In the thirteenth episode of the first season of The Next Generation, THAT WAS UNNERVING. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
I’m not gonna try and claim that the core idea of “Datalore†is anything new. For a long time, fiction – particularly genre fiction – has been obsessed with the concept of an evil twin. I mean, it’s such a pervasive trope that people have been regularly asking me whether I’m the evil twin out of me and my brother. It’s that common.
So how does a show like The Next Generation try to keep my interest when using such a typical trope? Through Brent Spiner. I don’t find the second half of “Datalore†to be nearly as interesting as the first half, at least in terms of the story, but it’s Brent Spiner’s acting that makes this such a memorable episode. Still, the chance to learn more about Data’s background was exciting! I mean, the first ten minutes of this episode were so surprising to me because I’d never even considered that Data was from anywhere. (It’s possible that this detail was revealed prior to this and I just forgot it; I did take a month off from the show in between the first nine episodes and where I am now!) I had just assumed that the Federation had created him.
However, “Datalore†gives us a backstory for him that’s a lot more mysterious and dark than I was ready for. I WAS NOT READY, Y’ALL. This entire time, Data had the memory and accumulated knowledge of 411 Earth colonists in his own storage, and NO ONE KNEW WHY. Without that crucial context, we’re given a hell of a mystery, one that only gets more disturbing when we find out why the entire colony on Omicron Theta died out. But what does that mean for Data? How does he react to any of this? It’s not until he discovers the pieces of a second android – one styled exactly like him – that we see Data act excited. He’s thrilled about the possibility of a companion, one he can call his “brother.â€
I think that aspect of this story is what separates “Datalore†from the more traditional “evil twin†tales. Data never had a brother; he’s always been alone. On top of that, he’s been striving to be more human, to fit in with his companions onboard the Enterprise. That’s the point of the absurd sneezing sequence at the beginning of the episode; it establishes that Data is leagues behind Lore’s own programming. But why? Why is that an important detail?
Well, it’s through this detail that the script allows for Brent Spiner to unleash a horrifying characterization on the world, and I want to talk about what a brilliant reversal this is. The villain here is not the character who lacks human emotion or does not act as we do; it’s the character who is brutally human. Lore is so terrifying because he was programmed to be just as selfish, cruel, and violent as humans can be. He got the full spectrum of humanity within him, and he utilizes that to amplify his own superiority. He knows he is better than humans, and that’s precisely why his creator – Noonian Soong – shut him down and created Data instead. HUMANS COULD DEAL WITH DATA BETTER THAN THEY COULD WITH LORE.
I love that, and I love that this episode shows us that part of Data’s appeal as a character is his behavior. The horror comes from watching how Lore not only imitates Data, but uses his understanding of human nature to exploit those around him. Suddenly, I don’t want Data to become more human. I want him to stay exactly as he is because THIS IS A VERY UPSETTING ALTERNATIVE. That’s not to say that Data would turn into Lore immediately or anything like that; I think Data has sense and loyalty, which Lore did not possess. Still, the glimpse is completely unnerving!
Which brings me to Wesley Crusher. I feel conflicted by this character. Part of me loves the idea that there’s a voice in this show that’s as young as Wesley is. It’s such a fascinating perspective, and when Wesley was desperately trying to convince Picard to listen to him, I was into him. It’s true that in a rigid environment like a starship, age and rank and experience is highly valued. Hell, it’s almost entirely what’s valued. Having someone counter that? I like that. But at the same time, it feels the show can’t let him do that without also portraying him as super annoying. So yes, I laughed when Picard and then Dr. Crusher told Wesley to shut up. It was funny! I think that the show wants to give us a character who is both eager to learn but also kind of inappropriate? I mean, he’s a teenage boy, WE ARE AN AWFUL BREED OF PEOPLE Y’ALL. So I’m interested to see how much further they’ll take this with him. I mean… what will they do when he grows up???
Anyway, Brent Spiner can be creepy. I DID NOT KNOW THIS.
The video for “Datalore†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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