DATA IN LOVE... In Theory (TNG S4E25) | Star Trek Journey 206

I LOVE the ending o this episode, because at the very end - it makes US Jenna. You spend the whole episode yelling at Jenna through the screen, "he can't love you! He's an Android! You can't expect emotion from him! You know he's an android!" Then at the very end YOU as the viewer look to Data for an emotion.... and get nothing. Because he's an Android. We knew that. And suddenly you identify with Jenna and how she could trick herself into thinking there could be emotion in there for her... because we did. And there wasn't. Because he's an Android.

I remember feeling when this episode was first broadcast that Data's moments with Spot at the last scene was a sign that Data and Spot had a true relationship and affection for each other, and Spot was comforting him. As with our pets, they love us as we are.

Got to use "perhaps there is something wrong with you!" a few times with an amicable ex who'd bicker for fun, and it cracked her up. The one I really needed it for didn't make it past season 2, obviously.

Michele Scarabelli was in Alien Nation (FOX, 1988), a show recommend.

I could see a resemblance to Tasha's sister, but I don't see any resemblance to Tasha herself.

He should have had a conversation with Guinan at the end.

Data is lets face it, the only man who can actually multitask, which means that by default any partner he has is going to take a fraction of his attention

Of course Data has emotions and was upset at the end. His cat came over to comfort him. Cats can sense these things.

Data should have been given a shot with a Vulcan - now THAT would have been interesting to see!

Moral of the story, "Life may shit on you, but you can always rely on your Cat."

The way I took the ending was very different from you: Data says he will delete the programs a very robotic thing to say yes, (altho u can argue this is datas language to say then its over forever), she leaves and he stays there looking at nothing at the place where she was just standing, now you can say he is deleting the programs at the same time if he IS doing that isnt he probably going over the whole relationship and taking a moment? Maybe
But the most important part for me is that Spot goes to Data and Data proceeds to give him a totally natural show of love
1 You know those times animals feel youre sad so they go to be there with you? this is just a reach really
but 2 Spot this simple uncomplicated being goes towards this android because being uncomplitated it just knows it can get love from Data, something neither him nor Jenna understood, a final bittersweet soft tragic moment.

what clothes do they have to organize? they wear uniforms all the time.

perhaps there is something wrong with YOU

Of course, Riker was the only one to really encourage Data to get with Ensign D'Sora. He's like the number one ladies man on the Enterprise D.

This was a C at most!

what is that water bottle lol I thought you were chugging dishsoap after your "good luck data" comment😂

I didn't see the ending like that. For me the cat scene is there to show that Data can care; and we are shown this after he deleted the program. De did not need a program to care.

"Honey, I'm home"

Everyone keeps saying Data has feelings. No he doesn't. He grasps concepts or is on the cusp of grasping concepts at times and maybe you can even say he does "feel" emotions in his own way, but not all the time. And definitely not this time. The whole point of the ending is not only that you're supposed to feel sorry for him for losing something but also feel sorry for him that he can't feel the sorrow himself. He doesn't KNOW what he just lost. This wasn't one of those stories that shows how human he is, it's one that shows how much farther he still has to go (not how much further he CAN'T go, just how much further he HAS to go). He was not remotely ready for a relationship because it was so far out a concept for him to even be able to truly grasp. This wasn't one of those encouraging Data growth episodes. So I completely disagree with your takeaway of the ending. The facts of Data's character are just not what you want them to be in this moment in time. But always fascinating and fun to hear your perspectives!

We may need a tier-ranking of all of the S-tier episodes this season.

When Data say, then I will delete the appropriate program, it felt like the android equivalent of throwing all your ex’s clothes out of the window at them.

Being a cat owner and seeing spot jump in his lap. It made think of what my cats would do when they sense some is sad. They will become very affectionate but that could be me projecting 😅

I always thought Data "deleting the appropriate program" and instantly moving on was the pay-off. In contrast to Kirk being brokenhearted at the end of The City On The Edge Of Forever. Don't we all wish we could do that like Data.

This episode needed a scene of Pulaski telling Jenna that she was just wasting her time.

You guys have so many tangents in your reactions. Within the first few minutes, you talk about her pips, how she resembles Tasha, how the alien playing an instrument looks odd, how Patrick Stewart is directing. While pondering these things you talk over the dialogue. This is a complex show that doesn't lend itself well to skipping dialogue. I would suggest limiting the interruptions, unless you pause the episodes for discussion every once in a while. I'm not saying become completely silent, just reduce the number of tangents and when there is one, wrap it up quickly. Note, if anyone disagrees just know that this issue is more apparent in the unedited reactions on Patreon. You don't realize how much dialogue they miss in the edited reactions because they cut out the episode audio when they are on the tangents.

Data loves searching for life forms...

I liked it but honestly I didn't really care for her character expecting perfection. I think she should have been written a little more carefully. Maybe she should have also talked with Guinan

I think Data deserves an "A" for effort.

"Calculating the maximum pressure I can safely apply to your lips" translates into "how hard can I kiss you before I'm doing permanent damage" which is an actually psychotic thing to be calculating.

dont have a beard in the beginning and a fresh shave in the rest of the video

38 episodes of TNG and one Movie until the Pilot Episode of Deep Space 9!

I love your reactions so much, but I get the impression you're still not sure what the rank pips on people's collars represent >< so just in case:

1 hollow pip - Chief Petty Officer (I don't recall ever actually seeing this)
1 gold pip - Ensign
1 gold, 1 hollow - Lieutenant Jr Grade
2 gold - Lieutenant
2 gold, 1 hollow - Lt. Commander
3 Gold - Commander
4 Gold - Captain


Just bear in mind that there are inconsistencies, particularly with Chief O'Brien wearing an Ensign's pip on occasions (and once a Lieutenant's) when he isn't one. Admirals and other Flag Officers they more-or-less make up as they go along. They basically never seemed to settle on a single system for either NCOs or ranks above that of captain. The rest are basically consistent throughout TNG, DS9 and VOY, though.

Now as there's come new thing to Star Trek which is a huge topic, this is really a painful to seeing you watch TNG because all I would like to see your reaction to new ST mini video, but you can't, because you are so behind, not even seen movies

I really take the 'hello Spot' moment at the end differently. I think that's a moment of Data expressing affection in his own way, and perhaps of dealing with the end of the relationship in his own way. It's a little human moment (after all, it makes no rational sense to say 'hello' to a cat).

She kind of looks like Meg Ryan.

Six different cats play Spot over the years.

When you ran the next episode preview, the guy says a new cadet... she's a Lieutenant Junior Grade. Looks like ol' Sir Patrick didn't check over the preview. 😂😂

Starfleet ranks from Ensign to Captain go as follows:

Ensign - 1 solid pip
Lieutenant Junior Grade - 1 solid pip, 1 hollow pip
Lieutenant - 2 solid pips
Lieutenant Commander - 2 solid pips, 1 hollow pip
Commander - 3 solid pips
Captain - 4 solid pips

The episode trailer incorrectly called Data's love interest a, "cadet," we've seen cadet uniforms with Wesley and the other cadets at Starfleet Academy, Data' love interest is clearly a regular crew person with rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade.

Interesting to hear Alex and Josh's perspective on the ending. I always thought the ending hit hard, in the sense that Data didn't have to delete the program, but he made the choice to delete it. I can't see him deleting anything if he and Geordi ever parted ways. And you know that he has a deep fondness for Riker, Picard, Tasha, etc. I found it so sad that the encounter meant nothing to him. But it wasn't a relationship he initiated or in the end even wanted. It's a stellar ending imo showing Data to be deliberate and complicated.

Ah, yes. The "but I can reprogram him!" episode.

I consider this to be a mediocre Data episode. It's not bad by any means, and there's a lot that I love about it. But it's not up to the level of "Data's Day," "The Offspring," or "Measure of a Man."

The main problem I have with this episode is the character of Jenna, who seems less like a real person and more like a caricature of an ex-girlfriend that someone was still bitter about. This is not a criticism of Michelle Scarabelli, who does a fantastic job.

To me, the tragedy of Data is that there's no one in his life to tell him that he's enough. The Enterprise crew support him in his quest for self-improvement, which is good, but I wish there was one person in his life who was willing to say, "Data, you're a wonderful, unique lifeform. It's okay that you're not human, and it's okay if you never become more human than you are now."

Both Frakes and Stewart chose a Data-centric episode for their directing debuts, because they knew Brent Spiner can knock it out of the park.

In how many ways can Worf say "Sir."

Poor crewman, one of the most painful deaths in the series.

I actually consider this one of the best sci fi episodes of anything period. My two cents: If Data really wanted the human experience he wouldn't have deleted the Jenna program.