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Star Trek: Picard: how Data died, and his appearance in Picard explained

The death of Data explained, and what his appearances in Picard mean

If you've been watching Star Trek : Picard, you may have a few questions about Data, the android who appears in Picard's dreams – and who may very well be the 'father' of new characters Dahj and Soji. Data was an important character in The Next Generation, which this new series is a direct continuation of, and he led an interesting life. So here's everything you need to know about Lieutenant Commander Data, including how he ultimately died in the movie Star Trek: Nemesis.

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Who is Data?

Data was an android designed by Dr. Noonian Soong, a brilliant cyberneticist. Other androids exist in the greater Star Trek universe, but Data's positronic brain gave him a greater depth and nuance of personality – to the point where the Federation considered him sentient, with the same rights as any biological being.

Data was unable to feel emotion, however, and struggled to understand the many idiosyncrasies of the human race. But he was still capable of loyalty, wisdom, friendship and sensitivity, which earned him many friends when he served aboard the Federation starship Enterprise.

How did Data join Starfleet?

A mysterious alien life-form known as the Crystalline Entity destroyed a colony on the planet Omicron Theta, and Data's deactivated body was discovered among the debris by the USS Tripoli. He was revived by the Federation, and was accepted into Starfleet Academy when it became apparent that he had achieved a level of sentience never before seen in a synthetic being.

Data graduated, despite the social challenges of being the only android in the academy, and served as an ensign aboard the USS Trieste, before being assigned to the Enterprise-D in 2364 – which is where we meet him in The Next Generation.

How did Data die in Star Trek: Nemesis?

Nemesis was the last of the Next Generation movies. Released in 2002, it starred Tom Hardy as Shinzon, a clone of Picard who stages a violent coup and becomes leader of the Romulan Empire. At the end of the movie, Data sacrifices his own life to save Picard's, destroying Shinzon's ship in the process. Before he died, Data downloaded his memories into a prototype Soong-type android, B-4. But this model's positronic brain was not as advanced as Data's, meaning he had none of his brother's individuality or personality: just raw memories.

How can Data be in Star Trek: Picard?

Brent Spiner reprises his role as Data in Star Trek: Picard, only in dreams so far. Picard is still haunted by the loss of his friend, and the heroic sacrifice he made to save his life. So whenever you see Data in the new series, it's Picard experiencing a vision; an echo of the past. But who knows what the rest of the series has in store? Perhaps we'll see a return of the old Data at some point in this story – although that might cheapen his sacrifice in Star Trek: Nemesis somewhat.

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Is Data still alive in Star Trek: Picard?

Alas, the Data we knew from The Next Generation is gone forever. But a major plot point in season one of Picard is his memories – the ones he downloaded to B-4 – being used to create two 'daughters', Dahj and Soji. These android twins were designed by Dr. Bruce Maddox, a cyberneticist, using a process called fractal neuronic cloning. So while Lieutenant Commander Data of the USS Enterprise, lover of cats and Sherlock Holmes, is no more, his spirit lives on in them.

Star Trek: Picard is released every Thursday on CBS All Access in the US, and every Friday on Amazon Prime internationally.

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The Life And Legacy Of Dr. Soong, The Creator Of Star Trek's Data

Early in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the android Data ( Brent Spiner ) explained his backstory to his new crewmates on the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. He knew that his creator was a man named Dr. Noonien Soong, and that he was discovered on a distant colony that had been destroyed. Data had no memory of his life on the colony. Later in the series, Data would learn he was not unique, as Soong also made an earlier model named Lore (also played by Spiner). Data had no emotions, but Lore did. Lore was also able to shake off his ethical subroutines and lives his life as a villain. He would recur throughout "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and would be up to no good in every appearance. Lore remembered Dr. Soong and the colony, but, being a devious liar, was coy about the actual details.

In the fourth season episode "Brothers" (October 8, 1990), Data and Lore were remotely "activated" to return to a secret laboratory deep in the galaxy. There, they found Dr. Soong (also Spiner) still alive and very, very old. It was in this episode where a lot of the Soong backstory and philosophy would be filled in, and Trekkies would take furious notes on the new canonical details about Data.

Dr. Soong explains a few important things about himself in "Brothers." For one, he explained that making an android as advanced as Data is a careful and difficult affair. No cyberneticist has been able to recreate Data, and even Soong himself would have trouble perfecting the model (Lore's antisocial behavior was proof of his troubles). He also lays out, in plain language, why he wanted to make android clones of himself: By making offspring, Dr. Soong feels he can brush against immortality.

Dr. Soong's background

We eventually learn Soong was the result of a multi-generational obsession with constructing a "perfect human." The Soong family was long obsessed with eugenics, and when that failed, got into building androids. Dr. Noonien Soong was a curmudgeon and an eccentric. His ancestors were largely all supervillains. Perhaps Lore's propensity for evil was an unintentionally inherited trait that Noonien programmed into his brain without thinking about it.

Some additional backstory: Dr. Soong once worked with a man called Ira Graves (W. Morgan Sheppard), who claims to have taught Noonien everything he knew. When Ira met Data in the episode "The Schizoid Man" (January 23, 1989), he described himself as Data's grandfather. It seems Dr. Graves merely wanted to shunt his consciousness into Data's body. After Dr. Graves and Dr. Soong split up, the latter moved to the above-mentioned colony. The colony was attacked from space by a massive intelligent crystal that consumed living matter, and Dr. Soong was assumed dead in the attack. Lore also escaped destruction by allying with the Crystalline Entity. As punishment, he was disassembled and locked in a blast-proof bunker. (Data later found and reassembled him.)

Dr. Soong was only able to chat with Data for a day before his death at Lore's hands. Dr. Soong aimed to give Data an emotions chip, a widget that would allow the android to feel for the first time. The chip was also meant to fill in Data's missing memories, allowing him to recall life on the colony prior to the Crystalline Entity attack. But Lore stole the chip and escaped. A lot of Data, then, remained a mystery.

Other quirks of Data's brain

In later episodes, some of those mysteries were revealed. In the episode "Birthright Part I" (February 22, 1993), Data was zapped by a bolt of electricity, fell unconscious, and began hallucinating. It seems Dr. Soong programmed Data with the ability to dream. This was part of his "evolution," as Dr. Soong knew that Data would learn and grow and become more human over time. Dreaming was sort of like Data "leveling up."

Dr. Soong was also married — in secret — to a woman named Juliana Tainer ( Fionnula Flanagan ). Data met her in the episode "Inheritance" (November 22, 1993). She died, but Dr. Soong was able to replicate an android clone of her, effectively making her Data's android mother. But she doesn't know she's an android, and her mechanical system is designed to trick medical scanners. In "Inheritance," it was also announced that Juliana had an aging program that would give her gray hair and wrinkles over time ... and that Data had a similar program. Dr. Soong, then, wanted his androids to look elderly over time. This was a handy way to incorporate actor Spiner's natural aging into a character that was ostensibly immortal.

Oh yes, and in "Star Trek: Nemesis," it was revealed that Data also had a prototype older brother named B-4. His brain didn't work well.

In recent "Star Trek" shows, ancestors of Dr. Soong began to emerge. The mystery of Data's creator was solved by a long-running intergenerational obsession that actually stemmed from unsavory motivations. Soongs of the past were miffed by humanity's imperfections and wanted to start tinkering with genes as a result.

The other Soongs

Note: "Star Trek: Enterprise" takes place about a century prior to "Star Trek."

In a three-part episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise" — "Borderland," "Cold Station 12," and "The Augments," which aired in early November 2004 — audiences were introduced to Dr. Arik Soong (Spiner), a mad geneticist who had been altering and "enhancing" humanoid DNA. Because he was banned from his eugenics programs on Earth (eugenics are a big no-no in the world of "Star Trek"), he was forced to implant Klingons with enhanced human DNA. This is why the Klingons from the original "Star Trek" looked more human from the Klingons in "Star Trek: The Next Generation." There was finally a canonical reason, and it was because of a Soong. At the end of the three-part episode, after Arik is arrested for his genetic shenanigans, he announces that gene manipulation isn't the right path. Perhaps he'd try cybernetics instead. Of course, it would take several generations to perfect ...

In the first season of "Star Trek: Picard," set several decades after "Next Generation," audiences found that Noonien Soong, in addition to building robot "children," also had a biological child. This was Dr. Altan Soong (yet again played by Spiner), who was still building androids, even though doing so was deemed illegal. He lived in hiding on a hidden planet with a secret colony of android children. In a very Gene Roddenberry fashion, the androids all wore diaphanous robes. They also all had emotions. Just like with Dr. Noonien Soong, however, the color eventually came under threat from a massive, destructive space deity. Altan would shunt the consciousness of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) into an android body. Picard and Data now have that in common.

There was at least one additional Soong besides.

In the second season of "Star Trek: Picard," the timeline reached back even further. In a time-travel story set in the year 2024, audiences met Dr. Adam Soong (you guessed it: Spiner), who was already growing clones and tinkering with genes. He had already grown an adult daughter (Isa Briones), but she was only the latest in a long line of short-lived meat-bots.

When a character from the future tells Adam that his genetic research was about to be halted by the show's protagonists — because eugenics is icky — Adam immediately began doing villainous things to them. He ran over Admiral Picard with a car. Eventually, Adam's villainy would be stopped by his latest cloned daughter. As she fled, she trashed Adam's lab. Later, out of the rubble, Adam Soong would extract a folder marked "Khan Project." It seems that Data's distant ancestor would be responsible for creating Khan, the villain from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

The above-mentioned Altan would return in a recorded message in the third season of "Picard," explaining he had scooped up the android brains of Data, Lore, B-4, and a few Soongs and shoved them all into a composite body (also Spiner) that looks like it's in its early 70s. That was how Data, who had died twice in the past, was able to return for the series. It's a little farfetched, but Spiner seems to be enjoying himself playing all his characters at once.

So Dr. Noonien Soong may have been initially presented as a benevolent (if a little self-obsessed) engineer who wanted to build children and push the limits of mechanical consciousness. As "Trek" has progressed, however, he became part of a dark legacy.

How is Data in 'Star Trek: Picard' if he died in 'Star Trek: Nemesis?'

In Picard season 3 episode 6, "The Bounty," Riker, Worf and Raffi Musiker's away mission reunites them with an old friend, but how?

Data returns in Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 6, The Bounty.

How Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis
Data lived on in B-4
Another Data head?
Why is Data old now?

What can Data do now?

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven't watched "Star Trek: Picard" episode 6, The Bounty .

Even though Spock died saving the Enterprise in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Star Trek used the restorative powers of the Genesis planet to bring him back. So when Data made a noble sacrifice of his own in "Star Trek: Nemesis," it wasn't really a surprise when the door was left open – albeit slightly – for the android's future return.

"Star Trek: Picard" season one on Paramount Plus focused heavily on Data's legacy, introducing a family of synthetic offspring and revealing that his consciousness had been preserved in a virtual simulation. Jean-Luc Picard subsequently watched his friend die for a second time, but the show’s third season has just dropped the bombshell that – in true "Jurassic Park" style – something has survived.

In Picard season 3 episode 6 , "The Bounty," Riker, Worf and Raffi Musiker's away mission to the top-secret Daystrom Station reunites them with an old friend, an android with a familiar face who's been given responsibility for the facility's security. But how did Data (still portrayed by actor Brent Spiner) survive certain death in "Star Trek: Nemesis?" Why does he look so much older now? And is he still the same android we knew on the Enterprise-D? These questions and more are answered below. If you're behind, you can catch up on Star Trek: Picard Season 3" with our Star Trek streaming guide .

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Didn't Data die in Star Trek: Nemesis?

Data holds the head of B-4 in Star Trek: Nemesis.

Yes. "Star Trek: Nemesis" is the 10th film in the Star Trek movie franchise and the last to feature the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." It features a clone of Jean-Luc Picard called Shinzon who's out to get Picard (and the Federation), with Data discovering an earlier prototype of himself called B-4 along the way.

In the film's climax, the Picard clone Shinzon had rigged his Romulan/Reman (don't ask) warbird, the Scimitar, to unleash its lethal thalaron radiation weapon on a severely damaged USS Enterprise-E. With Picard on board the enemy vessel, transporters inoperative, and the crew trapped in the quintessential no-win scenario, Data came up with his own solution to the Kobayashi Maru test.

Effectively blowing himself out of an airlock, Data leapt across the void of space to the Scimitar and placed an emergency transport beacon on Picard, who was instantly beamed back to the Enterprise. With the weapon nearly charged, Data fired his phaser at the thalaron generator, destroying himself and the ship in the process. He had sacrificed himself to save his captain and the crew, a fact Picard subsequently struggled to live with. RIP, Data.

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Data lived on in B-4, or DID he?

Data wasn't the only android built by his creator: genius cyberneticist Dr. Noonian Soong (also portrayed by Brent Spiner).

"Evil twin" Lore (Brent Spiner again) tormented the Enterprise crew on several occasions throughout "The Next Generation," and "Nemesis" introduced the earlier prototype model called B-4 (say the name out loud). Before his death, Data used B-4 as a kind of hard drive to back up his memories and personality, but – aside from sharing Data's ability to recite Irving Berlin standards – B-4's neural pathways lacked the sophistication to replicate his late brother.

But this is where it gets complicated ... The first season of "Picard" revealed that Data's consciousness had survived after all. Along with Soong's human son, Altan (also Brent Spiner), cyberneticist Bruce Maddox – who'd previously tried to prove Data was Starfleet property in classic "TNG" episode "The Measure of a Man" – used a process called "fractal neuronic cloning" to replicate a virtual Data from one of B-4's neurons. This version of the android lived in a "massively complex quantum simulation" until Picard agreed to his old friend's request to help him die for a second time.

There's another Data head in Star Trek: Picard, but whose is it?

Data and the body of B-4 or Lore in Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 6, The Bounty.

Data, Lore and B-4 were all crafted in Noonian Soong's image, so it's almost impossible to tell them apart. It seems most likely, though, that the disembodied head we see in the top secret Daystrom research facility belongs to B-4.

First, we know from Picard's meetings with Dr. Agnes Jurati in season one that B-4 is in Starfleet’s possession. Second, when Will Riker reminds us that "Data copied everything he was onto B-4," the camera very deliberately cuts to the android head.

There's still a chance, however, that this is a misdirection, and that the head belongs to Lore. We have no idea what happened to Soong's more problematic son after his Borg misadventures in "TNG" two-parter "Descent" – we know he was dismantled but everything beyond that is a mystery. So while it's conceivable Starfleet have brought Lore back somehow, the show would have to fill in some gaps in the canon to explain his presence here.

The head probably isn’t Data's. The explosion at the end of Nemesis was pretty cataclysmic, and besides, if part of Data had survived, surely Maddox, Soong and Starfleet wouldn’t have resorted to using neurons from the inferior B-4 to bring him back.

Why is Data "old" now?

Data can grow old now in Star Trek: Picard season 3 episode 6, The Bounty.

Picard season one used some clever digital tricks to de-age actor Brent Spiner to look like he did in "The Next Generation" era, but the Data we see in "The Bounty" looks much older. His complexion is also much more human.

While the change undoubtedly saved some money on the show’s VFX budget, there's also an in-universe explanation. This is an entirely different type of synthetic body to Data's, much more similar to the "golem" the late Altan Soong gifted to Picard, allowing to survive his incurable irumodic syndrome.

Soong Jr. had originally planned to transfer his own consciousness into the golem before he died, but ended up going down a very different route. He instead decided to combine the consciousnesses of Lore, B-4, Data and Lal (the "daughter" Data built in "TNG" episode "The Offspring") in one body, aka Daystrom Android M-5-10. Soong built this older-looking version "with the wisdom and true human aesthetic of age. With the hope that in totality, something, someone will rise to be the best of us."

That's the million-dollar question, though it's clear there's much more to this new-look Data than simply managing the security systems at Daystrom Station. It’s also clear this isn't quite the Data we knew and loved.

Altan Soong never got the chance to finish the project before he died, leaving the various personalities vying for supremacy within the vessel. Data still recognizes Geordi La Forge, Picard and the rest of the crew, but with Lore also lurking in that shared mind, this resurrected body could be a danger to everyone.

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Richard's love affair with outer space started when he saw the original "Star Wars" on TV aged four, and he spent much of the ’90s watching "Star Trek”, "Babylon 5” and “The X-Files" with his mum. After studying physics at university, he became a journalist, swapped science fact for science fiction, and hit the jackpot when he joined the team at SFX, the UK's biggest sci-fi and fantasy magazine. He liked it so much he stayed there for 12 years, four of them as editor.

He's since gone freelance and passes his time writing about "Star Wars", "Star Trek" and superheroes for the likes of SFX, Total Film, TechRadar and GamesRadar+. He has met five Doctors, two Starfleet captains and one Luke Skywalker, and once sat in the cockpit of "Red Dwarf"'s Starbug.

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Admin said: How is Data in 'Star Trek: Picard' if he died in 'Star Trek: Nemesis?' : Read more

OneOfTwelve Data already had a built-in aging program according to the TNG episode with his "mother" Juliana. Reply
Newhouse75 That head is in Mark Twains time. Don't forget. The one in the future was used to restore Data in The future. Reply
Backcountry164 It's called plot armor. Tripping over yourself making excuses for lazy writers seems pointless... Reply
View All 4 Comments

Star Trek: Who Created Data And What Happened To Him?

In the long history of "Star Trek," few characters are as beloved by fans as the android Data (Brent Spiner). A cybernetic being powered by a positronic brain, Data served as second officer on Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) U.S.S. Enterprise, the setting of "Star Trek: The Next Generation." But while fans got to spend time with Data over the many episodes of TV and movies in which he appeared, far less is known about his reclusive creator, Doctor Noonian Soong (also Brent Spiner).

Indeed, the story of Data's creation by Soong is documented in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and additional information has been included in other movies and series, most recently "Star Trek: Picard." We've learned that the cyberneticist came from a long line of geniuses who worked to create new life forms using science, not all of whom were pure of heart. Indeed, Soong himself was driven by an obsession that lasted until his final moments. Though he was declared a madman and considered a disgrace by Federation scientists, he continued his work in secret. Eventually, he was destroyed by his own creations.

The mad cyberneticist Noonian Soong made Data and his evil twin Lore

Doctor Noonian Soong came from a long lineage of mad cybernetics experts, and they were engaged in some questionable experiments long before Data was assembled. Soong's ancestor, Adam Soong (Brent Spiner once again) went so far as to create a series of clones. All of them died with the exception of one, Kore, and he spun the fiction that he was her father in the traditional sense of the word. That history was depicted in Season 2 of "Star Trek: Picard." Adam may even have been connected to the creation of the villain Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban), but that's a story for another time. Later, in the "Star Trek" timeline's 22nd century, Adam's descendant, Arik Soong, picked up the torch of genetic and cybernetic experimentation. The character was featured in multiple episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise."

This lineage eventually culminated with Data's progenitor, Noonian Soong, who worked in secret alongside his wife, Juliana O'Donnell (Fionnula Flanagan) to perfect his research and create the fan-favorite android. But Data was actually the fifth such android Soong built. The first three were far less capable and much closer to mindless robots. His breakthrough came with the fourth attempt, Data's evil brother Lore . Ultimately, it was Soong's fifth android, Data, whom the scientist considered to be the apex of his work. Unlike Lore, who had emotions but lacked a sense of ethics and therefore was a loose cannon, Data was not given the emotional programming, allowing him to function within certain ethical parameters.

Data's brother Lore killed their creator

Ultimately, it was Noonian Soong's own work that killed him. His fourth android, Lore, was much like Data but without the sense of ethics that kept him from being corrupted. Over time, Lore developed a deep resentment for his father figure, believing that Soong was playing favorites and preferred Data. Lore's paranoia was further confirmed when he learned that Soong was secretly developing an emotion chip for Data. The actual reason for this was that Soong mistakenly believed that Lore was disassembled and functionally dead, so he had no reason to work on Lore's own upgrades.

When Soong sent out a signal summoning Data to Terlina III, where he had secretly been furthering his cybernetic experiments, it also drew Lore's attention, and the two brothers converged on the planet in the Season 4 "The Next Generation" episode "Brothers." After Soong reveals in the episode that he'd created an emotion chip for Data, Lore's jealousy grows. He deactivates Data, then impersonates him in order to receive the emotion chip for himself. But since the chip wasn't meant for him, Lore becomes unstable and attacks the already sickly Soong.

In Soong's final moments, he compares Lore to the biblical Esau, Jacob's evil sibling who impersonated his brother to receive a false inheritance from their blind father, Isaac. But as Data, rescued by William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), comes to the aid of his dying creator, he finally refers to Soong as "father."

Data's Day (episode)

View history
1.2 Act One
1.3 Act Two
1.4 Act Three
1.5 Act Four
1.6 Act Five
1.7 Log entries
2 Memorable quotes
3.1 Production history
3.2 Story and script
3.3 Production
3.4 Cast and characters
3.5 Continuity
3.6 Reception
3.7 Video and DVD releases
4.1 Starring
4.2 Also starring
4.3 Guest stars
4.4 Co-stars
4.5 Uncredited co-stars
4.6 Stand-ins
4.7.1 Unused production references
4.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Responding to Commander Maddox's help after Data's trial regarding his rights , Data records this log entry on Soong-type androids to aid Maddox's research. This is the day he records.

It begins with the handover of the bridge from night watch to day watch, with Data ceding command to Commander Riker . The first officer has deliberately arrived 15 minutes early to give Data, a member of the O'Brien wedding party, more time to prepare – a courtesy the second officer appreciates. Data relates his not-quite-emotional anticipation regarding his participation in the wedding and gives Riker the updates from the night watch, which essentially sum up the action to come. Lieutenant Juarez has gone into labor, and the ship is stationed, awaiting the arrival of an Ambassador -class ship, the USS Zhukov , bearing Vulcan Ambassador T'Pel .

Data's narration continues as he departs the bridge and travels to his first off-watch destination:

He then drops in on Keiko Ishikawa in her quarters to inform her that the wedding rehearsal is about to begin. Keiko, evidently anxious, reveals to Data that she is unhappy and that she would like to call off her wedding to Miles O'Brien . Upon Data questioning her, she says this decision would make her happy. Since Data introduced O'Brien to her, she also says it would mean a lot to her if he would talk to O'Brien on her behalf. Data accepts her request and leaves.

Data informs O'Brien his wedding is canceled

" She what?! Canceled the wedding? Today? Without even a word?! "

Data arrives at Ten Forward , just as crew members are busily setting up the wedding decorations, and delivers Keiko's "good news" to O'Brien, whose reaction is entirely opposite Data's prediction. After O'Brien storms out of Ten Forward to see Keiko, Geordi La Forge advises that, next time, Data should let him deliver any "good news." When La Forge leaves, Data continues his narration:

Act One [ ]

Data arrives at the transporter room and gives the order to Hubbell to bring Ambassador T'Pel aboard. Ignoring Data's greeting, she coldly informs him that she wishes to meet with his captain and immediately leaves the transporter room. Once inside the turbolift , Data again resumes his narration.

T'Pel introduced to Riker

Upon bringing T'Pel to the Captain Picard in his ready room , Data and Commander Riker are at once asked to leave by the ambassador, which they do without question. Data returns to the bridge, where Riker mutters to him that T'Pel is a "charming woman," in a very sarcastic tone.

In the ship's barbershop , La Forge and V'Sal are exchanging friendly insults and banter regarding La Forge's haircut and V'Sal's skill as a barber , since La Forge had been to the barbershop the previous week. V'Sal knows La Forge wants to look good for the wedding but says he is not a miracle worker. La Forge responds by requesting that V'Sal just keep his ears on straight this time.

When La Forge asks if he has come in for a trim, Data replies, in his attempt at a friendly jibe: " My hair does not require trimming, you lunkhead. " La Forge, in confusion, echoes " Lunkhead? ", prompting Data to explain that this was an attempt at banter and was not intended " as a serious disparagement ." Chuckling, La Forge advises him not to try it on the captain, and Data agrees.

Data then attempts to understand the interplay between Keiko and Chief O'Brien from earlier in the day, and he explores the terms "cold feet" and "jitters" with La Forge's help. La Forge ends the exchange by asserting his firm belief that the wedding will, in fact, proceed, telling Data that he'd better get a gift. Data's narration resumes:

Worf is in the ship's replicating center and confirms that he's picking out a wedding gift and agrees to help Data in finding something appropriate, having attended Human weddings before. Worf points out a selection of crystal glasses as a typical traditional gift his adoptive parents would give for family weddings. When he pauses the display on a crystal swan however, Data mentions that it was his understanding that the item selected should reflect the personality of the giver; a swan doesn't remind him of Worf. Data changes the subject to actual participation in a wedding. Worf notes his discomfort with the overall sentimentality of the wedding ritual and notes that though he would be honored to participate in one, he is not sure about all of the "talking, dancing, and crying" that would be involved. Data pauses at the notion of dancing.

In sickbay , Dr. Crusher and her staff examine the expectant Lieutenant Juarez. Data asks her in passing if she would teach him how to dance . Crusher pulls him quickly into the privacy of her office after Martinez notices them talking about this while walking by and asks why her. After she hurriedly brings him into her office, Data brings up her service record and notes she won first prize in numerous tap and jazz competitions. She stops him and explains that was a long time ago and does not want to be known as the "Dancing Doctor" again. Data takes it as a refusal, but she agrees to teach him as long as they keep it between the two of them and imitates a zipped-lip signal, to which Data agrees and returns the signal. Data is then paged to the bridge by Captain Picard , who asks him for a tactical projection of possible Romulan deployments along the Neutral Zone , using all Federation records on the subject and report to his ready room, without any particular given area to study. The captain then orders the ship to set a course for 130 mark 246 at warp 7, which takes the ship very close to the Neutral Zone. Data continues the narration:

Just then, Data catches his right hand tapping the console apparently of its own accord…

Act Two [ ]

Data enters the ready room and gives his analysis of the Romulan strategy behind the deployment of their ships in the sector. Their ships are deployed to support a policy of confrontation, as a method to test Federation defenses along the Neutral Zone; with a 90% probability that they will continue that policy with no sign of a more conciliatory attitude on their part. Ambassador T'Pel agrees with the caution but states the mission must proceed as planned. Picard notes that Starfleet Command agrees with the ambassador, but his call for an escort is flatly rejected by the ambassador with her giving the captain a stern look. He then thanks Data as he leaves the ready room.

Data then goes to his quarters and orders feline supplement 74 for Spot , a long-haired orange cat that is Data's. He proceeds to his work desk and as he asks the computer to run a fluidic sensor diagnostic , Spot jumps on his lap and Data proceeds to give the feline attention. Data is shortly joined by Chief O'Brien, who comes to apologize for his outburst earlier in the day in Ten Forward.

Data makes multiple and finally overly friendly attempts to make the chief more comfortable, offering pillows , music, and a drink. O'Brien gets to the point by appealing to Data to talk to Keiko to try and get the wedding back on. Data concludes by noting that Keiko may not have fully analyzed her position. He resumes his personal log as he walks down the corridor :

Data meets Keiko in the arboretum and logically and aggressively points out Keiko's "errors", to which Keiko responds with an emotional appeal to leave her alone.

Data then describes his research to Counselor Troi regarding various wedding customs. In her office , Troi advises him that the best way to help Miles and Keiko is to just stay out of the process. They then move onto the concept of Data getting married and his reservation that he cannot grow old with someone. They are interrupted when Ambassador T'Pel summons Data to her quarters.

T'Pel attempts to make use of Data's Priority 3 clearance on the ship to gain information about the Enterprise 's deflector shields ' field strength at maximum output, using her access code of Kappa Alpha 4601704. Data informs her that while the code is valid, he notes that he has the same safeguards as the ship's computer and therefore must report any inquiry regarding restricted information to the captain. T'Pel lamely backs out of the request by telling Data she was merely interested in his security safeguards, and that they appear to be adequate. She dismisses Data and he leaves her quarters. While en route to a turbolift, he continues the narration:

Act Three [ ]

Data learns how to dance

Data arrives at the holodeck , where Dr. Crusher is finishing up some pre-exercise stretching in a dance studio . She gives him one beginning lesson in tap-dancing. Data informs her after this lesson that she should simply teach him the final lesson. Data then perfectly mimics Dr. Crusher's routine, which becomes increasingly elaborate. Crusher has to interrupt Data's exploration of routines with the refrain of " Stop, Data! " numerous times.

After mastering tap-dancing, Data informs the doctor that he is now prepared to dance at the wedding. Dr. Crusher explains that tap is not used at weddings, though she doesn't know why when Data asks. She figures that the waltz , the appropriate dance, will be much easier, but contrary to her expectations, Data finds the act of dancing with a partner extremely difficult as he is unable to look at her feet, or understand the variables and nuances. Instead, Crusher leads while Data observes their feet as she explains the movements, and then to look into his partner's eyes while they switch leads, with Data being much improved. She also tells Data to smile, which he does with a mannequin-like enthusiasm. Crusher is called to look in on the laboring Lt. Juarez and leaves Data to practice with a holographic partner.

Data next arrives on the bridge as Commander Riker is telling a gruesomely funny story to two other officers and Ensign Kellogg who is monitoring the security console . His narration continues:

The fun comes to an end as a Romulan D'deridex -class warbird, the Devoras , is detected. Picard brings the ship to yellow alert and sends them a message. The warbird replies that they are to proceed on a heading of 037 mark 005 to the agreed-upon coordinates which cross into the Neutral Zone. Picard brings the ship to red alert , much to the surprise of T'Pel, which the captain reassures her that he trusts his crew and will not take any provocative action, unless he orders them.

T'Pel informs Data to hold position at a specified set of coordinates. Admiral Mendak appears on the viewscreen and agrees to allow the ambassador to be beamed aboard. T'Pel refuses any attempt to have an escort, or to have the conference held aboard the Enterprise and departs to the transporter room by herself. Over the intercom, the bridge crew monitors the transport as the transporter pattern begins to break down. The bridge crew and O'Brien try frantically to save it, but it was for naught as the ambassador is killed.

Act Four [ ]

Chief O'Brien begins as the narrative ends to describe the accident and Data supplies that it is unlike any transporter malfunction ever recorded on a Starfleet vessel as backups were specifically designed to prevent that. La Forge establishes that the transporter is in perfect working order, and O'Brien follows up with the statement that the transition coil was replaced only the week before, and that there was no interference from the Romulans' shields. Dr. Crusher then reports that there isn't enough left of T'Pel to do an autopsy , only some molecular compounds left on the transporter pad .

Worf calls Picard over the intercom that Admiral Mendak is hailing. Picard returns to the bridge and reports the apparent death of T'Pel. Mendak compliments him for a well-played maneuver, accusing him of arranging for T'Pel's death, and recommending that both ships leave the Neutral Zone. Picard gives Data the task of investigating the accident.

Data then arrives at sickbay and asks for a comparison of the ambassador's last transporter ID trace with the remains, with the caveat that he may be chasing an "untamed ornithoid without cause." The genetic code is examined and found to be identical, except that there are single-bit errors in the base-pair sequence as if it were replicated material. Dr. Crusher postulates that either the DNA was mutated by the accident, which Data immediately rules out as per the transporter records; or that the remains are not those of the ambassador.

Act Five [ ]

Data, La Forge, and Riker are in the ready room as Data explains to Captain Picard that the only explanation of the evidence is that a second transporter signal appears to have been operating during the accident, and that the ambassador was beamed off the Enterprise pad while fake remains were beamed onto the pad in her place. Picard queries Lt. Worf on the bridge as to the whereabouts of the Devoras . Worf replies that it is on heading 079 mark 125 at warp 2 and still in the Neutral Zone, on its way home.

Picard calls the ship to red alert again but orders all hands to battle stations . The captain orders the Enterprise to intercept the Devoras while Riker immediately orders Worf to raise shields , with all weapons loaded and ready. As the Enterprise comes in hot, the Romulan ship drops out of warp and both ships confront each other, ready for battle.

Admiral Mendak hails and begins to complain about Picard, who interrupts with an accusation that they faked Ambassador T'Pel's death and that they're holding her captive. At that moment, a second Warbird decloaks to starboard, and Mendak suggests that Picard leave. Picard states flatly that he will take any action necessary to rescue the ambassador, as she is a Federation citizen.

Mendak relents stating he is not ready to start a war today, and signals to his right, revealing Ambassador T'Pel, now dressed in a Romulan uniform with the traditional Romulan bowl cut. She introduces herself as Sub-commander Selok , a spy , and thanks Picard for his help in getting her home. Mendak notes that as there are no Federation citizens on his ship, he informs Picard that the game is over and expects them to leave peacefully before closing the channel; Worf reports three more Warbirds entering the sector on long-range sensors. The Romulans have scored a point on Starfleet today. Riker quietly sums up the situation as " Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you. " Picard orders a reverse course back into Federation territory at warp 6.

Keiko is in the arboretum as Data approaches with an apology for interfering in her plans. She informs him that it would be best if he got dressed for the wedding, leaving Data confused as she hands him a white carnation for the "father of the bride."

The wedding takes place in Ten Forward. Traditional Japanese -sounding flute and string music plays, and Captain Picard officiates, stating the privilege of ship captains to perform weddings.

The wedding continues with a now-skillful Data leading the bride in a dance.

Back in duty uniform, Data looks for Dr. Crusher in sickbay and comes across Picard. The captain has dropped by the nursery after the wedding to see Lt. Juarez's baby boy , cooing softly in a crib. Noting that the child was born at the same time they were facing destruction, Picard welcomes him aboard.

Data begins night watch

Finally, Data leads his night watch team onto the bridge. Worf reports that all systems are normal, they are on course for Adelphous IV , engineering is realigning the main deflector dish , sickbay reports that Lt. Umbato broke two ribs during a holodeck exercise, and sensors continue to gather long-range information on the Murasaki quasar . Data takes the bridge from Worf.

The lights dim as the bridge's night watch commences.

Log entries [ ]

Second officer's personal log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Uh, Data, I've decided not to go through with it. " " You do not wish to rehearse? " " No, I'm calling off the wedding. "

" She what? Canceled the wedding? Today, without even a word?! Of all the childish, selfish irresponsible things to do! "

" This is my first officer, Commander William Riker. " " Leave us, please. " "Charming woman. " " The tone of Commander Riker's voice makes me suspect that he is not serious about finding Ambassador T'Pel "charming". My experience suggests that in fact he may mean the exact opposite of what he says. "

" Since your actions did not produce the desired result, the only advisable solution would be to reexamine your decision-making process and look for errors. "

" My hair does not require trimming, you lunkhead. "

" Have you ever been an actual participant in a Human wedding? " " NO. " " You would not consider it an honor? " " An honor perhaps, but Human bonding rituals often involve a great deal of talking, and dancing and… crying. "

" There may be a correlation between humor and sex. The need for more research is clearly indicated. "

" I don't want to be known as the Dancing Doctor… again. "

" Am I dancing, Doctor? "

" They don't do a lot of tap-dancing at weddings. " " Why? " " Well, Data, because… I don't really know why, Data. "

" I could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without cause. " " A wild goose chase? "

" In the game of Poker , there is a moment when a player must decide if an opponent is being deceptive or actually holds a winning hand. This decision is based not only on the odds, but also on an appraisal of the man. Is he bluffing or does he have the cards? "

" Some days you get the bear , and some days the bear gets you. "

" Since the days of the first wooden sailing ships, all captains have enjoyed the happy privilege of joining together two people in the bonds of matrimony. And so, it is my honor to unite you, Keiko Ishikawa, and you, Miles Edward O'Brien, together in matrimony… "

" There are still many Human emotions I do not comprehend: anger, hatred, revenge, but I am not mystified by the desire to be loved or the need for friendship. These are things I do understand. "

" Welcome aboard. "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

Final draft script: 10 October 1990 [1]
Second unit and insert shots filmed: 7 December 1990
Premiere airdate: 7 January 1991
First UK airdate: 15 June 1994

Story and script [ ]

The idea of doing a "day in the life" plot was first pitched by Harold Apter during the third season . Various viewpoints were considered, including Picard's and that of the ship itself. According to Ronald D. Moore , Data's viewpoint was finally chosen, "because he's the only one who's up 24 hours a day". However, Rick Berman insisted that at least one plot arc should run through the story, and the Romulan spy intrigue was created. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 151)) Michael Piller explained, " Rick believed that you cannot have a show that has no jeopardy or drama on Star Trek . I agreed with him, otherwise all you're doing is a scrapbook. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 213)
Regarding the latter, Piller explained, " I was against that because I felt that O'Brien was too good a character and potential benefit to the show to make him another star's supporting character. I felt he would always sort of be a sounding board for someone else to talk to and I didn't want to waste him on that. So we never did get around to replacing Wesley and O'Brien emerged on his own. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 213)
Moore added, " We obviously didn't want any of the regulars getting married, because that's a big thing and we didn't want it to be a faceless nobody. Everybody was delighted with the work Colm Meaney had been doing for us and we did want to do more with him as the series was going on. So we said this was a neat idea – we'll marry O'Brien. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 213)
Moore was assigned to rewrite Apter's teleplay. According to Moore, " In Apter's version, there was a scene on the holodeck where Data literally does John Travolta 's big disco number from Saturday Night Fever . Complete with the white suit. It was hysterical ! Everybody knew we were never going to do that, but the idea of including some dancing was then in the air. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 187)
This episode marks the first night watch seen on screen, although it does explain the difference in bridge lighting in several previous episodes. Moore got the idea from The Making of Star Trek , in which Gene Roddenberry was noted to have proposed that a starship's lights would be dimmed at times to simulate a natural day/night cycle for Humans. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 187)

Production [ ]

Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner did their own dancing in this episode, except for the overhead shots where Spiner requested a double, as he did not feel confident enough to pull it off. McFadden did the choreography, as she was a well-known Hollywood choreographer long before Next Generation . According to director Robert Wiemer , McFadden and Spiner also developed the lines in the scene, which were later accepted by the scriptwriters. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 151))
Second Unit and insert shots for this episode were filmed on Friday, 7 December 1990 on Paramount Stage 8 and 9 including the scenes of William Glover .

Cast and characters [ ]

This was the first appearance of Rosalind Chao as Keiko; her first and last as Keiko Ishikawa , and her first as Keiko O'Brien . She makes several more appearances in TNG, before becoming a regular recurring character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .
V'Sal , the barber , first appeared in this episode. As his name was not stated in dialogue, the Star Trek Encyclopedia (2nd ed., p. 310) assumed that he, and another Bolian barber featured in later episodes, Mr. Mot , were in fact the same person.

Continuity [ ]

The running narration of this episode is a log entry recorded by Data for Commander Bruce Maddox , who wished to disassemble Data in a risky procedure to experiment on him in " The Measure Of A Man ". After the trial on his right to choose, Data remained open to future collaboration, told Maddox to continue his work and said that he found some of what he proposed "intriguing." His reference to Maddox's "most recent letter" suggests that he and Data have had a continuing correspondence.
This episode features the first occasion where Data refers to Geordi as his best friend.
This was the first appearance of Data's cat , Spot , although it does not receive a name until " In Theory ". According to the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 152), the cat was Spiner's idea.
This was also the first appearance of several locations aboard the Enterprise -D including the arboretum , the barbershop , the nursery , and the replicating center .
Picard's actions in this episode were mentioned ten episodes later in " The Drumhead ", twisted into near treason by witch-hunting Admiral Norah Satie .
The device used by V'Sal's Human colleague to dye the alien officer's elaborate hair is usually seen as an engineering tool.
The replicating center is a partial redress of the bridge of the USS Enterprise as seen in the first three movies.
Data mentions that this episode takes place during "a celebration of the Hindu Festival of Lights ", one of the few references to actual, non-fictional religions in Star Trek . This suggests (but not confirms) a date of October 24th, since the festival would fall on that date in 2367 . Also, according to Data, the Enterprise was commissioned exactly 1,550 days (about four years, three months) prior. Taking the October date into account, this suggests the Enterprise was commissioned July 27th , 2363 . This differs with the commissioning date of "4 October 2363" in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual . If the wedding date is taken to be 1,550 days after the date of commission in the Technical Manual, then the wedding actually occurs January 1st of 2368 .
As an homage, Picard's wedding remarks are almost the same as those which Kirk uses in the teaser for the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " Balance of Terror ", an episode also involving the Romulans. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (2nd ed., p. 151))
In turn, Picard's comments were used as the basis for the wedding in the Deep Space Nine episode " 'Til Death Do Us Part ". ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (pp. 687-688))
By contrast, however, Benjamin Sisko officiates the wedding of Rom and Leeta in the Bajoran language , as he is acting in his capacity as Emissary of the Prophets , rather than as a Starfleet captain. ( DS9 : " Call to Arms ")
Picard mentions, as Kirk had, that ship captains "since the days of wooden sailing ships" as having the ability to legally marry couples. This authority, however, was limited in many Terran navies. The captain also had to be a notary public or other recognized source. Some countries included a notary public license with the ship's master's certificates which allow captains to marry people on board.
The appearance of the pads on the transporter platform is inconsistent throughout this episode. In some scenes, the border lines around each pad are more pronounced than they are during others. This is because the set was being redressed for use in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . The thicker black border lines seen in that film were kept in for the rest of the series.
A passing shot of the Enterprise immediately prior to the wedding scene appears to use the same passes of the ship as " Encounter at Farpoint ", though with the Excelsior elements removed.
The shot of a test cylinder being beamed away and back again appears to be the same shot from " Hollow Pursuits ".

Reception [ ]

Ronald D. Moore was satisfied by the final result, calling it a "great, fun episode. " ( Star Trek: The Next Generation 365 , p. 187)
Rick Berman commented, " I ended up being pleasantly surprised, but it was an off-episode. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 213)
A mission report for this episode by Patrick Daniel O'Neill was published in The Official Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine issue 15 , pp. 60-62.
Michael Chabon watched this episode twice while writing for the first season of Star Trek: Picard . [2]

Video and DVD releases [ ]

Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 43, 9 March 1992
As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Data Box : 6 November 1995
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 4.4, 2 July 2001
As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker

Also starring [ ]

LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data

Guest stars [ ]

Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien
Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien
Sierra Pecheur as T'Pel / Selok
Alan Scarfe as Mendak

Co-stars [ ]

Shelly Desai as V'Sal
April Grace as Transporter Technician

Stand-ins [ ]

Nora Leonhardt – stand-in for Marina Sirtis
Tim McCormack – stand-in for Brent Spiner
Lorine Mendell – stand-in and photo double for Gates McFadden
Randy Pflug – stand-in for Colm Meaney
Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Jonathan Frakes
Dennis Tracy – stand-in for Patrick Stewart
Guy Vardaman – photo double for Brent Spiner
James Washington – stand-in and photo double for Michael Dorn
Unknown actor – dancing double for Brent Spiner

References [ ]

abduction ; ability ; access code ; accident ; accusation ; adage ; Adelphous IV ; admiral ; adoptive parent ; advice ; agreement ; " all hands "; alternative ; ambassador ; Ambassador -class ; analysis ; Andorian ; android ; anger ; answer ; anticipation ; appeal ; arboretum ; arm ; argument ; arrival ; assumption ; " at hand "; attitude ; Aurelia ; autopsy ; autosequencer ; axe ; back-up system ; barber ; barbershop ; base pair sequence ; battle stations ; bear ; beauty ; behavior ; best friend ; biomechanical maintenance program ; birthday ; blade ; bluff ; Bolian ; Brahms, Johannes ; bride ; carnation ; celebration ; chair ; chess tournament ; children ; choice ; citizen ; commissioning ; computer ; computer log ; computer program ; comrade ; conclusion ; confrontation ; contraction ; coordinates ; count ; course ; crew ; Crusher 4 ; crying ; custom ; cybernetics ; D'deridex -class ( unnamed escort ; unnamed reinforcements ); dance ( dancing ); dance lesson ; dance partner ; dance studio ; " Dancing Doctor, The "; day ; day watch ; Daystrom Institute ; decision making process ; deductive reasoning ; defense ; defense system ( defensive system ); deflector shield ; delegation ; destruction ; detective ; Devoras ; diplomat ; diplomatic conference ; diplomatic relations ; DNA ; Doyle, Arthur Conan ; dress uniform ; ear ; emergency manual control ; emotion ; emotional consideration ; emotional distraction ; emotional response ; engineering status report ; error ; event ; evidence ; examination ; exercise ; experience ; explanation ; expression ; eye ; fact ; father of the bride ; Federation ; Federation records ; Federation territory ; feeling ; feline supplement 74 ; field strength ; first officer ; first prize ; fluidic sensor diagnostic ; foot ; friend ; friendship ; gagaku ; Galvin V ; genetic code ; genetic record ; goal ; " good luck "; " wild goose chase "; guest quarters ; guide ; " gut feeling "; hatchet ; hail ; hair ; haircut ; hairstick ; happiness ; hatred ; headsman ; high school ; Hindu Festival of Lights ; Hindu ; Holmes, Sherlock ; holodeck ; honor ; hour ; Human ; humor ; hundred ; idea ; impulse power ; " in love "; information ; inquiry ; instruction ; intuition ( instinct ); intercept course ; investigation ; " Isn't It Romantic? "; irony ; Japanese ; jazz dance ; joy ; judgment ; kimono ; kindred spirit ; labor ; lesson ; letter ; level 1 diagnostic ; lie ; logic ; long range scan ; long range sensor ; love ; lunkhead ; lying ; Maddox, Bruce ; main deflector dish ; malfunction ; marriage ( bonds of matrimony ); matter to energy signal ratio ; medicine ; meeting ; methodology ; Midsummer Night's Dream, A ; minute ; miracle ; miracle worker ; mission ; mistake ; mitochondrial structure ; molecular structure ; moral ; Murasaki quasar ; music ; mystery ; navigational system ; negotiation ; night watch ; nucleotide base ; number one ; offer ; opinion ; opponent ; organic compound ; organic matter ; organic sample ; ornithoid ; orphan ; outsider ; override ; parameter ; patience ; patriot ; percent ; performance ; person ; personality ; personnel transfer ; phase transition coil ; phaser ; phaser range ; pillow ; play ; poker player ; playing card ; poker ; policy ; power ; power interruption ; privilege ; probability ( odds ); problem ; professional services ; promotion ; protocol ; question ; rabbit ; reason ; record ; red alert ; rehearsal ; rematerialization process ; replicating center ; report ; research ; result ; revenge ; reverse course ; rib ; risk ; role ; Romulan ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan Neutral Zone sector ; Romulan Star Empire ; Rozhenko, Helena ; Rozhenko, Sergey ; sailing ship ; St. Louis ; Saint Louis Academy ; secondary school ; security clearance ; security safeguard ; sense of humor ; service record ; sex ; sickbay ; signal lock ; sister ; smile ; social interaction ; society ; solution ; spy ; " stand by "; standard procedure ; starboard ; Starfleet ; starship ; story ; strategy ; sub-commander ; subject ; subspace bias ; subspace channel ; subspace frequency ; subspace message ; success ; supposition ; swan ; system flaw ; tap dance ; tap and jazz competition ; text ; theory ; thing ; thousand ; torpedo bay ; transfer sequence ; transition coil ; transporter ; transporter carrier wave ; transporter emergency ; transporter ID trace ; transporter malfunction ; transporter pad ; transporter pattern ; transporter record ; transporter room ; transporter signal ; transporter unit ; tricorder ; truth ; turbolift ; Umbato ; understanding ; variable ; voice ; Vulcan ; Vulcan philosophy ; " wait a minute "; warbird, Romulan ; warp factor ; weapon system ; wedding ( wedding day ); wedding dress ; wedding gift ; wedding rehearsal ; week ; " welcome aboard "; yellow alert ; Zhukov , USS

Unused production references [ ]

Mexler ; queen

External links [ ]

" Data's Day " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
" Data's Day " at Wikipedia
"Data's Day" at StarTrek.com
" "Data's Day" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
"Data's Day" script at Star Trek Minutiae
1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

Cast & crew
User reviews

Data's Day

Episode aired Jan 5, 1991

Brent Spiner in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Data tries to comprehend the complex emotions between O'Brien and Keiko, who are about to be married. Data tries to comprehend the complex emotions between O'Brien and Keiko, who are about to be married. Data tries to comprehend the complex emotions between O'Brien and Keiko, who are about to be married.

Robert Wiemer
Gene Roddenberry
Harold Apter
Ronald D. Moore
Patrick Stewart
Jonathan Frakes
LeVar Burton
17 User reviews
9 Critic reviews

Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987)

Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

Lieutenant Worf

Doctor Beverly Crusher

Counselor Deanna Troi

Lieutenant Commander Data

Keiko Ishikawa

Chief Miles O'Brien
Ambassador T'Pel

Adm. Mendak

Transporter Technician Hubbell

Enterprise Computer
(uncredited)
Crewman Martinez
Ensign Kellogg

Science Division Officer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

Trivia Wide shots of Data and Dr. Crusher tap dancing featured a dancer double for Data, only. Gates McFadden is an accomplished tap dancer, and did all her own work.
Goofs While officiating at a wedding ceremony, Captain Picard says, "Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all shipmasters have had one happy privilege: that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony." This is false; whatever Starfleet's own fictional regulations may be, the captains of seagoing ships have no particular power to perform weddings and, at least for the US, the UK, and the former USSR, there is no evidence that they ever did. In fact the navies of the US, the UK, and various other countries specifically prohibit a commanding officer from performing marriage ceremonies. See also Balance of Terror (1966) .

Lieutenant Worf : Human bonding rituals often involve a great deal of talking and dancing and crying.

Connections Features Star Trek: The Next Generation: Hollow Pursuits (1990)
Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 17

derekcharles
Oct 27, 2023
January 5, 1991 (United States)
United States
Official site
Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
Paramount Television
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

Runtime 46 minutes
Dolby Digital

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Star Trek: How Did Data's Cat Save the Enterprise Crew?

Data's beloved cat, Spot, was a fixture of his time on the show. Spot became an unlikely hero when a deadly virus spread through the Enterprise crew.

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's Data is the franchise's most prominent foray into a classic science fiction concept. He's an android studying his organic friends and coworkers to learn the secrets of mortal life. His storylines and presence in other narratives were often the most thoughtful pieces of the series. Through several appearances, Data introduced his cat, Spot. That cat would come to save the Enterprise crew unexpectedly when a bizarre new danger struck.

Star Trek 's episodic format often results in strange problem-solving scenarios . The writers might devise a nightmarish threat, but it typically needs to be resolved by the end of the 48-minute episode. This leads to some lesser entries pulling a solution out of the ether with little explanation. Not that most of those examples would be improved by five extra minutes of exposition, but it does lead to some funny discussions before the credits roll.

Star Trek: Data's Best Quotes

Who is spot.

Spot is one of several cats who live aboard the starship Enterprise-D . Initially played by two male long-haired Somali cats, Spot later appeared as an orange tabby. Neither version of Spot had spots despite her name. Data takes care of Spot, viewing the small animal as more of a friend than a pet. She wanders the ship but spends most of her days in Data's quarters. Data feeds and plays with Spot regularly. He creates various formulations of food for her, carefully cataloging her favorites. Like most cats, she's skittish and independent. Spot cared little for most of the Enterprise crew. Data was her primary caregiver, but she also enjoyed her time with Dr. Crusher, Reginald Barclay, and Deanna Troi. Worf was allergic to Spot and found her unwillingness to follow orders frustrating, but he respected Data enough to feed her whenever he was away. Despite Data's regular attempts to train Spot, she often hopped up on his desk and distracted him from work. She once sent Riker to the sick bay after scratching his face. In short, she was an ordinary cat in a unique situation.

How Spot was used to save the Enterprise Crew

Spot saved the Enterprise crew in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7, episode 19, "Genesis." It's the first and only episode of the series directed by Dr. Beverly Crusher actor Gates McFadden. The episode opens as Picard and Data briefly leave the ship, and Barclay visits Dr. Crusher. Barclay, a hypochondriac, panics over a mild flu, prompting Dr. Crusher to give him a synthetic T-cell treatment that should confer immunity. Instead, the genetic cocktail causes Barclay and most of the crew to devolve into strange creatures. Picard and Data return a few days later to find Barclay morphing into a giant spider, Riker degenerating into a caveman, and Deanna Troi becoming amphibious. Worse yet, Worf became a predatory monster hunting the other crewmembers. Picard quickly experiences feral emotions, suggesting to Data that he'll soon become a primate.

As Data is the only one seemingly safe from the T-cell infection, he races to determine a cure before everyone becomes a monster or Worf kills his friends. He's pursuing Troi, intending to mate with her, prompting Picard to fight back. Data synthesizes a spray from Troi's pheromones to lure him away. Picard saves himself and Data by electrocuting Worf into unconsciousness with a power wire. Data finds Spot, who gave birth while Data and Picard were away. Spot has morphed into an iguana, but her kittens remain feline. Data concludes that the antibodies found in amniotic fluid will defeat the synthetic T-cell. He synthesizes a cure with help from pregnant Nurse Ogawa and sprays it through the ship's air ducts to cure the crew. Data may not have saved the Enterprise crew without Spot and her litter.

What happened to Spot?

Spot lived on with Data for many years. She survived the Enterprise exploding in Star Trek: Generations , prompting Data to cry with the help of his new emotion chip. Eight years later, B-4 showed Spot some affection during his brief stay on the vessel. Spot presumably passed away sometime in the following twenty years. Altan Soong, the son of Data's creator, named an artificial cat Spot II in her honor. When Soong combined Data, B-4, and their siblings Lai and Lore into one body, Data shared Spot's memory to communicate his experience learning how to love. Data composed a poem called "Ode to Spot." These are its final words:

And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,

I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

Spot isn't an important character in the broad narrative of Star Trek , but she is critical in Data's personal journey. Spot saved the Enterprise crew through no intentional action. Everything she accomplished was coincidental. She was just a house cat doing what cats do naturally. In a way, her simplicity made her Data's perfect companion. As complex and competent as the android was, he needed a humble cat to teach him a few lessons.

Star Trek: Why Did Data Try To Kill Fajo?

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Series & Movies

Published Sep 23, 2022

Data and His Artistic Pursuits

Exploring the sentient android's many interests.

Data open mouth smiles at Geordi La Forge

StarTrek.com

The characters of Star Trek: The Next Generation engage in artistic endeavors in many of the show’s 179 episodes.

Commander William Riker plays jazz music, while Captain Jean-Luc Picard has his interests in Shakespeare and Ressikan music. Dr. Beverly Crusher directs plays and Worf enjoys Klingon opera. This constant attention to art and creativity in the narratives of The Next Generation represents the Star Trek theme that in the future, humanity will improve itself. "We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity," reveals Picard in Star Trek: First Contact . The fictional characters of TNG are what writer Henry Miller called “truly alive.”

Ironic, then, that the most artistically active character from TNG is an android. Data is a robotic version of Pinocchio, wishing to obtain the human emotions he was denied by design. Data realizes that the quest, in comparison to the boon, is more meaningful, and he wishes to learn about the human experience despite his lack of emotions. He will not be human physically, but art provides him an appreciation for humanity. Indeed, art and creativity are Data’s textbooks of understanding. “You are here to learn about the human condition and there's no better way than embracing Shakespeare,” Picard teaches as he coaches Data in a play as King Henry (“The Defector”).

Data engages in numerous art forms — poetry (“Schisms”), painting (“Birthright”), acting (“The Defector” and “Emergence”), violin (“Sarek”), oboe (“In Theory”), and singing ( Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis ).

Data is sometimes successful at his art, and, at other times, the crew reacts with trepidation and incredulousness at his poems or painting. With poetry, such as Data’s “Ode to Spot” written for his cat, it is understandable that the crew is often uncertain how to react to the android’s art:

“O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you displayconnote a fairly well-developed cognitive arrayAnd though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehendI nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend" — Data ("Schisms")

The reason why Data's art is successful sometimes and other times — not quite so — may be found in the ideas of poet Sir Stephen Spender who believed that the necessary traits of artists are concentration, memory, inspiration, faith and song.

Data obviously has very little problem with concentration being an android. In “A Matter of Time,” he explains his ability to listen to 150 different musical compositions at the same time, yet reveals that “in order to analyze the aesthetics, I try to limit myself to ten or less.” His memory is no slouch either, sharing with Commander Riker, “I remember every fact I am exposed to, sir.” Data also possesses the inspiration to be a good artist. He is inspired by his fellow crew, from Captain Picard who challenges him to learn about humanity through acting in Shakespeare’s plays, to Dr. Beverly Crusher who offers advice on the arts. He expresses delights in everyday experiences, from growing a beard (“The Schizoid Man”) to learning about Sherlock Holmes (“Elementary, Dear Data”).

If Data has a problem, it may be that he is short sometimes on faith and song, at least in the sense that Spender defines the terms. Confidence in one’s artistry is what Spender means by faith and confidence in one’s own unique voice is the song. The most common criticism of Data’s art by his fellow crew is that he should stop imitating the works of others, and start expressing his own experiences.

For example, in "The Defector," after Picard credits Data with a fine performance of King Henry, the android reveals he has been studying the performances of famous thespians, to which Picard chides him, “You must discover it through your own performance, not by imitating." When recommending ways to improve his poetry, Geordi advises, “Next time, don't worry so much about rhyme and meter. Some of the world's greatest poets didn't pay attention to rules.” Spender and Geordi might suggest that Data needs to listen to his own proverbial voice.

It is when Data imitates — when he does not show confidence in his own art (voice) and own voice (song) — that his art doesn't quite reach the levels he hopes. The paintings and poems aren’t really failures, though, because artistic endeavors are never really failures. Indeed, it is Data’s desire to try to be an artist that is most important. Data is inspired to learn about humanity through art. And when Data looks at his artistic expressions and endeavors, he too can claim, as Spender does, “What failures there are!”

This article was originally published on August 28, 2016.

Maria Jose and John Tenuto are both sociology professors at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Illinois, specializing in popular culture and subculture studies. The Tenutos have conducted extensive research on the history of Star Trek, and have presented at venues such as Creation Conventions and the St. Louis Science Center. They have written for the official Star Trek Magazine and their extensive collection of Star Trek items has been featured in SFX Magazine. Their theory about the “20-Year Nostalgia Cycle” and research on Star Trek fans has been featured on WGN News, BBC Radio and in the documentary The Force Among Us. They recently researched all known paperwork from the making of the classic episode "Space Seed" and are excited to be sharing some previously unreported information about Khan's first adventure with fellow fans.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Star Trek API (STAPI)

Memory Alpha

Memory beta.

Star Trek fonts
Novels: word count
Episodes: spoken lines
Stellar Cartography

The rtrek package provides datasets related to the Star Trek fictional universe and functions for working with those datasets. It interfaces with the Star Trek API (STAPI), Memory Alpha and Memory Beta to retrieve data, metadata and other information relating to Star Trek.

The package also contains several local datasets covering a variety of topics such as Star Trek timeline data, universe species data and geopolitical data. Some of these are more information rich, while others are toy examples useful for simple demonstrations. The bulk of Star Trek data is accessed from external sources by API. A future version of rtrek will also include summary datasets resulting from text mining analyses of Star Trek novels.

Image: Example Leaflet map using non-geographic Star Trek map tiles.

Installation

Install the CRAN release of rtrek with

Install the development version from GitHub with

Time to be good detectives. Good thing Data has R installed.

These are just a few examples to help you jump right in. See the package articles for more.

Use the Star Trek API (STAPI) to obtain information on the infamous character, Q. Specifically, retrieve data on his appearances and the stardates when he shows up.

The first API call does a lightweight, unobtrusive check to see how many pages of potential search results exist for characters in the database. There are a lot of characters.

The second call grabs only page two results. The third call uses the universal/unique ID uid to retrieve data on Q. Think of these three successive uses of stapi as safe mode, search mode and extraction mode.

Obtain content and metadata from the article about Spock on Memory Alpha:

Spock was born in 2230. Obtain a subset of the Star Trek universe historical timeline for that year:

Live long and prosper.

Packages in the trekverse

rtrek : The core Star Trek package

Datasets related to Star Trek, API wrappers to external data sources, and more.

lcars : LCARS aesthetic for Shiny

Create Shiny apps based on the Library Computer Access/Retrieval System (LCARS).

trekcolors : A color palette package

Predefined and customizable Star Trek themed color palettes and related functions.

trekfont : A fonts package

True (Trek) type fonts to style your Star Trek themed graphics text.

Matthew Leonawicz (2023). rtrek: Data analysis relating to Star Trek. R package version 0.4.0. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=rtrek

Contributions are welcome. Contribute through GitHub via pull request. Please create an issue first if it is regarding any substantive feature add or change.

Please note that the rtrek project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct . By contributing to this project, you agree to abide by its terms.

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Matthew Leonawicz Author, maintainer

Screen Rant

Star trek: picard’s soong made way more androids than data’s tng creator.

Dr. Altan Soong created far more androids in Star Trek: Picard than his father Noonien Soong did during the days of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Altan Soong, son of Noonien Soong, surpassed his father's work in creating advanced androids, including the creation of a synthetic golem body.
Altan and Dr. Bruce Maddox developed a method to create identical android pairs using Data's positronic neurons, leading to a community of synthetics on Coppelius.
Many of Altan's android creations, like Soji and Dahj, are nearly indistinguishable from humans, blurring the line between synthetic and humanoid beings.

In Star Trek: Picard , Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) built far more androids than his father Dr. Noonien Soong. For generations, the Soong family was interested in cloning and genetics, until Arik Soong switched to researching synthetic life while in a United Federation of Planets prison in Star Trek: Enterprise . It was not until Dr. Noonien Soong, in the 2330s, that the family's research into androids and cybernetics finally paid off. After a few less successful attempts, Noonien created Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), the most advanced android of his time and an accomplished Starfleet officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D.

Before Data, Dr. Noonien Soong created B-4, Lore (both also Brent Spiner), and at least two other prototypes. Soong later created a more realistic android recreation of his wife, Juliana (Fionnula Flanagan) . B-4's brain was not nearly as complex as Lore's or Data's, so the android had difficulty processing even simple information. Lore was much more sophisticated, but he quickly grew unstable, believing himself superior to the humanoids around him. Data was Noonien Soong's greatest accomplishment. The positronic android was kind and empathetic despite his supposed lack of emotion. Noonien created six total androids, but his son, Altan, far surpassed that number.

Every male Soong, as well as Data, B-4, and Lore, have all been portrayed by Brent Spiner.

Every Soong Character Brent Spiner Plays In Star Trek

Star trek: picard’s dr. altan soong built way more androids than tng’s noonien soong, altan soong built on his father's research, cementing his family's legacy..

The Soongs could have stopped after creating Data, but Altan continued his father's research, building on the technology used to create Data and his brothers. With help from Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales) , Altan developed a means of creating a pair of identical androids using one of Data's positronic neurons. Using this method, Soong and Maddox created a community of synthetics on the planet Coppelius. At this point, Altan had already created more androids than his father, but he kept working to improve the technology. Altan began creating a synthetic golem body into which he could transfer a human consciousness.

Although Dr. Altan Soong intended to use the golem body for himself, he later gifted it to Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) when the former Enterprise captain succumbed to his terminal brain abnormality. Picard's new golem body was indistinguishable from his human one, and allowed him to live out the rest of the life he would have had. After this, Altan went back to work on his father's androids, constructing a new android body to house the personalities of Data, Lore, B-4, and Data's daughter, Lal (Hallie Todd). Data's personality eventually became the dominant one, providing the android with something as close to humanity as possible.

Other scientists and cyberneticists continued to build on Altan Soong's work. Star Trek: Discovery season 5 introduces an android named Fred (J. Adam Brown), who bears a striking resemblance to Data and has a serial number beginning with AS for Altan Soong.

Picard’s Altan Soong Made Star Trek Androids More Human

Many of altan's androids are nearly indistinguishable from humans..

On Coppelius, Altan Soong and Bruce Maddox created numerous android pairs, including twins Soji and Dahj Asha (Isa Briones) . Soji and Dahj were so human-like that they initially believed themselves to be human, and Soji only learned of her true nature after her sister's death drew her into a complex conspiracy. Soji and Dahj had enhanced strength and speech, but their synthetic bodies functioned almost like human ones. The synthetic golem bodies Altan created for Picard and Data also appeared incredibly human, with Data's yellow eyes the only indication he may be something more.

Although Data exhibited many human characteristics throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , he was always, unmistakably, a machine. Data's upgrade in Star Trek: Picard season 3 was the culmination of both Noonien and Altan Soong's work, and also the fulfillment of Data's dream. Like many of the Soongs , Altan may have made some questionable decisions, but he ultimately cemented the Soong legacy as a positive one. Star Trek: Picard season 1 did not reveal exactly how many androids were living on Coppelius, but the number far surpasses the six androids created by Noonien Soong.

All three seasons of Star Trek: Picard are streaming on Paramount+.

While most 2024 offerings arrive in October, the first ornament of the year hits stores this July, when Hallmark celebrates the 60th anniversary of “The Cage” with The Keeper . This is the Talosian leader who kept Captain Pike hostage in the original Star Trek pilot episode; it’s priced at $19.99.

Moving into the fall’s character spotlights, Hallmark is starting with the beloved chief medical officer of the Enterprise- D: Beverly Crusher! With so many licensees often leaving Crusher out of the roster of character-themed releases, it’s nice to see Hallmark including the good doctor in their 2024 lineup.

Clad in her trademark blue coat and with trusty medical tricorder in hand, the Crusher ornament will available in October for $19.99.

Also from The Next Generation is the first electronic ornament for 2024, recreating the encounter between Ambassador Spock and Data in “Unification II.” This ornament will be priced at $29.99 when released in October, and plays audio clips from the Next Gen episode.

For this year’s “modern Trek ” release, Hallmark turns to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds with an ornament featuring Captain Pike seated in his Enterprise command chair. The base of his chair plays Strange New Worlds audio clips, and will be available for $21.99 this October.

Moving next to Trek movie anniversaries, Hallmark celebrates the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Generations with the first-ever USS Enterprise -B ornament! Hallmark’s Kevin Dilmore once highlighted the technical challenges that held back the Excelsior -class design for many years back in 2021, so it’s nice to see this long-awaited ship will make it to fans’ collections.

The Enterprise- B ornament lights up and will be available for $34.99 in October.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture also hits a big anniversary this year, and Hallmark will be honoring that milestone with a pair of miniature ornaments tied to the film. A small edition of the refit USS Enterprise will be released at a $10.99 price point, and a small sculpt of Science Officer Spock wearing his TMP-era uniform will be $9.99. Each will be out in October.

Finally, the fan-favorite Star Trek homage Galaxy Quest hits its 25th anniversary this year, and Hallmark will be taking us back to 1999 with a new ornament of that film’s NSEA Protector spaceship.

Like the other 2024 releases, the Protector ornament will be out this October for $24.99.

What’s your favorite of this year’s Hallmark Star Trek ornament offerings? Is there one you were really hoping for that didn’t make 2024’s lineup? Let us know in the comments below!

Galaxy Quest
Hallmark Ornaments
Keepsake Ornaments
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Original Series
Trek Merchandise