Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 1, Episode 23
Original Air Date: April 25, 1988
Tasha dies.
Yes, there's more to the story but I will leave it to the many others who have tread this path to discuss the rest. In the end, it all boils down to the sad and simple fact that Tasha dies. The rest is just details.
Towards the end of Season 1, Denise Crosby asked to be released from her contract. She was dissatisfied with the lack of material and development for her character and I, for one, find it difficult to blame her. At the same time, Marina Sirtis (Troi) was worried her character was going to be cut at season's end. Plus, there was another shoe yet to fall: Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) was about to be fired. A principal cast of nine wasn't leaving much food to go around, to be sure. Furthermore, is it a coincidence that the three listed above are all women? I assert it is not. Worth noting, too: Tasha was never replaced. TNG went from a principal cast of nine to one of eight and would never grow beyond that number again. So, it's possible there were indeed moves in the offing if Crosby hadn't made the choice she did.
In hindsight, it seems a foolish decision. But let's face it, TNG's first season was pretty poor. Crosby couldn't have known there were six much better seasons to come, not to mention four feature films and several spinoff series - plenty of time for Tasha to come into her own.
Sadly, Crosby has said since that if she'd been given more episodes like "Skin of Evil," or even more scenes like her exchange with Worf early in the story, she might have stayed. Her death at the hands of Armus, the oil slick bully creature, is abrupt, much to the annoyance of critics. Roddenberry liked the choice as realistic for a security officer. Her memorial service on the holodeck is certainly touching, though maybe a little too sappy. I found Spock's more traditional naval funeral in The Wrath of Khan to be more effective. Deanna's tears are genuine. Sirtis and Crosby had grown to be close friends and Sirtis's emotions during the memorial were honest.
Mart McChesney is the actor inside the Armus suit, though the character is voiced by Ron Gans. McChesney was born January 27, 1954 in Abilene, Texas. This was his first of two TNG appearances, also performing in "Shades of Gray." Otherwise, he had only one other screen credit: Pete "Maniac" Krizaniac in Girls Nite Out.
McChesney died January 14, 1999 of complications due to AIDS, age 39. When I did my TOS series, I found lung cancer to be the most common cause of death among the actors. While that hasn't disappeared with TNG, AIDS is rearing its ugly head. This is the second week in a row with an AIDS victim in a guest role and I'm guessing there will be more. Because of HIV, the '80s and '90s were a frightening time, especially for the gay community which, of course, is always well-represented in the performing arts, historically relatively safe industries in which to be out. The virus is still around but, fortunately, the medical community has come a long way in treating it. The number of those infected is up but that's largely because they are surviving longer. Consider this: Magic Johnson was diagnosed in 1991 and he is still alive. The rates for both deaths and new cases are way down.
 |
| via Memory Alpha |
Yes, there's more to the story but I will leave it to the many others who have tread this path to discuss the rest. In the end, it all boils down to the sad and simple fact that Tasha dies. The rest is just details.
Towards the end of Season 1, Denise Crosby asked to be released from her contract. She was dissatisfied with the lack of material and development for her character and I, for one, find it difficult to blame her. At the same time, Marina Sirtis (Troi) was worried her character was going to be cut at season's end. Plus, there was another shoe yet to fall: Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher) was about to be fired. A principal cast of nine wasn't leaving much food to go around, to be sure. Furthermore, is it a coincidence that the three listed above are all women? I assert it is not. Worth noting, too: Tasha was never replaced. TNG went from a principal cast of nine to one of eight and would never grow beyond that number again. So, it's possible there were indeed moves in the offing if Crosby hadn't made the choice she did.
In hindsight, it seems a foolish decision. But let's face it, TNG's first season was pretty poor. Crosby couldn't have known there were six much better seasons to come, not to mention four feature films and several spinoff series - plenty of time for Tasha to come into her own.
Sadly, Crosby has said since that if she'd been given more episodes like "Skin of Evil," or even more scenes like her exchange with Worf early in the story, she might have stayed. Her death at the hands of Armus, the oil slick bully creature, is abrupt, much to the annoyance of critics. Roddenberry liked the choice as realistic for a security officer. Her memorial service on the holodeck is certainly touching, though maybe a little too sappy. I found Spock's more traditional naval funeral in The Wrath of Khan to be more effective. Deanna's tears are genuine. Sirtis and Crosby had grown to be close friends and Sirtis's emotions during the memorial were honest.
Acting Notes
 |
| via Memory Alpha |
Mart McChesney is the actor inside the Armus suit, though the character is voiced by Ron Gans. McChesney was born January 27, 1954 in Abilene, Texas. This was his first of two TNG appearances, also performing in "Shades of Gray." Otherwise, he had only one other screen credit: Pete "Maniac" Krizaniac in Girls Nite Out.
McChesney died January 14, 1999 of complications due to AIDS, age 39. When I did my TOS series, I found lung cancer to be the most common cause of death among the actors. While that hasn't disappeared with TNG, AIDS is rearing its ugly head. This is the second week in a row with an AIDS victim in a guest role and I'm guessing there will be more. Because of HIV, the '80s and '90s were a frightening time, especially for the gay community which, of course, is always well-represented in the performing arts, historically relatively safe industries in which to be out. The virus is still around but, fortunately, the medical community has come a long way in treating it. The number of those infected is up but that's largely because they are surviving longer. Consider this: Magic Johnson was diagnosed in 1991 and he is still alive. The rates for both deaths and new cases are way down.
Interesting information.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nas.
DeleteI always enjoy the acting notes.
ReplyDeleteMe, too.
DeleteMaybe if Crosby had stayed around she would have grown into the actor she already believed she was and she would have been able to actually move onto the big screen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe. It is sad we didn't get to find it.
DeleteUnfortunately, I never cared for the character of Tasha Yar until the much later episode that introduced us to her younger sister. It would have been keenly interesting for the two characters to interact, especially since the younger sibling betrayed Starfleet.
ReplyDeleteGot to admit, I was real fuzzy on why Gates McFadden left the series at the end of the first season.
We'll be getting to the Dr. Crusher story before too long now.
DeleteI didn't much like him.
ReplyDeleteWhom? Armus?
DeleteSuddenly HIV is in drug commercials.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about "Skin of Evil" is actually Troi's arc. It's her best showing of the season, and pretty much of the first two seasons in general. It proved she had dramatic potential, and eventually the series latched onto that. It's just funny that it sort of came under these circumstances, especially knowing that it could've been Sirtis gone rather than Crosby. The episode, and the show's later history, proves that things worked out exactly as they should have.
I agree. It's a good Troi episode. In a way, it's a shame that fact is overshadowed by Tasha's death.
DeleteBut it's only overshadowed if you're thinking in terms of the historic relevance of the episode. The episode itself makes very good use of its narrative structure.
DeleteI suppose.
DeleteThis episode gave us a creature so overwhelmed with negative emotion resulting in poor Tasha's senseless death. I have to admit while its easy to skin the creature, haha - Armus was brilliant! That voice for starters was unique for a lifeform so tormented by its own existence and Riker! Data!!! somethings got me, aghhhhh!!!!!
ReplyDeleteProps to Ron Gans (1931-2010) for the expert voice work! His career, mostly voice-over but also a few on-camera roles, covered 40 years.
DeleteI found this episode..stupid. The oil slick monster was just so bad...something Ed Wood might have loved. What a shame the actor died of AIDS. Tasha deserved better which is why they brought her back in one of the best episodes ever. (Yesterday's Enterprise). I never knew gates McFadden was fired! I thought she left to pursue other things and then came back realizing she made a boo-boo.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you re: "Yesterday's Enterprise." It's probably in my Top 5 overall.
DeleteWe'll get to the McFadden story soon. I promise!