The Problem With Data
I am a fan of Star Trek. If I was suddenly transported into the 23rd or 24th centuries depicted in the multiple Star Trek TV series and movies, I would be familiar enough with the world to navigate a Constitution or Galaxy class starship. I'd be able to lecture history classes about major events in the 22nd and 23rd centuries. And I'd sure as heck know to never wear a red shirt.
Yes, I am a fan of Star Trek, but there are two kinds of fans: those who refuse to admit the shortcomings of their favorite shows, and those who love the shows despite acknowledging that, yes, sometimes these otherwise amazingly entertaining shows make questionable choices.
I've always found the character of Lieutenant Commander Data, brilliantly played by Brent Spiner, to be a problematic one. The first problem is mostly a nitpick, so I'll get that out of the way: During advance promotion of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Paramount Pictures deliberately leaked images and rumors designed to indicate that the new show would take place within the same universe of the original, but be very different due to the passage of time within the storyline. Most obvious of these was the idea that the new Enterprise bridge crew would include not only an android, but also a Klingon. The implication was that in the 24th century, such things wouldn't be considered a big deal.
It didn't take long -- and by that I mean it took less than even half a season -- for the writers to abandon that concept. Android officer Data and Klingon officer Worf, while initially presented as "no big deal, how cool is that," were quickly provided back-stories establishing that having an android and a Klingon on board were really big deals, that Worf was the only Klingon in Starfleet, and that Data was the only known sentient android in existence.
Okay, so far, so-so. The intriguing idea of "androids and Klingons in Starfleet are common now" was abandoned, but at least it was abandoned in favor of equally intriguing back-stories.
Here is the much bigger problem with Data: His uniqueness as an android gave the writers free reign to do whatever they pleased with his character. Now, you would be correct if you argued that the same situation applied to Spock in the first series, due to his alien nature, which the writers added to whenever it suited their needs. Oh, he's a mind-reader! Oh, he's got a "third eyelid" that protects him from blindness, but it's so rarely used, we can say that he "forgot" about it, and thus add suspense. Oh, before we said he has to touch someone to use his mind-reading tricks? Well, usually, but not when we say he doesn't. Oh, and he's also super strong. And he has astounding mental capabilities. And he has a magic touch that can knock you unconscious. And he can save his mind and soul in another body when he's in danger. Etc. Etc.
Yes, Spock's alienness was a get-out-of-jail free card, and the writers had no problem exploiting it. But still, there was a certain -- forgive the word -- logic to how this get out of jail card was applied. Yes, the writers made up the rules however it suited them, but once they set those rules, they (more or less) stuck by them. And whenever they used that card, it was treated with a degree of gravitas. From the dramatic music that accompanied Spock's neck pinches, to the gravity applied to every mind meld, to the life-altering consequences of Spock's katra exiting his body and inhabiting McCoy's, we got the feeling that Spock's uniqueness, however convenient for the writers, was dealt with seriously.
Often not so with Data.
Data's storylines of uniqueness generally fell into four categories:
1. Despite Data's clear mental and physical superiority to humans, he pines for humanity.
2. Data's a threat to the ship.
3. Data's the only one who can save the ship.
4. Data's a walking punchline.
I actually like the stories involving Data's quest for humanity. Even if the irony behind the situation was never subtle, these stories were consistent in goal and theme, established in the pilot episode, and still addressed years later in the movie sequels.
Each of the other three categories, however, are increasingly problematic. The first time Data's superior abilities were established as a serious threat to the ship was in the first season's "Datalore," in which Data's evil twin brother (!), using the exact same mental and physical abilities that Data has, is able to almost single-handedly destroy / take over the Enterprise. He can reprogram the computer in record time, he can laugh off punches thrown by the Enterprise's strongest crew member, he can use his capability of mimicry to access the captain's voice-activated codes, and that's just for starters. In the end, the villainous Lore is defeated, but the message is clear: Data's shipmates better be damn happy that he's on their side, because everything that Lore did to take over the Enterprise, Data could easily do as well. The Enterprise is repeatedly established as having the best crew in the fleet, but put 'em all together, and they're still powerless to fight Data if he goes bad.
And occasionally, he did go bad. In "A Fistful of Datas," his android programming infects the holodeck and nearly kills Troi, Wof, and Alexander. In "Masks," he is more or less possessed by incorporeal aliens, and takes over the ship. In "Descent," a brain-washed Data teams up with the dreadful Borg and tortures Geordi LaForge. In "Insurrection," he malfunctions and temporarily goes rogue. And so on.
Yet if Data was repeatedly a danger to his shipmates, he made up for it by often being their savior as well. Early episodes earned disdain for the overuse of the plot twist "Wesley saves the ship," but after Wil Wheaton left the show, saving the ship became a Data specialty on an almost weekly basis. A disease ravaging the crew? Don't worry, Data's immune, he's an android. Need to break out of a time loop? Don't worry, Data's subconcious can be programmed to detect temporal anomalies. Need to out-think an opponent? Don't worry, Data's positronic brain moves at lightning-fast speeds. And so on.
When Wheaton later returned for a guest appearance, the ending reflected this change; Wesley spends the entire episode trying to save the ship, but when he fails, who does manage to save the ship at the last minute? Data, of course.
Sometimes, this was fun, but it was simply over-used, and led to some lazy, pointless writing. When Data and Geordi are temporarily locked behind an automated wall in "Generations," Data simply recalibrates his arm (whatever the heck that even means) and is able to instantly become a walking garage door opener. The problem is solved so quickly, you have to wonder why the writers even bothered to include it.
In a way, Data's use as an all-problem-solver was a reflection of one of the biggest problems with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Spock's many Vulcan capabilities may have been suspiciously convenient, but even with Spock in the original series' back pocket, Kirk and company always had to figure out how to solve their problems. Not so with Next Generation -- Picard and his crew always spend the hour faced with some new dilemma, and then almost invariably solve the problem by "reversing the polarity" of their shields, deflector ray, or whatever. Honestly, if you take out the episodes with variations of the solution "reverse the polarity!" you'd have maybe a season or two. Adding Swiss-Army-Knife Data to the mix gives the writers just one more "this can solve anything!" solution. As I said, lazy writing.
Yet the fourth category of Data stories is the most irritating. Data is far, far too often a walking punchline, and when used in this manner, the punchlines are rarely funny. Look, I think any character, Data included, can be legitimately mined for laughs, but "ain't that funny, he's an android" rarely works, because the thinking behind such humor is too apathetic and simplistic for Star Trek audiences. This problem got increasingly obvious over the years, and by the time of the penultimate movie, Data was telling Picard, in a tone of voice "humorously" reminiscent of an airline stewardess, that he can be used as a flotation device. Yes, that's an actual example.
The biggest problem with having a swiss army knife character is that not only does it promote lazy writing, but it also establishes a precedent that such writing is acceptable. Star Trek: Voyager later had not one but two characters that fit into this category: the holographic Doctor and the half-Borg Seven of Nine. How long before such a character is added to the current series, Star Trek: Discovery?
1. Despite Data's clear mental and physical superiority to humans, he pines for humanity.
2. Data's a threat to the ship.
3. Data's the only one who can save the ship.
4. Data's a walking punchline.
I actually like the stories involving Data's quest for humanity. Even if the irony behind the situation was never subtle, these stories were consistent in goal and theme, established in the pilot episode, and still addressed years later in the movie sequels.
Each of the other three categories, however, are increasingly problematic. The first time Data's superior abilities were established as a serious threat to the ship was in the first season's "Datalore," in which Data's evil twin brother (!), using the exact same mental and physical abilities that Data has, is able to almost single-handedly destroy / take over the Enterprise. He can reprogram the computer in record time, he can laugh off punches thrown by the Enterprise's strongest crew member, he can use his capability of mimicry to access the captain's voice-activated codes, and that's just for starters. In the end, the villainous Lore is defeated, but the message is clear: Data's shipmates better be damn happy that he's on their side, because everything that Lore did to take over the Enterprise, Data could easily do as well. The Enterprise is repeatedly established as having the best crew in the fleet, but put 'em all together, and they're still powerless to fight Data if he goes bad.
And occasionally, he did go bad. In "A Fistful of Datas," his android programming infects the holodeck and nearly kills Troi, Wof, and Alexander. In "Masks," he is more or less possessed by incorporeal aliens, and takes over the ship. In "Descent," a brain-washed Data teams up with the dreadful Borg and tortures Geordi LaForge. In "Insurrection," he malfunctions and temporarily goes rogue. And so on.
Yet if Data was repeatedly a danger to his shipmates, he made up for it by often being their savior as well. Early episodes earned disdain for the overuse of the plot twist "Wesley saves the ship," but after Wil Wheaton left the show, saving the ship became a Data specialty on an almost weekly basis. A disease ravaging the crew? Don't worry, Data's immune, he's an android. Need to break out of a time loop? Don't worry, Data's subconcious can be programmed to detect temporal anomalies. Need to out-think an opponent? Don't worry, Data's positronic brain moves at lightning-fast speeds. And so on.
When Wheaton later returned for a guest appearance, the ending reflected this change; Wesley spends the entire episode trying to save the ship, but when he fails, who does manage to save the ship at the last minute? Data, of course.
Sometimes, this was fun, but it was simply over-used, and led to some lazy, pointless writing. When Data and Geordi are temporarily locked behind an automated wall in "Generations," Data simply recalibrates his arm (whatever the heck that even means) and is able to instantly become a walking garage door opener. The problem is solved so quickly, you have to wonder why the writers even bothered to include it.
In a way, Data's use as an all-problem-solver was a reflection of one of the biggest problems with Star Trek: The Next Generation. Spock's many Vulcan capabilities may have been suspiciously convenient, but even with Spock in the original series' back pocket, Kirk and company always had to figure out how to solve their problems. Not so with Next Generation -- Picard and his crew always spend the hour faced with some new dilemma, and then almost invariably solve the problem by "reversing the polarity" of their shields, deflector ray, or whatever. Honestly, if you take out the episodes with variations of the solution "reverse the polarity!" you'd have maybe a season or two. Adding Swiss-Army-Knife Data to the mix gives the writers just one more "this can solve anything!" solution. As I said, lazy writing.
Yet the fourth category of Data stories is the most irritating. Data is far, far too often a walking punchline, and when used in this manner, the punchlines are rarely funny. Look, I think any character, Data included, can be legitimately mined for laughs, but "ain't that funny, he's an android" rarely works, because the thinking behind such humor is too apathetic and simplistic for Star Trek audiences. This problem got increasingly obvious over the years, and by the time of the penultimate movie, Data was telling Picard, in a tone of voice "humorously" reminiscent of an airline stewardess, that he can be used as a flotation device. Yes, that's an actual example.
The biggest problem with having a swiss army knife character is that not only does it promote lazy writing, but it also establishes a precedent that such writing is acceptable. Star Trek: Voyager later had not one but two characters that fit into this category: the holographic Doctor and the half-Borg Seven of Nine. How long before such a character is added to the current series, Star Trek: Discovery?
posted by Movie Man at
12:48 PM
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