Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Journey's End (1994) User Reviews

One of the dumbest sub-plots ever in TNG

[MyOpinionIsFact · 5/10 · 22 May 2007]

(KINDA SPOILERY)

I loved the main plot about the forced removal of a people. It was about ethics and caused me to think. The writing however could have been better as the solution to the dilemma was so obvious that the story should have treated it as though it was already considered by the Indian.

The side story arc with Wes was one of the dumbest, most ad-hoc sub-plots in any TNG episode. Completely random and beyond my suspension of disbelief. It would have been much more interesting if they explored what caused the changes in his personality instead of just using it as a spring board to a big reveal. All in all, the surprise doesn't work and the epilogue had me shaking my head at how nonchalant Beverly and Picard dealt with such a world-altering event.

Farewell to Wesley Crusher

[Tweekums · 6/10 · 24 September 2015]

As peace is established between the Federation and the Cardassians a border is established; this leaves each side with a handful of colonies on the wrong side of the line. The Enterprise is given the delicate task of relocating a colony of Native Americans; Picard argues that they have been forced to move enough times due to treaties that were forced on them but he is told they must be moved anyway… by force if necessary. This mission coincides with a visit to the Enterprise by Wesley Crusher; he manages to offend people with his surly attitude and it turns out his grades at Star Fleet Academy have fallen to a point where we could fail. One of the Native Americans approaches him and tells him he has been expected; he is a little confused but agrees to go down to the planet and undertake a vision quest. During this he sees his late father and is told that he should take his own path. Shortly afterwards he alerts the locals to the fact that they are about to be forcibly relocated; something that incurs the wrath of Capt. Picard.

This episode was a little disappointing; Wesley Crusher was always a bit too perfect and here we learn that he is in fact some sort of super-being with powers to control time! Wil Wheaton's performance is solid enough but can't save the character when we get such a revelation. We also get the revelation that one of Picard's ancestors was part of a Spanish force that massacred members of Pueblo Indians several centuries ago and those on the planet think this is an ancient wrong that needs righting… it seemed surprising that this would be known so long after the event. The ultimate solution to the problem of the colonists seemed a little obvious; it is amazing that nobody suggested it sooner; they are just one small village on an entire planet; hardly the obstacle they were portrayed as. Overall a rather weak episode.

Jar-Jar Wesley

[laclone · 5/10 · 23 November 2014]

Wesley has always been somewhat of an Albatross for STNG.

Originally a good idea-concept for a character on a Star Trek revival, the writers quickly developed an inconsistency on how to handle him in episode plots. Which quickly doomed the character to fans.

Sometimes, he was a prodigy genius that saves the ship, other times a last resort subject for a script concept.

Sort of a John-Boy Walton/Will Robinson type, both Lost in Space!

The biggest problem I have with this character and the writers that wrote him, is that in the episode "Journey's End", Wesley pretty much severs all ties to Star Fleet, and leaves under circumstances that would prevent him from ever being allowed to return to Star Fleet service. Ever.

That's assuming that an inter-dimensional, space-time traveling being, who can control warp fields with his mind, would ever want to join Star Fleet again in the first place.

But in ST: Nemesis, Wesley is seen back in Star Fleet, again, and joining Riker on his new ship, Titan.

I'm so glad the Titan series books never mention him.

Wesley's story arc comes to a proper end.

[russem31 · 4 May 2006]

ST:TNG:172 - "Journey's End" (Stardate: 47751.2) - this is the 20th episode of the 7th and last season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Because of a recent peace settlement (which isn't perfect but took 3 long years to reach), Picard is ordered to evacuate a colony of Native Americans that are now in Cardassian territory. At the same time, a moody Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton in his last Star Trek performance before Star Trek: Nemesis) is on break from Starfleet Academy, alienating everyone onboard the Enterprise.

Sensing Wesley's troubled demeanor, a visiting Indian elder invites him to the Native American colony for a vision quest - a quest that will have profound repercussions for Wesley. Picard also has a connection with the Native American settlers too - a relative from his past (23 generations ago).

It should be noted that this episode is a precursor to Star Trek: Voyager - more precisely Chakotay's character.

Natalia Nogulich returns as Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev (who has softened a bit here), Doug Wert as Cmdr. Jack R. Crusher (Wesley's late father), and Eric Menyuk as The Traveler. Richard Poe also stars as the Cardassian Gul Evek (in his first of many roles in TNG, DS9, and VOY).

An excellent story marred by what else but...Wesley Crusher's character

[yincognyto-91718 · 7/10 · 31 July 2019]

This is a good episode with a powerful story and moral dilemma concerning the relocation of a group of American Indians - could have been a 9 or a 10 with a little more drama and if not for the terrible inconsistencies and the problematic character of Wesley Crusher.

Wesley had SO much potential in TNG, his genius and his encounters with the Traveler could have been exploited so much better, but unfortunately it wasn't always the case. This is one of the episodes where his side story ruins the otherwise excellent base premise. Apart from his annoying baby face stupid smile that's part of his "acting" in TNG every 2 minutes or so, there is absolutely no way any group of American Indians would have considered Wesley some sort of Messiah or treat him as one of their own, for a couple of simple reasons: he's too young, he's disobedient, he has no spiritual depth whatsoever and ... he disrespects elders, especially after joining the Academy. All these Wesley traits make him totally incompatible with a culture like the American Indian one, period.

Other than that, the premise of this episode could have produced an effect relatively close to that of 'Inner Light', if exploited properly (maybe some tragic outcome of the main plot) - it certainly suited the culture's history. It wasn't to be however, and the Indians' and Wesley's stories were blended in a very unrealistic fashion. Picard or even Worf could have been much more suited for Wesley's act, while Wesley's subplot could have been merged into another, more suitable episode. In the end, it all looks forced and not that believable (to say the least), pretty much like trying to eat soup and cake together.

"Maybe I'm sick of living up to rules and regulations."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 26 April 2024]

Well, I never thought Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) would bow out of the Academy and Starfleet the way he did in this story, but with the series coming to an end I guess his departure was as good as any. Like so many other reviewers on this board, I too was not a fan of Wheaton's character, so I'm not at all upset about it. However, there are other head scratchers in the episode as well, such as, how did the unnamed Indian tribe wind up on Darvon V in the first place? The story made it sound like they were searching for a place to live two hundred years prior, but how did they have the means to conduct such an investigation? It's not likely they had their own starship or the financial means to have Starfleet pick them up and place them there. So that, I thought, was a flaw in the premise of the episode.

Oh yeah, one more. It's been pretty well established that Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) was raised in a small rural village in France. So how did one of his ancestors by the name of Javier Maribona Picard lead an attempted Spanish conquest during the 'Pueblo Revolt of 1680'? I actually thought that sounded like it was made up for the program, but a quick internet search revealed that the revolt, also known as Popay's Rebellion, was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe, New México. The revolt killed 400 Spaniards and drove the remaining 2,000 settlers out of the province. So maybe the Native Americans in this show were Pueblo Indians, even though that was never mentioned specifically.

The two separate stories merge when a Native American shaman called Latanka (Tom Jackson) takes Wesley on a vision quest to find out what was at the bottom of his unruly behavior coming aboard the Enterprise. When Wesley's father (Doug Wert) appeared to him with a message to follow his own path, it freed the young man to make a fateful decision that would change the direction of his life. As for the potential conflict between the Federation and the Cardassian Empire, that was avoided when the Indian tribe agreed to live under the rule of the Cardassians instead of being forced to relocate to another planet. I wonder why the Captain didn't think of that.

My final observation - Admiral Nechayev (Natalija Nogulich) appeared to be a decade younger than Captain Picard, and I'm curious as to how she was elevated to the rank of Fleet Admiral ahead of someone like Jean-Luc. That would have made for an interesting story, and one that Next Generation might have tackled for fans of the series.

Stereotypes and Preachiness

[dwankan · 3/10 · 3 April 2016]

One of the silliest TNG episodes ever, although it tries to make a moral point, it's mired in bad stereotypes. Pre-American natives, referred to as "Indians" in the episode, are presented as ridiculous 60s cowboy movie types--something they've been complaining about since the early twentieth century. One of the other reviews suggested this episode was "ahead of its time," but how can it be ahead of its time when it plays the noble savage card--outdated since the 1970s. Wesley is another example of bad stereotyping in the episode. I admit, I've grown to like his character in recent years, but this last visit from him is the absolute worst. First, he's the broody teenager cliché, then he becomes the hippie era white-kid-exploring-non-white-spiritual-culture cliché, and finally, he goes off the deep end with one of the most absurd call-backs to a previous episode ever.

One Story Ends with a Blowout;; Another Begins with a Pinprick

[qbfan2002 · 8/10 · 6 December 2011]

The most visible occurrence of this episode is the last appearance of the Wesley Crusher character. Paying close attention, we learn that this promising Starfleet whiz kid is inwardly becoming depressed at the prospect of completing his studies and becoming an officer. During a mission to relocate the residents of a Federation colony on Dorvan V which is being ceded to Cardassia, Wesley meets a mysterious Native American who encourages him to take a vision quest, revealing an image from his father Jack Crusher telling Wes not to become an officer. After committing a deliberate violation of Starfleet code of conduct, shedding his uniform and trying to intervene in a violent brawl between the colonists and arriving Cardassians, Wesley discovers the mysterious Indian is none other than The Traveler, an inter-dimensional alien whom the Enterprise crew had encountered seven years earlier, now asking Wesley to travel with him to explore other plains of existence.

Though concluding Wesley's arc was important, the more important aspect of this episode is in the story of the attempt to resettle the Federation colonists from Dorvan V. This intended resettlement is the direct result of a border treaty with Cardassia, requiring them and the Federation to exchange colonies across the redrawn border. The Dorvan colonists, having spent generations being relocated in their search for a home, refuse to leave - or to be forcibly removed. The Cardassian newcomers agree to let them live undisturbed under Cardassian jurisdiction, an agreement which is destined to be short lived. In the immediate interim during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, other colonists will refuse to be evacuated, try cutting ties with the Federation, suffer harassment by Cardassian bullies and band together to form a resistance, the Maquis. The Maquis would then play a vital role during Star Trek Voyager. And, it stems from a pinprick incident from this episode.

Mozart? Really!

[STMyles · 3/10 · 19 April 2022]

The wunderkind nature of the Westley Crusher character was always a bit over the top, so much so that it was roundly satirized in the great Star Trek sendup movie, Galaxy Quest. But the sendoff of Wesley is truly laughable. Not only is he Mozart, but now he's sacred and heading off to "another plane of existence? His mother's final words to him are basically, "Dress warm and have fun in those other planes of existence." Seriously?

Messy political decisions.

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 24 May 2021]

I actually like the idea of Wesley Crusher pursuing a starfleet commission only because it is what is expected of him and then becoming a jerk-teen while he works his life problems out.

I'm not Indian (we go with first nation or indigenous in my part of the world) but from an oblivious white dude it seemed to me like they were attempting to treat the spirituality prominent in many indigenous cultures with respect and maybe even a bit of reverence.

I never had pitch forks armed towards Wesley but I would laugh my ass off in Season 1 with how over powered he was. That story arc just does not work in a tv show that attempts to ground it's space magic in science. They had to finish off Wesleys arc's someway and this episode is at least consistent with what has been previously presented in those early episode.

I enjoyed Tom Jackson's performance. He's always solid in any role he is in.

This episode also shows a failing in Democracy (federation is a democracy, right?) with political urgency overcoming moral/ethical concerns. The episode does attempt to soften this by suggestion the planet was contested before being colonized but overall the Federation ends up compromising principles for political benefit. It's a complex situation and you could have many differing views about 'right or wrong' and I like that in an episode.

This is a pretty solid episode for me.

Not as bad as others say, but not good

[snoozejonc · 5/10 · 5 March 2022]

Picard is given a mission to move a race of people from a planet that's about to become part of Cardassian territory.

This episode has its problems but I do not dislike it with the same passion as others.

I think it starts very well with Picard being put in a difficult situation with an awful job to do. That hooked me enough to want to find out how it plays out. It's always good to have scenes involving Admiral Nechayev.

The dilemma Picard is in for me continues to be a compelling story thread throughout the episode and there is a strong scene between he and Gul Evek when conflict breaks out.

Unfortunately a lot of the issues with the episode mentioned in numerous reviews are valid. The lazy stereotyping of native Americans, 'chosen one' trope, Wesley's characterisation, Picard's contrived family history link, the unsubtle social message, and the deus ex machina ending are all examples of uninspired writing.

I think all the actors do well with the material they have to work with, particularly Patrick Stewart.

Worst Plot Twist Ever

[DoctorMurky · 1/10 · 2 February 2015]

This is the first review I've written of ST:TNG and I hate that I am motivated by the worst that this series has to offer.

I have been watching the episodes on Netflix, in order, over the past several weeks. Season 7 is the worst season, and episode 20, Journey's End, is the worst of the worst. There are a few other episodes that typically rank near the bottom, but for me this one takes the cake.

Why? Because, out of nowhere, Wesley can stop time. And then start it again. With his mind.

Yeah, you read that right. It's a completely ridiculous plot point that serves no purpose except to get rid of Wesley, which they could have done any number of ways that wouldn't have involved him stopping and starting time.

If zero stars were an option, I would have given this zero stars.

Trek always ahead of its time.

[energicko · 22 June 2008]

Besides the hints at "Voyager" and "Insurrectiuon", take note of Picard's ancestor; Spanish Conquistador Yavier Piccard. Almost a preview to Patrick Stewart's later portrayal of Charles Xavier, and of course co-star Famke Janssen (Kamala/Jean Grey). For fans of the "Badlands" Trek novels, Gul Evek's crossover from "Next Gen" to "Voy" (and later demise) is explained from this episode. Also the DS9 novels tie in these events to the ones in Season 7's "Pre-emptive Strike"; where Ro meets Chakotay before his Maquis crew encounters the Caretaker. Many have speculated that when Wesley is seen again in "Nemesis" he was an unofficial Federation liaison to the Traveler's race, or even be part of Riker's USS Titan adventures. Stay tuned.

A Different Path

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 14 October 2017]

As season 7, it's final season closes on Star Trek: The Next Generation this episode marks the fate of Wesley Crusher who goes on a much different path that what seemed to be marked out for him as the series began. This is Wil Wheaton's farewell performance in the role for the television series.

Captain Picard has a delicate situation. Several generations ago an American Indian tribe moved to a planet to preserve their culture and identity. But that planet became part of the Cardassian-Federation dispute and war. Now it is part of the treaty which assigns it to Cardassian jurisdiction.

It is suggested that they move but they've got an understandable fear of treaties.

How Wil Wheaton figures in all of this is for you to watch and see how it unfolds. But in the end he makes a life altering decision.

This episode belongs to him and to Gates McFadden. The scenes with mother and son are really touching.

My disappointment is that this seemed like the premise of another TV series with Wesley Crusher. It's obvious someone had this mind at least at some point. It should have been made so.

One of my favorite TNG episodes. A must for Trekkies everywhere.

A ridiculous and morally reprehensible episode

[TheRedViper · 1/10 · 12 June 2021]

I'm surprised that TNG of all shows would so easily subscribe to the evil belief that the actions of one's ancestors centuries in the past is the responsibility of their completely innocent descendent. This is a very disturbing and problematic attitude to hold.

REVIEW 2022

[iamirwar · 10/10 · 15 October 2022]

Of course, this is yet another episode I well remember from first airing. We've arrived at Starbase 310 for a meeting with Admiral Necheyev and we've also picked up Wesley. But Wes seems a little bit unimpressed.

Admiral Necheyev is onboard and we want her to feel welcome. However, it would seem that the Admiral just wants to come to the point. But she will take a few Bularian canopies. That's nice.

The Federation and the Cardassian's have come to some kind of agreement over the border between their two areas of influence. Naturally, there will also be a demilitarised zone where neither side will be able to place military outposts or conduct fleet exercises, or station warships. The agreement is far from perfect and some of those colonists who find themselves on the wrong side of the border will just have to move.

We're off to evacuate some American Indians from Dorvan V. Tough one! Some concessions had to be made but this is no time for moral objections. I thought Jean-Luc was going to kiss Necheyev for a moment. I've always liked a woman in uniform and I bet the captain does too.

I like Wesley's new threads, but he's still not happy. Obviously, the Indians are not happy at the prospect of being uprooted again and who can blame them.

Clearly, this episode is going to be revolve around the Indians need to vacate the planet of Dorvan V and their objections to it. Arguments will rage from both sides but I think we all know what the outcome should and will be. Wes needs his ears clipped or maybe he's just trying to find himself.

Of course, the simple solution would be to wait until the inhabitants of Dorvan V are asleep and then transport each one of them to the holding cell onboard the Enterprise. Once the starship reaches the next habitable planet within Federation space, transport them down to it into a region that is similar to that one they left behind. This would be a totally bloodless action. Even though Wesley let the cat-out-of-the-bag, they could still transport them and there would be nothing they could do about it.

Looks like Wesley has reached the end of his journey. I'm still a bit puzzled as to how the son of an earth man and women would acquire such special powers that allows him to cross plane's. But this is a very watchable and fascinating story and certainly one of the better episodes of season seven. I think Richard Poe makes an excellent Cardassian and that Gul Evek should have featured more in TNG and DS9. Maybe he will.

His presence certainly adds to the high-quality of the story, but then the Cardassian's weren't all bad, were they?

This Episodes Clue: Deputy Pete Gutierrez

(Answer's to all episode clues will appear in the reviews of season seven, episode 25: All Good Things, Part One.)

The End of Wesley

[skippyj1955 · 1/10 · 20 November 2018]

Horrible whispering scenes (does whispering entire conversations now constitute acting?) and terrible story line - best thing that can be said is it is the end of the Wesley Crusher character.

Disappointed

[angelagg · 3/10 · 31 May 2019]

I love Star Trek:TNG, but I was disappointed about this episode and the way Wesley Crusher exited the show. I didn't mind the character growing and leaving starfleet but I don't like the portrayal of it in that episode. The character was conflicted, I get that, but I wasn't happy with the rudeness displayed and him leaving without reconciling or saying goodbye to certain members of the crew that he was close to. Just a disappointing end to my Wesley Crusher crush of the 90s.

One of the best episodes!

[rafatellez · 9/10 · 6 October 2021]

Really, really deep spiritual episode, messages and dialogues with symbology and meaning, The native cultures and their ancient wisdom connect with the modern-future cultures and their technological intellect, both make peace and unite for universal Peace. We get to see too the start of humanity's next stage of spiritual evolution. Fantastic!

Cartoonish indians and terrible acting

[jlc2185 · 5/10 · 15 January 2022]

What's with the spiritual, hippie-ish native american cliche here? It's seriously cartoonish. Not to mention the terrible plotline about Wesley suddenly being a time traveler of some sort, after being through some mystic revelation. The acting in this episode was terrible, particularly by Wheaton. Obviously with the exception of Stewart. The script was terrible, but this division of territories might mean something in the future.

The Start of the Federation - Dominion War

[glsa9 · 10/10 · 20 April 2022]

Then on DS9 the colonies would start to fight each other. This led to the Dominion / Star Fleet war. Killing millions on both sides. It

would have been easier 4 Captain Picard 2 say " SHUT UP WESLEY "😡😡😡😡😡

Spoiled White Twenty Something to Lead Native American Culture

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 17 October 2014]

By this time in the series, the pensive Wesley Crusher has become a non-player. All his successes as a Wunderkind were intriguing, mostly because of his baby face and Gee-wiz excitement over having so much power. This is a simplistic story of a group of Indian colonists who are about to be removed from their planet after treaty in the Federation. Wow, what a coincidence. This is not to diminish the plight of Native Americans; it's just the ridiculous contrivances of this. These people are resisting the treaty and are about to be put out on some remote planet (perhaps the planet of northern Oklahoma) without their permission. They are willing to take the chance of sitting in the middle of the Kardassian empire, but Picard has been given the job (against his wishes) of resettling. All that is enough to make this a weak episode, but for some reason, the recalcitrant version of Wesley Crusher, beset with ennui, has been chosen as their spiritual leader. He has been picked by the tribal master to go on a vision quest. Anyway, it really doesn't wash.

The worst episode of TNG

[scparker-67375 · 1/10 · 9 May 2021]

An episode that is filled with terrible stereotypes and toxic political beliefs. All native-american characters are treated as spiritual mystics rather than regular human beings. They call them "Indian North Americans" because they are unable to name even a single Native American tribe. Usually The Next Generation is fair an even-handed, but this episode presents cringe-inducing and toxic theories such as generational guilt.

The worst episode of an excellent show.

Wesley leaves!

[planktonrules · 2/10 · 6 December 2014]

This episode is pretty stupid, though it does at least mark the end to Wesley's appearances on the show. While I assume Wil Wheaton is a lovely person in real life, I have met very few people that liked him on the show. Here, oddly, he's at his very, very worst-- insufferable in fact!

The Federation has just negotiated a treaty with the Kardashian Empire*. As part of the treaty, some Federation planets will need to be evacuated and some of the Kardashians will have to do the same. This is a real problem for an ultra-bizarro group of American Indians** who are inexplicably living there. After all, I could appreciate their desire to leave Earth since folks weren't particularly nice to them in the past. But why did they need to go to THIS place way across space?! Considering how close it is to Kardashian space, this is just illogical.

Speaking of illogical, there is the plot about Wesley. So much of it just doesn't make sense. First, when he comes aboard he is sullen, insufferable and nasty. While this is normal for most teens, he's supposed to be about 20 and in his final year at Starfleet Academy. He was written very poorly because he was so extremely unlikable and behaved like a boorish jerk. Second, one of the Indians** takes him on a long spirit journey to discover who he really is. And, third, this same being then tells Wesley he's ascending to a higher form of life--and in light of what an annoying idiot he's become, there is no way ANYONE could believe this!! Oh, and the one native leader is clearly wearing a long-hair wig, as you can see the seams if you look carefully!

*Yes, I know they are Cardassians. My daughter calls them that and I think it's kind of cute.

**What do you call these people?! I want to be nice and all politically correct and all, but you CANNOT call them 'Native Americans'. Apart from being a bit patronizing, they certainly aren't Americans since they live on a planet other than Earth. And, since they never mention which tribe they are, you cannot call them by their tribe. Just wondering what to do about this?

Worst Episode Yet

[zombiemockingbird · 1/10 · 20 April 2023]

I knew as soon as Wesley appeared this would be bad, but I had no idea how bad. I honestly thought he was already gone from the series. Now he's suddenly a Messiah? Oh please! His character has always been insufferable, and now we're supposed to believe he's some spiritual leader, having visions, on a journey, sent to these people? And he realizes now this is his calling, where he was always headed? Oh. My. God. This story was so stupid it made me want to throw up. The stereotyping of the 'Indians' was offensive, and why are they called 'Indians'? They referred to their ancestors having been from New Mexico, so I assume they are, in fact, at least ancestors of Native Americans. Then the whole Picard needs to pay retribution for something some distant ancestor did 700 years ago? Sigh... I get it, this was a completely unnecessary space version of what happened to the Native Americans. I still have never figured out why Wesley was always treated like some 'shining star' when in reality he was always a dull nobody.