7-10. Inheritance.

Data meets his "mother" (Fionnula Flanagan)

THE PLOT

The Enterprise comes to the aid of Atria IV, a world whose molten core has begun to solidify. Dr. Pran Tainer (William Lithgow), the top-ranking Atrian geologist, comes aboard with his human wife, Dr. Juliana Tainer (Fionnula Flanagan) to discuss a way to inject plasma into the core to keep it liquified for centuries to come.

The meeting goes well, and Data is easily able to calculate the exact coordinates to make this plan viable. But once she is alone with Data, Juliana has a revelation for him: She was the wife of Dr. Noonian Soong, closely collaborating with him on Data's construction. She is, in effect, his mother.

But as Data spends time with her, gaining insights into a past that precedes his own memories, he begins to suspect something is "off" about her - that Dr. Juliana Tainer may not be precisely who she claims to be...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Largely absent from this episode, though he does show support for Data's interactions with Juliana.

Data: Presented with a mother he never knew he'd had, Data reacts as one would expect: With confusion. Emotion can be read into his responses, but Brent Spiner wisely doesn't play any emotion. Data's insistence on verifying as much of Juliana's story as possible before engaging with her is not unreasonable (would that this crew were always so cautious of strangers' tales). Data asking why Juliana insisted on leaving him is also a fair question, as is his follow-up as to whether that means she values organic life above synthetic. In all cases, Data is presented as seeking information in order to understand and process a situation that doesn't quite make sense. Anything more is the other characters (and a large swath of the audience) reading emotions into his responses. Brent Spiner is excellent as ever, representing the episode's single greatest asset.


THOUGHTS

Inheritance is not just a Data-centric episode... It's Data-centric to such an extent that the other regulars are reduced to little more than set dressing. Data and Juliana are effectively interacting in an echo chamber. It would have been far more enjoyable to have seen them discussing this new relationship with some of the other regulars, to get their various reactions. Worf, who only a couple years ago was presented with a son he hadn't known he had, should certainly have something to say. Sure, Geordi offers some quick words of encouragement and Data calls on Dr. Crusher for assistance. But both of these are short bits that exist to move the plot along, with little sense of the characters' relationships with each other in evidence.

That's not to say this episode is bad. It's a respectable premise, taking a situation much like an adopted child meeting his or her birth mother for the first time and transplanting it to a science fiction setting. Data's interactions with Juliana are well-played by two very good actors. If the dialogue in these scenes matched the talents of the actors delivering it, then this could be a good episode even with the rest of the cast reduced to "extras" status.

Unfortunately, the dialogue lacks bite.  Conversations that should be quick, sharp, and layered are instead merely functional.  In the hands of writers Dan Koeppel and Rene Echevarria (the latter of whom is capable of far better), the exchanges between the two are bland and obvious. Even a hurtful revelation by Juliana at the episode's midpoint exists largely on its surface, when the material demands a more probing treatment.

I'm torn about a twist late in the episode. Had the character work been as strong as the episode needed, then this twist would come as an unwelcome distraction. But given the blandness of what we ended up with, the twist adds a touch of interest, if only for the dilemma into which it thrusts Data. However, this twist either needed to come earlier or not at all. By making the reveal so late, the bulk of the story plays out slowly while Data's big decision is sandwiched into two scenes. 

So... Another disappointing installment of a disappointing season. The good news: Inheritance is a lot better than Force of Nature. It isn't actively bad, setting instead for a sort of tired mediocrity. Which is the bad news, not just of this episode but of far too much of this increasingly tired final season.


Overall Rating: 4/10.

Previous Episode: Force of Nature
Next Episode: Parallels 


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6-16, 6-17. Birthright.

Tokath (Alan Scarfe), commandant
of a most unusual prison camp.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise is docked at Deep Space 9 so that Picard can coordinate with the Bajorans on rebuilding their aqueduct system.  Worf is enjoying a meal on the station when he receives a visitor: Jaglom Shrek (James Cromwell), a Yiridian information broker. Jaglom claims that Worf's father is alive, held with other Klingons in a secret Romulan prison camp. Worf is reluctant to believe this, as surrender casts a Klingon's line into dishonor for three generations, but he decides he must follow up. What he discovers at the camp is very different than what he was led to expect.

Meanwhile, an accident in Engineering provides Data with a vision of his own father, Dr. Noonian Soong. It is a flash of images, one that puzzles him when he can find no sign of malfunction. Determined to pursue it further, Data unlocks a dormant message from his creator - one that promises to expand the limits of his reality!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Looks almost physically pained at the prospect of spending days, if not weeks, poring over the finer points of Bajoran aqueducts. I can't say that I blame him for that. This makes him receptive to Data interrupting him, and the advice he gives is sound: Rather than drawing on cultures that are not his own to assign someone else's meaning to his vision, he advises Data to pursue it himself to find his own meaning for it.

Worf: One area in which Birthright excels is as a showcase for Michael Dorn's Worf, who has developed into a genuinely complex figure by this point in the series. He goes through a number of shifts across the two episodes. He first reacts as a man receiving news he doesn't want might, with denial. Then he is a Klingon warrior in the best sense, determined to face the truth whatever it may be. Then he is a defiant prisoner, determined to escape the Romulan camp. Finally, he takes on the role of teacher, demonstrating through himself the best virtues of the heritage denied to the Klingon children of the camp. Dorn is good throughout, and particularly good in the scenes opposite the Klingon youth. It may not be an excellent episode, but it is a fine showing for Worf.

Data: The glimpse of Soong in his vision is something he can't ignore. Data begins by falling back on his usual pattern: Questioning his friends to search for the ways they would apply meaning to his situation. This is hardly unusual, but then he does something that shows his development across the series: After his talk with Picard, he is actually able to act on the advice of applying his own meaning to the experience.

Geordi: Acts as a supportive friend to Data, listening as Data talks about his vision and helping him to recreate the accident to unlock it. Just as a good friend might, he is willing to go along to a point - but he tells Data that if the risks become too great, he will stop the experiment.

Dr. Bashir: Crossing over from Deep Space 9, Bashir plays a key role in Part One's Data subplot. Refreshingly, he gets more than just a cameo - He has a full supporting role, allowing TNG viewers to get a sense of his character. This is the Bashir of DS9's first season, but fortunately writer Brannon Braga steers clear of the character's early boorishness. Instead, the script focuses on his enthusiasm for new discoveries. He is amazed at the more mundane aspects of Data, recognizing the complexity that went into such things as growing hair and incorporating breathing and a pulse into the maintenance of his functions. Bashir recognizes how much work went into making Data appear so human, and recognizes that this is part of what makes the android such a marvel - not his computing capabilities, which many machines can match, but those traits that allow him to actually live as a man instead of just a machine.

THOUGHTS

Birthright is a two-parter that shouldn't be. There is certainly good material in it. Themes include generational conflict, prejudice, and the importance of connecting young people with their culture. Worthy topics, and there are many fine scenes and some excellent performances.  All that's missing is a story that justifies a 90 minute running time. Separate the Data subplot into an episode of its own, and the Worf storyline would play fine in 45 minutes. In fact, it would play better.

Part One just about works, the pace given a considerable boost by the strength of the Data subplot. Brannon Braga scripts the first episode, and he juggles the two plot strands well enough to keep either from ever feeling diminished by the other. There's a sense of unity, the strands brushing against each other at just the right moment for Data's personal quest to push Worf to act.

Rene Echavarria's script for Part Two, however, narrows its focus strictly to Worf's story. There are interesting scenes, as Worf pushes the young Klingons born in the compound to connect with their heritage. But it becomes very clear, very fast, that this episode has been left to fill 45 minutes of episode with maybe 25 minutes' worth of material. This shows - most particularly in a leaden and unconvincing romance subplot involving Worf and the half-Klingon daughter of Tokath (Alan Scarfe), the Romulan who runs the camp.

Scarfe is particularly good as Tokath.  He is in conflict with Worf throughout the episode, but he is never treated as a villain.  He is instead consistently shown to be a sincere and well-meaning man, one who has given up a promising career to protect his Klingon charges.  The climax is particularly good in its treatment of both Worf and Tokath, and allows the episode to end on a strong note.

Ultimately, this gets a mixed response from me. It has some good material, and Part One works quite well. But as a full piece, Birthright is just stretched a bit too thin. The main plot would have been better-served by being confined to a single episode, perhaps with the Data material allowed an episode of its own.

Worth viewing on the strength of several of the individual parts... It's just a shame those parts never form a very satisfying whole.

Overall Rating: 5/10.

Previous Episode: Tapestry
Next Episode: Starship Mine


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4-03. Brothers

Data and his father.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise is rushing a boy to a nearby Starbase after a practical joke played by his brother goes badly awry, creating a medical emergency. They are less than 24 hours out when Data abruptly changes. He goes silent, and then relentlessly takes control of the ship. All attempts to stop him fail, as he overcomes every action Picard takes with seemingly no effort at all. When he reaches his destination, he uses a series of force fields to block security as he walks to the transporter room (in, incidentally, a genuinely cool scene), and then simply beams down to the planet below.

When Data regains his proper consciousness, he is startled to find himself no long aboard Enterprise, and he has no memory of his actions. Any questions he may have are quickly silenced when he sees where he is: The laboratory of his creator, Dr. Noonien Soong (also played by Brent Spiner). Soong used a homing device to call Data back to him. He is dying, and he has one last gift for his creation: An emotion chip, to allow Data to experience the simple emotions that have so far been denied to him.

But Soong's signal has called someone other than Data to the planet. Lore, Data's evil predecessor, survived being beamed out into space, and has joined the family reunion...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Intently focused on getting the ship back under his control. He responds to the takeover of the Enterprise with speed and determination that would almost certainly have trumped any human hijacker. Despite this, when he sends the Away Team after Data, his instructions - "Bring him home" - make it clear that this incident does not change his view of Data as a member of his crew.

Riker: Continues to be the designated "stern authority" for the ship's general population. Riker is the one who talks to the boy whose practical joke created the medical emergency. He is careful in handling the boy - He's not too harsh, just stern enough to make the point. He is also quite stern with Data when they recover him from the planet, though he does allow Data time with Soong when the android requests it.

Data: This episode is a field day for Brent Spiner, who gets to play three roles - four, if you count the "possessed" Data who takes over the ship at the episode's start. Spiner is terrific, as expected. The first 15 minutes shows us a Data devoid of the usual human warmth. He barely says a word until speech is needed to trick the computer into locking out Picard. He moves quickly and emotionlessly through the ship like an unstoppable force of nature (or technology, as the case may be). The Terminator on a starship, only without the body count. Once Soong re-activates Data, and his more familiar personality emerges, it's really startling just how different Spiner's truly machine-like Data of the beginning was. Spiner remains very good at showing Data as a full character without breaking that character by showing genuine emotion. The final shot of the episode, as Data reacts without reacting to the statement that "Brothers forgive," is a particularly fine nonverbal beat, the perfect one to close out the episode.

Lore: In Datalore, the "evil twin" was almost certainly intended to be a one-shot character. But it was a rare episode and character from the dire first season that actually worked. The creation of the more human, but sociopathic, Lore was genuinely memorable, and brought out a whole new side of Brent Spiner's acting. It was probably inevitable that the opportunity of the character would be picked up down the road, and this episode does that. Writer Rick Berman pares back on the outright "ee-vil" nature of Lore, instead presenting his misdeeds as a reaction to layers of resentment that have built steadily through the years. Lore's genuinely emotional reaction when Soong announces he is dying is a particularly strong moment.


THOUGHTS

After three years acting as a producer for the series, Rick Berman makes his TNG writing debut with Brothers. Not that Berman hadn't had substantial (and steadily growing) input into scripts prior to this point. But Brothers marks the first time that he receives solo credit as a TNG writer. Despite Berman's current (only partially deserved) reputation within Trek fandom, the resulting episode is not just good, but very good.

Attention is captured right away, as we see Data "taken over" just before going into credits. The first third of the episode is dominated by Data's takeover of the Enterprise. A bravura set piece, as we see Picard and his crew attempting every act they can think of to reclaim control of the ship, only for Data to anticipate and outmaneuver them at every turn. It is among the best openings of any Trek episode I can think of.  Credit to not only Berman and Spiner, but also to director Rob Bowman, who keeps this all moving quickly and keeps it all visually dynamic.

The bulk of what follows is very talky, with conversations between Data and Soong and Lore and Soong, but it remains good. Brent Spiner differentiates all three roles with unique acting tics for each character. Lore's distress that his "father" is dying plays as genuine - but is replaced by something crafty (fueled by resentment) when Soong reveals the chip he has created for Data. The interplay between the three characters works and, just as the back-and-forth between Soong and Data begins to get old, Lore is dropped into the mix to add some tension and danger.

The episode ends in a way that begs for a follow-up. Lore's next return will definitely be something I'll be looking forward to.


Overall Rating: 9/10

Previous Episode: Family

Next Episode: Suddenly Human

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1-13. Datalore

THE PLOT

The Enterprise pays a visit to the world where Data was discovered. The entire Earth colony that once resided there has disappeared. Beaming down, the Away Team discovers a hidden laboratory, concealed within what is made to appear to be a natural structure. This laboratory is where Data was constructed. And in a storage area, they find a disassembled twin of Data's - Data's "brother," Lore.

Putting the pieces together, the Enterprise crew manage to revive Lore. But it isn't long before Data worries that Lore can't be fully trusted. It's clear that Lore has more ease in "acting human" than Data does, but his private comments reveal that he doesn't respect humanity. When Lore makes contact with a dangerous Crystalline Entity, he renders Data unconscious and takes his place on the Enterprise bridge. His plan? To deliver the entire crew of the starship to the Entity, in return for their knowledge to advance his own ambitions of power!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Picard: Noting the discomfort of his officers in directly addressing Data's status as a machine, he quite sensibly clears the air. The advantages of having a more intellectual captain are demonstrated as he puts all at ease by drawing an equivalency between the machine that is Data and the machine that is man. Quick to erupt when Wesley breaches protocol to air his mistrust of Lore, but equally quick to forgive all when that breach of protocol helps to save the ship.

Data: His memory contains the accumulated knowledge of the colonists on the world where he was created. Data's first conscious memory is of being discovered on that world, 26 years earlier. Prior to this episode, he did not know the identity of his creator, nor did he realize that there was any other being like him. Insofar as it is possible for Data to be excited, he is excited at the prospect of having a "brother." He assists in assembling and reviving his brother, and initially attempts to act as a guide to Lore, to integrate him into life on the Enterprise. But, as he assures Picard early on, his loyalty remains to the ship and its crew.

Lore: Brent Spiner pulls double-duty, playing both Data and the "evil twin," Lore. Spiner's abilities as a physical actor serve him in good stead, making it very easy for viewers to differentiate between the two characters. As Lore, Spiner brings a slightly different pitch to his voice, a different tilt to the head, a near-eternal hint of a smirk, even a different walk. When Lore impersonates Data, Spiner doesn't simply "play Data" in these scenes... He plays Lore playing Data, giving us a Data who is slightly "off." It's an excellent performance by probably the strongest member of the Next Generation ensemble. If the Emmys didn't spurn science fiction as a matter of course, Spiner's work on this show, and in this season particularly in this episode, would have been worthy of a Supporting Actor Emmy.


SHUT UP, WESLEY!

Renaming this section after arguably the episode's best line, helpfully said twice in the course of the episode. Of course, this being the first season, when Gene Roddenberry's need for Wesley to act as a male Mary Sue was it its apex, it can only be delivered in the context of Picard being 100% wrong - and unreasonable, to boot - and Wesley being 100% right. Yes, Wesley the Wise is the only member of the Enterprise crew to even consider the possibility that Lore is impersonating Data. Even after Lore fails to respond to Picard's traditional "Make it so," or after he calls Riker by his last name rather than as "Commander Riker," the bridge crew only become vaguely aware that it might be a good idea to send a very small security detachment after him.

Fortunately, Wesley is on-hand to save the ship by beaming Lore into space. Doubly fortunate, since the Enterprise crew is apparently incapable of intra-ship communications to alert security crews on all decks to be alert for an intruder who looks like Data. And having these nonexistent security crews who cannot possibly be put on alert guard a sensitive area like the transporter room... Well, that would be just crazy, wouldn't it?


THOUGHTS

After being a generally dire program for the first half of its first season, Next Generation has been steadily improving over the course of the season's second half. Hide and Q and Haven were flawed episodes, but highly watchable and entertaining. The Big Goodbye was genuinely quite good. Now Datalore continues this steady run of improvement, presenting a well-paced and thoughtful script that plays to the strengths of most of the performers.

Some of the series' flaws are still in evidence. From a 20+ year on perspective, the technical limitations of early TNG are very evident, particularly in some of the very obvious split-screen moments in which Brent Spiner plays opposite himself. To harp too much on this point would seem churlish... but it is worth noting that there were studio-bound planet sets in '60's Trek that were at least as well-done as the one seen here, while the laboratory beneath the planet is far too obviously a redressed Enterprise set, with no attempt made to disguise this by even dimming the lighting.

Lighting in general remains a problem for this show, with every set consistently overlit when a bit of darkness would do a world of good. Note the brief scene after the first commercial fadeout, the scene in which the Chief Engineer is trying to assemble Lore. For a rare change, someone actually has turned down the lights, and it's so much more effective for it. If only this show was willing to do that more often! As it stands, the series always seems to be floodlit.

So why do I pick Datalore as the episode to complain about the overlit sets that are apparent in every episode? Well, honestly in large part because this episode doesn't offer up much else to complain about. It's a good one, almost a great one. It's an important episode, in that it introduces some major elements that would recur: Lore, Dr. Noonian Soong, and the Crystalline Entity. It's also very well-structured.

The first half of the episode is carried by the discovery of Data's origins, and of his twin. Once Lore is revived, we know we're in familiar territory - the "evil twin" episode - and that it's only a matter of time before Lore is impersonating Data. If that had been the extent of the story's invention, the second half would have fallen down considerably - as has happened in many other episodes.

But then the script throws us a curve ball, by introducing the Crystalline Entity. It doesn't come out of nowhere. It answers a mystery introduced in the teaser, in fact - What destroyed the colonists? By linking Lore to the Entity, the threat level is raised considerably. We have seen the dead world, so we know what the Entity can do. By making Lore its accomplice, we also see just how evil Lore is. At the same time, if Lore is communicating with it, guiding it to sentient life it can destroy, then the Entity is also intelligent - making it that much more dangerous. One plot strand serves the other plot strand, making the episode as a whole that much tighter and that much more effective.


THE PICARD SLEDGE-HAMMER

Regrettably, it ends with another battering by The Picard Sledge-Hammer, as the moral of the story is imparted to us by Picard musing about how Data and Lore reflect the nature of humanity. Really, honestly, we got it. We're not lobotomized, we got that the "more human" Lore is really humanity's greed and ambition, and the "struggling-to-be-human" Data is actually humanity's higher qualities, particularly loyalty in this episode. We don't need that shoved down our throats with a sermon in literally the final minute of what has been an excellent episode. Say what you will about the Kirk/Spock/McCoy "comedy" tags that make me groan often at the end of TOS episodes... At least they aren't spelling out "the lesson of the day" for "the children." I half-expect Worf to pop up in the background and grunt something about how, "Knowing is half the battle."


Nit-picking about the dreadful closing seconds aside, this is by far the best Next Generation episode yet. A superb dual performance by Brent Spiner, a taut script, and an ingenious story structure make this the first "great" episode of this series. A bit of grumbling about technical limitations and overlighting to one side, I have no problem in awarding this a very high:

Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: The Big Goodbye
Next Episode: Angel One


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