When actress Denise Crosby first auditioned for Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1986, she was more interested in playing the role of Enterprise-D counselor Deanna Troi (a mixed-race Betazoid psychiatrist) than chief security officer Tasha Yar. The story goes that Crosby got the role of Troi and Marina Sirtis was cast as Tasha Yar, but show creator Gene Roddenberry swapped their roles at the last minute, and both actors adapted surprisingly well to their new roles.
Crosby brought a steely intensity to the role of Yar, fitting seamlessly into the new show’s ensemble. Yar also had prominent roles in episodes “The Naked Now” and “Code of Honor.” He also delivered the infamous anti-drug PSA in the episode “Symbiosis” and seemed interested in the matriarchal planet featured in “Angel One.” There was no reason for Yar not to remain on the series indefinitely, so Trekkies were shocked when Yar was suddenly and randomly killed by the tar monster Armas in the episode “Skin of Evil.” One of the show’s major characters was killed in the middle of a random episode, without any heroism or ceremony.
Jarl’s death heightened the stakes for “The New Generation” — no one knows when they’re going to die — but it also felt perfunctory and premature, like the character wasn’t being respected.
Eventually, Crosby asked to leave the show. While she didn’t necessarily want to kill off Yar, the actor was unhappy with the direction “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was taking. After a few months, she found herself primarily in the background, playing supporting roles for the male characters in front of her. Not content with being what she calls “the iconic hot blonde,” Crosby decided to leave. She explained her reasons for leaving “Star Trek: The Next Generation”: In a 2024 interview with IGNand why he decided to return to Japan.
Death of Tasha Yar
It should not be forgotten that the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation was chaotic and difficult. Roddenberry was often at odds with other producers and writers as they competed for complete control of the series. There were even stories that Roddenberry’s personal lawyer was rewriting the script without anyone’s knowledge. Crosby did not like the turbulent production, but most of all she hated that Yar was not given anything to do. Crosby was young, already wealthy, and without children or a husband, so she felt in a good position to walk away from her contract, even though Star Trek was a lucrative opportunity for her.
After expressing her dissatisfaction, she convinced Roddenberry to step down. Yar ended up leaving the show. Sadly, there was even talk of Sirtis being fired during the turmoil of season one. One of the producers really disliked Gates McFadden. McFadden was eventually fired at the end of the season. Crosby deeply regretted contributing to the turmoil, stating:
“And now they’re saying, ‘Oh my goodness; […] woman. […] So for now I’ll keep Marina and Gates and recast them. […] It caused chaos. That was not my intention. My intention was to bring someone into the room and have them ask, ‘What is this going to be like? What is this character like?’ This is a really amazing opportunity. There’s a lot here, and I’m not going to be just the iconic hot blonde on the show.”
Crosby noted that Roddenberry, despite his vision, was still stuck in the miniskirt world of 1960s “Star Trek” and seemed to have no problem with another TV series with a mostly male cast. But Crosby noted that in 1991, “Gene died and things changed. [showrunner] Michael Piller appears on the show [in season 3] And things have changed.”
Jarl’s Multiple Returns
Of course, “Skin of Evil” wouldn’t be the last time Trekkies would see Yar. In “Next Generation” season 3, Yar was brought back to life by a time-travel paradox in the episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” In the episode, the USS Enterprise-C flies 22 years into the future to escape a crucial battle with the Romulans. However, as the Enterprise-C abandons the battle, a war breaks out and the timeline shifts. The Enterprise-D is suddenly a warship, with Tasha Yar still alive. This was a clever way to get Yar back on the ship.
Crosby loved the script for Yesterday’s Enterprise and often jokes that Yar had to die to make a good story. She recalled that when she got a call from executive producer Rick Berman, she was skeptical of his offer to bring Yar back, saying:
“Rick Berman called me at home. It had been a long time since I’d spoken to him. It was out of the blue. And he said, ‘There’s an episode where Tasha comes back.'” […] I was really shocked. I didn’t expect that. And I was like, ‘Okay, wow. That seems weird.’ And he was like, ‘But the script is really good. Would you like to read it?’ And I was like, ‘Sure.’ I read it over the weekend. And I called him on Monday. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is so good.’ This is exactly what I wanted! Ironic, right?’
Crosby is later resurrected when an alternate timeline version of Tasha travels back in time and has a child with a Romulan, who grows up to be a mean-spirited half-Romulan commander named Sera… also played by Crosby.
As for leaving the show in the first place, Crosby says he has no regrets. It felt like the right choice at the time, and he had every reason to believe Tasha Yar would forever remain a background character. While Yar probably would have been explored in more detail in later seasons, Crosby was happy with the way things played out. After all, “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is considered one of the best episodes of the series.
