435 thoughts on “because so many of you asked…”

1. I completely agree with you. Maybe (and it’s a big maybe) if all of the mini’s had unique expressions, it wouldn’t be AS bad. However, if there were ever a dead horse being beaten, this is it in a nutshell.

2. I agree with you 100%. I was an adult when TNG was on, and I always liked Wesley (and thought you did a fine job portraying him despite some very poor writing), and could never figure out where all the hate came from. This Lego thing is disgusting. I hope fans boycott it very loudly.

   1. I was an adult at the time too, and I also loved Wesley. Why? Because I remembered being that smart, nerdy, weird kid who got treated like crap by adults and peers alike.

3. That really is bullshit. I was only able to see part of the photo in twitter, and was really excited until I saw the whole thing here. What the fuck?

4. Thanks for sharing. It’s weird to me, because aside from the general, unwarranted disrespect to the character that you go into above, I don’t think even in his worst-written episodes Wesley was ever depicted as a ‘crybaby’ or as overly emotional or anything like that – at best he was over-earnest (which is exactly what you’d expect from a teenage boy in his situation!).

   Basically, the creator of this minifig has taken a very lazy approach in depicting Wesley. He lazily assumes that Wesley is hated by all and lazily attributes a child-like trait to him on the basis that he was a child, regardless of whether or not he ever displayed that trait.

   Wes and the fans who love him deserves better and I’m grateful that you’re still invested enough in the show and character to fight his corner.

5. I didn’t know about the hate towards the character you portrayed until much later, I watched TNG on it’s original run as a teen to adulthood and never felt Wesley was ‘annoying’. Just another good character in a show full of them with interesting stories. Sucks that people have been so petty to you about it. And the minifig is totally disappointing, could have just made it another smiling face, but no.

6. I was so disappointed when I saw the Wesley minifig, because I would LOVE to own the set (and honestly will probably get it for the others), but that is just not the Wesley I remember from when I was a kid watching TNG. In fact, my fiance and I are wrapping up a rewatch of the series, and now, with all you’ve written about the character in my mind, I STILL don’t see him that way–and I’m 34, totally primed to be at the stage where I see kid characters as exasperating and sympathize more with the adult characters. So I’m sorry a character that you’re destined to to have follow you around (because he’s part of such an iconic franchise) is being portrayed so poorly. I think you should pop off its head and replace it so you can have a proper sweater-Wes (it’s what I plan to do).

7. Could not agree with you more.

8. Totally agree with your well made points. It lessens the coolness of the set of minifigs, it shows some misunderstanding of the character development and you’re right to call them out on it.

9. I don’t think I could agree more with everything you said. I was really uncomfortable with that episode. An episode that would have otherwise been awesome. In our household it’s considered a major foul to say the words, “shut up”. Even in jest. I really like that set but it’s ruined by the Wesley lego character. Nonetheless, some of us still got your back Wil.

   1. Yes… whenever my wife or I say “shut up” out of frustration, our daughter always scolds us for using bad words.

10. I saw this set on twitter a few days ago and it made me so angry. It is a nasty small minded taunt and Wesley and TNG both deserve better. I can only hope that the copyright owners shut them down quickly and publicly.

11. I was always a bit dismayed about the ways Wesley was belittled (especially early on) in TNG. When I first started to watch TNG when I was young I had an interest in science and loved sci-fi and Wesley’s character always spoke to me: a young guy who had enthusiasm but kept being put down by authority figures — “you can’t do that, you’re not good enough” etc etc. In real life the struggle was real, but it was reflected in Wesley. Granted, and I agree, his character was poorly written early on, but he grew with me through school and college and excited me for the possibilities of science and engineering. That’s why I’m surprised to hear that you are constantly having the “Shut up, Wesley!” thrown at you. In all honesty, I felt Wesley’s character grew light-years beyond being admonished by Picard et al. and that’s how I always remember him: a fascinating character that had a great story, who inspired me to work harder and always persevere, despite the odds. For that I will always salute your portrayal of Wesley.

    1. Oh, and that Lego figure IS garbage BTW. It’s petty to say the least.

12. I loved Wesley and, honestly, he was one of the main reasons why I watched the show. I am sad that so many people didn’t like him, and it is frustrating that he is looked upon so poorly.

13. I can’t say I ever remember Wesley crying. Occasionally annoying, or goofy, but I don’t even understand why the fig is crying. I saw it this morning and immediately thought “wow rude.”

    1. I remember being disappointed that the writers didn’t use your skills early on. Looking back, I wonder why the “shut up Wesley” scene wasn’t resolved by the end as a counter to arrogantly denigrating the voice of youth, as Picard, et al, realized they were foolish in their dismissiveness . Opportunity lost, I guess.

14. Our little corner of Trekkie fandom here down under were disappointed as well! The responses have been, “Yay, Trek Minifigs, but WTF did they do to Wesley?” I for one can tell you that you did help me get through highschool and the bullying I endured for being a nerd. I had two posters on my wall growing up, Wesley Crusher and MacGyver, characters who were solving problems with science and through that science respected by their peers. It gave me hope for the future. I majored in biology and ended up becoming a Veterinary Nurse where my lab skills have been put to use saving animals lives. This is because you showed me Science is ‘awesome and great’. Because Levar Burton said it was ok to read. Because Richard dean Anderson chose to play a character who fought with science instead of bullets. You all gave me permission to ‘be a nerd’

15. When I was a 9 years old boy watching TNG with my parents, I so wished that I was Wesley! I fully identified with him, envied him, and he is still my favorite character of TNG to this day!

    So it’s the haters need to shut up! 🙂

    I would love a proper Wesley minifig!

16. It’s chronologically wrong too, isn’t it? Or did Wesley still wear this sweater after Riker grew the beard?

17. Wil – I’m 37. I watched/loved/became inspired by TNG as a child. As an adult, I continue to love the concepts of space and science. TNG inspired much of this, and I am an Engineer today as a result.

    I started following your blog a few years ago when I was working alongside the craft beer industry and your name came up. I quickly figured out you were a pretty interesting guy as an adult, and shared an interest in many of the other things I love (such as tabletop games), which has led to other wonderful discoveries along those tangental journeys.

    I assure you that I would never have had any interest in following you had it not been for the role you played on TNG. Subsequently, I would not have discovered so many other interesting things in the worlds of games, books, movies, beer….

    Thanks for being you.

18. As a nerdy kid named Wesley that was born 8 months before TNG premiered, I agree.

    1. Oh damn! Sry. I know what having a name that attracts teasing is like though.

19. For the record: I loved Wesley.

    I grew up in East Germany. There was no Star Trek (and Star Wars) until Germany reunited in 1990. The first things my father bought with the “D-Mark” was a used Commodore 64 and a new tv (color!). TNG aired in Germany in September 1990. A little later my brother and I started watching it. We loved it. I don’t think I would be a nerd without Star Trek. Wesley played a big part in this. Yes, his character was not written very well in the beginning. But, to be honest I don’t consider most of season 1 and 2 to be great.

    Wil, I totally agree with you: Making Wesley in to a crybaby is insulting. And a really cheap joke.

20. Being 5 years your junior, I always looked up to Wesley from day 1 and was crushed when you left the show. So happy to have found your writing and have been following you here for some time. I look up more to you now as a… I was going to say writer, but I think you are so much more than that as well.

    Anyway, always a fan.

21. I loved Wesley Crusher, because while he may have been a child prodigy, he was also very human. He had all the typical traits of a young person approaching adulthood- insecurities, fears, self-doubt, but also curiosity, courage, and empathy. I still believe the writers missed out on a great opportunity by short-changing the character. He had so much potential. But I can only credit your portrayal as the saving grace. You made me care about a character, when even his creators didn’t seem to. Thank you, Wil.

22. I was 9 years old when TNG premiered and Wesley was my favorite character. He did the stuff I wanted to do like fly the ship and hang out with Data and Geordi. Yes, he was badly written in that first season but I didn’t notice because I was 9. I appreciated how he was rewarded for being smart and enjoying learning, not bullied for it.

23. I DID – and still do – love Wesley Crusher! I became interested in math and science because of Wesley Crusher. I still have certain scenes/dialogue from seasons 1-4 of ST:TNG memorized because I watched it so often as a teenager just to see Wesley Crusher. I may be in my early 40’s now, but Wil your portrayal of Wesley had a very positive effect on my life. I know you’ve gotten so much crap over the years for playing this character, but I hope you know there are those of us who love Wesley and your portrayal of him. I’m an engineer now, and I want you to know that you had something to do with me achieving that. This Lego Set is a huge disappointment, because Wesley never acted like a crybaby, period. Thank you, Wil.

24. As I kid, I enjoyed Wesley the character. I really felt for him, though, because apparently no one listens to kids, even in the future. I agree there were a lot of poor choices made by the writing staff. As for Wil Wheaton the actor, I must admit I was a little jealous of him, because he was an actor on Star Trek, and I was not. Our UPN station at the time ran ads for a contest where you could win a walk-on role for TNG. I cannot tell you how many 3×5 cards I sent in to them. We’re talking Lazlo in Real Genius levels of cards. I just knew that the producers would see how awesome I was as a walk-on, I’d be cast alongside Wil Wheaton, and we’d have super best-friend adventures for the rest of time! Sadly, that never came to pass. I do like to credit that time with my interest in acting in high school, and my involvement in local theatre. It’s not a career, but it’s a damn fun hobby.

25. Well rats. My comment didn’t post. I’m not good at remembering what I said, and all the others above said it better anyway. I’m surprised non of the adult actors made a stink – as it does make Picard look like he drank the Loke Koolaid. But then we were still in the dark ages at that point…

26. It sucks. As the parent of one exceptionally weird and wonderfully brilliant autistic kid and another exceptionally weird, brilliant kid with depression, this sucks a hell of a lot. I’d love this set if not for the horribly insensitive and insulting portrayal of Wesley, who I OF COURSE adored.

27. I grew up with TNG, and, frankly, wished I was Wesley. While the writing in season 1 was certainly cheesy, I actually thought this episode was great. As a similarly-aged youngster who was usually smarter than many of those around him, I often didn’t have the guts to call out what I felt was “off”. Wesley did. Having been shut down by an authority figure once, I would have assumed that “the adult must be right, and I must be wrong”. Wesley didn’t. Wesley wasn’t being a crybaby, he was standing up for what he thought was right.

    Also, now, as an adultish person, I can see that it also shows how Picard really was shitty at relating to kids, just like he said in Farpoint.

    I get why you’d find “Shut up, Wesley” to be so annoying. I’m here to tell you that Picard telling you to shut up helped form my sense of self-worth. Others too, maybe. So, thank you for falling on that grenade.

28. My 23 year old son is a lego freak. He is also a “Wil Wheaton is the guy who makes John Scalzi move from cool, to epically cool, by reading his books.” We’ll skip this set.

29. Also, If I were into minifigs I would buy the set and repaint all the faces.

30. I think that the zeitgeist is getting close to the point where we might soon stop shaming boys for crying. It won’t be a moment too soon for me. I cringe every time I hear someone described as “whiny” or a “crybaby”. I figure that the people saying this are passing along a load of misery that’s been handed to them at some point, and they would rather not hold on to it. That doesn’t mean you, or I, or anybody else has to hold on to it, though.

    The episode you recount could have been better if it had shown the adults owning up to failing Wesley. I don’t recall if it did. Anyway, Wil, you have nothing to be ashamed of, and nothing to explain.

31. I loved Wesley, I looked forward to and then enjoyed his episodes and I share your disappointment at this set. It’s actually the reason not to buy it for me, it’s just too disrespectful to a kid trying to do his best in an adult world. Although my kids don’t watch nearly enough Star Trek (their dad got them into Star Wars), when we do watch it together, Wesley is a great character to us for all the reasons you describe. My boys are science & engineering nerds and to see a kid drive a spaceship means the same thing to them that it meant to me as a young adult.

    That it annoys you today is totally understandable to me. It’s like they’ve frozen you in time. No growth allowed. No separation of person and role, just that selfish delight in hating a kid. I mean, just thinking about it, it’s incomprehensible – they celebrate hating a kid! But I do hope that you’ll continue to find roles to surprise us with – I loved Isaac in Eureka, an unexpected delight and a worthy adversary.

    Anyway, I hope besides writing your blog you’re also enjoying a relaxing few days at home and that 2018 is a year of many more light than dark days, of renewed health and much happiness for you and yours!

32. FWIW, it wasn’t just kids who were watching TNG and admiring Wesley. There were parents (I’m sure I’m not the only one) that had grown up admiring Spock and Scotty, and were now seeing a role model for our own kids. Despite the often cringe-worthy writing, you did for my daughter what Leonard Nimoy and Jimmy Doohan did for me. And for that, you have my thanks and gratitude.

33. TNG was first airing when I was very young, maybe 4 or 5. I remember the first time I saw Wesley Crusher I was immediately smitten. He (you, Mr. Wil Wheaton) was adorable and, as a young girl, that’s all I really needed. As TNG progressed and fed my innate obsession with space, I began to develop a different interest in Wesley. Beyond being cute, he also represented potential. I saw myself in him. I saw a possibility: a person didn’t need to be an adult to be smart. They didn’t need to be an adult to understand complex things. They didn’t need to be an adult to make a difference. I didn’t see that in Picard. I didn’t see that in Geordi. I didn’t see that in Beverly or Deanna. Now that I’m older I see more in them. But then? I was a child and he was a child in this spaceship among the stars and I loved him with a love that was more than love and a knowledge that was only ours.

    TL;DR: The creators were trying to get a laugh and instead ended up negating the effect this character had on the children who grew up seeing themselves and a potential future in Wesley Crusher.

34. Their portrayal of Wesley is pretty weak. After all this time, someone finally makes the TNG cast in LEGO, faithfully recreates their uniforms, hair styles, and even goes for the details of matching Beverly’s eyebrow colour to her hair, producing Data’s skin tone, and making Geordi’s visor and Worf’s forehead ridges… and then completely botches the whole thing with a lame reference to a crappy meme that only represented a vocal (and annoying) minority of TNG fans.
    I may have even bought it… if they had just added a normal smiling face to Wesley… and while it’d be no effort at all just to swap out a different head that was more representative of the actual character… why bother? Why would I want to reward their behaviour?

35. This sucks. I’m sorry, but also I’m roughly the same age as you so Wesley Crusher was pretty awesome to me when I watched that show, so this upsets me too. At any rate, I dig your work, and look back fondly on most of TNG, so wanted to send you some empathy.

36. While agreeing 1,000,000%, there’s an easy solution for fans. (1) Buy the Wesley minifig, (2) Turn the head to the other expression (and sand off the crying one for good measure). (3) Enjoy!

    https://minifigs.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/wesley-crusher-front-fleshy-normal.jpg

    Take that LEGO designer!

    1. Exactly! My favorite part thing about Lego.

       I can change the expression on almost any minifig! So I don’t have to see that Wesley-is-warning-but-no-one-listens face.

37. Things like this always bother me. Wesley was my hero, the character most like me in TNG. I personally set aside an afternoon at one of the PAX Wests that Wil attended to stand in the line at his booth just so I could tell him how much Wesley meant to me, and how it inspired me to not be ashamed of being the smart kid.

38. I agree 100%. I also never understood the Wesley-haters. I was 20 when the show premiered, so not (hopefully) as immature, in the literal sense, as some viewers. Whether that was relevant or not, I’m not sure. But I never saw the debacle that was 1st season Wesley as indicative of Wesley Crusher (who had some good moments even among the train wreckage) or of Wil Wheaton (who was perceptibly doing his best with what he was given — your speech to Picard in DataLore hit a note that every teen or child ignored by their parents could feel in their bones). It was a symptom of the disease that almost killed TNG in its infancy — the uneven, and often bad, writing.

    You and all the cast deserve major credit for keeping Star Trek alive, because Season One TNG could have killed it dead. The fact that so much of that disappointment and consequent wrath fell on the back of Mr. Crusher is a tragedy. Everyone had bad characterization and gag-inducing lines thrown at them — you more than most, perhaps, but your characters all rose and grew in complexity and depth.

    I honestly don’t think the people who contributed to the shut up meme deserve to be called Trekkies, Trekkers, or even casual viewers. To adhere to that triteness is only possible if you didn’t watch the show long enough to see it past its growing pains. They’re not worth the effort it takes to recognize their existence.

39. Hello, Wil! As someone who came to Star Trek: The Next Generation mostly through syndication (I was 7 when it premiered) and hasn’t seen most of the season 1 episodes, one of my most memorable Wesley episodes is season 5’s “The Game,” in which he literally saves the entire ship. The minifigure’s just dumb, and I hope the dude who made it has the good sense to replace it with one of several facial expressions from “The Game.”

    PS Your writing, activism on depression, and hosting are awesome. Loved your interview on “The Hilarious World of Depression.” Re: that: Don’t quit acting until I’ve had a chance to cast you in a paying gig, because I’ve got a role earmarked for you.

40. In addition to what everyone else said, even by the least sympathetic interpretations of the character, Wesley was never a crybaby. By the least sympathetic interpretations, he was a know-it-all, which has nothing to do with that crybaby face they gave the character. That’s just as objectively wrong as if they’d given him a face tattoo or a unibrow.

41. I loved Wesley. Okay, look. I grew up on TOS because my father and brothers loved the show, so it was watched religiously in my home. Later, after my dad died (I was 14), TNG was coming out, and my brother and I were excited. He was mostly excited because it was new Trek. I was excited for new Trek, but my main reason for being excited was that my favorite actor from Stand By Me was going to be in it! There was going to be a teenager on Trek, and I was thrilled. I was a teenager, and a show I already liked was going to have a teenager as one of the semi-main characters. Wesley was and IS an awesome character. Even at my age (which is pretty much your age, Wil), I love Wesley as a character. He’s one of the most developed characters, one with the most development until he made his exit to what I thought was a pretty awesome adventure ahead of him (and quite frankly, I wanted more of HIS adventure with the Traveler to be in the show and was disappointed when it wasn’t). Don’t let people get to you. Wesley is loved. Anyone who thinks he wasn’t is full of their own ego and bullshit.

42. Joining the chorus of 9 year olds who adored Wesley. I named my dog Tasha and ended up going into STEM. Wesley made things a tiny bit better when I was thrown into math classes above my age group. Thank you for standing up for us and what the character meant to a fair bit of younger Gen Xers.

43. As much as I loved Star Trek TNG, you’ll always be Gordie LaChance, the kid who stuck to bullies and got out of his dead end town despite his parents. RIP River.

44. Wesley was always one of my favourite characters on ST:TNG, so I’m sorry they chose to go with one of the worst-written moments of the show as their inspiration for the Wesley fig. I foresee repaints in these figures’ futures.

45. I was inspired by Wesley when I was a kid and I completely agree with you now. I think your points are all good ones.

46. Well, this bites. It would be justifiable if you modded your own character’s face to be a pleasant, competent smile. Also mod the jersey to be the red command jacket of a young Starfleet officer as seen at the end of the series. Keep tweeting, Wheaton! Never shut up, never surrender. 😉

47. This post explains why Wil has been grooming himself to look like Wil Riker for years. Get over it, Wil, you had little to no impact on TNG and Trek in general. You’re as forgettable as Jar-Jar, Boxey, the Porgs, Baby Anakin, ADULT Anakin, etc. And it’s not any hostility towards children in Trek; Jake Sisko was a brilliant and sympathetic character. Too bad the producers chose such a poor actor for their child on TNG.

    1. 🙁 Was that necessary?

       1. Absolutely.

          1. The writers could have made the suspicious one Lt. Worf. Worf worked under Yar, and didn’t quite fit perfectly into Starfleet being a Klingon when the Klingons had a cold peace with the Federation. Worf could have been suspicious; but that suspicion would have been overridden by Yar’s (his boss) reluctance to accuse the second officer (Data) of having something wrong with him. It would have been edgy writing for the time.
             But it would have a tacit admission that all was not perfectly perfect in the Federation. With human starfleet officers not completely trusting their Klingon underlings.

    2. So I’ve looked through your comment history, and you’re just an asshole. You’re condescending, you’re rude, and you add nothing to the conversation here. Consider this your not-so-gentle nudge to get your shit together, or find somewhere else to be a dick on the internet.

       1. Shut up, Wesley.

          1. Okay bye!

48. I was a kid when TNG was on, and my dad watched it and let me watch too. (P.S. This is what makes him such a good dad.) I loved Wesley because he was young and smart and got to live on the freaking Enterprise! I don’t get this crybaby thing at all. I will always have a place in my heart for Wesley.

49. I loved the character, I related to him the most as I was a kid, and I’m also sad to see they did that to his mini figure. Thank you for continuing to be a great role model to all of us. 😊

50. I’m glad I’m not the only one who felt that line and the writing were well-beneath a character I loved. Yes, I’m a Wesley fan and I’m thrilled he was on the show, though I hated how he was written. I’ve been teaching high school for fourteen years and teens are sooooo much stronger and more able than the way he was written—especially given his intellect.
    As for the minifigs—I love that someone made them. I just wish they had handled Wesley with the respect he earned and deserved.

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