“Unnatural Selection”
Written by John Mason and Mike Gray
Directed by Paul Lynch
Season 2, Episode 7
Original air date: January 30, 1989
Star date: 42494.8
Mission summary
With Enterprise en route to Star Station India to meet a Starfleet medical courier, Captain Picard is mulling over Dr. Pulaski, who has been on his ship for about seven episodes. He asks Counselor Troi if he should be worried that the irascible doctor is so good at her job that she might be bad at her job, but Troi assuages his concerns about her new BFF. He grudgingly agrees with her, and a timely distress call may provide the means to discover if he was right after all.
The U.S.S. Lantree, a Federation supply ship, sends an ominous transmission:
Can’t hold out any more. People dying. Too many to help.
There is no further communication, so Picard decides to intercept the vessel to render assistance. The Lantree seems undamaged, but there are no life signs aboard. Picard uses remote desktop access to turn on the Lantree’s webcam, which shows a bunch of old people dead at their Bridge stations.
RIKER: Looks like they had a battle with time.
WORF: And lost.
Pulaski confirms that they all died of natural causes: old age. Damn you, Time!
The puzzling thing is that everyone on the crew had been checked out before their mission and were in prime health, and the captain is supposed to be Riker’s age. The ship’s first officer had contracted Thelusian flu, but it seems more likely that their visit to the Darwin Genetic Research Station is somehow involved.
They quarantine the Lantree and take off for Gagarin IV, where Dr. Pulaski is warmly greeted by Dr. Kingsley, who is a big fan of her erotic bestseller, “Linear Models of Viral Propagation.” Kingsley and her staff are all succumbing to “geriatric phenomena,” which begins with a bad case of arthritis. Pulaski suggests that their genetic research is coming back to haunt them, but Kingsley pooh-poohs it away, and she begs Enterprise to save their children. Please, won’t someone think of the children?
Picard hates children, of course, and these are potentially dangerous besides, as they might be carrying the unknown disease. Pulaski’s insubordination convinces him to allow her to beam one up to study under a forcefield and in suspended animation. Instead of a 12-year-old boy, they get a manchild, but at least he’s still shrinkwrapped and in mint condition. In addition to his advanced maturity, Troi senses that the kid is telepathic—the result of Kingsley’s attempts to upgrade humanity to the next level.
Pulaski insists that to properly examine this perfect, nearly naked physical specimen, she has to remove his sterilite containment. She and Picard argue over it; he won’t allow her to proceed unless she can find a foolproof way to isolate him from the ship.
The only way is to study him on a shuttlecraft. She volunteers herself as a guinea pig to test her theory that the boy is not a disease carrier, and she brings her favorite mechanical pal, Data, to pilot the shuttle–theorizing that he won’t be affected if she’s wrong. As soon as she removes the boy from his blister pack, he talks to her telepathically. In a short while, she cries out in pain, clutching her left elbow: sudden and severe arthritis! She is so dead. Or maybe she’s just been playing too much Wii tennis with Troi lately.
They send the kid back where he came from, and since they’re under quarantine, Pulaski and Data take the shuttle to the station as well. Pulaski soon realizes that the kids’ overzealous immune systems created an airborn antibody in response to exposure to the Thelusian flu, which has irrevocably altered the DNA of the normal humans around them. It is irreversible. Irreversible!
On Enterprise, a desperate Picard and Chief O’Brien discuss various improbable scenarios in which the transporter can be used to save Dr. Pulaski, who is aging at an accelerated rate. They hit a setback when they can’t get a hold of a recent transporter trace to serve as a template for their witchcraft, since Pulaski rarely uses the infernal machine. But there might be a way, if they find a DNA sample that will allow them to use the transporter’s biofilters to remove her genetic alterations. After rifling through her sock drawer, they finally locate a hairbrush. Jinkies! That’ll do.
Picard takes over the transporter controls from O’Brien, since if this experimental procedure fails, he’ll have to beam Pulaski’s atoms into space. Following some brief dramatic tension, it works after all. They use the same technique to fix all the scientists and leave them on Gagarin IV, alive but forever separated from their deadly children on the station in orbit. Enterprise then returns to the Lantree to destroy it, while Pulaski gets preachy about scientific achievement coming with a price.
Analysis
Many of the original series episodes involved an intriguing medical mystery and a race against time to save a planet, a station, a ship, or Enterprise officers from an untimely demise. “Unnatural Selection” is a bit of a throwback to those storylines, and it even “borrows” from one of the best episodes of Star Trek, “The Deadly Years.” But as we saw with “The Naked Now,” TNG just doesn’t excel at these kinds of stories, and the same is true here. Where “The Deadly Years” was grounded in characters we cared about and their personal, emotional struggles with old age and impending death, in this episode the only stakes are a small crew of strangers and a station full of mad scientists, and the script scrambles to try to make us care about Dr. Pulaski in just one episode—cramming several episodes worth of character development into one short teaser. I’m more distressed that they lost a shuttlecraft because of this mess. So long, Sakharov.
In addition to the belated attempts to make Pulaski interesting or sympathetic, or at least more than an expendable replacement for Dr. Crusher, the script does an impressive job of seeming to make some kind of scientific sense. They speak a lot of big, fancy words with conviction. But once you start talking about airborne antibodies rewriting human DNA, you’ve kind of lost me. (However, there may be some interesting commentary in the fact that the children’s bodies identified their parents as harmful to their health.) I was absolutely floored by the frantic handwaving and unrestrained technobabble cluttering up the script. Surely Colm Meaney deserved an Emmy for delivering lines like this with a straight face:
Well, I’d have to get into the biofilter bus to patch in a molecular matrix reader. That’s no problem. But the waveform modulator will be overloaded without the regeneration limiter in the first stage circuit.
Riiiight… Did you get all that? This is the equivalent of expositional tap dancing, and Meaney is a master. “Make it so,” Captain Picard? I think you mean, “Make it up!”
Though they’re all so uncertain that this is going to work, that maybe it has never been tried, we’ve already seen it many times in the franchise, including the animated series episodes “The Lorelei Signal” and “The Counter-Clock Incident.” (This is not a good thing.) And we will see it again and again and again. Whenever someone gets sick with some rare, deadly, unknown disease, or is inexplicably aged in one direction or the other, the first protocol should be, “Run them through the transporter on fluff cycle.” Which I suppose puts Dr. Pulaski at a bit of a disadvantage, given her mistrust of the technology. Ah, bitter irony. The very device she fears has saved her life!
Her similarity to McCoy’s phobia about the transporters is laid on pretty thick here, and I have a hard time believing that Starfleet would accommodate any officer who refused to use a basic piece of “proven” technology. In Kirk’s day, maybe, but here it’s nearly a century later and the transporters have improved, and she’s still inconveniencing everyone into giving her shuttle rides? Even McCoy rarely tried to get away with that; he used the transporter in practically every episode, he just complained about it a lot.
It’s even harder to accept that Picard would tolerate one of his crewmembers giving him as much attitude as Pulaski does. Even though he calls her on it, he essentially grimaces and bears it, and we’re meant to believe that once he finds out she’s a Picard fangirl, all is forgiven. He even hugs her at the end! How cute that she has the same doubts about Picard’s passion blinding his judgment! Though I appreciate the nearly unprecedented level of interpersonal conflict between the crew, it’s only surface deep and feels much too forced—as well as having a weak payoff, because they’ve only been trying to settle their differences for about forty minutes.
There are also some other stupid things to consider, such as a so-called scientist risking exposure to prove a point, which is frankly a huge cliché. Risk is established as a big theme in this episode, because everyone’s talking about it, but it loses its punch when someone can literally flip a switch at the end and reset everything to the way it was. Speaking of transporters, why did O’Brien have to go watch that kid beam out of Sickbay while his assistant pushed all the buttons?
I did really like one moment in the episode: when Data beams back after being under quarantine and Picard rushes up to ask him a question, the captain pauses to say it’s good to see him again. No matter how busy you are, it’s important to remember your manners.
It seems a waste to deal with a disease that causes old age without taking the opportunity to address the implications of old age, but another episode did it better, and “Unnatural Selection” would rather warn us about messing with nature—a very unexpected message from a show that celebrates human evolution, advancement, and ingenuity.
Eugene’s Rating: Warp 1 (on a scale of 1-6)
Thread Alert: I’ll just point out that the Star Trek wardrobe department either really hates children, or has no idea how to dress them. Apparently the script originally called for the Darwin children to be nude, which would have been difficult to stage with transparent furniture. So instead someone came up with these delightful ensembles, which remind me of an unfortunate mashup of Old Navy and Fanta commercials. Can’t you just taste the rainbow? Also, these are the laziest kids ever, using telepathy to manipulate chess pieces instead of picking them up with their hands; but then again, they’re obviously germophobes so maybe they don’t want to touch anything.
Best Line: TROI: Let’s just say you both have well established personalities.
Trivia/Other Notes: Maurice Hurley heavily rewrote this script, removing scenes on the Lantree as well as a subplot concerning an attractive assistant/love interest for La Forge whose beauty inadvertently caused her crew mates to suffer amusing accidents. (Seriously?)
Appropriately enough, Diana Muldaur apparently couldn’t remember her lines and required cue cards.
This is the first episode in which Colm Meaney’s character is named O’Brien and designated as Transporter Chief.
This episode also contradicts later episodes (or vice versa) that establish that genetic engineering is outlawed in the Federation. Khaaaaaaaannnnn!!!
Previous episode: Season 2, Episode 6 – “The Schizoid Man.”
Next episode: Season 2, Episode 8 – “A Matter of Honor.”
Oh, gods-on-toast, the flying DNA episode.
I thought Season 2 was supposed to be better?
/curmudgeon
Also, as it reminded me, I actually have one degree of separation from Andrei Sakharov. Back when I was in university (1992, to be exact), I was called on at very short notice to be one of two interpreters for Elena Bonner, Dr. Sakharov’s widow and fellow peace campaigner, when she visited our university to receive an honourary doctorate. For three days, I got to meet all the great and famous of southern Ontario, as they flocked to meet the famous lady. Got some awesome food, and to spend a fair amount of time just talking with her in various limos, elevators, and so on. An amazing and forceful personality, not what you expect from such a huge peacenik, very strong opinions, smoked like a steel mill, nasty Russian cigarettes too, sometimes small cigars.
Considering I was only in fourth year, I was very cognizant of the enormousness of the honour I got. I did a few other interpreting gigs, before I realized I much preferred translation and gave it up. Interpreting always gives me headaches, trying to think in two languages at once, and holding three sentences in my head at a time, and…ugh. Sore just thinking about it. :/
So yeah. There’s my brush with greatness.
@1 CaitieCait
I know… I count like 4 or 5 really good ones coming up later this season, and some watchable ones. Stay with us! :)
@2
That is very cool. I should also mention that the planet Gagarin IV is likely named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. The script writers clearly have much love for Russian pioneers.
Eugene: Yeah, I guess it speaks well of our community here that I just assumed everyone would know who Sakharov and Gagarin were, no? :)
What this episode really does is solidify my intense dislike of Pulaski. She’s brusque, arrogant, humorless, has poor bedside manner, and thinks the rules don’t apply to her. At the very least, they could have used the time she and Data had in the shuttle to do something to develop the relationship between them, but that’s just another lost opportunity.
Colm Meany’s ability to spew technobabble believably is probably what got him the DS9 gig. They wanted to bring somebody over to offer viewers some continuity and that skill along with his slowly growing presence as the new Mr. Kyle made him a good choice, with Chief Engineer being a good excuse. Anybody else would have overshadowed Avery Brooks early on.
Caitie, hang on, we’re almost there. The next couple of weeks are a major uptick (mind you, after that things go all over the place, but it’s a start). And I hear you with interpreting. I won’t touch it. Too stressful. Not to mention, I process things much better visually than aurally.
You’d think that after The Naked Now they’d know better than to recycle old Star Trek episodes. But no.
I’m highly amused that their method of trying to get people to like a generally unlikable character is to give her a disease without a cure. I’m even more amused that with DIana Muldaur is one of the oldest regular members of the cast, they still decided to give her an aging disease. It’s just not going to have as big an impact seeing someone like Pulaski age as it would have if it were Riker or Wes. On the other hand, since Sir Patrick apparently doesn’t age, it’s a good thing they didn’t try it on him.
I hate it when they use the transporter as a solution to a disease. Impossibly lame.
Perhaps I am alone in thinking Pulaski comes across rather well in this episode, at least at the very end. Or at least, better. She shows an almost fanatical devotion to medical care that transcends the usual wave of a medical tricorder followed by, “He’s dead, Jim.” Beverly gives up and pulls off the scrubs rather casually most of the time, too. Pulaski’s not going to give up on these patients or this problem.
On first watch, without knowing what’s to follow, one might be momentarily deceived into concluding this is “it” for Pulaski. She’s not established as a regular, and we don’t really know what her long-term status is among the regular cast. Much of it seems to be filing down her thorns for the inevitable send-off, and so that part seems effective. There comes a point late in the episode where the Enterprise really does seem about to depart and leave her to her fate. And she seems resolved to that fate.
Recombining her with more youthful DNA from her hairbrush is handwavery of the highest order and really opens a jumbo can of worms: Given this treatment, why should anyone ever die of age or disease again? Once again, the transporter is just Magic.
@7 Lemnoc
Indeed, my wife was half-watching this with me and assumed from the very beginning that Pulaski was done for, because she’d never seen her before or had forgotten about Crusher’s brief hiatus. It would have been surprising and interesting if she had died, or been forced to stay behind, kind of how Kai Opaka, a semi-regular character on DS9, soon suffered an unconventional fate. You’re right that on the first watch, there could have been a true sense of jeopardy because she’s only ever listed as a guest star, and she’s been on for a handful of episodes–which only makes the lengths they go to save her that much more ludicrous. They handle this much better in later seasons and series when we grow attached to a minor character only to have him or her turn out to be a traitor or canon fodder. (Pun intended, naturally.)
This episode marks the one and only time humans are seen performing legal genetic engineering, since it will later be established that genetically engineering humans is illegal in the Federation.
But it is possible that genetic engineering is illegal in the Federation for normal lay people, while at the same time the government does allow a small group of experts to do work in the field. It is possible for something to be illegal for most, but legal for some with special government consent and oversight. Like use of certain types of drugs or weapons.
I’ve always been interested in what happen to these poor kids, given my dislike of the Federation ban on genetic engineering.
@9 Data Logan
Excellent point that the government might be carrying on secret experiments. But this begs another question: Why didn’t Enterprise know what was happening on the station? So they find out that everyone on a ship has mysteriously died of old age, and the ship was recently at a laboratory that carries out genetic engineering, but it seems no one ever looks up what kinds of experiments they’re up to. And now that I think about it, why can’t they contact Darwin Station before they arrive? Couldn’t they have hailed them from a distance and asked what was up?
I dislike when TNG does thin retreads of original series episodes, and this one almost crosses two of them; “The Deadly Years”, and in a tangential sort of way,”Miri” ( you know, genetically mutated kids left on their own ). Except that that in this case, they left out all of the emotional involvement with any of the characters and their plight.
By the way; is it possible that old age make up got even LESS convincing in the ’80s than the ’60s? If this episode and “Too Short A Season” are any indication, I would have to say, “yes”!
Weak gruel, indeed.
—Perhaps I am alone in thinking Pulaski comes across rather well in this episode, at least at the very end. Or at least, better. She shows an almost fanatical devotion to medical care that transcends the usual wave of a medical tricorder followed by, “He’s dead, Jim.” —-yep—couldn’t agree more–as much as i enjoy the interaction of these officers and crew–using their expertise to solve problems—it is sad that this is a waste–because we all know that the good doctor is a throw away—and i was thinking–how much the spirit of the prime directive is consistent with making genetic engineering illegal—btw—nice plug by riker for the viewscreen guys—how’d you do that?—good job—
@11 dep1701
is it possible that old age make up got even LESS convincing in the ’80s than the ’60s?
I was thinking the same thing! It’s especially bad considering Muldaur was already older than the rest of the cast. I assume it’s simply a difference between the makeup artists on the original series and those on TNG. Perhaps in the 60s they had more of a theater background? Or they were at least better at using lighting in conjunction with the makeup and special effects.
@12 lane arnold
Though the producers say they didn’t fire Muldaur, she has openly criticized the series for not being as creative and original as she had hoped; I’m still surprised that she never returned or was even mentioned later in the series or movies. They may have mentioned her in passing in one of the other seasons, but I don’t think so. In contrast, Yar continued to be referenced and Crosby managed to come back in the same and related roles later. They seem to want us to forget that Muldaur ever happened, but whether she worked or not, she was one of the more interesting things to happen to TNG in its entire run, and I think her character deserves better than to be completely forgotten.
“Though the producers say they didn’t fire Muldaur, she has openly criticized the series for not being as creative and original as she had hoped; I’m still surprised that she never returned or was even mentioned later in the series or movies. They may have mentioned her in passing in one of the other seasons, but I don’t think so. In contrast, Yar continued to be referenced and Crosby managed to come back in the same and related roles later. They seem to want us to forget that Muldaur ever happened, but whether she worked or not, she was one of the more interesting things to happen to TNG in its entire run, and I think her character deserves better than to be completely forgotten.”
I wonder if Muldaur could be added to the list of original series vets invited to participate in the new series who became disenchanted with Roddenberry’s new uncompomising and aloof attitude ( aided by his apparent Svengali, lawyer Leonard Maizlish ). From many reports, Maizlish did his best to prevent people from any having access to Roddenberry and participated in rewrites ( although he was not a member of any writer’s guild ).
Others who left on bad, disillusioned or unhappy terms were Dorothy Fontana, Robert Justman, and David Gerrold. Another short term staffer who had less than flattering things to say about Roddenberry was Tracy Torme. Andrew Probert left too, but that was more due to Rick Berman ( which is another chapter entirely ).
I believe that, somewhere along the line, Gene must have started to believe ( at least a little ) the things adoring fans were saying about him being a ‘visionary’. He began to jealously protect what he felt was HIS vision, forgetting that a lot of what made the original series so great were the contributions and collaborations of other writers and crew. Maizlish apparently fed this megalomania and did his best to keep anyone with an opposing viewpoint at bay. This helped keep the ” no one in the 24th century will be jealous, covet, argumentative, vain, or exhibit any other recognizable human foibles” nonsense in place.
Part of this could also be attributed to the illness that was creeping up on Gene at this point, but really, how many of us could be told by wide-eyed adoring masses how wonderful we are for 20 years, and not buy into it…at least a little bit?
I spend a week in Dallas digging in an archive and this happens. Well. It hasn’t shaken my feeling that Pulaski stands with Picard as the two most interesting characters in TNG. That scene where she asks to use the shuttlecraft should have been the point where she becomes established as a member of the crew. But it wasn’t. Everybody criticizes Muldaur’s performances but how much is the fault of the writers? I get the feeling they didn’t know how to write for a character like Pulaski. (And the interference from the front office didn’t help.) This episode has moments that stand strong in my memory from my first viewing but I do agree with the problems cited above. The interplay between Pulaski and Data could have (should have) set the playing field for their argument. Something like “But, you don’t realize that in trying to act Human you set yourself apart. Humans don’t try to act Human, they just are what they are. Do you even know what you are? I don’t mean being an android. I mean instead of trying to be what you think someone else thinks you should be, you let the core of who you feel yourself being came out and grow. No mimicry, just let me see the real Data and maybe I’ll be able to see you as more than your programming.” The writers couldn’t let this happen though because doing so and letting it guide Data’s development would have endangered his potential as comic relief.
“There are also some other stupid things to consider, such as a so-called scientist risking exposure to prove a point, which is frankly a huge cliché.” Yes, it is, but it is also what doctors do. Sometimes it’s a big risk, but usually it’s a small risk.
On the use of the transporter. This episodes suggests that we should work to develop that technology. Don’t you realize. The transporter could be used to cure the common cold.
Inspired by Ludon’s thoughts on the transporter, do we know whether Data’s positronic brain is in some manner a quantum computer? Only I’m wondering how a transporter could possibly beam him anywhere and expect him to come out anything but…well, randomized?…if he were?
So probably better that he isn’t. I don’t think the writers really want to spend time considering the interaction of “definitive time-based description of all entities” and quantum computing.
Of course, if he IS quantumcomputational, then it becomes perfectly reasonable – in fact, accurate – for him to answer the question “how are you?” with “yes”.
Yeah, most of the absolute nonsense about the transporter has already been hit — it’s just clear these authors have no idea how a transporter would actually work (if they have the pattern they do not need *your* atoms, *your* atoms are nothing special and there’s no reason to send them across space! You just need a big bucket of carbon, some nitrogen, a little potassium for flavor, etc.) A Transporter Is a Replicator. So they should have, say, as many Datas as they could wish.
Aaaaaanyway.
The other Total Science Fail was the idea of free-floating antibodies that attack threats before they are even threats. What? How would that possibly work? Are these kids walking around in a cloud of self-emitted proteins whose job is to freak out whenever they encounter a novel substance? That makes no sense, and even if it did, it’s a terrible idea, and no. why?! no! No one would ever build this!!
@17 DeepThought
Well-l, this is kinda how white blood cells work…. More to the point, the scientists didn’t exactly build this. IIRC, it was an unintended consequence of their Frankenscience to create a better human with a more aggressive immune system.
The idea was intrguing, but left undeveloped, that a new breed of human would aggressively supplant the old breed, perhaps the way Homo Sapiens (apparently, who really knows?) supplanted Neanderthals.
Of course the Star Trek wardrobe department hates children. This is because children are horrible.
@ 19; Of course they are. Simply see TOS episode “And The Children Shall Lead” for proof.
Hey all, sorry I’m late to the party. I had a last-minute trip abroad and just got home yesterday, so today’s post is going to be late and I’m only getting to this one now.
@ 2 Cait
That is massively cool.
@ 5 DemetriosX
I am with you. I really don’t understand how this woman has a job at all, let alone on the Enterprise. If she can’t take orders or even let her commander finish speaking, she shouldn’t be wearing a uniform.
@ 6 Toryx
That was also weird to me. She’s older than Patrick Stewart at this point, right?
@ 7 Lemnoc
My issue with her devotion to this cause is how fickle it is depending on the plot. She turns into a maternal metaphor, obsessed with saving these “children,” thinks nothing but the best of these grotesque genetic experiments, risks life and limb (stupidly, in my opinion–don’t take off your suit unless you know what causes the disease!) for everyone but herself. The episode just heaps abuse on her. It teaches her A Lesson about Taking Risks But Not Too Many, and then rewards Picard for saving her. It just strikes me as the worst kind of put-her-in-her-place throwback. I don’t think her qualities of devotion to science are supposed to be laudable, and her risks are so absurd that you want her to be proven wrong. She is effectively humbled by the experience.
@ 15 Ludon
I don’t have a problem with Muldaur’s performance. She does the best she can with the dreck she’s given, and she has some serious stage presence when she’s up against Picard. But she’s written as hopelessly, foolishly rigid.
Re: Data, I can’t disagree more. Humans learn everything through mimicry. Absolutely everything! Language, behavior, culture… It makes complete sense that he would discover himself the same way.
Lastly, doctors absolutely do not put themselves at risk for stupid things like that. I remember watching Contagion and being outraged when the doctor decides to just inject herself with a prototype vaccine and walk around the plague ward to see if it works. That kind of behavior leads to a massive extinction of scientists…
@ 19 S. Hutson Blount
See our tag: horrible horrible children.
I don’t have much to add here, but I thought the Muldaur-Stewart interactions were riveting. Finally, two really strong actors facing off! Unfortunately they’re both written to behave as foolishly as possible. As I said above, I really do not understand how Pulaski has a job. She should have been fired five times over by now, and Picard shouldn’t be taking any crap from her.
This also has some of the worst science of any episode of Star Trek, and that’s saying something. Magical airborne DNA antibodies science science science! I have no sympathy for the mad scientists and their freaky children. I think the Enterprise should have just bombed the station into oblivion.
Warp 1.
@21 Torie:
“This also has some of the worst science of any episode of Star Trek, and that’s saying something. Magical airborne DNA antibodies science science science! I have no sympathy for the mad scientists and their freaky children. I think the Enterprise should have just bombed the station into oblivion.”
“Yeah…it’s the only way to be sure”
You tell ’em, Ripley! ;)
@21 Torie
Mimicry is only a part of the learning process. Observation and association without mimicry or acting out is another part. Even the part of the process that uses mimicry, experience, doesn’t rely solely on it. A child decides to try to build a top heavy structure with wooden building blocks and learns the limitations of the tools by experimenting until a structure doesn’t collapse. Let the child play with Lego bricks and the lesson that different tools can have different limitations can be learned. I don’t believe it has been made clear if Data had to learn these little lessons or if they were already part of his programming.
I think my main problem with Data is that they focused more on the mimicry and tended to use it as comic relief. I enjoyed watching Data during the first run of the series. Now he is my least favorite character. Now, some of the attempts at humor remind me of the way kids played the special education kids for laughs in school.
There are still moments that I like with Data and these tend to fall within the observation and association part of learning. For example, Data making the association of the number Three in Cause And Effect, and his realization of how to detect the Romulins crossing into Klingon space in another episode. Those events were pointed out within the episodes but then you’d have to wait through more examples of comic relief or watching Data do special android things to save the day or influencing the situation just by being an android. We saw learning experiences but we hardly saw Data grow as a character. Was he that much different in Insurrection than he was in Encounter At Farpoint? Even his last act in Nemesis could be called to question if you think of Asimov’s Laws of Robotics.
@ 23 Ludon
I would argue that next to Worf, Data grows more than any other character on the ship. First Contact lets him flirt with actually getting his wish to be human, and by the end of the movie he realizes how absurd he’s been to spend his life wanting such a thing. To be human would be to become someone else, not himself. He learns to appreciate his unique (albeit lonely) nature, very La Forge-like. It’s a beautiful close to the seven seasons of identity issues.
Nemesis never happened.
@Torie
Yes, I enjoy seeing Data at the end of First Contact, but in Insurrection it’s like he hadn’t learned much from that experience. We get cheap laughs from him saying the wrong thing. I’ll admit that his friendship with the boy in Insurrection was something that he’d have not been able to carry on the same level in Encounter At Farpoint, but in my memory I keep coming up against the comment about boobs and thinking it’s still the same old Data. Maybe I should watch Insurrection again.
As for Data in the series, I guess we’ll just disagree on his growth or lack of growth.
@ 25 Ludon
Insurrection never happened either. I can’t imagine any scenario in which you should watch that movie again. (Sadly, I can imagine one in which I do…)
For everyone else: sorry I got so behind (it’s my last week of work and I begin grad school on Sunday!), but this week we’ll resume as scheduled with “A Matter of Honor.”
@25 Tori
“Insurrection never happened either. I can’t imagine any scenario in which you should watch that movie again. (Sadly, I can imagine one in which I do…)”
Insepidness? Oh that was utterly awful. Luddite SF, two things that don’t great together.
Congraulations on your Grad School acceptance.