Star Trek TNG Journey's End

I'm angry at this episode and I think I always will be angry at it. Not just because the story was more tearing down of people's natural love and pride in their country. That was the least of it really. It was actually an important episode that formed the basis of the Maquis for DS9 and using American Indians was their cliched way of doing it. I'm mostly just angry because it puts an exclamation point on the short-changing of the character of Wesley. They ended his character where it should've began and been developed and nurtured years ago.

It's also kind of a downer from beginning to end. It leads in with the captain's log divulging that they've stopped at a Star Base to meet with Admiral Necheyev and pick up a member of the family. Beverly has taken Wesley to his own quarters making the usual mom jokes about him wanting to be as far away from her as possible. And he's his usual laid back self.  Geordi and Data arrive with Data making a joke about having to call security for a runaway cadet. He then feels the need to explain that it's a joke since it didn't get great laughs and it's the funniest part of the joke. We learn that Wesley is still at the academy but on leave. Geordi hints that he'd like to see him in Engineering sometime but assures him that he wants him to enjoy his vacation. They all leave to let him settle in. After they're gone, he gives into a look of exasperation and sits down looking moody. It seems like he's finally reacting to the way they talk to him like their special little boy the way I'd been reacting to it for 7 seasons with that eye roll. But this time I think they were actually trying to convey the idea that everyone still treats him like a child. Riker notices that Picard has prepared a tea setting with appetizers for his meeting with Necheyev. Their previous meetings had always been confrontational and he wants to start this one off on a better footing. She's as chilly as ever when she first walks in, but she notices that he'd made the effort to find out what sort of little sandwiches she likes and she finally softens a little. She's there to discuss the finalization of the treaty with the Cardassians, specifically where the border is drawn. She shows him the new demilitarized zone and the very messy business of how several Federation colonies ended up in Cardassian territory and vice versa. His mission is to evacuate the Federation colony on Dorvan V. Picard immediately notes that this is where a group of Northern American Indians settled about 20 years prior and can't hide his discomfort at having to possibly remove them by force because of the way their ancestors were forcibly removed centuries ago. Necheyev isn't as hard nosed with him this time when she offers to have someone else command the Enterprise and as they part they both hope that the colonists can see that this is for the greater good. Later Wesley, bored and listless, goes to Engineering in his civilian clothes. Geordi is happy to see him and can't wait to show off some of his new designs to improve warp efficiency. Wesley quickly and bluntly points out the flaws but Geordi, in a kind of condescending tone, stands by his work. He's further insulted when Wesley suggests that he read a recent paper by an expert on how outdated some of his work is and Geordi dismisses him saying that he doesn't want his help with that attitude. Just saying here - how can he dismiss him if he's on vacation? But perhaps that's just more of them trying to convey how they treat him like a kid.

They arrive at Dorvan V. Picard and Troi meet with the elder of the colony, a man called Anthwara. Anthwara isn't prepared to leave the planet and a younger man, Wakasa, hotly contests it as well stating that it took two hundred years for them to find this planet. Troi explains to him that they've chosen three other planets with similar environments that are suitable for colonization. Anthwara tells her that it's not just the environment that drew them to the place but the spiritual vibe they received from it. Picard and Troi don't know how to respond to that and Wakasa assumes that they're making fun of Anthwara and their people. Troi decides to call a halt to the talks for the day and Picard invites them to come to Ten Forward later.  Beverly corners Wesley to try to figure out why he's being so rude lately. She calls the incident in Engineering inexcusable. They keep talking about it like it was official business and she lets him know that she expects more of a cadet in the Academy. He replies that it was his business anyway, and I agree with that completely. It's the only part of the conversation that makes sense. He also tells her that he's sick of following rules and regulations. Same old whiny Wesley, but it's all the writers' fault. In Ten Forward later Picard tries to break the ice by mentioning that he knows that Anthwara's grandfather was the man that started the expedition from Earth to find a place to colonize two hundred years ago. He tries to persuade him by mentioning the sacrifices made on their journey that his grandfather surely understood about what is necessary for the greater good. But the elder thinks that they've made too many sacrifices already. He tries to find out more about Picard's ancestry when Wesley arrives late. He goes to a different table to be alone and he's approached by one of the Indians that introduces himself as Lakanta. He knows Wesley by name and even though he's puzzled he tries to be polite anyway. But Lakanta cuts straight to the chase and tells Wesley that he had a vision about him two years ago. He says that he knows the reason Wesley came to them was to seek answers to his questions and then leaves him to ponder this. Beverly tries to get Picard to help with Wesley. His grades are faltering and his attitude is troublesome. But Picard points out that he has to work it out on his own and that their interference may only drive him away which is the most sensible thing anyone has said so far. Wesley goes down to the planet and finds Lakanta who'd been watching for him to come. Lakanta doesn't actually have any answers for Wesley which makes this trip seem pointless, so he asks him about the hut that he had his vision in. Lakanta tells him it's a holy place to them and about the things they hold sacred. Wesley decides that a lot of things are important to him but nothing's really sacred, including himself. Lakanta disagrees and encourages him to go on a vision quest of his own.

Picard finally has to break the news to Anthwara that the treaty is a settled matter and that they'll have to leave. Anthwara counters by telling Picard that he knows that Picard won't force them to leave citing the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 (which really happened.) He informs Picard that one of his Spanish ancestors that participated in the conquest of New Mexico. Picard has doubts about this but Anthwara is convinced that Picard has arrived at this point in time with them to make things right and wipe out the blood worn by his relatives for 23 generations. He then has to deal with the fact that the Cardassians have arrived over a month early. Gul Evek is there to start scoping out his new territory and isn't pleased to hear that they're negotiating over a settled matter. Picard lets him know that the colonists are a part of the Federation and that he is duty bound to protect them which, of course, sounds like a threat to Evek. Picard pleads with Necheyev once more for the talks over the treaty to be reopened. She tells him she already tried and was denied so he must now force the evacuation. He orders Worf to go down and start making preparations. While that's going on Lakanta, in the hut, shows Wesley the different statues and decorations from a variety of cultures. He tells Wesley to light the fire and wait. Wesley does but you can see he expects nothing to come of it. Eventually though Lakanta disappears and he sees his father, Jack Crusher, standing before the fire. Jack advises Wesley that he's come to the end of a journey that was never really his and that it's time for him to find a new path. The vision is brief as Jack wishes Wesley goodbye and good luck. He leaves feeling disoriented when he comes upon Worf arranging to set up perimeters to have the colonist beamed aboard secretly if necessary. Wesley declares this to be unfair and won't listen when Worf tries to reason with him. He loses his composure and begins to shout into the crowd about what the Enterprise is planning to do. The angry Wakasa demands that Worf leave.

Picard recalls him to demand an explanation. Wesley tells them that what they're doing is wrong. Picard apprises Wesley of the fact that it's not his decision to make. He also reiterates that as long as he's in Star Fleet he must obey every order that's given to him. Wesley calmly and without hesitation takes off his badge to resign from Star Fleet. Before Picard can react Riker calls him away to discuss a situation on the planet with Gul Evek. We don't get to see the situation right away though because it's Beverly's turn to demand an explanation while Wesley is packing. He tells her about the vision he had. He now understands now that he he only went into Starfleet because that's what his father did and because it was what everyone expected of him. He wanted to make everyone proud, but he's known for a while that Starfleet isn't for him. When his father told him not to follow him, he felt freed from the committment. Beverly understands and just wants him to be happy. She also reveals that the Traveler from Tau Alpha C had told Picard long ago that he was special, admitting that this might be the first step. (It's so frustrating I could scream!)  When he goes back down to the planet Wakasa tells him that he shouldn't be there since they're taking Cardassians prisoner. They deny their claim to the planet. Worf touches his com badge to warn Picard that the situation is escalating. Picard and Evek argue about the consequences of their having to defend the Indian colonists while Worf tries to take charge. A Cardassian begins fighting with an Indian. Wakasa gets ahold of a phaser and fires at the Cardassian. Wesley comes running up from behind a building shouting for them to stop and they literally do. Time is frozen and everyone is still in mid action.

The only other person still walking around is Lakanta. When Wesley asks him if he's responsible for this, Lakanta corrects him and tells him that Wesley himself is responsible. He explains that he pulled himself out of their time and took the first step into another plane of existence. Wesley asks who he really is and he transforms into the Traveler. He assures him that his vision was his own experience and offers to be his guide on this new level of consciousness he's attained. Wesley is still worried about the situation but the Traveler urges him to have faith in their abilities to solve their own problems. They leave the scene and time returns to normal with the fight carrying on. On the Enterprise Picard finally appeals to Gul Evek's weariness of war and convinces him to remove his people instead of retaliating. Picard beams his away team up as well. Later they come to an agreement. The Indians renounce their status as Federation citizens which releases the Enterprise from any obligation to defend their colony but it also puts them under Cardassian jurisdiction. Evek is certain that the Cardassians will agree to leave them alone and allow them to live peacefully there as long as they leave the Cardassians alone as well. Picard notes that this arrangement has Necheyev's approval so they should have no trouble about it with Starfleet. Anthwara pronounces Picard's ancestor's sins of the past clean now.

In the transporter room Picard and Crusher say their goodbyes to Wesley. When Beverly asks where he'll go, he says that the Traveler recommends that he stay on this planet with the Indians for a while because they have a deep awareness of things. It's all very vague, but his character ends on a peaceful note.

At one point Picard decides that being held accountable for the mistakes of an ancestor to be absurd. Guess he's the only person in America who's allowed that luxury. That line may have been thrown in there for balance, but the use of North American Native Americans is just more of the communist agenda to convince Americans to hate their country enough to want it changed into a socialist utopia and the sad thing is that after thirty years of constant drum beats, it's worked on a lot of people. The Maquis is later formed because of Cardassians forcing people out of their homes so they could've kept it original and just used a Bajoran colony. They have a religion too.  And I really don't have the time or inclination to go into how offended I am that the Indians are portrayed as being inclusive of everyone in their faith and the between-the-lines implication that no other religion is, especially perhaps Christianity since they were supplanted by European Christendom. There's a lot of things to debate over in this episode. But, like I said, I'm mostly frustrated with the vague and sloppy ending of the character of Wesley. We've already been made to understand via Ensign Sito that the disgraced cadets had a hard time after the incident in First Duty but they, or at least she and now Wesley, stuck with it. That would seem to indicate that they wanted their careers in Star Fleet badly enough to tough it out. If Wesley was having second thoughts he should've had them long before this. I realize they probably couldn't get Wheaton in for more than one episode, but I wish they would've made more effort because they could've sacrificed any one of the last three episodes to bring him in and slowly explore his disillusionment with Starfleet and his life as it is instead of bringing him back with a massive attitude problem that seems to come out of nowhere. He should've been protesting being treated like a baby by season three at least, but since they waited, they could've devoted more time to developing a tangible change in his personality from wonder boy to young adult that's having an existential crisis. Teaming him up with the Traveler to evolve was the right thing to do and one of the best ideas ever. It was something that I'd been waiting for since the Traveler's first episode. And it should've started slowly in, like, season two. Instead they throw it in at the end as an after thought. Just like everything else prepared for the character of Wesley... an after thought and leftover in the scripts. I'm so angry at this episode I don't know how to rate it. I think anything under four stars would be unfair since it further develops the Cardassian/ Maquis angle and Wesley technically does get a happy ending. But I grudge almost all of it.