I mean that’s just TNG in general. Everyone on the Enterprise was a top expert in multiple things.
Booby Trap was one of the few cases where Geordi needed outside help. The rest of the time, he was the greatest engineering genius in history. O’Brien is literally the most important man in Starfleet history (although I’m guessing that’s more due to his time on DS9).
Picard was not just one of the best starship captains in Starfleet history, he was also an expert in archaeology and could do science and engineering if he needed to and probably any other job on the ship. Certainly any job on the bridge. On top of that, he was a talented actor, he was an expert in hand-to-hand combat and he was able to hold his own against omnipotent beings multiple times and sometimes even get the better of them, as if that makes a lick of sense.
Every character on TNG was an expert in whatever they needed to be an expert in that episode. That doesn’t make them Mary Sues. You’re supposed to be able to identify with a Mary Sue. I don’t think the point of Pulaski was for audiences to identify with her. Especially with her relationship with Data. There was a Mary Sue character on TNG. That character was Wesley.
I always assumed that everyone on the Enterprise was the best of the best of the best because of the nature of their mission and the desirability of the ship.
It seemed that everyone on the ship because it was the most desired position in all of Starfleet, hence why people like Riker would rather stay as Lt Commander on the Enterprise instead of take their own command on another ship. It was a ship full of geniuses that seemed like relatively normal people since there were like a thousand of them all together.
That’s exactly my take. At that point in the universe’s history, the Enterprise was essentially the flagship of the entire Federation. You don’t assign the crew randomly for that, you pick the best possible candidates, and they’re all eager for the posting.
Like you said, Riker was willing to stall his career to serve on her.
Even the red shirts were the best possible red shirts in Starfleet.
It’s also relevant that Starfleet as a whole had become more established, and working in Starfleet more prestigious than in TOS era. So you had the very best of the Federation wanting to be there, and then having to prove themselves via the Academy in a way that previous eras didn’t (though, the extended universe kinda bounces around about that).
Every character on TNG was an expert in whatever they needed to be an expert in that episode.
I think there’s a big difference between Geordie doing whatever the plot needs in Engineering and Geordie showing up at a planet and the top scientists on a planet of 1 billion saying, “OMG, it’s Geordie LaForge. I read your definitive textbook on Plate Tectonics.”
It happened 3 times in one season! Being an expert in one subject is fine. Being the foremost authority in a federation of 980 Billion people is extremely unlikely. Also being the best heart surgeon and cybernetic opthalmologist is ridiculous in only a single season.
Picard had an interest in Archaeology. He didn’t write the definitive textbook on it.
I mean that’s just TNG in general. Everyone on the Enterprise was a top expert in multiple things.
Booby Trap was one of the few cases where Geordi needed outside help. The rest of the time, he was the greatest engineering genius in history. O’Brien is literally the most important man in Starfleet history (although I’m guessing that’s more due to his time on DS9).
Picard was not just one of the best starship captains in Starfleet history, he was also an expert in archaeology and could do science and engineering if he needed to and probably any other job on the ship. Certainly any job on the bridge. On top of that, he was a talented actor, he was an expert in hand-to-hand combat and he was able to hold his own against omnipotent beings multiple times and sometimes even get the better of them, as if that makes a lick of sense.
Every character on TNG was an expert in whatever they needed to be an expert in that episode. That doesn’t make them Mary Sues. You’re supposed to be able to identify with a Mary Sue. I don’t think the point of Pulaski was for audiences to identify with her. Especially with her relationship with Data. There was a Mary Sue character on TNG. That character was Wesley.
I always assumed that everyone on the Enterprise was the best of the best of the best because of the nature of their mission and the desirability of the ship.
It seemed that everyone on the ship because it was the most desired position in all of Starfleet, hence why people like Riker would rather stay as Lt Commander on the Enterprise instead of take their own command on another ship. It was a ship full of geniuses that seemed like relatively normal people since there were like a thousand of them all together.
That’s exactly my take. At that point in the universe’s history, the Enterprise was essentially the flagship of the entire Federation. You don’t assign the crew randomly for that, you pick the best possible candidates, and they’re all eager for the posting.
Like you said, Riker was willing to stall his career to serve on her.
Even the red shirts were the best possible red shirts in Starfleet.
It’s also relevant that Starfleet as a whole had become more established, and working in Starfleet more prestigious than in TOS era. So you had the very best of the Federation wanting to be there, and then having to prove themselves via the Academy in a way that previous eras didn’t (though, the extended universe kinda bounces around about that).
I think there’s a big difference between Geordie doing whatever the plot needs in Engineering and Geordie showing up at a planet and the top scientists on a planet of 1 billion saying, “OMG, it’s Geordie LaForge. I read your definitive textbook on Plate Tectonics.”
That hardly happened regularly with Pulaski in her one season.
It happened 3 times in one season! Being an expert in one subject is fine. Being the foremost authority in a federation of 980 Billion people is extremely unlikely. Also being the best heart surgeon and cybernetic opthalmologist is ridiculous in only a single season.
Picard had an interest in Archaeology. He didn’t write the definitive textbook on it.