Doctor Pulaski deserves more love from Star Trek then she gets

Diana Muldaur had huge shoes to fill when she was brought back to the Star Trek franchise for Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season. A veteran of the franchise already, Muldaur played two characters in the Original Series. First as Ann Mulhall in "Return to Tomorrow", and then as Dr. Miranda Jones in the episode "Is There Trutht in Beauty".

She would once again return to Star Trek in season two of The Next Generation. Instead of coming back for an episode or two, as she did in the series prior, she instead returned for the majority of the second season. She stood in as the new ship's doctor, Doctor Katherine Pulaski.

Pulaski was brought in to replace Gates McFadden, who left the show for a season. McFadden's character, Dr. Beverly Crusher, wasn't killed off the way her season one colleague was. McFadden wasn't the only woman to leave the show following the first season, as Denise Crosby also left the show. When she left, however, her character of Tasha Yar was killed off.

McFadden's wasn't.

Still, a hole was present with the cast. The ship needed a new medical officer, so in came Muldaur's Pulaski. For a season, she was quite the change from Crusher. She was more combative and challenged established norms. She became a great foil for characters like Data, whom she did not have the most high esteem for.

It was a dynamic that brought up a lot of concerns that we have here in the real world with the advancement of AI and how it'll impact our society. She spoke those concerns into existence 40 years before such a concept was even possible.

Beyond that, she really felt like a great addition to the crew. While Crusher was no pushover and was firm in her ideals, she was very alike to most of the crew in that regard. There was a kindness in her pushback, just like there was for most of the major characters. With Pulaski, however, she was blunt and to the point. It made her stand out and added a fresh wrinkle to the show.

Ultimately she'd be replaced by McFadden and her character when the latter opted to return to the show in season three. Since then, we've not seen or heard from Pulaski, which is a real shame. She added a lot to the show. A show, by the way, which was struggling to find consistent storylines that hit with the audiences.

She brought in a unique presence that helped the show during some of its less refined years and it'd be nice to see her turn on the series respected more. Sadly, it's unlikely we ever seen her again on Star Trek, at least played by Muldaur.

Still, it would be interesting to see a story about her being told. Maybe alongside another more popular character in a one-off film perhaps? Either way, we think it's high time that Muldaur and Pulaski got their due for their impact on the series. Even if it was only for a season.