Coming of Age is a classic TNG episode. It successfully weaves together two separate storylines, centering on Picard and Wesley, both of which are compelling. Even the subplot of Jake Kurland not making it to the entrance exam, stealing a shuttle and being rescued by Picard fits well into both Wesley’s and Picard’s stories.

Wesley’s story is the centerpiece of the episode and is, indeed, the most compelling of the two stories. It is his first opportunity to demonstrate his talents outside of his “home” on the Enterprise and, as we would expect, he performs quite well. But the compelling parts of this storyline center around Wesley facing the unknown — particularly when it comes to the Psyche Test. Wesley must confront his thoughts and feelings surrounding his father’s death. That revelation, along with his maturity in dealing with the other finalists are all a part of Wesley moving beyond being a very smart child and growing into a young adult.

Picard’s storyline is not quite as interesting or compelling, but it is successful enough. It also benefits from being a precursor to a future episode. That being said, the biggest criticisms for this episode come from the scenes involving Remmick who, while interviewing the crew about Picard, is a bit too belligerent with his inquiries. His motives may be understandable, but the extent to which he badgers the crew is almost cringe-worthy.

Coming of Age also benefits from some solid character development from the rest of the crew. While Wesley is pondering the Psych Test, he has a conversation with Worf. Up to this point in the series, Worf has been horrendously underused and is more caricature than character. But in this episode, Worf reveals that his worst fear is depending on others for survival. Worf goes on to explain that, due to the very nature of serving on a starship, he must confront that fear every day. Worf’s internal conflict, along with his ability to relate to Wesley, are welcome additions to his character. Also, Picard’s confession to Wesley that even he did not succeed on his first Academy entrance exam, helps us see that Picard wasn’t always the model of perfection he projects as a starship captain.

On the whole, Coming of Age is a solid episode. The story, acting and production are all without major flaws. Its only real drawback then is that it doesn’t particularly excel in any of those areas.

Filed under: TNG Reviews