Who was your favorite Star Trek surgeon?

[Greg Cox]

McCoy, of course. One of the most vivid and colorful personalities in all of Trek: funny, cranky, humane, compassionate, opinionated, obstinate, etc. He adds a little extra spice to almost every scene he's in, and not just in his big showy scenes, but in tons of little moments as well, where one of his wry asides can lighten a serious moment or bring a human touch to a larger-than-life situation.

"By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day!'

Honorable mention: the EMH.

 

[fonzob1]

Off-topic, but with all these "who was your favorite Star Trek X" threads, I'm sorely tempted to make one about service staff. Quark? Neelix? Guinan? Chef?

And now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

I thought about that too, but I will get an infraction if I do it. So, be my guest. I think its a good topic.

 

[kirkfan]

McCoy, of course. One of the most vivid and colorful personalities in all of Trek: funny, cranky, humane, compassionate, opinionated, obstinate, etc. He adds a little extra spice to almost every scene he's in, and not just in his big showy scenes, but in tons of little moments as well, where one of his wry asides can lighten a serious moment or bring a human touch to a larger-than-life situation.

"By golly, Jim, I'm beginning to think I can cure a rainy day!'

Honorable mention: the EMH.

In the same episode he also says: "I am a doctor, not a bricklayer."

 

[Orphalesion]

The medical officers are always a "love them or hate them" thing for me, there's non e of them I just like or dislike. There are however some I have changed my mind about over time.

Love:

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.
2) Bashir: Say him first in "The Quickening" and loved the character from there. Find him completely nauseating in early seasons, but he grows out of it and grows into a better character.
3) Pulaski: I am put of by her dismissive manner and harsh attitude, but if you watch the whole of season 2 (I know, it's hard) you actually can see her softening up considerably, especially towards Data. While I find her conception as "McCoy with tits" rather pathetic, she became more towards the end and it would have been good to keep her as a recurring character and Beverly's foil.

Hate:
4) McCoy: Firt of all I don't find his racist remarks towards Spock endearing. Second he's too much the old fashioned man's man for me to like him. The introduction of his estranged daughter, (had it happened), would have likely changed my mind about the character considerably (depending on how it had been handled) but as it is...no.
5) The EMH: Do I really have to go over my: narcissistic, solipsistic, egotistic, (other multiy syllable word) routine about him again? If I was Janeway I would have deleted him on day one and picked up a new doctor from some surrounding planet. Until then...meh we have a pilot and an elf, they can handle the sickbay.
6) Phlox: Turns out I was remembering "Dear Doctor" wrong, Phlox actually was the one in favour of not helping that random civilization with their epidemic, not Archer.

 

[kirkfan]

The medical officers are always a "love them or hate them" thing for me, there's non e of them I just like or dislike. There are however some I have changed my mind about over time.

Love:

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.
2) Bashir: Say him first in "The Quickening" and loved the character from there. Find him completely nauseating in early seasons, but he grows out of it and grows into a better character.
3) Pulaski: I am put of by her dismissive manner and harsh attitude, but if you watch the whole of season 2 (I know, it's hard) you actually can see her softening up considerably, especially towards Data. While I find her conception as "McCoy with tits" rather pathetic, she became more towards the end and it would have been good to keep her as a recurring character and Beverly's foil.

Hate:
4) McCoy: Firt of all I don't find his racist remarks towards Spock endearing. Second he's too much the old fashioned man's man for me to like him. The introduction of his estranged daughter, (had it happened), would have likely changed my mind about the character considerably (depending on how it had been handled) but as it is...no.
5) The EMH: Do I really have to go over my: narcissistic, solipsistic, egotistic, (other multiy syllable word) routine about him again? If I was Janeway I would have deleted him on day one and picked up a new doctor from some surrounding planet. Until then...meh we have a pilot and an elf, they can handle the sickbay.
6) Phlox: Turns out I was remembering "Dear Doctor" wrong, Phlox actually was the one in favour of not helping that random civilization with their epidemic, not Archer.

Solipsistic? I don't think so. A doctor has to believe that his patients are real or why would he try to heal them?

"Dear doctor": Let's not forget that Archer is the one to make the decision. That it was based mostly on the faulty advice of his doctor is not an excuse.

I find Beverly annoying. She creates problems and complicates matters more often than not by her sole presence. Plus "coup de grâce" doesn't mean what she thinks it means.

 

[Orphalesion]

Solipsistic? I don't think so. A doctor has to believe that his patients are real or why would he try to heal them?

His novel can be described as solipsistic: he is the only character in it that has deep emotions, a consciousness, ethics beyond mere survival. In a way he is the only character in "Photons Be Free" that is "real"
Now I don't try to propose that the EMH is a complete solipsist, but the way he paints the world in his novel, gives clues to how he sees the real world.
I do think that he does believe he is more "special" or "important" than others.

 

[kirkfan]

Solipsistic? I don't think so. A doctor has to believe that his patients are real or why would he try to heal them?

His novel can be described as solipsistic: he is the only character in it that has deep emotions, a consciousness, ethics beyond mere survival. In a way he is the only character in "Photons Be Free" that is "real"
Now I don't try to propose that the EMH is a complete solipsist, but the way he paints the world in his novel, gives clues to how he sees the real world.
I do think that he does believe he is more "special" or "important" than others.

I beg to differ. They all feel emotions, only mostly bad ones. Kim's counterpart for example is a hypochondriac, a funny one. Marseilles is a womanizer. alt-B'Lana is a self-important-bitch. "Janeway" is a psychopath...etc. See? These are all emotions.

 

[TPT]

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.

I totally agree with you that Dr. Crusher should have gotten more screen time. She is not only a doctor but also a widow and a single mother. There are so many interesting aspects to her character that should have been explored more in the show.

Also, I’m going off on a bit of a tangent here, but if there will be another Star Trek series someday, I want the next CMO to be a woman. IMHO, we need more female doctors as regular characters in Star Trek.

 

[kirkfan]

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.

I totally agree with you that Dr. Crusher should have gotten more screen time. She is not only a doctor but also a widow and a single mother. There are so many interesting aspects to her character that should have been explored more in the show.

Also, I’m going off on a bit of a tangent here, but if there will be another Star Trek series someday, I want the next CMO to be a woman. IMHO, we need more female doctors as regular characters in Star Trek.

I could have done without Sub Rosa though...

 

[Orphalesion]

I could have done without Sub Rosa though...

We all could have done without Sub Rosa. However I could also have done without "Author, Author" "Message in a Bottle" "Real Life" and whatever episode it was were the Doctor had that creepy power-fantasy about him saving the ship from Tuvok while singing opera.

 

[fonzob1]

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.

I totally agree with you that Dr. Crusher should have gotten more screen time. She is not only a doctor but also a widow and a single mother. There are so many interesting aspects to her character that should have been explored more in the show.

Also, I’m going off on a bit of a tangent here, but if there will be another Star Trek series someday, I want the next CMO to be a woman. IMHO, we need more female doctors as regular characters in Star Trek.

Why does it matter so much to you whether they are male or female?

 

[TPT]

1) Beverly: Compassionate, interesting and played by a good and beautiful actress. Dr. Crusher should have gotten way more screentime.

I totally agree with you that Dr. Crusher should have gotten more screen time. She is not only a doctor but also a widow and a single mother. There are so many interesting aspects to her character that should have been explored more in the show.

Also, I’m going off on a bit of a tangent here, but if there will be another Star Trek series someday, I want the next CMO to be a woman. IMHO, we need more female doctors as regular characters in Star Trek.

Why does it matter so much to you whether they are male or female?

Because we're in the year 2015, and the medical profession need not be a sausage fest. Woman consist of 1/2 the world population, and there are more and more increasing number of female doctors now a days. I think this series would reflect the actual state of the world more accurately if we had more female doctors as regular characters.

Please feel free to disagree if you wish, but this is where I stand on this matter.

 

[Hawku]

I went the McCoy route, possibly because I subconsciously see him as the "originator" or "classic". I don't know. Who knows. Not me. Not me ever.

I kind of liked Pulaski too, though. She had this badass and philosophical way about her.

 

[fonzob1]

I totally agree with you that Dr. Crusher should have gotten more screen time. She is not only a doctor but also a widow and a single mother. There are so many interesting aspects to her character that should have been explored more in the show.

Also, I’m going off on a bit of a tangent here, but if there will be another Star Trek series someday, I want the next CMO to be a woman. IMHO, we need more female doctors as regular characters in Star Trek.

Why does it matter so much to you whether they are male or female?

Because we're in the year 2015, and the medical profession need not be a sausage fest. Woman consist of 1/2 the world population, and there are more and more increasing number of female doctors now a days. I think this series would reflect the actual state of the world more accurately if we had more female doctors as regular characters.

Please feel free to disagree if you wish, but this is where I stand on this matter.

Historically, women make up less than 20% of the military. That is why you see a "sausagefest" in Starfleet. Women should be depicted in all roles on Star Trek, but it is generaly expected that they are the minority in a military institution. I just found it strange that you pinpointed that one role.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/women-in-the-military-statistics/

 

[TPT]

Why does it matter so much to you whether they are male or female?

Because we're in the year 2015, and the medical profession need not be a sausage fest. Woman consist of 1/2 the world population, and there are more and more increasing number of female doctors now a days. I think this series would reflect the actual state of the world more accurately if we had more female doctors as regular characters.

Please feel free to disagree if you wish, but this is where I stand on this matter.

Historically, women make up less than 20% of the military. That is why you see a "sausagefest" in Starfleet. Women should be depicted in all roles on Star Trek, but it is generaly expected that they are the minority in a military institution. I just found it strange that you pinpointed that one role.

http://www.statisticbrain.com/women-in-the-military-statistics/

Hmm... I didn't see this matter from this perspective. Thank you for pointing this out to me. If the 24th century Starfleet's male/female ratio is similar to the current day military, then that would explain why 4 out of 5 regular character CMOs are men.

So, now I'm wondering what the actual male/female ratio of 24th century Starfleet is. Is it 90/10? 80/20? 70/30? 60/40? I wonder if there is any data out there on the net regarding this subject. If the ratio is indeed in the 90/10 ~ 80/20 range, then I guess advanced technology doesn't affect a military institution's male/female ratio all that much.

Also, I wish to add that I didn't mean to single out just the doctor role. This thread is a doctor character thread, so I stated that I would like to see the next series' CMO to be a woman, for variation sake if nothing else. (But then if the female ratio is indeed 10%~20%, then there would be a solid in-universe explanation for why it would be more likely for the next CMO to be a man.)

 

[kirkfan]

I went the McCoy route, possibly because I subconsciously see him as the "originator" or "classic". I don't know. Who knows. Not me. Not me ever.

I kind of liked Pulaski too, though. She had this badass and philosophical way about her.

McCoy described himself as an old country doctor.

 

[Galileo7]

McCoy

 

[Greg Cox]

Hmm. I'm noticing in all these "who is your favorite?" threads that a lot of people seem be interpreting "favorite" as "best," and arguing on the basis of who is best at their jobs, or who saved the day the most, or is most qualified, or the most morally upright, or whatever.

The way I see it, "best" and "favorite" are not necessarily the same things. I mean, Doctors Phlox and Crusher certainly have much better bedside manners than the EMH, and are perfectly well-qualified for their jobs, but, as a viewer, I find McCoy and the EMH to be lot more interesting and entertaining and colorful as characters.

My favorites are the ones who are the most fun to watch (and write), regardless of whether they're the "best" at their jobs or not.

 

[RandyS]

I voted for Crusher but I like her and Bones the most. Actually I like all the doctors to one degree or another.

Except for Pulaski. She was just a bad idea all the way around.

 

[kirkfan]

Hmm. I'm noticing in all these "who is your favorite?" threads that a lot of people seem be interpreting "favorite" as "best," and arguing on the basis of who is best at their jobs, or who saved the day the most, or is most qualified, or the most morally upright, or whatever.

The way I see it, "best" and "favorite" are not necessarily the same things. I mean, Doctors Phlox and Crusher certainly have much better bedside manners than the EMH, and are perfectly well-qualified for their jobs, but, as a viewer, I find McCoy and the EMH to be lot more interesting and entertaining and colorful as characters.

My favorites are the ones who are the most fun to watch (and write), regardless of whether they're the "best" at their jobs or not.

Yeah, but only Phlox is responsible for letting millions of people die while withholding the cure to their illness... That's got to weigh heavy on the cons side of the equation no matter what criteria you are basing your evaluation on.