The Measure Of A Man

So, the Enterprise pulls into a starbase where some incredible jackass is waiting to take Data apart for study, come hell or high water. Does Data get a say in this? Course not, so Picard drags everyone into the courtroom to hash this out. Is this a legal drama? Yes. Boring? Hell no, and that's part of why 'The Measure of a Man' is the best episode of the show thus far: it's riveting. Jean-Luc lets righteous indignation do the talking, and to see Patrick Stewart all fired up is to watch a gifted actor command the screen.

But it also asks the important questions about Data. Sure, he has some sweet superpowers, but is he more than an appliance, there to acquiesce to Starfleet's whims? It's a story about slavery, basic rights and free will. And very well done at that.

10/10

This episode does a great job of exploring the nature of humanity and freedom. But there's always been one thing that bothered me about this episode as it relates to the whole Star Trek universe. Commander Maddox makes the statement that Data is a piece of machinery, no different than the ship's computer. However, Data is COMMANDER Data, a commissioned Starfleet officer, who graduated from Starfleet Academy. The ship's computer can make statements and recommendations, which crew members can evaluate, then either accept or reject. As a command officer, if Data gave an order and a crew member chose not to obey it, that crew member risked a court martial. This directly implies that Starfleet recognized Data as a sentient being, and not a "calculator" to be experimented upon. In all fairness, I also realize that by using this argument, Gene Roddenberry would have ended up with a very short episode.

This is easily one of the best episodes of this wonderful series. It challenges all of the issues concerning who is capable of love and who is worthy of love.

This TNG story concerns Brent Spiner as Lt.Commander Data and an order that Captain Picard has received to have Data report to Brian Brophy a cybernetics professor with Star Fleet. Data is to report to be disassembled to find out just what Dr. Sung did that makes Data the unique creation he is. The theory is that if we can build a race of Datas, the Federation would be invincible.

From Patrick Stewart on down the Enterprise crew regards Data as one of them and don't like him being dissected like a lab rat. Brophy throws the whole matter into the Federation's futuristic JAG office in the person of Amanda McBroom.

Every player out there loves courtroom scenes and that is no less true in the Star Trek franchise. Patrick Stewart is Data's Counsel and Jonathan Frakes is dragooned into prosecution.

Ironic as all get out in that Data's never ending quest for humanity he should be put through a procedure like this to prove him worthy of being treated like a living being. Not Clarence Darrow, not F. Lee Bailey could have done a better job of defending him than Captain Picard.

Of course a little advice from Guinan helps which occurs in a key scene with Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg.

One of the best episodes in the series.

Great script from Melinda Snodgrass exploring the rights of an individual, race and sentience. Nothing fancy, just dialogue, and it's an absolute Trek classic!