Question about Dr. Crusher/Gates McFadden

[indycar]

I've seen a couple of videos convention where some of the cast speaks and couple of times she makes the comment that the reason (among others) she came back in season 3 is that fans wrote to the studio to bring the character back. How true (if at all) is this?

I mean I like the character and Gates seems like a good enough person from what I've seen, but at the same time I doubt that people were just writing in the thousands (as I have seen her say) for her character to come back.

 

[Terok Nor]

I think it was more a case of people writing to the studio asking for Crusher to return so Pulaski would leave. I think Gates was fired because she was deemed demanding but it was simply that she was used to giving suggestions on her character having come from a theatre background. She didn't get that it's different on a television set. All the cast loved her and wanted her back so I'm sure that went in her favour. It was the right decision to bring her back either way.

 

[indycar]

I think it was more a case of people writing to the studio asking for Crusher to return so Pulaski would leave. I think Gates was fired because she was deemed demanding but it was simply that she was used to giving suggestions on her character having come from a theatre background. She didn't get that it's different on a television set.

That is what I've heard about her reason for leaving (some people try to claim that Maurice Hurley verbally and/or sexually assaulted her). In regards to what happened while she was gone, I was just saying what I've heard her say and wanted to see if it was true.

 

[Mojochi]

Actually, I don't really think it took much convincing to bring her back. She was generally well liked, even if there had been struggles, & it was clearly not working with Muldaur, on numerous levels

 

[Jeffe525]

I heard she originally left because she wasn't happy about the lack of development her character was getting, including the Picard-Crusher love interest, which was alluded to early in S1 before suffering a quiet death.

I always got the impression that she returned because she realized the mistake she had made, and was lucky enough that Muldaur's Pulaski replacement was a complete bomb.

Either way, I agree with her about the lack of development. I have nothing against McFadden, but she was no McCoy. Aside from the times a script called for a medical expert, her character essentially just lifts right out of the group and I would never know she was gone.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

I like Crusher, though she did suffer from lack of use in the series, but she was definitely far more enjoyable than Pulaski. I do wonder if the idea of replacing her with an alien CMO (especially if it was Doctor Selar, who is one of the most memorable guest characters) had gone ahead, if there would've been as much fan demand for her return.

 

[MikeS]

I love Beverley Crusher. But I can only really think of Remember Me as a great episode of hers. It's been a while since I watched the season six episode with the Ferengi scientist that dies, I can't remember if that was any good.

 

[Mojochi]

I love Beverley Crusher. But I can only really think of Remember Me as a great episode of hers. It's been a while since I watched the season six episode with the Ferengi scientist that dies, I can't remember if that was any good.

Suspicions. I actually prefer that one to Remember Me. It's independent to her relationship with Wesley, which monopolized a good deal of her development over the years. Never been all that fond of any of her boyfriend of the week episodes (The Host & Transfigurations) but there's been worse. The High Ground is pretty good, a little heavy handed, but not bad. Frankly, I'm always more fond of her shared episode, Ethics & Attached being my favorites. TBH, being a mother & a doctor gave her twice as much development as Troi. The Picard love angle was best dropped anyhow, imho

 

[MikeS]

Suspicions! Thank you.

I'd forgotten about High Ground. That was a good one.

 

[indycar]

The thing I've noticed about the character is that while not that many people are going to call her their favorite character (I would say this honor usually goes to Picard, Data or Riker), not that many people are going to call her their least favorite.

 

[erastus25]

Actually, I don't really think it took much convincing to bring her back. She was generally well liked, even if there had been struggles, & it was clearly not working with Muldaur, on numerous levels

Also good to avoid having a third CMO in three seasons.

 

[Paradise City]

McFadden fell out with one of the writers who promptly gave her the boot. That writer, Hurley, had gone by the 3rd season, Muldaur had quit so it was the perfect storm to have her back.

I liked both Muldaur and McFadden as actresses, so it was cool whatever happened.

 

[RandyS]

I've seen a couple of videos convention where some of the cast speaks and couple of times she makes the comment that the reason (among others) she came back in season 3 is that fans wrote to the studio to bring the character back. How true (if at all) is this?

I mean I like the character and Gates seems like a good enough person from what I've seen, but at the same time I doubt that people were just writing in the thousands (as I have seen her say) for her character to come back.

I never knew how many people actually did it, but I can tell you that it DID happen.

I was one of them.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I don't think Crusher lifted right out. At least, not more than any of the characters not named Picard, Data or Worf. She took the compassionate humanist side in any debate.

 

[timtonruben359]

I think the fan response to Gates McFadden's exit at the end of the first season played one of many parts in her ultimate returning to the show in season 3.

Gathering the bits and pieces that have been said over the years there were issues between Gates and Maurice Hurley. Gates found the scripts sexist and Hurley didn't like dealing with a 'demanding actress.' Hurley managed to convince Gene Roddenberry they needed a new more 'powerful doctor' who could affect the characters the same way McCoy did in the original.

It was Gene's decision to hire Diana Muldaur. Muldaur was not well received by the cast and the Pulaski character was not well received by the fans. Patrick Stewart had been very vocal in his displeasure over Gates' firing and I really believe much of Gates' return actually falls to Stewart and Rick Berman who always claims he wasn't happy with the decision to fire Gates.

 

[indycar]

Muldaur was not well received by the cast.

I thought I read here that Michael Dorn was the only one who actually got along with her.

 

[Shikarnov]

I think the fan response to Gates McFadden's exit at the end of the first season played one of many parts in her ultimate returning to the show in season 3.

Gathering the bits and pieces that have been said over the years there were issues between Gates and Maurice Hurley. Gates found the scripts sexist and Hurley didn't like dealing with a 'demanding actress.' Hurley managed to convince Gene Roddenberry they needed a new more 'powerful doctor' who could affect the characters the same way McCoy did in the original.

It was Gene's decision to hire Diana Muldaur. Muldaur was not well received by the cast and the Pulaski character was not well received by the fans. Patrick Stewart had been very vocal in his displeasure over Gates' firing and I really believe much of Gates' return actually falls to Stewart and Rick Berman who always claims he wasn't happy with the decision to fire Gates.

I find that very interesting... I really loved Dr. Pulaski -- particularly the strength of her character. For me, Dr. Crusher just lacked personality.

She's bland as a character; neither positive nor negative. When she told Picard, "You wouldn't dare [beam me up without permission]" in The High Ground, it was laughable. But Pulaski, with her fiery demeanor, would have given some bite to that bark.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I think TNG would have been much more interesting had Muldaur stayed on... And her character would have given the writers that conflict they were always complaining was missing from the show.

 

[Paradise City]

I don't know if I preferred Muldaur but I think she was great in the role. Normally I'd cringe with an attempt to bring in McCoy 2.0 but that persona became quite natural to her, that it worked and was believable for me. Her character was a bit too nasty to Data and some of the material she was given misfired but that can be said for most of the other characters in that period. It's a pity a return cameo wasn't suggested but I suppose too much bad blood was there for that to ever happen.

Pulaski was certainly rougher around the edges than Crusher and much more the contrarian.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

She's bland as a character; neither positive nor negative. When she told Picard, "You wouldn't dare [beam me up without permission]" in The High Ground, it was laughable. But Pulaski, with her fiery demeanor, would have given some bite to that bark.

The problem Crusher had was that she was basically only there to justify having Wesley onboard, so she wasn't really given enough to do in her own right other than "mothering". After he finally left, she should've been given more chance to develop as a character in her own right.

This is the same problem female characters have who are just introduced as the "love interest", she has no real depth other than as an object of desire for a man.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

The problem Crusher had was that she was basically only there to justify having Wesley onboard, so she wasn't really given enough to do in her own right other than "mothering". After he finally left, she should've been given more chance to develop as a character in her own right.

This is the same problem female characters have who are just introduced as the "love interest", she has no real depth other than as an object of desire for a man.

Agreed. When the original writer's guide describes your character as having "a walk like a striptease queen," it doesn't bode well for you having a well-developed character.