‘THE FIRST DUTY’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This episode features the second return guest appearance of Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher in Season 5 of ‘Star Trek: TNG’. Sadly, unlike ‘The Game’ before it, this story is a rather unhappy occasion.
The episode has the Enterprise on its way to Earth where Captain Picard is to deliver the commencement address at Starfleet Academy’s graduation ceremony. He hopes to see Wesley again.
Unfortunately before arriving on Earth, Picard receives a communication from Jacqueline Brookes as Admiral Brand. She informs him there’s been this accident involving Wesley. Thankfully he’s not dead.
Apparently this accident happened during a flight training exercise that injured Wesley in the process. It also caused the very sad and tragic death of Wesley’s fellow Nova Squadron member, Joshua Albert.
Upon arrival on Earth, Picard and Beverly Crusher go and see Wesley to check how he is. Understandably Wesley is in shock and upset. But is Wesley hiding anything from Picard and his mom?
Very soon, Picard and Beverly get to meet Wesley’s best friend and Nova Squadron leader, Robert Duncan McNeill as Nicholas Locarno. This is the first ‘Star Trek’ contribution by Robert Duncan McNeill.
Robert Duncan McNeill is well-known for playing Tom Paris in the ‘Star Trek: Voyager’ series. In fact, the Nicholas Locarno character was the first template for developing Tom Paris in the ‘Voyager’ series.
It’s ironic that the Nicholas Locarno and the Tom Paris character would be played by the same actor in ‘Star Trek’. It’s also very ironic that the two characters would share similar traits and characteristics.
As well as Nicholas Locarno, there’s also Walker Brandt as Jean Hajar and Shannon Fill as Sito Jaxa in Wesley’s Nova Squadron team. These female characters also join Nick Locarno with hiding something.
The episode also features the first appearance of Ray Walston as Boothy, the groundskeeper of Starfleet Academy and Starfleet Headquarters. Boothby has been mentioned a few times in the series.
Apparently on re-watching this episode, my parents recognised Ray Walston for appearing in the musical film, ‘South Pacific’. I didn’t realise this until my parents mentioned it and I checked it up later.
Picard meets up with Boothby to reunite with him. Boothby seems a wise yet cranky old soul tending the Starfleet gardens. Yet there seems to be a pretty special relationship between Boothby and Picard.
The episode also features Ed Lauter as Lt. Commander Albert, the father of the sadly deceased Joshua Albert. He has some nice scenes with Wesley and is clearly mourning over the loss of his departed son.
However, during the deposition, Nick Locarno testifies that the accident happened when his team were doing a ‘Yeager Loop’ manoeuvre. Nick Locarno also says it was Joshua Albert’s fault for being nervous.
Despite the testimonies made, the evidence doesn’t add up as satellite imagery tells a different story. The four cadets, including Wesley, are tight-lipped over this. It makes Picard concerned and suspicious.
Because of this, Picard orders his Enterprise crew to investigate the accident. They soon come up with evidence to the contrary of the cadets’ testimony. It seems that a plasma explosion occurred in space.
Picard sees Wesley in his ready room aboard the Enterprise and reveals to him what he and his crew have found out. Apparently it seems Wesley’s squad weren’t performing the ‘Yeager Loop’ manoeuvre.
It’s suggested that Wesley’s team were performing the ‘Kolvoord Starburst’ manoeuvre instead of the ‘Yeager Loop’ manoeuvre. Apparently the ‘Kolvoord Starburst’ manoeuvre had been banned years ago.
I found that scene painful to watch where Picard threatens Wesley to reveal the truth or else he’ll present the evidence himself. It demonstrates the quality of very good writing within a ‘Star Trek’ tale.
Wesley has to make a hard choice of whether to not tell the truth about what happened to support his friends or to tell the truth and save his Starfleet career. It’s a decision that tears Wesley apart greatly.
‘The First Duty’ is not what I call a favourite episode of mine from the ‘TNG’ series. But saying that, it has some really good performances from the cast and a good story that challenges Wesley’s character.
‘The First Duty’ (TNG) rating – 8/10
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