Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Skin of Evil"

Farewell, Tasha.  We hardly knew ye.

The story goes that Denise Crosby was unhappy that Tasha pretty much only got to say "Hailing Frequencies open, Captain" and fire phasers, so she opted to leave.  When she got the script for her final episode, she said of the opening scene between Tasha and Worf, "if there had been scenes like this all along, I wouldn't have left."  If that's the case, it's a real shame, because Season Two was very heavy on character development, and all she would have had to do was hold out for a few more episodes.

So Tasha gets the typical red shirt death... right down to the "He's dead, Jim" scene.  Except in this case they really go all out to try and bring her back.  Which is understandable, because for them as characters and for us as the audience it's giving a major character a "proper send-off," but I'll tell ya', if I had been Lt. Shlbotnik's friend I'd be pissed.  "Hey!  You didn't do any of that for Joe! You just looked into the camera all upset!!"

The final scene where Data says to Picard "I know this gathering was to think of Tasha, but I find I am only  thinking of myself, and how empty my life will be without her.  Did I miss the point?" always chokes me up.

I know people always liked to pair up Tasha and Data because of their fling in "The Naked Now," but I always thought that she and Worf would have made a much better couple.  I like to think that had she stayed, that would have been looked into someday.  Anyone know if there's ever been an alternate reality story where she survived, and we see how the rest of the show would have gone if she was still there? If there isn't one, it would make for a great "Myriad Universes" story.

No comments: