In the eleventh episode of the fourth season of The Next Generation, we follow a day in the life of Data, and IT’S SO WONDERFUL. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Oh my god, I love everything this episode chooses to be. This is such a quintessentially Next Generation episode of Star Trek, isn’t it? There’s barely an overarching plot, and the writers chose to focus on the emotional development of Data over everything else. Hell, Data’s characterization over the course of this show has been one of the most rewarding things The Next Generation has ever done. I honestly didn’t expect it at all, and it’s fantastic! SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THINGS.
T’Pel
Of all the plots here – and there are many of them – I found T’Pel’s to be the most obvious and the least compelling. I don’t think it’s supposed to be the focus of “Data’s Day,” though. Like much of what we see here, it’s part of the whole. If anything, I’d say that this episode elevates the normal background noise and settings to the forefront and sticks the action plot to the side. The point of her plot to deceive the Enterprise crew reflects both on Data’s sense of humanity, first of all. He gets close to experiencing a genuine sense of instinctual suspicion towards her, more than he’d ever felt before. But how far can that suspicion take a person? In the end, the entire Enterprise is fooled by T’Pel, who reveals herself to be a Romulan spy.
Even humans fail at being human sometimes.
A Day in the Life
So, this whole episode is framed as being the log of Data as he records a day in his life for Commander Maddox, but the focus is particularly interesting: Data is going to detail his friendships with those around him. I love that we’re at a point where we don’t even question that Data is good friends with a number of people on this ship. It’s that quiet sort of worldbuilding that helps us understand the future we’re being shown. However, it’s through Data’s interactions with the crew that we get some of the best worldbuilding for the Enterprise that we’ve ever gotten before. Nothing compares to this! We get to see the botany lab while meeting O’Brien’s fianceé, Keiko. We get to see the ship’s barber shop (!!!!!!!). We get to see how people buy gifts. We see how pregnancy works. We get an idea of just how full the days are on a starship, and it’s SO GODDAMN FASCINATING. It’s almost like this entire episode is some weird domestic AU unfolding in real time, and I appreciate this endlessly.
It suggests to us that past episodes may have had singular stories, but there’s an entire community living on this ship. Everyone has different goals and desires, and not everyone is fighting the weekly Big Bad, either. Life goes on here, and this episode helps show us that.
The Wedding
There’s always a joy to me in watching Brent Spiner get to play this character because of the ways in which Data interacts with the human world around him. The human drama that we get to glimpse in “Data’s Day” helps to demonstrate where Data has improved since the beginning of the show and where he needs to do better. It really feels astounding to me to be able to witness that growth. I mean, look how easily he interacts with the crew throughout this episode. Yes, there are awkward moments and misunderstandings, but the audience can definitely tell that he’s now friends with these people.
So it makes sense that he’d be asked to be Keiko’s “father” and give her away to Chief O’Brien. This is not without some complications, though the show chooses to show us how Data struggles to adapt to the at-times-confusing atmosphere present on the ship. Everything is filtered through his internal logic, which is why he creates a disaster between the couple. So how does he deal with that? How does Data navigate a world that seems so consistently alien to him?
Through sincerity. There’s one thing that’s striking to me throughout this episode, and it’s that Data is simply one of the most genuine people on the Enterprise. When he asks for Worf’s help in choosing a wedding gift, he truly believes Worf can help him. When he seeks out Dr. Crusher’s expertise as a dancer (WHO FUCKING KNEW?????), he honestly thinks she’s the best dancer and the best teacher for him. His conversation with Deanna Troi? It’s almost heartbreaking in its sincerity. Data just wants to be a good friend, y’all.
So maybe he fucks things up when he bluntly informs O’Brien of Keiko’s reservations, and he definitely makes matters worse when he aggressively confronts Keiko. But he does try his best to be the best, and it’s why he ultimately says that he understands love and belonging. He is clearly loved by this crew, and he clearly belongs on the Enterprise. There’s no question about that.
The video for “Data’s Day” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
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