Enterprise visits Starfleet Academy and Wesley Crusher.
This is a very strong episode with a good moral tale at the centre and some strong character moments.
The plot is quite straightforward and relatively simple to see where it's going. There is a nice theme of conflict between duty to your friends and doing what is ethically right. There is quite a bit of obvious exposition in the dialogue, but what makes it work well is how the characters are written and the performances.
Wesley Crusher is depicted as a human with flaws. This makes him a far more interesting character than in previous episodes and Will Wheaton gives one of his best performances on the show.
Nicholas Locarno (aka Tom Paris) looks like he's going to be quite one dimensional at first, but that doesn't happen and his arc has a pretty satisfying conclusion. Robert Duncan McNeill does a great audition for his role in Voyager.
As ever Captain Picard is the voice of reason and puts his philosophical stamp on events. If anybody could break you in half with a look of disappointment it's Patrick Stewart in this episode.
It's an 8.5/10 for me but I round upwards.
This is a very strong episode with a good moral tale at the centre and some strong character moments.
The plot is quite straightforward and relatively simple to see where it's going. There is a nice theme of conflict between duty to your friends and doing what is ethically right. There is quite a bit of obvious exposition in the dialogue, but what makes it work well is how the characters are written and the performances.
Wesley Crusher is depicted as a human with flaws. This makes him a far more interesting character than in previous episodes and Will Wheaton gives one of his best performances on the show.
Nicholas Locarno (aka Tom Paris) looks like he's going to be quite one dimensional at first, but that doesn't happen and his arc has a pretty satisfying conclusion. Robert Duncan McNeill does a great audition for his role in Voyager.
As ever Captain Picard is the voice of reason and puts his philosophical stamp on events. If anybody could break you in half with a look of disappointment it's Patrick Stewart in this episode.
It's an 8.5/10 for me but I round upwards.