An article (click here to read) posted about Beverly Crusher being the doctor for Star Trek: Legacy (which has not been greenlit, yet), blew up on social media, and not entirely in a good way.
I respect this author's takes on the character and a lot of what she said rang true, but saying that Beverly should demote herself and become the CMO of the newly minted ENT-G, not only diminishes her character but sticks her in a “one size fits all” box that Beverly doesn’t belong in.
One thing about Beverly’s character is that she is an amazing doctor, and many episodes of TNG and Season 3 of Picard showcase that. It also showed her as an amazing scientist and mother to her two boys, Wesley and Jack. She is a character with many sides to her, but one side that seems to be forgotten is how much Beverly loves to Mentor others.
She loves to teach The Next Generation or help colleagues how to better themselves and grow in a way they never knew they could. One thing that Beverly probably missed during her 20 years out of Starfleet. Even though She and Dr. Ohk (the CMO of The Titan) didn’t exactly get along in the beginning, they put their differences aside to do the greater good and Ohk learned from Beverly during that time. To say that Ohk should step aside for Beverly to take over is not only right for Beverly but is not right for Dr. Ohk. Just because Beverly is an amazing doctor, doesn't mean other characters aren't. Something the actress who played Dr. Ohk (Tiffany Shepis-Tretta) pointed out on Twitter X:
Another aspect of the article was Beverly being closer to Jack. As much as I agree that being away from Jack would be hard, I do not see her wanting to tag along with him for the rest of his life. She would want Jack to be his own person, without her being in his way. She raised him to be the amazing man he is and wouldn’t worry for his safety; especially now that her secret of having Jean-Luc Picard’s son is out and he has more friends and allies than they ever did before.
Lastly, Beverly deserved her title as Admiral. She has had over 50 years of experience in her field and earned to be head of Starfleet Medical, which she held at one time. Just like Jack, this is the next chapter in her life and Beverly was always one to move forward, not backward. I understand the nostalgia of it all and seeing Beverly back in her blue lab coat and running a sickbay on a starship, but that isn’t who Beverly is anymore. Beverly has endured a lot in her time away, which has changed her into who we see before us. I'm sure as she is running Starfleet Medical, her dream of helping forgotten worlds won’t be forgotten anymore, and inspiring the young Cadets in the Medical field, would not only bring purpose to her life but fulfill it as well.
Star Trek: Legacy is a wonderful concept and it is what most fans want to see on our screen. Beverly can play a big role in the show by passing the torch to The Next Generation and they can embody exactly who Beverly is and carry on her Legacy as a Doctor and a Scientist.
What are your thoughts?
