He definitely improves as the series goes on. I think most of the hate comes from Season 1 where he's a genius kid who knows more than all the senior staff of the flagship. He gets a lot better when his stories aren't just him whining about how no one recognizes how much of a genius he is.
this post was submitted on 19 Jun 2023
11 points (92.3% liked)
Star Trek
10608 readers
99 users here now
r/startrek: The Next Generation
Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...
Maybe a little slash fic.
New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?
Rules
1 Be constructive
All posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.
2 Be welcoming
It is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.
3 Be truthful
All posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.
4 Be nice
If a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.
5 Spoilers
Utilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.
6 Keep on-topic
All submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.
7 Meta
Questions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.
Upcoming Episodes
| Date | Episode | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 11-21 | LD 5x06 | "Of Gods and Angles" |
| 11-28 | LD 5x07 | "Fully Dilated" |
| 12-05 | LD 5x08 | "Upper Decks" |
| 12-12 | LD 5x09 | "Fissue Quest" |
| 12-19 | LD 5x10 | "The New Next Generation" |
In Production
Strange New Worlds (2025)
Section 31 (2025-01-24)
Starfleet Academy (TBA)
In Development
Untitled comedy series
Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
We did skip a lot of Season 1, so maybe that helped my perception of him.
I think my problem with wesley is that he got such a preferential seat on the bridge of a massive ship that probably countless other people had worked their whole careers to get on. It feels unfair to all those people to put a kid on the bridge instead of an adult in the middle of their career.
Wesley as a character is fine! I know Whil Wheaton had a weird interaction with the fediverse and in my hazy memory of it I don't really blame people's reactions, but in his ready room show for star trek he honestly has been great. He seems like he really loves star trek.
The one thing is, "shut up wesley!" became an internet meme, and understandably I don't think Wheaton finds that meme that funny after a couple of decades of hearing it. When the kneejerk reaction fans greet you with is to tell your character to shut up... when your character wasn't a villain... but just kind of an awkward kid who really was never characterized as anything other than someone who just wanted people to like him... it just feels like punching down for no reason.
It feels unfair to all those people to put a kid on the bridge instead of an adult in the middle of their career.
It’s partially a testament to what a prodigy he’s supposed to be, but it’s also an artifact of Picard’s friendship with his mother and late father, and a soft character progression for both of them because up to that point no children were allowed on the bridge with him at all
Trek fans in that era got hung up on some weird stuff for sure. I knew several people who hated Neelix for basically the entire Voyager run mainly because of that one early episode where he acted jealously even though he got over it by the end of the episode lol
I like him, never understood the hate.
I agree, I really like Wesley. And not only because Wil Wheaton seems like a really lovely person.
@Janin @Takeshidude me too!! I figured it was subconscious jealousy. He was living the life we all wanted.
I kinda feel like Wes was the enlightened 24th century child who is validated, supported, and taken seriously by people who want him to succeed.
Except for when the writers just have the rest of the bridge crew be mean to him ("shut up, Wesley"). He makes a really good point in "Datalore" (S01E13) when telling Picard that if he was any other officer and not a teenager, his concerns about Lore impersonating Data would have been taken seriously.
He's alright. No love, but no hate either. What bothered me most was the 'Leave it to Beaver' presentation in the early years.
They clearly did not know what to do with the character at first. With such a young character.
They didn't know what to do with alot of the characters in S1.
You have to pick one to be your roommate, Wesley or Kes. Which do you pick?
If you don't know Kes (as this is a different show) please come back to this question later in your life.
Wesley. Kes is boring
Wesley, any day. He won't eavesdrop on my thoughts, he can help with my homework easily, and he is a genius who invents cool things and sees things in groundbreaking ways that I might learn from.
I never had a problem with Wesley, and the actor (Wil Wheaton) gained more of my respect after I heard about the emotional abuse he was dealing with at home while the show was being made. To go through that and still put on a good performance is to be commended imo.
view more: next ›