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The First Duty (TNG episode)
Encyclopedia
"The First Duty" is the 119th episode of the science fiction
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
and the 19th episode of the show's fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.5/5 on the official Star Trek
website (as of November 2, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68544.html
at Starfleet Academy
, the crew of the Federation Starfleet
starship
USS Enterprise
learn of an accident that claimed the life of a cadet.
is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Starfleet Academy's graduation ceremony. However, the crew comes to learn of an accident during flight training that has injured Wesley Crusher
, and caused the death of another squad member, Joshua Albert. Picard, concerned, orders his crew to investigate the accident, and discovers evidence that Wesley's squad were attempting to perform a banned maneuver called the "Kolvoord Starburst". Picard accosts Wesley and demands to know the truth, but Wesley refuses to answer him. Picard reminds him of his Starfleet duty.
Wesley is torn between telling the truth and the demands of his squad leader, Locarno, who insists that he state the accident was Joshua's fault. Locarno attempts to coerce Wesley into keeping with the lie, making Wesley question his friendship at odds with his role and duty as a Star Fleet Officer.
At the tribunal, Wesley is driven by Picard's trust in him, and the emotions of Joshua's father. The Admiral decides, in the absence of conclusive proof of any further wrongdoing (aside from rendering an incorrect flight plan, and allowing a squad member to fly unprepared) to take away the squad's flight privileges and issue formal reprimands, just as Wes subsequently reveals the truth at the last moment. Locarno, realizing he cannot hide it any longer, admits that he instigated the lie and made the rest of the squad cover up his actions. Locarno is expelled from the Academy while Wesley and the rest of the squad lose the past years' academic credits. Wesley is crushed but Picard encourages him that the immediate future will be difficult, but he will eventually regain the trust of his classmates.
as an illustration of the institution's honor code
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
and the 19th episode of the show's fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.5/5 on the official Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
website (as of November 2, 2007).http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68544.html
Overview
In this episode, while visiting Starfleet Cadet Wesley CrusherWesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher is a character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is Beverly Crusher's son and is portrayed by actor Wil Wheaton, the character was a regular for the first four seasons. Afterwards, the character appeared sporadically. The character also appeared briefly in...
at Starfleet Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
, the crew of the Federation Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
USS Enterprise
USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)
The USS Enterprise is a 24th century starship in the Star Trek fictional universe and the principal setting of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series...
learn of an accident that claimed the life of a cadet.
Plot
The Enterprise returns to Earth, where Captain PicardJean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
is scheduled to deliver the commencement address at Starfleet Academy's graduation ceremony. However, the crew comes to learn of an accident during flight training that has injured Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher
Wesley Crusher is a character in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He is Beverly Crusher's son and is portrayed by actor Wil Wheaton, the character was a regular for the first four seasons. Afterwards, the character appeared sporadically. The character also appeared briefly in...
, and caused the death of another squad member, Joshua Albert. Picard, concerned, orders his crew to investigate the accident, and discovers evidence that Wesley's squad were attempting to perform a banned maneuver called the "Kolvoord Starburst". Picard accosts Wesley and demands to know the truth, but Wesley refuses to answer him. Picard reminds him of his Starfleet duty.
Wesley is torn between telling the truth and the demands of his squad leader, Locarno, who insists that he state the accident was Joshua's fault. Locarno attempts to coerce Wesley into keeping with the lie, making Wesley question his friendship at odds with his role and duty as a Star Fleet Officer.
At the tribunal, Wesley is driven by Picard's trust in him, and the emotions of Joshua's father. The Admiral decides, in the absence of conclusive proof of any further wrongdoing (aside from rendering an incorrect flight plan, and allowing a squad member to fly unprepared) to take away the squad's flight privileges and issue formal reprimands, just as Wes subsequently reveals the truth at the last moment. Locarno, realizing he cannot hide it any longer, admits that he instigated the lie and made the rest of the squad cover up his actions. Locarno is expelled from the Academy while Wesley and the rest of the squad lose the past years' academic credits. Wesley is crushed but Picard encourages him that the immediate future will be difficult, but he will eventually regain the trust of his classmates.
Future character appearances
The minor character Sito Jaxa would later appear significantly in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Lower Decks", where it emerges that Picard requested her assignment to the Enterprise because he wanted to give her a fair chance to redeem herself.Impact
This episode was aired for the cadets of the United States Air Force AcademyUnited States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
as an illustration of the institution's honor code
Honor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
.
See also
- "Lower Decks", the seventh season episode prominently featuring then-Ensign Sito Jaxa.
- Dump and Burn