alternatehistory.com

Leslie Crusher was a regular character for the first six seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation. She was the daughter of Jack and Beverly Crusher, and was portrayed by Carla Gugino.

Initial critical response to the character of Leslie Crusher was negative, with many considering the character to be a “Mary Sue”. Later seasons toned these characteristics down, and Crusher became a more popular character among the fan base.


In-universe, Leslie Crusher initially comes aboard the Enterprise-D with her mother, Dr Beverly Crusher, who is to be the ship’s Chief Medical Officer. Initially, Picard has trouble dealing with the younger Crusher, as he is uncomfortable around children. Eventually, Picard realises the level of Leslie’s skills and appoints her as an Acting Ensign. This is made into a full field promotion following the events of The Best of Both Worlds. [2]

Initially, much of Leslie’s character was defined by her relationship to her mother. When Dr Crusher leaves to head up Starfleet Medical following the first season, Leslie decides to remain aboard. In this time, she becomes more friendly with Data, La Forge and much of the engineering crew. From the third season onwards, she strikes up a friendship with new tactical officer Ensign Andrew Kelly (Christian Slater). This quickly proves to be her most solid friendship on board the ship, as the two begin appearing together more and more often.

Had Gugino and Slater stayed beyond the sixth season, Rick Berman revealed that the writing would have hinted at a romantic relationship between the two of them. However, Leslie Crusher was written out of the show when Gugino decided to focus on her film career. Her character was seemingly killed when the Enterprise-D crash landed during All Good Things…, though beta canon would suggest that she had been rescued by the Traveller, hence her body never being found. [3]


Although All Good Things… (Part I) would be Carla Gugino’s final appearance in the franchise, her death would prove to be an important moment for the franchise, marking the moment where it began to take a darker turn, straying from the idealism of Gene Roddenberry. Her death would greatly affect Ensign, later Lieutenant, Kelly during his time at Deep Space Nine.

The fact that she had died under Captain Picard’s command, as her father had, would be of importance during the seventh season story The Departed, where Picard is reunited with Dr Beverly Crusher.

Gugino’s leaving the series left a space for a new series regular. This was taken up by Michelle Forbes, whose character of Ensign Ro Laren would take up Crusher’s position as Helmsman. [4]


Despite a rocky start, Leslie Crusher would become a well liked character, with many younger female fans cosplaying as her at conventions. Though not one of the fan favourites, she would become very important to the franchise, even after her death. [5]


[1] I had a really hard time making an image of Gugino in a Starfleet uniform, so you get this. I may come back and have another go later on in the timeline.
[2] As the events of Menage a Troi never occur, her promotion happens slightly later than Wesley's in OTL.
[3] A couple of things here. I wanted to mention that Kelly/Crusher was a big fan ship ITTL, but couldn't find a place to put it, so I just had this mentioned instead. Also, this is why they don't find her body. The producers wanted to leave a slight possibility that she had survived.
[4] A little reveal here. Kelly won't be getting a replacement on the ship, Worf will just get his job as tactical officer back as well as being Chief of Security. So while Michelle Forbes wasn't interested in Deep Space Nine, I could see her sticking around for the last two seasons of The Next Generation.
[5] And a little nod to the fans. Just after this update, I'll be putting up an "appendix" update and moving a few of the threadmarks around. As I'm starting to do non-Doctor Who character profiles, I needed somewhere to put them, and I've found a solution.