Shut Up Wesley Week: The Child

Greetings folks of the trek and welcome back for Day 3 of Shut Up Wesley Week. We are jumping ahead to Season 2 as Dr. Beverly Crusher has been made Head of Starfleet Medical and transferred off the Enterprise. Now Wesley is a full Ensign must decide if he stays or transfers from the Enterprise as well. Coupled with the fact there's a baby on the way for Counselor Troi. This is The Child.

Whoopi, what is love?

With Dr. Crusher reporting to Starfleet to head the Medical division, The Enterprise must rendenvous with Starbase Tango Sierra then head off to Audcet IX to collect samples of a plague that is rampant in the Rahcelis System. It seems to ravage the plasma in a humanoid's body sot that could be bad. Lt. La Forge has just been made chief engineer and is busily constructing the containment module in the cargo bay as his team has just squeaked by the deadline. A energy particle moving spratically through the ship lands in Counselor Troi's (Marina Sirtis of Death Wish 3, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Gargoyles, Star Trek: First Contact, Net Games, Mass Effect, Young Justice and A Dark Reflection) quarters.

The crew receives their new chief medical officer Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur of Star Trek, The Survivors, Born Free, L.A. Law and Batman: The Animated Series) who has already torqued Picard off by not checking in with him and discovers her in Ten Forward where she decided to relax prior to such obligations.

I swear I am not the father, Doctor.

On the way to Ten Forward Picard bumps into Wesley who will be joining his mother shortly and the Captain apologizes for the delay to visit with her. Picard points out that in Starfleet, assignment changes does frequent often and it is going to be up to him on choosing what assignment fits his potential future better and that there are plenty of good ships out there. Wesley simply points out those other ships will not be the Enterprise. Even Picard has to agree with that beaming with pride in the young man and his performance. Troi is pregnant from the entity that entered and is a rapid growth and the birth is a matter of hours. The concerns of the crew is obvious but Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes of Paper Dolls, North and South, North and South, Book II, Gargoyles, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines and The Glades) who had a previous relationship with the Counselor is showing signs of jealous and loss of what could have been.

Does the child pose a threat to the ship and its crew? Will Wesley come to terms with a new assignment or fight to stay on the Enterprise? Can Pulaski endear herself to the crew?

A few points of interest on this episode. Frakes returned to rehearsals at the start of second season with a beard with he fully intended to shave off but the producers like it and asked him t keep it which he did through the rest of the show's running. This is the first time seeing Wesley in uniform after graduating from cadet.

Marina Sirtis refers to this episode as her least favorite having to wear a fake belly filled with birdseed and had to be careful how she moved so the seeds would not shift and make noise. This is also the first appearances of both Dr. Pulaski and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg).

Ahhh!! Creeper face going there, Riker!