One of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation around Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) celebrates strong women in front of and behind the camera. After the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG more female protagonists than Star Trek: The Original Series hadbut the authors did not always know what to do with it. As chief medical officer on the Enterprise-D, Dr. Crusher not only cared for wounded officers but also researched medical treatments for strange alien diseases.

Dr. Crusher’s deep compassion made her one of the Star Trek best doctors, even if she was not the focus of as many storylines as her male colleagues. Although several Star Trek: The Original Series Episodes were written by women (including 10 by author DC Fontana), a woman directed only one episode, TNG Season 3. While TNG Season 3, Episode 6, “Booby Trap” was the first Trek Episode to be directed by a woman, TNG Season 3, episode 12, “The High Ground,” has the distinction of being the first episode written and directed by women.

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All 8 episodes of Star Trek: TNG directed by women (including Gates McFadden)

Of the 178 episodes of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” only 8 hours were directed by women.

TNG’s “The High Ground” was the first Star Trek episode written and directed by women

“The High Ground” was written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Gabrielle Beaumont.

Written by Melinda M. Snodgrass and directed by Gabrielle Beaumont, “The High Ground” centers on Dr. Beverly Crusher, who is taken hostage by a group of terrorists. In the opening scene of the episode A bomb explodes in a public square on the planet Rutia IV and Crusher rushes to help the wounded without hesitation. Although Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) urge Crusher to return to the Enterprise for her own safety, she insists on staying to help the injured. While she is working, one of the terrorists appears and abducts her using an experimental transport device.

There are several elements in The High Ground that indicate that women were involved in the production process. The leader of the terrorists, a man named Kyril Finn (Richard Cox), develops a fascination with Dr. Crusher and draws numerous pictures of her in his sketchbook. The Rutian security forces are led by a woman named Alexana Devos (Kerrie Keane). and although she spends much of the episode with Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), he never makes any romantic advances toward her. In the hands of other writers, any of these storylines could have been turned into a romantic subplot, but thankfully “The High Ground” doesn’t go that route.

Dr. Beverly Crusher shines in “The High Ground” from Star Trek: TNG (and the guest star does too)

Gates McFadden and guest star Kerrie Keane deliver outstanding performances.

In one of Dr. Crusher’s best episodes, “The High Ground,” Beverly is at her most compassionate. Although she does not support the terrorists’ methods, she can understand their motives. Despite her situation, Dr. Crusher does her best to help the sick and injured among the terrorists. She remains true to her beliefs but shows compassion for those around her. Throughout the episode, Beverly demonstrates her intelligence, compassion, and skills as a medical professional. While Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher work to peacefully end the terrorist conflict, Riker and Devos find a way to enter the caves where the terrorists are hiding.

“The High Ground” offers a nuanced view of the conflict and tells a story without any real heroes or villains. As head of Rutian Security Devos is smart and calculating. Although Devos has passed strict anti-terrorism laws, she is motivated more by all the deaths she has seen than by her own prejudices. Kerrie Keane and Dr. Beverly Crusher both deliver strong performances, taking an already solid script to a new level. With its celebration of strong women on screen and behind the scenes, “The High Ground” remains a great, underrated episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.