Which Doctor Did You Like Better...Dr. Crusher or Dr. Pulaski?

LOL that's pretty much how I would put it :P

For some reason Pulaski reminded me of a grumpy substitute teacher I once had.

 

Dr. Crusher

 

I like them both. I think Dr. Pulaski was a braver choice, and I'd have preferred that she stayed around longer or popped up on DS9...but I have no problems with Beverly at all and she's very pretty. I just think that Pulaski had some rough edges (like Ro Laren) and Next Gen had so few characters like that; Crusher just feels 'safe' by comparison. And I hate the way they handled the exit of Beverly after Season 1 and Pulaski after Season 2. Especially Pulaski, who we never see or hear about again; it's bad writing IMO. But I enjoyed both characters a great deal.

 

Diddo for me. On the other hand, I don't think that Pulaski was handled good in S2. The reason for Muldaur's departure was due to the backstage politics. There was a lot of backround dirt that happened throughout the series. Also the wardrobe/ makeup people did make her as haggard as possible too. Her departure was sad because she was the last TOS actress around on a permanant basis. Her character had much more depth and past to offer. She was somewhat a mystery. She was good with Picard because she would stand up to him. Crusher would eventually wilt like she did in First Contact. It took a "primitive" (similar of Pulaski) to point out that Picard was barking mad and trigger happy. Crusher had a medical duty to make sure that her Captain was rational and fit for command. She wasn't there to drink the Kool-Aid with him.
I feel that Crusher was squandered as a character. There was no real development from Season 2 onwards. There should have been some longer arcs developed to show character substance for everyone especially her. She mostly smiled and looked vapid. By Season 5, everything had become utterly stagnant. There were just too many characters to write stories about in a one hour standalone episode. Cobra

 

I choose crusher because- yes she wasn't as in your face as Polaski was and sometimes SciFI women are written a bit too strong that it seems comic book like.

Polaski's dislike of Data made me hate her and it was too late by the end of the season for a 13 yr old to change her mind

 

Dr. Crusher. But then, we never got to know Pulaski as well, so I don't think we can fairly answer.

 

Pulaski...her personality may have been a McCoy knock off at first but at least she had one.

 

Pulaski was written as more interesting. For example, later in the series we learn that Crusher is a good dancer. In season 2, we see Pulaski drink a possibly-fatal cup of Kilngon tea just to have the experience.

She just seems more engaged with everything around her, and a bit of a loose cannon (but in regard to canon). I think that makes for better stories.

 

Pulaski. She was much more a real person, much less the Stepford Wife that Crusher was.

 

Pulaski - much better character (and actor) than Crusher.

 

Beverly

 

Pulaski. She had personality, Crusher was rather bland. Crusher had her moments, but Pulaski had more "moment" in one season than Crusher is all other.

 

I wasn't big on either of them.

Crusher had real chemistry with Picard. She was very believable as a non-intimate soul-mate of Picard's, sort of like Guinan. I liked that they did a backstory of Picard/Beverly/Jack/Walker Keel. The character was rather dull, though.

Pulaski was a great foil for Picard. She also had that prejudice against Data which she lost over the course of the season. I think there was real potential there for evolving relationships with Picard and Data - more potential than with Crusher.

The idea of Dr. Selar as the CMO is an intriguing one. It would have been cool to have another alien member of the crew. The problem is that a Vulcan character is a poor match for Suzie Plackson, the actress who played Selar. She excelled at playing vibrant, flamboyant characters like K'ehleyr, the Q bitch and the Andorian Tarah. Suzie's height (6'2", I think) steered her toward playing non-standard characters. I think she may have become frustrated with a Vulcan character though because her best talents would not have worked there.

 

The way they wrote Pulaski out of the show was pretty cruel.

 

As a Data fan, I couldn't stand Pulaski.

 

As a Data fan, I loved Pulaski.

 

I like them both, but I'd prefer Dr. Crusher if I needed a doctor. She's got a better bedside manner. She's a versatile officer too, demonstrating real command ability. Probably because she's the mother of a teenager.

 

Dr Pulaski didnt stick around long enough for us to get to know her,never did warm to her anyway,i always liked beverly crusher.

 

I've seen more episodes with Crusher in than Pulaski so I'm more used to her.......and yeah she is more understanding and has a better bedside manner but I suppose it doesn't necessarily make her a better doctor. Plus Pulaski was a bitch to Data at first, so overall I vote Crusher although I think there's nothing really that wrong with Pulaski in terms of how capable she is.

 

The same could be said of Crusher, leaving for an Excelsior-class ship like that.