| "Coming of Age" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 19 |
| Directed by | Mike Vejar |
| Written by | Sandy Fries |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Cinematography by | Edward R. Brown |
| Production code | 119 |
| Original air date | March 14, 1988 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Coming of Age" is the nineteenth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It first aired in broadcast syndication on March 14, 1988. Sandy Fries originally wrote the episode, but Hannah Louise Shearer performed an uncredited re-write. It is the only episode of the series directed by Mike Vejar, who went on to direct episodes of Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In the episode, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) takes a Starfleet Academy entrance exam while Adm. Gregory Quinn (Ward Costello) and Lt. Cdr. Dexter Remmick (Robert Schenkkan) investigate the senior staff of the Enterprise.
The episode marked the first appearance of a shuttlecraft in the series and the first speaking role for a Vulcan. The events of the episode continued in "Conspiracy" and "Samaritan Snare". 10.1 million viewers watched the episode during the first broadcast, with mixed responses from critics.