Wil Wheaton Says TNG Reunion is Like "Coming Home"

[Andy Chalk]

Wil Wheaton Says TNG Reunion is Like "Coming Home"

Wil Wheaton's speech at the Calgary Comic Expo Star Trek: TNG reunion was both candid and touching.

I'm old enough to have watched Star Trek: The Next Generation [http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-Generation-Complete-Series/dp/B000RZIGVS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1336070800&sr=8-3] when it was new, and I hated Wesley Crusher with a passion. I dreamed of the day he'd be blown out an airlock, or have a flux capacitor dropped on his head, or get eaten by Worf, and when he finally left the series I raised my arms to heaven in a joyous hallelujah. Wesley was gone!

But then a funny thing happened. As I got older, I discovered that Wil Wheaton, the actor who brought the accursed Mr. Crusher to life, was actually a pretty cool guy. [Or at least he plays one on the internet.] He's funny, smart, self-deprecating and well aware of just how popular his character was with the vast majority of Star Trek fans. It also turns out that he struggled with his fair share of hangups about being on the show, leaving it, and then coming back.

Wheaton's response to a question about reuniting with his former castmates, asked by none other than Aaron Douglas, AKA Chief Tyrol of Battlestar Galactica [http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Complete-Series-Blu-ray/dp/B0036EH3U2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336070979&sr=8-2] fame, doesn't air any dirty Star Trek laundry [well, except that Levar Burton "never f*ckin' liked him"] but it does offer a bit of a surprising insight into what drove his decision to leave and, more importantly, how it left him feeling like an outsider for years after.

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"I just felt really ashamed of myself. I felt like I just couldn't go to the set," he said. "I felt like I couldn't look them in the eye. I felt like I didn't have the right to invite them to my wedding."

The ending is happy, of course [except for the Burton thing] but it's still a touching story and, for those who remember what it's like to really, really want Wesley to die, a fascinating look at the separation between character and actor. It's also a blast seeing everyone back together again - but man, Jonathan Frakes is making me feel old.

via: The Mary Sue [http://www.themarysue.com/wil-wheaton-star-trek-speech/]

[image [http://burimyufan85.wordpress.com/tag/wesley-crusher/]]


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[Tony2077]

Am i the only one who thinks that jar jar binks stuff doesn't make sense

 

[Quiotu]

Why hasn't Gates McFadden aged yet?

She look exactly the same as on the show. Either plastic surgery or shitty video.

I didn't hate Wesley as much as everyone else, I didn't exactly like him though.

Jonathan Frakes reminds me of an aging J. J. Abrams.

Honestly that was the first thing on my mind when they finally turned back to the cast. I thought 'holy shit these guys are old... I'm old... '. You notice the ladies have perfect hair, the guys in the cast save Wheaton couldn't give two shits... shaggy and grey or shaved completely.

And honestly... why be pissed about Wheaton? The show wasn't about Wheaton, and him being gone didn't change much. He made some mistakes, but he turned out okay, and the show didn't suffer because of it. No big deal.

 

[Proverbial Jon]

Even Doctor Who had its own Wesley Crusher/Jar Jar Binks

I think poor Matthew Waterhouse must have gone through the same thing as an actor.

I enjoyed TNG well enough but I didn't watch it often enough to warrant a deep-seated hate of Wesley Crusher. Although I do remember finding the episodes that featured him heavily to be incredibly boring.

 

[CobraX]

Well that was a heartwarming moment. Speaking of which I rather like Wil Wheaton. He seems like a cool funny dude, and I think he did a good job in the few things I've seen him in (Other than Star Trek:NG, Which admittedly I've seen very little of)

 

[evilneko]

I never hated Wesley. Sure he was annoying and did stupid shit sometimes, but he was not only a teenager but apparently a pretty smart one.

 

[newwiseman]

"...but I'm glad your here, because you're our pain in the ass." HA I'm still laughing.

I've always liked Wheaton the person, he gets a bad rap for playing a shitty character. I wanted Welsey to die in a Holo Deck accident every fucking episode like everyone else did.

 

[Blunderboy]

That's pretty cool.
Still I'm more psyched to see the Chief.

 

[Formica Archonis]

Is it just me or does Patrick Stewart look like he's trying to cover some emotion at the end there? At first I thought he was just coughing or something, but then he positions himself so his hand is hiding part of his face and just looks all Srs Bsns even when Wil makes a joke. Then they change the subject, then he shifts right back to the way he was before.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

That's good to know. I'm kinda meh about the character of Wesley... but I have nothing against Will Wheaton, really.

 

[RJ 17]

Behold! The greatest line from the greatest TNG episode!

 

[Susan Arendt]

Even Doctor Who had its own Wesley Crusher/Jar Jar Binks

I think poor Matthew Waterhouse must have gone through the same thing as an actor.

I enjoyed TNG well enough but I didn't watch it often enough to warrant a deep-seated hate of Wesley Crusher. Although I do remember finding the episodes that featured him heavily to be incredibly boring.

Dude, Turlough was WAY worse than Adric.

 

[Formica Archonis]

Dude, Turlough was WAY worse than Adric.

Showed more leg, though.

How'd the Completely Useless Encyclopedia put it? (SOOOO regret leaving that in storage when I moved.) "An attempt to introduce a mold-breaking new companion who would then spend each week being tied up and asking questions."

 

[RTR]

I hear John de Lancie crashed a Brony panel on his way to the party

 

[malestrithe]

Never cared for Westley, but I understood why he was there.

Wil Wheaton said in interviews a long time ago to explain Westley and he started talking about his involvement in the show. He said that after about a few years of being Das Uberkind, he got tired of it and asked his mom, "Why am I Superboy all the time? Why is it that on this ship filled with experts in every field, I'm the only one that can solve these problems?"

His mom pulled him close, pointed to Gene Roddenberry and said, "his full name is Gene Westlake Roddenberry."

At that moment, Wil understood that he was chosen to play Gene Roddenberry's surrogate in the series. He did not like it any less, but he considered it a huge honor. Atleast in that interview he was honored. This was back in 1999 and he might have changed his mind in the preceding dozen or so years.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Dude, Turlough was WAY worse than Adric.

Showed more leg, though.

How'd the Completely Useless Encyclopedia put it? (SOOOO regret leaving that in storage when I moved.) "An attempt to introduce a mold-breaking new companion who would then spend each week being tied up and asking questions."

Turlough was a boy. He didn't show any leg at all.

 

[Draconalis]

Man... I want watch me some TNG now...

I know what to ask for, for my birthday.

I don't remember having a huge problem with Wesley.

That being said... I don't know who that person between Steward and Wheaton is.

I just can't place him.