Gates McFadden has shared her thoughts on a season 4 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that drew criticism over the years. She said she wished the script had allowed more time to explore Dr. Beverly Crusher's emotional experience.
McFadden, who played Crusher, discussed the episode titled The Host in an interview. In it, Crusher falls for a Trill ambassador whose symbiont later transfers to other hosts, including William Riker and a female character. The story ends with Crusher ending the relationship amid rapid changes.
She noted that the 45-minute format left little room to show the full psychological impact on her character. McFadden explained that viewers often miss the intense sequence of events Beverly processes in a short time.
The actress rejected claims of any harmful intent behind the character's choice. She added that modern streaming series could handle such a complex dilemma across multiple episodes instead.