Most Irritating TNG Guest Star Character

[Nerys Myk]

The civilian woman in the scene in Schisms where everyone's comparing their alien abduction experiences, but all she does is repeat whatever the last person said.
"The room was dark"
"Yes, dark."
"I was on a table, it was cold."
"Yes, cold."
"They jabbed me with a needle, it was very sharp."
"Yes, very sharp."
"You're not much help at all, you know."
"No, not much help at all, I know."

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[Mojochi]

Well, she was also a more established actor than the others, except for Stewart. Could that be a reason why she was paid more?

Established? Is that another way of saying old? Because I had never heard of her before TNG. It was only years later I connected her with her appearance on TOS. If we're going by established, I had more knowledge of Wil Weaton & Levar Burton than her at that time

The only thing I could think to explain being paid more, besides favoritism, is that they'd intended Pulaski's role to be more prominent than any of the others, short of the captain, but frankly, I don't see it. I didn't see any real shift in ensemble dynamic to merit that

 

[Herbert]

Personally I always enjoyed Lwaxana's character as a contrast to our usual stuffed shirts, but I can see why she wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea. See what I did there?

Curious though...does she at least get a pass on "Half a Life"?

Not really. I agree that she was less annoying in Half A Life but it was kind of a jump the shark moment (for me) for her character. Yes, she was a contrast to the stuffed shirts but then to turn her character serious didn't seem right to me. It got even worse in that episode where she falls into a coma because she suppressed the drowning death of her first child. Q suffers a similar fate in that ridiculous Voyager episode about the Q civil war. I still hold to the notion that they used Lwaxana too much in Next Gen. I enjoyed some of the earlier episodes with her though.

 

[Herbert]

Established? Is that another way of saying old? Because I had never heard of her before TNG. It was only years later I connected her with her appearance on TOS. If we're going by established, I had more knowledge of Wil Weaton & Levar Burton than her at that time

I don't really know one way or the other if she was paid because Gene wanted it that way or if it was because she was a more established actor. It's a possiblity though. She was in a lot of TV between TOS and Next Gen.
By the way, I never heard of Stewart until Next Gen but that doesn't mean I thought he just popped up out of nowhere.

 

[Herbert]

^ Yeah, he was a huge Trek fan and a friend of Whoopi. He really wanted to do the show.

You'd think they would have found a way to get him into another episode then. Curious. He certainly couldn't have been so busy that he could never do one single Star Trek episode.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ You underestimate just how long it takes to shoot movies AND television.

 

[Mojochi]

I don't really know one way or the other if she was paid because Gene wanted it that way or if it was because she was a more established actor. It's a possiblity though. She was in a lot of TV between TOS and Next Gen.
By the way, I never heard of Stewart until Next Gen but that doesn't mean I thought he just popped up out of nowhere.

Agreed. I actually wouldn't necessarily think Stewart was paid more up front because of how established he was either. (He was a relative unknown to me too) I'd say that he got paid more because he was the principal lead, which is why I offered the alternative thought that maybe they were thinking of Muldaur in the same way, like she'd be a more important character than the others.

I see no evidence of that, but it is a possible explanation, more plausible to me than her experience, which didn't really add up to much more than someone like Frakes or Spiner. She may have done more work than them, because of her age, but certainly not more recognizable work imho

 

[Herbert]

^ You underestimate just how long it takes to shoot movies AND television.

Perhaps. He was very busy in the time frame of Next Gen. Still, he managed to do some TV even during that time. I guess the stars never aligned correctly. Too bad. I have nothing against Frewer but Williams would have been great in that role.

 

[Timewalker]

Keiko O'Brien. I could not stand her.

And in the Crusher/Pulaski controversy, I preferred Pulaski.

I'm flabbergasted by the idea of Patrick Stewart being an unknown prior to TNG. Granted, I don't expect everyone here to have been fans of I, Claudius, or even Lady Jane... but what about Dune? Or Excalibur?

 

[Nakita Akita]

Agreed. I actually wouldn't necessarily think Stewart was paid more up front because of how established he was either. (He was a relative unknown to me too) I'd say that he got paid more because he was the principal lead, which is why I offered the alternative thought that maybe they were thinking of Muldaur in the same way, like she'd be a more important character than the others.

I see no evidence of that, but it is a possible explanation, more plausible to me than her experience, which didn't really add up to much more than someone like Frakes or Spiner. She may have done more work than them, because of her age, but certainly not more recognizable work imho

Um, yea, but she could actually act.
I mean in the USA that doesn't seem to be very important, but it is refreshing.

 

[Gary7]

I'll go with Lwaxana. The earlier episodes are tolerable/okay but much like Q, they overused the character.

I didn't like her personification in the early TNG episodes. Very annoying. I get it, what they were trying to achieve, but it was so overdone. It wasn't until DS9 that the character came into her own. I recently saw the episode where she basically helps save Odo. It was probably one of Majel's better performances.

Marina Sirtis thought highly of Majel... and she also called out how Lwaxana got to develop more on DS9:

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[GeekUSACarl]

Wesley Crusher.

 

[Jayson1]

I will list one that nobody will think about. In "Future Imperfect" when Data and Picard are on the bridge and leaving to go to Riker's birthday and ensign stops them and reports that he is detecting energy or something on the planet. The guy has one line and he was so bad at it I notice it evertime I watch the episode. How does someone botch a single line so much?

Also I find the alien Orton and the other guy holding most of the crew hostage in "Starship Mine" to be really boring and one note. Not one drop of personality and I actually like the actor Glenn Morshower I think he is called. The hostage stuff is easily the worst thing about that episode. Except for Riker punching the guy which was kind of funny.

Jason

 

[Prax]

Has anyone mentioned Rasmussen yet? That guy was so annoying.

I just realized when trying to find his name that TNG has episodes named:

A Matter of Time
A Matter of Perspective
A Matter of Honor

 

[Mage]

I preferred Pulaski to Crusher. She was a boregasm.

Not denying that Crusher was a bore, but atleast she was her own character instead of a genderbend McCoy.

 

[Jayson1]

What I liked about Pulaski is that she like Tasha Yar had great potential and I think Micheal Pillar could have brought it out if they had been regulars in season 3 when he took over the writing staff. Crusher was always a limited character, first stuck being Wesley's mom and then not having a strong personality trait other than being a caring doctor which is one of the more boring tropes around on any tv show or movie.

Jason

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I think I need to put a good vote in for Pulaski as well. Her scenes simply had more verve, particularly in the early seasons when every character seemed to be in a new age daze. It's hard to imagine the other doctors pulling off Unnatural Selection with the same gravitas. If anything, her earthiness set her apart from the other characters.

As for annoying characters,I have to go with the young couple from Outrageous Okanna. Never have I hoped harder for a Romeo and Juliet ending.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Q.

 

[Diotor]

Kimiko O'Brien absolutely did my head in whenever she was on screen. I didn't get the dynamic between her and Miles.

 

[Jayson1]

How about Anna from the season 7 ep were Picard has a "Misery" experience and other aliens are learning about being a asshole and just how tasty junk food is. "Why won't you Love me!" and jumps onto Picard, "Love me!"


Jason