Product Details

• Actors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
• Directors: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English, French
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount
• VHS Release Date: May 28, 1996
• Run Time: 46 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303993664
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,058 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) learns that Ensign Crusher (Wil Wheaton) will be leaving the Enterprise to attend Starfleet Academy, he asks Crusher to accompany him on one last mission. The mission, to mediate a conflict in a mining colony, takes Picard and Crusher on board a miner's shuttle which malfunctions and crashes-leaving them stranded on an arid, lifeless moon. While they are searching for water, the reckless shuttle pilot (Nick Tate) causes an accident resulting in life-threatening injuries to Picard.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise, under Commander Riker (Jonathan Frakes), is trying to save a planet from catastrophic radiation and has yet to learn of their crisis. Ensign Crusher must fight to keep Picard alive until the Enterprise returns.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wesley Crusher earns his pip, February 20, 2004

By 

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 83: Final Mission [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Ensign Crusher will soon be leaving the Enterprise to enroll in Starfleet Academy and Picard asks Wesley to join him on a final mission so they can spend some quality time together before Wesley is gone. Picard has always felt responsible for Wesley, ever since having to tell his mother that Wesley's father was killed during a mission about 15 years earlier.

Despite his longing of connection with Wesley, Picard has always been awkward in expressing affection with children and he is also wary of crossing the delicate threshold of familiarity with someone of considerably lower rank. Now that time is no longer on their side, Picard hopes to have a final bonding experience.

Picard and Crusher board a miner's shuttle to mediate a conflict on a mining colony. After a series of malfunctions, the shuttle crash lands on a small moon that supports life - albeit poorly. The heat is oppressive and due to injuries sustained on their journey to a cave to avoid the sun, Picard needs water to survive. Wesley and the shuttle pilot (Nick Tate) will also need water within a few days or suffer a similar fate.

Their tricorders detect water, only to find that the water fountain in the cave is protected by an electronic sentry that they cannot figure out how to circumvent.

As Picard fades in and out of consiousness, Wesley must have a non-stop duel of words, will and guile with the mining shuttle captain who believes he can strong-arm his way out of any situation. Although he has fewer years of experience in life, Crusher has the advantage of having been aboard the Enterprise for years, being exposed to more space anomolies and varied species and cultures than this rustic ship captain has in his life time and tries to talk reason to a man with a serious machismo complex.

The mining ship captain gets himself killed in a "you know he had it coming" scene, leaving Wesley to figure out a way to save Picard and himself, with life-saving minutes ticking away. Picard and Crusher bond in a touching last few moments and just when Crusher acts less kid-like and geeky, they get ready to shove him off to Starfleet. Oh well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat touching story about survival, June 28, 2000

By 

John Berkebile (Medford, Or) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 83: Final Mission [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Wesley Crusher, Capt. Picard and a captain crash land on a mysterious planet, which is mostly a desert. However, the craft they crashed in is damaged beyond repair, and the team begins a long march to distant mountains in search of shelter and water from the blazing sun. However, when they enter a cave, the water supply in the cave is protected by a force field, but the obsessive member attempts to disable the force field, which causes rocks falling down on the away team, and seriously wounding Picard. Wesley must get to the water soon, or Picard will die.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The bitter yet oh-so-sweet departure of Wesley Crusher!, November 17, 2001

By 

Zagnorch (Terra, Sol System) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 83: Final Mission [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Woo-hoo! Yes! He's finally gone! Wussley- whoops, Wesley- is finally off the show as a regular cast member! No more of that sniveling, goody-two-shoes attitude to nauseate the NextGen trekkies! Well, except for the once-a-season guest shot, but I can handle a small bit of Wesley every once in a blue moon.

Unfortunately, the screenwriters for this show decided to send off sci-fi's most-reviled teen by once again having him single-handedly save the day (and Capt. Morehead- whoops, Picard)! Man, do those guys know how to beat a concept to death or what! I'll take the umpeenth 'Holodcek malfunction' eppie over one of Wes' solo rescue shows any day of the week!

Yep, it sure is great to see the kid finally gone after this show. Now Jean-Luc can hit on Dr. Crusher and not feel so guilty about it! Go get 'er, chrome-dome! Oh yeah!

'Late!