On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) was a member of Nova Squadron while at Starfleet Academy despite the fact that he never seemed interested in becoming a pilot. Before attending the Academy, Wesley lived on the USS Enterprise-D with his mother, Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). Despite not actually being a member of Starfleet at this time, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) named Wesley an acting ensign. With this status, Wes often sat at the helm on the bridge of the Enterprise.
With his intelligence and passion for science, Wesley proved to be an asset to the Enterprise crew, often coming up with out-of-the-box solutions. Wesley left the Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4 to attend Starfleet Academy, but he would return for a couple of appearances in later seasons. In TNG season 5, episode 19, “The First Duty,” the Enterprise returns to Earth to find that Wesley and the other members of the flight team known as Nova Squadron have been involved in an accident while performing a dangerous flight maneuver. This accident resulted in the tragic death of fellow Starfleet cadet Joshua Albert.
Wesley Crusher Joining Star Trek: TNG’s Nova Squadron Explained
Although Wesley visited the Enterprise once since leaving for Starfleet Academy, “The First Duty” marks the first time Star Trek: The Next Generation checked up on the young cadet on Earth. Wes becomes a member of the elite group of pilots known as Nova Squadron, along with fellow cadets, Nick Locarno (Robert Duncan McNeill), Sito Jaxa (Shannon Fill), Jean Hajar (Walker Brandt), and Joshua Albert. Prior to attending Starfleet Academy, Wesley never showed any particular interest in becoming a pilot, so it’s a bit odd that he’s now a member of an elite pilot squad. However, Wesley’s years piloting the Enterprise-D likely earned him some clout.
By the time “The First Duty” checks in with Wes and his squadmates, the tragic accident has already occurred. However, Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale opens with a surprise flashback to before Nova Squadron’s accident. Joshua and Wes both seem hesitant to perform the forbidden Kolvoord Starburst Maneuver, but Nick is insistent, saying that pulling this off will make them legends. Locarno claims that: “We’re the best pilots the Academy’s seen in years.” While this may hold true for the others, Wes likely found himself in Nova Squadron because of his history on the Enterprise and the legacy of his parents more than any desire to be an elite pilot.
Wesley Returns To The Enterprise 5 Episodes After Sito’s “Lower Decks” Death
Just five episodes after Ensign Sito Jaxa’s tragic death in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 15, “Lower Decks,” Cadet Wesley Crusher visits the USS Enterprise. Wesley is out of sorts throughout TNG season 7, episode 20, “Journey’s End,” and something is clearly bothering him, but he never mentions Sito’s death. After Wesley does some soul-searching, he decides to resign from Starfleet. Understandably surprised, his mother questions him about his decision. Wes replies: “[…] I started feeling really depressed. I thought maybe it was the workload or the stress of being away from home, but it didn’t go away. It just got worse.”
It’s a bit strange that he never brings up Sito’s death in relation to his feelings of depression and his desire to leave Starfleet. Considering they were both members of Nova Squadron at Starfleet Academy, the two must have spent a fair amount of time together. Between Joshua and Sito, Wesley lost two of his squadmates, which would be enough to make anyone question their own future. While it’s possible these deaths were an underlying reason for Wes’s decision, this is never stated or even implied, and Wesley ends his Star Trek: The Next Generation journey soon after by joining the Travelers.
Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.
