Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 4 - "No Win Scenario"Star Trek: Picard season 3 has put the spotlight back on the family of Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden), a family that's been crucial to the franchise since the earliest days of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Beverly and her kin have been important players in the life of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) for years before the events of TNG. Beverly and Jean-Luc would eventually form one of the strongest bonds over TNG's seven seasons and four feature films.
Conspicuously absent from the first two seasons of Star Trek: Picard, Beverly Crusher made her long awaited return in the very first moments of season 3's debut episode "The Next Generation." In the same episode, it's revealed Beverly's former shipmates from the USS Enterprise-D have not had any contact with her for decades, a mystery that haunts them, especially Picard. The revelation of the reason behind's Beverly's absence is a gut punch for Picard, yet another chapter in the Crusher family tale that not only affects Picard, but the entirety of the TNG crew and story.
6 Beverly Crusher
Born Beverly Howard, the future Dr. Crusher was born in Copernicus City on Earth's moon. While both of her parents died very young, she claimed to have had a happy childhood under the care of her grandmother, Felisa Howard (Ellen Albertini Dow). Beverly met Jack R. Crusher (Doug Wert) when they both attended Starfleet Academy, and they married before she graduated. Beverly and Jack became close to Jean-Luc Picard when Jack served with him on the USS Stargazer. Beverly and Jack had one child, Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).
Lt. Commander Jack Crusher died on an away mission while serving aboard the USS Stargazer, an event that would impact both Beverly and Jean-Luc for the rest of their lives. With young Wesley in tow, Beverly eventually became the Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D, reuniting her with Picard. After some initial awkwardness, the pair became close friends and trusted confidantes until Beverly disappeared shortly after the events of Star Trek Nemesis, the final TNG film.
5 Jack R. Crusher
Lieutenant Commander Jack R. Crusher was one of Jean-Luc Picard's closest friends who served with him aboard the USS Stargazer. Jack proposed to Beverly by gifting her a book called How To Advance Your Career Through Marriage. Jack lived long enough to see the birth of his son, Wesley, who he cared for deeply. Jack recorded a touching holographic message for Wesley shortly after his birth that would be seen in the classic TNG episode "Family."
Jack died tragically on an away mission while serving on the USS Stargazer. Jack's death shattered Beverly, and Picard harbored deep guilt over his death for decades. Picard personally brought Jack's body home to Beverly and Wesley so that they could properly mourn him. Jack's death shaped the relationships between Picard, Beverly, and Wesley in ways that are still resonating in Star Trek: Picard season 3.
4 Wesley Crusher
Introduced alongside his mother in the first TNG episode "Encounter At Farpoint," Wesley Crusher was a prodigy, a boy genius who knew the inner workings of the USS Enterprise-D as well as most of the ship's Starfleet personnel. Brilliant but socially awkward, Wesley grew up fast on the Enterprise-D, as Captain Picard recognized his abilities early on and made him an acting Ensign. Wesley remained aboard the Enterprise-D until the TNG season 4 episode "Final Mission," when he departed to attend Starfleet Academy.
Wesley had a bumpy stay at Starfleet Academy, notably in the TNG season 5 episode "The First Duty," where he found himself involved in a conspiracy to cover up the accidental death of a fellow cadet. Wesley resigned from the Academy in the TNG season 7 episode "Journey's End," joining the recurring character called the Traveler (Eric Menyuk) to explore higher planes of existence. Wesley returned in Star Trek: Picard season 2 to extend a similar offer to Kore Soong (Isa Briones), the genetically engineered daughter of Adam Soong (Brent Spiner).
3 Paul & Isabel Howard
Paul and Isabel Howard were Beverly's parents, though they had a surprisingly small impact on her life. Isabel gave birth to Beverly in 2324 in Copernicus City on Earth's moon. Both Paul and Isabel died when Beverly was very young under circumstances that were never made clear, and Beverly only ever expressed fleeting, somewhat innocuous memories of her parents. Despite the tragic death of her parents, Beverly claimed to have had a mostly happy childhood under the care of her grandmother. While the death of her husband and departure of her son from this plane of existence deeply affected Beverly, the absence of her parents was curiously never presented as a major event in her life.
2 Felisa Howard
After Beverly's parents died, she was adopted by her maternal grandmother, Felisa Howard, whom she called "Nana." Felisa was a healer, and her way with natural remedies inspired Beverly to eventually become a doctor. Felisa spent most of her life on Caldos, a planet that was terraformed to resemble Scotland on Earth.
Felisa passed away at the age of 100. Beverly attended her funeral on Caldos in the TNG season 7 episode "Sub Rosa." That episode revealed that Felisa, along with many Howard women before her, had been manipulated by the ghostlike anaphasic life form known as Ronin (Duncan Regehr). When Ronin attempted latch himself onto Beverly, she destroyed the candle that contained his essence, freeing her family from the curse.
1 Jack Crusher
After receiving a desperate distress call from Beverly in 2401, Admiral Picard and Captain William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) hitch a ride on the USS Titan-A to track down the good doctor. They eventually find a wounded Beverly unconscious in a stasis pod being watched over by her newly revealed son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). While devoted to his mother's mission of helping those in medical need on the fringes of Federation territory, Jack is also a bit of a rogue, not above bribery or phaser fights to get the job done.
Jack is eventually revealed to be the son of Beverly and Jean-Luc; Beverly vanished while pregnant with Jack because she feared for her son's safety as the child of a contentious public figure like Picard. Jack ultimately chose to not make his father a part of his life, though circumstances have brought him and his parents together as they attempt to escape the malevolent Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer), who wants Jack for unspecified reasons. After being a foundational part of the franchise for so long, Star Trek: Picard has set the stage for the ultimate Crusher family story.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.