Summary
- Wil Wheaton's return as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 exceeded expectations, offering a better experience than a cameo in Picard season 3.
- Wesley's role in Prodigy allowed him to mean more than just a fan-service moment, providing emotional depth and exploring his abilities and responsibilities as a Traveler.
- Prodigy's executive producers stated that Wesley belongs in their show, as he is "the original Prodigy," and his presence helped guide the young crew through the season's challenges.
I was one of the millions of fans who was disappointed that Star Trek: Picard season 3 didn't reunite Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) with his mother, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), and let Wesley meet his half-brother, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), but now I'm glad it didn't happen that way. Instead, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 brought back Wesley as the Traveler, and it far exceeded a cameo in Picard season 3. Even better, Wil Wheaton got to play the best version of Wesley Crusher Star Trek has ever seen in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2.
Wil Wheaton hadn't played Wesley Crusher since Star Trek: Nemesis, when Wes was inexplicably back in a Starfleet uniform at Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Counselor Deanna Troi's (Marina Sirtis) wedding. Considering Wesley has cosmic powers as a Traveler, it seemed glaring that Crusher didn't pop into Star Trek on Paramount+ shows like Star Trek: Discovery or Star Trek: Lower Decks. Wesley unexpectedly appeared in a brief scene in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale. Viewers like myself expected Wesley to appear in Star Trek: Picard season 3 to complete the Crusher family, but it never happened due to stated budgetary issues. Joyfully, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 topped any Picard cameo.
Wesley Crusher recruited Kore Soong (Isa Briones) to become one of the Travelers in Star Trek: Picard season 2's finale.
Wesley Crusher In Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 Is Better Than A Picard Season 3 Cameo
Wesley helped save every Star Trek reality
Wil Wheaton's return as Wesley Crusher was one of the greatest things about Star Trek: Prodigy season 2. Even better, Wesley was in full bloom and at the height of his powers as a Traveler. Motor-mouthed and scatterbrained, Wesley was juggling the dire straights of countless realities in his head, but he was the ideal mentor for the young Starfleet hopefuls of the USS Protostar. Implementing a complex and perilously unsteady plan to save every Star Trek timeline from the reality-eating Loom, Wesley risked everything to save the universe. Best of all, Wil Wheaton clearly had a blast playing Star Trek: Prodigy's Wesley Crusher, and got to explore the full scope of Wesley's responsibilities as a Traveler.
Wesley got to mean so much more to Star Trek: Prodigy than a walk-on fan-service moment in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
If Wesley had appeared in Star Trek: Picard season 3, the best they likely could have delivered is a brief scene with Wes, Beverly, and Jack - which would have been great to see. Wesley and Jack commiserating as adults in live-action is something Star Trek still needs to make happen. But Wesley reuniting with Beverly in Star Trek: Prodigy - and meeting a very young Jack (pre-British accent) - was still emotional and heartwarming. It finally answered the question, "Why didn't Wesley ever visit his mother as the Traveler?" Yet Wesley got to mean so much more to Star Trek: Prodigy than a walk-on fan-service moment in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
Wesley Belonged In Star Trek: Prodigy All Along
Wesley is better than ever in Star Trek: Prodigy
As Star Trek: Prodigy's executive producers Kevin and Dan Hageman told Screen Rant,Wesley belongs in their show because he is "the original Prodigy." On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wesley was the boy genius who saved the USS Enterprise-D more than once. TNG did not depict Wesley Crusher advantageously, but Star Trek: Prodigy didn't repeat the mistakes Star Trek: The Next Generation made 35 years ago. Star Trek: Prodigy's Wesley is an irrepressible mix of "Doctor Who and Willy Wonka," and there is no one better to guide Dal R'El (Brett Gray), Gwyndala (Ella Purnell), and their friends through Star Trek: Prodigy season 2's "timey-wimey" crisis.
Wesley knows a thing or two about having a cosmic destiny, and he prodded the USS Protostar's crew to stay together because the future is literally in their hands as a group.
Kevin and Dan Hageman were deep into Star Trek: Prodigy season 2's production when Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas inquired about Wesley Crusher, who Terry knew was a pivotal part of Prodigy. The three showrunners agreed to Wesley's cameo in Picard season 2's finale, but they also settled on Wesley's visit with Beverly and Jack happening in Star Trek: Prodigy season 2's finale - a moment they kept top secret for years. Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 finally gave us the best version of Wesley Crusher, and left the Traveler better than how they found him. I hope Wesley Crusher will return if there's a Star Trek: Legacy and/or a Star Trek: Prodigy season 3.
