Star Trek has been a cornerstone of pop culture for more than half a century. With such an indelible imprint left on entertainment, actors need only set foot inside this wondrous universe for their characters to be thrust into fandom history. Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation is one such character.
Wesley Crusher was a bright-eyed, grinning teenager and the son of the USS Enterprise chief medical officer, Dr. Beverly Crusher. He featured prominently in The Next Generation's first four seasons. But Trekkers' less-than-favorable opinion of boy-genius stands in firm contrast to the near-universal acclaim for the rest of the TNG cast. However, the new series Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access can finally give this character a shot at redemption.
Wesley Crusher became hated by fans for being a bit of a Mary-Sue who could do no wrong. He seemed o always have the answers and was such a technical wizard only the android Data seemed more proficient than him. Yet for all his talents and intellect, the character had struggles, including gaining entry to the Starfleet Academy, despite his experience on the flagship Enterprise. But that struggle also presents the best ways to rehabilitate this character.
Wesley Crusher was a clear genius who was put into a world of adults while still a boy who was living with grief over growing up without a father (who died while serving with Picard). He was in a bit of a quagmire; he didn’t really belong anywhere — not with the other kids he couldn’t relate to and not with the adults whose world he wasn’t old enough to fully inhabit. So, it could be argued that Wesley's struggles during this pivotal moment in his life are more than understandable. It's this insight that should be used to help rejuvenate character.
In the TNG series, Wesley turned his back on Starfleet and joined a mystical character called The Traveller after a receiving a vision from his father telling him to follow his own path. Together, The Traveller helped Wesley find answers to who he was, while also unravelling the mysteries beyond space and time. The actor Wil Wheaton filmed a scene for the 2002 movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, that showed he returned to Starfleet, but the scene was ultimately cut, so the slate is still clean to give this character the treatment he deserves.
It could be argued Crusher’s return to Starfleet would be a by-product of his maturing in a pressure-free environment, not one built around expectations of adults on the shoulders of a kid. Being with The Traveller could have allowed him to gain a secure grasp on his own identity.
Wesley Crusher wasn’t a bad character — he just wasn’t complete. Wesley Crusher has the potential to be a large player in the Star Trek universe, given his immense experience and intellect. All it takes is for Star Trek: Picard to finally allow this character to boldly go where he has never gone before.