Author Chris Snellgrove
| | Published 12 seconds ago

The third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation was a new beginning for the series: under the direction of new actor Michael Piller, the series had new uniforms, better writing, and new memorable characters. However, the fan favorite was the returning Beverly Crusher, the ship’s doctor who was previously replaced by a much smaller Katherine Pulaski. Crusher also came to the aid of his son, Wesley Crusher, who is often hated, and Piller revealed that Wesley’s actions in the season 3 premiere episode “Evolution” were what led to Dr. Crusher “re-enters the list”.

This Next Generation The story had the Enterprise escorting a famous doctor to the celestial bodies…the kind of Old Faithful stars that explode every 196 years. Plans to study this history go awry when many of the ship’s systems begin to malfunction, and it is discovered that Wesley Crusher accidentally released nanites that replicated, mutated, and resided in the Enterprise’s computer core. The conflict escalates when the visiting scientist kills some of the small creatures, but after realizing that the nanites have turned into life, Captain Picard does what he does best: negotiate peace without bloodshed.

Where does Beverly Crusher fit into the story of “Evolution?” He’s happy to be back on the Enterprise and excited to see his son again (he spent a year in charge of Starfleet Medical), but he’s starting to worry that Wesley Crusher is focusing too much on his studies and not enough to enjoy being around. young people. The two plots intersect when her upbringing of the scorned Wesley is what causes her to accidentally reveal herself to release the nanites on the ship.

According to the author “Evolution” is TNG showrunner Michael Piller, Wesley Crusher’s arc in the episode called for the return of Beverly Crusher. Piller finally comes to the realization that the lonely and emotional scientist in this story “is Wesley in his forties, if he continues to be a smart kid who is dedicated to his work and doesn’t seem to have much going on in his life. life.” In general, Piller ordered that the episodes should help our fans evolve in some way and he took his advice in “Evolution,” realizing that this was an opportunity to “help Wesley grow” and bring back Beverly Crusher.

Part of Piller’s genius was his innate understanding that TNG episodes needed to have a similar focus sci-fi intellectuals and ordinary people. So while science fiction fans discovered an A plot about nanites, she had a B plot on a more “human level” about Beverly Crusher dealing with a parent’s true fear: “My child is not having a good childhood.” Piller said that “we know a lot of kids like that,” and after seeing this problem so often in real life, he “had an important idea” about “Evolution.”

“Evolution” ended up being a big part of The Next Generationbut it’s funny to know that the much-loved Beverly Crusher might not have come back to the show if it wasn’t for the much-hated Wesley Crusher. Incidentally, Wesley Crusher the actor Wil Wheaton he left the show (apart from the others who came later) after season 3, but Beverly Crusher actor Gates McFadden stayed on for the rest of TNG and eventually became a central character. Picard season 3.

His return in the show was later announced perfect because it is difficult to imagine a Next Generation story without him, but just think: we wouldn’t have Beverly Crusher stories at all if Michael Piller hadn’t realized that Wesley Crusher had to “grow up” and get into a relationship with a friend. In the beginning TNG All the stories were about Wesley mysteriously saving the day, but this time, he did more than that: He saved Gates McFadden’s job by being the weirdest and loneliest kid in sci-fi history.