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Dr. Pulaski Appreciation Post (startrek.website)

submitted 7 months ago by xyguy@startrek.website to c/startrek@startrek.website

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I don't know whether it's a popular opinion or not, but I think Dr. Pulaski was a great character and I found her much more interesting than Dr. Crusher. I don't know if it was down to the writing or the performance but Pulaski is one of the best parts of season 2 and I would have been happy to see her character continue.

She wasn't very nice to Data but that bit of friction between some of the main characters of the show was welcome, especially in the early seasons. And her performance in Unnatural Selection is a moment in the series my mind returns to often.

How about it? Do we like Dr. Pulaski? What's her best moment on the show?

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[-] ValueSubtracted@startrek.website 43 points 7 months ago

I'm pretty ambivalent about her, but I agree it was an interesting performance, particularly for a woman at that time in television.

She was horribly underused - it's downright criminal that she doesn't pay a significant role in "The Measure of a Man."

[-] Deebster@programming.dev 16 points 7 months ago

I watched that one last night and had the same thought - she's been the face of nonacceptance towards Data and although Bruce Maddox is far more extreme in his views it seemed like a waste of her character building.

That said, they'd already shoehorned in a Guinan scene so I don't know where they'd find the time.

[-] milkisklim@lemm.ee 5 points 7 months ago

Could you please expand on what you mean by shoehorning in the Guinan scene? How would you handle it if you were the episode writer?

Edit: to be clear, I know what shoehorning is, I just want to know why you think it occured here.

[-] Deebster@programming.dev 10 points 7 months ago

I was referring to this trivia:

Picard's scene with Guinan was not in the original script. Melinda M. Snodgrass was told that they needed a "Ten-Forward" scene to accommodate Whoopi Goldberg coming in that week.

I took it as true, although I had a quick go at finding where this claim came from and am drawing a blank

[-] MentallyExhausted@reddthat.com 9 points 7 months ago

I think that scene was necessary. “Disposable people” was a powerful summary of the issue.

[-] milkisklim@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

Interesting and cool if true. Thanks!

[-] sk@hub.utsukta.org 3 points 7 months ago

Agreed, probably one of the mellowest character, cool, calm and composed.

[-] richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 7 months ago

I think obvious that she would have sided with Maddox and disagreed with the ruling. I don't think her capable of overcoming her prejudices against artificial life forms.

[-] ThunderclapSasquatch@startrek.website 1 points 7 months ago

Except she did. She even apologized to Data

[-] xyguy@startrek.website 2 points 7 months ago

I think that's something that gets forgotten. Season 2 gets skipped through a lot during rewatches I know. All anyone remembers is her being racist to data.

She starts out mean to Data but she comes around by the end of the season. She is also a former lover of Kyle Riker, which could have made for a much more interesting dynamic for and with Riker if it had continued.

[-] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 28 points 7 months ago

Pulaski had interesting dynamics with almost every other character. I think she was written very well, especially for such a short tenure. Crusher was largely neglected by the writers.

[-] xyguy@startrek.website 14 points 7 months ago

I agree. And its a real shame. I also remember seeing Pulaski sitting in the chair next to Picard relatively often where I think of Crusher being in the medical bay far more. That could just be my own memory though.

[-] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

She didn’t need the writers, she had her candlelit alone time.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 15 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I like her in so far as that she made Data even stronger by constantly challenging him. But she is also a stark contrast of the rest of the vibe on the show. Clearly they wanted a Bones analogue but it just didn't work. I've also read a lot about how she operated on set and didn't seem like everyone really got along with her, which kinda shows in the season.

[-] Numberone@startrek.website 13 points 7 months ago

First TNG watch throughl, she was And impediment to s02 crusher. But as I've watched repeatedly, she was a great character who made her presence known. She wasn't perfect, but she was interesting and she changed as the season went on wrt Data. I still think she was a eagerly underrated character.

[-] AlternateRoute@lemmy.ca 11 points 7 months ago

I am somewhat neutral on her, when she was introduced I kind of felt she was a gender swapped bones to setup the bones / spock dynamic but with data.

Sadly the only thing I remember her for is being mean to data, getting rapidly aged, and replacing Picard’s heart, that is 3 out of 22 episodes she is credited in.

For me Crusher vs Pulaski somewhat comes down to bedside manner/ compassion. Pulaski just comes across as a bit blunt and prickly at times and Pulaski just has fewer memorable episodes due to only having the one season.

[-] paddirn@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago

I appreciate that she wasn’t as sexualized as Crusher (if at all), it was pretty cringey in the first season.

[-] cybervseas@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

True. But did you see Diana Muldaur's appearance in TOS? She's a classic beauty 👀

[-] PopOfAfrica@lemmy.world 6 points 7 months ago

Why did they not have 2 doctors? Its a big ship. There was room for both.

[-] nexguy@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I'm a doctor, not a doctors

[-] dayna@lemmygrad.ml 6 points 7 months ago

I hated her the entire time she was on screen, amazing character, and very well written. In retrospect, disappointed she was removed from the show. It could’ve been interesting to see her either overcome her androids or not. As a definite outsider to the rest of the crew, I felt like it was a really interesting addition to the dynamics.

[-] ThunderclapSasquatch@startrek.website 2 points 6 months ago

She did overcome her android prejudice, she also apologized to Data and they were even friends by the time season 3 rolls around

[-] dm_me_your_feet@lemmy.world 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

She hated on Data, she can burn in hell. Beverly Kusher otoh is Bae, only bested by EMH who is best doctor.

[-] OpticalMoose@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 7 months ago

Renegade Cut had a pretty good video about her. https://piped.video/watch?v=HC4K1mx0SPQ. I was mostly wrong about her. I didn't realize they became friends later. That's a pretty big arc for only one season.

[-] xyguy@startrek.website 2 points 7 months ago

This video sums up my feelings exactly. Thanks for the recommendation. They are a lot more articulate than I was.

[-] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

I know she’s getting a lot of love online recently, but I just don’t agree. She’s written as a dollar-store McCoy because the show didn’t know what the wanted and her acting is as stiff and blunt as it comes. Not only is Crusher a more interesting character, Gates is a much better actress.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

Fantastic actress. She kicked ass as Rosalynd Sheas on L. A. Law among other great roles. Did a great job as Pulaski as well. I really wish Trek would give Pulaski a shout out on one of the other series currently in production.

[-] MacedWindow@lemmy.world 2 points 7 months ago

No one ever appreciated her

[-] jimhensonslostpuppet@startrek.website 2 points 6 months ago

I actually think she was better than Dr Crusher.

[-] Ildsaye@hexbear.net 2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Had a childhood crush on Dr. Crusher, but maturity has brought me a middle aged crush on Pulaski. Wish they'd had some guest appearances by her after season 2.

this post was submitted on 26 May 2024

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