Would she have helped cure the Angosians, or would she have maintained her stance, as spoken to Dr Russell in "Ethics", about "real research takes time, sometimes a lifetime or longer."
Was it by fortunate happenstance that "The Hunted" and "Ethics" became examples of extremes, made more successful by the fact that Beverly was on Risa or in the holodeck all day during "The Hunted"? Or, if she were in that season 3 episode, would she have found a cure to pass along, without any more testing than what happy plot convenience would allow and unlike for "Ethics", "The Hunted" feels 100% natural in story flow with zero contrivances.
Season 3's episode "The Hunted". The Angosians apparently studied what they had created thoroughly, in terms of creating their own superhuman soldiers (not unlike the Borg in some ways), but they never tried to undo it despite all the genuine research they tried:
Which may be for the best.
Now fast forward to the season 5 episode "Ethics", when Dr Crusher states:
Based on both stories, it's almost as if Beverly would make a lovely Angosian. If Dr Crusher was in charge on Angosia, how much longer would that story's issue have been left to fester, on a planet of what already appears to be a gaggle of Bevs at the extreme end of "keep looking never trying"?
It didn't help when Dr Russell was increasingly painted as a cartoon caricature with being quick to try without doing some testing as the episode went into ridiculous lengths (especially that "we cornered ourselves so let's use magic to get out of it" trope). Never mind the Crusher speech, but Crusher was just cartoonish, from the polar opposite side of the discussion. Her not being involved in "The Hunted", while by happenstance, doesn't help because we don't know what Bev would have done - apart from the Crusher family tradition of saving the day at the end. Except that wouldn't fit the message "Ethics" was trying to say since only Bev could foist it.
Put both stories together and there really is a middle ground, a balance. It took two years, but TNG did manage to make a big issue truly about "Audience gets to think about both sides instead of shoving only one side out of the tv screen".
Was it by fortunate happenstance that "The Hunted" and "Ethics" became examples of extremes, made more successful by the fact that Beverly was on Risa or in the holodeck all day during "The Hunted"? Or, if she were in that season 3 episode, would she have found a cure to pass along, without any more testing than what happy plot convenience would allow and unlike for "Ethics", "The Hunted" feels 100% natural in story flow with zero contrivances.
Season 3's episode "The Hunted". The Angosians apparently studied what they had created thoroughly, in terms of creating their own superhuman soldiers (not unlike the Borg in some ways), but they never tried to undo it despite all the genuine research they tried:
DATA: Prime Minister, if you have the skills to create a master soldier, can you not contradict the effect?
NAYROK: The chemicals can be removed from their systems, but we're not convinced that the psychological conditioning can ever be entirely reversed.
DATA: Have you tried, sir?
NAYROK: We studied it thoroughly
..
TROI: There are methods of treatment! Until you try them, how can you know they won't work?! Even a partial recovery could give them some peace.
I'm still amazed that Dr Crusher wasn't a part of this episode.Which may be for the best.
Now fast forward to the season 5 episode "Ethics", when Dr Crusher states:
CRUSHER: I am delighted that Worf is going to recover. You gambled, he won. Not all of your patients are so lucky. You scare me, Doctor Rusell. You risk your patients' lives and justify it in the name of research. Genuine research takes time. Sometimes a lifetime of painstaking, detailed work in order to get any results. Not for you. You take short cuts, right through living tissue. You put your research ahead of your patient's lives, and as far as I'm concerned that's a violation of our most sacred trust. I'm sure your work will be hailed as a stunning breakthrough. Enjoy your laurels, Doctor. I'm not sure I could.
Based on both stories, it's almost as if Beverly would make a lovely Angosian. If Dr Crusher was in charge on Angosia, how much longer would that story's issue have been left to fester, on a planet of what already appears to be a gaggle of Bevs at the extreme end of "keep looking never trying"?
It didn't help when Dr Russell was increasingly painted as a cartoon caricature with being quick to try without doing some testing as the episode went into ridiculous lengths (especially that "we cornered ourselves so let's use magic to get out of it" trope). Never mind the Crusher speech, but Crusher was just cartoonish, from the polar opposite side of the discussion. Her not being involved in "The Hunted", while by happenstance, doesn't help because we don't know what Bev would have done - apart from the Crusher family tradition of saving the day at the end. Except that wouldn't fit the message "Ethics" was trying to say since only Bev could foist it.
Put both stories together and there really is a middle ground, a balance. It took two years, but TNG did manage to make a big issue truly about "Audience gets to think about both sides instead of shoving only one side out of the tv screen".
