Final Mission
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 19 November 1990
- ON
- First-run syndication
- STARDATE
- 44307.3
- DIRECTED BY
- Corey Allen
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 183
WRITTEN BYTeleplay by Kacey Arnold-Ince and Jeri Taylor; story by Kacey Arnold-Ince
Wesley's long-awaited place at Starfleet Academy comes through, but a last mission with Picard goes wrong when their shuttle crashes on a barren desert moon.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
Wesley is finally accepted to Starfleet Academy, and Picard invites him on one last mission: to mediate a mining dispute on Pentarus V. They travel in an elderly shuttle captained by the boastful Dirgo, while the Enterprise heads off to deal with a radiation emergency elsewhere. The shuttle crash-lands on a desert moon. With no water or communications, the three head for distant mountains, where they find a cave holding a fountain guarded by a force field. Dirgo fires at it, and the resulting rockfall leaves Picard badly hurt. Dirgo tries again and is killed. Wesley nurses the injured captain, who tells him how proud he is of him, then uses his tricorder to shut down the field. The Enterprise returns in time to rescue them, and Picard tells Wesley he will be missed.
- 01Wil Wheaton's last episode as a series regular, although he later returned in guest appearances.
- 02The shuttle Nenebek is named after Trek historian Larry Nemecek, author of “The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion”.
- 03Nick Tate, who plays Dirgo, was known as pilot Alan Carter in “Space: 1999”. The episode also gives the first mention of Boothby.