The Good: Excellent acting, Good character development, Good effects, Excellent directing.
The Bad: Low on plot, Silly b-story
The Basics: In a wonderfully directed episode, Wesley Crusher finally leaves the Enterprise for StarFleet Academy, he only has to save himself and Picard, first!
Sometimes, there's a character in a television show that has a great character arc and when the actor or actress who plays them decides to give up acting, that character simply leaves as opposed to being killed off or such. In the case of Star Trek The Next Generation, Ensign Wesley Crusher's departure was long expected, even teased; he needed to grow up and go to the Academy. In "Final Mission," the teasing is over. This is Wesley Crusher's last mission aboard the starship Enterprise.
Time once more for Crusher to leave for Earth and StarFleet Academy, Picard enlists the young man to go on one final mission, aiding a pilot and himself in getting a small craft and its cargo where it needs to go. Unfortunately, shortly after they leave, the Enterprise is called away to deal with a radioactive garbage scow that is harming a nearby planet. Picard and Crusher and the pilot crashland on a desert moon where it appears they will dehydrate and die. They make for the distant mountains and discover a bit of water. Unfortunately, it's hidden behind a forcefield and in the attempts to get at it, Picard is critically wounded and the pilot is killed. That leaves Crusher with the last chance to save the Captain's life and his own.
Right away, I would like to say that "Final Mission" has two of the best transitions between scenes ever, both involving the sun. The explosion from the crash fades into the sun and it works perfectly. It's directorial genius and it's refreshing to see someone with an eye for style directing this episode. The two transitions works magnificently and that alone is worth the price of admission on this one.
The detraction to it is the contrivance of the plot. While the initial shuttle mission may be justified, the radioactive garbage scow is just a silly waste of time. It serves the function in the episode to keep the Enterprise from rescuing Wesley and the Captain, but it has the distinct feeling of being the entire reason for that part of the episode. The purpose here feels like the purpose and that's just insulting to our intelligence. Where's a good Romulan threat to keep the Enterprise away in a reasonable fashion?
It's obvious from the beginning that the point of the episode is to get rid of Wesley and to do it with style and in a way that leaves the option open for him to return later on. Despite that, it seems a worthwhile outing for Picard and Wesley.
That's refreshing, because Crusher deserved a good send off. He's been an important character all along.
What makes the episode work is the acting of the two main characters. Wil Wheaton and Patrick Stewart bond onscreen amazingly as Crusher and Picard, respectively. Wheaton is emotive and passionate in his attempts to save Picard's life and his desperation "reads" as very real and very needy. Stewart, for his part, plays being near death very convincingly.
It's an irony here that Wesley's final chance at being a hero as a regular does not result in any sort of good-bye scene between Wesley and his mother. That's fine, though; Wesley and the Captain have always had a far more meaningful and profound on-screen relationship than the Crushers ever did.
But, it's hard to recommend this episode to a non-fan; much of it deals with saying good-bye to Wesley and seems like an inside joke to those who care nothing for the character. It's like expecting a teary good-bye for a family member you don't know; it's an unrealistic expectation. Moreover, in their conversations, Wesley and Picard allude to "Samaritan Snare" (reviewed here!) and those who have not seen that episode will not appreciate the depth of the conversation here.
For those who are, though, this is a nice send off. And it's a better way to leave a character than Tasha Yar, Diana Muldar, and Gates McFadden were disappeared.
[Knowing that VHS is essentially a dead medium, it's worth looking into Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Complete Fourth Season on DVD, which is also a better economical choice than buying the VHS. Read my review of the fourth season by clicking here!
Thanks!]
6.5/10
For other Star Trek episode and movie reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2007, 2002 W.L,. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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