Memory Alpha

Coming of Age (episode)

  • View history
  • 1.2 Act One
  • 1.3 Act Two
  • 1.4 Act Three
  • 1.5 Act Four
  • 1.6 Act Five
  • 1.7 Log entry
  • 2 Memorable quotes
  • 3.1 Production history
  • 3.2 Story and script
  • 3.3 Production
  • 3.4 Cast and characters
  • 3.5 Continuity
  • 3.6 Sets and props
  • 3.7 Reception
  • 3.9 Video and DVD releases
  • 4.1 Starring
  • 4.2 Also starring
  • 4.3 Guest stars
  • 4.4 Co-stars
  • 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
  • 4.6 Stand-ins
  • 4.7.1 Unreferenced material
  • 4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Good luck Wesley

Wishing Wesley well

Wesley Crusher runs through a corridor to catch up with his friend Jake Kurland and tell him he's sorry that Jake didn't make the final exam for Starfleet Academy . Jake was short just 32 points, but says it is okay and wishes Wes the best, though he appears troubled as Wes leaves for Transporter room 8. The USS Enterprise -D is in orbit around Relva VII , where Wesley is taking the Starfleet Academy entrance exam . Captain Picard 's old friend, Admiral Gregory Quinn is also at Relva and he requests to beam aboard immediately. He brings Lieutenant Commander Dexter Remmick with him, and wants a private meeting with Picard, on official business, much to the confusion of both Picard and Commander Riker . The three officers go directly to the ready room .

Act One [ ]

Arriving at Picard's ready room, Quinn announces to the captain that Remmick is with the Inspector General 's office and is on board the ship to conduct a thorough investigation of the Enterprise . According to Quinn, there is something seriously wrong on the Enterprise , but he won't tell Picard what it is. He emphasizes that Picard is under orders to cooperate fully with the investigation.

On Relva, Wes is in the testing center examining a flux coordinating sensor , when a Human girl comes in the room. She introduces herself as Oliana Mirren . She is also taking the test, and claims she's heard of Wesley's reputation aboard the Enterprise . Then a Vulcan , T'Shanik , enters, along with a Benzite , Mordock . In much the same way Oliana has heard of Wes, Wes has heard of Mordock; he constructed the Mordock Strategy . The officer in charge of the test, Lieutenant Chang , enters. He tells them that they are all top candidates and any of them could qualify, but only one of them can go forward to the academy this year. He warns them that the test will be challenging, as well as exhausting and wishes them the best. The candidates all take to their consoles to begin.

Remmick observing bridge crew

" Just having that guy around makes me feel guilty. "

Later, Remmick is on the bridge , entering information rapidly into his PADD and watching the crew, who are not happy with his presence. Sensing the crew's unease, Riker goes to the ready room to ask Picard what is going on. Picard tells him he doesn't know. Riker is unhappy with this, and he returns to bridge in a huff. Remmick asks and then demands that Riker talk to him, but Riker adamantly refuses, claiming that he has duties to attend to and leaves the bridge on a turbolift .

Act Two [ ]

Down on the planet, the candidates are finishing one part of the exam, the hyperspace physics test. Oliana comments how lucky Wes and Mordock are that everything comes so easy to them, but Wesley denies this, saying he has to study hard. Oliana, who has taken a liking to Wes, says that he's lucky that he's cute, because his statement could be taken as obnoxious by someone else. As Oliana leaves, Wes can hardly believe he's just been flattered by such an attractive girl but begins to second-guess himself when he tries to explain Oliana's behavior to Mordock.

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Riker apologizes to Picard for his earlier behavior, and agrees to go with Remmick to the ready room for an interview. Remmick questions Riker about discrepancies in the captain's logs. Unnerved, Riker argues that any questions about Picard should be brought to Picard himself face-to-face. Remmick vehemently reminds Riker that he is required to answer his questions unless he is trying to hide something. After a beat, Riker reluctantly agrees to proceed. Later, Remmick asks La Forge in engineering about the incident with Kosinski and the Traveler , and La Forge is coerced into acknowledging that the captain ultimately lost control of the ship. He then questions Troi about the incident with the Ferengi and USS Stargazer , concluding that it demonstrated a mental lapse on Picard's part.

Some time later, Wesley is in an empty holodeck when Worf enters. Worf asks him about how his testing is coming along, and Wes says that he's felt prepared for most of them. However, he's most worried about the psych test, a test that confronts the examinee with their greatest fear. Wesley admits that he's in the holodeck because he has no idea what his greatest fear is, and he's trying to figure out what images might scare him the most. Worf tells him there's no point in worrying about something that you can't change and reveals that his own greatest difficulty is depending on someone else for his life. Wes realizes that, as part of being an officer, Worf faces that fear every day. When Wes asks if that means Worf has overcome his fear, Worf replies that, "it is still my enemy."

Jake Kurland in stolen shuttle

" Young men sometimes make rash choices. "

Meanwhile, on the bridge, Tasha Yar detects an unauthorized entry to the shuttlebay – it is Jake Kurland. He steals a shuttle , intending to sign onto a freighter at Beltane IX , unable to face his father after he failed to make the entrance exam. Picard orders him to return to the ship, but Jake refuses out of fear of his father's reaction. This causes him to lose concentration on his flying for a moment and he accidentally unbalances the dilithium reactor, and his engine stalls. He is heading for Relva VII's atmosphere, where he will burn up. The tractor beam won't work and he's out of transporter range. He can't get the engine started as it needs time to cool down, and he starts to panic.

Act Three [ ]

In a calm voice, Picard orders Jake to point the nose of the shuttle towards the planet. Jake initially resists, not realizing Picard's plan, but Picard forcefully repeats the order and Jake does as he's told. Picard tells him to restart the engines and pull up hard when he reaches a certain speed. Jake does this and manages to pull out in time. All on the bridge cheer, including Remmick, who is astounded at what he saw, and La Forge explains that Jake built up enough speed, and then bounced the shuttle off the atmosphere. Remmick then questions Picard on how he got access to the shuttle, but Picard assures him that he will get a refresher in discipline from Commander Riker.

Meanwhile, down on Relva, Wesley and Mordock are stopped by a tall Starfleet officer called Rondon in a corridor. He has a package for the operations department and asks where it is. Wesley steers him in the right direction, as he leaves, he bumps into Wesley's shoulder and starts to insult him. Wes begins to apologize, but suddenly Chang arrives, wondering what the problem is. Wes begins to explain, but Rondon interrupts with more insults, and raises a hand. Wes seems to realize something, and suddenly stops apologizing and starts shouting at Rondon. All of a sudden, Rondon's mood changes and he laughs while telling Wesley that he likes him and leaves. Chang asks what happened, and Wes says he noticed from his webbed hands that he was a Zaldan , and Zaldans hate courtesy. They view it as insincere behavior meant to cover up true emotions . Chang congratulates him and tells him it was part of the test, and explains that not all tests are announced, or what they appear to be. Mordock gravely admits he wouldn't have passed, as he was unaware Zaldans have webbed fingers.

Remmick interrogates Data

" There is a problem with this ship, Mister Data. "

Remmick interviews other crewmembers, among them Worf and Data , who says that there is nothing wrong with Picard, despite Remmick's claim to the contrary. He also questions Dr. Crusher , asking her how she feels serving with the man who was responsible for the death of her husband . She says her personal feelings are irrelevant to the investigation and none of Remmick's business. He finally questions Picard himself regarding his violation of the Prime Directive with the Edo . Picard is at the end of his patience and points out that Remmick must have all the information he needs, as he has interviewed every officer on the ship. Remmick cryptically fires back, wondering that Picard is afraid that he will be found guilty if Remmick keeps investigating. Now angry, Picard retorts that the only thing he is guilty of is allowing Quinn's charade to go on this long. He storms out of the room and heads for Quinn's quarters to find out what's really going on.

Act Four [ ]

Picard demands that Quinn tell him what is going on. Quinn tells him Remmick's report is nearly due and needs more time but relents and calls for Remmick. Nearly at his wit's end, Picard tells Quinn that this investigation has put a strain on their friendship, which Quinn acknowledges and sincerely regrets, but insists that it has been necessary.

Back on Relva VII, the candidates are taking the dynamic relationships test and Mordock is having trouble, so Wes helps him. Mordock finishes first, and Chang comes in and tells him his time was the second fastest ever for this particular test. Mordock admits that he does not deserve the honor and that Wes helped him, but Chang knows this. Chang matter-of-factly states to Wes that his choice might not have been the best one, considering that he and Mordock are neck and neck for the lead in overall score. There is only one test left – the psych test.

Remmick makes his report to Quinn and tells him he could find no problem on the Enterprise despite his best efforts. The only thing of note he found was a 'casual familiarity' among the bridge crew, but he believes that comes from a sense of teamwork and a feeling of family. Quinn is satisfied and dismisses him, but before he leaves, he lets Picard know that he wants to transfer to the Enterprise once his tour in the Inspector General's office is up in six months, much to Picard's visible discomfort. Quinn urges Picard not to judge Remmick too harshly, as he is a good officer. He then finally explains that the purpose of the investigation was that he had to be sure about Picard. He says there is increasing reports of problems and erratic behavior among those in high positions in the Federation and that he believes someone is trying to destroy it, though he doesn't know if the threat is external or internal. He says he needs people he can trust, and close to him, and offers Picard a promotion to admiral and take over as Commandant of Starfleet Academy . Picard says he doesn't think he's the best man for the job but promises to think about it.

Act Five [ ]

Psych test

Wesley faces his fears

Lieutenant Chang leads Wes to Room 101 where the psych test will take place, and notes that Mordock will be finished with his in a moment. Just then, a visibly shaken Mordock walks out the door, barely aware of his surroundings. Wesley asks him if he is alright, to which Mordock replies, he will be in time. Wes nervously watches Mordock leave before Chang ushers him into the room and wishes him luck. The room is empty except for a chair.

For a long while, nothing happens. Wes wonders for a moment if the proctors forgot about his exam, making him more nervous. Then, without warning, a large bang is heard outside. Wes tentatively goes out to investigate, and finds the corridor is deserted. Suddenly, explosions, klaxons and cries for help ring out through the corridor and Wes runs towards them, finally realizing they are coming from the environmental lab. A computer voice indicates that the lab will be sealed off in sixty-five seconds. Wes yells for assistance, but no one is coming. He is the only one who can help. He opens the door and finds the lab is virtually destroyed. Debris and live wires are strewn everywhere, broken pipes are venting gaseous chemicals, and two technicians are calling for help. One is trapped under a fallen pipe and the other is frozen with panic at the far end of the lab and won't leave. Wes learns that the liquid hydrogen stored in the lab is about to explode, and if they don't get out quickly, the computer will seal them in to contain the explosion. He attempts to convince the fearful technician to come and help free the other man, but he won't move.

Wes frees the trapped man, and drags him out, but has only just enough time to get him out before the lab is sealed off. Just as Wes picks himself up, he finds Lt. Chang standing over him. Wes frantically tries to explain what happened, but Chang stops him and tells him it's alright. The technician Wes had saved stands up, unhurt, and thanks Wesley, while the other walks out of the lab, very much alive, and gives Wes a wink and a nod. Wes now realizes that this was the psych test, confronting his fear of having to choose between saving one man and leaving another behind. This was because the same situation resulted in the death of his father. Wes had overcome his fear and made a similar choice; whom he chose was not as important as the fact he actually chose to save whom he could; Wes had passed the test.

Some time later, Chang says he's proud of all the candidates and hopes they will all return next year. He reveals that Mordock has won, and although Mordock protests that Wes shouldn't have lost points because Wes helped him, Chang tells him that Wes' help wasn't the only difference between them. With this, Mordock becomes the first Benzite in Starfleet. The other candidates congratulate him, and Oliana gives Wes a friendly warning that she won't be easy to beat next year.

Picard reveals a secret

" And you may not tell anyone! "

On the Enterprise , Picard is walking down the corridor when he meets Jake, who apologizes for what he did. Picard reminds him that running away solves nothing but compliments him for keeping his wits about him. He finds Wesley in the observation lounge . He tells Picard that he failed the exam and let him down. Picard disagrees, saying that as long as he did his best, and would improve next year, he shouldn't worry. He reminds Wes that the only person he is truly competing against is himself. He then confides to the young man that he failed the test the first time himself. With Wesley's spirits lifted, he and Picard exit the lounge for Admiral Quinn's dinner. Picard tells Wesley on the way out that he unfortunately must disappoint an old friend. Later, Quinn is leaving, and says he's sorry that Picard turned down the promotion. Picard promises that he will be ready if Quinn needs him. With that Quinn beams back down to Relva.

Enterprise-D crew depart Relva VII

" Mr. Crusher, engage. "

Picard arrives on the bridge and orders Wesley, resuming his duties as acting ensign, to set a course for Algeron IV . With that, the Enterprise warps away.

Log entry [ ]

  • Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2364

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Thinking about what you can't control only wastes energy and creates its own enemy. "

" Only fools have no fear. "

" Expect the unexpected. "

" Any problem with using your ready room, Captain? " " No, Mr. Remmick. Be my guest. "

" You're an android , correct? " " Yes, sir. " " And as an android, you are programmed to tell the entire truth? " " Yes, sir. " " There's a problem with this ship, Mr. Data. It's in the records. Somewhere. I need your help to find it. " " All of the ship's records are available to you, sir. " " But this information is very cleverly hidden. Your captain is not what he appears to be. Do not forget you have loyalty to Starfleet above all else. " " Loyalty is not the issue, Commander. There is nothing wrong with Captain Picard or the ship's logs. Therefore, there must be something wrong with your original assumption. " " That is not acceptable, Mr. Data. " " Acceptable or not, sir… it is the truth. "

" Just how did this contaminant come on board? " " By accident, sir. " " Meaning that Captain Picard has no standing procedure for this type of situation? " " No. Meaning by accident … sir. " " You don't like me very much, do you? " " Is it required, sir? "

" My personal feelings about Captain Picard are irrelevant to this investigation… and none of your business. "

" Mr. Remmick, you have talked to every member of this ship. I think you've had enough time to find out whatever it is you're looking for. " " Are you afraid if I keep looking that I'll find you're guilty? " " The only thing I'm guilty of is allowing this charade to go on so long. "

" How dare you! I am Rondon, you despicable Mellanoid slime worm ! LIAR!! " " Who do you think you're bullying?! You bumped into me! It was your mistake! You were at fault! Do you want this to become violent? " " Friend. I like you. "

" A very strange reaction. " " Not really. When he raised his hand, I saw that it was webbed – the sign of a Zaldan. " " But you became hostile. " " Zaldans are infuriated by courtesy – they view it as a form of phony social behavior designed to cover true feelings. "

" Was this 'incident' deliberate? " " It's important to know how you… candidates deal with other cultures, other species… " " Then it was a test! " " Yes… not all tests are announced or…what they appear to be. "

" Zaldans have webbed fingers… hmph. I wouldn't have passed. "

" Did you hear what she said, Mordock? She said I was cute. " " Is that good, Wesley? " " Yes… I think. "

" Mr. Crusher… you're next. "

" I failed, sir. I didn't get into the academy. I failed you, and I failed the Enterprise . " " Ridiculous. Did you do your best? " " Yes. "

" I failed the first time, and you may not tell anyone. " " You? You failed? " " Yes, but not the second time. "

Background information [ ]

Wesley birthday

Wesley's party

Relva VII matte painting

The original matte painting of Relva VII

Coming of age live action plate

The live action plate of filming of a scene

Production history [ ]

  • Second draft story outline: 28 October 1987
  • Four-page memo of story notes: 4 November 1987
  • Robert H. Justman memo of story notes: 21 December 1987
  • Breakdown of optical costs by Dan Curry : 23 December 1987
  • Second revised final draft script: 29 December 1987
  • Third revised final draft script: 30 December 1987 [1]
  • A day of filming: 12 February 1988 ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 154 , p. 26)
  • Premiere airdate: 14 March 1988
  • UK premiere airdate: 6 February 1991

Story and script [ ]

  • Although scripted by Sandy Fries , "Coming of Age" was rewritten by Hannah Louise Shearer . ( Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation ) An early draft of the episode's script, written by Fries, had the working title "Starfleet Academy" and was written while the episode's director had not yet been selected.
  • Starting with this episode, Maurice Hurley took over the job of showrunner from Gene Roddenberry . Hurley was concerned that the show's writing process had stalled under Roddenberry's leadership, and so personally paid for a holiday for Roddenberry and Majel Barrett on the understanding that he would take over while they were gone. Upon his eventual return, Roddenberry opted to leave Hurley in charge of the writing staff. ( William Shatner Presents: Chaos on the Bridge )
  • Robert H. Justman suggested several changes to improve episode flow and cut costs in a 21 December 1987 memo, including adding an orbital shot to open the episode, noting that a cut to Wesley and Worf in a "calm" program on the holodeck may confuse viewers and be unnecessarily costly, instead recommending shooting in a corridor or the observation lounge (the shot would end up set on the empty hologrid,) and suggesting a single scene featuring Argyle be adapted for one of the regulars (La Forge or Yar) rather than bring in an additional actor. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 16 , p. 12)

Production [ ]

  • A scene cut for time showed Wesley and the whole bridge crew celebrating his sixteenth birthday. The script named the location of the scene as "Deck 21 Forward Lounge", probably an early predecessor of Ten Forward . The scene also featured a short, humorous bit: Data asks Worf how Klingons celebrate their birthdays , and Worf replies that they do not. Data then asks him, how does he know how old he is. Worf replies: he doesn't know and asks Data how does he know, with Data replying that he has no age. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion  (2nd ed., pp. 29 & 51); [2] )

Cast and characters [ ]

  • Ward Costello and Robert Schenkkan both reprise their roles in the episode " Conspiracy ".
  • This episode was the first time on Star Trek for John Putch . He later appeared as Mendon in TNG : " A Matter Of Honor " and as a journalist in Star Trek Generations .
  • Robert Ito can be seen as John Kim in VOY : " Author, Author " and Daniel Riordan as a Bajoran deputy in DS9 : " Progress " and as Duras, son of Toral in ENT : " Judgment " and ENT : " The Expanse ".

Continuity [ ]

  • This episode lays the groundwork for the season's penultimate episode, " Conspiracy ". Dexter Remmick makes a return in that episode, as does Gregory Quinn .
  • This episode was the first to be directed by Mike Vejar , and it was the only time he directed an episode of TNG. He returned to Star Trek in 1997 , when he began directing episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . He continued directing until 2005 , when Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled.
  • Remmick makes reference to the events of " The Naked Now ", " Justice ", " Where No One Has Gone Before ", and " The Battle ".
  • Wesley's repeat Starfleet exams, which Picard insists that he will take the next year, can be seen in " Samaritan Snare " although the testing itself is not shown with the drama associated with the "psych test".
  • Room 101 might be a reference to George Orwell 's novel 1984 , where Room 101 was used to psychologically break the subjects by torturing them with their greatest fears.
  • While Remmick's conversation with Tasha Yar wasn't shown, it is assumed to have happened since Picard said to Remmick that he had spoken to every member of the crew.
  • While in the Academy testing room, the other candidates ask Wesley Crusher if he's old enough to qualify for Academy entry and he replies that he will be 16 next month. This implies that the age requirement to be admitted to Starfleet Academy is 16.

Sets and props [ ]

  • The original matte painting of the Relva VII surface is in the possession of Dan Curry and displayed in his house. ( TNG Season 6 DVD special feature, "Departmental Briefing Year Six – Profile: Dan Curry"). The same background painting was originally created by him for Universal Studios ' science fiction television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century , where it appeared as the Aldebaran II spaceport in the 1979 two-part episode "The Plot to Kill a City", reused for the later, same season episode "Planet of the Amazon Women" [3] , and was only slightly modified by its creator for its Star Trek appearance, among others by adding the Starfleet symbols on the dome. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia  (3rd ed., p. 405))
  • This episode features the first appearance of a shuttlecraft model on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Reception [ ]

  • A mission report by Patrick Daniel O'Neill for this episode was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine  issue 5 , pp. 49-52.
  • UK premiere airdate: 6th February 1991
  • This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series in 1988 , namely Michael Westmore , Werner Keppler , Gerald Quist , and Rolf John Keppler .

Video and DVD releases [ ]

  • Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 10, catalog number VHR 2439, 1 April 1991
  • UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 1.7, catalog number VHR 4648, 7 September 1998
  • As part of the TNG Season 1 DVD collection
  • As part of the TNG Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

  • Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
  • Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

Also starring [ ]

  • LeVar Burton as Lt. Geordi La Forge
  • Denise Crosby as Lt. Tasha Yar
  • Michael Dorn as Lt. Worf
  • Gates McFadden as Doctor Beverly Crusher
  • Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
  • Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data
  • Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher

Guest stars [ ]

  • Ward Costello as Gregory Quinn
  • Robert Schenkkan as Dexter Remmick
  • John Putch as Mordock
  • Robert Ito as Chang
  • Stephen Gregory as Jake Kurland
  • Tasia Valenza as T'Shanik

Co-stars [ ]

  • Estee Chandler as Oliana Mirren
  • Brendan McKane as Technician #1
  • Wyatt Knight as Technician #2
  • Daniel Riordan as Rondon

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

  • James G. Becker as Youngblood
  • Darrell Burris as operations officer
  • Dan Campise as operations officer
  • Dexter Clay as operations officer
  • Jeffrey Deacon as command officer
  • Nora Leonhardt as sciences officer
  • Tim McCormack as Bennett
  • Lorine Mendell as Diana Giddings
  • Burt Nacke as Relva VII engineer
  • Richard Sarstedt as command officer
  • Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
  • Command officer
  • Female sciences officer
  • Female transporter officer
  • Five civilians
  • Nine Relva VII Starfleet officers
  • Operations officer
  • Relva VII female test computer voice
  • Relva VII male computer voice
  • Relva VII technician 1 and 3
  • Three command crewmembers
  • Two operations crewmembers

Stand-ins [ ]

  • James G. Becker – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
  • Darrell Burris – stand-in for LeVar Burton
  • Dexter Clay – stand-in for Michael Dorn
  • Jeffrey Deacon – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
  • Susan Duchow – stand-in for Denise Crosby
  • Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
  • Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
  • Lorine Mendell – stand-in for Gates McFadden
  • Guy Vardaman – stand-in for Wil Wheaton

References [ ]

22nd century ; 2348 ; " above all else "; accident ; accuracy ; admiral ; age requirement ; Algeron IV ; " all right "; " all the time "; android ;` answer ; antimatter ; antimatter tank ; aquarium ; arch ; area ; assumption ; " as you wish "; " at fault "; " at least "; " at length "; atmosphere ; atmospheric entry ; " at once "; bay launch door ; Beltane IX ; Benzite ; birthday ; breathing apparatus ; bridge crew ; Bulgallian rat ; bullying ; calculation ; candidate ; Captain's log ; cargo ; cargo management unit ; charade ; choice ; channel ; cockpit ; " come on "; commandant ; competition ; computer ; conspiracy ; Constellation -class ; contamination ; course ; courtesy ; cooperation ; Copernicus ; corridor ; courtesy ; Crusher, Jack R. ; culture ; day ; Deimos ; desktop monitor ; dilithium reaction ; discipline ; dress uniform ; dynamic relationships test ; Edo ; effect ; elevator ; Emergency Manual Override station ; enemy ; energy ; Enterprise , USS ; Enterprise -D, USS ; Enterprise models ; environmental maintenance lab ; evidence ; " excuse me "; experience ; explosion ; extricator ; " face to face "; failure ; family ; farewell dinner ; fear ; Federation ; feeling ; Ferengi ; finalist ; finger ; fish ; flight emergency override ; flux coordinating sensor ; fool ; freighter ; friend ; friendship ; Galaxy -class ; generosity ; glass ; " good luck "; guest ; guest quarters ; hand ; Henry V ; history ; holodeck ; hour ; hyperspace physics ; hyperspace physics test ; ID number ; idea ; image ; impact ; information ; " in my way "; " in person "; inquiry ; Inspector General ; intention ; intermix ratio ; investigation ; job ; kilometer ; Klingon ; knowledge ; Kosinski ; Kurland ; law ; leader ; leg ; liar ; lightning storm ; light year ; liquid hydrogen ; Livingston ; log record ; log report ; loyalty ; machine ; main shuttlebay ; main viewer ; maneuvering jet ; Mars ; matter ; matter tank ; Mellanoid slime worm ; mental lapse ; mind altering machine ; mission ; mistake ; mister ; model ; month ; Mordock Strategy ; NCC-7100 ; " none of your business "; number one ; observation lounge ; office ; officer ; " one by one "; " on my way "; " one way or the other "; Operations center ; orbit ; order ; Orion sector ; package ; PADD ; painting ; performance ; person ; personality ; phony ; politics ; power ; preliminary test ; Prime Directive ; problem ; promotion ; psych test ; psychological evaluation ; psychological profile ; question ; ratio ; ready room ; reason ; record ; relationship ; Relva VII ; report ; result ; " right now "; room ; sculpture ; seat ; second ; " see you later "; senior staff ; shut-off valve ; shuttlecraft ; shuttle drone ; " sit down "; skant ; social behavior ; " so far "; species ; speed ; standard orbit ; starbase ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Academy entrance exam ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Operational Support Services ; Stargazer , USS ; student ; success ; surprise ; TAC officer ; teamwork ; test ; test score ; theory ; thing ; threat ; three-dimensional chess ; time ; tour of duty ; tractor beam ; tractor lock ; training ; trajectory ; transporter range ; transporter room eight ; trick question ; truth ; turbolift ; Type 7 shuttlecraft ; universe ; unnamed plants ; value ; viewscreen ; VISOR ; Vulcan ; Vulcana Regar ; " wait a second "; warp core ; warp drive system ; warp engine ; warp factor ; warrior ; web ; year ; Zaldan

Unreferenced material [ ]

adrenaline ; Carlundrum IQ test ; Benzite chess ; Galactic Computer Network ; Platonic Solid

External links [ ]

  • "Coming of Age" at StarTrek.com
  • " Coming of Age " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
  • " Coming of Age " at Wikipedia
  • " Coming of Age " at the Internet Movie Database
  • " "Coming of Age" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
  • "Coming of Age" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
  • 3 Tellarite

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Wesley is put to the test as he competes with the other top candidates to get into Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile the Enterprise is put under the scrutiny of a Starfleet officer that seems to be looking for trouble.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Robert Schenkkan

Ward Costello

Ward Costello

Robert Ito

Stephen Gregory

Tasia Valenza

Tasia Valenza

Daniel Riordan

Daniel Riordan

No image (yet).

Brendan McKane

Estee chandler, cast appearances.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Patrick Stewart

Commander William T. Riker

Jonathan Frakes

Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge

LeVar Burton

Lieutenant Worf

Michael Dorn

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Gates McFadden

Counselor Deanna Troi

Marina Sirtis

Lt. Commander Data

Brent Spiner

Lt. Tasha Yar

Denise Crosby

Ensign Wesley Crusher

Wil Wheaton

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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 1, Episode 19

Coming of age, where to watch, star trek: the next generation — season 1, episode 19.

Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 1, Episode 19 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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Cast & crew.

Patrick Stewart

Capt. Jean-Luc Picard

Jonathan Frakes

Cmdr. William Riker

LeVar Burton

Lt. Geordi La Forge

Denise Crosby

Lt. Tasha Yar

Michael Dorn

Gates McFadden

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Episode Info

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Coming of Age

Cast & crew.

Ward Costello

Adm. Gregory Quinn

Robert Schenkkan

Lt. Cmdr. Dexter Remmick

Stephen Gregory

Jake Kurland

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© 2011 CBS Corp.

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WHERE ARE THEY NOW: The cast of 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' 36 years later

  • "Star Trek: The Next Generation" ("TNG") aired from 1987 to 1994.
  • It was the first live-action "Star Trek" show since the original series ended in 1969.
  • The cast will reunite for the final season of "Star Trek: Picard," which premieres February 16.

The captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, was played by Sir Patrick Stewart for all seven seasons.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Stewart got his start as a theater actor and was a part of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1966 to 1982. He then had various roles on British TV series until he was cast as the newest captain of the USS Enterprise in 1987 for "Star Trek: The Next Generation," kicking off decades of debates on who the superior captain is .

Arguably, "TNG" would never have been as successful as it was without the grounding presence of Stewart and his Shakespearean sensibilities. Some of the best episodes and arcs in "Trek" history come down to Stewart's performance, such as the iconic Locutus storyline and its aftermath in "Family," or classic episodes like "The Measure of a Man" and "The Inner Light."

He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in 1995. He won a Grammy in 1996 for best spoken word album for children for his reading of "Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf."

Stewart, 82, will conclude Picard's story in 2023 after three seasons of "Star Trek: Picard" on Paramount+.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

By the time "TNG" wrapped up in 1994, Stewart had already  solidified his place in the hearts of nerds everywhere. He'd go on to star in four more "Trek" movies — "Generations" in 1994, "First Contact" in 1996, "Insurrection" in 1998, and "Nemesis" in 2002 — but that wasn't his last iconic role.

In 2000, he starred as the iconic Professor Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, in "X-Men." He reprised the role in 2003's "X2," 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," 2013's "The Wolverine," 2014's "X-Men: Days of Future Past," and 2017's "Logan" — the latter of which got him some Oscar buzz . He reprised the role in 2022's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

Stewart was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010 for services to drama.

He's played various other roles throughout his decades-long career, returned to the stage many times, and secured a Tony nomination in 2008 for his performance in "Macbeth." But Picard wasn't done with him yet.

In 2018, it was announced that Stewart would be returning to the role of Jean-Luc Picard for a series on CBS All Access (now Paramount+) following the former captain 30 years after the events of "Nemesis." "Star Trek: Picard" premiered in 2020. The third and final season will premiere on February 16.

Commander William T. Riker, Picard's right-hand man and first officer, was played by Jonathan Frakes.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Riker was more of the classic "Trek" rogue, similar in some ways to William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk, namely, his penchant for getting into trouble and getting women across the galaxy to fall in love with him. But he was also a trusted colleague and friend to Picard across seven seasons and four movies. Picking up Riker from Farpoint Station is actually one of the crew's first missions in the pilot.

Before "TNG," Frakes had appeared in various episodes of '70s and '80s shows like "Charlie's Angels," "The Twilight Zone," "Hill Street Blues," and more. But he quickly became best known for "Trek."

Like Shatner and Leonard Nimoy before him, Frakes also became interested in directing, and he was behind the camera for eight episodes of "TNG," as well as episodes of spin-offs "Deep Space Nine," and "Voyager." He also directed films "First Contact" and "Insurrection."

Frakes, 70, has appeared in "Picard" and "Lower Decks." He's also a successful director.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Soon after "TNG" wrapped up, Frakes began hosting the series "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?" from 1998 to 2002. A compilation clip of him saying things are false/fiction has since become a meme .

Frakes reprised his role as Riker in episodes of "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" in the '90s, the series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005, two episodes of "Star Trek: Picard" in 2020, and three episodes of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" in 2020 and 2021.

Over the last two decades, he's directed over 70 episodes of television, including shows like "Roswell," "Castle," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "The Librarians," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Seth MacFarlane's loving "Trek" homage "The Orville," and, of course, the new "Trek" shows like "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Picard."

Like the rest of the original "TNG" crew, Frakes has joined the cast of "Picard" for season three.

Marina Sirtis played Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor and an empath.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

In some ways, Troi was like the exact opposite of Spock, a character from the original "Trek" who operated solely from a place of logic. Instead, Troi was a half-human, half-betazoid, which made her an empath (able to telepathically sense people's feelings and emotions). Her place on the ship was to counsel the captain and other members of the crew.

Notably, Troi and Riker were in a relationship before the events of the show, and they eventually get married during the movie "Nemesis," before moving to the USS Titan, where Riker would finally become captain.

Her mother, Lwaxana Troi, was a beloved "Trek" side character played by Majel Barrett, "Trek" creator Gene Rodenberry's wife and "Original Series" cast member. Barrett also played Christine Chapel.

Before "TNG," Sirtis had appeared in bit parts in films and was mainly doing theater in her native UK.

Sirtis, 67, reprised the role for one episode of "Picard" with her on-screen husband, Riker.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Sirtis appeared in all four "TNG" films," and she also reprised her role as Troi in "Voyager," "Enterprise," "Picard," and "Lower Decks." She also appeared in an episode of "The Orville."

She's steadily worked in TV over the last two decades, appearing in shows like "Without a Trace," "Make It or Break It," "Grey's Anatomy," "NCIS," and "Scandal."

Sirtis has also had a steady voice-acting career, lending her voice to "Gargoyles," "Adventure Time," and perhaps most famously, as Queen Bee in "Young Justice."

Sirtis will don her Starfleet uniform yet again in 2023 for the final season of "Picard."

LeVar Burton played the engineering genius Geordi La Forge.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Besides Stewart, Burton was easily the most well-known member of the cast. Ten years prior, he had played Kunta Kinte in the 1977 ABC miniseries "Roots," which was nominated for 37 Emmy Awards, winning nine, including a nomination for Burton . The series finale is still the second most-watched series finale of all time, garnering at least 110 million viewers. He reprised the role in the 1988 TV film "Roots: The Gift."

When he was cast as La Forge, the chief engineering officer who happened to be blind — a big step forward in disability representation at the time — Burton had already been hosting "Reading Rainbow" on PBS since 1983. "Reading Rainbow," which Burton produced, won a Peabody Award and 12 Daytime Emmys.

From 1990 to 1996, Burton also voiced Kwame on "Captain Planet and the Planeteers" for over 100 episodes. In 1999, he directed the Disney Channel Original Movie classic "Smart House."

Burton, 66, was recently at the center of a campaign to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!"

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Like the rest of the main cast, Burton appeared in "TNG's" four feature films . He also appeared as La Forge in an episode of "Voyager."

He will reprise his role for the first time on TV since 1998 during the third and final season of "Picard" — and he'll be joined by his daughter, Mica Burton, who will play La Forge's daughter Alandra, an ensign in Starfleet.

Burton has had a successful career in Hollywood since, appearing as Martin Luther King Jr. in 2001's "Ali," playing himself in iconic appearances on both "Community" and "The Big Bang Theory," and hosting "Reading Rainbow" until its end in 2006.

Like Frakes, Burton is also a successful TV director. He's directed numerous episodes of "Star Trek" and its spin-offs, as well as episodes of "Charmed," "JAG," and "NCIS: New Orleans." He made his movie directorial debut in 2008 with "Reach for Me," starring Seymour Cassel.

After the death of Alex Trebek in 2020 , fans began campaigning for Burton to take over as the new host of "Jeopardy!" Almost 300,000 fans have signed a petition to that effect. However, after a brief stint as guest host, Burton said he wouldn't be interested in taking over as the permanent host.

In October 2021, he was named next year's grand marshal of the Rose Bowl Parade.

Gates McFadden played the chief medical officer Dr. Beverly Crusher for six seasons — she was replaced briefly in season two.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Dr. Crusher was introduced as the chief medical officer of the Enterprise with a long relationship with Picard — her late husband, Jack, and Picard were close friends, and Picard even brought back Jack's body after death.

However, as the show progressed, Dr. Crusher and Picard's relationship evolved into love and they even got married (and divorced) in an alternate timeline. We want to see Beverly in "Picard," please — and it seems like we're finally getting our wish.

After the first season, McFadden was written out of the show due to issues with head writer Maurice Hurley and replaced with Diana Muldaur, who played Dr. Katherine Pulaski. Muldaur's character did not gel with the rest of the cast, and McFadden was subsequently brought back for season three (and Hurley was ultimately replaced with Michael Piller).

Before "TNG," McFadden was a choreographer and a puppeteer involved with the Jim Henson Company, in addition to her career as an actress . She appeared in and choreographed 1984's "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and choreographed "Labyrinth" in 1986 . McFadden directed an episode of "TNG" in 1994.

McFadden, 73, has appeared in episodes of shows like "Franklin & Bash," "NCIS," and "The Practice."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

McFadden appeared in all four "TNG" films , though she didn't have a huge role in them, considering how her relationship with Picard was left in the series finale. She even joked during a screening of the season three premiere of "Picard" that she didn't remember being in the films.

Hopefully, their bond will be addressed in season three of "Picard," which McFadden will return for, especially since season two of "Picard" seems very concerned with the lack of love in his life.

Since the end of the films in 2002, McFadden has mainly appeared on TV. She was in four episodes of "Franklin & Bash," an episode of "NCIS," and a TV movie called "A Neighbor's Deception." She was also in a 2009 holiday rom-com called "Make the Yuletide Gay."

Michael Dorn played Worf, the first Klingon in "Trek" history to be a main character.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Worf was the first Klingon to be a main character in "Star Trek" — in three of the original films, Klingons were, if not the main antagonists, one of the secondary foes.

By the events of "TNG," Dorn's character Worf had enlisted in Star Fleet and slowly became one of the series' best and most beloved characters, as well as the chief security officer. He went on to star on "Deep Space Nine" for four seasons, from 1995 to 1999.

Before the show, Dorn had appeared in shows such as "CHiPS," "Knots Landing," and "Days of Our Lives."

Dorn, 70, has been in more episodes of "Star Trek" than any other actor. He'll add to his lead by appearing in "Picard."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Overall, Dorn played Worf for 277 episodes and four films, making more appearances than any other actor in "Trek" history. The character was so popular that there were even talks to continue his story in his own show, called "Star Trek: Captain Worf" in 2012, though they never came to fruition.

He'll continue his reign, as Dorn was announced with the rest of the cast of "TNG" to be returning to "Trek" in season three of "Picard."

Besides acting in "Star Trek," Dorn also directed three episodes of "Deep Space Nine," as well as an episode of "Enterprise."

Like many of his co-stars, Dorn has had a successful voice-acting career . He used his voice in "Dinosaurs," "Superman: The Animated Series," "I Am Weasel," "Kim Possible: A Stitch in Time," "Regular Show," and "Arrow," among others. Most recently, he voiced Battle Beast in "Invincible."

Dorn appeared in two of the "Santa Clause" movies as the Sandman, and he was also in "Ted 2." In real life, he's also an accomplished pilot.

Wil Wheaton played Wesley Crusher, Dr. Crusher's son and a controversial character.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Poor Wesley. It couldn't have been easy losing your dad at such an early age, only to be dragged onto a spaceship with the man who survived instead ... a man who pointedly hated kids to boot. But that was Wesley's plight, and it didn't make for a very enjoyable character. He was written off as a regular after season four, at which point he went to Starfleet Academy. Wesley reappeared in the final season for a send-off.

The year before Wheaton began appearing in "TNG," he starred in the classic '80s film "Stand by Me" alongside River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, and John Cusack, all future stars in the making.

Wheaton, 50, made a surprise cameo at the end of season two of "Picard."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

As Wesley wasn't a  hugely  beloved character, he only appeared in one scene of one film , "Nemesis." He didn't even speak.

But Wheaton hasn't let the haters stop him from having a successful career. He's appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, and he hilariously played himself across 17 episodes of "The Big Bang Theory." He also had a recurring role on "Eureka," another recurring role on "Leverage," and a talk show on SyFy called "The Wil Wheaton Project."

Wheaton has also acted in many web series, including "Welcome to Night Vale." He's also had great success in voice acting, most recently voicing the Flash in "Teen Titans Go to the Movies."

He also hosted the web series "TableTop," in which he and guests play a game (like Settlers of Catan or Pandemic) each episode, which aired from 2012 to 2017.

Currently, he hosts "The Ready Room," the official "Star Trek" aftershow that features interviews with the cast and crew. He also made a brief, surprise appearance at the end of season two of "Picard."

Brent Spiner played Data, an android who was on a quest to become more human.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

While most of the characters on "TNG" were almost entirely original, Data was clearly conceived as this show's version of Spock , another character who struggled with the concept of humanity.

However, as the show went on, Data solidified himself as his own character with his own fascinating backstory (Lore and Dr. Noonien Soong, anyone?) and a heartwarming desire to become human.

Before the series, Spiner enjoyed a successful career in theater , originating the role of Franz/Dennis in "Sunday in the Park with George" and starring as Aramis in "The Three Musketeers." He also appeared in six episodes of "Night Court."

In 1996, he appeared in the huge sci-fi blockbuster "Independence Day."

They keep finding ways for Spiner, 74, to stay in the "Trek" universe, even 21 years after Data's death in "Star Trek: Nemesis."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Spiner appeared in all four "TNG" movies . In fact, his character might have had the most complete arc, when you take in his sacrifice at the end of "Nemesis." He also played an ancestor of his character's creator, Dr. Arik Soong, in four episodes of "Enterprise's" fourth season.

In 2016, Spiner reprised his role as Dr. Brackish Okun in the sequel "Independence Day: Resurgence." Over the years he's appeared in dozens of TV shows, including "Friends," "Star Wars Rebels," "Ray Donovan," "The Goldbergs," and "Warehouse 13."

Spiner has also voiced two iconic Batman villains. He played the Joker in an episode of "Young Justice," and he voiced the Riddler in "Justice League Action."

In 2020, Spiner reprised his role as Data in "Picard," appearing as the character in dream sequences and as a virtual consciousness throughout the first season.

He also appeared as a descendant of his creator, Dr. Altan Inigo Soong, and as a similar android named B-4 who was originally introduced in "Nemesis." In season two, he played another one of Noonien Soong's ancestors, Adam Soong.

Spiner was announced, like the rest of the cast , to be part of "Picard's" third season, this time playing Data's evil "brother," Lore.

Denise Crosby only starred in one season of "TNG" as Natasha Yar.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Yar's death was one of the biggest shocks of "TNG" and proved this wasn't going to be like the original show — deaths weren't just reserved for "red shirts" here. No one was safe.

In actuality, Crosby asked to be written off the show , as she "was miserable. I couldn't wait to get off that show. I was dying." And so, her character was killed in the season one episode "Skin of Evil" by a malevolent tar-like creature. Yar would reappear two more times, in a season three episode called "Yesterday's Enterprise" (an all-timer), and the series finale.

Crosby also appeared in three episodes as a character called Sela, a future half-Romulan daughter of Yar's from an alternate timeline.

Before the show, Crosby, the granddaughter of Bing Crosby, had appeared in films like "48 Hrs.," "Pet Sematary," two "Pink Panther" films, and multiple episodes of "Days of Our Lives."

Crosby, 65, recently appeared in a few episodes of "General Hospital."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Crosby didn't appear as Yar in any of the "TNG" films, but that doesn't mean she's totally stayed away from "Trek." She produced and presented a 1997 documentary about "Trek" fandom called "Trekkies," and its 2004 sequel "Trekkies 2." As of 2017, there were plans for a third installment.

She's also appeared in multiple direct-to-video movies , in addition to her roles in "Southland," "Ray Donovan," "The Walking Dead," "Suits," "Creepshow," and most recently "NCIS" and "General Hospital."

Colm Meaney had a recurring role as the transporter chief Miles O'Brien.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Meaney appeared in over 50 episodes of "TNG" as O'Brien before he switched over to "Deep Space Nine," which he starred on from 1993 to 1999. His character got much more to do on the spin-off, though he did get married in a season four episode called "Data's Day," and he eventually had a child in the season five episode "Disaster."

During his run on "TNG," Meaney also appeared in a 1993 film called "The Snapper." He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance. 

Meaney, 69, continued to play O'Brien in "Deep Space Nine" through 1999.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

After wrapping up his role in "Deep Space Nine," Meaney went on to be nominated for a Gemini Award in 2002 for his role in Canadian series "Random Passage." He also appeared in three episodes of "Stargate Atlantis," the miniseries "Alice," two episodes of "Men in Trees," and more.

Meaney was also nominated for a Saturn Award in 2013 for his role in "Hell on Wheels," appeared in 10 episodes of "Will" and in British series "Gangs of London" and "The Singapore Grip."

In 2021, he appeared in the 15th season of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as the father of Charlie Day's character.

He's had success on the big screen, as well. He was nominated for the Irish Film and Television Award for best actor in 2007 for "Kings," and he has been in other films like "Law Abiding Citizen," "Get Him to the Greek," "Tolkien," "Seberg," and "Pixie."

He recently starred in "The Serpent Queen" as King Francis I on Starz.

Whoopi Goldberg won an Oscar for "Ghost" as she was recurring on "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender who was hundreds of years old.

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Goldberg had already been nominated for an Oscar (for "The Color Purple" in 1985) and had won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album in 1985 (Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show Recording), and had been nominated for an Emmy  for her performance on "Moonlighting" in 1986, when she was asked if she wanted to appear in "TNG" as Guinan, an alien bartender in the ship's lounge who acted as a sounding board for many characters.

She actually asked to be on the show due to her "Trek" fandom, which stemmed from seeing Uhura, a Black woman, in a position of power in the first "Star Trek" series. Goldberg appeared in 28 episodes across seven seasons.

At the same time, Goldberg was becoming a true A-lister. In 1990, she starred in "Ghost," which eventually won her an Oscar. In 1992, she starred in the classic "Sister Act" and its sequel the following year.

Goldberg, 67, accepted a personal invitation from Stewart during "The View" to return as Guinan in season two of "Picard."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

Goldberg appeared in two of the "Next Generation" films, "Generations" and "Nemesis." During that time, she also appeared in films like "The Lion King," "Girl, Interrupted," "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella," and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

In 2002, Goldberg secured her Tony Award win for producing "Thoroughly Modern Millie." That same year, she completed her EGOT by winning an Emmy for outstanding special class series. She's also hosted multiple award shows, including the Tonys and the Oscars. 

Goldberg has consistently acted in both TV and movies in the 2000s, appearing in "Glee," "The Middle," "Toy Story 3," "Nobody's Fool," and more.

Since 2007, Goldberg has hosted "The View," which won her her second Emmy — she won outstanding entertainment talk show host at the 2009 Daytime Emmys.

During an appearance on "The View," none other than Patrick Stewart extended an invitation to Goldberg to reprise her role as Guinan during season two of "Picard," which she emotionally accepted.

Both Goldberg's version  and  a younger version played by Ito Aghayere of Guinan appeared during the show.

John de Lancie played Q, a mischievous, omnipotent being throughout all seven seasons of "TNG."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

In many ways, it would've been impossible to bring back Picard without bringing back Q. The Enterprise's captain meets Q in the very first episode of "TNG," and for almost every season after he pops back in to check in on the crew (and usually antagonize them a little bit). "TNG's" highly lauded series finale is also a Q episode, with Q attempting to conclude the trial of humanity he began in the first episode.

John de Lancie played Q in eight episodes of "TNG," along with one episode of "Deep Space Nine" and three episodes of "Voyager."

Throughout the '80s and '90s, de Lancie also appeared in "Days of Our Lives," "Trial and Error," and had small roles in films like "The Fisher King" and "Multiplicity."

De Lancie, 74, returned for season two of "Picard."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

De Lancie has continued to work frequently on TV, with arcs in shows like "Breaking Bad," "Charmed," "The Librarians," "The Secret Circle," and more.

The actor returned to the "Trek" universe to play Q once again on the first season of the animated series "Lower Decks" in 2020. Two years later, it was revealed that Q would play a major part in season two of "Picard" since, as Q would later say in the season, " even gods have favorites ."

star trek next gen coming of age cast

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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Full Cast & Crew

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A new crew boards a revamped USS Enterprise in the first spin-off from the '60s cult classic.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast and Character Guide: Who Plays Who on the Enterprise-D (and What They're Doing Now)

Alexander didn't make the list, because nobody wants to know who played Alexander.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, it felt like a long shot to succeed. The beloved original Star Trek crew was still wildly popular in reruns and a thriving film series, but would fans accept a sequel series set a century after the initial show and featuring an entirely new cast? The answer turned out to be a resounding yes, and TNG , as it is affectionally known by fans, went on to birth an entire extended Trek universe that continues to thrive today.

Set in the 24th century, Star Trek: The Next Generation chronicles the adventures of the crew of the Enterprise-D starship as they -- like their predecessors before them -- explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no man has gone before. Here is your guide to the cast of the series, taking a look back at the characters they played on the sci-fi classic (and, in some cases, are still playing!) and offering a glimpse at what they've been up to recently.

RELATED: Star Trek Timeline Explained, Including Two Kirks, Two Different Prequels, and the Return of Picard

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)

Every ship needs a captain, and the Enterprise-D’s is Jean-Luc Picard. Finding someone to follow in the footsteps of William Shatner ’s James T. Kirk was never going to be an easy task, and Gene Roddenberry , the creator of both the original series and TNG , was wise to land on an actor with a completely different energy about him. Stewart, a well-regarded British stage actor with a smattering of film and TV credits, made Picard the anti-Kirk – a stern tactician who is more interested in victory through diplomacy than throwing a punch. Thanks to Stewart’s commanding presence, Picard became a pop-culture icon, with the character anchoring seven seasons of TNG , four feature-film spinoffs, and a recent revival/spinoff series -- fittingly titled Star Trek: Picard -- that is currently streaming on Paramount+. (Season 2 debuts early next year.) In between playing Picard, Stewart headlined another franchise when he portrayed Charles Xavier -- Marvel’s Professor X -- across five X-Men films. Most recently, he played Merlin in 2019’s kid-based Excalibur tale The Kid Who Would Be King and stepped into the role of Bosley in the Charlie's Angels reboot released that same year.

Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes)

Whereas Picard is usually calm and collected, Commander William T. Riker, the ship's first officer, can be more of a hot-head. As played by the at first unbearded, but later very bearded Frakes, Riker is a crucial member of the Enterprise crew who can lead the away team or stay behind to captain the bridge in the event that Picard gets assimilated by the Borg or something. While on the show, Frakes began pivoting to a career behind the camera. He directed eight episodes of the series as well as two of the Next Generation cast's big-screen adventures – Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection . Elsewhere within the Trek universe, Frakes has helmed multiple episodes of Deep Space Nine , Voyager , Discovery , and Picard , and he has been an in-demand TV director for years, having called the shots for shows such as The Librarians , Burn Notice , and Leverage . He returned to the role of Riker for two episodes of Picard in 2020 and has also voiced the character in Star Trek: Lower Decks .

Data (Brent Spiner)

Designed to sort of be the “Spock character” on TNG , Lt. Commander Data is a highly advanced android who serves as the Enterprise’s second officer and spends most of the series trying to understand what it means to feel emotions and be human. The friendship that develops between him and Picard proves to be one of the series defining relationships, and Spiner briefly returned to the role for season one of Picard . Spiner continues to work regularly as a TV and voice actor. He recently appeared in six episodes of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels and, in 2016, reprised his Independence Day role of Dr. Brackish Okun in that film’s sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence .

Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton)

When The Next Generation launched, La Forge worked as the Enterprise’s helmsman, but in season two he shifted to the role of chief engineer, where he served for the remainder of the show’s run. Geordi is blind but is able to “see” using a distinct metallic visor that covers his eyes and feeds electromagnetic scans into his optic nerves. Geordi struggles with his disability at times but rarely lets it interfere with the job at hand. Outside of TNG , Burton is probably most known for hosting the PBS education series Reading Rainbow for 21 seasons. He's an accomplished TV director and also hosts Levar Burton Reads , a podcast where he narrates a different piece of short fiction in every episode. If it were up to Twitter, Burton would currently be the new host of Jeopardy! , but, sadly, his considerable fanbase will have to be content with the five episodes of the game show he guest hosted in 2021.

Worf (Michael Dorn)

Maybe no one stands out on the Enterprise-D bridge more than Lt. Commander Worf, a Klingon officer whose distinct forehead ridges defined the Klingon look from TNG forward. Worf is a character who often feels trapped between two worlds -- the Klingon culture he left behind and the Starfleet crew that became his family. He is named the ship’s chief security officer after the death of Tasha Yar and eventually became the first main character to jump to a spinoff show when Dorn joined the cast of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine following TNG ’s finale. More recently, Dorn has contributed voice work to shows such as Invincible , The Lion Guard , and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles .

Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis)

Along with Worf, Troi is the other prominent alien in the show’s crew. Though she’s half human, her Betazoid half allows her the gift of empathic telepathy, which she often puts to good use as the ship’s counselor. Prior to being reunited as part of the Enterprise crew, Troi and Riker were a couple, and though the show often teases that the two may one day rekindle their relationship, they don’t formally get back together until the TNG cast had moved onto the big screen. Sirtis reprised the role of Deanna in Picard , where Troi and Riker continue to be happily married. She continues to act regularly in movies and on TV, having recently appeared in episodes of genre shows The Orville and Titans .

Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden)

Dr. Crusher is the Enterprise’s chief medical officer in Season 1 of TNG , vanishes in Season 2 when she is suddenly transferred to Starfleet Medical, but then returns for good in Season 3 when she’s reinstated aboard the starship. The back-and-forth was the result of behind-the-scenes drama which resulted in McFadden being fired from -- and then rehired for -- the series. Crusher is responsible for patching up the crew, and she also serves as a potential love interest for Captain Picard. McFadden’s last on-screen credit was an episode of NCIS in 2017, although she’s also had a long career as a choreographer. (Fun fact: She was the director of choreography and puppet movement for Jim Henson ’s Labyrinth !)

Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton)

Almost certainly the most divisive member of the cast, Wesley is the son of Dr. Crusher and joins her on the Enterprise. At first, he is a nuisance to Picard (and sometimes the audience), but as time goes on Wesley becomes a valuable member of the Enterprise community and is eventually named a ship ensign. Wheaton left the series following Season 4, although he would continue to make guest appearances as Wesley down the road. He has gone on to have a diverse career as an actor, writer, and Internet personality. He notoriously played a fictionalized version of himself on The Big Bang Theory , where he recurred as Sheldon’s arch nemesis across 17 episodes. Wheaton is currently back in the Star Trek fold, hosting the Trek -based aftershow The Ready Room .

Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur)

Dr. Pulaski becomes chief medical officer during Dr. Crusher’s one-season absence, but the character departs the series when Crusher returns for Season 3. Muldaur recently appeared in Sidney Furie ’s docudrama Finding Hannah , her first on-screen acting appearance in nearly two decades.

Tasha Yar (Denise Crosby)

Yar is the Enterprise’s chief security officer during season one, but Crosby was unhappy working on the show, which led to Yar being killed near the end of that season. The character does reappear a few times thanks to some time-rift shenanigans, and Crosby eventually tackles a second role on the show when she guests in heavy makeup as Sela, Yar’s half-Romulan daughter. Crosby continues to act and recently had multi-episode runs on The Walking Dead , Ray Donovan , and Suits .

Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg)

Guinan is a warm and wizened bartender who’d serve you a drink in the Enterprise’s Ten-Forward lounge and maybe throw in some sage advice at no cost. A fan favorite, she’d appear in 28 episodes of the series, and Goldberg is slated to the role during season two of Picard . (Although we’ll see how they handle Whoopi’s aging as Guinan is an El-Aurian, an alien species that ages slowly and can live for multiple centuries.) Here on planet Earth, Goldberg has been a host on the daytime TV talk-show staple The View since 2007.

Q (John de Lancie)

Also returning for season two of Picard is de Lancie as the enigmatic Q, a godlike being who takes delight in toying with Jean-Luc on The Next Generation , often putting the human race itself on trial. Q appears in eight episodes of TNG , including the series premiere and finale. De Lancie has worked steadily as a TV and voice actor over the years, and in 2019 wrapped up his run voicing Discord on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic , a character that was loosely based on Q.

KEEP READING: Why James Cromwell's Zefram Cochrane Is One of the Best 'Star Trek' Performances

star trek next gen coming of age cast

New STAR TREK Series STARFLEET ACADEMY Gets Full Series Order

A lthough Star Trek: Discovery will soon end with season five , a new live-action StarTrek series will arrive to replace it. After years of rumors , Paramount+ has officially announced a series order for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . This show will follow an all-new class of Starfleet cadets. And we’ll get to see students coming of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy. Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will serve as co-showrunners. Gaia Violo wrote the series pilot. The series will begin production in 2024.

You can read the official description of the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series right here:

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will introduce us to a young group of cadets who come together to pursue a common dream of hope and optimism. Under the watchful and demanding eyes of their instructors, they will discover what it takes to become Starfleet officers as they navigate blossoming friendships, explosive rivalries, first loves and a new enemy that threatens both the Academy and the Federation itself.

Paramount+ also released a special “recruitment announcement” from the legendary institution itself:

Admission is now open to Starfleet Academy! Explore the galaxy! Captain your destiny! For the first time in over a century, our campus will be re-opened to admit individuals a minimum of 16 Earth years (or species equivalent) who dream of exceeding their physical, mental and spiritual limits, who value friendship, camaraderie, honor and devotion to a cause greater than themselves. The coursework will be rigorous, the instructors among the brightest lights in their respective fields, and those accepted will live and study side-by-side with the most diverse population of students ever admitted. Today we encourage all who share our dreams, goals and values to join a new generation of visionary cadets as they take their first steps toward creating a bright future for us all. Apply today! Ex Astris, Scientia!”

The mention of the Academy opening up for “the first time in over a century” suggests the new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy  series will be a spinoff of Discovery. We learned in recent seasons that because of a terrible galactic incident , the Federation was reduced to just a few worlds by the 32nd century. But by the end of Discovery  season three, Starfleet began the climb back, and the Academy reopened.

Many fans crossed their fingers and hoped that Starfleet Academy might take place in the post- Picard timeline. We would have loved to see characters from The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine , and Voyager as instructors. But it seems more likely we’ll see characters from Discovery instead. We do also hope the new Star Trek series won’t be completely Earthbound. It would be amazing to see cadets training on starships, as we did in The Wrath of Khan . 

Speaking to Collider , Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman shared Starfleet Academy is  “halfway through the writers room now” and preparing to film this summer. He additionally noted, “It could end up not airing until 2026. We don’t know. But by starting [shooting in late summer], just building the sets alone is a massive endeavor, then six months of shooting, then six to eight months of post.” The publication additionally notes, “While he confirmed they ‘haven’t started casting the kids,’ it sounds like some of the adult roles have already been filled.”

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will likely debut on Paramount+ sometime in 2024 or 2025, but we guess 2026 is also on the table.

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New STAR TREK Series STARFLEET ACADEMY Gets Full Series Order

Screen Rant

How old is captain sisko in star trek: ds9.

Captain Benjamin Sisko was the main protagonist of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, but how old was Sisko at the beginning and the end of the series?

  • Captain Sisko was 37 years old at the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 2369.
  • By the end of DS9 in 2375, Sisko was 43 years old.
  • Post-DS9, Sisko's age became hard to determine due to his non-linear status as one of the Bajoran Prophets.

How old was Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) before, during, and after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ? Sisko was the lead in DS9 's main cast of characters and is widely regarded as one of the most influential characters in the franchise. Born in 2332, Sisko became Star Trek 's first Black male lead when he took command of the Deep Space 9 space station in DS9 's pilot episode, "Emissary." During his time in command of the station, Sisko also acted as the Emissary to the Bajoran Prophets and was instrumental in the conflict that eventually became the Dominion War.

Although it wasn't revealed until "Emissary," Sisko's involvement in important Star Trek timeline events started before his tenure on DS9 . In 2366, Sisko was present at the Battle of Wolf 359, the first major encounter between the Borg and the Federation. Sisko was 34 at the time of the Battle and lost his wife Jennifer Sisko (Felecia M. Bell) in the conflict. The trauma and grief of Wolf 359 influenced a good deal of Sisko's character in "Emissary" and throughout the rest of the series.

How To Watch All Star Trek TV Shows In Timeline Order

How old captain sisko is in star trek: ds9, ds9 covered six years of sisko's life.

Because Sisko's birth year is well documented, it's easy to determine his age during DS9 's run. At the start of the series, in 2369, Sisko was 37 years old . DS9 began three years after the Battle of Wolf 359 , and concluded in 2375, approximately six years later. In the series finale, "What You Leave Behind," Sisko sacrificed himself to stop Gul Dukat (Mark Alaimo) from unleashing the Pah-Wraiths and ascended to the Celestial Temple to live with the Prophets. By DS9 's finale, Sisko was 43 years old, an age he may have remained indefinitely given how his story ended.

Captain Sisko’s Age After DS9 Is Tricky

Sisko's ds9 ending makes his post-series age complicated.

Because of his status at the end of DS9 , Sisko's age post-series is tricky to determine. As a non-corporeal, non-linear being, Sisko likely stopped aging when his corporeal body presumably died on Bajor in the Fire Caves. Therefore, although he was 43 at the time of his "death," Sisko is now ageless given that the Prophets experience time differently than humans and the rest of the galaxy. Normal, linear aging would likely mean nothing to Sisko upon his ascension to the Celestial Temple.

However, given that the franchise continued after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ended, it is still possible to determine how old Sisko would be at the time of new Star Trek shows . Star Trek: Picard brought the franchise into the 25th century, with season 3 being set in 2401 and 2402. By 2402, Sisko would have been 75 years old . Sisko's age corresponds with Avery Brooks' age, with Brooks also being 75 as of 2023. Matching the actors' and characters' ages so exactly made for a more realistic performance from Brooks as Captain Sisko.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: Picard

After starring in Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons and various other Star Trek projects, Patrick Stewart is back as Jean-Luc Picard. Star Trek: Picard focuses on a retired Picard who is living on his family vineyard as he struggles to cope with the death of Data and the destruction of Romulus. But before too long, Picard is pulled back into the action. The series also brings back fan-favorite characters from the Star Trek franchise, such as Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Worf (Michael Dorn), and William Riker (Jonathan Frakes).

This Weird Star Trek: The Original Series Episode is Actually its Most Underrated

Star Trek: The Original Series could get very strange, especially in Season 3. But one weird episode turns that into an essential story about Spock.

  • Star Trek: The Original Series is known for its weird and over-the-top episodes, with concepts that pushed the boundaries of sci-fi television.
  • "All Our Yesterdays" stands out as a highly underrated episode with a strong story and character development, despite its odd trappings.
  • The episode showcases fan power with a heartfelt storyline, an innovative script from a fan-turned-writer, and new depths to Spock's character.

Even as a product of its time, Star Trek: The Original Series can be a very weird show. The show's creative forces were focused solely on delivering an hour of entertaining television each week, and without an established canon, things could get pretty over-the-top. Each episode was self-contained and focused on an entirely new planet or situation, which meant that zany concepts could actually reach the screen without any long-term ramifications. If it didn't work, the show simply zipped on to the next planet.

Over time, many of them have become beloved parts of Star Trek's legacy, and some of them are far better than their odd visuals or storylines suggest. Some of them even rank among the series' high points, including one that arrived just when The Original Series was wrapping up. Season 3, Episode 23, "All Our Yesterdays" evinces many of the qualities that mark Star Trek at its weirdest . Yet, not only does it work surprisingly well, it remains one of the most underrated episodes in the entire franchise. That includes a number of off-screen factors that demonstrate why Star Trek was such a special show, even as it appeared to be closing out its run.

"All Our Yesterdays" Arrives at the End of The Original Series

Star trek: what's the story behind every enterprise design.

The Original Series held no special status among network executives when it first aired, and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry famously had to fight just to get it greenlit. Ratings steadily declined between the first and the second season, which NBC exacerbated by moving the show from a solid Tuesday-night time slot to Friday nights. This was largely considered the kiss of death at the time, since people tended to go out rather than stay home and watch TV. It was expensive to produce as well, and the network looked to cancel the show at the end of Season 2. Star Trek fans responded with a massive letter-writing campaign that convinced NBC to green-light a third and final season.

Among fans, Season 3 is largely considered a step-down in quality compared to the first two seasons. Season 3 infamously featured bad episodes like "Spock's Brain" and "Plato's Stepchildren," as well as badly dated products of the 1960s such as "The Way to Eden." Despite that, it still found its share of memorable episodes, such as "The Tholian Web" and "The Enterprise Incident." Most of them feature a go-for-broke quality that resulted in some of the franchise's most memorably out-there moments. One example includes "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield," which featured two characters with faces literally split between black and white. Another example is "The Savage Curtain," which opens with Abraham Lincoln floating in space in front of the Enterprise.

"All Our Yesterdays" is another example of weird content that includes Kirk fighting a 17th-century fop with a rapier and Spock falling in love with a "cavewoman" in furry boots. It was also the second-to-last episode to air, behind the justly maligned "Turnabout Intruder" which appeared to close the series out for good. It's also one of the series' strongest episodes in terms of character development, particularly when it comes to Spock's endless bickering with Dr. McCoy . Rather than coming out of nowhere as the likes of "The Way to Eden" did, it presents a compelling sci-fi concept to keep it all centered.

"All Our Yesterdays" Delivers a Strong Story with Weird Trappings

'we broke barriers': star trek: discovery star celebrates show's diversity.

"All Our Yesterdays" focuses on a formerly occupied planet, now empty, whose sun is about to go nova. The inhabitants lacked space travel despite numerous technical advancements. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to what appears to be a library, only to learn the truth of the population's vanishing act: they escaped the imminent destruction by journeying back in time to live out their lives in their planet's past. The trio inadvertently pass through the time portal before realizing the truth, which leaves Kirk trapped in the planet's version of Cromwell's England. Spock and McCoy are similarly trapped 5,000 years earlier in the planet's ice age.

The set-up is designed to cut corners in the effects department, which Star Trek often did by raiding existing props and costumes for their setting. Hence, Kirk ends up literally crossing swords with men in feathered hats and pantaloons, while his companions spend the bulk of their adventure in a cave that looks suspiciously similar to every other cave that appeared in the series. It also features the seemingly superfluous collection of duplicate librarians, as well as "doorways" into the past largely achieved by chintzy double-exposure. Kirk has to escape charges of witchcraft, while Spock and McCoy meet an exiled woman named Zarabeth -- a political dissident on the wrong side of a long-dead tyrant -- whom Spock actively falls in love with .

It's a concept that provides a suitable dilemma for the protagonists to work their way out of, and a novel way to escape impending doom. However, it delivers a brilliant piece of development for both Spock and McCoy. Their squabbling is a beloved trope of The Original Series , with Bones' fiery passions repeatedly clashing with Spock's emotionless logic. Here, Spock begins to revert to the wild passionate status that Vulcans evinced in their early history, leading him to eat meat, lust after Zarabeth, and threaten McCoy with active violence. Bones gets through to him in time for Kirk to effect a rescue, after a tearful good-bye to Zarabeth.

"All Our Yesterdays" Is a Testament to Star Trek's Fan Power

'i'm ready': star trek: strange new worlds actor teases captain kirk spinoff.

Actor Leonard Nimoy plays Spock's descent beautifully, creating a template that his successor Ethan Peck has used to similar effect in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . He and DeForest Kelley set a new standard for their characters' rivalry, this time with Spock playing the passionate firebrand and McCoy the pragmatic realist. Zarabeth suffers from a certain passivity typical of depictions of women in the media at the time, but actor Mariette Hartley conveys both her existential loneliness and quickly blossoming love for Spock in achingly sympathetic terms. Her reluctant goodbye at Spock's departure is legitimately heartbreaking.

The most memorable aspect of "All Our Yesterdays" comes from behind the scenes . Screenwriter Jean Lisette Aroeste was not a professional writer, just a literate fan who worked as a librarian at UCLA. She submitted an unsolicited script that was picked up (Season 3, Episode 5, "Is There in Truth No Beauty?") and followed it up with this one. It made Aroeste one of four writers with no previous screenwriting experience to have scripts produced for the show. Both of her episodes carry a freshness and exuberance that much of the rest of Season 3 lacks. It's a unique synergy between audience and series, heralding Star Trek's rebirth in the 1970s thanks to the passion of the fans. Here, it results in a strong, heartfelt episode that ends the series on a far stronger note than the moribund "Turnabout Intruder."

Most importantly, it shows a side to one of the franchise's most beloved characters that hadn't been seen before, as Spock grapples with his loss of logic while falling deeply in love at the same time. It's a big change for obvious reasons, and because the show was perceived to be on its way out, no one seemed worried about the possibility of the performance running against character. Nimoy artfully balanced it against Spock's well-established traits to reveal depths that The Original Series hadn't yet explored. With McCoy playing a far better foil than he ever has, and a strong plot hook to hold the action together, "All Our Yesterdays" is the farewell the show deserved, as well as helping to elevate a dodgy third season into something worthy of rememberance. It may be a weird little episode, but it also represents Star Trek at its very best.

Star Trek: The Original Series

In the 23rd Century, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise explore the galaxy and defend the United Federation of Planets.

  • Cast & crew
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Star Trek: The Next Generation

Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.

  • Gene Roddenberry
  • Patrick Stewart
  • Brent Spiner
  • Jonathan Frakes
  • 321 User reviews
  • 162 Critic reviews
  • 39 wins & 61 nominations total

Episodes 176

The Best of Star Trek: The Next Generation

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Jonathan Frakes and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

  • Captain Jean-Luc Picard …

Brent Spiner

  • Lieutenant Commander Data …

Jonathan Frakes

  • Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker …

LeVar Burton

  • Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge …

Marina Sirtis

  • Counselor Deanna Troi

Michael Dorn

  • Lieutenant Worf …

Gates McFadden

  • Doctor Beverly Crusher …

Majel Barrett

  • Enterprise Computer …

Wil Wheaton

  • Wesley Crusher …

Colm Meaney

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  • Youngblood …

Denise Crosby

  • Lieutenant Natasha 'Tasha' Yar …

Whoopi Goldberg

  • Doctor Katherine Pulaski …

Patti Yasutake

  • Nurse Alyssa Ogawa …

Dennis Madalone

  • Ansata Terrorist …

Michelle Forbes

  • Ensign Ro Laren …

Rosalind Chao

  • Keiko O'Brien …
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Nichelle Nichols and Sonequa Martin-Green at an event for Star Trek: Discovery (2017)

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Did you know

  • Trivia When the cast decided to lobby for a salary increase, Wil Wheaton 's first offer from the producers was to instead have his character promoted to Lieutenant. His response was, "So what should I tell my landlord when I can't pay my rent? 'Don't worry, I just made Lieutenant'?!"
  • Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".

[repeated line]

Capt. Picard : Engage!

  • Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
  • Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
  • Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)

User reviews 321

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  • Aug 9, 2004

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  • How many seasons does Star Trek: The Next Generation have? Powered by Alexa
  • Who is the captain of the USS Enterprise?
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  • September 26, 1987 (United States)
  • United States
  • Official Facebook
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  • Star Trek: TNG
  • Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA (location)
  • Paramount Television
  • See more company credits at IMDbPro

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  • Runtime 44 minutes
  • Dolby Stereo

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  1. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Coming of Age (TV Episode 1988)

    "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Coming of Age (TV Episode 1988) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.

  2. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Coming of Age (TV Episode 1988)

    Coming of Age: Directed by Michael Vejar. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby. Picard finds himself facing a strenuous test of his loyalty to Starfleet, one which the other members of the crew are struggling to cope with, whilst Wesley faces an equally challenging entrance exam at Starfleet Academy.

  3. Coming of Age (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    "Coming of Age" is the nineteenth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It first aired in broadcast syndication on March 14, 1988. Sandy Fries originally wrote the episode, but Hannah Louise Shearer performed an uncredited re-write. It is the only episode of the series directed by Mike Vejar, who went on to direct episodes of Deep Space Nine ...

  4. Coming of Age (episode)

    Worf replies: he doesn't know and asks Data how does he know, with Data replying that he has no age. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., pp. 29 & 51); ) Cast and characters [] Ward Costello and Robert Schenkkan both reprise their roles in the episode "Conspiracy ". This episode was the first time on Star Trek for John Putch.

  5. Coming of Age (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

    "Coming of Age" is the nineteenth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It first aired in broadcast syndication on March 14, 1988. Sandy Fries originally wrote the episode, but Hannah Louise Shearer performed an uncredited re-write. It is the only episode of the series directed by Mike Vejar, who went on to direct episodes of Deep Space Nine ...

  6. Coming of Age

    Episode Guide for Star Trek: The Next Generation 1x19: Coming of Age. Episode summary, trailer and screencaps; guest stars and main cast list; and more.

  7. Coming of Age

    Coming of Age. Available on Pluto TV, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Prime Video, iTunes, Paramount+. S1 E19: While Wesley takes the entrance exam to Starfleet Academy, the Enterprise is investigated by the Inspector General's office and Picard's competency is questioned. Sci-Fi Mar 14, 1988 43 min. TV-PG.

  8. List of Star Trek: The Next Generation cast members

    Star Trek: The Next Generation first-season cast photo. Six of the main actors appeared in all seven seasons and all four movies. Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series that debuted in broadcast syndication on September 28, 1987. The series lasted for seven seasons until 1994, and was followed by four movies which were released between 1994 and 2002.

  9. Star Trek The Next Generation cast, characters, and actors

    The complete Star Trek The Next Generation cast list: Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard; Jonathan Frakes as Commander William Riker; ... Wil Wheaton is an actor and writer with major movie credits including coming of age movie Stand by Me. During his time on the TNG cast, Wheaton played the role of Wesley Crusher, the son of Doctor ...

  10. Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Coming of Age Aired Mar 14, 1988 ... Watch Star Trek: The Next Generation — Season 1, Episode 19 with a subscription on Paramount+, or buy it on Vudu, Prime Video, Apple TV. ... Show Less Cast ...

  11. Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)

    When the cast was announced at first, LeVar Burton was the main actor highlighted because of his work on the Roots mini series; his ... a Vulcan appearing in "Coming of Age", and Romulans making their first appearance in the season finale, "The Neutral Zone ... Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 1: Set details: Special features: 26 ...

  12. Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series 1987-1994)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series 1987-1994) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. Movies. ... Series Cast verified as complete Patrick Stewart ... Captain Jean-Luc Picard / ... 176 episodes, 1987-1994 ...

  13. Coming of Age

    Wesley takes the gruelling Starfleet Academy entrance exam, while Picard finds himself the subject of an investigation into his competence.

  14. THEN AND NOW: the Cast of 'Star Trek: the Next Generation'

    Feb 16, 2023, 6:28 AM PST. Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Gates McFadden, LeVar Burton, and Michael Dorn will reunite in season three of "Picard." Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images. "Star Trek: The ...

  15. Star Trek: The Next Generation

    Michael Dorn. Lt. Worf 178 Episodes 1994. Marina Sirtis. Deanna Troi 178 Episodes 1994. Denise Crosby. Lt. Tasha Yar 68 Episodes 1994. Diana Muldaur.

  16. Star Trek: The Next Generation Cast & Character Guide

    One of the best things about Star Trek: The Original Series was the incredible cast of characters, and Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the world to all new characters who would soon become just as beloved. TNG followed the adventures of the USS Enterprise-D and its crew under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), carrying on that original mission to explore ...

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    Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) ... from the fall of 1987 annually to the spring of 1994. At the end of that season, the cast switched over to production of the Star Trek film Generations which was released before the end of 1994 ... "Coming of Age" deals with Wesley Crusher's efforts to get into Starfleet Academy while also hinting at the ...

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    Before joining the cast of The Next Generation, McFadden worked with Jim Henson Studios as a choreographer and movement specialist in the likes of Labyrinth and The Muppets Take Manhattan.McFadden quit the Star Trek series after the first season, citing sexism in the scripts and a dispute with then-lead writer Maurice Hurley. She did, however, return for Season 3.

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    Meanwhile the Enterprise, staying around, gets a surprise visit from Picard's friend admiral Gregory Quinn, who refuses to state the purpose of a full, apparently hostile audit of the starship by Lt. Cmdr. Dexter Remmick from the inspector-general's office. Afterward, Picard must make a career-crucial choice.

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    Finding someone to follow in the footsteps of William Shatner 's James T. Kirk was never going to be an easy task, and Gene Roddenberry, the creator of both the original series and TNG, was wise ...

  21. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Coming of Age (TV Episode 1988)

    "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Coming of Age (TV Episode 1988) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. ... Star Trek: The Next Generation (Season 1) a list of 25 titles created 19 Apr 2015 Dizi tek tek a list of 698 titles ...

  22. New STAR TREK Series STARFLEET ACADEMY Gets Full Series Order

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    Summary. Captain Sisko was 37 years old at the start of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in 2369. By the end of DS9 in 2375, Sisko was 43 years old. Post-DS9, Sisko's age became hard to determine due to his non-linear status as one of the Bajoran Prophets. How old was Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) before, during, and after Star Trek: Deep ...

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    Star Trek: The Original Series is known for its weird and over-the-top episodes, with concepts that pushed the boundaries of sci-fi television. "All Our Yesterdays" stands out as a highly underrated episode with a strong story and character development, despite its odd trappings. The episode showcases fan power with a heartfelt storyline, an ...

  25. Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series 1987-1994)

    Star Trek: The Next Generation: Created by Gene Roddenberry. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.