Coming of Age

Old codger Admiral and Lt. Cmdr. Illya Kuryakin.	Benzites do drugs. They're bad, m'kay.	Japanese bloke who smiles too much.	Kid with a mullett.
(more images below)

Overview: While Wesley takes a Starfleet Academy entrance exam, the senior staff of the Enterprise are subjected to an enigmatic investigation.
Writer: Sandy Fries
Director: Mike Vejar

Anon²: Erm, apart from the Wesley Crusher aspect of the episode, it wasn't bad. There was a real paranoia about the crew in this episode because they were being questioned. There was a bit of disrespect for [Eric Cartman voice] authorita!

Anon: [Eric Cartman voice] Authroita! The inquisitor guy, Dexter Remmick was pretty good, I thought.

Anon²: Yeah.

Anon: He was a bit like an American version of David McCallum in The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Anon²: Yeah, apart from the Wesley stuff, I thought it was a decent episode. It wasn't brilliant; it wasn't great.

Anon: In fact, even the Wesley stuff - for him - wasn't bad.

Anon²: He's still a fucking muppet though, isn't he?

Anon: Yeah, but if you compare this to When The Bough Breaks or Justice, which were both Wesley episodes, this was better.

Anon²: He wasn't as sickening in this, but he's still got gay overtones. He seems to be more attracted to the male of the species than the female. Oh dear.

Anon: He's probably only joining Starfleet because he's got a uniform festish. Card-count?

Anon²: Two for you; one for me.

Anon: I got T'Shanik and Mordock.

Anon²: Yeah, and I picked up some other card randomly before you did.

Anon: Yeah, Rognok or Rondon. Something like that. You beat me to it by a second or so.

Anon²: Not even that. Half a second. Maybe a parsec, I don't know how long that is, but maybe a parsec.

Anon: I think that's a unit of distance.

Anon²: Could be, or it could just be bollocks. Anyway, not too many gripes about the episode. They actually... I've got to say, and I've probably said this before in previous commentaries, but Picard maintains a great character throughout all seven seasons. He's just the perfect actor. Patrick Stewart is exemplary. I think that's really why Next Gen made it through seven seasons.

Anon: Yeah, he holds it together. I think we saw the first shuttlecraft in Next Gen in this episode. I don't recall a shuttlecraft before this.

Anon²: No. Good, wasn't it? I'm being sarcastic by the way.

Anon: Yeah, some kid with a mullett stole a shuttlecraft. It was the C-plot to the episode.

Anon²: It was one of those episodes that just passed by. I wasn't really fussed about it either way. That sums it up.

Anon: It leads into the Conspiracy storyline...

Anon²: It does. First story arc in Next Gen.

Anon: Although it only runs through two episodes.

Anon²: Even so, it was the first attempt at something else going on. As far as development of characters is concerned, it's still early days and you haven't got anything happening with any of the characters. This was the first foray into that although it wasn't necessarily about any of the crew. Erm, can you be arsed to say anymore?

Anon: (pause) No. The next episode...

Anon²: (laughs) I didn't think you'd have much more to say! You're longingly looking at something I've got here.

Anon: For the sake of the recording, that something is not your willy.

Anon²: (laughs) Oh my God!

Anon: The next episode is Heart of Glory, some Klingon episode.

Anon²: Oh, is that the one where they swap ships?

Anon: No, that's A Matter Of Honor in season two. Anyway, we'll be seeing you soon.

- Anon & Anon², 31-Jul-2009