The Next Generation is rife with severely underrated characters, but none so gravely underappreciated as Doctor Katherine Pulaski. Only appearing in Season 2 (due to Gates McFadden having a brief contract dispute), Pulaski disappeared for the rest of the series with nothing more than an offhand comment to explain her absence. A truly dynamic character, Pulaski repeatedly showed her kind heartedness, affability, and willingness to learn from others and change her point of view.

Many fans developed an immediate hatred for Pulaski when she first appeared, and with good reason. The new doctor was introduced hastily and neither viewers, writers, or directors were certain how long the character would stay. Right off the bat, Pulaski is speciesist (equivalent of racist) towards the android Data. Mistrustful of technology, she regards Data with skepticism and doesn’t take seriously his contributions to senior staff meetings or consider him a fully autonomous sentient being. She, quite rudely, disapproves of his presence at Deanna Troi’s delivery, stating condescendingly that “Counselor Troi’s going to need the comfort of human touch, not the cold hand of technology” (The Child). Of course this kind of attitude is unacceptable and Pulaski’s bigotry should not be excused, but her growth is central to her character and needs to be acknowledged. People cannot be held by their past when they have developed, recognize their errors, and actively work to be better. Pulaski matures in her understanding towards Data and eventually accepts him as an equal and valued friend (Unnatural Selection, The Measure of a Man, Peak Performance).

Undoubtedly, part of Pulaski’s appeal is her similarity to Doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy from Star Trek: The Original Series. She has a subdued sense of humor, but her amiable and easy-going nature reveal her be a lively character with a wit indicative of the iconic sharp-tongued original Doctor. Like McCoy, Pulaski suffers from transporter-phobia and is wary of overdependence on technology. Even her initial hardness towards Data parallels McCoy’s treatment of Spock and his Vulcan values. The nostalgia invoked by Pulaski’s maturity and grace, reminiscent of beloved Doctor McCoy, should earn her at least a small degree of the appreciation she deserves.

One of Doctor Pulaski’s most compelling attributes is her passion for medicine and the art of healing people. A renowned name in medical research, Pulaski wrote a groundbreaking research paper later used as a standard for its subject, performs leading-edge research into selectively wiping memory engrams, as well as having expertise in cardiovascular surgery. Clearly, Pulaski is a qualified doctor, but most importantly she is a caring person. Trapped in a holodeck when a simulation of literary character Professor Moriarty gains sentience, Pulaski handles the situation with poise. She reveals her nurturing nature by not only accepting Moriarty’s hospitality, but acting civil to the artificial villain and sweetly sharing tea and crumpets with him to ease his distress at his newfound consciousness (Elementary, Dear Data).

Profoundly, Pulaski proves herself to be a good doctor and a good person who is readily willing to risk her life to save others. The Episode Unnatural Selection is entirely dedicated to Pulaski’s character development, evolving her into a truly admirable character. Refusing to give up on discovering the cure for an unusual contagion that stimulates rapid aging, Pulaski exposes herself to the disease. Her determination and self-sacrifice allows her to eventually find a cure, although it becomes evident that she will not be able to leave quarentie to receive the antidote. Pulaski graciously accepts mortality, satisfied that she has helped those most in need. She thankfully survives.

Doctor Pulaski unequivocally deserves recognition for having one of the most compelling character arcs in Next Gen rather than be burdened with the memory of her initial bigotry and vacancy from the remainder of the series.