Wesley was told to put on a proper uniform. Meanwhile, the ship’s therapist who outranks him still dresses in a catsuit.

He got promoted faster than Harry Kim

One of my favorite moments in any Star Trek show. Wes TOTALLY rocked that uniform. Plus, it was cool to see all eight primary cast members on the bridge together, to celebrate the occasion.

After hearing what a rough time this was for Wil, and how the Trek crew were his true family; this scene means all the more.

One of my favorite tear jerk scenes of the series. This and when the little boy who lost his family is on board the Enterprise. He tells Picard he feels alone, and Picard assures him that "No One is alone on the Starship Enterprise." Also when Data saves that alien, whose planet is falling apart around her and he beams up with her and holds her hand.

His "mum" sitting there looking like an absolute goddess as always with those looks she always gave. I never hear him talking about will and gates relationship on the show.

People watch the new Picard series and say "Picard Missed out on the experience of being a father" --- did you not watch The Next Generation????? The relationship between Picard and Wesley was father-son. Fans seem to forget that Picard looked after Wesley, taught him, nurtured him, was strict with him, and on some rare cases showed him respect and recognition. That is what a father does, he prepares you for the world, he doesnt coddle you. Despite all of his flaws, Picard always gave Wesley a chance and that was all he needed. I personally liked his character. Some hated him being whiny, but he is a teenager he looks at life through a different perspective than Starfleet guidelines. All the hate that Wil Wheaton got for his portrayal of Wesley is undeserved, I am glad that he turned out so well and avoided any scandals in life.

Gods I miss this show, what a grand television family to have grown up with.

Wesley was one of my favorite characters on TNG. He deserved to be promoted to Ensign. Beverly must have been so proud of him.

I will never forget that moment when Wesley steps onto the bridge in his uniform. It was AWESOME!

"Lwaxana Troi has beamed down to the planet's surface Sir." "Good, get us out of here, Maximum Warp!!!" 😂

"Aye, sir. Course is set." "Shut up Wesley."

Military officers promoted the classic way: showing what you can do on the field instead of just what you can study in academy.

Patrick Stewart always put so much effort into the nuance and complexity of these one on one Ready Room scenes.

"Did you shine those shoes with a candy bar, Ensign? Do push-ups 'til I get tired...engage!"

Whatever your opinion of the character Wesley Crusher, you have to admit this is a very nice, "warm-and-fuzzy-feeling" kind of scene.

2:08 Brent Spiner doesn't have any lines but remembers to do his head tilt towards Picard that he always does. Then he continues his jerky but precise movements as he works on his console. The dude was great.

I love how proud of him they all look, its heartwarming.

Not even 18. And here he is, piloting a mighty *Galaxy Class starship.* And not just any Galaxy. The *Flagship* of the United Federation Of Planets. Wesley is cooler than any of us could ever hope to be at his age!!! That's the same as one of our teens sitting right seat for Air Force One. Or at the Helm of a Nimitz Class carrier. My God.

I was just about Wesley's age when this happened. Felt like Picard was promoting *me*.

Troi still comes to work as if it was casual Friday.

After all of these years this still brings a smile to my face!

Imagine discovery was as good as this and you can sit down with your family every week and watch a new episode.

Love Wesley's smile seeing him in his ensign uniform

Wesley was bright like seven of nine and Wesley had a different captain. The whole crew watched him grow up. Janeway advanced members of her crew she noticed and liked. I didn’t noticed Harry Kim showing himself to advantage except at his post. He could show ability in other areas but he never gained enough to transfer to a different area like engineering or the Astro physics lab once they opened it. Harry was smart too but very modest.

0:27 I always loved Patrick Stewart's subtle acting skills.

Tears still well up when I watch this scene so many years later.😢

This is what I learned in star trek. If you work hard on your dream job. It becomes real.

So awesome. This means even more coming from his captain.

my husband and I got to meet will wheaton he is sooooo sweet took pictures with us talked with us was so cool

Everyone is beaming with pride. They all watched him grow up and played a part in hus raising.

That look on his face when he walked out of Picard's office! "Finally, out of this wardrobe malfunction and into this slightly less wardrobe malfunction that at least everyone else is wearing!"

You don't often see Worf smile. I love it.

Anakin would be like. “Why can’t I be a captain?!?”

I’m the same age as Will Wheaton - hard to believe I was that young looking when this series was first broadcast!! 30 years has just flown past….

I really like the last shot. Great Family Photo moment. Music is pretty good, too.

Looks like a kid in a candy shop. I wish I could be as happy as Ensign Crusher

That music! Gets me all the time. It almost emulates a movement from The Planets by Holst.

I wonder what the cast thought when filming this scene, were they all proud to see Wil in the Starfleet uniform? Marina Sirtis seems to have a very genuine smile 😀

The best part of this episode was Picard racing the Enterprise around at Warp 8 the whole time in search of Lwaxana. However after securing her safe return and her making advances on him, he orders the Enterprise to Warp 9 which is normally for emergency situations only. 😂

That one scene.....Better than the entirely of Discovery.

One of my most favorite episodes scenes

Harry Kim is losing his mind somewhere.

TNG is just simply Amazing. None of the other series after really ever hit that good in compairison 😊

People do not dislike him for what he did but rather what he was. Only so many occasions did he receive preferential treatment (allowed to visit bridge, become acting ensign etc). He was also unrealistically brilliant- why does he need to go to the academy when he can outsmart Geordi and even Data on a couple of occasions. Finally, now this is my opinion, when young people watch TNG, they want to see these heroic figures doing awesome things but when they see Wesley, they might relate to him and think, ‘Maybe I’m not one of the heroes but actually Wesley.’

Gene Roddenberry gave his real Ensign bars, Gene was in the Navy, to Wil Wheaton as a gift when this episode was made.

So Wesley out ranked every cadet at Starfleet Academy.

I always liked how the Next Generation ship always engaged as it just went whoosh.

Do you think Picard made him a red shirt hoping he’d be a casualty on an away mission? 😂🤓

I was so happy when I first watched this. It's a shame they messed up that character so much. I always wanted to go into space and explore and wanted to be Wesley Crusher. To be that young and have the chance to be a part of such a good crew of a starship that can go to so many places.

Amazing how easy and simple it is to maneuver that enormous ship!

"I hereby promote you to full ensign" *goofy smile, walks out without saying anything* they really wrote Wesley like a clumsy golden retriever.

Plot Twist: Soon after this scene, the Federation goes to war. During the war, Wesley gets field promoted a few more times. After many years, the war ends and Wesley finally has time to go to Starfleet Academy as the first Lt. Cdr to enter as a first-year student. All his classmates are jealous.

".....and shut up, Wesley"

Wesley is the son that Picard never had.

Wesley was so excited he forgot to say, "Thanks, space-dad!"

Wesley DESERVES that promotion!!! Ge' my favorite character EVER!!!!! I absolutely love him :) No "shut up Wesley"'s but more of "speak UP Wesley!" :)

As a "Star Trek: The Next Generation" devotee of several decades standing (I am now 64), I didn't hate either Wil Wheaton or the character of Wesley Crusher at all; but the hard facts are that, when people ask "Why did so many people hate Wesley Crusher?", there are some pretty specific answers one can give them: 1. He broke a cultural taboo on an alien planet (admittedly an idiotic taboo and an idiotic culture), which nearly got the planet's "god" mad enough to wipe out the Enterprise; 2. By leaving the lid off a container of nanites, he begat a whole new civilization (oops!) that -- once again -- nearly wiped out the Enterprise; 3. He participated in an illegal and foolhardy stunt at Starfleet Academy (admittedly shared responsibility here) that got a cadet killed, and over which he perjured himself, until his "better nature" asserted itself; 4. He inserted himself into a conflict between the Federation and the Cardassians, where his meddling could have led to a galactic war; 5. He trapped his own mother inside a collapsing parallel universe, and nearly got her killed. Whenever I think of Wesley's track record, I remember something that a wise old Czech woodworker, who taught shop at my boarding school, told me: "Thomas, everyone makes mistakes." (Long pause) "But never forget that some mistakes can actually get people killed." 3.

And this time Dr. Crusher is on the Bridge to see this moment. Picard must have learned his lesson the last time he promoted Wesley without telling her.

Data looks over and is like Dam I didn't even have that happen to me

Man I wish they’d had him in Picard season 2 or 3

I had a ***MASSIVE*** crush (no pun intended) on Wesley! He was only a few years older than me, and originally, I thought I just liked him like the older brother I always wanted but never had. But as the show progressed, I started having thoughts about him like "Wow! He has really great hair!", or "Jeeze, he looks kind of built under that uniform!" And it was the day I noticed what a "cute butt" he had that I realized what I was **really** thinking about Wesley!

The good old days of television 😊

He looks damn good in a proper uniform.

this was one of the best moments from TNG

Happy Mother's Day Dr. Crusher

I dont understand why people hate wesley so much

Of course when Picard said Ensign Crusher, that made sure everyone knew he was promoted to Full Ensign, incase anyone had any doubts.

Ensign Crusher was such a Handsome Young Man.

even though Picard wasn't Wesley's father, he still acted as a father. I also notice some differences with this scene of Wesley coming in with the red shirt uniform as newly promoted ensign compared to Jack in ST: PICARD, where he's pacing about in his uniform trying so hard not to spoil the surprise of the refit of the USS Titan into the USS Enterprise G.

"just one more thing... shut up Wesley"

“We can’t afford to send you to the academy, but we’re gonna give you a new shirt in the meantime.”

I wish life was that easy

Didn't need a shut up Wesley... he was speechless. A diplomatic shut up Wesley.

I don't know why people hated on Wesley so much, because I always loved episodes where Wesley was a main character that had scene time.

What a special moment with the boy

If Wesley was at genius level, he should have started Starfleet Academy when he was 10 years old and finished in half the time.

such a proud moment. for all of us :)

The kid forgot to say "Thank you, sir!".

You mean I'm Captain now?? No Wesley, you are being promoted to Ensign only... So I'm the Captain? You made me a Captain??? [Wesley Runs of room] Moooommm Moooooommmm!! Jean Luc just made me Captain of the Enterprise!! Jean Luc [sits down, sighs heavily]

1:24 That smile says “You mean I can ditch this creepy craptastic uniform?! AWESOME!!!”

'Wesley, you missed your Oral Examination and so you'll have to practice here for another year - Come!'

Great final shot of the whole cast

I don't understand the hate for Wesley either, I loved the character!

All it takes is the good word from a being beyond time

Have to hand it to Ron Jones for giving us what is essentially Wesley's theme.

"You are hereby promoted to Wesley Smasher"

Bravo Wesley!! I like you!

Going from a snuggly fit onesie to one where you always have to pull every time you stand up. That’s a demotion.

according to some of you, Chakotay was not promoted to Full Commander, he was actually a Provisional Lieutenant Commander. If you looked closely at his Pin, it was 2 Stripes with a Black Stripe indicating Lieutenant Commander in the Provisional ranks. Cavit was also a Lieutenant Commander, i see it as Ships with 100-300 Crew have Lieutenant Commanders as XO and smaller Ships can have Commanders and Lieutenant Commanders Commanding such as Defiant when Worf was technically Commanding at times. Voyager was a smaller Ship so the ranks were more Crewmen/Petty Officers than actual Officers. on such smaller vessels Ensigns can run a Department and Harry Kim screwed up alot too during the show so he was passed up due to that. entire First Season has costume mistakes i head Cannonize as "something happened after end of Season 1 but before Season 2 that got Tom, Torres and Tuvok demoted" as they each had on pins indicating they were a rank higher than the rest of the seasons (Tom = Lieutenant but actually was Lieutenant Junior Grade, Torres = Full Lieutenant but actually was a Lieutenant Junior Grade, Tuvok = Lieutenant Commander but actually was a Lieutenant) as for wesley, i rather he didnt go with the traveler and come back during generations as a Lieutenant Junior Grade on the helm, maybe he would have been the dramatic bridge death instead of kirk (change kirk story to him just retiring nicely in 2293) and wesley trying to help picard.

I love Wesley so much he really deserved that ❤

am I the only one who notices dr. crushers chair appears and disappears as needed?

One of the dummest things Star Trek did was have Wesley wear that gray uniform. They could have made a modified rank insignia for acting Ensign. Maybe a single solid silver pip for Acting Ensign...then do a similar modified rank for temporary (or field) ranks, Such as two solid silver pips for Tom Paris or three solid silver pips for Chakotay. They're all given Starfleet uniforms, even though they couldn't get new supplies from a Starbase.

Spoilers (but who am I kidding?) Even though Wesley eventually decides not to further his career in Starfleet, this scene still moves me. It still meant everything to him, at that time.

Wesley Reminds Me OF MYSELF AT THAT AGE IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL.

One of the proudest moments on the show.

Ensign, take us out of orbit. And shut up, Wesley!!

That was a cool moment on the show...

you know your in the future when star fleet uniforms have a “turtleneck option”

Weasly crusher my favorite character. Mind you I was a kid so I kind of idolized him.