"I have never met a more dedicated physician."

[Guy Gardener]

In the cold open to the appalling season two turd, Unnatural Selection, Jean-Luc asks Dee what her opinion is of "Kate Pulaski".

She answers her Captain "I have never met a more dedicated physician." a few days after going on an away mission with Dr Selar, and after full year buddying up with Beverly.

Of Course, “dedicated" doesn't mean "Good" or “favourite".

 

[Oddish]

I thought "Unnatural Selection" was pretty good.

And maybe it was a "say something positive" remark. Like when someone just got a buzz cut and asks me what I think, I say "it looks really easy to take care of". Saying that someone is very dedicated doesn't mean they're the best at what they do, or that you like them. It just indicates that they respect their craft.

 

[PoorSailorsAirline]

I actually liked the episode as well. There was something very "Pulaski" when she cracked the line about having a better understanding of geriatrics.

As far as Troi's comment? I never figured out if those two were supposed to get along or not. They seemed to have a real Brenda vs Kelly thing going on through the season.

As far as compliments go, however, I'd definitely rank "dedicated physician" right up there with "courageous politician". Deanna was shaking the salt.

 

[Oddish]

As far as compliments go, however, I'd definitely rank "dedicated physician" right up there with "courageous politician". Deanna was shaking the salt.

I don't know... most of Trek's physicians seem to take their duties pretty seriously, including their ethics. Well, maybe not Dr. "How many limbs can I chop off today" T'Ana...

 

[Qonundrum]

It begs to be asked, but how is the episode "a turd"?

I don't think it's the best of season two, but it does take the central tenet of that TOS episode "The Deadly Years", the rapid aging fluff, and wraps a less clichéd/frivolous and surprisingly more engaging plot around it, as well as exploring the new doctor (PulaskI) in one of the few chances she gets.

It's still impressive how they find a way to use the transporter to de-age her, then forget that the tweakin' never happened as this technology, go figure, is never utilized again. Thats aspect is arguably turdtacular, I'll agree...

 

[Trek Survivor]

I love season 2, and think "Unnatural Selection" is a decent enough episode.

 

[Guy Gardener]

It begs to be asked, but how is the episode "a turd"?

I don't think it's the best of season two, but it does take the central tenet of that TOS episode "The Deadly Years", the rapid aging fluff, and wraps a less clichéd/frivolous and surprisingly more engaging plot around it, as well as exploring the new doctor (PulaskI) in one of the few chances she gets.

It's still impressive how they find a way to use the transporter to de-age her, then forget that the tweakin' never happened as this technology, go figure, is never utilized again. Thats aspect is arguably turdtacular, I'll agree...

Eugenics is illegal in the Federation.

Rascals.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

"I have never met a more dedicated physician." Not "She's the most dedicated physician I ever met." Not "She's the best doctor I know."

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Vocation equivocation.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Eugenics is illegal in the Federation.

Uh, you might remember that we are talking about a work of fiction. In a body of fiction where a ban on eugenics did not become canonical, so far as I can recall, until eight years after this episode aired.

 

[Oddish]

The Darwin Genetic Research Station certainly justifies Starfleet's rules about human genetic enhancements.

Was it ever openly stated that they were a Federation group? As opposed to a group who had... I don't know, broken away from the Federation so that they could monkey around with human genes?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Uh, you might remember that we are talking about a work of fiction. In a body of fiction where a ban on eugenics did not become canonical, so far as I can recall, until eight years after this episode aired.

They murdered Kate and replaced her with a thing made up of dandruff molecules.

Also, if the dandruff from the hair brush was weeks old, then the new creature that crawled out of the transporter presupposing to be a human being and not a beachhead to invasion from the ships legions of hair brushes, their memories and consciousness should have been out of date, weeks old, too.

 

[somebuddyX]

Deanna was an Honour student from the "Chief O'Brien School for sucking up to the current captain."
He served with three "The Best Captains in Starfleet."

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

He served with three "The Best Captains in Starfleet."

That's always going to be subjective and they'd know it.

I'd argue that there's an unvoiced "for this time and place" subtext to that, but YMMV.

 

[PoorSailorsAirline]

They murdered Kate and replaced her with a thing made up of dandruff molecules.

Also, if the dandruff from the hair brush was weeks old, then the new creature that crawled out of the transporter presupposing to be a human being and not a beachhead to invasion from the ships legions of hair brushes, their memories and consciousness should have been out of date, weeks old, too.

Great, thanks. That was one of the season 2 episodes I quite liked...now every time I see it, I can only think of it as a 40-minute long cautionary tale against using Selsun Blue.

 

[Farscape One]

The Darwin Genetic Research Station certainly justifies Starfleet's rules about human genetic enhancements.

Was it ever openly stated that they were a Federation group? As opposed to a group who had... I don't know, broken away from the Federation so that they could monkey around with human genes?

Considering they were getting supplies from a Starfleet ship, the Lantree, only a few days prior to the episode, I tend to think it was a Federation research colony.

This episode is definitely a cautionary tale about screwing with genetics, and reinforces why the ban exists. (Since that ban wasn't established in the franchise until years later, I can't blame this episode for that. It does raise interesting questions, though.)

I've always liked the episode.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I read a novel set (and probably published) during season 2, where Picard was tripping over himself, because he couldn't cope with how beautiful Kate Pulaski was.

Maybe the cold open wasn't about Pulaski's professional situation on board at all.

Was Picard making sure that his senior officers were cool with him asking Kate on a date?

 

[Orphalesion]

As far as Troi's comment? I never figured out if those two were supposed to get along or not. They seemed to have a real Brenda vs Kelly thing going on through the season.

I think that was one of the problems that remained with Pulaski throughout the season. She wasn't a good match with Troi. She paired well with some of the male characters, like Worf, but that just meant Troi was isolated even more among the main cast in season 2 than she already was. With Beverly, while the writers never did much to develop their friendship, at least it seemed like she and Troi got along.

Of course none of this would have been a problem if TNG wasn't so understaffed when it comes to female leads, and hadn't decided in its first season that three female characters where, somehow "too many".

 

[Phoenix219]

I bought her as that dedicated physician. She knew what to do in an emergency and knew old school medicine; She was a highly esteemed molecular biologist I believe; she was the only one that could save Picard during his transplant operation, and it was her method of memory erasure that Beverly screwed up in Who Watches the Watchers. She had no issues with her responsibilities and would relieve a command officer if necessary. Fantastic doctor and character. Should have been there for all seven. It wasn't Troi that had the problem, it was the spoiled cliqued up ACTORS.

 

[PoorSailorsAirline]

She had no issues with her responsibilities and would relieve a command officer if necessary

Pulaski would have been a badass if she had to take the chair. I bet even Ro Laren would have walked the line in that case.