I think another reason that Spock and McCoy's banter works while Pulaski, at least at first, comes off as mean is because in TOS you get the sense that McCoy and Spock had been working with each other for awhile and were friends, so they are engaging in banter. Pulaski doesn't know Data, so it comes off as being a jerk.
This is one of the best videos I've seen about this part of Star Trek, how it began, and where its going . In a way Pulaski's complete lack of empathy towards Data despite his claim to identity can be seen as a very human failing, or the kind of adaptation a Doctor has to be able to open up someone with a scalpel to heal them. Mc Coy's plain ignorance of Vulcan physiology is played up episode after episode even as he says things that are blatantly racist about him.
I don't think Pulaski was irredeemable. I think if she were allowed for additional seasons, she would be nearly as good of a friend as Geordy is. Both Pulaski and Gerody were very honest with Data which I think Data appreciates. Near the end of the season Pulaski really started to see Data as more than a machine, that she was just ordered to treat like a being.
I definitely see that, I agree that she is redeemable. I don’t regret the choice to bring back Gates McFadden as Dr Crusher but I definitely grew to appreciate Pulaski’s character.
I'm so glad you articulated this! I felt the same way about Pulaski; it felt like they were trying to recreate Spock and Bones' dynamic, but it just didn't land for the reasons you outlined. Spock and Bones' banter is fun because they're on equal footing - they each get in jabs at each other, and outside of the banter they show a fair amount of respect for each other, even if they disagree at times, especially with each other's approach to emotions. Whereas with Pulaski and Data, Data is unaware half the time that Pulaski is even joking, and doesn't really have the capability or even the knowledge to joke back, so it just comes across as Pulaski punching down at Data because she doesn't respect him (as shown in the scene where she mispronounces his name - even if you mispronounce a human's name and they correct you, people don't usually make as much of a fuss as she did). I do really like the way she developed, though! I hated her at first because of how mean she was to Data, but I'm glad she got to have a bit of development by the end of her time on the show. It actually made me like her more because it showed she was a flawed human (Although i still wish she wouldn't have been to my boy data 😅) Also, I absolutely love the venn diagram you made for Spock and Data. I paused to read it, you are SO right 😂
Great video! I loved the text on the video, the comments were hilarious lol. I completely agree. I do like Pulaski as a character, but towards the beginning she wasn't bantering with Data, she was just teasing him. I'm glad she got more accepting of him though. Also yeah even though Bones was teasing Spock, it wasn't something Spock was sensitive about. Also Spock did sass Bones back when Data would never do something like that.
Spock and bones had much more on screen chemistry. ( Bones was also more likeable) They were also friends, they weren't just co workers. Also the point of it wasn't that bones was supposed to accept Spock and his Vulcan ways.
I'll try and keep this brief. 1988. One day show/convention. Glendale, CA. A surprise guest star came to take questions. My group prodded to say something about the "new" doctor. This guest fired back and shut me down in a room full of fans. Now that I am able to finally unclench, I have the answer to what he said to me: Introducing Pulaski to act as a foil to Data solely to try and force a McCoy/Spock dynamic was self-defeating. Data is innocent; Spock was not. My point is that instead of adding to the show...it came across like someone kicking a puppy.
When season two of STTNG aired I just thought Where TF is Dr Crusher, and I just didn't warm to Dr Pulaski, I felt the writers were trying to recreate the Dr McCoy and Spock banter which annoyed me. Where the banter between McCoy and Spock was funny and affectionate, Dr Pulaski came off as prejudice towards Data because he was an artificial life form. No disrespect to Diane Muldaur, but when Dr Crusher returned in season three, it was like welcoming back an old friend whom you missed for for several years.
I love Dr Pulaski, she is great. For Diana was it a horrible time to play Kate Pulaski in Star Trek. When you watch the interview from 1988 you can see how lucky she was that Gene Roddenberry has asked her for the role of Dr. Pulaski.
Interesting comparison. I think where subtitles have spock say “And?” I think he says, “I have,” with a rising intonation to encourage Data to keep talking.
@@noratheelk3729 Well, when I think about it, mostly every human on the show was portrayed as perfect, especially the captain. In that environment, an old, crotchety, somewhat biased and old-fashioned woman was a breath of fresh air.
Nice essay, great presentation! I think the main "problem" with Pulaski is that she is made to be too familiar too soon. Her character need to be fleshed out a bit more before engaging in the banter she has with Data. Fans needed to get to know and like her before they'd let her start ripping on a favorite... like Data.
Very glad this video wasn't merely an email! Do you think there's anything for those of leery of emergent AI tech to learn from Pulaski's coming to terms with Data?
Pulaski was put in the rather worn '"brilliant but abrasive" trope, common in an era with House MD. Not a good choice. Serving on a ship like Enterprise is a seven day a week job. People will wear down, but if the doctor is sharp tongued, people will avoid getting help until a problem gets impactful. Sure, Pulaski lost her rough edges, somewhat, as the season went on, but the damage was done. One of a number of bad choices by writers and producers in the first couple of seasons. McCoy had a sharp tongue now and then, but he was going to lecture a patient after treatment and recovery, not while the patient is still being treated. Her interaction with Data was not a factor, really, Data's status as a legal being was still not established, and he was still regarded as an appliance by many. She refers to Data as "it", in accordance with this view, a tendency Cdr Maddux later displays. My issue with the character is she comes across as someone people won't want to interact with for minor issues. Arm falling off, sure. Unable to sleep, no.
Some fans didn't like Pulaski more because of her relationship with Picard than Data. They thought that while both she and Picard had strong personalities, Pulaski came off as too much like a warmed over McCoy and the result of those clashes was often crumbs instead of chemistry. Hence the return of Dr. Crusher.
It's a fine analysis. I totally did not like Dr. Pulaski, largely because the dynamic between her and Data just didn't work. I like everything about Data. I was glad when Diana Muldaur left the show. I don't like her as an actress. I liked none of her roles. I've seen Brent Spiner in other roles and I like him as an actor. Beverly Crusher is gorgeous and personable and never once annoyed me. Dr. MCcoy often annoyed me and I usually agreed with Spock in their disagreements but I agreed with McCoy often enough, so he was okay. The relationship between Picard and Data was sometimes awkward but always engaging and appreciated.
I hated too muldaur in everything ST. But the more i watch gates mcfadden and the older i get the more i find her acting utterly wooden and stolid. Love her or hate her muldaur atleast sold being an actual doctor. I was never cinvinced mcfadden even understood some of what she was saying.
I don't know if they intended the Pulaski character to be so discriminate towards Data but if Data had been an autistic human she would be ableist towards him which would be disgusting. Autistic people are treated almost sub human like a young child and that is how she is treating Data. Take when she call him dat-ta instead of day-ta and he corrects her. She doesn't apologize but instead she speculates that he has bruised feelings like he isn't even there. That is just so wrong on several levels. I mean you can forgive someone if they mis-pronounce a difficult name but Data isn't a difficult name. Because she comes across as a jerk the fans never warmed towards her. The character just doesn't work. Don't know if that is a writer's fault or the actor's fault. The character just never warms up. Bear in mind Data is only pronounced day-ta because Patrick Stewart used that pronunciation. No one knew whether to use dat-ta or day-ta up until filming began on Encounter at Farpoint.
@@noratheelk3729 This saddens me. However, despite this, I will continue to view your interesting Star Trek related content. Please, in future, try to avoid misleading your audience with pretentions to quadropedia. Fond regards, Alex the onion.
I think another reason that Spock and McCoy's banter works while Pulaski, at least at first, comes off as mean is because in TOS you get the sense that McCoy and Spock had been working with each other for awhile and were friends, so they are engaging in banter. Pulaski doesn't know Data, so it comes off as being a jerk.
This is one of the best videos I've seen about this part of Star Trek, how it began, and where its going . In a way Pulaski's complete lack of empathy towards Data despite his claim to identity can be seen as a very human failing, or the kind of adaptation a Doctor has to be able to open up someone with a scalpel to heal them. Mc Coy's plain ignorance of Vulcan physiology is played up episode after episode even as he says things that are blatantly racist about him.
I don't think Pulaski was irredeemable. I think if she were allowed for additional seasons, she would be nearly as good of a friend as Geordy is. Both Pulaski and Gerody were very honest with Data which I think Data appreciates. Near the end of the season Pulaski really started to see Data as more than a machine, that she was just ordered to treat like a being.
I definitely see that, I agree that she is redeemable. I don’t regret the choice to bring back Gates McFadden as Dr Crusher but I definitely grew to appreciate Pulaski’s character.
I'm so glad you articulated this! I felt the same way about Pulaski; it felt like they were trying to recreate Spock and Bones' dynamic, but it just didn't land for the reasons you outlined.
Spock and Bones' banter is fun because they're on equal footing - they each get in jabs at each other, and outside of the banter they show a fair amount of respect for each other, even if they disagree at times, especially with each other's approach to emotions. Whereas with Pulaski and Data, Data is unaware half the time that Pulaski is even joking, and doesn't really have the capability or even the knowledge to joke back, so it just comes across as Pulaski punching down at Data because she doesn't respect him (as shown in the scene where she mispronounces his name - even if you mispronounce a human's name and they correct you, people don't usually make as much of a fuss as she did).
I do really like the way she developed, though! I hated her at first because of how mean she was to Data, but I'm glad she got to have a bit of development by the end of her time on the show. It actually made me like her more because it showed she was a flawed human (Although i still wish she wouldn't have been to my boy data 😅)
Also, I absolutely love the venn diagram you made for Spock and Data. I paused to read it, you are SO right 😂
Great video! I loved the text on the video, the comments were hilarious lol. I completely agree. I do like Pulaski as a character, but towards the beginning she wasn't bantering with Data, she was just teasing him. I'm glad she got more accepting of him though. Also yeah even though Bones was teasing Spock, it wasn't something Spock was sensitive about. Also Spock did sass Bones back when Data would never do something like that.
I always wished she had pulled an "LA Law" in a turbo lift. 😂
Spock and bones had much more on screen chemistry. ( Bones was also more likeable)
They were also friends, they weren't just co workers.
Also the point of it wasn't that bones was supposed to accept Spock and his Vulcan ways.
I'll try and keep this brief. 1988. One day show/convention. Glendale, CA. A surprise guest star came to take questions. My group prodded to say something about the "new" doctor. This guest fired back and shut me down in a room full of fans. Now that I am able to finally unclench, I have the answer to what he said to me:
Introducing Pulaski to act as a foil to Data solely to try and force a McCoy/Spock dynamic was self-defeating. Data is innocent; Spock was not. My point is that instead of adding to the show...it came across like someone kicking a puppy.
When season two of STTNG aired I just thought Where TF is Dr Crusher, and I just didn't warm to Dr Pulaski, I felt the writers were trying to recreate the Dr McCoy and Spock banter which annoyed me. Where the banter between McCoy and Spock was funny and affectionate, Dr Pulaski came off as prejudice towards Data because he was an artificial life form. No disrespect to Diane Muldaur, but when Dr Crusher returned in season three, it was like welcoming back an old friend whom you missed for for several years.
I love Dr Pulaski, she is great. For Diana was it a horrible time to play Kate Pulaski in Star Trek. When you watch the interview from 1988 you can see how lucky she was that Gene Roddenberry has asked her for the role of Dr. Pulaski.
And some episodes later she was happy when season two finished.
Interesting comparison.
I think where subtitles have spock say “And?” I think he says, “I have,” with a rising intonation to encourage Data to keep talking.
Yeah, I heard that too on the rewatch, whoops 💀
Excellent analysis at the same time being fun and interesting!
You really know you’re trek. Well done!
For me, Dr. Pulaski was the best thing about TNG.
Interesting, what makes you say that?
@@noratheelk3729 Well, when I think about it, mostly every human on the show was portrayed as perfect, especially the captain. In that environment, an old, crotchety, somewhat biased and old-fashioned woman was a breath of fresh air.
Great video
Yeah, her character was too on the nose.
Nice essay, great presentation!
I think the main "problem" with Pulaski is that she is made to be too familiar too soon.
Her character need to be fleshed out a bit more before engaging in the banter she has with Data. Fans needed to get to know and like her before they'd let her start ripping on a favorite... like Data.
I agree
Very glad this video wasn't merely an email! Do you think there's anything for those of leery of emergent AI tech to learn from Pulaski's coming to terms with Data?
Pulaski was put in the rather worn '"brilliant but abrasive" trope, common in an era with House MD. Not a good choice. Serving on a ship like Enterprise is a seven day a week job. People will wear down, but if the doctor is sharp tongued, people will avoid getting help until a problem gets impactful. Sure, Pulaski lost her rough edges, somewhat, as the season went on, but the damage was done. One of a number of bad choices by writers and producers in the first couple of seasons.
McCoy had a sharp tongue now and then, but he was going to lecture a patient after treatment and recovery, not while the patient is still being treated.
Her interaction with Data was not a factor, really, Data's status as a legal being was still not established, and he was still regarded as an appliance by many. She refers to Data as "it", in accordance with this view, a tendency Cdr Maddux later displays. My issue with the character is she comes across as someone people won't want to interact with for minor issues. Arm falling off, sure. Unable to sleep, no.
Some fans didn't like Pulaski more because of her relationship with Picard than Data. They thought that while both she and Picard had strong personalities, Pulaski came off as too much like a warmed over McCoy and the result of those clashes was often crumbs instead of chemistry. Hence the return of Dr. Crusher.
It's a fine analysis. I totally did not like Dr. Pulaski, largely because the dynamic between her and Data just didn't work. I like everything about Data. I was glad when Diana Muldaur left the show. I don't like her as an actress. I liked none of her roles. I've seen Brent Spiner in other roles and I like him as an actor.
Beverly Crusher is gorgeous and personable and never once annoyed me.
Dr. MCcoy often annoyed me and I usually agreed with Spock in their disagreements but I agreed with McCoy often enough, so he was okay.
The relationship between Picard and Data was sometimes awkward but always engaging and appreciated.
I hated too muldaur in everything ST.
But the more i watch gates mcfadden and the older i get the more i find her acting utterly wooden and stolid. Love her or hate her muldaur atleast sold being an actual doctor. I was never cinvinced mcfadden even understood some of what she was saying.
You’ve been a trekker since October 2022, right? How much of the franchise have you gotten through so far?
'Rote'. Not 'wrote'.
One learns by rote what another has wrote (the declension is 'written' but im using poetic license).
I don't know if they intended the Pulaski character to be so discriminate towards Data but if Data had been an autistic human she would be ableist towards him which would be disgusting. Autistic people are treated almost sub human like a young child and that is how she is treating Data.
Take when she call him dat-ta instead of day-ta and he corrects her. She doesn't apologize but instead she speculates that he has bruised feelings like he isn't even there. That is just so wrong on several levels. I mean you can forgive someone if they mis-pronounce a difficult name but Data isn't a difficult name. Because she comes across as a jerk the fans never warmed towards her. The character just doesn't work. Don't know if that is a writer's fault or the actor's fault. The character just never warms up.
Bear in mind Data is only pronounced day-ta because Patrick Stewart used that pronunciation. No one knew whether to use dat-ta or day-ta up until filming began on Encounter at Farpoint.
The word is pronounced dayta.
Just coz americans cant pronounce it is 🤷
Are you, or are you not, an elk?
Sorry to disappoint, my username is merely a play on the fact that my initials rearrange to spell elk 🦌
@@noratheelk3729 This saddens me. However, despite this, I will continue to view your interesting Star Trek related content. Please, in future, try to avoid misleading your audience with pretentions to quadropedia. Fond regards, Alex the onion.
Never liked her