Summary
- Scotty praises Doctor Crusher's fearless nature and recognizes her command qualities and abilities as a physician.
- Scotty concludes that the spirit of Kirk and his crew is alive in Doctor Crusher, showing that he is not a relic after all.
- Doctor Crusher's personal and professional journeys have taken her across the galaxy, and her courage and spirit have admirers like Scotty.
Scotty has named the Star Trek: The Next Generation hero who best embodies the original Enterprise spirit.
Scotty, the chief engineer of the Enterprise under Captain Kirk, has joined Sisko and the crew of the Theseus, which also includes Doctor Beverly Crusher and Tom Paris. Now, in Star Trek #15, Scotty confesses that one of his Theseus crewmates captures the explorer spirit that was a hallmark of the Enterprise.
Doctor Crusher Has Come a Long Way in the Star Trek Universe
Played by Gates McFadden, Doctor Beverly Crusher was the Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer for six of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s seven seasons.
After her tour of duty on the Enterprise ended, Doctor Crusher went to Starfleet Medical, but soon found herself on board the USS Theseus, alongside fellow legends Captain Sisko, Data, Tom Paris and Scotty.
The Theseus was charged with investigating a dire threat to the galaxy’s god-like beings, a menace that could spell the end of the cosmic order. Crusher’s quick thinking during the crisis was crucial, and Sisko rewarded her via a promotion to first officer.
The qualities that Scotty notes in this issue would continue to grow and develop throughout her life. In Star Trek: The Next Generation’s final episode, Crusher was shown to be commanding a medical vessel in the show’s future.
While this was an alternate timeline, Crusher did become a captain, as seen in season three of Star Trek: Picard–just not in Starfleet. Instead, Crusher becomes skipper of a charity ship, delivering medical supplies across the galaxy. The show ended with Crusher returning to Starfleet and accepting a promotion to Admiral, thus completing her character’s arc.
Doctor Crusher is a Throwback in the Best Possible Way
Doctor Crusher’s personal and professional journeys on Star Trek: The Next Generation have taken her from one end of the galaxy to the other, and her courage and spirit have found admirers.
Scotty, having served under Captain Kirk, knows a thing or two about what makes a great leader, and he is seeing these qualities in Doctor Crusher. Indeed, Scotty mentions: “a young adventurer, forged by death and loneliness,” and it is not hard to see a comparison to Kirk. The spirit that drove Kirk and Scotty is alive and well in Doctor Beverly Crusher.
