This is one of the best, most memorable and most consequential episodes in the early seasons.
Performances are still a bit wooden (as it's customary in the early seasons) but this episode was well prepared and mostly well executed. We had bits and pieces of Data's story before. And there were always questions asked about the nature of his existence. (Tbh this topic was also discussed in TOS [and in later Trek shows like Discovery and the story of Voyager's doctor is similar] but it was never as relatable as in this TNG episode). At one point this has to be discussed and this mid second season is the best moment.
The core question at hand is deeply philosophical and really in the center of virtually all futuristic visions. And it's also the core of Data's character arc. How human is he? How human will he eventually become? What does conscience mean? And what are the parallels to contemporary robotics, computers and AI? You can really learn from this episode even when it's not exactly a subtle approach to these questions.
The legal proceedings are also fascinating. We had this before in TOS but here the whole trial process is way more polished. His fellow officers, his friends, (reluctantly) assume their roles in this trial. They struggle to be impartial "officers of the law". And so do we since we like Data and we had the privilege to get to know him in previous episode. Having his friends (the core cast of TNG) take an active role in court hearings was perhaps a necessity due to financial constraints (can't hire dozens of guest stars) but it really adds to the awkwardness of the situation. In midst this awkwardness and the dire consequences Data is threatened with, Picard saves the day. He's a leader, an intellectual, has a good heart and boy can he talk...
Review by Alexander von LimbergBlockedParent2024-02-14T16:47:24Z
This is one of the best, most memorable and most consequential episodes in the early seasons.
Performances are still a bit wooden (as it's customary in the early seasons) but this episode was well prepared and mostly well executed. We had bits and pieces of Data's story before. And there were always questions asked about the nature of his existence. (Tbh this topic was also discussed in TOS [and in later Trek shows like Discovery and the story of Voyager's doctor is similar] but it was never as relatable as in this TNG episode). At one point this has to be discussed and this mid second season is the best moment.
The core question at hand is deeply philosophical and really in the center of virtually all futuristic visions. And it's also the core of Data's character arc. How human is he? How human will he eventually become? What does conscience mean? And what are the parallels to contemporary robotics, computers and AI? You can really learn from this episode even when it's not exactly a subtle approach to these questions.
The legal proceedings are also fascinating. We had this before in TOS but here the whole trial process is way more polished. His fellow officers, his friends, (reluctantly) assume their roles in this trial. They struggle to be impartial "officers of the law". And so do we since we like Data and we had the privilege to get to know him in previous episode. Having his friends (the core cast of TNG) take an active role in court hearings was perhaps a necessity due to financial constraints (can't hire dozens of guest stars) but it really adds to the awkwardness of the situation. In midst this awkwardness and the dire consequences Data is threatened with, Picard saves the day. He's a leader, an intellectual, has a good heart and boy can he talk...