Star Trek: The Next Generation gave television one of the best ensemble casts in the history of the science-fiction genre, but too often, there's one actress who some would leave out of the mix in that cast. Actress Denise Crosby doesn't get the same acclaim as her co-stars, perhaps partly due to her leaving the series in Season 1.
Though she wasn't a permanent member of the show's bridge crew, Denise Crosby later returned to The Next Generation and further solidified her status as a notable piece of the show's long history. For those unfamiliar, here's why Crosby left the show in Season 1 and why she came back later.
Denise Crosby Decided To Leave The Next Generation After Frustrations With Playing Tasha Yar
Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar might be remembered as a strong and resilient character in her short run in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but there were frustrations on the actress' end with being unable to do more with her character. Similar to past women in the franchise, Crosby felt her role as Yar was simply being present for big events, but never getting the room to do more with her story.
Crosby clarified the details of her departure in an interview with StarTrek.com. The actress explained that while it was her decision to leave, Gene Roddenberry was the one who suggested Yar being killed off in "Skin Of Evil":
I wanted to leave the show. Although, it was Gene's idea to have the character die. He thought it would be so shocking. I wanted to leave as I was struggling with not being able to do much with the character. I had all these ideas and couldn't do them. I was just stage dressing. I chose to leave instead of just being satisfied with that.
The Tasha Yar actress did confess later she felt her character's death was a little anti-climactic, and would've preferred to see her go out in a bloodier or action-packed way more akin to her personality. With that said, Denise Crosby ultimately had no regrets leaving Star Trek: The Next Generation when she did, as it afforded her the opportunity to go and seek out exciting roles elsewhere.
Why Denise Crosby Returned To Star Trek: The Next Generation
Denise Crosby ultimately found herself back as Tasha Yar for the Season 3 episode "Yesterday's Enterprise," due to Picard's run-in with an alternate timeline, and then later in the role of the villainous Romulan commander Sela. In canon, Sela was the half-human, half-Romulan daughter of the previously mentioned alternate timeline Tasha Yar, who had been taken prisoner in the past.
Sela had a number of appearances, including "Redemption," "Redemption II," "Unification II," and her voice was heard in "The Mind's Eye." The role was much more creatively fulfilling and nuanced than what Crosby had done as Yar, and that is likely why she continued on with the role on different episodes. Given that she left the show on her own terms, there was never apprehension on her end about returning.
Finally, Crosby returned to reprise her role one final time in the series finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "All Good Things...," where she played the regular Tasha when Picard traveled back in time. Years later, the actress was asked about reprising Tasha Yar in this wrap-up story and confessed it was not easy:
It was very difficult to do. I underestimated it. This was a character I played and one I felt I already knew. But time has that effect on you, and you are a different person coming back to that character.
Ultimately, fans still remember Denise Crosby for her various roles, and she is reportedly on good terms with the Next Generation cast despite not getting invited to the premiere of Star Trek: Picard Season 3 to celebrate the show's brief nod toward her character. Fortunately, there are still opportunities for future generations to see her work with a Paramount+ subscription, and maybe Crosby will get additional opportunities to be a part of the current era of the franchise.
As mentioned, one can always spend the day with Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes if they have Paramount+. There are still plenty of upcoming Trek shows on the horizon, so be sure to check in and see what's on the calendar in the coming months.
