As we all know, at the end of "Yesterday's Enterprise" the original timeline is restored and the alternate version where the Enterprise-D is destroyed by Klingons vanishes from existence. But if that's the case, then how did the alternate Tasha Yar still exist on the Enterprise-C when it returned to its own time? Shouldn't she have been erased as well? One explanation I can think of is that when she passed through the temporal distortion, she was somehow shielded from the effects of the continuum restructuring itself, similar to the Enterprise-E going back in time in First Contact. Thoughts, anyone?
Tasha Yar on the Enterprise-C
- Thread starter EJA
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I think that we see three timelines in the episode...
1.) The "original" timeline at the beginning of the episode (in this timeline, Yar was never aboard the Enterprise-C and Sela never existed).
2.) The "alternate" timeline with the Federation and Klingons at war.
3.) The "restored" timeline at the end of the episode. This isn't the same as the "original" timeline, but is extraordinarily close. The only difference in this timeline is that Yar was, in fact, on the Enterprise-C and Enterprise-D. In this timeline, Sela was born, grew up, and became the Romulan Commander we meet in later episodes.
1.) The "original" timeline at the beginning of the episode (in this timeline, Yar was never aboard the Enterprise-C and Sela never existed).
2.) The "alternate" timeline with the Federation and Klingons at war.
3.) The "restored" timeline at the end of the episode. This isn't the same as the "original" timeline, but is extraordinarily close. The only difference in this timeline is that Yar was, in fact, on the Enterprise-C and Enterprise-D. In this timeline, Sela was born, grew up, and became the Romulan Commander we meet in later episodes.
Yes, a ground breaking episode, solely because for the first time in Star Trek, the viewer witnesses the time line change, never to return as it was. Even if the changes seemed negligible, at the time, they are in effect by the end of that episode, & Sela's existence is seemingly the most significant alteration, to be discovered
This is still one of my favorite TNG eps, despite the fact it led to the introduction of Sela, a poor character.
The Romulans probably got even more paranoid after finding out a big war could have broken out between the Federation and Klingons. Perhaps that's why they were in involved in the Klingon civil war -- to weaken the Empire and prevent such a war happening. What's never explained in the ep is what happened to the Romulans after their sneak attack on Klingon outpost Narendra III.
Did the Klingons go to war with them first and wipe them out, and/or take over the Romulan Empire? I think this likely. As you all may recall, in the All Good Things future, the Klingons had taken over the Empire and there no longer was a Neutral Zone. If the Romulans of the time discovered this, it would also explain their covert ops to sunder the Klingon Empire.
So, after the Klingons defeated the Romulans, their blood-lust was stirred and their old conquering ways reawakened, and they then decide to go to war against the Federation. Someone must have written a novel about this aspect of the bleak, war-torn YE future.
The Romulans probably got even more paranoid after finding out a big war could have broken out between the Federation and Klingons. Perhaps that's why they were in involved in the Klingon civil war -- to weaken the Empire and prevent such a war happening. What's never explained in the ep is what happened to the Romulans after their sneak attack on Klingon outpost Narendra III.
Did the Klingons go to war with them first and wipe them out, and/or take over the Romulan Empire? I think this likely. As you all may recall, in the All Good Things future, the Klingons had taken over the Empire and there no longer was a Neutral Zone. If the Romulans of the time discovered this, it would also explain their covert ops to sunder the Klingon Empire.
So, after the Klingons defeated the Romulans, their blood-lust was stirred and their old conquering ways reawakened, and they then decide to go to war against the Federation. Someone must have written a novel about this aspect of the bleak, war-torn YE future.
Sela wasn't a poor character. She was a poorly realized and executed character. It's a given in fiction over and over again that I keep seeing in comic books, that there are no bad characters, just bad writers. Sela was written poorly, mainly because the writers underestimated Denise Crosby's acting abilities. Then the directors did the same thing, and we the fans ended up with a character with histrionic dialog played by an actress directed to play up the overblown elements of the character. One of the worst lines of dialog Sela ever let out of her mouth is the final line in 'Redemption' part one. Denise Crosby is talented enough to deliver that line subtly, and make it work, but the director told her to play it over the top for effect, and it doesn't work. I was really disappointed.
I think some of us feel they OVERestimated Denise's acting abilities, but 'tis true that better writing & directing could have salvaged the role somewhat.
Coupled with the fact they were looking to shoehorn an actress back into the show who just HAD to get out partway through the first season.
Coupled with the fact they were looking to shoehorn an actress back into the show who just HAD to get out partway through the first season.
I always found it hilarious that for someone who didn't want to be on TNG, she managed to come back several times:
Season 3: "Yesterday's Enterprise" as Yasha Tar
Season 4: "Redemption, Part One" as Sela (voice and in shadows, IIRC)
Season 5: "Redemption, Part Two" as Sela
"Unification, Part Two" as Sela
Season 7: "All Good Things," as Yasha Tar
So except for seasons 2 and 6, she managed to come back at least once a season. Did we realize we made a mistake?
I never found Crosby to be a very good actress in whatever she's been in.
Season 3: "Yesterday's Enterprise" as Yasha Tar
Season 4: "Redemption, Part One" as Sela (voice and in shadows, IIRC)
Season 5: "Redemption, Part Two" as Sela
"Unification, Part Two" as Sela
Season 7: "All Good Things," as Yasha Tar
So except for seasons 2 and 6, she managed to come back at least once a season. Did we realize we made a mistake?
I never found Crosby to be a very good actress in whatever she's been in.
You forgot Season 4: "The Mind's Eye" voice of Sela while someone else did the standing in the shadows bit.
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