The First Duty

"The First Duty" is the 119th episode of the American syndicated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 19th episode of the show's fifth season. It featured the return of former regular castmember Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher as well as the first of three appearances by Ray Walston as Boothby.

In this episode, while visiting Starfleet Cadet Wesley Crusher at Starfleet Academy, the crew of the Federation Starfleet starship USS Enterprise learn of an accident that claimed the life of a cadet.

Plot

The Enterprise returns to Earth, where Captain Picard 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 fellow Nova Squadron member Joshua Albert.

During the deposition, Nova Squadron leader Nick Locarno testifies that the impact occurred as they were coming out of a "Yeager Loop" maneuver. He also says that Joshua was nervous about flying, and that he allowed him to fly because he didn't want to end his flying career over nerves. He claims that the accident was Joshua's fault, but admits that in hindsight allowing him to fly was a mistake. However, when satellite imagery from 7 seconds before the crash shows the squad to be in a different formation than the one they've testified to being in, the cadets remain tight lipped. Picard, concerned that things are not what they seem, orders his crew to investigate the accident.

They discover evidence that Wesley's squad was attempting to perform, not the assigned "Yeager loop" but a banned maneuver called the "Kolvoord Starburst", last attempted more than a century previous which resulted in the deaths of all five pilots involved. Picard accosts Wesley and demands to know the truth, but Wesley responds by saying that he chooses to not answer, thus indicating that an answer would be self-incriminating. Picard reminds him of his Starfleet duty and gives Wesley an ultimatum: either the boy comes forward with the truth, or Picard would present his evidence of the deceptions discovered himself. Locarno attempts to coerce Wesley into backing up the lie, claiming that Picard has no evidence for a credible accusation, thus tearing Wesley between their friendship and their obligations as Starfleet officers.

At the hearing, Wesley is forced to choose between: Picard's trust in him, the emotions of Joshua's father; and his loyalty to Nova Squadron, with whom he has been close-knit for a long time. 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. Before she can close the hearing, though, Wesley steps up and reveals the truth behind the accident.

Realizing he cannot hide it any longer, Locarno admits that he pressured the squad into performing the banned maneuver to end their academy careers in style, then instigated the lie and pressured the rest of the squad to support it. He is expelled from the Academy, while Wesley and the rest of his colleagues lose their past year's academic credits along with their flight privileges. Wesley is disappointed in himself, but Picard encourages him that - while the immediate future will be difficult - he will eventually regain the trust of his classmates, and the respect that comes with it. Wes, however, doesn't believe such is the case.

Sito Jaxa

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.

Influence on franchise

McNeill's Nicholas Locarno would serve as the template for the character of Tom Paris on Star Trek:Voyager. Originally producers were searching for a different actor than McNeill. However, after many auditions it was suggested to simply bring McNeill in to play the part since they were using his character as a model for Tom Paris already.^[1]

Reception

The episode ranked ninth in Entertainment Weekly's list of top 10 Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes in September 2007.^[2]

See also

• "Lower Decks", the seventh season episode prominently featuring then-Ensign Sito Jaxa.
• Dump and Burn
• Immelmann turn

References

• Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 5, disc 5, selection 3

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: "The First Duty"

• "The First Duty" on IMDb
• "The First Duty" at TV.com

• "The First Duty" at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

• "The First Duty" at StarTrek.com