[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/journeysend073.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"All I'm saying, you guys, is that there's a real chance that the Cardassians might treat you the same way your ancestors were treated."]]

'''Original air date:''' March 28, 1994

The ''Enterprise'' picks Wesley up from Starbase 310 while he is on vacation from Starfleet Academy. Everyone welcomes him back as he gets settled into his quarters, but he doesn’t seem very enthusiastic about his return. Meanwhile, Picard has a meeting with Admiral Nechayev regarding some new border agreements with the Cardassians. A few planets have ended up changing hands in the arrangement and the colonists on those planets will have to evacuate elsewhere. Nechayev tasks Picard with overseeing the evacuation of Dorvan V. Picard recognizes that planet as the one where a settlement of North American Indians is located. That’s right, they had to leave the entire planet Earth to find some land that the government wouldn’t steal from them, and now the government is even stealing ''that''. Picard points out that that’s a dick move, but Nechayev replies that there’s simply nothing to be done about it. The decision’s been made and all Picard can do is carry out his orders.

Picard has a meeting with the leaders of the Indian settlement. They resist his offer to find them a planet with similar environmental conditions, saying that their choice to live on Dorvan V was a spiritual decision and that it took them two centuries to find a place that was right for them. They decide to take a break and reconvene the next day. Picard invites the settlers to join him on the Enterprise, and they agree. Wesley shows up, acting uncharacteristically disgruntled, and sits alone in the corner until one of the settlers, a man named Lakanta, approaches him and says he’s had a vision of his arrival. Lakanta offers to help Wesley find some answers. The next day Wesley beams down to the planet to speak with him.

Picard meets with the leaders of the settlement again, reminding them that none of them have a choice in the matter. They say that Picard was fated to be the one chosen to speak with them because one of his ancestors took part in a massacre following the Pueblo Revolt, and this is his chance to redeem his family for it. When Picard exits the meeting room, he finds that a team of Cardassians have beamed down to conduct a survey. They are displeased to learn that the evacuation hasn’t started yet. Picard tells them that it’s still a Federation planet for the time being and that they had better not do anything rash. He tries to persuade Starfleet to reconsider the border agreement, but fails. He reluctantly orders Worf to prepare to remove the settlers.

Latanka conducts a vision quest for Wesley, in which he has a vision of his father. Jack tells him that the journey he’s been on is over and that he should begin following his own path. When the vision is over, Wesley walks outside and sees Worf determining the transport settings necessary to beam everyone away. Wesley impulsively announces the plan to the settlers, sparking the beginnings of a riot. Picard brings Wesley back to the Enterprise and chews him out, saying that while he wears a Starfleet uniform, he will obey Starfleet’s orders. Wesley replies that he won’t be wearing the uniform any longer, and that he’s resigning from the Academy. His mother has a few things to say about that decision, of course, but he says that he’s been feeling depressed as graduation approaches and when he saw the vision of his father everything clicked. Beverly mentions [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E5WhereNoOneHasGoneBefore The Traveler]] and his prediction that Wesley would go on to do special things, wondering if this is that start of that.

The settlers take several Cardassians hostage. The Cardassians captain threatens to send down troops to occupy the settlement, but Picard tells him that they can’t afford to let the situation escalate like that. Regardless, a fight breaks out on the planet, and then...

Wesley Crusher stops time with his mind. Latanka appears and reveals that he is really the Traveler in disguise. He tells Wesley that he has officially [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascended to a higher plane of existence]] and is ready to travel around the universe with him. Wesley asks what they can do for the people on Dorvan V, and the Traveler says that he should trust them to solve their own problems.

Picard convinces the Cardassian captain to beam his men off the planet rather than firing on the settlers, as no one there wants to start a war. They come to an agreement to let the settlers give up their Federation citizenship and live autonomously on Dorvan V. The Cardassians promise that they’ll honor the agreement, but Picard warns the settlers that any further conflicts between themselves and the Cardassians will need to be resolved without Federation aid.

!Tropes featured in "Journey's End":
* BattleInterruptingShout: Happens literally! A battle breaks out between Cardassian soldiers and Federation colonists, and in response to Wesley's BigNo, TimeStandsStill, including phaser beams in mid-air.
* BigNo: Wesley's reaction to seeing a fight break out, causing time to stand still.
* BothSidesHaveAPoint: The colonists are justified to object because they are once again getting kicked off land due to the political maneuverings of a distant authority in spite of their objections. The Federation is justified because the colonists don't really have any greater claim to the planet than the Cardassians, were warned that this could happen when they settled there, and kicking them off will avert an interstellar war and save millions of lives. However, we're clearly supposed to sympathize more with the colonists.
* CallBack: The Traveler from "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS1E5WhereNoOneHasGoneBefore Where No One Has Gone Before]]" returns. Beverly also recalls the Traveler's statement about Wesley being "a Mozart."
* CluelessAesop: The situation is supposed to uncomfortably mirror the Manifest Destiny stage of American history, when Native Americans were kicked off their land by invading colonists through force and broken treaties. However, in this situation, it's made clear that the land the Native Americans are living on was already claimed by the Cardassians when they arrived. From the Cardassians' perspective, the Native Americans are the ones colonizing land that doesn't belong to them, but this is never acknowledged in the episode.
* ContinuityNod: Picard mentions that there's been some tension between him and Nechayev. The ass-chewing she gave him back in "Descent" no doubt contributed to that.
* DispenseWithThePleasantries: Picard prepares tea and canapes for Nechayev when she arrives, but she immediately starts getting down to business...and it's {{subverted}} when she sees the canapes.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: The Cardassians are twirling their mustaches throughout the episode even though they could just as easily hold as much of the moral high ground as the Native American colonists if they chose. But in spite of that, the Cardassian gul decides not to start war because he doesn't want his only remaining son to die. Previous episodes have shown that Cardassians are very family-oriented in spite of their merciless ways.
* FollowInMyFootsteps: {{Defied}} when a vision of Jack Crusher tells Wesley that he can't continue his Starfleet path.
* HardTruthAesop: No matter how many generations it's been, a person can still carry a stain of blood for the actions of their ancestors.
* InHarmonyWithNature: The American Indian revivalists claim to have a spiritual connection with Dorvan V, although apparently they haven't lived there very long. Also, despite there being plenty of habitable planets around, they seem very picky about exactly what nature to be in harmony with.
* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: Events in this episode help pave the way for the Maquis development on ''[[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine DS9]]'', which in turn would pave the way for ''[[Series/StarTrekVoyager Voyager]]''.
--> '''Ronald D. Moore:''' When I was working on "Journey's End", Michael [Piller] told me quite explicitly about their plans for the role of the Maquis on ''Voyager'' and that he wanted "Journey" to show the roots of the Maquis even though they would later be named on [=DS9=].
* InternalReveal: The Traveler told Picard that Wesley was a prodigy akin to Mozart, but wanted Picard to keep Wesley LockedOutOfTheLoop so he would discover his talents himself. Picard apparently told Beverly, however, and she now decides to tell Wesley.
* IsThatAThreat: Gul Evek shows up to conduct a survey of the village, and Picard gives him a very stern warning.
-->'''Evek:''' Captain, we have been sent here to perform a preliminary survey of all the buildings and equipment being left behind. I have no intention of leaving until our mission is complete.\\
'''Picard:''' Very well. Complete your mission. But remember, this is Federation territory, Gul Evek, and until that changes, these people are under my jurisdiction and I will protect them.\\
'''Evek:''' Is that a threat?\\
'''Picard:''' It's a fact. Bear that in mind while you conduct your survey.
* JustEatGilligan: Until the very end of the episode, no-one ever seems to think about just ''asking'' the Indians whether they would be happy to become Cardassian subjects if it meant they could remain on Dorvan V, presumably so that the Trail of Tears allegory the episode is aiming for would still hold up.
* MagicalNativeAmerican: The Indians of Dorvan V talk about being in connection with the spirits of their forefathers, and feeling a special connection to nature. The Traveler tells Wesley that he has much to learn from them.
* MrExposition: Troi handily rattles of a summary of the Pueblo Revolt.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure:
** The Cardassian captain beams out his troops rather than retaliate against the colonists, which would lead to war with the Federation as the Enterprise would come to their aid.
** Admiral Nechayev finally comes across like a reasonable person. She completely understands how objectionable her orders are. When Picard finally asks to lodge a formal complaint, he discovers that she beat him to it.
* ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight: Wesley bucks orders to stop the relocation -- but since he's made the decision to leave Starfleet, he no longer cares about following orders.
* SinsOfOurFathers: One of Picard's ancestors took part in the massacre of Pueblo Indians. The tribal leaders believe that Picard is meant to atone for that.
* SpaceAmish: The Indians seem to still adhere to the trappings of (somewhat stereotypical) American Indians from the 19th century.
* TakeThisJobAndShoveIt: When Picard reminds Wesley, in no uncertain terms, that he is to obey all orders as a Starfleet officer, including participating in the forced relocation of the Native American colonists, Wesley immediately and pointedly resigns his commission.
* TastesLikeFriendship: Invoked by Picard, who prepares a pot of tea and Admiral Nechayev's [[YourFavorite favorite canapes]] in an effort to reduce the tension between them. She appreciates the gesture.
* TimeStandsStill: Wesley stops time once the fighting breaks out, and then walks away allowing things to continue only without him having to be troubled by it at all.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Wesley acts uncharacteristically surly due to becoming disillusioned with his current path.
* TookALevelInKindness: Picard makes an attempt to make peace with the brusque Admiral Nechayev by offering her some of [[YourFavorite her favorite food]]. Her demeanor softens when she notices, and she even thanks him for the gesture at the end of their meeting. Later, when Picard lodges a formal objection to the distasteful state of affairs, Nechayev tells him that she already made one two days ago.
* VisionQuest: Wesley goes on one in a sweat lodge, seeing his father tell him to quit Starfleet.
* WhatTheHellHero: Two of them are given to Wesley Crusher in the episode:
** From his mother Beverly Crusher for his snappy attitude towards La Forge in Engineering, and what she gets is Wesley's outburst in response.
** A rather more disciplinary one from Capt. Picard for rallying the colonists to turn against the away team from the ''Enterprise'' and sharply reminds him that he will obey orders when wearing that uniform, before Wesley announced his resignation from the academy very shortly after the lecture.