LAFORGE: Not to worry, you will. And when you return, we'll be gaining the best ensign in the fleet.
DATA: There is no guarantee that Wesley will be reassigned to the Enterprise. Ninety one per cent of Starfleet graduates are not posted to Galaxy class starships on their first assignment.
WESLEY: I never thought of that.
This is a whole 'nother discussion. Does Wesley want to join Starfleet, or does he want to serve on the Enterprise? Look, everyone wants to serve on the flagship, but there are postings all over that need to be filled. Is there a minimum GPA required to get posted to the Enterprise? The guys in "Lower Decks" hardly seemed like the best and the brightest. They seemed quite average, in fact.
WESLEY: I always assumed I'd be coming back to the Enterprise.
LAFORGE: I'm sure Captain Picard will request you. That is, if he's still commanding the Enterprise when you graduate.
WESLEY: I never thought of that, either. I never thought I'd feel this way about leaving you guys and the Enterprise.
Okay, the five-year mission system died a hundred years ago, but is anyone itching to kick Picard upstairs? I kinda feel that the flagship is the highest posting a captain can have. Remember that in the extended-lifespan era of the 24th century Picard isn't
that old.
LWAXANA: And that was my first husband. Not much of a conversationalist, but what a lover. Well, then I met Zarn.
So Ian wasn't her first husband, the one that Grax mentioned? He was at least Lwaxana's third husband? We knew that Lwaxana was a serial monogamist, but this is getting ridiculous. Let's just presume that Lwaxana is making this all up and move on...
TROI: I think I know what she's doing. You have to fight to get her back, Captain.
What's Picard's greatest nightmare? Not the Borg, not Q, it's having to claim that he loves Lwaxana.
PICARD: In faith, I do not love thee with mine eyes, for they in thee a thousand errors see. But 'tis my heart that loves what they despise, who in despite of view are please'd to dote. Shall I compare the to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
Let's just drop a link to
the Picard Song here and move on...
LWAXANA [on viewscreen]: And you can't keep killing all my lovers. That simply has to stop.
TOG [on viewscreen]: Killing?
LWAXANA [on viewscreen]: Oh, he's insanely jealous.
What an idiot. Like Starfleet would let a serial killer be captain of the Enterprise. That's what Voyager is for! (P.S. I'm not sure how much of that one is a joke!)
PICARD: When I have plucked the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It needs must wither. Nine, eight. 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
(Tennyson, In Memoriam, 27)
You know, I wonder how Tennyson would sound in French, or Ferengi for that matter. Is the Universal Translator programmed to handle dialects from five hundred years ago?
PICARD: The Academy must make you wait, that's true. But, when I review your service to this ship, your crewmates, I cannot in all conscience make you wait for the Academy. You see, Wesley, in my eyes you're an acting ensign in title only. I hereby grant you field promotion to full Ensign, with all the commensurate responsibilities and privileges of that rank. Congratulations. You're dismissed.
Oh boy, is there a rant I could make here on this topic! Be glad that I'm sparing all of us by moving on...
Memory Alpha
* First use of "cochrane" as a unit of subspace distortion. Remember that it takes one cochrane to achieve Warp One.
* In Insurrection Deanna claims to have never kissed a bearded Riker. Putting aside Tom, she does kiss a bearded Riker in this episode.
* First mention of "oo-mox."
* Here it's firmly established that Betazoids can't use telepathy on Ferengi. Of course Deanna could do it back in "The Last Outpost."
Nitpicker's Guide
* Phil also mentions the Betazoid/Ferengi inconsistency.
* In "Coming of Age" Mordock gets into Starfleet Academy without oral exams. I'll chalk this up to differences between species.
* In this episode Wesley's commbadge is all silver instead of gold/silver. Prop mixup or a subtle indication that Wesley is being "demoted" to civilian guest for purposes of his exams?
* At this point in the show only the senior officers have the two-piece uniform, so why does Wesley get one?