One of my favorite Beverly moments is in I, Borg when, during the scene where the crew is reviewing the plan to introduce a virus that will destroy the Borg, Crusher is the only person to say “so, JUST TO BE CLEAR, we're doing genocide now? And we're supposed to be okay with that? And you're all cool with genocide?" Even Troi didn't take that stance during that scene, but everyone came around to Beverly's point of view by the end of the episode.
True, but counterpoint: the next time the Borg come up, an admiral directly orders Picard to commit next time he has an opportunity like he did in I Borg, and Picard admits that in hindsight the admiral might just have a point, and his statement that the Borg can't be reasoned with and are committed to the destruction of the Federation and it's very culture is still true. It's an example of Beverly Crusher oversimplifying the situation and Picard having to remember that even despite what his previous conclusion, he and both of hisoat trusted confidantes, Crusher AND Guinan, might have made the wrong call even if it was the morally correct decision. His statement that the right decision and the correct decision are sometimes at odds with each other is a powerful reminder that ethics is complicated.
Gates McFadden really sold her character so, so well. She didn't always have a lot to do in several episodes, but she had a quiet, deep strength, commitment to her beliefs and sense of justice. And she was a damned good captain of a slowly disappearing starship. Always loved her work.
14:31 - An important element of this section is that Beverly is also the only one on the ship who can give orders to Picard (in very specific circumstances). She is the closest he has to there being someone of equal rank on the ship on a regular basis. This is why she is the only person on the ship he could have an ethical romantic relationship with as well.
I hadn't considered that, that's a great point. I think this underscores an essential component of what it means to be Chief Medical Officer: part of Dr Crusher's duty is to stand up to the captain, and that's no mean feat when the captain is Picard. Beverly standing firm in her morals often goes beyond her duties as chief medical officer, but it's through this that she hones her ability to hold the captain to account.
Great vid Steve! You missed out on her best line in the whole series though, which I think sums up Beverly's strong moral core perfectly: "If there's nothing wrong with me... maybe there's something wrong with the universe..." 😉👍
Bless you.a million times for doing such a wonderful video for the most underrated character in the history of the Star Trek franchise. You totally nailed what makes her awesome. Thank you.
This is actually a big one for me as my view was the same as everyone elses, kill the borg. It was shocking to see her advocate for a person who couldn't defend themselves.
One of the things I've always loved about star trek is the doctors being incredibly smart science minded individuals, that are also the most human members of the crew. Bones, Crusher, and Bashir are not fools, they are very technically minded, but they are also still in touch with their emotions, and usually the first to call out cruelty for what it is. So often we claim that a high inelegance, or a great deal of logic makes a person cold, but you can easily be foolish and cold. The doctors are just smart enough to realize that life is fragile, and the soul can get just as sick as the body.
Interestingly enough, I would include “The Doctor” in “Voyager”, despite being a hologram serves as a figure of conscience having even developed enough ethics to call out the eugenics of a certain planet in the episode “Critical Care”.
I never put it together before, but... Dr. Crusher probably disobeys Picard's orders more often than any other main character in TNG, when it's called for - when it's the "right thing to do". When starfleet officers attempt to forcibly relocate human colonists in a later episode, it's Dr. Crusher's son, Wesley, who disobeys those orders - and interrupts the mission - because it was the "right thing to do". Maybe he learned something from her.
I feel like there’s a Steve Shives Cinematic Universe of Star Trek jokes. There’s the Lwaxana Troi joke, the Voyager joke, the Tuvix joke… (I feel like that sounds critical but for me it adds to the joke at this point because when you tee one up, there’s always a moment where I’m like, “oh wait, I bet I know where you’re going with this” that, like, raises the dramatic tension of the joke.
Always worth remembering that when TNG was being planned out, Dr.Crusher was meant to play the same role McCoy did in TOS. To be the conscience, the passionate doctor that didn't mind debating the right thing. Of course, she was also meant to play off Troi and Tasha Yar as female counterparts to Spock and Kirk respectively, but that didn't really pan out for obvious reasons, which honestly I think helped her character overall. What good would it do to have the doctor, the ship counselor, and the Chief of Security debating about the problem of the week off to the side when none of them would have final say to do anything about it?
I Wanted to bring up " Pen Pals" Where the Doctor is the first to side with Data. Than I remembered: that wasn't Crusher. That was Pulaski. There is a theme there to make the medical professional the dedicated Conscience.
@@tempusavatarThat’s true. Even in something simple and funny as Bones’ question to Spock: “Are you out of your Vulcan mind?” Spock, in his way, realized that that was what Bones was doing. It may well be why we have that scene between them in Engineering in “The Wrath of Khan”.
Legit I think getting into Trek as a kid and seeing Beverly Crusher refusing to let shitty behaviour pass unquestioned had such a huge effect on my moral growth. (And got me into trouble with some of my less ethical teachers.)
Of possible note, I don't think TNG wanted the mostly boys club either, they had Tasha as the security chief, a woman in the bad-ass department, Worf only became head of security because Denise dropped out. I'd like to imagine what later TNG would have been like with Tasha staying on the crew.
I don't know how we're supposed to take his supposition in the opening. Is he asserting this was an intentional outcome that had a motivation? Is he merely using hindsight to lay down a format for criticism through today's lens? Crusher was probably my 2nd fav character behind Data from watching it on TV initially, and I'm down for a discussion about how good an actress Gates was, and a character Crusher was .... but it sure seems like SS was trying to get some kind of digs in initially...
Yeah, he kinda conveniently leaves this out. Not to mention, it’s not like DS9 had a huge number of women in the regular cast. It’s basically Kira and Jadzia with Keiko occasionally showing up along with guest characters, but she too is a caregiver type being a mom and teacher. And If the argument is Kira is a more non-traditional character portraying a role more often portrayed by the boys, let’s not forget she was originally meant to be Ro Laren, a character that originated in TNG and was an adaptation of her when Michelle Forbes chose not to continue.
I recently rewatched The High Ground, a very good episode of the show. What struck me during the episode was how much of a badass they made Crusher just by her actions throughout the runtime. They had her stick to her morals and try to help where she could but not allow herself to be bullied by her abductor.
This video is how I learned that the Nurse Ogawa actress died. Man that's sad... she was probably my favorite tertiary character in the series. I may or may not have even had a little crush on her...
Hey, Picard ended up doing pretty well, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Picard had Jack Crusher killed after he f***ed Beverly. I have nothing to base that on, just head canon.
I still remember the first time watching Higher Ground as a child on TV. Always hope in the reruns I would see it again. Never did. Decades later found out that episode only aired once due to its controversial nature. Was finally able to scratch that itch when TNG was on Netflix
Same: I think I've literally only seen 'The High Ground' once, when it first aired on TV, yet in all the years since then, I've never forgotten it, even though I've forgotten the plot points of many other great TNG episodes, even ones I've watched more than once.
1990's Star Trek always had three archetypes for their female characters: the Mom, the Warrior Woman, and the Hottie. Moms: Beverley Crusher, Keiko O'Brien, Captain Janeway Warriors: Tasha Yar, Major Kira, B'Elanna Torres Hotties: Deanna Troi, Jadzia Dax, Seven of Nine But as a mom myself, I like how Crusher shows that a mom can also be a badass, and maybe even her maternal instincts contribute to her badassery. Mom goals. Also, fandom needs to quit shaming her for that ghost thing. After all she's been through, she deserved to have a sexy ghost lover, I say.
Let's not forget Beverly took the ship Command exam "just cause" before she even set foot on the Big D and pretty much shows badassery whenever we see her take the chair.
Let's not forget that in "I Borg" Beverly is the only one of the senior staff to full on oppose using Hugh to commit genocide against the Borg. Even Troi is on board originally.
Turns out Dr. Jo'Bril was played by James Horan, who also played Ikati'kla, the Jem'Hadar who treated Worf like he was Alexander's feelings in "In Purgatory's Shadow" & "By Inferno's Light".
Interesting fact: British English lacks the first vowel sound used in Kamala Harris’s name as it’s halfway between two existing phonemes. It’s either having to be learned or approximated. Dr Geoff Lindsey has a great video on the linguistics behind it.
Thank you for this, truly underused character especially in the movies, especially given Gates' acting ability in the few episodes she has. Side note I love how many hobbies Crusher has, theater, botany, morning tea tradition with Picard - makes her seem really well rounded despite low screen time.
To me, the issue with the TNG movies was that it moved away from what TNG and Trek does best which isn’t necessarily to be some wannabe action movie, but exploring the human condition and so a lot of the other cast members kinda get sidelined in a movie like that.
I'll never understand the reasoning in "The Host", where Beverly apparently didn't know about the symbiont in the Trill ambassador. Never mind that they were banging, she's the CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER. That's a crucial bit of information not to know about someone on your ship, under your care, who's an AMBASSADOR, and...yeah, it was kept a secret so we could all find out together?
I glade Gates McFadden stood up for her self with the writers/ directors and producers of TNG , her character was so much deeper when she returned to the show proving that if you fight for your rights you can make a change , although I would have enjoyed Dr Crusher and Dr Dr Polaski working together.
Beverly's conscience is also what gave us Hugh in I, Borg. Picard wanted to leave the injured Borg to die, but Beverly saw value in every life, even an enemy's
Thank you for making this video, Beverly Crusher is my favorite Star Trek character for a lot of the reasons you pointed out in this video. She never holds back voicing her concerns or disapproval of their actions and she is the only crew member who calls Picard out when he is wrong. I think the rest of the crew have such reverence for Picard that they would never challenge him but while Beverly has the highest respect for him, she knows him as Jean-Luc, a fallible person not “Captain Picard” this legendary figure. Also it’s just in her personality to speak her mind because she does it to Jelico as well when he is captain.
Wrote a long spiel about Guinan needing notice while watching this, was glad to find some credit was given to her near the end. Thanks Steve, I should have known you'd make note of her.
I always loved when Beverly would call bullshit on their increasingly dodgy and morally indefensible interpretations of the Prime Directive. Picard: _"A civilization is going to be wiped out by a planetary natural disaster, you say? Sucks for them, but we can't help; Prime Directive! We'd be interfering with their evolution and the Grand Natural Destiny of their species. It is not our place to play God and countermand the Will of the Universe."_ Crusher: _"What the Hell? What kind of absolute, undiluted bullshit is that?! 'Destiny?' 'Will of the Universe?!' We're supposed to be rational and scientific! _*_That's not how evolution works!_*_ And "Natural Destiny of their species' isn't even pseudoscientific, it's just complete New Age woo nonsense! It isn't 'interfering with Destiny,' it's just a _*_random_*_ Goddamn natural disaster that would be _*_trivial_*_ for us to stop! You can push a single damn button and save their planet! The Prime Directive exists to prevent us from screwing around with less technologically advanced cultures, not to let us smugly blather on about some nonexistent 'Will of the Universe' as we commit passive genocide by letting a whole planet of people die from some totally random catastrophe that we could easily stop!"_ Whoever started promulgating _that_ interpretation of the Prime Directive at Starfleet Academy must have been one insufferable asshole. (Yeah, I get worked up sometimes about the _horrifying_ moral and philosophical ideas displayed in those episodes.)
Dr. Crusher can also be the conscience in small ways. I don’t think most characters would follow up and research tennis rackets to surprise gift Guinan a racket that would solve the tennis elbow problem if Guinan had actually played tennis.
The metaphasic shielding episode is amazing - one of the few episodes I missed until the era of DVD's. Great mix of trek tech scifi and character drama. The audiobook Star Trek TNG Reunion read by Mcfadden is pretty good trek flavored 'who done it' mystery too.
Great breakdown! I was expecting you to go over the episode where Crusher was caught in some sort of time phase rift and experienced the dissappearing crew. That one was a favorite of mine. Lol
2:19 Sticking the landing on a trans joke is not easy for a Cis man...well actually no, it should be very easy but they often seem to struggle. That's the reason I love when its done well, and this was done in such and effortless way. Those that say that you can joke about any topic are actually right, But it comes down to delivery...Well here is that lesson lesson in delivery that many so sorely need.
What I love about Crusher is that she breaks a lot of the stereotypes that can be associated with roles like that. Her strength is drawn from her role as a caregiver, and not something that exists in spite of it.
It's a shame Dr Crusher wasn't used that well in any of the 4 TNG movies. In the one instance when she might call Picard out on his BS, in First Contact, when he chooses fighting the Borg to the end instead of destroying the Enterprise, she just shrugs her shoulders and gets on with carrying out Picard's orders. It is Lilly who takes on the conscience role in a way Beverly did so well in the course of TNG. She even tries to stop Lilly from doing so. In Generations, Insurrection and Nemesis, her being in those movies or not would have made next to no difference as to how they panned out. Great video and thank you.
Nothing gets me more than slighting her in First Contact. I get that they needed something more for Lily to do, but it was a shit plot thread. She was the copilot to the Phoenix, she easily could have mentioned something that Cochran says that later Picard would recite. She could have told a story about her and Cochran's fears about the ship or their previous ship. Something that had to do with her importance to the timeline. Picard could easily have had a conversation with Dr Crusher about the book and Lily could have mentioned something that triggers Dr Crusher to remember that part. Instead, you get Picard calling Worf a coward and Dr Crusher's just like "If he'll stand up against Worf, who am I to step in?" and some rando Picard has known for an hour mentions something important about a book she's never read. Of all of the issues I've had over the years with the writing, this gets me the most. Like a kernel stuck in my teeth and it's going to be stuck there for days.
Before I start this video, I have to tell you, Steve, that u were so right about Maryland being a flag cult. I’m watching the DNC, and they get to Md, and everybody has a flag!! One woman had many! I watched the other states carefully. There were the Wisconsin cheeseheads of course. But I didn’t see any other state that could approach Maryland’s obsession with flags
The irony of not allowing Crusher to cut up reyga so the Ferengi can perform their Ferengi ritual which as I recall would involve cutting Reyga up into little pieces and selling the parts. I am sure they had not come up with this practice yet. Still funny.
Reminds me also of I, Borg when the characters are discussing a Borg Genocide & Crusher makes sure they look that fact straight on, rather than hiding behind euphemisms.
I feel like Beverly Crusher is absolutely the main reason I got into Trek. I remember coming home one day from school, turning on the TV, and TNG was airing. I think it was a breakfast scene with Picard, and I was like "Holy crap, what is this? Who is she? What the heck did I just walk into?" and I became hooked. I was devastated when she left the series, but so happy they didn't kill her off like they could've (and did later with Dax. Ugh.)
About Lwaxana, ironically, she has her best appearances in DS9 of all places, where she develops a great chemistry with Odo. Sadly, this often gets overlooked, maybe because many DS9 fans skip right to Way of the Warrior (when things "actually started") on repeat viewings. And these days, I can also empathize with the "masking your true self"-part a lot more. Make no mistake, Lwaxana Troi knows how people truly feel about her, at all times, whether she wants to or not. As for the gender stereotypes, I keep saying that it's a real shame we lost Tasha Yar - not only because it would've changed the 5:2 split to a 5:3 one, but also because Yar had a job not traditionally associated with women. This would not even have to impede Worf's development - later novels also realized that having security and tactical be handled by one person is not ideal, so they easily could've split up these responsibilities among themselves. Not to mention the cheap way Yar was killed, then was given a proper sendoff, only to then have her die as a romulan concubine for no reason other than the shock value provided by her very similar looking daughter, which went nowhere. On the actual topic of the video, Crusher sadly remains as the only female character on the show who absolutely operates on equal footing with Picard, Riker, Data and LaForge. TNG Worf gets thrown around too much, and Troi is too often reduced to stating stuff you really shouldn't need an extrasensory empath to tell you. Hell, even with all the gratuitous fanservice of Picard S3, Crusher blowing the everyliving hell out of a Borg ship isn't even out of character for her, given that she used the knowledge she gained in the episode you pointed to to blow up the Borg ship in Descent. Unlike Troi, she also gets to command the Enterprise outside of an emergency where literally no one else can reach the bridge - both regularly as part of shift rotations and in combat as seen in Descent.
One of Beverly’s best quotes on this subject (from: I, Borg): “I’m here to help, but I don't have to like it.” Do you do your best work at night, like me? This is the second video this week that was posted at MIDNIGHT your time!
You gotta respect a character that is so sure of themselves that they can say “If there’s nothing wrong with me, maybe there’s something wrong with the universe” with a straight face.
I know Picard was a mixed bag (to put it kindly), but I loved that Gates McFadden had some nice moments in season three as Beverly. Although I'll need to watch that scene with the captured Changeling again to see if she lost some of her legitimacy as TNG's conscience, as you put it. I remember the moral conundrum, but not how it was resolved.
Lily is a fine character, but the writers of First Contact really missed a trick not having Beverly be the one who confronts Jean-Luc about his personal war with the Borg- and they did her a disservice having her give that line about "He's the captain so we do what he says." It's my favorite Trek movie of all time, but they screwed up with Beverly.
Thank you Steve always love your commentaries on Star Trek and other film I always thought she was the mom on Star Trek when I started watching it in 2009. I was a child. I love Dr Crusher and Tasha Yar the best! My role models.
Thank you for explaining the different pronunciations for Kamala. I forgot which was which immediately. I think I better listen to it a few times more.
You're so on point with your humor. Very funny episode. Don't know how you keep thinking of new jokes video after video. I definitely liked them apples or whatever we have.
Hey there Steve, buddy! Been listening to your videos for a couple years now and gotta say keep up the good work!!! Even though our political views might not see eye to eye or might conflict or don't align some times (personally I tend to leave politics at the door). Definitely gotta say from the star trek jokes to the "WTF's!!!!" to the political humor...I like you and wouldn't mind having a drink or 2 with you and bullshit around and possibly let you break it down for me to understand your views a little better and I you!
Even though she's basically a non-character in the show, she does actually get some really good all time classic episodes where she is the main character. 'Cause and Effect' and 'Remember Me' are among these. Being easily one of the top three actors on TNG, she was very underutilized.
I've both always loved that Beverly was (almost?) always right when she disagreed with Picard. Yet the plot of the episode almost always bore out Picard's decision, which sometimes feels a little weird. Reminds me of Picard's line "perhaps there are times when the moral thing to do is not the right thing to do"; except I don't recall where that's from (but I do recall it doesn't end up really mattering in the episode he said it in). As to "The Perfect Mate", it becomes a little easier to watch as a woman if I just tell myself it's a sci-fi sheen on the classic tale of a princess being escorted by a noble and celibate knight on the way to marry her prince. Those actual fairy tales were rarely about love to begin with, and were often quite bittersweet (or worse!) by the end.
As CMO, I think she was the only crew member who could remove Picard from command if she thought he was impaired. That probably contributed to her behaving more as his equal. 🤔um...shouldn't she have known that Gibril's species could survive an autopsy? Just saying.
As a disabled person and a Right to Die supporter, I feel like I have to remind you of the episode "Ethics" in which Beverly places her conscious over the rights of her patient. I recently rewatched this one with a group of friends during our TNG rewatch and man - it was a HARD watch for me. She was right about his chance at regaining some movement, and VERY much wrong about how Worf would feel about that, at the same time - and yet she still got to give the moral speech at the end. I think the other doctor got a bad wrap from her too. The guy in the cargo bay would have died using normal meds, so the other doctor tried something new. It didn't work, and the guy still died, but at least she tried. She was a little smug about the data collected from it, but she wasn't wrong about doing it. Riker was a total dick to Worf, as well. And sure, Alexander has a right to have a Dad, but he doesn't have a right to prolong his Dad's suffering. We had a long talk about the episode after we finished watching it. I cried a little. I hope my friends will respect my wishes when my time comes more than Worf's "friends" did. The episode had a happy ending and by the next week we're supposed to have forgotten about it, but I can't. Bodily autonomy is important, especially at the end. Crusher was wrong.
I love it when Beverly gets to be badass. She's such a under-utilized character! Also funny that you would drop this episode today, just this morning I was thinking that it would be cool if you released a batch of retro reviews centered around female crew members.
This is why I have an issue with some of the criticism of the Picard series, not that it doesn't have many many issues, but the idea some have that Picard would never come up short in the being proactively moral department, his failure to act after the mission was canceled is a believable and rich source for drama and conflict, and it just so happens that Bev is out of the picture when it happens? A better show might have explored the relationship between Picards morality and the relationships around him, this would have made for a more reasonable excuse to reunite the cast even, but we didn't get that show unfortunately. I'd also like to propose an alternate timeline, where the inciting difference is Beverly showing up when Oicard is at his lowest after being shut down. Reminding him that he still has the ability to do something, and that even if he won't do something, she will. Even her and her little ship can do something, aid even a few Romulans. Which would remind Picard that Starfleet isn't the only source of ships in the galaxy, that he, Jean Luc Picard has decades of experience among the stars, he's known and respected in the halls of power on Qonos, he out maneuvered the Sheliak, imagine a story where Picard rallies thousands of ships from hundreds of factions all based on his own reputation? Sometimes my writing talent surprises even me.....
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
One of my favorite Beverly moments is in I, Borg when, during the scene where the crew is reviewing the plan to introduce a virus that will destroy the Borg, Crusher is the only person to say “so, JUST TO BE CLEAR, we're doing genocide now? And we're supposed to be okay with that? And you're all cool with genocide?" Even Troi didn't take that stance during that scene, but everyone came around to Beverly's point of view by the end of the episode.
True, but counterpoint: the next time the Borg come up, an admiral directly orders Picard to commit next time he has an opportunity like he did in I Borg, and Picard admits that in hindsight the admiral might just have a point, and his statement that the Borg can't be reasoned with and are committed to the destruction of the Federation and it's very culture is still true. It's an example of Beverly Crusher oversimplifying the situation and Picard having to remember that even despite what his previous conclusion, he and both of hisoat trusted confidantes, Crusher AND Guinan, might have made the wrong call even if it was the morally correct decision. His statement that the right decision and the correct decision are sometimes at odds with each other is a powerful reminder that ethics is complicated.
If only she had been around by the time captain Archer encountered the Valakians...
Gates McFadden really sold her character so, so well. She didn't always have a lot to do in several episodes, but she had a quiet, deep strength, commitment to her beliefs and sense of justice. And she was a damned good captain of a slowly disappearing starship. Always loved her work.
Bonus points for her remembering (and using) the shield tech in a later episode because she still believed in him.
It even came into play in Picard. One of the member berries that actually belonged and was useful.
Don't forget that The high ground is the episode that references the Irish unification of 2024. Still time for that to happen by the way!
Getting down to the wire
"Where are the calluses we doctors are supposed to grow over our feelings?" -- Dr. Crusher
"Perhaps the good ones never do." -- Captain Picard
I had no idea Patti Yasutake had died... or that she was 70! She was excellent as Nurse Ogawa - one of my favourite recurring characters on TNG. RIP.
Oh, very sorry to hear that.
Yep. My mother is a nurse and a few years younger. She always felt seen by Nurse Ogawa’s portrayal.
Dr. Beverly Crusher had a soft voice but was NEVER soft spoken.
14:31 - An important element of this section is that Beverly is also the only one on the ship who can give orders to Picard (in very specific circumstances). She is the closest he has to there being someone of equal rank on the ship on a regular basis. This is why she is the only person on the ship he could have an ethical romantic relationship with as well.
I hadn't considered that, that's a great point.
I think this underscores an essential component of what it means to be Chief Medical Officer: part of Dr Crusher's duty is to stand up to the captain, and that's no mean feat when the captain is Picard. Beverly standing firm in her morals often goes beyond her duties as chief medical officer, but it's through this that she hones her ability to hold the captain to account.
I loved in I Borg where she voices in simple language that the plan is to commit genocide and that every one seems to have no objections to that.
Great vid Steve!
You missed out on her best line in the whole series though, which I think sums up Beverly's strong moral core perfectly: "If there's nothing wrong with me... maybe there's something wrong with the universe..." 😉👍
Looking at the state of the world right now, I definitely feel that quote. I'm sure many people do.
Bless you.a million times for doing such a wonderful video for the most underrated character in the history of the Star Trek franchise. You totally nailed what makes her awesome. Thank you.
Also, in "I, Borg," Dr. Crusher is the first one with qualms about using Hugh as a weapon against the Borg.
This is actually a big one for me as my view was the same as everyone elses, kill the borg. It was shocking to see her advocate for a person who couldn't defend themselves.
One of the things I've always loved about star trek is the doctors being incredibly smart science minded individuals, that are also the most human members of the crew. Bones, Crusher, and Bashir are not fools, they are very technically minded, but they are also still in touch with their emotions, and usually the first to call out cruelty for what it is. So often we claim that a high inelegance, or a great deal of logic makes a person cold, but you can easily be foolish and cold. The doctors are just smart enough to realize that life is fragile, and the soul can get just as sick as the body.
Interestingly enough, I would include “The Doctor” in “Voyager”, despite being a hologram serves as a figure of conscience having even developed enough ethics to call out the eugenics of a certain planet in the episode “Critical Care”.
I never put it together before, but... Dr. Crusher probably disobeys Picard's orders more often than any other main character in TNG, when it's called for - when it's the "right thing to do". When starfleet officers attempt to forcibly relocate human colonists in a later episode, it's Dr. Crusher's son, Wesley, who disobeys those orders - and interrupts the mission - because it was the "right thing to do". Maybe he learned something from her.
I feel like there’s a Steve Shives Cinematic Universe of Star Trek jokes. There’s the Lwaxana Troi joke, the Voyager joke, the Tuvix joke… (I feel like that sounds critical but for me it adds to the joke at this point because when you tee one up, there’s always a moment where I’m like, “oh wait, I bet I know where you’re going with this” that, like, raises the dramatic tension of the joke.
Let's just not talk about that time she hooked up with her grandma's old flame.
lmao
hee hee
Old Flame
We see what you did there.😊
I mean, who among us hasn't hooked up with their grandmother's ghost lover at least once?
A Scottish Alien Ghost named "Ronin."
_"Ronin."_
Why _"Ronin?!"_
Always worth remembering that when TNG was being planned out, Dr.Crusher was meant to play the same role McCoy did in TOS. To be the conscience, the passionate doctor that didn't mind debating the right thing. Of course, she was also meant to play off Troi and Tasha Yar as female counterparts to Spock and Kirk respectively, but that didn't really pan out for obvious reasons, which honestly I think helped her character overall. What good would it do to have the doctor, the ship counselor, and the Chief of Security debating about the problem of the week off to the side when none of them would have final say to do anything about it?
I Wanted to bring up " Pen Pals" Where the Doctor is the first to side with Data. Than I remembered: that wasn't Crusher. That was Pulaski. There is a theme there to make the medical professional the dedicated Conscience.
People forget that Pulaski gets over her prejudice to Data fairly quickly, though gradually.
Also if you look backwards, in the classic trinity of Kirk/Spock/McCoy, Bones was the conscience to compliment Spock's impartial calculus.
@@tempusavatarThat’s true. Even in something simple and funny as Bones’ question to Spock: “Are you out of your Vulcan mind?” Spock, in his way, realized that that was what Bones was doing. It may well be why we have that scene between them in Engineering in “The Wrath of Khan”.
Legit I think getting into Trek as a kid and seeing Beverly Crusher refusing to let shitty behaviour pass unquestioned had such a huge effect on my moral growth. (And got me into trouble with some of my less ethical teachers.)
Dood, you could just make a whole series summarizing Star Trek episodes like this. It's super hilarious when you quip during these summaries.
Of possible note, I don't think TNG wanted the mostly boys club either, they had Tasha as the security chief, a woman in the bad-ass department, Worf only became head of security because Denise dropped out. I'd like to imagine what later TNG would have been like with Tasha staying on the crew.
I don't know how we're supposed to take his supposition in the opening. Is he asserting this was an intentional outcome that had a motivation? Is he merely using hindsight to lay down a format for criticism through today's lens? Crusher was probably my 2nd fav character behind Data from watching it on TV initially, and I'm down for a discussion about how good an actress Gates was, and a character Crusher was .... but it sure seems like SS was trying to get some kind of digs in initially...
They were actually going to get rid of Troi had Denise stayed because there were “too many women”
Yeah, he kinda conveniently leaves this out. Not to mention, it’s not like DS9 had a huge number of women in the regular cast. It’s basically Kira and Jadzia with Keiko occasionally showing up along with guest characters, but she too is a caregiver type being a mom and teacher.
And If the argument is Kira is a more non-traditional character portraying a role more often portrayed by the boys, let’s not forget she was originally meant to be Ro Laren, a character that originated in TNG and was an adaptation of her when Michelle Forbes chose not to continue.
@@Anonyomus_commenterAllegedly Gene didn’t want to, but was getting pressured by the studio.
I recently rewatched The High Ground, a very good episode of the show. What struck me during the episode was how much of a badass they made Crusher just by her actions throughout the runtime. They had her stick to her morals and try to help where she could but not allow herself to be bullied by her abductor.
This video is how I learned that the Nurse Ogawa actress died. Man that's sad... she was probably my favorite tertiary character in the series. I may or may not have even had a little crush on her...
“Don’t f*** Beverly Crusher!” This should be a sign that is posted in any and all haunted houses within Federation space.
It should include a picture of Wesley to illustrate why this is such a bad idea.
The candle ghost also ended up in a billion phaser- vaporized atoms.
Hey, Picard ended up doing pretty well, and I have a sneaking suspicion that Picard had Jack Crusher killed after he f***ed Beverly. I have nothing to base that on, just head canon.
I always appreciate the righteous moral orientation on this channel, regardless of the topic at hand
I still remember the first time watching Higher Ground as a child on TV. Always hope in the reruns I would see it again. Never did. Decades later found out that episode only aired once due to its controversial nature. Was finally able to scratch that itch when TNG was on Netflix
Same: I think I've literally only seen 'The High Ground' once, when it first aired on TV, yet in all the years since then, I've never forgotten it, even though I've forgotten the plot points of many other great TNG episodes, even ones I've watched more than once.
1990's Star Trek always had three archetypes for their female characters: the Mom, the Warrior Woman, and the Hottie.
Moms: Beverley Crusher, Keiko O'Brien, Captain Janeway
Warriors: Tasha Yar, Major Kira, B'Elanna Torres
Hotties: Deanna Troi, Jadzia Dax, Seven of Nine
But as a mom myself, I like how Crusher shows that a mom can also be a badass, and maybe even her maternal instincts contribute to her badassery. Mom goals.
Also, fandom needs to quit shaming her for that ghost thing. After all she's been through, she deserved to have a sexy ghost lover, I say.
7 is also a damn good warrior
Let's not forget Beverly took the ship Command exam "just cause" before she even set foot on the Big D and pretty much shows badassery whenever we see her take the chair.
Yep, let’s not forget Descent two parter.
Let's not forget that in "I Borg" Beverly is the only one of the senior staff to full on oppose using Hugh to commit genocide against the Borg. Even Troi is on board originally.
Jo'Bril wasn't just autopsied. He was autopsied TWICE and survived somehow. lmao
Turns out Dr. Jo'Bril was played by James Horan, who also played Ikati'kla, the Jem'Hadar who treated Worf like he was Alexander's feelings in "In Purgatory's Shadow" & "By Inferno's Light".
He was also the lieutenant in 'Descent pt. 2' where Beverly was acting captain of the Enterprise, and used the metaphasic shields to beat the Borg.
He later played the shadowy "Future Guy" in Star Trek Enterprise, ordering Silik and his Suliban henchmen around. 🖖😎👍
Interesting fact: British English lacks the first vowel sound used in Kamala Harris’s name as it’s halfway between two existing phonemes. It’s either having to be learned or approximated. Dr Geoff Lindsey has a great video on the linguistics behind it.
Thank you for this, truly underused character especially in the movies, especially given Gates' acting ability in the few episodes she has. Side note I love how many hobbies Crusher has, theater, botany, morning tea tradition with Picard - makes her seem really well rounded despite low screen time.
To me, the issue with the TNG movies was that it moved away from what TNG and Trek does best which isn’t necessarily to be some wannabe action movie, but exploring the human condition and so a lot of the other cast members kinda get sidelined in a movie like that.
I had a crush on Cusher...I can admit it.
I'll never understand the reasoning in "The Host", where Beverly apparently didn't know about the symbiont in the Trill ambassador. Never mind that they were banging, she's the CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER. That's a crucial bit of information not to know about someone on your ship, under your care, who's an AMBASSADOR, and...yeah, it was kept a secret so we could all find out together?
This is probably one of the best ones you have done. BRAVO!
LOVED the pronunciation lesson on Kamala! YES!!!
"Schools on this planet don't fuck around..!" 😄😄😄👍
I always enjoy your commentary, Steve. As a fellow progressive, it's a relief to see you be courageous enough to speak the truth.
I glade Gates McFadden stood up for her self with the writers/ directors and producers of TNG , her character was so much deeper when she returned to the show proving that if you fight for your rights you can make a change , although I would have enjoyed Dr Crusher and Dr Dr Polaski working together.
Beverly's conscience is also what gave us Hugh in I, Borg. Picard wanted to leave the injured Borg to die, but Beverly saw value in every life, even an enemy's
Damn, that was a long list of new supporters at the end. Congrats Steve, looks like things are going well.
Thank you for making this video, Beverly Crusher is my favorite Star Trek character for a lot of the reasons you pointed out in this video. She never holds back voicing her concerns or disapproval of their actions and she is the only crew member who calls Picard out when he is wrong. I think the rest of the crew have such reverence for Picard that they would never challenge him but while Beverly has the highest respect for him, she knows him as Jean-Luc, a fallible person not “Captain Picard” this legendary figure. Also it’s just in her personality to speak her mind because she does it to Jelico as well when he is captain.
She is one of my favorite characters. Some of my favorite episodes are the ones where she is the lead role.
Wrote a long spiel about Guinan needing notice while watching this, was glad to find some credit was given to her near the end. Thanks Steve, I should have known you'd make note of her.
I always loved when Beverly would call bullshit on their increasingly dodgy and morally indefensible interpretations of the Prime Directive.
Picard: _"A civilization is going to be wiped out by a planetary natural disaster, you say? Sucks for them, but we can't help; Prime Directive! We'd be interfering with their evolution and the Grand Natural Destiny of their species. It is not our place to play God and countermand the Will of the Universe."_
Crusher: _"What the Hell? What kind of absolute, undiluted bullshit is that?! 'Destiny?' 'Will of the Universe?!' We're supposed to be rational and scientific! _*_That's not how evolution works!_*_ And "Natural Destiny of their species' isn't even pseudoscientific, it's just complete New Age woo nonsense! It isn't 'interfering with Destiny,' it's just a _*_random_*_ Goddamn natural disaster that would be _*_trivial_*_ for us to stop! You can push a single damn button and save their planet! The Prime Directive exists to prevent us from screwing around with less technologically advanced cultures, not to let us smugly blather on about some nonexistent 'Will of the Universe' as we commit passive genocide by letting a whole planet of people die from some totally random catastrophe that we could easily stop!"_
Whoever started promulgating _that_ interpretation of the Prime Directive at Starfleet Academy must have been one insufferable asshole. (Yeah, I get worked up sometimes about the _horrifying_ moral and philosophical ideas displayed in those episodes.)
Dr. Crusher can also be the conscience in small ways. I don’t think most characters would follow up and research tennis rackets to surprise gift Guinan a racket that would solve the tennis elbow problem if Guinan had actually played tennis.
The metaphasic shielding episode is amazing - one of the few episodes I missed until the era of DVD's. Great mix of trek tech scifi and character drama. The audiobook Star Trek TNG Reunion read by Mcfadden is pretty good trek flavored 'who done it' mystery too.
This video is a proper return to form for you Steve. Well done.
Crusher is underrated
Great breakdown! I was expecting you to go over the episode where Crusher was caught in some sort of time phase rift and experienced the dissappearing crew. That one was a favorite of mine. Lol
2:19 Sticking the landing on a trans joke is not easy for a Cis man...well actually no, it should be very easy but they often seem to struggle. That's the reason I love when its done well, and this was done in such and effortless way. Those that say that you can joke about any topic are actually right, But it comes down to delivery...Well here is that lesson lesson in delivery that many so sorely need.
The acronyms & wordplay was done exceptionally well this episode and i laughed from my belly a few times.😂😂
Great video about a great character.
Ethics is another strong example when Crusher disagrees with Picard over ethics.
What I love about Crusher is that she breaks a lot of the stereotypes that can be associated with roles like that. Her strength is drawn from her role as a caregiver, and not something that exists in spite of it.
It's a shame Dr Crusher wasn't used that well in any of the 4 TNG movies.
In the one instance when she might call Picard out on his BS, in First Contact, when he chooses fighting the Borg to the end instead of destroying the Enterprise, she just shrugs her shoulders and gets on with carrying out Picard's orders. It is Lilly who takes on the conscience role in a way Beverly did so well in the course of TNG. She even tries to stop Lilly from doing so.
In Generations, Insurrection and Nemesis, her being in those movies or not would have made next to no difference as to how they panned out.
Great video and thank you.
Nothing gets me more than slighting her in First Contact. I get that they needed something more for Lily to do, but it was a shit plot thread. She was the copilot to the Phoenix, she easily could have mentioned something that Cochran says that later Picard would recite. She could have told a story about her and Cochran's fears about the ship or their previous ship. Something that had to do with her importance to the timeline. Picard could easily have had a conversation with Dr Crusher about the book and Lily could have mentioned something that triggers Dr Crusher to remember that part. Instead, you get Picard calling Worf a coward and Dr Crusher's just like "If he'll stand up against Worf, who am I to step in?" and some rando Picard has known for an hour mentions something important about a book she's never read. Of all of the issues I've had over the years with the writing, this gets me the most. Like a kernel stuck in my teeth and it's going to be stuck there for days.
Before I start this video, I have to tell you, Steve, that u were so right about Maryland being a flag cult. I’m watching the DNC, and they get to Md, and everybody has a flag!! One woman had many! I watched the other states carefully. There were the Wisconsin cheeseheads of course. But I didn’t see any other state that could approach Maryland’s obsession with flags
Hey cheerz!! I appreciate ALL your videos keep up the amazing work!
8:52 I love how the picture you chose is just Picard's head and the 4 pips on his collar.
You sure know how to find em.
The irony of not allowing Crusher to cut up reyga so the Ferengi can perform their Ferengi ritual which as I recall would involve cutting Reyga up into little pieces and selling the parts. I am sure they had not come up with this practice yet. Still funny.
Reminds me also of I, Borg when the characters are discussing a Borg Genocide & Crusher makes sure they look that fact straight on, rather than hiding behind euphemisms.
Also them not going through with it just delayed the Borg genocide, because Janeway (history’s greatest monster) eventually made sure it happened.
Star Trek V? Oh hell yeah. This is gonna be our time, Jimmy.
Hearing about Patti Yasutake's death this way kinda sucks :(
I feel like Beverly Crusher is absolutely the main reason I got into Trek. I remember coming home one day from school, turning on the TV, and TNG was airing. I think it was a breakfast scene with Picard, and I was like "Holy crap, what is this? Who is she? What the heck did I just walk into?" and I became hooked. I was devastated when she left the series, but so happy they didn't kill her off like they could've (and did later with Dax. Ugh.)
About Lwaxana, ironically, she has her best appearances in DS9 of all places, where she develops a great chemistry with Odo. Sadly, this often gets overlooked, maybe because many DS9 fans skip right to Way of the Warrior (when things "actually started") on repeat viewings. And these days, I can also empathize with the "masking your true self"-part a lot more. Make no mistake, Lwaxana Troi knows how people truly feel about her, at all times, whether she wants to or not.
As for the gender stereotypes, I keep saying that it's a real shame we lost Tasha Yar - not only because it would've changed the 5:2 split to a 5:3 one, but also because Yar had a job not traditionally associated with women. This would not even have to impede Worf's development - later novels also realized that having security and tactical be handled by one person is not ideal, so they easily could've split up these responsibilities among themselves.
Not to mention the cheap way Yar was killed, then was given a proper sendoff, only to then have her die as a romulan concubine for no reason other than the shock value provided by her very similar looking daughter, which went nowhere.
On the actual topic of the video, Crusher sadly remains as the only female character on the show who absolutely operates on equal footing with Picard, Riker, Data and LaForge. TNG Worf gets thrown around too much, and Troi is too often reduced to stating stuff you really shouldn't need an extrasensory empath to tell you. Hell, even with all the gratuitous fanservice of Picard S3, Crusher blowing the everyliving hell out of a Borg ship isn't even out of character for her, given that she used the knowledge she gained in the episode you pointed to to blow up the Borg ship in Descent. Unlike Troi, she also gets to command the Enterprise outside of an emergency where literally no one else can reach the bridge - both regularly as part of shift rotations and in combat as seen in Descent.
Well said! Beverley Crusher is definitively top 5 Star Trek characters for me. 🖖🖖🖖
2:58 David Marcus has seen better days.
One of Beverly’s best quotes on this subject (from: I, Borg): “I’m here to help, but I don't have to like it.”
Do you do your best work at night, like me? This is the second video this week that was posted at MIDNIGHT your time!
Holy shit, I was just listening to old Trek, Actually to keep me going while working late into the night. 😑
Such nice timing! 🎉
You gotta respect a character that is so sure of themselves that they can say “If there’s nothing wrong with me, maybe there’s something wrong with the universe” with a straight face.
Well done on picking that up. Slipped right by me. Great video
"You're the worst." I spit out my coffee/coke/water, etc. Thanks for the good laugh.
I absolutely love these episodes that show Dr. Crusher at her best. I wish they'd given her more of these.
Steve Shives, I love watching your videos!
I know Picard was a mixed bag (to put it kindly), but I loved that Gates McFadden had some nice moments in season three as Beverly. Although I'll need to watch that scene with the captured Changeling again to see if she lost some of her legitimacy as TNG's conscience, as you put it. I remember the moral conundrum, but not how it was resolved.
Lily is a fine character, but the writers of First Contact really missed a trick not having Beverly be the one who confronts Jean-Luc about his personal war with the Borg- and they did her a disservice having her give that line about "He's the captain so we do what he says."
It's my favorite Trek movie of all time, but they screwed up with Beverly.
Thank you Steve always love your commentaries on Star Trek and other film I always thought she was the mom on Star Trek when I started watching it in 2009. I was a child. I love Dr Crusher and Tasha Yar the best! My role models.
Beverly was my favorite character for a bit. Her fierce integrity and McFadden’s performance really hooked me.
Doctor, mother, Starfleet commander, she's my favorite. She embodies strength and compassion.
Don't fuck with Beverley crusher unless you wanna be vaporised. Even if you're already a ghost, you're still gonna be vaporised.
As a black person, I"m very glad Steve didn't go with Head Negotiator In Charge at any point. It would have been...awkward.
Appreciate the shout out to Kamala the wrestler
Thank you for explaining the different pronunciations for Kamala. I forgot which was which immediately. I think I better listen to it a few times more.
You're so on point with your humor. Very funny episode. Don't know how you keep thinking of new jokes video after video.
I definitely liked them apples or whatever we have.
Where can we get some of them there inverters?
Don't forget the phaser rifles.
No
Right next to the self-sealing stem bolts.
Remember Me is one of my favorite TNG episodes, glad it got a mention.
Beverly has always been one of my absolute favorite characters across ALL of Trek. This video only further reinforces that.
Love your channel!
Dr Crusher is the love of my TNG life.
By the way, your office design is amazing !
Hey there Steve, buddy! Been listening to your videos for a couple years now and gotta say keep up the good work!!!
Even though our political views might not see eye to eye or might conflict or don't align some times (personally I tend to leave politics at the door). Definitely gotta say from the star trek jokes to the "WTF's!!!!" to the political humor...I like you and wouldn't mind having a drink or 2 with you and bullshit around and possibly let you break it down for me to understand your views a little better and I you!
Still should of told Picard she was pregnant before she left him
Even though she's basically a non-character in the show, she does actually get some really good all time classic episodes where she is the main character. 'Cause and Effect' and 'Remember Me' are among these. Being easily one of the top three actors on TNG, she was very underutilized.
I've both always loved that Beverly was (almost?) always right when she disagreed with Picard. Yet the plot of the episode almost always bore out Picard's decision, which sometimes feels a little weird.
Reminds me of Picard's line "perhaps there are times when the moral thing to do is not the right thing to do"; except I don't recall where that's from (but I do recall it doesn't end up really mattering in the episode he said it in).
As to "The Perfect Mate", it becomes a little easier to watch as a woman if I just tell myself it's a sci-fi sheen on the classic tale of a princess being escorted by a noble and celibate knight on the way to marry her prince. Those actual fairy tales were rarely about love to begin with, and were often quite bittersweet (or worse!) by the end.
As CMO, I think she was the only crew member who could remove Picard from command if she thought he was impaired. That probably contributed to her behaving more as his equal.
🤔um...shouldn't she have known that Gibril's species could survive an autopsy? Just saying.
Good points, both.
She did, when picard was turned into a child. She walked into his office and basicly told him "step down quietly so i dont have to make it an order"
Wait! They made a Star Trek 5?! I thought then went from 4 to 6.
As a disabled person and a Right to Die supporter, I feel like I have to remind you of the episode "Ethics" in which Beverly places her conscious over the rights of her patient. I recently rewatched this one with a group of friends during our TNG rewatch and man - it was a HARD watch for me. She was right about his chance at regaining some movement, and VERY much wrong about how Worf would feel about that, at the same time - and yet she still got to give the moral speech at the end. I think the other doctor got a bad wrap from her too. The guy in the cargo bay would have died using normal meds, so the other doctor tried something new. It didn't work, and the guy still died, but at least she tried. She was a little smug about the data collected from it, but she wasn't wrong about doing it. Riker was a total dick to Worf, as well. And sure, Alexander has a right to have a Dad, but he doesn't have a right to prolong his Dad's suffering. We had a long talk about the episode after we finished watching it. I cried a little. I hope my friends will respect my wishes when my time comes more than Worf's "friends" did. The episode had a happy ending and by the next week we're supposed to have forgotten about it, but I can't. Bodily autonomy is important, especially at the end. Crusher was wrong.
24:06 "I saw the sun, and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sun."
I love it when Beverly gets to be badass. She's such a under-utilized character!
Also funny that you would drop this episode today, just this morning I was thinking that it would be cool if you released a batch of retro reviews centered around female crew members.
This is why I have an issue with some of the criticism of the Picard series, not that it doesn't have many many issues, but the idea some have that Picard would never come up short in the being proactively moral department, his failure to act after the mission was canceled is a believable and rich source for drama and conflict, and it just so happens that Bev is out of the picture when it happens? A better show might have explored the relationship between Picards morality and the relationships around him, this would have made for a more reasonable excuse to reunite the cast even, but we didn't get that show unfortunately.
I'd also like to propose an alternate timeline, where the inciting difference is Beverly showing up when Oicard is at his lowest after being shut down. Reminding him that he still has the ability to do something, and that even if he won't do something, she will. Even her and her little ship can do something, aid even a few Romulans. Which would remind Picard that Starfleet isn't the only source of ships in the galaxy, that he, Jean Luc Picard has decades of experience among the stars, he's known and respected in the halls of power on Qonos, he out maneuvered the Sheliak, imagine a story where Picard rallies thousands of ships from hundreds of factions all based on his own reputation? Sometimes my writing talent surprises even me.....