Tasha Yar
Lieutenant Natasha "Tasha" Yar, played by Denise Crosby, is a character in Star Trek: The Next Generation.[1] She serves as chief of security aboard the USS Enterprise-D.[1]
Crosby left the series at the end of first season, but reprised the role in "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "All Good Things...".[1]
Development
Originally, the character was to be named "Macha Hernandez" and was set to be played by Jenette Goldstein.[2] Yar was originally inspired by the character of Vasquez in Aliens.[3] Goldstein was replaced by Marina Sirtis.[2] At that time, Denise Crosby was set to play Deanna Troi, but she and Sirtis switched roles before production began.[2]
Although "Skin of Evil" aired after "Symbiosis", the latter was the last episode Crosby filmed; she is visible in the background of one scene waving goodbye at the camera.[3]
Overview
Yar, of Ukrainian descent, was born on Turkana IV, a colony that fell into chaos and eventually severed ties to the United Federation of Planets.[1] Tasha learned to defend herself on the streets and avoid rape gangs.[1] She left Turkana IV at age 15, leaving her younger sister behind, and later attended Starfleet Academy.[1]
After watching Yar cross a minefield to save a colonist, Jean-Luc Picard requested that she be assigned to his next command.[1] She later becomes chief of security and chief tactical officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D.[1]
Armus kills Yar on Vagra II as a demonstration of his power in "Skin of Evil".[1] Worf replaces her as chief tactical and security officer.[1]
In "Yesterday's Enterprise", the USS Enterprise-C travels into the future in the midst of defending a Klingon colony from Romulan attack, creating an alternate timeline in which the Federation and Klingon Empire are at war, and in which Yar did not die on Vagra II.[1] Learning from Guinan that she died a senseless death in the normal timeline, Yar opts to return to the past aboard the Enterprise-C.[1] There, she is captured and becomes consort to a Romulan general in order to spare her fellow survivors' lives.[1] She later bears a child, Sela, also played by Crosby.[1]
Yar's final appearance is in scenes that take place in an alternate past in the series finale, "All Good Things...".[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Okuda, Mike and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53609-5.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c Star Trek: The Next Generation first-season DVD commentary
- ^ a b Nemeck, Larry (2003). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-5798-6.