In the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of The Next Generation, OF COURSE THIS EPISODE IS A TWO-PARTER AND OF COURSE THE SECOND HALF IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
GODDAMN IT, THIS IS SO UNFAIR. Why does the universe conspire so much to ruin me? This is a conspiracy.
Data
I’ll start with Data, since his story feels a little bit more complete than Worf’s. (But it’s not??? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.) I still think, after six-and-a-half seasons, that one of the best things The Next Generation did was create Data and then give him an ongoing storyline about his desire to be human. Some of the best episodes of this entire show have focused on him, so SURPRISE, this episode totally rules, too. Granted, he shares it with Worf, who has an incredible story, too. BUT OH MY GOD. The implications of this episode are astounding, so even if the second half of this doesn’t really address Data? I’m still pleased. SO PLEASED.
First, let’s talk about how cool it is to see Julian on the Enterprise. IT’S REALLY COOL. Of course, a selfish part of me wishes that the entire crew of DS9 could have hung out with the entire crew of Enterprise and I’ll have to turn to fanfic someday if there isn’t more of the DS9 folks in the second half of “Birthright.” I JUST LOVE CROSSOVERS A GREAT DEAL, NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED BY THIS THESE DAYS. I think it was fantastic of the show to choose Dr. Bashir out of everyone on DS9 to interact with Data, though. As a scientist, Dr. Bashir has a keen eye for detail, and in this case, he remarks on specific aspects of Data’s construction that remind him of humans. Data’s hair can grow. He has a pulse! His very design suggests a grander plan than just artificial life. And isn’t that exactly what Data has always wanted? Hasn’t he been striving to be more than just an android?
Thus, his dreams and visions that he experiences after he’s knocked “unconscious” are significant. They’re not just a reference to Philip K. Dick (though they are a clever one!), but a sign that Data might be experiencing something new and exciting. By every standard, he should not be able to have a dream or a vision ever. Those are features of human experience, not of an artificial life constructed in a lab. And yet, there they are. We know they’re real, and we know that Data is experiencing them. But how? How?
It’s very fitting that Worf is the one who not only compels Data to pursue the meaning of the visions, but unknowingly convinces himself to seek out his own father. Data’s journey takes him through a massive period of artistic output, WHICH IS COOL AS HELL, and I wish I could paint. It looks so soothing!!! What struck me about that sequence, though, is that it was such a human reaction. Data was haunted by the images in these visions, and so he CREATED ART in response to it.
That should have been a clue to the eventual reasoning behind this, though. The nature of Data’s vision was deliberately vague, and even when we saw the entire thing, it was still purposefully metaphorical. Look, even if we accept that Dr. Soong truly programmed something within Data to awake at a specific time, what time was that supposed to be at? When Data became human enough. Therefore, I think Dr. Soong always knew that Data would progress towards humanity. Sure, Data accidentally activated this programming, but I viewed its existence as a sign that this was where Data was always supposed to go.
I guess androids do dream.
Worf
I suspect that the second half of “Birthright” will mostly follow Worf’s story, and I say that mainly because I REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. Like Data, Worf has a troubling experience that sends him on a journey to find his father, and, like Data, he has to struggle with the fact that his father is dead. So, when Jaglom Shrek tries to convince Worf that he’s got information on the location of his father, Worf reacts poorly. To understand that, the episode thankfully explains why this is such a horrific idea to a Klingon. If Mogh really did get captured at Khitomer, that means he was denied the chance to die with honor in battle, which means that three generations worth of descendants would be cursed with dishonor. Whether this information is true or not is, in the beginning, irrelevant to Worf. It’s just so offensive to him.
And yet, he’s haunted by the possibility, so much so that his words of advice to Data inspire him to pursue his father. And that’s when THIS GOES TO A REALLY WEIRD PLACE, AND I UNDERSTAND PRACTICALLY NOTHING HERE. Look, I did not trust Jaglom for a second, and even if his information was correct? I thought he had an ulterior motive here. What I didn’t expect was for him to be 100% right and 100% wrong at the same time. Apparently, there is a prison camp run by the Romulans, except the first Klingon he meets doesn’t seem to act like it’s one. She calls it home. And what of the other Klingons he meets? None of them seem all that bothered by where they live, and even worse, they’re all willing to call the Romulan guards to keep Worf from leaving. Apparently, Mogh was killed at Khitomer??? But why would Jaglom say he was at the prison camp? WHAT IS THIS PLACE? I AM SO CONFUSED.
Damn my schedule. DAMN IT.
The video for “Birthright, Part I” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon!!! MANY SURPRISES ARE IN STORE FOR YOU IF YOU SUPPORT ME.
– IÂ will be at numerous conventions in 2016! Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches will be seasons 1 & 2 of The 100, Death Note, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. On Mark Reads, Diane Duane’s Young Wizards series will replace the Emelan books.
- Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook! I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!
