Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) will redefine a major Star Trek: The Next Generation innovation if Star Trek: Picard‘s proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, happens. In Picard season 3’s finale, “The Last Generation”, Jack takes the third bridge chair beside Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) on the USS Enterprise-G, just as Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) did on the Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation as the ship’s Counselor.
As a spiritual successor to Star Trek: The Next Generation, it makes sense for Star Trek: Legacy to have a similar arrangement for its bridge officers, especially when Jack Crusher is such a significant character. The command trio TNG invented is effective not just in giving most of the main cast a visible place on the bridge, but in emphasizing the importance of emotional concerns and alternate perspectives in making command decisions. With her chair placed at Captain Picard’s side, Counselor Troi’s insights on others’ feelings and motivations have the same weight as Riker’s tactical and procedural advice as First Officer.
Jack Crusher As Counselor Redefines Troi’s Role
In Star Trek: Legacy’s newly-christened USS Enterprise-G, Ensign Jack Crusher’s position as Special Counselor to the Captain redefines Deanna Troi’s TNG role. Troi as counselor on the bridge of the Enterprise-D is a natural extension of her also being the ship’s counselor, but Jack doesn’t have the same training. Instead, Seven of Nine selects Jack Crusher to fill the role of counselor on the basis of her trust in him, his lived experiences, and his frank delivery. Because the Special Counselor to the Captain is hand-picked by the captain to provide unique insight not necessarily conferred by rank, they balance the perspectives on the bridge by virtue of something only they can provide, regardless of what other duties they have.
Jack’s lifelong experience as a civilian with significant Borg-related trauma makes him someone that Seven can not only relate to but trust to come up with out-of-the-box solutions that may not be in line with the standard Starfleet approach. As an unconventional captain, it makes sense for Seven to choose someone who can be an unconventional counselor. No doubt Star Trek: Legacy will see the Federation’s flagship encounter unusual situations particularly suited to its bridge crew of “ne’er-do-wells and rule-breakers”, as Jack refers to himself and the rest of the Enterprise-G’s bridge crew, which will require his expertise.
Jack Crusher Doesn’t Replace Enterprise’s Ship’s Counselor
Jack Crusher’s new role of Special Counselor to the Captain on the Enterprise-G doesn’t replace that of the ship’s counselor. The ship’s counselor was an innovation by Star Trek: The Next Generation to reflect a focus on the mental health of the crew of the USS Enterprise-D, a Galaxy Class starship housing over 1,000 passengers, including children and families, in an open-ended voyage of exploration. The importance of mental health goes back to Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) providing psychological counseling on Star Trek: The Original Series, and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) serves as the USS Discovery’s Counselor in Star Trek: Discovery’s 32nd century.
Starfleet crews still require a counselor to tend to their mental health, and this invention of Star Trek: The Next Generation continues to be a feature of starships that followed the Enterprise-D, given the presence of Dr. Migleemoo (Paul F. Tompkins) on the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Maybe Star Trek: Legacy might even see Counselor Deanna Troi returning to the role she originated, as ship’s counselor on the Enterprise-G while Jack Crusher provides Seven of Nine with a different form of advice in his role as Special Counselor to the Captain.
