Summary
Even the biggestStar Trekfans have their least favorite characters. For many, that character is boy genius Wesley Crusher, whose unpopularity was apparent afterStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 1.
Since the debut ofStar Trekin 1966, it has become immortalized as one of the most popular series in science fiction history, yielding over twenty other shows and films within the franchise to date.Star Trek: TNGwas particularly beloved by audiences and critics and featured many fan-favorite characters,like Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan. However, the show faced criticism over Crusher, played by actor Wil Wheaton.
RELATED:Star Trek: 6 Things You Didn’t Know About Wesley Crusher
Fans still have issues with Crusher, who hasappeared in several otherStar Trektitlessince his 1987 debut inTNG. A recent Reddit post by @DannyBeech1988probed fans about the reason for their longstanding hatred. The post spawned a long thread of answers, and the consensus was that Crusher’s character was a poorly written ‘wunderkind’ or ‘Mary Sue/Gary Stu’ who was amazing at everything and seemingly operated without flaws. It was pointed out that Crusher was repeatedly used as a lazy deus ex machina device, saving the day too many times.
Another popular reason for fans disliking the wunderkind was the idea that Crusher was Gene Roddenberry’s self-insert character. It was discovered early on that Roddenberry’s middle name is Wesley, which only created more backlash around Crusher’s heroic role on the show. Many commenters also agreed the character felt pandering to children in the audience. “I was insulted because, if the stories, characters and graphics are good, geeks like me will watch,” one Redditor said, “having a kid on the bridge was way over the top.“Wesley Crusher’s baffling presence on the Starship Enterprisecontinues to spark debate.
Although many agreed the character was a major low point inThe Next Generationseason 1, some fans think the overall writing and the use of Crusher improved in season 2 and beyond. One fan claimed it was only after Roddenberry lost influence over the series that Crusher became “fair game,” facing the same odds and hurdles as the other characters without immunity.
Criticisms of the character and writing aside, fans in the thread made one thing clear: Crusher’s irritating nature was not due to Wheaton’s performance. “I feel bad for Wil Wheaton about the amount of hate he got and still does I imagine,” one Redditor added. Wheaton has spoken publicly aboutthe backlash he faced playing Wesley Crusher. In a blog post on his website, the actor wrote, “There was a time in my late teens and early twenties when I resentedStar Trek. It felt so unfair that people who had never met me were so cruel and hateful toward me as a person because they didn’t like a character I played on a TV show.”
Whether fans love Crusher or hate him, they can’t deny the staying power of Wheaton’s controversial character in a show that still has people quoting it over three decades after it first aired.
Star Trek: The Next Generationis currently streaming on Paramount Plus.
Star Trek
Star Trek is a space exploration franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The series has spanned shows like The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Voyager. More recently, developer Scopely came out with Star Trek Fleet Command, a mobile title where you can be captain of your own ship.
