I always like the character of Pulaski. I'd say I'm a slight Crusher lean, but they were both good. And Pulaski only had one season to win us over. I think the actress did quite well and the part was a good one.
Thoughts on Pulaski?
- Thread starter olysounder89
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That's rather a good point. I never thought about a "what if". I think it would have gained trust of a lot of fans, including myself if they had wrote that in or some kind of backstory as to why she had such a distrust towards certain technologies (along the lines of her parents died in a transporter accident)
And I definitely have to agree in that I think she is technically a better (more knowledgeable and skilled) than Crusher. That was established pretty well within me by the end of the season.
It's hard to make that distinction, though. Bev was around a long time after & dealt with many medical crises, just as well. There's just something in the tone of how Pulaski was portrayed, carried herself, & the respect she garnered that made her seem like the more skilled medical practitioner
Another thing that helps is that in all the time Bev was the CMO, I just don't seem to recall any one time where she was given the treatment that Pulaski got in Samaritan Snare, of being called upon, as though she is the ONLY person capable of solving the medical crisis Picard was in. That one remark bestowed upon her an instant credibility that Crusher never got, to my knowledge
Having taken Picards heart, she knew she would never be able to keep it, so making her farewells, she left.
...
And was last heard of on the run with stolen federation biological material and classified identity data, heading towards the Romulan border.
Yes.
Pulaski is shinzons mother, and took great pleasure in what she did the B4 at his behest. She is Picards Morgaine.
XD
That is a fantastic idea.
I love picturing a Kelvin timeline TV reboot of TNG (yes, I know it will only ever exist in my mind), and I think I'm adding this take on Pulaski to that imaginary series. That would have been such an interesting way to add tension into the Picard/Riker dynamic as well.
The only problem with it from a production perspective, is that the last doctor had "History" with someone else on the bridge crew. The counselor & 1st officer have "History with each other, & the ensign in training has history as well. Adding another person with that kind of interconnected backstory really does shrink the universe, & it's supposed to be an intergalactic universe. The odds that they'd all have ties like that are pushing it, but it would've been useful to at least give Pulaski legs to stand on
POSITIVES: Pulaski had a unique personality. She was an older character, which gave the cast some much-needed age diversity. She established some interesting relationships (Worf, Picard, Data) in just one quick season.
NEGATIVES: Too much of a McCoy re-tread.
BOTTOM LINE: Not a great character, but certainly more interesting than Crusher, who literally had almost no personality to speak of.
NEGATIVES: Too much of a McCoy re-tread.
BOTTOM LINE: Not a great character, but certainly more interesting than Crusher, who literally had almost no personality to speak of.
As @King Daniel Beyond mentioned, Pulaski's character was meant to be a shameless clone of McCoy, especially with the McCoy/Spock banter which was so endearing in TOS. Except her behavior toward Data ended up being downright cruel and disrespectful, whereas McCoy always had respect for Spock even while good-naturedly ribbing him. And that's why her character just didn't work.
Cloning McCoy never seems to work well. It didn't work here, and it didn't work with Trip Tucker.
But that was the fault of the writers, not the actor.
Cloning McCoy never seems to work well. It didn't work here, and it didn't work with Trip Tucker.
But that was the fault of the writers, not the actor.
In a way it was explained in the beginning of season 3 when Beverly says that she was at Starfleet medical for a year.
Perhaps it was common knowledge that she would be gone for a year and then return and Pulaski knew that her post would last one year.
I liked Pulaski, but I like Crusher better. Pulaski brought an element to the cast that was different from the other characters, an aged wisdom and cynicism.
I’m less hard on her attitude toward Data. She reacted to him like a real person who is not in the TV audience would, and later she was fully on his side.
I’m less hard on her attitude toward Data. She reacted to him like a real person who is not in the TV audience would, and later she was fully on his side.
The tricky thing about McCoy is that he's actually more of an abrasive character; the main reason he comes across as likable is De Kelley's abundance of natural charm. Nothing wrong with Diana Muldaur as an actor, but she doesn't project that kind of warmth; she's a being of cooler colors.
Also, not gonna like -- I adored McCoy, and was irritated by even the attempt to duplicate him.
Didn't like the character. While she plays the same role as the one to disagree in the group she tended to be a bit of a bully to Data. Sure he has no feelings but as a sentient being I didn't like that 24th century starfleet personal would treat a fellow crewman in this way. She's the aunt who insults everyone.
I like Pulaski.
I thought having a character and crew member who had alternative thoughts about Data was very interesting. She had to be won over yet was open.
I thought having a character and crew member who had alternative thoughts about Data was very interesting. She had to be won over yet was open.
I always thought that there would have been more conflict between Riker and Pulaski, if her relationship with Kyle Riker had begun while Kyle was still married to Will's mother.
Here's the thing. Data is a Starfleet officer, so he is worthy of respect no matter how Pulaski feels about androids. Second, Pulaski is a Starfleet doctor. She should be the first person to be aware of the fact that there are other forms of life other than carbon-based. The fact that she is so closed-minded about Data's sentience makes no logical sense for a character like her.
She left the show in Farpoint?
Pulaski created a new non human biological life form possibly as a slave race, which was a failure, or would be found to be a failure later in the season.
The whole time she had been doing that, Data was walking around making her work seem redundant, or inferior.
There had to be some built up resentment that her creations were locked in a vault, and this bucket of silicone has citizenship rights, almost.
What?
OK, this needs explanation. It certainly did not happen on screen.
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