From: mss2@kimbark.uchicago.edu (Michael S. Schiffer)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: Re: ST:TNG (critiques) vs Dr. Who
Date: 15 Dec 92 19:28:10 GMT
Reply-To: mss2@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations

In article <1992Dec15.164209.24518@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> as010b@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (andrew david simchik) writes:

>I agree with that.  And in reference to the question about "didn't they
>bring Yar back?", they've had a Romulan lookalike who is (no flames becuase
>I don't remember exactly) supposed to be Yar's daughter or something. 
>They've had her on several times without even an attempt at an explanation,
>which is just about the most reprehensible thing any writer can do, in my
>opinion.  UGH!

Um, they did explain it as follows:

Spoilers for various TNG episodes


	In "Yesterday's Enterprise", there was temporarily an
alternate timeline in which Yar was still alive (and the Federation
was in the last stages of a losing war with the Klingons, thus proving
the point of the conspirators in Star Trek VI-- but I digress).
Because Guinan told her that she was dead in the "real" timeline (and
helpfully told her that it was an empty death, devoid of meaning--
thanks loads for your sensitivity, Guinan :-) ) she chose to go back
in time with the Enterprise-C in order to help give it a better chance
to make a good fight with the Romulans.  This would supposedly cause
the Klingons to accord the Federation greater respect, and prevent the
breakdown in relations that led to the war-- and the end of
"Yesterday's Enterprise" confirmed that it worked.  So Tasha died a
noble death of self-sacrifice, right?

	Wrong.  It was later revealed (in "Reunification"?  I don't
know titles that well) that in fact much of the Enterprise-C's crew
was captured in the battle (how?  I thought Romulans didn't take
prisoners, and the Enterprise-C had gone back steeled for a suicide
mission).  The captain (or some Romulan official-- my memory's not
clear on this point) took a "liking" to Tasha, and basically she made
a deal to become his concubine in exchange for the lives of the other
crewmembers.  She bore him a daughter (whose name escapes me).  A few
years later, she finally decided she couldn't take it any more, and
attempted escape.  Her daughter, a child at the time, betrayed her,
and she was killed.  Hence, after all the trouble they went to with
"Yesterday's Enterprise," Tasha Yar managed to earn an empty death,
a death devoid of meaning.  Where have we heard this one before?  Yes,
Tasha Yar managed to die pointlessly not once, but twice.  Does
someone on the writing staff dislike her?

	The daughter has since grown up to be played by Denise Crosby
herself, and is a fanatical Romulan loyalist.  Note that the daughter
is the one who told this story, and she had reason to want to
demoralize the Enterprise officers and justify herself.  So if the
writers don't like the story, they can always alter it later and say
she was lying-- though her actual parentage pretty much has to be true
given that Picard commented on how much she looked like Yar.

	And now, as a bonus, I present:

Top Ten Reasons the `Yesterday's Enterprise' Timeline is Better than
the real TNG Timeline:

by Ken Hite

10.  Permanent state of war implies shows with actual plots.
9.  Wesley's prodigious scientific talents much better used (and
seen) on ill-lit, dank research asteroid rather than bridge of
an actual warship.
8.  No more angst for Worf.
7.  Wartime pressures might force Federation to actually use
holodeck technology for an actual purpose besides cheap costume drama.
6.  Romulan Empire guaranteed to expand at the cost of smaller,
helpless, less interesting worlds.
5.  Guinan's bizarre psychic talents much better exploited through
vivisection on a medical research station than bartending.
4.  Continuous phaser fire produces "feel good" ions in air, adding
to better crew morale.
3.  Dim spooky "red-alert" lighting hides ugly lounge-chair look of
Galaxy-class bridge design.
2.  Continuously blaring klaxons make Dr. Crusher virtually inaudible.
1.  Three simple words: Tasha, Tasha, Tasha!


(And Ken didn't even _mention_ the absence of both the office of
ship's counsellor and Deanna Troi specifically, which I for one
consider a _vast_ improvement.  :-) )

Yours in the spirit of the Enterprise C,

Mike
-- 
Michael S. Schiffer, LHN, FCS	"Indeed I tremble for my country
mss2@midway.uchicago.edu	 when I reflect that God is just."
mike.schiffer@um.cc.umich.edu	 -- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on
mschiffer@aal.itd.umich.edu	    Virginia (1784)
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