Coming of Age (S01E19)
Airdate: March 14th 1988
Written by: Sandy Fries
Directed by: Mike Vejar
Running Time: 46 minutes
Star Trek, throughout its storied history, was always going through a complex interplay between boundless imaginative ambition and the very real constraints of television production, network sensibilities, and narrative convention. Even The Next Generation, widely regarded as the franchise’s most sophisticated and mature iteration, was not exempt from these limitations. Yet, the true measure of the creators’ skill lay not in circumventing these boundaries, but in consistently delivering resonant, intelligent, and engaging content within them. It is against this demanding backdrop that Coming of Age, the nineteen of the first season, stands as a compelling, albeit imperfect, testament to that skill. While far from flawless, this episode successfully utilises its dual narrative structure to explore core Star Trek themes of meritocracy, trust, and institutional integrity, proving that significant dramatic weight could be borne even within the rigid episodic format and content restrictions of late 1980s network television.
The central plot revolves around a high-stakes scenario with palpable consequences for key characters. The USS Enterprise-D orbits Relva VII, the site of the Starfleet Academy entrance examinations. Among the prospective cadets is Wesley Crusher. He joins three other candidates: the human Oliana Mirren (Estee Chandler), the Vulcan T’Shanik (Tasia Valenza), and Mordock (John Putch), a member of the Benzite species. Mordock’s potential acceptance carries significant weight, as it would mark the first Benzite officer in Starfleet. The competitive pressure is explicit – only one candidate will be selected. Crucially, Sandy Fries’ script avoids simplistic rivalry; Wesley demonstrates genuine camaraderie and collaborative spirit with his peers, particularly Mordock. The climax hinges on a simulated crisis test, deliberately echoing the circumstances of Wesley’s father’s fatal accident. Wesley deals with this psychological gauntlet with commendable grace, seemingly passing. However, the objective metrics reveal Mordock’s superior score. Wesley’s gracious acceptance of this outcome – congratulating Mordock despite the crushing disappointment of needing another year aboard the Enterprise – represents a rare and vital moment of realistic, unvarnished characterisation. It directly confronts the audience’s frequent frustration with Wesley’s perceived Mary Sue tendencies, presenting him not as Gene Roddenberry’s idealised avatar, but as a talented yet fallible teenager capable of mature disappointment. This subtle shift was essential early groundwork for the character’s eventual, more credible development.
Running parallel is an investigation initiated by the Admiral Gregory Quinn (Ward Costello), an old friend of Captain Picard, accompanied by the abrasive Inspector General’s office representative, Lieutenant Commander Remick (Robert Schenkkan). Quinn’s discreet mission ostensibly assesses the Enterprise and its crew, though his true, unspoken concern lies with a nebulous but grave threat – potentially internal – to the Federation itself. Remick’s confrontational interrogation style, meticulously dissecting past incidents (a clever device referencing prior episodes), initially paints him as an antagonist. Yet, Schenkkan’s performance and Fries’ writing ensure Remick is portrayed not as a villain, but as a professional fulfilling a necessary, often unpleasant duty. His eventual approval of the crew, even volunteering for service, feels earned. Quinn’s subplot, while unresolved within the episode, is pivotal. His hinting at a deep-seated conspiracy within Starfleet’s highest echelons (a thread later paid off in Conspiracy, reportedly bolstered by uncredited rewrite work from Hannah Louise Shearer) was a bold step for early TNG. It signalled a willingness to move beyond pure episodic storytelling, embracing multi-episode arcs and suggesting a more complex, potentially flawed Federation – a clear evolution from the more self-contained narratives of The Original Series.
Director Michael Vejar, making his sole TNG contribution before becoming a mainstay on Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise, handles this dual narrative with commendable efficiency. Working within the series’ budgetary realities, he maximises the impact of relatively simple sets and matte paintings, particularly during the tense interrogation sequences where his framing and pacing build palpable atmosphere. The introduction of the Benzites stands as another significant positive. Their design – featuring a distinctive breathing apparatus integrated into John Putch’s heavy prosthetics – was genuinely inventive for the era, offering a convincing non-humanoid alien presence. Putch’s performance, conveying intelligence and dignity beneath the makeup, was strong enough to warrant his return in later episodes. Furthermore, the inclusion of T’Shanik, despite Gene Roddenberry’s initial resistance to featuring Vulcans in the new series, served as a subtle but important nod to established continuity, reinforcing the episode’s place within the wider Star Trek universe.
However, Coming of Age is marred by a significant narrative misstep: the subplot involving Wesley’s friend, Jerry Kurland (Stephen Gregory). After failing the Academy exams and dreading facing his father, Jerry impulsively hijacks a shuttlecraft intending to join a civilian freighter. His inexperience promptly leads to the shuttle being caught in Relva VII’s gravity well, creating a brief moment of peril. While Picard’s calm, authoritative guidance during the rescue is exemplary, showcasing his captaincy, the entire storyline feels jarringly superfluous. Jerry, as a one-off character, theoretically introduces genuine stakes – the possibility of death. Yet, his sudden, extreme reaction to exam failure lacks sufficient psychological grounding, rendering his actions implausible and his arc emotionally unconvincing. The resolution is perfunctory, serving primarily as a vehicle for Picard’s wisdom rather than contributing meaningfully to the episode’s core themes.
Furthermore, the episode suffers from a degree of predictability inherent to its early-season context. The audience, acutely aware that Wesley Crusher was a central figure unlikely to depart the series so soon, and that Picard’s devotion to the Enterprise was foundational, could easily deduce the outcomes: Wesley would not be accepted (allowing Mordock’s historic entry), and Picard would inevitably refuse Quinn’s offer of the Academy commandancy. While Quinn’s conspiracy hints provided intriguing future potential, the immediate resolution of both main plots felt somewhat foregone, diminishing the dramatic impact despite the solid execution of the character moments within them.
At the end of the day, Coming of Age exemplifies the early Next Generation’s struggle and occasional triumph in working within television’s constraints. It successfully leverages its dual narrative to deliver meaningful character development for Wesley (a crucial correction to his initial portrayal), introduces compelling new elements like the Benzites, and plants seeds for more complex, serialized storytelling within the Federation’s framework. Vejar’s direction is workmanlike yet effective, particularly in the interrogation scenes, and the script handles institutional critique with a degree of maturity. Yet, the ill-conceived Jerry Kurland subplot remains a jarring flaw, and the inherent predictability of the central outcomes, born of the show’s nascent status, prevents the episode from achieving true greatness. Nevertheless, it stands as a vital step in TNG’s evolution – a demonstration that even within the rigid format and content boundaries of its time, the series could craft episodes focused on genuine human (and alien) drama, institutional trust, and the quiet dignity of accepting defeat, proving that the Enterprise-D’s journey, much like Wesley’s, was one of gradual, hard-won maturity. It is a solid, thoughtful hour that, despite its stumbles, successfully navigates the very "coming of age" its title promises for the series itself.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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