ; effect ; elm ; Endeavour , USS ; engineering laboratory ; " even the score "; event ; exobiologist ; experience ; experiment ; expert ; explanation ; exploration ; exposure ; eye ; fad ; Federation ; feeling ; first year cadet ; " flip a coin "; friend ; forcefield override ; frontal lobe ; fun ; gadget ; Galaxy class decks ; gamma ray scanner ; gift ; " give me the creeps "; grass ; hail ; higher functions ; higher reasoning ; holodeck ; horga'hn ; Horne, Walter ; Human ; hundred ; ice cream ; illumination ; information ; initials ; instruction ; intercept course ; internal security sensors ; investigation ; Jefferies tube ; junction ; kiss ; Ktarians ; Ktarian game ; Ktarian vessel ; lateral sensor ; Latin ; Lefler's Academy friends ; Lefler's parents ; Lefler's parents' sector ; lesson ; light ; light year ; location ; long-range array ; luggage ; malfunction ; Martoni, Adam ; medical program ; medical team ; meeting ; Merrimac , USS ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; minute ; mission ; mission specialist ; mom ( mother ); mud ; multiplexing ; name ; nervous system ; neural output ; neurochemical analysis ; neurological behavior program ; neuroreceptor ; neutrino ; Novakovich ; nurse ; O'Brien, Molly ; Oberth -class ; observation schedule ; Oceanus IV ; online ; opportunity ; optical burst pattern ; optical sensor ; Organic Chemistry ; palm beacon ; panel ; partner ; personal logs ; phenomenon ; Phoenix Cluster ; photo ; physics lab ; place ; planetary evolution team ; planetary observation ; planetary scanner ; plasma specialist ; playing field ; positronic brain ; positronic link ; positronic matrix ; power cell ; practical joke ; prefrontal cortex ; processor ; problem ; psychotropic drug ; quarters ; region ; rendezvous ; research ; reticular formation ; Risa ; ritual ; Robin's Laws ; rumor ; Sadie Hawkins Dance ; scan field ; Science department ; science team ; sculpting ; section 23 ; section 25 ; section 29 ; section 52 ; security alert ; security containment field ; security sweep ; security tracking code ; security tracking system ; senior officer ; senior staff ; sensor array ; sensor pad ; sensor recalibration ; sensor relay ; septal area ; serotonin ; serotonin cascade ; servo ; shutdown ; shuttlebay ; shuttlecraft ; side effect ; signal breach ; signal flow ; site-to-site transport ; site-to-site transporter program ; size ; sleep ; social gathering ; sonic shower ; spoon ; specification ; Spot ; starbase ; Starbase 67 ; Starbase 82 ; starboard ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; starship operations ; status ; stellar cartographer ; stellar physics ; stellar physicist ; story ; subcommand ; subprocessor ; subroutine ; survey ; synapse ; synaptic activity ; tactical analysis ; Tarvokian pound cake ; taste ; tea ; teaching ; terminal ; testing ; " the spitting image "; thermal imaging array ; thermal sensor ; threat ; three-dimensional chess ; tour ; tractor beam ; tradition ; transporter room 2 ; transporter room 3 ; transporter system ; tricorder ; " try it on for size "; turbolift ; unconsciousness ; understanding ; " up to my neck in "; vacation ; victim ; viewer ; warp coil ; " watch your back "; weapons system ; week ; work station ; year ; yearbook ; Zhukov , USS

Library computer references [ ]

• Federation Star Chart ("The Explored Galaxy") : Aldebaran ; Alfa 177 ; Alpha Carinae ; Alpha Centauri ; Alpha Majoris ; Altair VI ; Andor ; Ariannus ; Arret ; Babel ; Benecia ; Berengaria VII ; Beta Aurigae ; Beta Geminorum ; Beta Lyrae ; Beta Niobe ; Beta Portolan ; Camus II ; Canopus III ; Capella ; Daran V ; Delta Vega ; Deneb ; Eminiar ; Fabrini ; First Federation ; Gamma Canaris N ; Gamma Trianguli ; Holberg 917G ; Ingraham B ; Janus VI ; Kling ; Kzin ; Lactra VII ; Makus III ; Marcos XII ; Manark IV ; Memory Alpha ; Mudd ; Omega IV ; Omega Cygni ; Organia ; Orion ; Pallas 14 ; Phylos ; Pollux IV ; Psi 2000 ; Pyris VII ; Regulus ; Remus ; Rigel ; Romulus ; Sarpeid ; Sirius ; Talos ; Tau Ceti ; Theta III ; Tholian Assembly ; Vulcan

Deleted references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " The Game " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Game " at Wikipedia
• " The Game " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• "The Game" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• " The Game " at the Internet Movie Database
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)

Giant Freakin Robot

The Star Trek TNG Romance That Caused A Writer To Quit

Posted: May 27, 2024 | Last updated: May 28, 2024

The early days of Star Trek: The Next Generation were tumultuous for the writing staff, many of whom left the show for different reasons. Robert Lewin, for example, left because of changes to his script for “The Arsenal of Freedom.” Like many of us, this Star Trek writer wanted to see a romance between Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher, and he exited the show in part because of a romantic scene being cut from the episode.

Everyone Wanted Crusher And Picard To Be A Couple

To unpack the full context of the Star Trek romance that wasn’t meant to be, we must first unpack what “The Arsenal of Freedom” is about. In short, the crew ends up on a planet full of deadly weapons that learn from every encounter. They must find answers to the planet’s mysteries before anything happens to either the Away Team or the Enterprise, left in command of Geordi LaForge.

Given the description of this unconventional Star Trek episode, you may be wondering where the romance is. In truth, there isn’t any, and that’s the problem. Episode writer Robert Lewin originally had a scene addressing the romantic tension between Picard and Crusher, but that scene got drastically changed and (in our eyes) ruined.

Editorial Oversight Killed The Romance

Originally, the fates of Picard and Crusher were going to be reversed: he was going to be the one who got critically injured instead of her. The early vision of the scene had Crusher pour her heart out to an injured Picard, but in the scene as filmed, they are interrupted before she can talk about her feelings. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry personally quashed the romance in this ep, and Lewin took that decision personally.

Another Writer Blaming Gene Roddenberry’s Bizarre Rules

When Robert Lewin left Star Trek: The Next Generation, he claimed it was due to Roddenberry’s disinterest in character-building. Certainly, a relationship between Picard and Crusher would have developed both characters nicely while enriching those early seasons. Regardless of whether you ship these characters or not, it’s hard to dispute that the altered scene in the final episode is a disappointing mess and that Lewin’s planned scene would have been better.

Picard Season 3 Made It Official

Had this early Star Trek romance scene gotten greenlit, it would have also made the plot of Star Trek: Picard make more sense. That was a show in which we found out Picard had a secret child courtesy of an attempt to make a relationship work with Dr. Crusher. Obviously, it was disappointing to have the entirety of their relationship take place offscreen, but if The Next Generation had more open romance between these characters, the whole secret child revelation in Picard would have had more impact.

Star Trek Got Better Without Roddenberry

This is one of the more extreme tales of Gene Roddenberry pushing away The Next Generation writers because of his tendency to kill storylines and change scripts. Writers like Robert Lewin had to work with very restrictive rules, such as characters never having any interpersonal conflict, and he found the further restrictions against character development ultimately too stifling to stick around.

You could say he got the last laugh though: as Gene Roddenberry relaxed these rules and ultimately ceded more control to others, The Next Generation gained the conflict, romance, and character development that transformed it into one of the best shows ever made.

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Screen Rant

Star trek: discovery season 5 finale ending & shocking epilogue explained.

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery’s finale promoted saru again & doug jones is surprised, star trek: discovery’s ending introduces a new captain burnham.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery's Season 5 & Series Finale - "Life, Itself"

• Captain Burnham makes a pivotal choice to banish the Progenitors' technology for the greater good of the galaxy.
• USS Discovery's epic battle against the Breen pays homage to Star Trek: The Next Generation with a saucer separation.
• The finale hints at a future for Admiral Burnham and the USS Discovery, leaving the door open for potential sequels or movies.

Star Trek: Discovery 's stunning season 5 and series finale concludes the hunt for the greatest treasure in the galaxy, and the extended finale's emotional epilogue finally answers one of Discovery 's biggest questions as it says goodbye to Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Michelle Paradise and directed by Olatunde Osunname, Star Trek: Discovery 's finale, "Life, Itself", sees Captain Burnham make a pivotal choice about the Progenitors' treasure while the USS Discovery defeats the Breen.

Captain Burnham competed with Moll (Eve Harlow) for the Progenitors' technology, but it could only be Michael who could access it as she passed every test that came with the Progenitors scientists' clues . Burnham met one of the Progenitors (Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama) who revealed Michael was to be the new steward of the Progenitors' technology, as Betazoid scientist Dr. Marina Derex was when she found it in the 24th century. Meanwhile, Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones) faced down Breen Primarch Tahal (Patricia Summersett) while Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) led the USS Discovery to keep the Breen dreadnought from reaching the portal to the Progenitors' technology. Here's how Star Trek: Discovery ended and what it all meant.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

Why Captain Burnham Sends The Progenitors’ Technology Away

Star trek already has "infinite diversity in infinite combinations".

The Progenitor gave Captain Burnham the choice of what to do with the power of creation, and Michael decided that no one culture should control it. Instead, Burnham decided to send the Progenitors' portal into the binary black holes' event horizon to keep it safe and unreachable. Michael's decision was born from the fact that she didn't want the responsibility of being the technology's steward but, more importantly, Burnham realized Star Trek 's galaxy already has "infinite diversity in infinite combinations". Control of the technology, even by the United Federation of Planets, would ultimately lead to abuse, war, and death.

The Progenitor revealed that the technology is older than they were and that their species found it and decided to use it to populate the galaxy with myriad humanoid lifeforms because their species was alone in the universe.

As she exited the Progenitors' dimension, Captain Burnham witnessed four billion years of creation and everything that led to the galaxy's existence. This solidified Michael's choice to banish the power of creation. Tragically for Moll, the Progenitor revealed to Burnham that while the technology could resurrect L'ak (Elias Toufexis) physically, it can't restore his memories or his personality . Burham and Moll returned to the USS Discovery where Moll was taken into custody. Burnham told her crew that she would speak to President Laira Rillak (Chelah Horsdal) and Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) about her choice to banish the power of creation, and she felt that they would agree. Ultimately, Burnham was empowered by the Progenitor and made the unilateral decision she felt was right for the galaxy.

Moll too willingly accepted Burnham's explanation that there was no way to resurrect L'ak, but it's possible Moll was fed her own information when she tried and failed to access the Progenitors' technology.

USS Discovery Beat The Breen With A Star Trek: TNG Enterprise Tribute

Discovery did a saucer separation.

As Ambassador Saru and Commander Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) tried to ward Primarch Tahal from entering the battle for the Progenitors' portal, the USS Discovery was still outmatched by the Breen dreadnought. Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) piloted a shuttle to lock onto the portal. They succeeded because Culber was able to access the memories of Trill scientist Jinaal for the right coordinates . Hugh achieving the ineffable though Jinaal paid off his growing spiritual enlightenment throughout Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Meanwhile, Commander Rayner and the USS Discovery defeated the Breen dreadnought with one final, awesome tribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation and the USS Enterprise-D. Rayner ordered a saucer separation and gambled on Discovery's spore drive being able to jump the dreadnought if it was in the middle of both components of Discovery. Saru then led Tahal's ship to the other Breen dreadnought as Rayner's daring plan worked: All of the Breen were instantaneously sent to the Galactic Barrier, a node to the USS Discovery's journey to make First Contact with Species 10-C at the end of S tar Trek: Discovery season 4 .

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's story is a sequel to the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "The Chase".

Doctor Kovich's True Identity Is Daniels From Star Trek: Enterprise

It's been a long road getting from there to here..

Star Trek: Discovery finally revealed the identity of Doctor Kovich (David Cronenberg): the bespectacled Federation official, Kovich, is the older version of Agent Daniels (Matt Winston) from Star Trek: Enterprise ! In the 22nd century, Daniels posed as a member of the NX-01 Enterprise's crew and revealed Star Trek 's Temporal War to Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). Using the codename "Doctor Kovich", which is itself a Red Directive, Daniels is now protecting the Federation and the timeline post-Temporal Wars.

Star Trek legacy Easter eggs shown in Doctor Kovich's office include Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge's (LeVar Burton) VISOR, Captain Benjamin Sisko's (Avery Brooks) baseball, and a Chateau Picard wine bottle.

Doctor Kovich introduced himself to Captain Burnham as "Agent Daniels, USS Enterprise... and other places" , which is a nod to the 26th century's USS Enterprise-J Daniels served on, but also the NX-01 Enterprise led by Captain Archer. Further, Kovich had plans for Moll, believing the skilled former courier could be "useful" after she serves her Federation prison sentence. There were numerous theories about Doctor Kovich's true identity, including that he could be a Lanthanite or El-Aurian, but Kovich really being Agent Daniels is a stunning revelation that pleasingly ties Star Trek: Discovery back to Star Trek: Enterprise .

How Star Trek: Discovery Ends For USS Discovery’s Crew

Discovery's crew gets one final reunion.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's ending gave certain members of the crew conclusions to their arcs . Dr. Hugh Culber had one of his big questions answered about his growing spiritual enlightenment. Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) saw the growth of Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner's relationship and decided to apply a similar mentorship program to Starfleet Academy. Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) protested Burnham banishing the Progenitors' technology, but resigned himself to his achievements and being proud of what a fine (and wise) Starfleet Officer Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) has become.

As seen in Star Trek: Discovery' s finale epilogue, the crew of the USS Discovery assembled on the bridge in a powerful and resonant ending reminiscent of Titanic . Not only was the cast of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 all there, but so were Commanders Kayla Detmer (Emily Coutts) and Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo), and Lt. Commander Ronald Bryce (Ronnie Rowe, Jr.), who missed most or all of Star Trek: Discovery season 5. It was a beautiful moment honoring the actors and characters who have spanned Star Trek: Discovery 's five seasons.

Book & Burnham Reunite At Admiral Saru & President T'Rina's Wedding

Discovery's first couple are back on..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's original ending was the wedding of Saru and President T'Rina (Tara Rosling), which took place "several weeks" after Captain Burnham found the Progenitors' technology. The Kelpien and Vulcan tied the knot, and Admiral Charles Vance revealed that Saru has been promoted to Admiral. Meanwhile, Burnham and Cleveland Booker put their personal turmoil behind them and declared that they love each other. United once more, Book joined Burnham on the USS Discovery's next mission after Doctor Kovich summoned her with her Infinity Room symbol .

Thanks to his heroic efforts in helping locate the Progenitors' technology, Book's Federation sentence has been commuted and he is a free man.

Saru and T'Rina's wedding was attended by the crew of the USS Discovery, who are Saru's family, and many Vulcan and Federation dignitaries. While it wasn't made clear, Star Trek: Discovery 's finale hints that Commander Rayner remained aboard the USS Discovery as First Officer and Lt. Tilly returned to her teaching post at Starfleet Academy. Presumably, the rest of the USS Discovery's crew reported to their starship for their new mission after Saru and T'Rina were wed .

Admiral Saru likely took a new role overseeing Starfleet with Admiral Vance at Federation HQ so he could remain close to his bride, T'Rina.

Star Trek: Discovery Epilogue: Admiral Burnham and Book’s Son Is The New Captain Burnham

Starfleet's burnham legacy continues..

Star Trek: Discovery 's finale epilogue flashes forward roughly 30 years , placing it in the 3220s. Cleveland Booker has been happily married to Admiral Michael Burnham for decades, and they have made their home on Sanctuary Four, where Book and Michael once dropped off Molly the trance worm in Star Trek: Discovery season 3. Book also planted the world root from Kwejian he was given by the Eternal Gallery and Archive in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 on Sanctuary Four, which remade the planet's flora into a new, thriving version of Kwejian, Book's doomed homeworld.

Michael and Book also have an adult son who is the new Captain Burnham. Named for Book's nephew Leto (Luca Doulgeris), who died along with Kwejian at the start of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, Michael and Book's son is the newly promoted Captain Leto Burnham (Sawandi Wilson), who came to Sanctuary Four to escort his mother to Federation HQ and the USS Discovery's final mission. Admiral Burnham had wise words of connection and family for her son, who hopes to find the same relationships with the crew of his unnamed starship as Michael did with the USS Discovery's crew.

Admiral Michael Burnham learned the lesson that the deeper meaning she was searching for was spending the time you have with the people you love.

Star Trek: Discovery’s Epilogue Finally Confirms Short Treks' “Calypso” Is Canon

Discovery answers its biggest short trek mystery.

Star Trek: Discovery' s finale epilogue ends with one last incredible surprise as the series sets up the Star Trek: Short Treks episode, "Calypso" and officially makes it canon . In "Calypso", Zora (Annabelle Wallis) and the USS Discovery are alone in a region of space for hundreds of years when a soldier named Craft (Aldis Hodge) comes aboard and forms a bittersweet relationship with the lonely A.I. Admiral Burnham tells Zora that Discovery's final voyage is a Red Directive mission , and she only knows the word "Craft" but not who or what it means.

To synch back up with Star Trek: Short Treks ' "Calypso", the USS Discovery is retrofitted back to its 23rd-century Crossfield Class design, with the A removed from its USS Discovery-A designation . Admiral Burnham tells Zora that when they reach their destination, she and the crew will leave. But after Zora meets Craft, the USS Discovery will come back and form a new family with the descendants of her original crew. The final shot of Star Trek: Discovery is the USS Discovery given full honors by Starfleet in a sendoff as it spore jumps to its destiny in "Calypso".

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" also set up "Calypso" but in an alternate timeline where the Breen destroyed the Federation with the Progenitors' technology.

Star Trek: Discovery Doesn’t Close The Door On Season 6 Or A Movie

There could still be more discovery someday..

Star Trek: Discovery 's ending and epilogue conclude Captain Michael Burnham's story , but despite showing the future of Admiral Burnham and the USS Discovery, the finale's coda still doesn't preclude season 6 or a Star Trek: Discovery streaming movie . After all, Captain Burnham and Discovery launch a new mission in season 5's ending before the flash forward. While Admiral Saru has a new role in Starfleet and Lt. Sylvia Tilly is back at Starfleet Academy, the rest of the USS Discovery's crew presumably flew back into action. And Discovery has many more years of adventures to come that audiences won't see.

Fingers are crossed that Captain Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery will return someday.

For now, Star Trek: Discovery is over and there are no known plans for Star Trek: Discovery season 6 or a reunion movie , but this doesn't mean it couldn't happen in the future after some time has passed. Star Trek on Paramount+ still has Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 3 and 4, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , and Star Trek: Section 31 coming in the next two years. But given that all three of those projects spun off from Star Trek: Discovery , Michael Burnham's show remains crucial to the Star Trek on Paramount+ franchise. Fingers are crossed that Captain Michael Burnham and the USS Discovery will return someday.

All 5 seasons of Star Trek: Discovery are streaming on Paramount+