> I loved watching TNG as a kid, but Wesley's scenes always made me cringe. Maybe this is why.

That's all on the writers. It's not like Wil was writing his own character. IIRC Wil has actually complained about how the character was written.

I think for me, it was because he was about my age, and acting in the smarmy teacher's-pet way that I knew I tended to put on myself. Add on top that the writing was like the Mary-Sue fantasy of a "gifted student" in a small pond, and I had plenty of reasons to cringe at myself reflected in Wesley Crusher.

Wil Wheaton, on the other hand, sounds like a pretty decent guy.