Star Trek: The Next Generation - 10 Best Episodes Not About The Main Cast
9. The First Duty
Though he began life on Star Trek: The Next Generation as a main character, Wesley Crusher was relegated to guest star once Wil Wheaton decided to step away from the show. The First Duty depicts Wesley at Starfleet Academy, engaged in the cover up of an accident that resulted in the death of another cadet.
The episode is an absolute triumph. Guest star Robert Duncan McNeill would of course return as Tom Paris in Star Trek: Voyager, yet as Nichols Locarno he is the arrogant leader of the elite group of cadets, a group that most likely served as the template for Red Squad.
The episode also introduces the audience to Sito Jaxa, the Bajoran cadet who was also a member of the group.
While there are many moments that shine in the episode, it is the speech that Picard delivers to Wesley outlining the importance of the truth in Starfleet, be it scientific truth or personal truth. Wesley had been the 'kid' of the ship, annoying at times but good natured and good humoured. Seeing him dressed down by Picard was a stark reminder that it didn't matter what the relationship between them was - Wesley had let Picard down, he let the uniform down and he had let himself down.
An excellent tale about the dangers of arrogance.