The Traveler

[Mark]

I just watched season one "Where no on has gone before." and what I used to think was a cool episode I saw with a jaded eye. First, Kazinski is an insubordinate ass who is a fraud as well. Why didn't he end up in the brig, or at the very least put in his place by Riker or Picard?

Then we see the Traveler, who seems to be our first alien pedophile. His whole shtick made very little sense, "Space, time, and thought are the same thing." Really?

The E-D ends up at the outer edge of the universe where thought becomes reality, but isn't the universe supposed to be infinete?

And finally, we reach Wesley's promotion. A 15 year old is given an acting commission as an officer, bypassing all those enlisted folks that spend decades toiling with little or no reward. He's assigned to the helm, piloting the flagship of the entire Federation, knocking some poor joe that went to the acadamy and earned the post right off the bridge. All without even being old enough to have a drivers license.

[Tyyr]

And finally, we reach Wesley's promotion. A 15 year old is given an acting commission as an officer, bypassing all those enlisted folks that spend decades toiling with little or no reward. He's assigned to the helm, piloting the flagship of the entire Federation, knocking some poor joe that went to the acadamy and earned the post right off the bridge. All without even being old enough to have a drivers license.

Picard REALLY wanted a piece of Beverly. There's a lot of nepotism in Trek, Wesley is probably one of the worst offenders.

An I agree about the Traveler, he just gets creepier each time I see that episode.

[Mikey]

season one

'Nuff said right there.

But...
Yes, the Traveler is 'Trek's Uncle Ernie. Yes, Kazinski should have been able to count his teeth in the palm of his hand.^* Yes, Wesley's promotion was ludicrous: both for the reasons you mentioned, and for the fact that his most obvious strengths had NOTHING to do with piloting a ship. However, S1 of TNG was a breeding ground for the sort of ham-handed writer's fiat of which this is an excellent example.

^* - The Kazinski situation may be excused... there is a wealth of examples in both prior and subsequent 'Trek of people having an inferior rank, yet a fair bit of actual authority when attached to/sent by Starfleet Command.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

The fantasy bits were kinda neat. The rest... creepy as all hell. I think Kazinski went to the same 'charm school' as Bruce Maddox.

[McAvoy]

Yeah he was some generic asshole to make the 'heroes' look better. Isn't he some sort of civilian though? I sort of remember him not even having rank.

[Mark]

He had a square metal chip in place of rank insignia. enlisted maybe?

[McAvoy]

Perhaps. But he would have been called Petty Officer or Chief or even crewman. Maybe a special civilian rank for Starfleet?

[Mark]

That makes sense. They always refer to him as Mr. Kazinski......that may be why.

[McAvoy]

That would also explain why he has some sort of 'respect' that you would only expect from someone with high rank. In the military, civilians hold unofficial ranks that vaguely corresponds to military rank. A certain civilian pay grade is equal to a military pay grade. Some civilians I have met have a pay grade equal to a Captain or a Commander.

Perhaps he is like that. The uniform could just be part of some civilian dress code while working in certain fields.

[Tyyr]

I'm pretty sure he was Starfleet but it's been a while since I saw that episode.

Hmm, and DITL has him listed as a specialist.

[Mikey]

Probably some sort of warrant rank... so long as W-grades are different enough in Starfleet to give Kazinski the critical levels of smug and self-importance that he displayed.

[GrahamKennedy]

He did wear a Starfleet uniform but he had an odd rank insignia... pips, but a different shape I think.

[Mark]

Nope...it was like a silver square thing on his coller.

[GrahamKennedy]

Did we get a rank?

[Mark]

IIRC....he was always called "Mister" Kozinski. Couldn't quite tell what, if anything, was on that rank square thing.