Who was the main protagonist of Yesterday's Enterprise?
Perhaps it was Guinan. The episode starts with her and Worf in Ten Forward, and ends with her and Geordi in Ten Forward. In between, she is the one who has the special perspective on what is going on and urges Picard to send the Enterprise C back into the time rift. Her character arc is about her understanding of Tasha Yar, and when the episode is over, she is the only one who isn't back where she started at the beginning of the episode.
But a case can be made for Tasha Yar. She makes the most momentous decision in the episode. She is the one who investigates her past in the other timeline and decides she prefers to die with dignity on the Enterprise C (forgetting for a moment that she did not wind up dying on the Enterprise C). Though only Guinan was left on the Enterprise D with a completed character arc by show's end, Tasha does go through an arc and experiences a change.
You can never count Picard totally out, however. He is the one with the most ability to affect the plot with his decisions. He grants Tasha's request, he eventually agrees with Guinan's advice, he's the one who puts the Enterprise D in harm's way to make the courageous last stand. By the end of the show he's right back where he started, but alternate timeline Picard did go through an arc.
Or maybe it was Castillo, Tasha's love interest and eventually commander of the Enterprise C. What's your vote for chief protagonist of Yesterday's Enterprise?
Perhaps it was Guinan. The episode starts with her and Worf in Ten Forward, and ends with her and Geordi in Ten Forward. In between, she is the one who has the special perspective on what is going on and urges Picard to send the Enterprise C back into the time rift. Her character arc is about her understanding of Tasha Yar, and when the episode is over, she is the only one who isn't back where she started at the beginning of the episode.
But a case can be made for Tasha Yar. She makes the most momentous decision in the episode. She is the one who investigates her past in the other timeline and decides she prefers to die with dignity on the Enterprise C (forgetting for a moment that she did not wind up dying on the Enterprise C). Though only Guinan was left on the Enterprise D with a completed character arc by show's end, Tasha does go through an arc and experiences a change.
You can never count Picard totally out, however. He is the one with the most ability to affect the plot with his decisions. He grants Tasha's request, he eventually agrees with Guinan's advice, he's the one who puts the Enterprise D in harm's way to make the courageous last stand. By the end of the show he's right back where he started, but alternate timeline Picard did go through an arc.
Or maybe it was Castillo, Tasha's love interest and eventually commander of the Enterprise C. What's your vote for chief protagonist of Yesterday's Enterprise?
