star trek yar sister

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Ishara Yar was a female Human in the 24th century . She was the sister of Natasha Yar . She grew up on Turkana IV where she was active in the Turkana IV Coalition .

Yar was born on Turkana IV in 2342 . Ishara's parents were killed just after she was born, after which she and Natasha were looked after by " some people " for a few months before they disappeared, leaving Tasha to care for them both.

In 2352 , when she was old enough, Ishara allied herself with the Turkana IV Coalition and was subsequently implanted with a proximity detector . Her sister soon left the planet when she was able. She asked Ishara to come with her, but she refused – she had already joined the Coalition and considered them her family. She would always consider Natasha a coward for leaving, and would never see her again. Over the next several years Ishara would gain extensive knowledge about the tunnel system in the colony.

In 2367 , the USS Enterprise -D came to Turkana IV to rescue crew members who had escaped from the Arcos after a warp core breach . The Turkana IV Alliance had captured the two crew members and were holding them hostage in exchange for weapons . Ishara volunteered to help the Enterprise -D in its rescue mission as part of a Coalition plot. She supplied the Enterprise -D with the location of the crew's escape pod , maps of the Alliance tunnels, and ultimately volunteered to create a diversion by setting off the Alliance proximity detectors so that Geordi La Forge could track the missing crewmen. She was stunned by a phaser blast, but Commander Riker brought her back safely to the Enterprise -D.

Ishara also appeared to grow close to the Enterprise -D crew ( Lieutenant Commander Data in particular) and indicated she wanted to leave the Coalition and perhaps one day join Starfleet . She also asked about Natasha and, after hearing about her, appeared to change her mind about her. Doctor Crusher removed the implant that identified her with the cadre and she agreed to accompany the away team on a second mission to recover the Arcos crew. This time, she would not set off alarms.

However, once in Alliance territory – deeper than she could ever have gotten with the implant – Ishara took the opportunity to sabotage the fusion reactor that powered the Alliance defensive systems in order to enable a massive invasion by the Coalition. Data and Riker intervened by stunning Ishara so she could not shut down the reactor. Captain Picard , reflecting that they had all wanted to see more of Tasha in Ishara than had apparently been there, ultimately sent her back to her cadre instead of holding her for endangering Starfleet officers. As she left, however, she told Data that the time they had spent together was the closest thing to friendship that she had ever known. ( TNG : " Legacy ")

• 1.1 Background information
• 1.2 Apocrypha
• 1.3 External link

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Ishara Yar was played by Beth Toussaint . Her two costumes were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1] [2]

In the early stages of Star Trek: Voyager 's development, "Tasha's sister" was noted as a possible source of inspiration. ( A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager , p. 178)

Apocrypha [ ]

Although she has not appeared in other media, Ishara is mentioned in the novel Q-Squared , when the actions of Trelane cause three alternate realities to collapse into each other. At one point, the prime Worf convinces an alternate Tasha Yar to help him escape Enterprise crew members from a third timeline where the Federation is at war with the Klingons by telling the alternate Tasha that Ishara told him that she regretted all the unhappiness between them, demonstrating a personal knowledge of her that convinces the alternate Tasha to trust this Worf.

External link [ ]

• Ishara Yar at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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The Intriguing World Of Entertainment

Whatever Happened To Beth Toussaint, ‘Ishara Yar’ On Star Trek: The Next Generation?

By Nick Lee | December 9, 2022

American actress and model Elizabeth “Beth” Toussaint is best known for her various appearances including Dallas, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Red Eye. How did she make her claim to fame and what is she up to now?

Background 

Beth Toussaint was born September 25th, 1962 in Pleasant Hill, California to her parents Maynard Toussaint and Leona Toussaint.

Toussaint has a younger brother, David Toussaint who is known for his work as a writer, commentator, theater critic, playwright and author. 

Beth attended Pleasant Hills High School. During this time, she proved herself as an athlete and became a member of the school’s track team.

After completing high school, she went on to continue her education at Duke University. She then studied acting at Brian Reese Studios.

Early Career

Before making her way into the world of acting, Toussaint was working as a model. Through these experiences, she managed to land a role in the Bon Jovi "She Don’t Know Me” music video.

Her appearance in music videos continued with Bob Seger’s 1986 video "Like a Rock", SAGA’s 1987 music video "Only Time Will Tell", and Peter Cetera’s 1987 music video for the song “Big Mistake.”

Beth Toussaint made her debut as an actress that same year of 1987 as Shelly in the horror film “Berserker.” She was then selected for a minor role in the action horror-comedy film “Dead Heat”, which starred Treat Williams, Joe Piscopo and Lindsay Frost.

Toussaint continued her career with a single episode appearance in the TV series “Monsters.”

Acting Career

Following these more minor roles, she had her big break in 1988 when she was cast in the role of Tracy Lawton in the soap opera “Dallas,” aired on CBS. After her recurring role on “Dallas,” she went back to taking smaller characters on series such as “Growing Pains” and “Booker.” In 1994 she was offered a guest role in the Emmy Award-winning series “Babylon 5.”

Some of Toussaint’s other most notable television roles include her appearance on the action-adventure series “MacGyver,” her character on the Fox police series “21 Jump Street,” as well as one of her most recent roles where she appeared as the recurring Hope Adams Wilson on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless.”

Toussaint also has a variety of experience in the movie industry, particularly in the horror and thriller genres. She appeared in films such as the 1991 film “Blackmail,” the action, comedy, and horror movie “Dead Heat,” an action and scifi film “Project Shadowcaster II,” the notorious “Scream 3” horror movie, in addition to the 2005 thriller “Red Eye.”

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Another minor role included that of Ishara Yar on the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode titled "Legacy".

Ishara Yar was a complex character. She was the sister of Natasha Yar ( Denise Crosby ) and grew up on Turkana IV where she was active in the Coalition.

In this episode, Ishara appeared to grow close to the Enterprise-D crew and indicated she wanted to leave the Coalition and perhaps one day join Starfleet. Ishara, in a dramatic turn of events, essentially sabotaged the Alliance, allowing for the Coalition to invade. 

Instead of holding her for her actions which endangered Starfleet officers, Captain Picard sent her back.

As she left, Ishara told Data that the time they had spent together was the closest thing to friendship that she had ever known, wrapping the episode up with a bittersweet tone.

This particular episode and the performance given by Toussaint as Ishara Yar was given much praise and acclaim by the Star Trek fandom.

What is Beth Toussaint doing now?

(photo: Instagram )

Toussaint is married to Jack Coleman and has been since 1996. Coleman is an American actor, most well known for his roles in the 1980s “Dynasty” soap opera, the science-fiction drama series “Heroes,” as well as his portrayal of two different state senators on both the hit comedy mockumentary series “The Office” and the crime mystery drama “Castle.”

The couple had a daughter together in 1999 and named her Tess . Around this time, Toussaint decided to retire her career as an actress and focus primarily on raising her daughter. Still, she continued to appear in television and films for several years after this. Her last acting credit came in 2006 when she appeared for 6 episodes of The Young And The Restless.

More recently, in June of 2021, Toussaint posted to Instagram regarding a serious surgery she had undergone for her cervical spine.

She had been experiencing “debilitating head and spinal pain,”  which ultimately led to having a three disc replacement.

She expressed much gratitude for the support of her husband and daughter during this time.

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About Nick Lee

Nick is a Senior Staff Writer for Ned Hardy. Some of his favorite subjects include sci-fi, history, and obscure facts about 90's television. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. More from Nick

Beth Toussaint

Series: TNG

Character(s): Ishara Yar

Elizabeth “Beth” Toussaint portrayed Ishara Yar, in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fourth season episode “Legacy”. Director Robert Scheerer suggested Toussaint for the role of Ishara Yar, having previously worked with the actress on an episode of Matlock.

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How Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Killing of Tasha Yar Became an Awkward Mistake

The underwhelming death of Denise Crosby’s Tasha Yar was a mistake that Star Trek: The Next Generation took years to correct.

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“[I] died a senseless death in the other timeline. I didn’t like the sound of that, Captain. I’ve always known the risks that come with a Starfleet uniform. If I am to die in one, I’d like my death to count for something.”

Denise Crosby’s Lt. Tasha Yar, Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s inaugural chief of security, managed—due to some alternate timeline trickery—to take that legendary meta-minded dig at her own death from two years earlier in the Season 1 episode, “Skin of Evil.” With that episode having originally aired on April 25, 1988, the anniversary is a good occasion to look back on the controversial behind-the-scenes circumstances that resulted in poor Tasha’s unspectacular, abrupt, red-shirt-like fatal encounter with an alien tar monster on a cheap-looking set.

“Skin of Evil” was the 22 nd episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s inaugural season—just three episodes away from the season finale. Consequently, with audiences at this point having stuck with the show for seven months since its September 26 premiere, the death of a main cast member certainly felt like a stakes-redefining kick against procedural complacency. However, those who had been following industry trades, and read the then-fresh, spoiler-teasing cover story exposé in Starlog magazine , titled “The Security Chief Who Got Away,” pretty much already knew that Crosby was on the outs with the series. Thus, the prevalent question going into Season 1’s final few episodes was not if Tasha Yar was leaving the Enterprise D, but how . Well, said how would prove to be one of the most controversial, lamentable moments in Star Trek history .

Crosby denied the growing rumors of her impending exit during contemporaneous interviews published before “Skin of Evil” aired, but she had indeed quit the series, mostly due to the lack of character development given to Tasha Yar. While she was given a backstory of a rough upbringing on the lawless abandoned Earth colony, Turkana IV, Yar’s only real moment in the spotlight (besides her famous seduction of android Data in “The Naked Now” while under alien viral influence) had been Episode 3, “Code of Honor,” in which she became the amorous focus of an authoritarian alien leader, and would be forced to participate in a campy fight to the death with the leader’s outraged first wife. Thus, dealing with the show’s notoriously demanding schedule, and faced with the believed prospect of spending years soullessly saying “hailing frequencies open,” Crosby put in a request to be released from her contract, which creator Gene Roddenberry granted.

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Unfortunately for Tasha Yar, Roddenberry’s acquiescence would come with a shocking caveat: a sudden and underwhelming onscreen death. “Skin of Evil,” directed by Joseph Scanlan, written by Joseph Stefano and Hannah Louise Shearer, set things up with a rescue mission after an Enterprise shuttlecraft containing Counselor Deanna Troi and pilot Lt. Ben Prieto crashed on the barren planet, Vagra II. Accordingly, Yar joins an away team consisting of Cmdr. William Riker, Lt. Cmdr. Data, and Dr. Beverly Crusher to the planet surface, on which they encounter a powerful, tar-like creature that calls itself Armus.

There, Yar quickly loses patience as the creature continues to block their rescue effort, and tries to move past it, resulting in an attack that sends her flying backwards, leaving her tar-marked face lifeless on the ground as the essence drains from her body; a condition even beyond the help of subsequent emergency efforts back on the Enterprise. Thus, Yar’s arc, for what it was, had come to an anti-climactic conclusion; a fate attributed to the dangerous nature of Starfleet service, especially for someone in security. However, said fate allegedly wasn’t inspired by any artful motivations.

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So, why did Yar’s exit go down this way? Crosby recounted in 1993 behind-the-scenes book Trek: The Next Generation Crew Book that “Gene [Roddenberry] really felt that the strongest way to go would be to have me killed. That would be so shocking and dramatic that he wanted to go with that.”

However 1992’s Trek: The Unauthorized Behind-The-Scenes Story of The Next Generation , alleges that the “Skin of Evil” script—as with other Season 1 episodes—was secretly tweaked and/or rewritten by Roddenberry’s lawyer, Leonard Maizlish, who held an ambiguously-defined full-time staff position on the series. The purported rewrite, which would have been illegal in the Writer’s Guild, was believed to have been designed to deny any dramatic or sentimental value to Crosby’s character. With Roddenberry having recently lost creative control of the Star Trek movie franchise from Paramount Pictures, Maizlish may have been there to protect his bottom line, in this case ensuring that a dead-and-forgotten Tasha would leave no incentive for a potentially-costly new contract for Crosby down the line.

Nevertheless, “Skin of Evil” concluded with an emotional sendoff for Yar, with a memorial service—consisting of only the main cast member characters—set on the holodeck, where the late security chief posthumously delivers well wishes to her colleagues, notably a weeping, possibly guilt-ridden rescuee, Troi (actress Marina Sirtis was reacting to Crosby’s set presence off-camera). Yet, Crosby still had to endure the show’s apparent power plays, even after said memorial, since the show’s out-of-sequence production schedule resulted in her having to shoot one last appearance for her death episode’s immediate predecessor, Episode 21, “Symbiosis,” which also provided another famous Tasha Yar moment, in which she delivers a ham-fisted, Just-Say-No-era anti-drug speech to Wesley Crusher when addressing the episode’s alien drug pushers. It’s a bit of trivia that Crosby would use in a now-famous 2019 Twitter dunk on controversial executive producer Rick Berman.

Oh friend, my final scene on @StarTrek was not in SKIN OF EVIL but SYMBIOSIS which was filmed out of order. You came to the set to thank me and brought a cake, then ceremoniously ripped off my Communicator badge saying “you won’t be needing this anymore.” Don’t remember? — Denise Crosby (@TheDeniseCrosby) February 4, 2019

While Crosby’s post- Star Trek aspirations wouldn’t quite pan out the way she had likely envisioned, save for a co-starring role in 1989 movie Pet Sematary (she’s more recently banked an impressive array of TV appearances on shows like The Walking Dead and Ray Donovan ), her apparent status as persona non grata on the Enterprise wouldn’t last long, and she would make a monumental return as Tasha in 1990 Season 3 episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” in which a temporal anomaly alters the timeline for the Enterprise D, creating a reality in which the Federation is fighting a war with the Klingon Empire, and an anachronistic Season 3-era Yar is very much alive. Pertinent to the episode’s time-bending meeting with predecessor vessel the Enterprise C, Yar—after learning of her main timeline death from Guinan—would transfer to the embattled historical ship (after the earlier-quoted speech,) to ensure that it fulfills a sacrificial destiny to prevent a war that wasn’t supposed to take place, finally giving meaning to her death.

“Yesterday’s Enterprise” was so well-received that it facilitated more Yar-adjacent material, first with the 1990 Season 4 episode, “Legacy,” in which the Enterprise crew go to Tasha’s home, Turkana IV, and become embroiled in a scheme concocted by her bitter estranged sister, Ishara (Beth Toussaint). However, a prominent Crosby comeback would dominate Seasons 4-5’s two-part cliffhanger storyline, “Redemption,” when she played Commander Sela, the daughter of the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” alt-timeline Tasha Yar and a Romulan general to whom she was forced to become a concubine after the Enterprise C’s war-preventing act.

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In a twist of fate, Crosby, once an underutilized outcast crew member, had been positioned to play one of the show’s most memorable villains, since Sela is a ruthless, unwaveringly loyal servant of the bellicose Romulan Empire, and displays her own heartlessness when revealing that her mother, alt-Tasha, was killed while trying to escape with her as a child.

Additionally, Crosby reprised the role of prime-Tasha in Picard’s Q-conjured pilot-era flashbacks of 1994 two-part series finale “All Good Things.”

Historically, it seems clear that a series of myopic mistakes rendered Denise Crosby’s Star Trek journey more circuitous than necessary. However, the result was a character arc that stands the test of time. Plus, not for nothing, the fantastical nature of current spinoff series Star Trek: Picard could easily facilitate a contemporary Crosby comeback—either as Commander Sela (who eventually became a Romulan empress in the non-canon story of video game Star Trek Online ) or even as alt-Tasha, whose alleged death was never confirmed onscreen. To put it in the parlance of the late security chief, such a comeback would be a jewel for fans.

Joseph Baxter

An often overly-analytical, sometimes sarcastic writer whose work can be seen on Syfy Wire. It was previously seen on Cinema Blend and during a longtime tenure…

Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Legacy (1990), beth toussaint: ishara yar, photos .

Quotes 

Ishara Yar : Are you able to have friends?

Lt. Commander Data : Yes.

Ishara Yar : But you don't have feelings, do you?

Lt. Commander Data : Not as such. However, even among humans, friendship is sometimes less an emotional response, and more a sense of... familiarity.

Ishara Yar : So, you can become used to someone.

Lt. Commander Data : Exactly. As I experience certain sensory input patterns, my mental pathways become accustomed to them. The input is eventually anticipated, and even missed when absent.

Ishara Yar : [before beaming back to her planet]  You know, Data, I wasn't always lying to you. That time we spent talking... that was the closest thing to friendship I've ever had - if that means anything to you.

Lt. Commander Data : Energize.

Ishara Yar : Our parents were killed in some crossfire, just after I was born. Some people took care of us for a few months, but then... one day we came home and they were gone. So Tasha took care of me; and when I was old enough, I joined the Coalition.

Lt. Commander Data : Tasha did not?

Ishara Yar : My sister hated the cadres. She blamed them for our parents' death. For everything. You know, she refused to join, and she left as soon as she had the chance. I always thought she was weak for doing that. But... maybe I was wrong, maybe... maybe she made the right choice.

Ishara Yar : I don't run away when things get tough, like some people - like my sister did.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Let me tell you about your sister. The first time I saw Tasha Yar, she was making her way through a Carnelian minefield to reach a wounded colonist. Her ship had responded to their distress call, as had mine. When it was all over, I requested that she be assigned to the Enterprise; her ship's captain owed me a favor. In the months that followed, she never once failed to put the safety of the crew before her own. And she died doing the same. I'm sorry you never knew the woman Tasha became. I think you would have been proud of her - and she of you.

Lieutenant Worf : I understand you wish to join Starfleet.

Ishara Yar : Someday - if I'm lucky.

Lieutenant Worf : On that day, it is we who will be lucky.

Ishara Yar : If it wasn't for my implant setting off all the alarms, I could guide you to your men.

Lt. Commander Data : We could remove the implant.

Ishara Yar : No. It has a micro-explosive inside that detonates on contact with air. When you join a cadre, you join for life.

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Star Trek: The Next Generation – Season 4, Episode 6

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Published Aug 13, 2015

Life, Death, & Tasha Yar

Weeks before the fall 1987 premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation , one of its publicists assured me as to just who the show's two "breakout" characters would be, the ones audiences would immediately embrace: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Tasha Yar. As any fortuneteller might foresee, predictions are an iffy business. Instead, of course, Picard and two other Lieutenants (Data and Worf) emerged as The Next Generation 's breakout personalities.Nonetheless, I had dutifully placed our initial Starlog interview requests for the recommended duo, although since we wanted to talk to everybody, just who went first didn't much matter. And other cast members ended up on tape and in print earlier. By the time Denise Crosby's number came up, it turns out Tasha Yar's had, too.

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Do Star Trek's Uniforms Change for Different Environments?

10 star trek actors in seinfeld, rogue's epic 80s costume returns in epic sentinel battle cosplay.

• In the upcoming Star Trek: Defiant Annual, Tasha Yar will meet her half-Romulan daughter Sela, exploring the tragic elements of their lives.
• Sela's existence is the result of a bizarre plot twist in Star Trek history involving temporal mechanics and Tasha being captured by Romulans.
• Sela's upbringing as a Romulan without Tasha's influence led to her self-loathing and cold arrogance, making her one of the franchise's most tragic characters. The Defiant Annual will shed light on Tasha's final moments and recontextualize their relationship.

In next year’s Star Trek : Defiant Annual , Tasha Yar will come face to face with her half-Romulan daughter Sela. Sela has been front and center in the recent Day of Blood crossover event, and while the dust has begun to settle, she is just getting started. While fans wait to learn more of Sela’s endgame, she is now on a collision course with her own mother.

At this year’s New York Comic-Con, Star Trek: Defiant writer Christopher Cantwell described the January-shipping annual as a “Tasha Yar and Sela” story, and would involve the two meeting thanks to time travel. Pointing out that this had never happened on-screen, Cantwell stated the book would explore the tragic and painful elements of both of their lives. The Defiant Annual will show Tasha’s life in the Romulan camp as well as her attempts to escape. Cantwell reminded fans that Sela told Picard the story of Tasha’s escape, and how she was killed in the process, but hinted there was more to the story.

Sela Is a Tragic Star Trek Character

The Romulan Commander Sela exists thanks to one of the most bizarre plot twists in Star Trek history. Tasha Yar was killed towards the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season, but thanks to temporal mechanics, returned as part of an alternate timeline in the memorable third season episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” That version of Tasha , after traveling to the past, was captured by Romulans. One of the Romulan officials cut Tasha a deal: be his wife and she could live. Sela was the product of their union. Tasha tried to escape when Sela was a child, but was killed in the process.

Sela Is Torn Between Two Worlds

As a result, Sela was raised as a Romulan, which made her one of the franchise’s most tragic players. Tasha could have been a positive influence on Sela’s life, teaching her human concepts of compassion and love and balancing out her Romulan side. Tasha’s dreams of escape and a better life for her daughter came crashing down, and she paid with her life. Sela then grew up without a warm influence, and fully internalized Romulan values . As an adult, Sela possesses a self-loathing streak that manifests itself as cold arrogance. It leads to the question of what she might have been like had Tasha lived.

While Star Trek: Defiant Annual may not answer this question, it will bring mother and daughter together. Cantwell said Picard did not entirely buy Sela’s version of her mother’s final hours, and this book will set the record straight. Showing what truly happened to Tasha and Sela has the potential to recontextualize the relationship and make it even more tragic than ever and fans can see the origins of Sela’s insecurities. Tasha Yar’s final moments are one of Star Trek’s greatest mysteries, and now fans will get to see them as she meets her Romulan daughter Sela.

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Star Trek: TNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise" Finally Allowed Denise Crosby To Play The Tasha Yar She Auditioned For

• Lt. Tasha Yar was a compelling character with untapped potential on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Denise Crosby's return in "Yesterday's Enterprise" allowed for a deeper exploration of Tasha Yar.
• "Yesterday's Enterprise" is considered one of TNG's best episodes, showcasing a more complex Tasha Yar.

The classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, "Yesterday's Enterprise," gave Lt. Tasha Yar actress Denise Crosby the chance to play the version of the character she had been presented with in her original audition. Denise Crosby's Lt. Tasha Yar was a member of TNG's original cast, but she was unhappy with her limited role and left the series. Tasha was abruptly killed off in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 23, "Skin of Evil." In 2023, Denise Crosby joined The 7th Rule podcast to review Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1.

Tasha Yar was a fascinating character with a tragic backstory who never reached her full potential. Yar rarely took center stage in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, and the lone episode in which she did, TNG season 1, episode 4 , "Code of Honor", is widely regarded as one of the series worst outings. Nearly two seasons after Denise Crosby left the show, she returned to play an alternate universe version of Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 15, "Yesterday's Enterprise." Not only does this episode fill in some important elements of Star Trek canon, but it's also a phenomenal episode of television.

TNG: Tasha Yar's Death, Alternate Reality & Romulan Daughter Explained

Tasha yar got more depth in "yesterday's enterprise" than all of tng season 1, "yesterday's enterprise" is widely regarded as one of tng's finest hours..

Denise Crosby returned to The 7th Rule podcast co-hosted by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Cirroc Lofton and producer Ryan T. Husk to discuss Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Yesterday's Enterprise." When speaking about Yar's characterization in the episode, Crosby said the following:

You see a depth to her that is youre able to share in. You know, theres not a lot of episodes in the show in the first season where Tashas contemplating those kind of deep ideas - the self-worth, the self-purpose. Shes reactionary, shes doing her job, shes taking care of business, but in this episode, it gives her time to be reflective and ask the deep questions of herself. And the writers allow those answers to come out and for us to touch upon that.

In "Yesterday's Enterprise," the USS Enterprise-D encounters a rift in spacetime from which the heavily damaged USS Enterprise-C emerges. Suddenly, everything on the Enterprise-D changes — the ship becomes a warship involved in a conflict with the Klingons and Tasha Yar is back as the ship's tactical officer. Only Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) , the enigmatic Ten Forward bartender, notices anything amiss. Guinan tells Captain Picard that the Enterprise-C must return to its own time period to restore the proper future. In the end, Tasha goes back in time with the Enterprise-C and the future rights itself.

Prior to the podcast episode, Crosby, Lofton, and Husk all watched "Yesterday's Enterprise," and Crosby remarked that this was the first time she had seen the episode since it first aired in 1990.

Denise Crosby's Original Audition Presented A More Complex Tasha Yar

Crosby read a scene during her audition that never made it into a tng episode..

Denise Crosby also spoke about her audition process for Star Trek: The Next Generation , during which she read a "beautiful" scene that never appeared in the show. Read her quote below:

You know, Ive mentioned before that my audition piece was a very, very beautiful piece written for the Troi and Tasha characters that was never Its almost like they lured me in, you know? That was the carrot they dangled and said this is what this is going to be, and then the show wasnt that. They never had a scene anywhere near that.

Crosby did the best with the material she was given in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, but that material didn't always live up to the character she had originally been promised. Crosby mentions a scene between Tasha Yar and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) , and it's true that TNG failed its female characters in some ways, especially when it came to friendships between them. Most of the stories that centered on TNG 's women focused on their relationships with men or featured weaker storylines. Thankfully, modern Star Trek shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have remedied this oversight, and Star Trek: Picard season 3 even allowed some of the women of Star Trek: The Next Generation to play more complex versions of their characters.

Source: The 7th Rule

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Cast Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden

Release Date September 28, 1987

Showrunner Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Rick Berman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Why Does Spock Never Talk About His Long-Lost Sister, Michael Burnham?

Star Trek: Discovery introduced a big retcon to Spock's history by revealing an adopted sister; here is why he never mentioned Michael Burnham before.

• Spock made a tough decision to keep his adopted sister a secret to protect the galaxy in "Star Trek: Discovery."
• Spock's history of keeping personal matters private helps explain why he never mentioned Michael Burnham.
• The addition of Michael Burnham to the Star Trek timeline has interesting implications for the Kelvin timeline.

When it comes to Star Trek , there is arguably no character more associated with the franchise than Spock. The Vulcan First Officer became the breakout character of the series and remained a fixture in pop culture. He is one of the few characters to make it past the original pilot for the series and then be a major character on not just Star Trek: The Original Series but original actor Leonard Nimoy returned to play a role in all six live-action films, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the two J.J. Abrams-directed reboots where he passed the baton on to actor Zachary Quinto. In addition, actor Ethan Peck plays a young Spock on both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , making him the character to appear in the most entries in the franchise.

As Spock's popularity grew, creators decided to expand on his backstory. One of the most controversial decisions was the revelation of Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green in the series Star Trek: Discovery . The series established her as the adopted sister of Spock, a human who was raised alongside Spock by his parents, Sarek and Amanda Grayson. This was a major shock to fans as it was a huge retcon to the franchise. Plus, with Star Trek: Discovery originally being a prequel series, the character was never mentioned by Spock or anyone else in the rest of the franchise.

While the obvious answer was the character was not created then, the writers of Star Trek: Discovery came up with an answer that fits within the established Star Trek timeline to explain why she was never brought up again despite her close connection to Spock. This is why Spock never mentioned his adopted sister, Michael Burnham, before.

Spock Vowed Never To Speak of Her or the Crew of the Enterprise to Save the Galaxy

Star Trek: Discovery season one firmly established that Michael Burnham was adopted by Sarek and his wife, Amanda Grayson, following the disappearance of her parents at a young age. Then, in Season 2, she introduced characters like Captain Pike and Number One, who debuted in the original pilot for Star Trek alongside Spock . This raised many more concerns about how nobody ever mentioned Spock's adopted sister. The series provides an explanation in the season two finale, “Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2.” The Crew of the USS Discovery is able to take the rouge AI villain Control into the 31st century, which prevented itself from establishing.

The USS Discovery is reported to have been destroyed in action. To prevent another rouge AI like Control from emerging and risking Discovery's sacrifice being in vain, Spock proposed to the surviving members of the USS Enterprise and allies of Discovery to never speak of the ship or its crew again, wiping it from history essentially. This takes place in the year 2258, about eight years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series . This was also years before Spock met many members of the crew he was closely associated with, like James Kirk, Leonard "Bones" McCoy, or Uhura, so they never met Michael Burnham or knew of her existence.

This development creates a new context for viewing Star Trek: The Original Series and all subsequent stories featuring Spock after Star Trek: Discovery . He is keeping the pain of losing his adopted sister, Michael Burnham, to himself, but he also theorizes that the crew of Discovery survived and will emerge alive in the future, which he is proven correct. While Spock does not live to see it, Michael Burnham does get to see Spock's impact on the galaxy in her absence and looks to preserve the Federation her brother defined.

Spock Is Known For Keeping Things From His Friends Before

Spock, being half-human and half-Vulcan, has been known to keep things from his closest friends until it is time to inform them of an important piece of news. This is best summed up in his younger Kelvin timeline, when in Star Trek Into Darkness he informs Captain Kirk that their new science officer is, in fact, Carol Marcus, the daughter of Admiral Marcus. When Kirk asks him when he is going to tell him, Spock replies, "When it became relevant, as it just did."

This is clear many times in Star Trek: The Original Serie s. The first was in the season two premiere, "Amok Time," where Kirk discovers that Spock is bothered to T'Pring and set to be married. Later in that season, in episode ten, “Journey to Babel,” audiences are introduced to Spock’s father, Sarek, for the first time. Kirk was surprised at the announced familial connection between them as it was clear Spock never revealed much about his family to Kirk, and the Captain only gets details from talking to Spock's mother, Amanda. These two incidents show that Spock was never one to talk about himself to Kirk, so it is not out of the realm of possibility to believe that Spock would never mention Michael Burnham in public to anyone.

Star Trek: 10 Facts About Spock You Probably Didn’t Know (Or Forgot)

This also is not the first time that Star Trek has introduced a long-lost, never-before-mentioned sibling of Spock's to the franchise and used his not being the most open with his friends as a way to explain the retcon. The main villain of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is Sybok, who is revealed to be the half-brother of Spock, who is fully Vulcan and has a different mother. This means that Spock had two siblings: an adopted human sister and a half-brother who was fully Vulcan.

When Spock reveals to Kirk that Sybok is his brother, he is left in disbelief and thinks that Spock is lying. Kirk cites he would know if Spock had a brother, and Spock reveals that Sybok and he were raised together after Sybok's mother died. When Kirk asks why he had never mentioned it before, Spock plainly says, "I was not disposed to discuss matters of personal nature." showing that Spock only reveals information when it is absolutely important, even to those closest to him like Kirk. It certainly helps provide an explanation as to why Spock never mentioned Michael before.

Does Michael Burnham Exist in the Kelvin Timeline?

The addition of Michael Burnham to the main Star Trek timeline also creates a new wrinkle for the franchise in terms of the alternate reality created in J.J. Abrams's 2009 reboot, Star Trek . That film features a younger Spock and Kirk meeting at an earlier point in their lives, but no mention is made of Michael Burnham, despite Spock's parents being prominently featured in the first film. In fact, in the Kelvin timeline of films, it seems that the divergent event is what led to her never needing to be adopted.

The USS Kelvin is attacked and destroyed, resulting in the creation of a new timeline in 2233. In the original Star Trek timeline, Michael Burnham's parents did not go missing until 2236, which led to her being adopted and raised by Sarek. Since this is three years after the event of the Kelvin timeline's divergent origin point, it stands to reason the ripple effect in the galaxy meant that Michael Burnham's parents never went missing, and therefore, she was never adopted and raised alongside Spock. In the Kelvin timeline, Spock never had a sister, and Michael Burnham had to live and grow up with her birth parents.

Star Trek 4: Development History & Why It's Taken So Long

This might be an intentional choice by the creators as the showrunner of Star Trek: Discovery is Alex Kurtzman, who also was the co-writer of 2009's Star Trek , which created the Kelvin timeline and established the rules of how the universe works from branching off from the point of Nero's ship coming through the black hole. When writing Star Trek: Discovery , he likely picked the year that Michael Burnham's parents went missing to be set after that stardate, so it could be implied in the Kelvin timeline it altered events to where she would never need to be adopted.

It appears the creators have done a good job providing plenty of in-universe explanations for why Spock never mentioned his adopted sister in the original Star Trek series or in the Kelvin timeline movies.

Check out our interview with Michael Burnham herself, Sonequa Martin-Green, on the final season of Star Trek: Discovery below.