I’ve mentioned this before, but I'll say it again, for the record: when I was a kid, my favorite TNG character was Data. He’s extremely compelling and approachable for a child - he’s different enough that he seems almost like a superhero, but still rooted in the familiar. From the very beginning of the series, he’s introduced as a member of the crew, junior only to Riker and Picard on a ship of over one thousand. The stories that have touched on him revolve around how he relates to others, but always from the perspective of those who have chosen to trust and accept him. There’s a reason that so many people reacted badly to Pulaski being so dismissive of Data, and as I read through an article discussing how much Pulaski was disliked, I saw the same word used repeatedly in regards to her treatment of Data: "bigoted."
But that’s not quite right, is it?
Data is an android. This is a fact that the show has so far only made use of as a narrative hook (Data, open this door. Data, learn sign language really quickly. Data, try to joke with Joe Piscopo.), not really exploring what that actually would mean. Not only is he an android, Data is apparently the only android in existence, and that’s a strange, but important, detail. We’ve never seen a junior officer refuse to follow Data’s orders because they don’t like being bossed around by a machine. We’ve never had Picard question whether Data should be treated differently, despite the fact that he is incredibly different. The show has, until this point, used Data no differently than they would an alien: Strange, possessing of various abilities, but ultimately just like us.
There’s a moment early in “Measure of a Man” in which an admiral tells Picard, “Ah, yes, Captain, this is Commander Maddox. He’s here to work on your android.” The line is instantly horrifying. It’s spoken with such casual dismissal, in the same manner that someone would introduce the plumber who’s here to install your new sink. It’s the moment that this episode announces that it’s trying something new and ambitious, that TNG is going to embrace the unique nature of Data and explore the consequences of a creation like that living among humans.
The Enterprise is visiting a new starbase, getting some routine maintenance. (I really love the idea of the Enterprise in a Jiffy Lube bay while a mustachioed gentleman peers up at a trickle of oil draining from her belly.) While there, Picard runs into Captain Phillipa Louvois, and it’s quickly established that they’ve got a bit of a complex history. It’s possible they used to date, but it’s definite that ended badly when she prosecuted Picard at the court martial for the loss of the USS Stargazer. They chat for a bit, and we learn that she’s the new JAG (judge advocate general) officer for this sector. Before they get much further, Picard is interrupted by an admiral who introduces Commander Bruce Maddox, a cyberneticist. It’s apparently a day for reunions, because Maddox and Data have a history as well.
Maddox (who we learn unsuccessfully argued against Data’s admission into Starfleet Academy) immediately establishes himself as kind of a dick. He refers to Data as “it”, and announces that he’s transferring Data off of the Enterprise, and into his command. Once Data reports for duty, Maddox is going to disassemble Data in an attempt to figure out how Data ticks, so that hundreds, if not thousands, of androids can be built. One tiny problem, though: Maddox isn’t quite sure that he’ll be able to reassemble Data.
Picard, furious at having one of his officers snatched away from him for such a dangerous procedure, goes to Captain Louvois for legal advice. She informs him that Data can’t legally refuse a valid transfer order, but if he wants to avoid the procedure, he does have one option remaining: he can resign from Starfleet. To the episode’s credit, there’s no real debate here. Faced with an involuntary and dangerous procedure, Data resigns from Starfleet. Maddox immediately challenges this action, and calls for Louvois to rule about whether Data, a machine, has the right to resign and refuse the procedure. She considers it, and decides that Data is the property of Starfleet, cannot resign, and cannot refuse Maddox’s orders.
This all is rushed through in the first fifteen minutes of the episode, but I didn’t mind the quick pace. It’s important to set the stakes, and when Picard demands a hearing, the show slows down to allow the characters to fully explore this question. Riker, as the second in command, is assigned the role of prosecutor, responsible for proving that Data is a machine, and thus has no right to resign. When he tries to refuse, Louvois explains that if he doesn’t do the best job that he can, she will rule summarily against Data. (This could seem like a cheap effort to create drama, but it’s worth noting that this idea has a basis in fact. Traditionally, one of the roles of a first officer is to act as prosecutor in any court-martial proceedings that take place on a naval vessel. One of the many reasons everyone hates the XO.)
The hearing is remarkably complex, particularly considering this show's earlier attempts at philosophy. It’s not portrayed as a simple question, but one that actually is deserving of consideration. (One misstep: Maddox asks Louvois if the Enterprise computer would be permitted to refuse a refit. It’s meant to prove his point about Data, but I have to say, if a computer had the ability to actually ask for that, I’d probably hesitate before installing that RAM.) Riker has Data bend steel, removes Data’s arm, and in a brutal moment, explains that Data is a construct of humans, built to serve humans, and switches Data off, sending him slumping to the side. My favorite part of this excellent sequence: Riker quietly returns to his seat, and seems to sink into himself in self-loathing.
Picard, reeling from Riker’s presentation, sits down with Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg, doing some amazing work), and the two drink some space tequila. Their discussion is quiet and ugly. Guinan points out that the real danger isn’t if Maddox fails in his experiment and Data is lost. No, the real horror is that, if Maddox succeeds, Starfleet will have the ability to create thousands of Datas. Thousands of strong, replaceable, sentient beings that it can send into battle, into dangerous situations, or to do the jobs that humans don’t want to do. That's thousands of sentient beings that are property. (I do wish the script hadn’t had Picard point out that she’s talking about slavery. Goldberg’s monologue is powerful, and it’s not necessary for Picard to punctuate it to make sure the audience really gets the point.)
Picard’s defense of Data demands a lot from Patrick Stewart, who turns in his first truly iconic performance of the series in this episode. This is Picard’s moment, and his interrogation of Maddox as to what qualifies as a life form is riveting, with Picard challenging Maddox, Riker, Louvois, and humanity itself to realize what choice is actually being made. For the first time, Data sits there as something truly unique, and for the first time, TNG embraces the questions and conflicts that come along with the presence of an artificial life form. It’s pure speculative science fiction, and anchored by the thundering performance of Patrick Stewart, “The Measure Of A Man” marks the first time that this show presented a truly compelling and complicated philosophical argument. Louvois rules in Data’s favor, and he doesn’t cheer, or smile, or do anything that a human would do. He simply rises to his feet, walks over to Maddox, and politely refuses the procedure.
The bulk of this show so far has revolved around presenting external challenges and seeing how this plucky band of space adventurers respond to them. Like any story, the more we get to know the characters, the more that we come to understand their reactions to situations, and it becomes easier to tell a streamlined story. But for the show's first season, Gene Roddenberry insisted that humanity be portrayed as perfect, having reached the zenith of civilized discourse and behavior. The writers railed against this, arguing that true drama needs conflict. They were right, of course, and in the second season, Roddenberry’s influence was minimized, giving the writers the ability to start exploring ideas that didn’t rely on aliens or distress calls.
As this series continues, the writers will tell some amazing stories that don’t focus their attention outwards, but instead truly examine what kind of influence the character’s history and nature would have on their lives, as well as the lives of those around them. Worf’s upcoming exploration of his Klingon heritage, Riker struggling to balance his loyalty with ambition, even Wesley learning about the demands of adulthood once the safety net is removed: All of these will result in the episodes that made this series iconic. When this show turns its focus not on the things happening in the galaxy, but the way these characters deal with issues with which the audience can relate, it accomplishes what all great science fiction manages to do. It provides a lens through which we see ourselves and our society differently.
All of that greatness, all of the remarkable places this show will go, began with “Measure of a Man”. With this episode, TNG emerged from under the shadow cast by the original series, and planted its flag as a show that could do serious philosophy as well as it could do pulpy spaceships and aliens. “Measure of a Man” is the first truly outstanding hour of this television show, and shows once and for all that not only did this cast had some challenging stories to tell, but it had the dramatic chops to tell them like no one else.
- Dietrich Stogner
But that’s not quite right, is it?
Data is an android. This is a fact that the show has so far only made use of as a narrative hook (Data, open this door. Data, learn sign language really quickly. Data, try to joke with Joe Piscopo.), not really exploring what that actually would mean. Not only is he an android, Data is apparently the only android in existence, and that’s a strange, but important, detail. We’ve never seen a junior officer refuse to follow Data’s orders because they don’t like being bossed around by a machine. We’ve never had Picard question whether Data should be treated differently, despite the fact that he is incredibly different. The show has, until this point, used Data no differently than they would an alien: Strange, possessing of various abilities, but ultimately just like us.
There’s a moment early in “Measure of a Man” in which an admiral tells Picard, “Ah, yes, Captain, this is Commander Maddox. He’s here to work on your android.” The line is instantly horrifying. It’s spoken with such casual dismissal, in the same manner that someone would introduce the plumber who’s here to install your new sink. It’s the moment that this episode announces that it’s trying something new and ambitious, that TNG is going to embrace the unique nature of Data and explore the consequences of a creation like that living among humans.
The Enterprise is visiting a new starbase, getting some routine maintenance. (I really love the idea of the Enterprise in a Jiffy Lube bay while a mustachioed gentleman peers up at a trickle of oil draining from her belly.) While there, Picard runs into Captain Phillipa Louvois, and it’s quickly established that they’ve got a bit of a complex history. It’s possible they used to date, but it’s definite that ended badly when she prosecuted Picard at the court martial for the loss of the USS Stargazer. They chat for a bit, and we learn that she’s the new JAG (judge advocate general) officer for this sector. Before they get much further, Picard is interrupted by an admiral who introduces Commander Bruce Maddox, a cyberneticist. It’s apparently a day for reunions, because Maddox and Data have a history as well.
Maddox (who we learn unsuccessfully argued against Data’s admission into Starfleet Academy) immediately establishes himself as kind of a dick. He refers to Data as “it”, and announces that he’s transferring Data off of the Enterprise, and into his command. Once Data reports for duty, Maddox is going to disassemble Data in an attempt to figure out how Data ticks, so that hundreds, if not thousands, of androids can be built. One tiny problem, though: Maddox isn’t quite sure that he’ll be able to reassemble Data.
Picard, furious at having one of his officers snatched away from him for such a dangerous procedure, goes to Captain Louvois for legal advice. She informs him that Data can’t legally refuse a valid transfer order, but if he wants to avoid the procedure, he does have one option remaining: he can resign from Starfleet. To the episode’s credit, there’s no real debate here. Faced with an involuntary and dangerous procedure, Data resigns from Starfleet. Maddox immediately challenges this action, and calls for Louvois to rule about whether Data, a machine, has the right to resign and refuse the procedure. She considers it, and decides that Data is the property of Starfleet, cannot resign, and cannot refuse Maddox’s orders.
This all is rushed through in the first fifteen minutes of the episode, but I didn’t mind the quick pace. It’s important to set the stakes, and when Picard demands a hearing, the show slows down to allow the characters to fully explore this question. Riker, as the second in command, is assigned the role of prosecutor, responsible for proving that Data is a machine, and thus has no right to resign. When he tries to refuse, Louvois explains that if he doesn’t do the best job that he can, she will rule summarily against Data. (This could seem like a cheap effort to create drama, but it’s worth noting that this idea has a basis in fact. Traditionally, one of the roles of a first officer is to act as prosecutor in any court-martial proceedings that take place on a naval vessel. One of the many reasons everyone hates the XO.)
The hearing is remarkably complex, particularly considering this show's earlier attempts at philosophy. It’s not portrayed as a simple question, but one that actually is deserving of consideration. (One misstep: Maddox asks Louvois if the Enterprise computer would be permitted to refuse a refit. It’s meant to prove his point about Data, but I have to say, if a computer had the ability to actually ask for that, I’d probably hesitate before installing that RAM.) Riker has Data bend steel, removes Data’s arm, and in a brutal moment, explains that Data is a construct of humans, built to serve humans, and switches Data off, sending him slumping to the side. My favorite part of this excellent sequence: Riker quietly returns to his seat, and seems to sink into himself in self-loathing.
Picard, reeling from Riker’s presentation, sits down with Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg, doing some amazing work), and the two drink some space tequila. Their discussion is quiet and ugly. Guinan points out that the real danger isn’t if Maddox fails in his experiment and Data is lost. No, the real horror is that, if Maddox succeeds, Starfleet will have the ability to create thousands of Datas. Thousands of strong, replaceable, sentient beings that it can send into battle, into dangerous situations, or to do the jobs that humans don’t want to do. That's thousands of sentient beings that are property. (I do wish the script hadn’t had Picard point out that she’s talking about slavery. Goldberg’s monologue is powerful, and it’s not necessary for Picard to punctuate it to make sure the audience really gets the point.)
Picard’s defense of Data demands a lot from Patrick Stewart, who turns in his first truly iconic performance of the series in this episode. This is Picard’s moment, and his interrogation of Maddox as to what qualifies as a life form is riveting, with Picard challenging Maddox, Riker, Louvois, and humanity itself to realize what choice is actually being made. For the first time, Data sits there as something truly unique, and for the first time, TNG embraces the questions and conflicts that come along with the presence of an artificial life form. It’s pure speculative science fiction, and anchored by the thundering performance of Patrick Stewart, “The Measure Of A Man” marks the first time that this show presented a truly compelling and complicated philosophical argument. Louvois rules in Data’s favor, and he doesn’t cheer, or smile, or do anything that a human would do. He simply rises to his feet, walks over to Maddox, and politely refuses the procedure.
The bulk of this show so far has revolved around presenting external challenges and seeing how this plucky band of space adventurers respond to them. Like any story, the more we get to know the characters, the more that we come to understand their reactions to situations, and it becomes easier to tell a streamlined story. But for the show's first season, Gene Roddenberry insisted that humanity be portrayed as perfect, having reached the zenith of civilized discourse and behavior. The writers railed against this, arguing that true drama needs conflict. They were right, of course, and in the second season, Roddenberry’s influence was minimized, giving the writers the ability to start exploring ideas that didn’t rely on aliens or distress calls.
As this series continues, the writers will tell some amazing stories that don’t focus their attention outwards, but instead truly examine what kind of influence the character’s history and nature would have on their lives, as well as the lives of those around them. Worf’s upcoming exploration of his Klingon heritage, Riker struggling to balance his loyalty with ambition, even Wesley learning about the demands of adulthood once the safety net is removed: All of these will result in the episodes that made this series iconic. When this show turns its focus not on the things happening in the galaxy, but the way these characters deal with issues with which the audience can relate, it accomplishes what all great science fiction manages to do. It provides a lens through which we see ourselves and our society differently.
All of that greatness, all of the remarkable places this show will go, began with “Measure of a Man”. With this episode, TNG emerged from under the shadow cast by the original series, and planted its flag as a show that could do serious philosophy as well as it could do pulpy spaceships and aliens. “Measure of a Man” is the first truly outstanding hour of this television show, and shows once and for all that not only did this cast had some challenging stories to tell, but it had the dramatic chops to tell them like no one else.
- Dietrich Stogner
RSS Feed