PATRON TAKES - Star Trek TNG S4E3

The Origionally wanted Keye Luke for this episode. Because they went with Spiner it totally changes the context of The Scizoid Man. Inthat episode "Data's Grandpa" proclames that data looks like Soongs work and it had no asthetic Value. Originally just a dig a Soongs Workmenship it is now a dig at Soongs looks.

When Crusher says "they're Brothers Data...Brothers FORGIVE..." she should have added "unless one brother is a straight up psychopath who fed colonists to a giant malevolent snowflake, tried to kill my son, phaser blasted me, has tried to kill his brother, and critically assaulted his terminally ill infirmed father"

So here's the thing, I always wondered how Data can take over the enterprise single handedly and it is never mentioned again. Wolf is neglect here he should after be making data show him everything he did and changing security measures on the ship so that can't happen. Also I can't imagine Starfleet is too happy. "What? There is a remote way to activate the strongest member of Starfleet and make him go bananas?

Just an interesting fact, if you look at the screen where datas password is inputted, it doesn't match the password he says. Lol

I'm not clear on what the intention is moving forward. Are patron takes going to be weeks before the reaction from now on? Or is this just a quirk of scheduling from the break between seasons?

Did either of you suspect that Lore might show up in the episode, especially when Seung mentioned the signal?

I was going to say that production was nice to Brent, giving him the episode off (Family) to prepare for this one, but Family was actually the FOURTH produced of the season, after Brothers and the next one. In hindsight, Patrick had to deliver that breakdown after having two 'regular' episodes under his belt.

Excellent. Spiner extravaganza. The bits with the brats are not my favorite, but they do help set up a very beautiful, thoughtful ending.

You want a Brent Spiner episode, I give you Brent Spiner. Also starring Brent Spiner, with special guest star Brent Spiner. Data, Lore, and Soong. This episode, while not among my favorites, is fairy solid. It's definitely nice to step away from the emotional heaviness of recent episodes, but this is not some lighthearted romp.

A nice glimpse at the unspoken protocols with the three Senior Officers being the last to leave the Bridge, and each taking a separate Turbolift to ensure at least one makes it to Engineering.

One last ride for director Rob Bowman. Last TNG episode he directs, and first since "Shades of Gray." Missed out on all of Season 3. You did good (most of the time) Mr. Bowman. We wish you the best.

Hey Riker, maybe don't send a bunch of kids down to a planet unsupervised with poisonous plants everywhere. He goes hard on guilt tripping the older brother, but he's just covering up his own negligence. Also, since when does taking a sabbatical mean abandoning your kids at work?

I like the parallels and development between Lal and Soong’s death. In “The Offspring”, Lal says she’ll love for both of them, apparently aware of Data’s limitations, whereas in this episode, Soong knows that Data can and will mourn his death, even without having the emotion chip.

Data takes over the Enterprise, Spiner takes over the show... but let's rewind a second. Not many months after the ship was almost destroyed by the Borg, and the parents of those two boys take time off and decide, yeah, we can leave them on this dangerous ship, letting our co-workers babysit?

The password data creates rivals the wifi password on the back of the router.

Been waiting for this since "Encounter at Farpoint" to mention my fan theory about 'does Data really have emotions?' I say yes, all the Soong-type androids do. BUT, the emotions make the positronic brain unstable. Lore is a sociopath because he has unregulated emotions. Lal's brain collapsed because of her emotions. Even in TOS, in "What are Little Girls Made Of?" Andrea, Brown, and even Ruk to a degree, didn't handle emotions well. In "Requium for Methuselah" Rayna shut down as her emotions began to manifest. I posit that Data indeed does have emotions, but Soong understood that they would make his positronic matrix unstable, so he placed a governor in there to suppress the emotions. The Emotion Chip from this episode would function by allowing him to process emotions in a way that would be stable and safe. Had he known Lore had been reassembled, he would have made one that could have stopped him from being an evil twin.

THE LORE! Yo dawg I heard you like Brent Spiner episodes, so I added a Brent Spiner to your Brent and Brent Spiners episode.

I actually have sympathy for Lore in this episode. He has a legitimate grievance and Soong kind of brings his own fate upon himself. Also, when Beverly says "brothers forgive", note the subtle look on Picard's face in response, after the conflict with his own brother in the previous episode.

This episode is pretty heartbreaking. Data should have gotten that chip. It was for him!

I just love seeing Data *really* going crazy. Alex and Josh talked about him looking scary in "The Most Toys"—I never believed that. This is where he's scary. The flashing blue (not red) lights for loss of life support on the bridge were a really quaint touch. Very logical. I've never forgotten that.

I wonder if you will catch on right away that Dr. Soong is also Brent Spiner. Every trick in the book was used to eventually have 3 Brent Spiner's talk to each other, a standout episode. And I am in awe to this day about how Patrick Stewart was able to match dub Brent Spiner's rapid reading off of numbers to make the pass word.

My password!!😁

First you're creating cute pictures and doing your homework with AI and then before you know it - it's pretending to be your captain, assumed control of your starship, and placed lives in danger. Luckily he got the kids some toy dinosaurs to say sorry... Otherwise he might have been in real trouble 😵‍💫

I'm sure they'll enjoy the return of THE LORE! Brent Spiner gets to really flex himself here, playing three characters against each other, all distinct, different mannerisms, and especially vocally, but all underlying the same voice. Combined with the really solid old age make up, you could be mistaken for thinking Soong is a different actor altogether.

Really enjoyable episode full of LORE and some great scenes where Data takes over the Enterprise. I hope Brent got triple pay that episode.

LORE! Brent Spiner earned his pay for the week with this one. The scene that always gets me is the end: “Brothers forgive,” and then Data’s look. It’s a hopeful moment for him and Lore.

Great episode, it’s a little concerning how easily Data takes over the Enterprise but Spock did the same thing in the Menagerie. Intelligence trumps strength even though Data is the strongest crew member. Welcome to season 4, more great stuff to come

Brent Spiner not just playing one character but THREE characters. It shows he is the best actor in this show to make each character different and standout Welcome to Season 4 guys this season is such a blast PS new patron since Best of Both Worlds but been watching since Man Trap keep up the good work

I love the sequence of Data taking over the Enterprise. Not just entertaining but also shows how powerful / dangerous Data is.

Spiner has a great story how there was someone else playing Dr. Seung and he pushed for himself to play it to then say “ why did I do that?! “ lol this is such a well earned episode cause by this point Data means so much to us, and THIS is such a big thing for him! SPIIINEEERRRRR!!

Typical. You wait a whole episode for Brent Spiner then three come along at once.