One of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation centered on Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) celebrates strong women in front of and behind the camera. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, TNG featured more female main characters than Star Trek: The Original Series had, but the writers didn’t always know what to do with them. As Chief Medical Officer on the Enterprise-D, Dr. Crusher not only tended to any wounded officers but also researched medical treatments for any strange alien illnesses.

Dr. Crusher’s profound sense of compassion made her one of Star Trek’s best doctors, even if she didn’t take center stage in as many storylines as her male counterparts. Although several Star Trek: The Original Series episodes were written by women (including 10 by writer D.C. Fontana), a woman did not direct an episode until 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” holds the distinction of being the first episode written and directed by women.

TNG’s “The High Ground” Was Star Trek’s First Episode Written & 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” spotlights Dr. Beverly Crusher, as she is taken hostage by a group of terrorists. In the opening scene of the episode, a bomb goes off in a public plaza on the planet Rutia IV, and Crusher rushes to aid 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 remaining to help those who are hurt. As she works, one of the terrorists appears and kidnaps her using an experimental transporter device.

There are several elements of “The High Ground” that point to women being involved in the production process. The terrorist leader, a man named Kyril Finn (Richard Cox), develops a fascination with Dr. Crusher, drawing numerous images 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 other writers’ hands, either one of these storylines might have become romantic subplots, but “The High Ground” thankfully doesn’t go that route.

Dr. Beverly Crusher Shines In Star Trek: TNG’s “The High Ground” (& So Does The Guest Star)

Gates McFadden and guest star Kerrie Keane deliver stellar performances.

One of Dr. Crusher’s best episodes, “The High Ground” shows Beverly at her most empathetic. While she does not support the methods the terrorists use, she can sympathize with their motivations. Despite her situation, Dr. Crusher does her best to help the sick and injured among the terrorists, remaining firm in her beliefs but sympathetic to her fellow humans. Throughout the episode, Beverly displays her intelligence, compassion, and skills as a medical professional. As Captain Picard and Dr. Crusher work to end the terrorist dispute peacefully, Riker and Devos find a way to infiltrate the caverns where the terrorists have been hiding.

“The High Ground” offers a nuanced look at its conflict and tells a story with no true heroes or villains. As the leader of Rutian security, Devos is smart and calculated. Although Devos has instituted strict laws to combat terrorism, she is motivated by all of the deaths she has seen rather than her own prejudices. Kerrie Keane and Dr. Beverly Crusher both deliver strong performances, elevating an already solid script. 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.