Wesley Crusher

Star Trek character|if=|Title = Wesley Crusher
bgcolor = #ddddff

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Caption = Ensign Wesley Crusher
Species = Human
Gender = Male
Planet = Earth
Affiliation = Starfleet
Posting = USS "Enterprise"-D civilian, helmsman
Starfleet Academy cadet (resigns)
USS "Titan" assistant chief of engineering
Rank = Acting ensign
Ensign (resigns to attend Academy)
Cadet (resigns)
Lieutenant junior grade ("Star Trek Nemesis")
Portrayed = Wil Wheaton

Wesley Crusher is a character in the television series "". Played by actor Wil Wheaton, the character was a regular for the first four seasons. Afterwards, the character appeared sporadically. The character also appeared briefly in "Star Trek Nemesis".

Overview

Wil Wheaton first read for the role in 1986.Fact|date=November 2007

Subsequently, in the television series "Star Trek: The Next Generation", the character of Wesley Crusher first arrived on the "Enterprise"-D with his mother, soon after Captain Jean-Luc Picard assumed command. Captain Picard was annoyed by Crusher at first – as Picard is uncomfortable around all children – but he comes to realize that Crusher understands many things beyond his age and has inherited his mother's high intelligence.

An alien Traveler expressed to Captain Picard that Crusher had a unique intelligence and great potential if provided encouragement and opportunity, comparing him to a child prodigy like Mozart. Picard soon appointed Crusher to an acting ensign.

In early episodes of the series, Picard did not allow Crusher on the bridge of the ship. Crusher eventually took the entrance exam for Starfleet Academy. His test score ranked lower than expected, so he decided to stay on the "Enterprise"-D to gain more experience "Coming of Age". Later he missed his second chance to take the academy entrance exam in order to assist the "Enterprise"-D crew in rescuing Will Riker, Deanna Troi, and Lwaxana Troi from hostile Ferengi. Picard soon granted him a field promotion to full ensign ("Ménage à Troi").

Crusher was invited to reapply the following year, took the exam, and was accepted into the academy. He stayed in the academy for several years until the Traveler re-contacted him. He resigned his commission and went with the traveler to explore other planes of reality ("").

At approximately the time of "Star Trek: Nemesis", Crusher rejoined Starfleet, and had made it to the rank of lieutenant junior grade. In other timelines – "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Parallels" – Crusher made it to full lieutenant.

The back story states that Wesley Crusher is the son of Beverly Crusher and Jack Crusher.

Fan reception

Some fans considered the character to be a Mary Sue cypher for (Eu)gene "Wesley" Roddenberrycite paper
author = Pat Pflieger
title = TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE: 150 YEARS OF MARY SUE
version = 3
publisher = Presented at the American Culture Association conference
date=2001
url = http://interalia.org/filestore/single_pages/MARYSUE.HTM
accessdate = 2007-01-15 ] . This seems to lead credence to fans disliking the idea of a young boy constantly saving the whole ship or universe. Commentators have observed at least seven times in which Wesley, "who has trouble getting into the Starfleet Academy" and is on a ship "filled with Starfleet's best and brightest crew members", has come up "with the needed solution" [Phil Farrand, "Updated Conundrum Tote Board" "The Nitpicker's Guide for Next Generation Trekkers, Vol. 2" New York: Dell (1995): 319] .

In popular culture

*It is stated in several commentaries for the TV show "Futurama" that the character Cubert Farnsworth is loosely based on Wesley Crusher. Series co-creator David X. Cohen says the character was intended to parody "annoying" characters such as Wesley, who many fans would like to "punch in the face" except in Cubert's case, he actually would be punched.

References

External links

* [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/library/characters/TNG/bio/1112484.html StarTrek.com biography of Wesley Crusher]