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Ishara Yar

Beth Toussaint reminds me a lot of Linda Hamilton from TERMINATOR, actually. What a shame that Ishara Yar was just there to milk the departure of Denise Crosby for everything it was worth. STAR TREK has always loved this ploy of main characters having some mysterious, misguided, or previously unknown relation. Nothing says "drama" like bringing in family. It's really kind of soap opera'ish, in a way. But I did like how everyone took her into their hearts, eventually. In-Universe, Tasha was a close friend to this crew, regardless of what the audience thought of her. So Ishara Yar being there really underscores their feelings of loss, in that regard. And her beauty made it very easy to fall in love with her. All too easy, in fact. On the other hand, she added even less to the Tasha character than Sybok did to Spock's - and that's a shame. They did keep trying to do more with Tasha, though, even after she died ... outside of Yesterday's Enterprise, I don't know if it really did the character any good, or not.
 
2takesfrakes said:
STAR TREK has always loved this ploy of main characters having some mysterious, misguided, or previously unknown relation. Nothing says "drama" like bringing in family. It's really kind of soap opera'ish, in a way.
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Always? I can only think of a few other times when they did this. Lore, Tom Riker, Lenara Khan. Can't really think of anyone else. At least, nothing that was used in a soap opera kind of thing...
 
Lwaxana, Alexander, Robert Picard & Family, The Rozhenkos, Noonien Soong, Julianna Tainer (Soong) The Laforges, Silva & Edward, & Kurn. I suppose you could even count Lal

And that's just TNG
 
2takesfrakes said:
Beth Toussaint reminds me a lot of Linda Hamilton from TERMINATOR, actually. What a shame that Ishara Yar was just there to milk the departure of Denise Crosby for everything it was worth. STAR TREK has always loved this ploy of main characters having some mysterious, misguided, or previously unknown relation. Nothing says "drama" like bringing in family. It's really kind of soap opera'ish, in a way. But I did like how everyone took her into their hearts, eventually. In-Universe, Tasha was a close friend to this crew, regardless of what the audience thought of her. So Ishara Yar being there really underscores their feelings of loss, in that regard. And her beauty made it very easy to fall in love with her. All too easy, in fact. On the other hand, she added even less to the Tasha character than Sybok did to Spock's - and that's a shame. They did keep trying to do more with Tasha, though, even after she died ... outside of Yesterday's Enterprise, I don't know if it really did the character any good, or not.
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You are aware that the two actors are sisters, aren't you?
 
Are you sure? I'm not finding anything about it on IMDB, though it does mention Hamilton's identical twin sister.
 
Well, biographies online list totally different parents for Hamilton and Toussaint, so... probably not sisters. :)
 
I always hated how the episode contrasts Tasha's loyalty with Ishara's supposed disloyalty. Ishara was loyal: to her people, just like Tasha was to hers. Data, Riker et al. were not Ishara's people, the fighters on the ground were. She was more like her sister than the episode allows.
 
Mojochi said:
Lwaxana, Alexander, Robert Picard & Family, The Rozhenkos, Noonien Soong, Julianna Tainer (Soong) The Laforges, Silva & Edward, & Kurn. I suppose you could even count Lal

And that's just TNG
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We even had Wes go away and come back off the rails!
 
It would have been interesting to see Ishara again. I wonder how they would have brought her back (i.e. if it would have to involve the Enterprise going back to her planet).
 
Mojochi said:
Lwaxana, Alexander, Robert Picard & Family, The Rozhenkos, Noonien Soong, Julianna Tainer (Soong) The Laforges, Silva & Edward, & Kurn. I suppose you could even count Lal

And that's just TNG
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But how many of those are done for the cheesy soapishness of the whole thing. Of course we're going to have family members. Everyone has family members. But rarely does Star trek do the "And he's my evil twin brother schtick."
 
Beth Toussaint was seen briefly in Babylon 5 as Sheridan's missing wife, seen on a video screen recording. When his missing wife actually shows up a year later, she'd played by Bruce Boxleitner's actual wife, Melissa Gilbert.

Now, recasting is one thing, but there's a hell of a difference in physicality between those two actresses! :lol:
 
I've never understood why Beth Toussaint didn't rise to a higher level of stardom in the entertainment business.

Drop dead gorgeous and I thought she was a fine actress as well.
 
Forbin said:
Well, biographies online list totally different parents for Hamilton and Toussaint, so... probably not sisters. :)
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I'll check my books at home and get back to you. I hope it's there - I don't remember specifically where I read it!
 
I was sure I read they were sisters somewhere. I checked my TNG books at home, and nothing. I searched Trekweb, and all I found was a post I made in 2009 stating it!

Searching the Web also found this thread (don't know where it's originally from, but it appears to be from an old Trek BBS:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.startrek/eor0bB9B_bY

However, unless something more substantial turns up, I retract my assertion.
 
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