Is Dr. Pulaski unique for never coming back to any show?

[sonak]

I think this is technically "general Trek" rather than just TNG, because I was thinking about this and can't think of another character who'd been essentially a regular, left the show, and NEVER came back in any on-screen incarnation of Trek.


-Yeoman Rand was seen in the movies and the episode "flashback" but technically not a regular

- Wes Crusher came back numerous times in TNG, same with Tasha Yar

-Kes came back in "Fury"


the only one who'd come close is Jadzia, but Ezri is sort of a continuation of the character, and there was only one season left in the show by the time she went anyway



So what was up with Pulaski? We never hear about her again in canon Trek.


Yes, she wasn't a technical regular since it always said "special guest appearance," but she was a de facto regular


even in episodes like "parallels" which could've just screamed for a Pulaski cameo didn't have one



thoughts? Did Muldaur leave on bad terms or something?

 

[Grue]

Actually, she was mentioned once in s.3. Who Watches the Watchers, I believe.

I'm pretty happy with never seeing her again. It's as if they tried to make the female Dr. McCoy.

 

[milo bloom]

I enjoyed her, and keep in mind this was Diana Muldaur's third Trek appearance. She guest starred twice (as two different characters) during the original series. So really TNG was her "comeback".

 

[Greg Cox]

I believe Uhura is the only TOS regular who never appeared in any of the spin-off movies or tv shows.

Not quite the same thing, but . . . .

 

[JarodRussell]

I liked her much better than Crusher.

 

[RandyS]

So what was up with Pulaski? We never hear about her again in canon Trek.

And we should all thank God for that.

 

[Frontier]

I liked her much better than Crusher.

Agreed.

She did feel like a forced female McCoy, but at least she has some personality. Which is more than I can say for Beverly.

I, too, would have liked to have seen her pop up again later.

For that matter, I'm surprised she hasn't come into play in the Trek novels since 24th century films end. They've drug so many other one-off characters out of the wood-work, why not her? Outside of the Double Heelix books, I don't think we've ever seen Pulaski again.

 

[ToddKent]

Wasn't she supposed to be in the episode where Worf gets paralyzed and Crusher clashes with the doctor they have on board (for some reason) that wants to use a radical treatment on him? It seems like I read somewhere that they wanted the female doctor character to be Pulanski but couldn't make it work and had to go with a new character.

Although I guess I could have just imagined that.

 

[RyuRoots]

-Kes came back in "Fury"

You must be mistaken. Kes definitely never came back after The Gift. Nope. >_>;

So what was up with Pulaski? We never hear about her again in canon Trek.

And nothing of value was lost.

 

[Greg Cox]

For that matter, I'm surprised she hasn't come into play in the Trek novels since 24th century films end. They've drug so many other one-off characters out of the wood-work, why not her? Outside of the Double Heelix books, I don't think we've ever seen Pulaski again.

Nobody's been using her much?

For what it's worth, I suppose that's just because nobody has got around to it. There's not any sort of editorial embargo against her or anything. As far as I know, she's fair game.

 

[Trek Survivor]

Pulaski was a fantastic character, shame she didn't continue on. Just another reason season 2 rocks.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

I think the popularity problem of Dr. Pulaski didn't really come from her character. I don't even think that people were missing Crusher so much (though having her off the show and her son on the show was more than a bit odd).

I think the problem was her relationship to Data. Clearly, the intention was to recreate the kind of relationship between Spock and McCoy, as Pulaski often challenges and teases Data. But, and this is the real problem, Data could not counter Pulaski's attacks the way Spock could counter McCoy's. His character didn't allow it, as he mostly didn't even recognize Pulaski's teasing. While Spock was basically a character with emotions, who would just keep his emotions in check, Data has no emotions, and can therefore not feel the need to defend himself against verbal attack.
That lead to the relationship being pretty lopsided, which made Dr. Pulaski come off as mean (when she was, as I interpret her character, more curious and intrigued). Add to that the "We all like each other so much" consent of the rest of the TNG crew and you see the problem. Pulaski was an interesting enough character on her own, but was forced into a flawed group dynamic.

 

[sonak]

you're right that she comes off as downright mean to Data sometimes in the earlier episodes, but she goes through a change in attitude, and by the latter part of season 2, she's not so harsh to him.



I do think it's funny though, considering the complaint about TNG and its "blandness" stemming from lack of conflict, that we get a far less bland character in Pulaski than Beverly Crusher was, and she's not very popular.

 

[datalogan]

Pulaski appeared in a comic book once, very briefly. And in that comic we learn that she had left Starfleet for a civilian career on some planet or other (I can't remember which) so that may explain why she didn't show up much after that.

Maybe she died during the Borg invasion, etc.

I did find the character a bit gruff, but interesting. Maybe someone (like Greg Cox above) will user her again soon. Maybe Picard and Crusher will retire from Starfleet together with their son and Pulaski will again replace Crusher as CMO of the Enterprise.

 

[Trek4Ever]

Didn't she make an appearance in the TNG Borg novel "Vendetta?" I vaguely recall reading a part where she says something mean spirited to Data and he basically tells her off.

 

[trekkier]

Her name can be heard being paged at starfleet medical in endgame!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

-Kes came back in "Fury"

You must be mistaken. Kes definitely never came back after The Gift. Nope. >_>;

Really?

 

[Python Trek]

I liked Pulaski. Once she started to respect Data, once she developed a rapport with Worf, etc., she was pretty neat. She was a bit of an old aunty to Wes, she was Picard's big sister, she had a mother hen quality with Riker, Geordi, and Troi. She once said of her patients, "When they hurt, I hurt...". Not nearly the evil b-word she's so often made out to be.

And Bev's such a shrill figure, I think I'd have to favor Pulaski.

 

[sbk1234]

I think she fell down a turbolift shaft at the Starfleet JAG office, and was never heard from again.

 

[IndyJones]

I think she fell down a turbolift shaft at the Starfleet JAG office, and was never heard from again.

I LA Love it!