star trek tng wesley traveler

How did Wesley Crusher turn into a time-traveling space god on 'Star Trek?'

Dr. Crusher's eldest son has come a long way since hanging out on the Enterprise.

Who is Wesley Crusher?

Who is the traveler, what did wesley do next.

• What has he been up to since "TNG"?
• Why did he turn up in "Star Trek: Prodigy"?
• What happened to him after the timeline was restored?

SPOILER WARNING for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," "Star Trek: Prodigy," "Star Trek: Nemesis," and "Star Trek: Picard."

When "Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG)" first left Spacedock in 1987, Wesley Crusher was an ordinary — albeit super-intelligent — kid who became a valued member of Captain Jean-Luc Picard 's Enterprise crew. Fast forward to the latest season of " Star Trek: Prodigy ," however, and he's a bona fide master of space and time, effectively "Star Trek's" answer to " Doctor Who ."

Below we explain how Beverly Crusher's eldest son made the journey from enthusiastic teen to time-travelling space god — and how the seeds for Wesley's evolution were sown as far back as the very first season of "TNG."

Related: Best 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episodes

Wesley is the son of Dr. Beverly Crusher , chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise-D, and Jack, her late husband. Jack was Jean-Luc Picard's best friend at Starfleet Academy, and they served together on the USS Stargazer, Captain Picard 's first command. Picard was still blaming himself for his friend's death in the line of duty when Beverly and Wesley arrived on the Enterprise.

Despite his friendship with Jack and the will-they-won't-they romance with Beverly, Picard didn't warm to Wesley right away. But the boy's prodigious intellect — and a recommendation from a mysterious alien known simply as "the Traveler" — quickly led to Wesley being granted the rank of Acting Ensign.

Reportedly from Tau Alpha C and with a given name "unpronounceable by humans," the enigmatic Traveler (played by Eric Menyuk) first stopped by the Enterprise in the Season 1 episode " Where No One Has Gone Before ." He was brought on board to assist in experiments that would allow the Enterprise to break speed records.

Thanks to the Traveler's mastery of space and time — and an ability to "focus thought" — he was able to manipulate the ship's warp engines to transport the crew to a faraway galaxy. After bringing the Enterprise home — via a " 2001: A Space Odyssey "-style light show — he vanished into thin air.

Before his abrupt departure, the Traveler told Picard that Wesley "and a few like him are why I travel," comparing the boy to a certain Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. "Not with music," he explained, "but with the equally lovely intricacies of time, energy, propulsion…"

The Traveler urged the captain to nurture Wesley's abilities, without telling the boy — or Beverly — about his full potential. This conversation explains why Picard made the bizarre decision to give an unqualified teenager full access to the bridge.

Related: 'Star Trek:' History & effect on space technology

By the time the Traveler reappeared in Season 4's Episode 5, " Remember Me " — in which he helped Wesley rescue Beverly from an imploding warp bubble — the young Crusher had replaced his trademark knitwear with a standard issue Starfleet uniform . He was also given the keys to drive the USS Enterprise .

When Wesley left for Starfleet Academy a few episodes later, however, his career didn't unfold as planned. After an accident involving his Nova Squadron flight team caused the death of a fellow cadet, it turned out that Wesley and his colleagues had been practicing a banned maneuver. Their attempted cover-up led to Wesley having to repeat the year.

Wesley's most pivotal moment came in the final season of "The Next Generation," when a vacation on the Enterprise took an unexpected twist. He was already disillusioned with the Academy when a vision of his late father told him "to find a path that is truly yours."

He subsequently resigned his commission to protest against orders that would forcibly relocate Native American settlers from a world the Federation had agreed to surrender to the Cardassians. During a fight on the planet's surface, Wesley unwittingly stepped out of time, and one of the settlement's leaders revealed he was actually the Traveler in disguise.

The Traveler told Wesley that he had evolved to a new plane of existence and was "ready to explore places where thought and energy combine in ways you can't even imagine." Mr. Crusher left the Enterprise-D for the final time, embarking on an adventure in space and time with the Traveler as his guide.

What has Wesley been up to since "The Next Generation"?

Wesley made a brief appearance in " Star Trek: Nemesis ," sitting at the top table during Will Riker and Deanna Troi's wedding. He was clearly wearing a Starfleet uniform, which suggests he briefly came back to Starfleet after his resignation. (A deleted scene from the movie — not technically canon — revealed that Wesley had agreed to manage the Engineering night shift on the USS Titan, under the command of Will Riker.) It's safe to assume, however, that Wesley's return to the rank and file was short-lived.

A future incarnation showed up in 2024 Los Angeles in " Star Trek: Picard "'s second season. He told Kore , a clone created by scientist Dr. Adam Soong, the following: "A long time ago, I was known as Wesley Crusher, but now I am a Traveler of all space and time."

He explained that the whole of time is a grand and fragile tapestry, and that he, his fellow Travelers, and the Supervisors who work for them are on a mission to ensure that everything unfolds as it should (sounds rather like the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Time Variance Authority who protect the Sacred Timeline, as seen in the " Loki " TV show). Wesley successfully recruited Kore to join the organization.

Why did Wesley turn up in "Star Trek: Prodigy"?

In the second season of " Star Trek: Prodigy ," Dal, Gwyn, Jankom, Zero, Rok and Murf inadvertently altered the course of history by preventing the USS Protostar from crashing on the prison colony of Tars Lamora. That meant they could never discover the ship in the first place, never meet Admiral Janeway, and never be in the right place to alter history by preventing the USS Protostar from crashing — the TL;DR version is that they broke the very fabric of time . Pretty serious stuff. They also unleashed the Loom : vicious, interdimensional monsters that have an insatiable appetite to consume everything out of existence.

Wesley hoped to use his unique mastery of space, time, thought and history to get things back on track, saving the universe in the process. And, yes, he still had a fondness for knitted sweaters.

What happened to Wesley after the original timeline was restored?

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He did something he should have done years ago and visited his mother, who immediately introduced him to his new baby brother, Jack. We're assuming Wesley already had some idea about Jack Crusher 's destiny in "Star Trek: Picard"'s third season…

After that, it looks like he'll spend the rest of his life exploring the cosmos, tinkering with timelines — and presumably cameoing in future "Trek" episodes and movies whenever the plot demands.

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Richard's love affair with outer space started when he saw the original "Star Wars" on TV aged four, and he spent much of the ’90s watching "Star Trek”, "Babylon 5” and “The X-Files" with his mum. After studying physics at university, he became a journalist, swapped science fact for science fiction, and hit the jackpot when he joined the team at SFX, the UK's biggest sci-fi and fantasy magazine. He liked it so much he stayed there for 12 years, four of them as editor. 

He's since gone freelance and passes his time writing about "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and superheroes for the likes of SFX, Total Film, TechRadar and GamesRadar+. He has met five Doctors, two Starfleet captains and one Luke Skywalker, and once sat in the cockpit of "Red Dwarf"'s Starbug.  

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Published Sep 21, 2022

The Evolution of Wesley Crusher

A character spotlight on Wesley Crusher, from acting-ensign to Traveler.

StarTrek.com

One of my favorite characters on The Next Generation is Wesley Crusher .

I’ve always been a fan of the underdog, and Wesley fits that bill perfectly — a prodigy on board a ship of Starfleet’s best and brightest. He’s more than just a wonder kid; I found him to be one of the most complex and well-developed characters on the series, with his arc being one of the more fascinating journeys on a series which has several great ones. The series presents Wesley as someone who represents the best ideals of a Starfleet officer candidate, a keen study with a passionate interest in science. However, he could sometimes struggle under the pressures of high expectations placed upon him from an early age. It was only towards the end of the series when we finally see that Wesley feels content in leaving Starfleet to realize his goals.

“Evolution” does a good job at establishing that Wesley isn’t a perfect person who has plenty of learning to do on his path, ultimately leading him to join The Traveler in “Journey’s End.” He doesn’t always get everything right. What’s more, time after time throughout the series, he’s consistently placed in environments where adults are too busy for him, constantly overlook his skills, or are too overbearing.

In “Journey’s End,” Wesley’s mother, Dr. Beverly Crusher , returns to the ship and finds it hard to reconnect with him. This leads the young man to seek solace elsewhere in Dr. Stubbs. The subtle teleplay from Michael Piller presents Dr. Stubbs and Wesley’s other role model figure, Captain Picard , as alternatives to one another, looking at the impact both would have as surrogate fathers for a teenager without one. Whilst the dedicated scientist is clearly imperfect and flawed, he’s the same sort of person that Wesley could end up as in the years to come if he doesn’t keep his humanity in check. It’s easy to see why Dr. Stubbs is initially appealing, as he comes across initially as an alternative to Picard; their characters share a mutual hunger for science and the unknown whilst their passion for baseball is incredibly heartfelt.

However, Dr. Stubbs lets his ego consume him to the point where it puts lives on the Enterprise in danger, placing Wesley in a situation where he must realize that his own mistakes may make him responsible. The fact that he might be struggling is hard for him to admit, and his scenes with his mother and Guinan keep him grounded, steering him back towards the right track. It’s these moments that separate him from Dr. Stubbs, keeping his influence restricted to a cautionary tale and humanizing Wesley without losing his appeal as a character.

His struggles and hard work pay off consistently over the series, but not without great cost, as we see him pursue his Starfleet Academy dreams. “Coming of Age” and “Ménage à Troi” aren’t afraid to show Wesley failing, showing he has no easy route towards his ambition. “Coming of Age” finds him failing at his first attempt at passing the Starfleet entrance exams; but ultimately, he sacrifices those dreams in “Ménage à Troi” when he comes into his own and saves key crewmembers of the Enterprise instead of taking part in the entrance examination. As a result, he loses the opportunity to enter the Academy, but is in turn promoted to the rank of a full Ensign. Given his achievements so far in the series, it feels completely earned.

In “Final Mission,” Wesley finally joins Starfleet Academy, but only after more hard work. After being stranded on a desert planet as a direct result of a mining shuttle accident, Wesley is forced into a situation where he has to work to save Picard’s life after the death of Captain Dirgo. It’s an episode that goes from strength to strength, highlighting how much the friendship between Wesley and Picard has evolved from their early days of Picard's disdain, with their farewell being one of the more tender and emotionally charged moments of the series. Their bond is heavy and sincere, working as much as a stepping stone for Picard’s development as it does for Wesley; Picard reminded of his own youth and mortality as he spends most of the episode completely reliant on Wesley’s help. It’s a touching moment when Picard admits that he doesn’t see Wesley as just a child anymore, but as someone who he envies, being “just at the beginning of the adventure.”

The scenes between Picard and Wesley in “Final Mission” act as a driving force for the younger man in the rest of the series. “The Game” sees Wesley in his element again, saving the ship from an addictive game consuming every member of the crew with the aid of Ensign Robin Lefler. It’s a classic hangout episode that’s just so much fun to watch, and revels in once again placing Wesley directly in his element, while “The First Duty” takes him out of his comfort zone again almost immediately, putting him in one of the most difficult positions that any crewmember has had to be in. In “The First Duty,” Wesley faces consequences for his actions that stay with him until the end of his time on the series.

“The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth,” is a good mantra to have, one of the best – but it can be challenging in practice. The audience has become so used to situations where Wesley ends up saving the day to the point where he thinks he’s almost invincible himself, which is a trait shared with the rest of Nova Squadron who believe they can do no wrong. But the tragedy is that they are fallible. They lack the experience of actual officers and, more importantly, they lack the knowledge about when not to act. This leads to heartbreaking consequences and the death of a squadron member in an easily-preventable training accident as their world comes crashing down around them. Forced into a position where his training group are covering up their roles in the death of a teammate, Wesley is faced with an uncomfortable choice — does he take the hard, but honorable route in betraying his friends and jeopardizing not just his future but theirs? Or does he lie and take the easy way out?

If “Final Mission” was about reinforcing the relationship between Picard and Wesley, “The First Duty” is the episode that almost tore it apart. Wesley’s relationship with both Beverly and Picard is placed completely under the spotlight when they learn the truth. I’ll never not find it devastating when his mother realizes that Wesley might actually be lying about his involvement in the incident. Coupled with Picard’s speech that eventually sees him make a good, but a tough call in admitting what really happened in the training exercise, “The First Duty” demonstrates its capability to deliver truly poignant moments that prove to be character-defining, leaving Wesley to cope with consequences that affect his entire career.

Wesley is still living with the fallout on his mind in his last appearance in “Journey’s End,” where it’s clear from the moment that he returns to the Enterprise that he is unsettled with his role at Starfleet Academy and wants a new challenge. His potential remains unfulfilled, until he joins up with The Traveler, who wishes to mentor him and provide the answers that he needs to decide his future. For too long he has been following in his father’s shoes instead of taking his own path in life, and The Traveler gives him the chance to do just that with an entire universe to explore. In the case of “Journey’s End,” the title feels like a misnomer. Instead of an ending, for Wesley Crusher, it’s the start of something new.

Wesley Crusher Receives a Special Message from his Father

This article was originally published on September 1, 2020.

Milo (he/him) is a critic from the UK who regularly reviews TV, movies and comics. You can find him on twitter at @Milo_AFC.

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Why Wesley Crusher Left Star Trek, and Why He Came Back

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Wesley crusher went from boy genius to star trek time-travel god, wil wheaton was the 'big name' on star trek: tng, wesley crusher returned to star trek twice after leaving with the traveler, would wil wheaton return to star trek.

Despite running for seven seasons and keeping a grueling filming schedule, the central cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation didn't experience much turnover. In fact, of the regular cast who appeared in the series premiere and the series finale, only one character was absent. Wesley Crusher (played by Wil Wheaton) left Star Trek: The Next Generation early in the fourth season for a mix of personal and professional reasons. Still, Wesley returned a handful of times, and Wil Wheaton is still an active participant in Gene Roddenberry's universe. Despite Wheaton's unbridled enthusiasm for all things Star Trek and his experiences as part of The Next Generation family, his time playing the character wasn't the nerd's dream everyone thought it was.

The fans were harshly critical of Wesley Crusher , and the line "Shut up, Wesley!" from Season 1, Episode 13 became an early internet meme. In a promotional special, The Star Trek Saga: From One Generation to the Next , Roddenberry said the genesis of the character was himself at age 14, and "Wesley" was his middle name. Though, the Great Bird of the Galaxy admitted he was never the genius the eventual Starfleet cadet was in the series. Despite these struggles with Wesley Crusher's character, it was behind-the-scenes problems that inspired Wheaton to leave Star Trek: The Next Generation .

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Wesley was the only son of Doctor Beverly Crusher and her late husband Jack, the best friend of Captain Picard. He was a deeply curious boy, but he was often treated harshly by the crew and its captain. In the sixth episode of Season 1, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Wesley befriends and impresses the mysterious Traveler, an alien with strange abilities. At the end of that episode, despite his disdain for children, Captain Picard promotes Wesley to "Acting Ensign" allowing him to serve on the bridge in advance of his application to Starfleet Academy.

Wesley's time in Starfleet Academy was tumultuous despite his genius and experience serving on the Enterprise. He failed the entrance exam the first time he took it, though so did Captain Picard. Once he was accepted, he left the ship and only appeared in a few episodes. While at the Academy, he joined Nova Squadron led by Nick Locarno . He was part of a cover-up with the squad, hiding the death of a classmate while performing a forbidden flight maneuver. After admitting the truth, he had to repeat that year at the Academy.

In Star Trek: TNG's final season , Wesley Crusher returned to the Enterprise on leave from the Academy. His grades were dropping, and he was in danger of failing out of the program. He challenged Starfleet's and the captain's orders in order to stand up for a colony of Native Americans being forcibly removed from their home to appease the Cardassians. He experienced a vision of his father, Jack, telling him Starfleet wasn't his path. Instead, Wesley joined the Traveler to ascend to "another plane of existence" paying off the arc that began in the first season. What that meant, however, remained a mystery .

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The youngest TNG character went through some changes in development. Legendary Star Trek producer Robert H. Justman lobbied to make "Wesley" into "Leslie," according to Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion by Larry Nemecek, but Roddenberry eventually overruled the decision. They also struggled to come up with a justification for why this young man was so special, earning a coveted position on the bridge. In a memo, Justman wrote that Wesley's youth gave him a brash, assertive nature the adults on the crew lacked, making him "a one-man 'think tank' without pre-conditioned limitations.'"

Despite LeVar Burton's iconic role in Roots and the popularity of Reading Rainbow , it was Wil Wheaton who was the "big name" in the cast . Best known as Gordie in Stand By Me , the burgeoning movie star jumped at the chance to be in The Next Generation . "I was a Trekkie," Wheaton said in The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. However, Wheaton said that even he was annoyed by how Wesley was written, calling him "pretentious." When he was offered a role in a film directed by Milos Forman, The Next Generation producers wouldn't let him do it. They told him he was going to be in a "really important to the series" episode during the filming window, but Wheaton said the producer "just lied to me." Wheaton also revealed that "years later," Deanna Troi actor Marina Sirtis told him she'd heard the producers were worried the film would make him an even bigger star.

If Wheaton's star rose, "it would have been harder for them to deal with me. I felt so betrayed by that," he said in The Fifty-Year Mission . Despite his love of Star Trek , this slight made Wheaton desperate to leave the series . However, in his memoir, Still Just a Geek , Wheaton detailed how his parents pushed him into acting in the first place, when he wanted "to just be a kid." This neglect, plus instances of abuse on various sets, particularly The Curse , soured him on the profession for many years. Still, Wheaton also maintains his fellow cast on The Next Generation are like family to him. Their love and support helped him and helps explain why he returned to the show for guest-spots. Returning was "like coming home for me," he told Entertainment Tonight in 1992. "I always have a terrific time [on set.] I adore the cast."

How Star Trek: The Next Generation Disserviced This Fan-Favorite Character

Star Trek: The Next Generation has became as iconic as The Original Series, but one fan-favorite character wasn't done justice throughout the series.

Despite leaving Starfleet and going off with the Traveler in "Journey's End," Wesley Crusher almost returned. Wheaton filmed scenes for Star Trek: Nemesis at the wedding of Riker and Troi. Wesley was again a Starfleet officer and slated for duty aboard Riker's ship, the USS Titan. However, the scene was cut from the film . In Still Just A Geek , Wheaton wrote about the experience. Even though it ignored Wesley's final episode on The Next Generation , Wheaton enjoyed the experience working with the cast as an adult. While it might have seemed like another slight by Star Trek producers, cutting the scene worked to the advantage of the character.

In Star Trek: Picard Season 2, Wesley Crusher appeared in the 21st Century to Isa Briones's character Kore Soong. He explained that he was part of a group called "the Travelers" who worked to protect the universe, all of reality from "annihilation." It's a difficult job apparently, since the last time Wesley made a joke he apparently changed a century of history. While the Travelers mostly observe, knowing when to act is a crucial part of their task. He recruited Kore into the group, and when she accepted, they both beamed away. The beaming effect was not like those audiences have seen from Starfleet or other species and organizations in the galaxy.

It seems Wesley Crusher and the Travelers were connected to Talinn, played by Orla Brady, in Picard Season 2 . She watched over Reneé Picard whose destiny was even more important than her famous starship captain ancestor. The group can also trace itself back to the Season 2 episode of Star Trek: The Original Series "Assignment: Earth" that introduced Gary Seven . An attempt at a spinoff series by Gene Roddenberry, Gary was a not-so-ordinary human tasked with protecting the 20th Century, specifically the space program.

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Outside of this brief appearance on Picard , Wil Wheaton's involvement with the Star Trek universe has been as a professional fan . As the host of The Ready Room he talks to the actors, producers and others about making this third wave of series. His charm and grace put his guests at ease, because while he's still very much a fan of Star Trek , he's also been where they were. His time on the set and playing Wesley Crusher was both joyous and troubling. Ironically, the character that adult fans hated the most when he debuted is now the best ambassador to the Star Trek fanbase they have.

While Wheaton still does some on-camera work, he's mostly done voice acting of late. Still, Picard Season 3 introduced his half-brother Jack Crusher. Wheaton seemed enthused by the idea of teaming up with actor Ed Speelers for a "Crusher brothers" adventure , either a series or feature. Wesley Crusher's appearance at the end of Season 2 was a lovely coda for a character who deserved better . If that's all fans get, it might be enough. But after all these years, fans would likely be very excited to see Wesley again, especially if he's teaming up with Jack.

Star Trek series are available to stream on Paramount+, and The Ready Room can be found on YouTube.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

'Star Trek: Picard' Season 2 Finale: Wesley Crusher's Surprise Cameo, Explained

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Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 2. Star Trek: Picard has pulled off an impressive feat not just once, but twice, by keeping a huge spoiler under wraps. First, the show was able to keep the Season 3 The Next Generation reunion a secret, announcing the massive event on their own schedule. The show also was able to keep Wil Wheaton 's Wesley Crusher/Traveler hush-hush, surprising viewers upon his appearance in the Season 2 finale, "Farewell." This is an even more impressive achievement, considering fans' understandably upset reaction to the Season 3 announcement when Wheaton's name wasn't included. But with his last major appearance in the Star Trek universe happening some 28 years ago, audiences may struggle to remember exactly how he got into this position, and exactly what he is. Some Star Trek fans weren't even alive in 1994. (I wasn't!)

RELATED: Isa Briones Exits 'Star Trek: Picard' Becoming Fourth Actor Not Returning for Season 3

Supervisors

Gary Seven ( Robert Lansing ) was the first supervisor seen in the Star Trek universe, appearing in the 1968 Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Assignment: Earth." When the USS Enterprise moves back in time to conduct historical research, they intercept Seven beaming onto Earth. Gary's mission is to prevent a nuclear missile launch. He is successful by the end of the episode and remains in place on Earth for future missions that will help keep the flow of time intact. Although Seven only appears in one episode in The Original Series , this would be the main piece of lore that Wesley's Traveler arc would rely on.

Supervisors, themselves, aren't seen again in Star Trek until Picard when Tallinn ( Orla Brady ) is introduced as an ancestor to the already-featured Laris, also portrayed by Brady. Her mission is to watch over and protect Renee Picard so she may make the discovery on the 2024 Europa Mission of a microorganism capable of helping solve climate change. Whereas Seven was taken by the Travelers millennium before the present day, Tallinn is a disguised Romulan working on Earth. The two agents show that Supervisors can have a multitude of missions, from preventing violence to protecting influential lives. This is the role that Crusher recruits Kore ( Isa Briones ) to in his surprise appearance on "Farewell."

The Traveler

Travelers weren't introduced until a 3-episode series-spanning arc on The Next Generation . The Traveler ( Eric Menyuk ) first appeared in the Season 1 episode, "Where No One has Gone Before." The Traveler possesses a swath of abilities, many of which can alter reality, time, and space. To study humanity, they used their abilities to act as a Starfleet propulsion expert's assistant, the secret driving force behind the propulsion expert's new revolutionary theory. While on the Enterprise, The Traveler accidentally sends them to a new galaxy, to the end of the universe, and back to the Milky Way. They notice Wesley while onboard, secretly prompting Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) to promote Wesley to an acting ensign, ultimately already helping to shape Wesley's life.

The second time The Traveler appears is in the Season 4 episode, "Remember Me." Wesley, having matured and begun developing his Traveler abilities, accidentally traps his mother, Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ), in a warp bubble during an experiment, leaving her trapped in a parallel reality. The abilities draw The Traveler back to the Enterprise when they sense the situation and are able to help return her to safety but to do so, he has to convince Wesley of his own ability.

Season 7 Episode 20, "Journey's End" not only marks The Traveler's last appearance, but also Wesley's last appearance until his brief cameo in Star Trek: Nemesis , even briefer than his scene in Picard , as most of his appearance was cut from the scene that made it to the movie. In this episode, The Traveler appears incognito as a villager to Crusher, leading him to experience a vision of his father. He advises Wesley, who was already unsure of his Starfleet future, to follow his true journey outside Starfleet. Listening to the advice, Wesley resigns. Later, during a riot on a planet, he disassociates from time and The Traveler reveals their true form, for Wesley is ready to begin his new journey.

Wesley's Future

The younger Crusher's cameo doesn't just further solidify the connection between the Travelers and their chosen Supervisors, but it also cleans up the very different The Next Generation ending for Wesley and his appearance at Deanna Troi ( Marina Sirtis ) and William Riker's ( Jonathan Frakes ) wedding in Nemesis. While he attends the ceremony in Starfleet uniform, it's likely that this is just an appearance he projects as The Traveler did similarly in "Journey's End." From Wesley's comedic exposition in his recruitment speech to Kore, it's clear that he has spent plenty of time traveling and maintaining the flow of time. While his days as Wesley Crusher are far behind him, this new Traveler can still recall back to his days as the young Ensign on the USS Enterprise and use the totality of his experiences to bring other lost souls into the fold.

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Journey's End

• Episode aired Mar 26, 1994

After the Federation grants access by the Cardassians to a planet already inhabited by Native Americans, Picard has the daunting task of relocating them. After the Federation grants access by the Cardassians to a planet already inhabited by Native Americans, Picard has the daunting task of relocating them. After the Federation grants access by the Cardassians to a planet already inhabited by Native Americans, Picard has the daunting task of relocating them.

• Corey Allen
• Gene Roddenberry
• Ronald D. Moore
• Shawn Piller
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 30 User reviews
• 8 Critic reviews

Top cast 28

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Wesley Crusher

• Adm. Alynna Nechayev

• The Traveler

• Jack Crusher

• Starfleet Ensign
• (uncredited)
• Crewman Garvey
• Command Division Lieutenant
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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Jeri Taylor intended the Native American colony in this episode to be the home of Voyager character Chakotay, though this was never mentioned on screen.
• Goofs Beverly speaks to Wesley about the Traveler, but mistakenly says that he is from Tau Ceti. Both Where No One Has Gone Before (1987) , and Remember Me (1990) had established that the Traveler was from Tau Alpha C. However, this may have been retconned because 'Tau Ceti' is correct astronomical terminology (Star 'T' in the constellation Cetus) but 'Tau Alpha' is meaningless. (Stars are designated by a Greek letter and the name of the constellation, e.g., Alpha Geminorum, star 'A' in Gemini.)

Lakanta : What do you think is sacred to us here?

Wesley Crusher : Maybe the necklace you're wearing? The designs on the walls?

Lakanta : Everything is sacred to us - the buildings, the food, the sky, the dirt beneath your feet - and you. Whether you believe in your spirit or not, we believe in it. You are a sacred person here, Wesley.

Wesley Crusher : I think that's the first time anyone's used that particular word to describe me.

• Connections Featured in Star Trek Insurrection Review (2009)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 30

• Mar 25, 2018
• March 26, 1994 (United States)
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

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• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Picard's tng cameo retcons tos & explains missing season 3 character.

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Why Star Trek: The Next Generation's Enterprise Had A Rarely-Seen Second Bridge

Why a controversial star trek: tng season 3 episode was banned in the uk, 34 years later, star trek's most disappointing tng character exit still hurts.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 2's Finale - "Farewell"

Wesley Crusher's (Wil Wheaton) surprise return in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale retcons Star Trek: The Original Series and explains why Wesley won't appear in Star Trek: Picard season 3. Wesley's was one of the many shocks in Star Trek: Picard season 2's ending; Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his motley crew set Star Trek's timeline back on its proper course but, in the process, bid farewell to Q (John de Lancie) and Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera) , who opted to remain with his newfound family in 2024 Los Angeles. But Wesley didn't interact with Picard, his former Captain. Instead, Crusher came to Earth to recruit Kore Soong (Isa Briones) into the Travelers.

Wesley's destiny was marked to become a Traveler from the very beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation . The young Crusher first met the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) in the TNG season 1 episode, "Where No One Has Gone Before," which also contains the only canonical appearance of Jean-Luc's mother, Yvette Picard (Herta Ware), before Star Trek: Picard  season 2 retconned her backstory. Wesley encountered the Traveler twice more in TNG ; meanwhile, Crusher's Starfleet Academy career was marked with scandal because of his role in a cover-up when one of his classmates died. In the TNG season 7 episode, "Journey's End," Wesley left Starfleet and agreed to go with the Traveler to explore new planes of existence in time in space, becoming a Traveler himself. However, Wesley reappeared nine years later in Star Trek: Nemesis , mysteriously wearing a Starfleet uniform with a Lieutenant's rank at the wedding of Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis).

Related: Picard's Mother Secret Retcons TNG Season 1

Wesley shockingly returned in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale to recruit Kore Soong as a Traveler. In doing so, Crusher gave a remarkable download of new information about the Travelers and their galactic purpose. According to Wesley, the Travelers are "very different" from the Q Continuum and their function is to protect the universe's "tapestry" from "annihilation." One of the Travelers' responsibilities is recruiting and dispatching Supervisors to protect people who are crucial to the timeline, such as Tallinn (Orla Brady), who fulfilled her mission to protect  Renée Picard (Penelope Mitchell) from Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner). Wesley's revelation of the purpose of Gary Seven (Robert Lansing) and the Supervisors from "Assignment: Earth" answers a Star Trek question that has lasted for 54 years, and Star Trek: Picard 's retcon canonically links TOS 's Supervisors to TNG 's Travelers.

Wesley's appearance in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale was a secret that was, thankfully, never leaked, which made it a complete and welcome surprise. Wil Wheaton hosts The Ready Room , a behind-the-scenes series that covers all of the Star Trek shows on Paramount+ but when the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was announced to star in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Wheaton issued a statement that he would not be joining his TNG castmates . Taking Wheaton at his word, Wesley's cameo in Star Trek: Picard season 2 would effectively mark Wesley Crusher's final appearance in Star Trek. It's an update to Wesley's whereabouts that brings Crusher's story to an end while passing the torch to a new Traveler, Kore Soong.

However, this also means that there's no explanation for why Wesley Crusher was suddenly back in uniform in S tar Trek: Nemesis . Perhaps Wes took a break from matters of galactic import, returned to Starfleet, and then realized his best destiny is as a cosmic being, after all. Crusher did tell Kore that he made mistakes that affected the galaxy and it's possible there's an inference that briefly leaving the Travelers was one of them. Thankfully, Wesley's quick hello-and-goodbye in Star Trek: Picard gave his classic TNG character a proper closure that nods to Wesley Crusher's importance to Star Trek . Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Kore Soong will be Star Trek's new Traveler and if she will return as a being who defies time and space in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Next: Picard: Why Renee's Europa Mission Changes The Future

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is streaming on Paramount+. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres in 2023 on Paramount+.

• SR Originals
• Star Trek: The Next Generation

7 Biggest Changes To Picard's Enterprise In Star Trek: TNG's Time Travel Classic

Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise" introduced an alternate universe version of the USS Enterprise-D, which has some distinct differences from its Prime Universe counterpart. "Yesterday's Enterprise" remains one of TNG's finest hours, and is often remembered as the episode that brought back Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar only to kill her off again. In one of TNG's best cold opens, the battle-damaged Enterprise-C emerges from a tear in spacetime, causing everything on the Enterprise-D to shift. Suddenly, the Federation is at war with the Klingons and the Enterprise-D is the first Galaxy-Class warship.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) remains in command of the Enterprise, but he appears exhausted and unusually weary about the Enterprise-C. An away team finds the injured Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O'Neil) on the bridge of the Enterprise-C, and she quickly realizes that something is amiss. Picard reveals that Garrett and her ship have traveled twenty-two years into the future, and the Enterprise-C captain eventually agrees to travel back in time to restore the proper timeline. With a fascinating story and compelling guest characters, almost everything about "Yesterday's Enterprise" works, and all the changes in the Enterprise-D truly enrich the story.

Battle Enterprise-D Has Darker Lighting & A Redressed Bridge

The enterprise-d looks more battle-ready than ever.

When the bridge of the Enterprise-D first shifts, the most obvious difference is the change in lighting. The original bridge is well-lit, with bright white lights and an almost homey feel. The new bridge, however, is much darker, with less ambient light and blue overhead lighting rather than white. Everything on the bridge feels more intense with this lighting, successfully conveying the idea that this Enterprise-D is always on high alert. The lighting has been darkened throughout the ship, as well, and everything has a more austere and functional look.

Star Trek: Every Version Of The Starship Enterprise

The Federation flagship, the USS Enterprise, has a long, fabled history, and each version of the classic Star Trek spacecraft has its own unique look.

The ship's bridge configuration has also been altered. Captain Picard now sits higher, with no other chairs around him on the command deck. Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) remains First Officer but now stands at the tactical station rather than sitting next to Picard. There are more consoles on the bridge, as well, suggesting this Enterprise-D has more weapons systems and tactical abilities than the original one. Even Picard's ready room is different — not only is it darker, but all of Picard's mementos and trinkets have been removed.

Battle Enterprise TNG Crew Wears Different Uniforms

Every officer wears weapons belts equipped with phasers at all times.

Captain Picard and the rest of the Enterprise-D crew wear different uniforms that look more militaristic. With a thicker band collar and cuffed sleeves, these uniforms also incorporate weapons belts. These belts hold a type 2 phaser which shows much more prominently than the usual phaser belts worn by Enterprise-D crew members on away missions. The phaser belts are the most obvious and jarring change in the uniforms and help illustrate just how brutal the war with the Klingons has become.

The crew members of the Enterprise-C wear the same Starfleet uniforms seen in the Star Trek: The Original Series films.

The phaser belts worn by every officer aboard the Enterprise-D look very similar to the ones worn by the crew of the ISS Enterprise seen in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 10, "Mirror, Mirror." It makes sense that the alternate universe Enterprise-D in "Yesterday's Enterprise" would resemble the Mirror Universe Enterprise , as both ships were built for battle during times of war. Thankfully, the crewmembers of the alternate Enterprise-D are not unnecessarily cruel (or sex-crazed) like the officers in the Mirror Universe.

Battle Enterprise Uses Different Style Red Alerts

Red & yellow alerts have been replaced by battle alerts.

Rather than the traditional red and yellow alerts, the Warship Enterprise uses battle alerts, in either condition yellow or red. This Captain Picard and his crew are likely on high alert at all times, and the only reason they would declare a ship-wide alert is if the ship was about to head into battle. Soon after the Enterprise-D first hails the Enterprise-C, Ensign Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) informs Picard that Klingon battlecruisers have been spotted heading toward them.

Captain Picard then orders a Battle Alert, Condition Yellow, presumably to alert the crew to prepare for a battle with the Klingons soon. Picard never orders a Battle Alert, Condition Red on screen. He is transporting over from the Enterprise-C just as the first attack happens, meaning Commander Riker would have been the one to declare the alert status. It's likely the Enterprise-D remained at Battle Alert throughout the rest of the episode, as they covered the retreat of the Enterprise-C.

The Crew Of The Battle Enterprise Eat Rations

The food replicators use too much power.

The crew of the Warship Enterprise even eats differently than the original crew. Although this Enterprise is still equipped with food replicators, they are on minimum power so every extra ounce of power can be diverted to the weapons and shields. When Lt. Tasha Yar visits Ten Forward, she asks Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) for "a couple of TKLs," saying that she and Lt. Richard Castillo (Christopher McDonald) of the Enterprise-C are "in a hurry."

When Castillo questions what a TKL is, Yar informs him that they are standard rations as she explains about the food replicators. Even in a society as advanced as the 24th century Federation, wartimes still stretch every resource thin and soldiers still have to sacrifice creature comforts. "Yesterday's Enterprise" never reveals what the letters TKL actually stand for, and it's possible they don't mean anything at all.

Battle Enterprise Has Security Officers Everywhere

Security officers stand at nearly every door, battle ready.

Although no one calls particular attention to them throughout "Yesterday's Enterprise," there are security officers in the background of many scenes set aboard the Enterprise-D. Equipped with the standard weapons belt with phasers, they stand at nearly every entrance and door on the ship, even in sickbay. There are clearly more officers aboard the Warship Enterprise than the original, as the whole ship feels overcrowded and constantly busy.

7 Star Trek: TNG "Yesterday's Enterprise" Details You Missed

Star Trek: TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise" is an all-time classic enhanced by the fascinating decisions made to bring the time travel story to life.

The scenes in Ten Forward, and even the shots in hallways, are full of people — officers hurrying back and forth to their stations, officers taking downtime trying to forget about the war, and everywhere, silent security officers standing at attention. Everything sounds louder, too, with more people talking, louder engines, and louder background noise. It's constantly jarring to see the Enterprise not as a home for families and civilizations, but as a busy battleship prepared for war at all times.

Picard Records A Military Log Rather Than A Captain's Log

The alternate enterprise-d is a warship in every way.

Picard records a Captain's Log in numerous episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but "Yesterday's Enterprise" alters that, too. Right after the Enterprise-C emerges from the wormhole, Picard records a Military Log and refers to the Enterprise-D as a battleship. He also refers to the date as a combat date rather than a stardate. In the second Military Log, Picard states that Tasha Yar has transferred to the Enterprise-C and reports that multiple Klingon battlecruisers are headed toward the two Enterprises.

Changing Captain's Logs to Military Logs and stardates to combat dates may seem like small alterations, but they help the war-ravaged alternate universe feel more authentic and lived-in. In a similar vein, Picard refers to Riker as Commander rather than Number One , suggesting the two are on less friendly terms than they are in the Prime Universe. These little changes truly elevate the episode, making the stakes of everything feel higher and showing how much effort the writers put into establishing this alternate universe.

Battle Enterprise Has Tasha Yar But No Worf

Denise crosby returns as tasha yar, taking over worf's position.

The biggest change in the Warship Enterprise, is, of course, the appearance of Tasha Yar back at tactical and the absence of Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn). Part of the idea for "Yesterday's Enterprise" originated as a way to bring Yar back after her lackluster death in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1. With the Federation at war with the Klingons, Worf would never have lived on Earth or joined Starfleet, leaving the perfect hole for Yar to fill.

Worf only appears briefly at the beginning and end of "Yesterday's Enterprise." In the episode's opening scene, Guinan introduces the Klingon to Prune juice for the first time. "A warrior's drink," indeed.

Tasha Yar gets to have a more heroic death in "Yesterday's Enterprise" (which is unfortunately undercut by the later appearance of her half-Romulan daughter, Sela). Yar also gets to star in her own doomed romance, as sparks immediately fly between her and Lt. Castillo. After Guinan tells Yar about her "empty death" in the Prime Universe, Tasha gets to choose to face her death head-on. "Yesterday's Enterprise" will always be one of Star Trek: The Next Generation's most celebrated episodes. The whole story is elevated by the amount of care and detail put into the alternate universe Warship Enterprise-D.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Where No One Has Gone Before (episode)

When an experimental engine modification throws the Enterprise to the edge of the known universe, the crew must rely on a mysterious alien to guide the ship home.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 1.7 Log entry
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.1 Production history
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Production
• 3.4 Cast and characters
• 3.6 Sets, props, and costumes
• 3.7 Special and visual effects
• 3.8 Continuity
• 3.9 Reception
• 3.10 Awards
• 3.11 Video and DVD releases
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Also starring
• 4.3 Guest stars
• 4.4 Guest star
• 4.5 Featuring
• 4.6 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8 References
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

" Where is the captain, please? "

The USS Enterprise -D has rendezvoused with the Excelsior -class starship USS Fearless in order to take on a Starfleet propulsion specialist who will perform an upgrade on the ship's warp drive . He has already performed the upgrade on the Fearless , as well as the USS Ajax . Both these ships reported a notable increase in engine efficiency. Riker , however, is not convinced. He and Data have run a controlled test of the formulae that the engineer, Kosinski , has sent over, and found them to have no effect. Picard reasons that there's no harm in letting him come over and attempt the upgrade, especially since it doesn't change the hardware.

Riker is still skeptical, so Picard sends him to meet Kosinski when he beams aboard, along with his assistant . Riker, Troi , and Chief Engineer Argyle go to meet him in the transporter room . Kosinski is pompous and arrogant. He asks why the captain isn't there to meet him and demands to be taken to engineering . As he leaves, Troi comments to Riker that Kosinski is as he appears – loud and arrogant – but she can sense nothing from his assistant, not even his presence. Riker tells Troi to stay concerned, as the safety of the Enterprise may be entrusted to the two of them.

Act One [ ]

The Traveler "phases" out of reality

In engineering, Riker questions Kosinski about what he is going to do and asks him to explain his formulae. At first Kosinski resists, but eventually agrees to explain himself to Riker and Argyle. Meanwhile Wesley , who is also in engineering working on a school project, watches the assistant enter the formulae on a screen and suggests various changes to the inputs. When Kosinski is ready, Picard orders La Forge to take the Enterprise to warp 1.5.

As the ship accelerates, both Kosinski and his assistant enter various information. Suddenly a console alarm goes off and Kosinski shouts at the assistant, who has made an error. Outside the ship, the Enterprise 's engines suddenly engage with a massive burst of speed. The assistant grabs his console and starts to "phase" in and out of view, noticed only by Wesley.

The Enterprise in M-33

On the bridge , La Forge tells the captain they are passing warp 10, and Data later says that their velocity is currently off the scale. The Enterprise hurtles through space, with phenomena whizzing past on the viewscreen at extremely high speed. Picard orders that they reverse engines (which Data comments on as having never been done at their current speed), and the Enterprise flashes out of warp. When asked for the ship's position, La Forge replies incredulously that they have traveled 2,700,000 light years .

They are now in the galaxy known as M-33 , and La Forge reports that at maximum warp it will take them over three hundred years to get home .

Act Two [ ]

Kosinski, Riker, and Argyle arrive on the bridge. Picard asks them what happened and Kosinski replies that he made "a mistake, a wonderful, incredible mistake". He is highly excited, claiming he has broken the warp barrier and that his name will go down in history. However, hearing the procedure that Kosinski used, Commander Riker isn't too convinced.

Down in engineering, Wesley is talking to the assistant in the chief engineer's office. He realizes that the assistant has been performing the "upgrades" all along, and that Kosinski is just a joke. The assistant tells him he means no harm to the ship or the crew – he simply made a mistake. He is exhausted now, and Wes offers to get his mother, but the assistant declines. Wes then says that from looking at the warp equations he thinks time and space and thought are all one thing. This surprises the assistant, who tells him never to say such a thing again "in a world that's not ready for it."

Kosinski prepares to take the Enterprise back

Picard orders Kosinski to bring them home, and they return to engineering. Wes tries to tell Riker about the assistant, but he won't listen. Kosinski sets up to return them home, and the Enterprise shoots into warp with another tremendous burst of speed. As they input the equations, it becomes obvious to Kosinski that it is not working. Then Riker sees the assistant as he starts to "phase" again and then collapses across the console.

" This isn't working! "

Meanwhile, the Enterprise picks up incredible speed moving into untold measurements. On the viewscreen , spatial phenomena streak past faster and faster into indistinguishable light blurs. Picard orders full stop, and the Enterprise blasts out of warp once more, but they are certainly not back in their own galaxy. Outside the ship, clouds of cosmic dust and energy beings swim in a never-ending blue abyss. Data concludes that they must be at the edge of the known universe , " where none have gone before. "

Act Three [ ]

The Enterprise is now a billion light years from the Milky Way Galaxy in the other direction. Kosinski, Commander Riker, and the chief engineer come to the bridge to explain what has happened to the captain. Kosinski is struggling to explain everything and seems nervous yet persistently arrogant. In an effort to lighten the situation Kosinski decides to take a positive approach and says the Captain should be thrilled as an explorer because " in three centuries of space travel we've charted just 11 percent of our galaxy… and then we accomplish this! " But Captain Picard is more interested in getting home and Kosinski assures Picard that he can get them back. Picard asks his crew for suggestions and the crew goes back and forth about whether it's smart to continue to trust Kosinski. In frustration, Picard leaves for engineering.

The crew now starts to see things that cannot be there. Worf is at his station when he suddenly sees a Klingon targ in front of him, his childhood pet. Yar also sees it but it disappears just as quickly. Then she sees her pet cat and is back on the colony where she grew up, trying to avoid a rape gang . La Forge touches her, and she snaps out of it. When the turbolift doors open, Picard almost steps out into open space before throwing himself back inside. The doors open again, and he goes into a corridor. He meets two crewmen running away from some unseen pursuer. Further down the corridor, he sees an ensign in a cargo bay dancing ballet while elsewhere, another crewman is performing the first movement of Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik with a baroque-looking string quartet.

Picard speaks to his mother

The visions of thought seeming to become visual reality soon become more evident to the captain when he then sees his dead mother drinking tea in a corridor and starts to talk to her before he is interrupted by Riker. When he looks back, she's gone. Picard realizes he must get the crew's attention quickly to prevent their thoughts from causing a catastrophe. He immediately orders general quarters and goes to engineering. He tells the crew that they are in a region of space where thoughts become reality, and that they must try to subdue their thoughts.

In engineering, Dr. Crusher is examining the now unconscious assistant. Riker informs Picard that it was the assistant the whole time, not Kosinski. Crusher says the assistant is dying. Picard says he cannot, as he is their only way to get back home.

Act Four [ ]

The assistant is brought to sickbay , where Picard tells Crusher to wake him. They must leave this place before their own thoughts cause the ship to be destroyed. The assistant wakes and tells Picard that he is a Traveler from another plane of existence. He is traveling through their galaxy , observing them, using his knowledge of propulsion to get passage on Starfleet ships. Kosinski is just his cover. He meant no harm to the Enterprise . He tells them Humans shouldn't be here until their "far, far, distant future ," until they have learned to control their thoughts. Picard asks him if he can get them home. He tells him he will try.

" He is just a boy… for now. "

He then asks for a private word with Picard. The others leave and the Traveler tells Picard that people like Wesley are the reason that he travels. He compares him to Mozart , only instead of music , Wes has, or will have, the ability to manipulate time, space, and thought. He urges Picard to encourage Wes, but not to tell him or Beverly any of this. He weakens, and Picard helps him up to Riker to go to engineering.

Picard hurries to the bridge, helping a crewman on the way to put out a fire he has created in a corridor.

Act Five [ ]

The Traveler sits at engineering's master systems display table starting to enter the necessary formula and Picard makes a ship-wide announcement, telling everyone to concentrate on getting back home and on the Traveler's wellbeing. They follow the same procedure as before: the ship jumps to warp 1.5 and the Traveler uses his powers to attempt to send them back. He starts to "phase" as before and the ship hurtles through space. Then the Traveler disappears altogether, and the Enterprise finds itself right back where it started.

" If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to sit here for awhile. "

Mindful of the Traveler's advice, Picard calls Wesley to the bridge and thanks him for his part in their successful return. He then makes him an acting ensign , "for conduct in the true spirit and traditions of Starfleet." He instructs Riker to make out a duty roster for him and tells him to learn the ship and its operations from top to bottom. Then Wesley takes a seat on the bridge as the Enterprise resumes course.

Log entry [ ]

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Yes, but where is this place? " " Where none have gone before. "

" The safety of the Enterprise may be entrusted to those two. "

" How basic shall I be? "

" Data, what distance have we traveled? " " Two million seven hundred thousand light years, sir. " " I can't accept that. " " You must, sir. Our comparisons show it to be completely accurate. " " And I calculate that at maximum warp sir, it would take over… three hundred years to get home. "

" Perhaps you could call it the Kosinski scale. " " Why not? Yes, of course. Since I'm the one who has made the so-called warp barrier meaningless. "

" Captain, we're here. Why not avail ourselves of this opportunity for study? There is a giant protostar here, in the process of forming. No other vessel has been out this far. " " Spoken like a true Starfleet graduate. It is tempting, eh, Number One? "

" If you knew something, why didn't you tell anybody? " " He tried, twice. I didn't listen. "

" Well yes, this could seem like magic to you. " " No. No, it actually makes sense to me. Only the power of thought could explain what has been happening. "

" Thought is the essence of where you are now. "

" He and a few like him are why I travel. "

" You're not involved in this decision, boy! "

" Please don't interrupt me, Wesley. "

" It's a Klingon Targ, from home, from when I was a child. " " So you're telling me that that thing's a kitty-cat?! " " Yes. I suppose you could call it that. "

" Should I send for Dr. Crusher? " " Why? Is someone ill? "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• First story premise: 16 December 1986
• Gene Roddenberry greenlights story development: 17 December 1986
• Second draft story outline: 13 February 1987 [1]
• Original story outline: 17 February 1987 ( Creating the Next Generation )
• Second draft outline: 24 March 1987 ( Creating the Next Generation )
• First draft script: 17 April 1987 ( Creating the Next Generation )
• First draft script: 20 May 1987
• Five-page memo of script notes by Gene Roddenberry: 27 May 1987
• Script draft: 22 June 1987
• Revised script draft: 15 July 1987
• Final draft: 27 July 1987
• Revised final draft script: 30 July 1987
• Filmed: 5 August 1987 – 13 August 1987
• Score recorded at Paramount Stage M : 25 September 1987 ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project liner notes [2] )
• Premiere airdate: 26 October 1987
• UK premiere airdate on BBC2 : 17 October 1990

Story and script [ ]

• This story was loosely based on the Pocket TOS novel The Wounded Sky , also written by one of this episode's writers – Diane Duane . Producer Maurice Hurley did numerous uncredited rewrites on Duane and Michael Reaves ' original script. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 36)
• Diane Duane has published the second draft versions of the episodes original pitch (X) and outline (X) on her website. Of the production process, she writes: " We turned in the first-draft script and waited a couple of weeks for the notes – heard nothing, called the TNG office, and discovered that we had been "cut off" at first draft, and the script given to someone else for rewrite. (…) We were unclear about the reasons for this particular cutoff for a long, long time – nearly ten years. (…) (W)e'd unwittingly become caught up in interoffice politics. One member of production staff got up another one's nose, and as a result was chucked out – and (though they weren't told what was going on) so were all the writers associated with that production staffer. (…) At any rate, after the rewrite, in the shooting script for the episode, only two elements of our original (besides the general idea) remain: the scene with Picard and his mother (which was Michael's), and the shot of Picard almost falling out of the turbolift into open space (which was mine)." Notably, the characterization of Kosinki and the addition of The Traveler were entirely products of the rewrite. ( "Out of Ambit" at DianeDuane.com , October 8, 2006)
• In the original teleplay, Kosinski was responsible for both the warp effect and the accident. He also had a son, who felt his father was more interested in his work than in him. The hallucinations were much more bizarre than in the final episode: Jack R. Crusher appeared to Picard and Beverly, and the Enterprise appeared inside a "cosmological egg". When the starship escaped, it exploded and caused the birth of a new universe. As a sort of " Biblical pun", the Enterprise spends six days "missing", and Picard orders the next day to be a day of rest. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 36)

Production [ ]

Michael Dorn on set with wild boar Emmy-Lou

• This episode marks the debut of Rob Bowman as a Trek director. He later went on to direct twelve more episodes of The Next Generation . Daniel Petrie was originally hired to direct the episode, but quit when he was approached to direct the film Cocoon: The Return . Producer Robert H. Justman said that hiring twenty-seven-year-old Bowman to direct this segment was one of his proudest achievements on the show. Bowman was terrified, trying to make a good impression on his first assignment, and overcome any doubts of his youth. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 36) Concerning how he prepared to film the installment, he recalled, " I spent about twenty days before my first episode walking through those sets, and on Saturdays and Sundays, eight hours a day, just sitting and looking. " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 117)
• While shooting the scene in this episode where Riker tells Picard, " It wasn't him, it never was; it was his assistant, " Jonathan Frakes had some difficulty saying the line and eventually could not say it without breaking into a laugh. According to Patrick Stewart , the event soon spread "like a bushfire" throughout the set, to the point where The Next Generation 's sound mixer, Alan Bernard , had to wheel his sound cart off the set as he also could not stop laughing. Stewart later recalled this story to Frakes in 2012 , at the Calgary Comic-Con Expo, where he still couldn't say the phrase very well. ( TNG Season 1 DVD special feature "Memorable Missions"; [3] )
• La Forge's line about the ship passing warp 10 was looped in post-production, and the line as it was originally spoken ("warp 5" instead of "warp 10") is featured in the episode's trailer.
• Worf's targ was played by a Russian wild boar named Emmy-Lou . Robert Justman recalled, " That pig smelled horrid. A sweet-sour, extremely pungent odor. I showered and showered, and it took me a week to get rid of it! " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 36)

Cast and characters [ ]

• This episode marks the first appearance of Eric Menyuk 's The Traveler . Menyuk was a finalist for the role of Data and was given the role here as a consolation prize. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 36) He reappears in " Remember Me " and " Journey's End ".
• This episode marks the first appearance of Dennis Madalone in a Star Trek production. Madalone performed stunts in several more first and second season episodes and started to work as Stunt Coordinator beginning with the third season . He also worked as stunt coordinator on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager .
• The piece of music played by the string quartet in this episode is Mvt. 1, "Allegro", from Mozart 's Eine kleine Nachtmusik , K. 525.
• When Picard meets his mother, there is also an unidentified recurring (until episode 17 " When The Bough Breaks ") melody.
• The episode's score, composed and conducted by Ron Jones , was recorded on 25 September 1987 at Paramount Stage M . ( Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project liner notes [4] ) The complete episode score, totalling 21 minutes 15 seconds, appears on Disc One of the Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project collection.
• The musical piece to which the ballerina is dancing is titled " Waltz of the Chocolate Donut ".

Sets, props, and costumes [ ]

• The master systems display (nicknamed the "pool table") in main engineering was used for the first time in this episode. However, as " The Last Outpost " was broadcast before this episode, though produced later, the table is first seen in that episode. Main engineering also features many chairs and benches never seen again.
• The two vertical light panels flanking the wall mounted master systems display in main engineering are illuminated green (which is only visible in the color-corrected HD release; the original mistakenly shows them being yellow), an effect only seen in this episode.
• For the last time until Star Trek Generations a corridor leading to main engineering, which is located directly behind the office, is seen. Normally, that opening is closed by a fake wall with LCARS interfaces, which is only removed when main engineering is redressed as a corridor lounge.
• Among the items from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay is a pair of special effects make-up hands for The Traveler . [5] (X)

Special and visual effects [ ]

• Visual effects artist Robert Legato recalled that he had to devise the special effects for the "end of the universe" based on vague directions in the script. He noted, " I did it simply, at home in my basement, with water. I had always noticed water reflections on the wall, so I shot multiple layers of that through dissolved Mylar bits. It was peculiar and bizarre. And I used little suspended moving Christmas tree lights for the little blinkies. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion , 2nd ed., p. 37) Legato also described the creation of these effects in the TNG Season 5 DVD special feature "Departmental Briefing Year Five" ("Visual Effects").
• Director Rob Bowman recalls, " The effects in that episode were, at times, extremely frustrating and complex, so I didn't know what they were going to look like. It's tough to have people react to something that even I can't identify. Many special FX are just vaguely discussed during shooting and only finalized during post-production. So at times, that was difficult. " ("Rob Bowman – Director of a Dozen", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 10 , p. 15)

Continuity [ ]

• Wesley Crusher is given a field commission of acting ensign in this episode.
• Footage of the USS Fearless traveling next to the Enterprise -D was previously seen in " Encounter at Farpoint " (sans Deneb IV in the background), where the Excelsior -class vessel represented the USS Hood .
• When the illusory string quartet disappears, the crewman is sitting at a table with a small bottle and a glass on a tray. As both were originally created for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , the bottle features the Federation logo of that time.
• During Picard's speech towards the end of the episode, a crewmember is seen looking at an LCARS interface with directions to Holodeck 4J. This is the same graphic that was seen in " Encounter at Farpoint " when Commander William T. Riker was looking for the holodeck.
• Upon arrival at M-33, it is mentioned that a return trip to the Federation, using normal warp drive, through two galaxies, would take three hundred years. The time given is the same as that of the Kelvan 's trip in TOS : " By Any Other Name " from the Andromeda Galaxy .
• This is the only episode where Picard says "cease red alert" to stand down red alert.
• Despite The Traveler's admonition to Picard never to discuss their conversation regarding Wesley with either him or his mother, in " Journey's End ", both Beverly and Wesley discuss that conversation as if they had full and open knowledge of it.
• In this episode, Kosinski states that in "three centuries of space travel, we've charted just 11% of our galaxy." In " The Dauphin ", set one year later, Wesley notes an increased figure of 19%.
• The scene where Picard's mother appeared and offered him tea and a chat would be brought up in PIC : " Hide and Seek " where it was revealed that Yvette suffered from severe mental illness that she refused to treat, and her struggle with it would eventually lead Yvette to commit suicide in the 2310s , something which Picard blamed himself for as a child. This led him to often imagine what his mother would've been like had she survived to an older age - a thought which here becomes reality for a moment.

Reception [ ]

• Maurice Hurley commented, " Everything about that episode worked. That's when everybody started to hit their stride a little bit. The casting was good, the Traveler was wonderful, the optical effects were excellently outstanding. You could feel things starting to come together. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 158)
• Director Rob Bowman remembers, " It was a very enlightening script, the likes of which you don't very often see on television. I felt very fortunate that it was such a great script, but, personally, I was terrified because it was my first episode and I wanted to make a good impression. I worked on that show every day I had the script, which, including the shooting, was like twenty days for me. " ("Rob Bowman – Director of a Dozen", The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 10 , p. 13)
• A mission report titled "Where None Have Gone Before" by Robert Greenberger was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 3 , pp. 22-26.
• This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series in 1988 . The nominees were Sound Mixers Chris Haire , Doug Davey , Jerry Clemans , and Alan Bernard .

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 3 , catalog number VHR 2273, 2 July 1990
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 1.2, catalog number VHR 4643, 4 May 1998
• As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection
• As part of Star Trek: The Next Generation 25th Anniversary Event
• As part of the TNG Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge
• Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar
• Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
• Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
• Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Guest stars [ ]

• Stanley Kamel as Kosinski
• Eric Menyuk as The Traveler
• Herta Ware as Yvette Picard

Guest star [ ]

• Biff Yeager as Argyle

Featuring [ ]

• Charles Dayton as Crewmember
• Victoria Dillard as Ballerina

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• James G. Becker as Youngblood
• Byron Berline as command division officer
• Darrell Burris as operations division officer
• Dexter Clay as security officer
• Jeffrey Deacon as command division officer
• Emmy-Lou as Klingon Targ
• Nora Leonhardt as science division ensign
• Dennis Madalone as science division crewman
• Tim McCormack as Bennett
• Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
• Natalia Silverwood as civilian
• Command division officer
• Command division officer in a skant
• Eight operations division crewmembers
• Female command division officer
• Female science division crewmember
• Four rape gang members
• Male civilian
• Tasha's cat
• Three string quartet musicians
• Transporter chief (hand)
• Transporter chief (voice)

Stand-ins [ ]

• James G. Becker – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
• Darrell Burris – stand-in for LeVar Burton
• Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
• Susan Duchow – stand-in for Denise Crosby
• Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
• Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
• Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
• Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton

References [ ]

2064 ; 2415 ; 26th century ; ability ; acting ensign ; advice ; age ; Ajax , USS ; alien ; answer ; application ; arrogance ; assignment ; assistant ; astonishment ; attention ; auxiliary panel ; ballet ; battle stations ; Bessel function ; billion ; bridge ; calculation ; candle ; cat (" kittycat "); cello ; century ; chance ; chief engineer ; child ; choice ; commissioned officer ; computer ; concept ; concern ; controlled test ; conversation ; crisis ; cup ; curiosity ; danger ; day ; definition ; destination ; disposition ; distance ; distant future ; doctor ; door ; drill ; duty schedule ; earring ; Eine kleine Nachtmusik ; end of the universe ; energy ; ensign ; entrance application ; error ; exhaustion ; existence ; explanation ; explorer ; explosion ; fact ; fatigue ; Fearless , USS ; flashlight ; fire ; fraud ; friend ; French language ; full alert ; galaxy ; Galaxy -class decks ; general quarters ; genius ; graduate ; harm ; heading ; hearing ; history ; Holodeck 4J ; home ; Human ( mankind ); humanoid ; hundred ; hypospray ; idea ; ignorance ; information ; intermix formula ; joke ; Klingon ; Kosinski scale ; lens ; library ; lifeform ; life sign ; light year ; log entry ; luxury ; magic ; main computer ; malfunction ; maximum warp ; mechanics ; medical problem ; medical tricorder ; Milky Way Galaxy ; million ; minute ; minimalist ; mistake ; month ; Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus ; music ; name ; nature ; navigation sensor ; number one ; observation ; " on the double "; opportunity ; order ; outer rim ; painting ; parameter ; percent ; performance ; pet ; physiology ; place ; power ; pronunciation ; propulsion ; propulsion expert ; protostar ; puzzle ; question ; rank ; rape gang ; rate of speed ; reality ; reason ; reciprocal course ; record ; red alert ; rendezvous ; report ; retroactive course ; risk ; safety ; " scared to death "; school project ; science vessel ; scientific discovery ; screen ; sewer ; sickbay ; sleigh ride ; space ; spaceflight ; specs ; speed ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Command ; straight line ; strength ; stress ; string quartet ; study ; subspace ; subspace field compensator ; subspace message ; symbol ; symphony ; targ ; target acquisition ; Tau Alpha C ; tea ; teacher ; term ; theory ; thing ; third person ; thought ; thousand ; threat ; time ; toe shoes ; trading ; tradition ; transportation ; Transporter Room 3 ; traveler ; Traveler, The ; Triangulum Galaxy ( M-33 ); truth ; turbolift ; Turkana IV ; tutu ; unconsciousness ; understanding ; universe ; unnamed plants ; velocity ; vessel ; viola ; violin ; visitor ; VISOR ; Waltz of the Chocolate Donut ; warp barrier ; warp drive ; warp drive engine ; warp drive system ; warp field ; warp formula ; warp speed ; warp speed experiment ; week ; wig ; Worf's pet targ ; year

External links [ ]

• " Where No One Has Gone Before " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Where No One Has Gone Before " at Wikipedia
• " Where No One Has Gone Before " at the Internet Movie Database
• " Where No One Has Gone Before " at MissionLogPodcast.com
• "Where No One Has Gone Before" script at Star Trek Minutiae
• 1 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)
• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

Den of Geek

Every Star Trek TV Theme Song Ranked: From TOS and TNG to Discovery and Beyond

Star Trek has some of the best music in television history. And here's how the greatest themes stack up with one another.

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“Space… the Final Frontier.” Those words have a certain sound to them, and not just because you hear the voice of William Shatner or Patrick Stewart saying them. They have a sound to them because they’re associated with music, specifically some of the most iconic themes in television history.

Even more so than the cold opens that accompany most episodes of Star Trek , the themes need to capture the franchise’s sense of wonder, optimism, and discovery. They need to evoke in the mind of the watcher an endless horizon just waiting for a Starfleet crew to find.

Every Star Trek TV theme achieves this goal, albeit some better than others. So here’s our ranking of every theme song from the most pedestrian to the most inspiring.

11. Star Trek: The Animated Series

It’s so much easier to admire Star Trek: The Animated Series than it is to enjoy it. As much as the show manages to evoke the spirit and feel part of the Original Series on a cheap TV animation budget, one has to look past a lot of clunkiness to get to the good stuff.

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The same is true of the new theme music by Filmation composer Ray Ellis, under the pseudonym Yvette Blais and Jeff Michael. At times, the TAS theme captures the sense of wonder found in the Original Series theme. But too often it’s thin and tinny, hampered by flat orchestration and poorly-recorded horns. The composition itself isn’t too bad, but it feels quintessentially 1970s, dated in a way the best themes do not. Instead of boldly going, The Animated Series theme keeps things stuck in the world of Filmation.

10. Star Trek: Picard

Star Trek: Picard wanted to move the main character away from the respected captain we knew from The Next Generation . This was an older, more contemplative man, living in disgrace from even the organization through which he built his legend. The Picard theme by Jeff Russo reflects those intentions, a soft, almost discordant piece of music that eschews the stirring confidence of the other themes.

Russo works in elements of previous Star Trek music, namely the march of the TNG theme and the tune from “The Inner Light.” But no part connects with the other, feeling like a series of fragments more than a complete whole. Although one appreciates the daring in Russo’s composition for Picard , it’s much less enjoyable than most of the other themes. A good idea in theory, but not in execution, like much of Picard itself.

9. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

So much of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is about making something new with the familiar. Spun off from the very different Discovery , Strange New Worlds puts viewers back on the Enterprise , filled with familiar characters, including Uhura, Spock, and James T. Kirk himself. The theme by Jeff Russo tries to do the same, right down to the traditional spoken word intro, this time delivered by Anson Mount as Captain Pike.

Except, unlike the rest of SNW , the theme feels like a retread of glory days instead of a new interpretation of classic ideas. The song isn’t bad, combining the marching cadence of the TOS theme with the wistful hope of the modern themes. It’s a pleasing composition, but also unsurprising. It sounds more like an update of the classic Trek theme, which isn’t bad, but is a bit underwhelming.

8. Star Trek: Lower Decks

Almost every complaint lodged against the theme for Strange New Worlds also applies to Star Trek: Lower Decks . Although far more irreverent, Lower Decks goes back to a fan-favorite point in time, during the 1990s series, and its theme reflects that setting. Chris Westlake, who worked with showrunner Mike McMahan on Solar Opposites , emulates the tone of ’90s Trek shows, especially TNG .

The propulsive tune has the sense of adventure that one wants for a good Trek theme, threaded with notes of wonder and whimsey. Some might complain that the tune doesn’t indicate the show’s comedic elements, but that’s part of the Lower Decks charm. The show pokes loving fun at Star Trek , coming from a place of deep knowledge and respect for the franchise, which the theme song reflects.

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7. Star Trek: Discovery

The farther we get from the show’s first few seasons, the easier it is to see Star Trek: Discovery as the experimental, off-beat franchise entry that it is. That experimental aspect is reflected in the way the theme song from composer Jeff Russo integrates elements of the classic TOS theme, but then moves in its own direction.

Instead of just launching forward, the theme holds back. A bed of soft bass holds the theme together, giving space for playful strings. But the theme plays out in loosely connected pieces, never really coming together, even when it returns to notes of the TOS theme at the end. All of these elements signal an evolving series, one that has no one single identity—fitting for Discovery .

6. Star Trek: The Original Series

Alright, let’s just get this out of the way. The theme to Star Trek: The Original Series is iconic. There’s a reason that so many modern Trek themes quote the original. That said, there’s a reason that these themes only quote the start, the tinkling chimes that accompany the “Final Frontier” speech or the confident strings that follow.

No one quotes the rest of the theme, and there’s a reason for that. While the melody itself is pleasing and fits the exploration ideas of the show, nothing else in the song from Alexander Courage works. The vocals are cheesy and irritating, the bongos are too busy, drawing attention from the best parts of the song. Courage’s composition deserves credit for setting the standard, but no one is upset that the themes moved on from there.

5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Many ( including folks at Den of Geek ) put Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at the top of franchise rankings. The show’s moral complexity, its vision of different people and groups trying to come together, and its embrace of concepts such as large-scale war and religion make it hard to beat as the greatest entry in Star Trek history.

However, the theme by Dennis McCarthy doesn’t really hint at these titanic stakes—even after it was revamped in later seasons. Instead, the slow, contemplative theme evokes loneliness and even stagnation. A solo trumpet drives the theme, playing over the warm strings that rise and fall away. It makes for a beautiful work, but not one that stays in the mind like others.

4. Star Trek: Prodigy

Star Trek: Prodigy is easily the most unique of the Star Trek shows. Directed at kids with an animation style that recalls the Star Wars series on Disney+, yet still a sequel to Star Trek: Voyager , Prodigy doesn’t necessarily sound like an idea that would succeed. And yet, with its team of plucky kids and fantastic stories about established characters like Janeway, Chakotay, and Wesley Crusher , Prodigy embodies the Trek ethos better than any other current show.

That unique approach is highlighted in the show’s theme, which comes from none other than Michael Giacchino. The tune owes a debt to Voyager , unsurprisingly, but there’s also a lot of his work from the Kelvin universe movies in there, too. A warm, confident melody pushes the song forward, giving way for occasional moments of reflective calm and explosive propulsion. The song reflects the excitement of the show, in which a bunch of rowdy kids follow in the footsteps of respected travelers.

3. Star Trek: Enterprise

Yes. Really. Of course, we all recoiled in disgust the first time that we heard the lyrics “faith of the heart” greeting us to Enterprise’s premiere “Broken Bow.” Why abandon the orchestral themes that have always been part of the series? And why abandon them for a terrible adult contemporary number, one written by Diane Warren for the awful Robin Williams vehicle Patch Adams ?

But something strange happens by the time you get to episode 8. You start singing along. The radio-friendly licks and obvious hooks sink in and feel, somehow, right. And when the more up-tempo version kicks in with season three, we’re all channeling our inner Russell Watson to belt out our feelings. I guess you could say it’s a long road to loving “Where My Heart Will Take Me,” but we all get there eventually.

2. Star Trek: The Next Generation

Yes, this is a cheat. The music used in Star Trek: The Next Generation first came from Jerry Goldsmith’s score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture . But, honestly, do you associate that stirring march with Kirk in his pajamas, staring at the viewscreen? Or do you picture Jean-Luc Picard and Data and Q? Of course, it’s the latter, even if we’re watching a way-too-long sequence of the saucer section of the Enterprise-D separating.

The theme is a better fit for TNG than TMP anyway because it’s all about moving forward. Goldsmith’s composition strides forward, not even pausing for a second to second guess itself. Even when it softens for a reflective middle section, the theme keeps marching ahead, boldly going, all the way to its final triumphant flourish, keeping Trek alive for the next generation and beyond.

1. Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager may be the least loved among the first five series, but it has the most perfect theme of the entire franchise. Jerry Goldsmith nails it, combining the forward march of TNG with the sense of wonder from TOS and the loneliness of DS9 . This is a show about a ship lost in a distant quadrant, holding to their exploration ideals while remaining confident that they’ll get home.

Those aspects combine in the central tension of the theme, with the brass punching out its main melody and soft strings rising up, adding hints of sadness. Throughout the song come occasional chimes, highlighting the hopeful moments in Voyager ‘s journey, while never forgetting the danger and sadness in their plight. It’s everything wonderful about Star Trek , all presented in one minute and 40 seconds.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!