Which Doctor Did You Like Better...Dr. Crusher or Dr. Pulaski?
- Thread starter CmndrSela318
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Pulaski didn't understand Data's true nature at first, but that gave her both an opportunity for growth and a source of conflict with the rest of the crew, who did regard Data as a friend and comrade.
And again I would argue there wasn't in-universe growth so much as the writers quickly abandoning that part of her character because of negative fan-reaction.
This happens a lot on Straight Dope. It's not unusual for a thread to be found after ten or even fifteen years of dormancy and then pick up as if nothing had happened - even by the same people.
They abandoned the whole character after only one season. How much time would there have been to adjust how she was written after the fans had seen the finished episodes?
Lol. The made a better doctor the same way Columbus discovered America: completely by accident.
Personally, I think it's an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Gates definitely got more beautiful as she aged. I was always partial to sci-fi women in uniforms and when she became acting-Captain in "Descent" it was icing on the cake.
All the "Sir" was a bit of a distraction, though.
Say what you want about Janeway, she put an end to that crap quickly.
I prefer Pulaski, Crusher was the most boring character in the history of Trek - I think Gates McFadden agreed with me judging by the way she "acts" her.
It's interesting that people criticise Pulaski for bullying Data but give McCoy a free pass when he does the same/worse to Spock.
It's interesting that people criticise Pulaski for bullying Data but give McCoy a free pass when he does the same/worse to Spock.
I prefer Pulaski. She had a lot of character development over one season. Also, Pulaski wasn't in every episode of season 2 so it didn't ever feel like she'd just been given a scene so she'd be in the episode. Crusher had a reasonable amount to do in season 1 and I felt they ended the possibility of a Crusher/Picard relationship quite well in "We'll Always Have Paris". I did like Crusher in season 1. I didn't think they did much with the character from season 3 onwards though. "The Host" would be pretty similar if it was a Deanna episode, "Suspicions" is brilliant but would be pretty similar if it was a Geordi episode. I did like seeing Crusher in a leadership position in "Descent".
I think it can be quite difficult to have a main character who is a doctor without them having effectively another role on the show that gives them screentime. McCoy was Kirk and Spock's friend and went on a lot of away missions. Bashir was friends with Garak and O'Brien. The EMH was friends with Kes then became a mentor to Seven and had the holographic rights storyline. Crusher faded into the background a lot. I think one of the issues with having so many main characters is that some of them don't get as many stories, so they don't seem as interesting, so they continue to not get as many stories and that continues.
I really liked Guinan and Ro Laren. I could see the potential for Tasha Yar. I didn't think Crusher and Troi were as interesting.
I think it can be quite difficult to have a main character who is a doctor without them having effectively another role on the show that gives them screentime. McCoy was Kirk and Spock's friend and went on a lot of away missions. Bashir was friends with Garak and O'Brien. The EMH was friends with Kes then became a mentor to Seven and had the holographic rights storyline. Crusher faded into the background a lot. I think one of the issues with having so many main characters is that some of them don't get as many stories, so they don't seem as interesting, so they continue to not get as many stories and that continues.
I really liked Guinan and Ro Laren. I could see the potential for Tasha Yar. I didn't think Crusher and Troi were as interesting.
That's because Spock gives at least as good as he gets, making it banter. Data just stares at you guilessly, making it seem like kicking a puppy.
Because that’s how guys talk to each other, especially when they’re friends. It’s not how women talk to each other, and it’s not how women talk to men.
Additionally, Pulaski did what she did out of malice. McCoy and Spock did not.
I think she was more clueless than malicious.
Much preferred Pulaski.
Definitely makes me think of Isaac and Claire on the Orville.
"Ethics" - No. Not in the Crusher role. Not in the badly scribbled-in 2D opponent role.
"Remember Me" - Not as Wesley's mom, no... there'd have to be a bit of a rewrite...
"Sub Rosa"? Well, if they got Ardra to drool over Picard then why not?
"Peak Performance" - Troi would get all the good material for Data instead.
"Unnatural Selection" - oh heavens, never.
I can't perceive it in any way other than a deliberate season arc, long before such ideas became commonplace in television production. It's another reason to truly embrace and cherish the second season, even if it had clunkers like "The Outrageous Okona" (which still had a couple good scenes, if only by accident.)
She probably saw someone get atomized and put on a stern face since, why not.
The EMT is ironically far closer to a McCoy ripoff than Pulaski was. Robert Picardo's stage presence and probably treating it more than just a day job when they let him have more control makes him one of my favorites as well...
Pulaski could have improved a lot had she continued after season 2 but it is quite hard to picture how she would, what kind of character she could become, in what we saw the friction and conflicts she had seemed pretty much for stubbornness and friction for their own sake. Although I will give credit that by "The Measure of a Man" she seemed genuinely respectful and caring of Data.
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