Thoughts on Pulaski?

[Pauln6]

The only doctor that was more boring than Crusher is Dr. Helena Russell from Space: 1999.

I've always been #TeamPulaski myself. She was what the show really needed, someone to challenge both Picard and Data. And she stood damn well on her own as a character. Also remember...

I LOVE Helena Russell although I must admit, she displayed only two emotions: with lip gloss and without lip gloss.

 

[Maurice]

I LOVE Helena Russell although I must admit, she displayed only two emotions: with lip gloss and without lip gloss.

To be fair, she was mostly played bland and cool but had moments in episodes where she broke down or freaked out, like when another doctor gets blown out into space in "War Games" or when BRIAN BLESSED! melts while holding her hand in "Death's Other Dominion".

 

[Pauln6]

To be fair, she was mostly played bland and cool but had moments in episodes where she broke down or freaked out, like when another doctor gets blown out into space in "War Games" or when BRIAN BLESSED! melts while holding her hand in "Death's Other Dominion".

She had fun as a caveman once too

 

[Timewalker]

I would have loved for her to be a recurring character!

I do get that she shouldn't be compared to Crusher, it's just hard to not compare. On a side point, while Diana Muldaur is a wonderful actress, I feel she tried to mimic McCoy too much and just would brush me the wrong way at first as well.

There's a fan theory that says the reason she was so much like McCoy is because she's his great-granddaughter, and picked up some of his attitudes as a result of listening to his old Starfleet stories from his time on the Enterprise.

Yes. Pulaski and McCoy share their dislike of transporters. I can relate to that, considering what happened to the poor souls in TMP during the beaming process. And don't forget Tuvix. Just imagine McCoy and Spock being beamed and merged into McSpock....

Okay, I'm envisioning a pointed-ear Highland doctor who wears tartan uniforms...

I liked Pulaski in the Holodeck episode with Moriarty. And The Child was great, too. Deanna trusted Pulaski immediately and had no misgivings. Picard felt uneasy in her company, like in Lwaxana's company. I would think that a dinner featuring Lwaxana and Pulaski would be diplomatically challenging for Jean-Luc.

Just wait until Pulaski and Lwaxana start arguing over the relative merits of "Mr. Woof".

Muldaur was a well known TV actress at that time. The other actors hadn't done much.

Patrick Stewart is a classically trained Shakespearean actor, and prior to TNG he had a thriving stage and film career.

 

[Kilana2]

To be fair: McCoy and Spock already were merged: when McCoy inherited Spock's Katra. We've got a glimpse of the problems McCoy had with Spock's personality. McSpock would be interesting, though.
Lwaxana and Pulaski in a discussion? Great! They could also talk about the proper pronunciation of Mr. Data.

 

[Farscape One]

I didn't like Pulaski at first when it aired, but liked her more as the season progressed. Rewatching while I am older, I definitely appreciate her more from the start than before.

I know my view was colored at first due to her behavior toward Data the first few episodes... not thinking him sentient, 'It knows what it's doing' when he was magnifying the viewscreen, her 'challenge' in "Elementary, Dear Data"... but aroubd that point, she softened to him and I liked her more, especially when she was alone in the shuttle at Darwin. And her interactions with the other characters were great.

I think she would have been great to keep around longer. Maybe she could have appeared on DS9 on occasion. Perhaps a mention on VOYAGER as one of the doctors whose experiences were programmed into the EMH.

 

[gakelly]

She had prejudices and showed them...much like a real human being. Crusher was bland, boring, and annoying. Every episode that was a "Crusher" episode sucked.

 

[Amaris]

She had prejudices and showed them...much like a real human being. Crusher was bland, boring, and annoying. Every episode that was a "Crusher" episode sucked.

She was wonderful in "Suspicions," and I loved Crusher and Picard in "Attached." I believe that they had wonderful chemistry. The problem is that Gates rarely got to flex her muscles. The showrunners did it to Marina, too, much too often. It was only in the 6th season where she really got to shine.

 

[KimMH]

Love the suggestions Muldaur should have returned for occasional cameos. I liked her as much as Crusher from a far smaller sample. Hate the trope where the newbie and grizzzled veteran clash and someone’s idea has to prevail. Would love to have seen them collaborate and become friends. Is it naive that I want everyone in Trek to love each other as much as I love them? @Amaris I know you feel the same. Hugs!

 

[Amaris]

Love the suggestions Muldaur should have returned for occasional cameos. I liked her as much as Crusher from a far smaller sample. Hate the trope where the newbie and grizzzled veteran clash and someone’s idea has to prevail. Would love to have seen them collaborate and become friends. Is it naive that I want everyone in Trek to love each other as much as I love them? @Amaris I know you feel the same. Hugs!

Exactly! *hugs*

 

[Phoenix219]

Pulaski was great. More personality and memorable moments in 1 season then Crusher got in 6. Keep Pulaski for Season 3, then jettison Picard as Locutus and keep Riker/Shelby/Data/Pulaski/Worf as the main characters. FTW!!!

 

[Doctor Sevrin]

I always preferred Pulaski. Better actress, better chemistry/dynamic with Picard and Data.

 

[NigellaDeanna20]

My thoughts on pulaski are very simply that I honestly didn't really mind her character at the time. I do remember wondering where Doctor Crusher was at the time and we now know the reasons why, though maybe not the entire full story of what happened there.
But yes I prefer Beverley Crusher over Pulaski but I personally, have never had anything against pulaski.

 

[KimMH]

I always preferred Pulaski. Better actress, better chemistry/dynamic with Picard and Data.

I didnt prefer her but I did like her. It was a big ship surely they needed more than one doctor. Understand that contract and budget constraints couldn’t give us both and in universe Pulaski was too gifted to play 2nd fiddle to Crusher but would like to have seen her in later seasons even in cameo.

 

[Kilana2]

Crusher was also supported by Dr. Selar. But we never saw when she transferred off to Excalibur.....
Another Pulaski cameo in one of the later seasons would have been nice, though.

 

[Lance]

There's a fan theory that says the reason she was so much like McCoy is because she's his great-granddaughter, and picked up some of his attitudes as a result of listening to his old Starfleet stories from his time on the Enterprise.

I'd never heard this before, but find the idea very interesting, and would honestly feel fine accepting it as fact. She's so close to McCoy in many mannerisms it even makes sense for them to be related.

 

[Maurice]

She was never going to come back to TNG after she left. That much is pretty damned clear.

 

[KimMH]

The only doctor that was more boring than Crusher is Dr. Helena Russell from Space: 1999.

I've always been #TeamPulaski myself. She was what the show really needed, someone to challenge both Picard and Data. And she stood damn well on her own as a character. Also remember...

lol

 

[Seven of Five]

When I first watched the series all the way through, I knew Crusher was coming back, and because I liked her in season seven (when I started watching the show with friends), I just kept binding my time thinking, is she back yet? Is she back yet? Is she back yet? I know this fascination with Crusher is odd, she's certainly not my favourite character or anything. I think one of my first episodes were the Descent two-parter, and I was obsessed that the doctor was in command!

By the time I had the show on DVD, Pulaski really grew on me. She was obviously a McCoy clone to start with, but I enjoyed her dynamic with the crew. She started very abrasively with Data, but she came around. I loved her little Klingon Tea Ceremony with Worf as well.

She had great passion, and Diane Muldaur played her very well. It's obvious behind the scenes things weren't working out, but having her on for a season mixed things up nicely.

 

[Lynx]

I didn't like Pulaski when I first watched TNG.
I thought Beverly Crusher was a much better character and I couldn't understand why they dumped her and replaced her with Pulaski who I found boring and slightly annoying.
In recent years I've changed my mind somewhat. I don't think that Pulaski was that bad. She had some good episodes and it would have been nice to see her show up in some later episode of the series.
However, I still consider Crusher a better character and I'm happy that they brought her back.