UNCUT - The Quality of Life (TNG S6E9) | Star Trek Journey 243

This one is a favorite of mine. A quiet episode that asks the right questions about what is life.

I don't think Dr. Farallon was in denial, per se - I think she was just obsessed with her project and didn't want this distraction to delay her work.

I adore this episode. I remember watching this episode when I was young and being so fascinated with the idea of the exocomps and I was old enough (a teenager) when this episode came out to really appreciate the message behind it. I'm a bit flabbergasted so many people don't care for it. It's such great example of scifi exploring these deeper topics

And by the way, Data takes every measure within Starfleet parameters!

Going to be honest, I was going to skip this one to see your reaction for the next two! Because this one kind of gave me so so feelings in the beginning... Like when I first watched it and I was in younger years. And even now when I saw it, I still just wanted to get to your reaction of the next two episodes. But this really is a good episode and has been elevated by your reaction! Yes, I saw and felt the expanse of Data, Pat, I kind of felt like it was a bit hokey when I've watched it in reruns. Thank you for reminding me how important this episode was!

The episodes "Home Soil" and "Evolution" have very similar concepts and are BOTH sub-par episodes. I think people lump this story in with those two and conflate the problems with those episodes with this one. This one has a far superior execution, and works where those two do not. But the story morale is so similar to those other two, I think people write it off mentally.

Jonathan Frakes elevated the series Roswell (1999). He's in the first episode and has several guest appearances, but he was actively involved in the entire series.

This is a great one.

For me, I know a lot of people like s5, and it has some amazing episodes, but I have always preferred s6 simply due to the variety on display. I’d also argue there’s no mid season slump

Since it will be soooo long before this will make any possible sense, I'll just say the word "peanut" and the word "hamper."

It occurred to me and I confirmed that a good number of Frakes-directed TNG episodes have a good amount of focus on Crusher. I know he's not a writer, but I wonder if that's because he likes the character and works well with Gates McFadden? They do tend to have pretty good chemistry when they pair them up on screen.

TNG still has plenty left in the tank.

Naren Shankar also co-wrote "The First Duty," and he has another absolute banger coming up very soon IMO. Anyway, really gratifying to see your reaction to this one! I'm totally with you guys, I think it's really great and have always been surprised it's not widely recognized as a classic.

I'd be lying if I said this was one of my favorite episodes, but I do think it's a good one, for all the reasons Alex and Josh point out. If I had to explain why it's not a god-tier episode for me, I think it's that it feels to me like the audience is several steps ahead of the characters for much of the episode. From the first time the exocomp avoids being destroyed in the explosion, I feel like it's pretty obvious that the direction this is going is that they've developed intelligence and we're going to have to stand up for their rights, but it takes the characters a lot longer to get there, both intellectually and morally. Contrast this with something like "I, Borg", where it takes the audience on a journey from, "Well, of course you'd use a virus to destroy the borg if you could" to "Hugh is an individual and using him to destroy his people would be wrong". Again, not to say I don't like this episode, because I do, but that's why it's not a best of the best episode for me.

No sex scoreboard scores this ep. Although, maybe the reason why the engineer chick was so mad at the thought of an alive Exocomp was because she was enjoying them in an inappropriate way if they were alive. I can imagine all kinds of things the exocomp could replicate. Probably how she got the idea in the first place.

An unexpected Eazy-E reference. I approve. This is an easy A-tier episode for me. I'm very surprised that there were so many people rating it so low. Yes, they are dumb, cheap looking fischer price robots that are sentient. They are an exact opposite of Data. That was the point of the episode. This is pretty much just a continuation of Measure of a Man.

It's not a top 5 for me but it is definitely up there. It deals exactly with what Star Trek does best in my opinion, giving you a different perspective on an important issue and also shows great character growth. I know sometimes we disagree with your take on a particular episode, but this time I am completely with you.

When this episode was due to come up in your reactions, I thought it was one of those “just gotta get through it” episodes. But it’s so interesting seeing these episodes through someone else’s lens, and occasionally realizing all of the gold that exists in some of these episodes that I Previously thought of as average. Thank you TA!

Another season 6 episode showing a more relaxed look at everyday life on the Enterprise.

Season 5 is considered peak because episodes like Redemption II, Darmok, I, Borg, and The Inner Light make everybody's top 10 list of best episodes of all TNG. In comparison, Seasons 6 and 7 have a lot more fun ones over all, and in the case of season 7, weird ones. But as you've seen, the fun ones are still very good, and both seasons still have episodes like this that are amazing and deal with serious topics. In some cases VERY serious as you're soon to find out.

this is a really good one . can't wait. to.see the reaction next week a propper banger !!!

1:05:55 Yes, it's about Data caring about the exocomps.

Wow, you guys liked this way more than I would have expected!

I'm a fan of this episode. I always have a little bias towards the ones that show new sentient life being created and the crew trying to understand it. When one of the exo-comps sacrifices itself, it's a powerful but also bittersweet moment. It makes me emotional and _feel_ the loss. When a show manages to do that, you know it's a good one. Totally would rate this one an 'S'.

I found this one exciting the first time, but not holding up as well as other eps on rewatch. Nice to get that first time feeling again from the reaction.

The beard is natural, it just grows. Shaving is the affectation.

I'd always considered this a mid-tier episode...I don't think I ever truly appreciated it until this viewing with your reactions. Especially I appreciated how Frakes' direction allowed Gates McFadden to be such a natural actor...to approach some really heavy lines with such ease and warmth, when usually she is underutilized. Just let her sit there in her white workout clothes with one leg up on her chair and have a really solid dialogue. It felt so comfy and casual while also COMPLETELY on point and direct. Perfect scene...never really appreciated it before now. Thanks for this video.

That short clip of Boys In the Hood threw me off. It was the 1st time I have ever heard the original, after so many years I forgot the Dynamite Hack version was a cover

Love the DS9 teases, guys. :)

Always loved this one. This sits up there for me with Devil in the Dark and Measure of a Man - episodes that make you reconsider what life means and where empathy is deserved.

On beards, for me I have a beard because I don't care enough about whether I have a beard or not to bother shaving it.

Something I'm loving about watching through TNG with you guys is seeing episodes I once couldn't care less about with new eyes and a new appreciation. I hadn't seen this episode or the previous one in probably over twenty years, and all I could remember about them is that they never made a good impression on me and were quite forgettable. Seeing them again makes me wonder what in the world past me was thinking. LOL

This is what I meant in my Fistful of Datas take. Sure, episodes like Fistful of Datas are fun, but I can get fun anywhere. THIS is Star Trek. This is what I come to Star Trek for, and this is the stuff I like to see it do. Fun is ok too, but I prefer fun episodes that are also about something, or at least have an interesting idea in it or good character moments. Like Rascals. Rascals gets you thinking about what you would do if you had a second childhood, and it has good character development for Ro. Fistful of Datas is good for what it is though. Upon rewatching it, I upgrade my rank to a B.

Definitely in the golden age of TNG. Still several more to look forward too! 😉

Yep, tears were had the first time Picard dropped that line. The most human Data has ever been, God I love Star Trek.

Y'all have been on such an incredible journey so far, but I will say, it's just barely getting started! =D Buckle up buckaroos

I’m glad you love this one! The writing is superb, Picard’s line at the end… damn. I don’t see why so many people hate it, exploring the meaning of life is LITERALLY what Star Trek is about, at its core.

I always considered this one good, but not top. Of course, I saw most of Star Trek for the first time before I was seven years old. One of the great things about going back through this with you is seeing it from from a different fresh adult perspective, and I frequently agree

I’m pretty indifferent to this episode, but there’s some real stinkers in early DS9 that I can’t wait for you guys to love and annoy people lol

Best season of TNG!

I already liked it but I enjoyed it a lot more watching with you guys. Go figure.

I like this episode, I like how seriously Picard takes Data. I always like how it’s easy to think Data is alive because he looks human so it’s nice to explore something else. S6 is a great season for the variety on show :)

Don’t worry, TNG has bangers right until the end. It’s an amazing series.

Love that you love this episode. It’s not one of my favourites but just proves time and again that this is a show for everyone. TNG fucking rocks.

This season is for me the best of TNG's seven. Three areas in particular make it so: not only the largest number of what I consider great episodes, but also their wide variety and endless rewatchability. These episodes, and especially my favourites (of which this is one), really excel at telling compelling stories efficiently, taking advantage in shorthand form of characterisation deepened over a long period of time. As Josh suggests in the reaction, there really is little to no fat in this episode, with the two main plotlines fusing together perfectly at the end. TA's appreciation of moral/ethical dilemmas in Star Trek bodes well I think for a lot of what is to come in not only DS9 but Voyager as well.

Can’t wait until Thursday! 😊

This episode isn’t one of my favorites, but I don’t dislike it. It’s ok 👍

In context to my comment it's worth noting that I have a deep philosophical objection to the idea that even *Data* could really constitute life. I've written treatments of several thousand words analyzing it from the standpoint of various philosophical and religious worldviews arguing that there is no possibility of artificial life whatsoever. In my second least popular Star Trek opinion (the other one will have to wait for a mid-series DS9 episode) I actually agree, in the real world anyways, with Captain Louvois's comment made in threat to Picard in Measure of a Man that "Data is a toaster." This is part of why I think Measure of a Man is such a great episode, because they didn't take what I think would have been the easy track and just end the episode with a ruling that Data is a sentient life form but instead she rules that she really doesn't know BUT that (essentially) since Data raises enough questions that he isn't the property of Starfleet. It's a ruling that I think keeps the "lore" of the series on good steady ground and let's the show explore this interesting idea without locking into something. It's also essentially how I tend to approach Data when I watch the show: I just don't think about the deeper aspects of it and accept him as a character and a person since it makes the show better and he is a great character. I'll add one more sentence about just how great a character he is once the series has fully been watched.

Maybe they should have put some fur on the exocomps. Maybe then the cold hearted audience could soften up to them..

i enjoyed the comments during the episode especially picking up very quickly she's reluctant to admit to achieving something spectacular in creating life albeit accidentally. she was most single minded but came round in the end

My least favorite Star Trek trope...making toasters into citizens.

Wish I’d have commented in advance because I have always loved this one. I’d have said A tier before since it’s been years since I’ve seen it but after watching again I’d say S.

I love this one, i'm glad you both gave it S too. I wasn't sure how you'd feel because it had a lot of techno babble, but the same as me you loved the other things.

Yes! Love that you guys enjoyed this episode so much; it's one of my favourites as well. For me, I am totally invested in the Exocomps, to the point that I was genuinely sad that one of them didn't make it. It's especially moving since the entire basis of the argument for them being alive was self-preservation, and yet one of them still sacrificed itself to save the other two. That's also a nice parallel to Data being willing to sacrifice himself to save his two crew mates. I kind of wish Data didn't have to put his best friend's life on the line by locking out the transporter though, but you could tell from his conversation with Crusher earlier how important it was for him to not be completely alone in the universe. Plus, he did settle up with Picard afterwards. I think the mark of a good episode is that it gets you thinking, and this episode does that in spades, from the nature of life, to how far you should/would go to protect that life. Far from boring, in my opinion. :)

Wish I'd commented and left you guys some questions, as I am on the same train with this episode's self-evident glory. We got TWO slice of life scenes, in both of which Gates SHINES, and yes this is absolutely Data's story and growth. Ideal Trek morality question on display.

Virus is not alive.

We going to get a Sunday drop too. Just saying that would be epic. ;)

Don't worry, you'll love the DS9 characters too ;)

I believe I remember seeing "Batteries Not Included" as someone's movie pick. It would definitely be an interesting film if it ever gets picked

So I never knew there was much hate for this episode in the fandom. Obviously every episode has it's haters, but I always though the majority considered this one middle of the road. It always struck me as competent and it raises a good moral dilemma. Would have given it a B or B+, but I have a newfound appreciation for it after your reaction, so I will give it an A+. Nowhere near my top 5, but still in the top 20-25% of the show for me. I always though this formed a trilogy along with Evolution and Measure of a Man. MoaM is obviously the best of the 3, with Evolution being the most forgettable and this somewhere in the middle. That said, I now think it's much closer to MoaM. It's a good retest of the question of what rights do artificial life forms have, and what is the threshold for considering one to be alive, but without something as anthropomorphized as Data or even able to actually speak. I feel like Mass Effect took this question even further with the Geth, who fundamentally have no physical form and exist as just software in their natural state, and who aren't intelligent/sentient unless many such programs are working together. I also really like the conversation with Crusher. As a scientist, she starts describing the fundamental biological processes we call life, before realizing Data was asking a more philosophical question, and then has the humility to admit there's no concrete answer she can give. Love it. After all we gladly wipe out bacteria and viruses by the billions, we don't place fish or mice on the same level as cats/dogs, whales, or smarter bird species. Also even though a brain dead person may still have many biological processes continuing in their body that would indicate life, we consider them dead. I think it's clear what we really consider "life" and deserving of rights is intelligence/self awareness/self determination. At any rate, I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. S6 has a great batting average so far. True Q was meh, and a couple others were just decent, but I think everyone was expecting you to trash Rascals and Man of the People(still hate that one personally). Really Time's Arrow 2 is the only one so far you seemed to genuinely dislike, and it kind of inherited that episode from S5. 1/3 of S6 down and it feels like 4-5 of them have been S tier for you guys. S6 is shaping up to be the best yet.

Two weeks till DS9...arrrgh Em too impatient, that being said the next couple weeks of Trek as a whole.. mmhmm

It's fun watching Star Trek on a Saturday with you boys. 🖖

You found a somewhat engaging and powerful episode. I guess that’s it for the season. Or not!

I hadn't much thoughts in anticipation of this episode. I too considered it "boring," and I had a hard time buying the stark drama of Lieutenant Commander Data committing outright insubordination for flying hair dryers. But I'm actually quite glad to have watched it with y'all this time. The writing is pretty dense and poignant, and the execution is great. This episode really does take what Maddox said in Measure of a Man ("If Data was a box on wheels we wouldn't be having this argument right now") and carry it to the next level. I appreciate how much the issue is shown to mean to Data, and that he extends his own philosophical reasoning to Picard and his history of defending Data's own inalienable rights. I've just always found it difficult to accept the Exocomps as "alive." But thankfully they give us a character for me to find affinity with in this episode and then proceed to (or at least attempt to) deconstruct the contrary opinion. It's classic Trek to the core, and I have a greater appreciation for it now. Much thanks~

I’m glad you guys loved it, but I just can’t buy it. I like Data’s moral dilemma, that’s good, but his argument is flawed. He says it isn’t acceptable to sacrifice one life for another, but we’ve seen Starfleet officers do that for years. Kirk, Picard, how many times have we watched them order someone into harm’s way? And they were right to do it. You might say “well that wasn’t Data,” but he’s been a party to it. Even in Redemption he puts the crew of his ship at risk (activating the phasers and flooding 3 decks with radiation over Hobson’s objections), without asking their permission mind you, to counter the Romulan fleet.

Data's actions were 100% in line with his character. He disobeyed direct orders to do what he believed was best in Redemption 2. Great episode, borderline A/S.

One drawback to early access. I keep thinking it's Sunday.

This is why I watch your reactions -- your appreciation for (or valid criticisms of) episodes about which I felt differently. "Felt" -- past tense. I never disliked this episode, but it never stood out when I first watched it in my teens. Watching you see it for the first time gives me a completely new appreciation for how important the episode's themes really are.

I'm loving the early access releases. When I watched this episode when it first aired I thought it was decent, but nothing special. But that's because I was dumb kid. On my rewatches as an adult I've come to appreciate it more and more. There's so many great character moments for nearly everyone except Troi, who I don't think is even in this episode. This is what I want from star trek. Great philosophical discussions, a moral dilemma, and the TNG crew acting like a family for each other even through a tense disagreement. Easy S for me.

Data already took over the ship involuntarily once, and disobeyed orders in redemption 2 so no harm no foul I say.

Completely forgettable episode, IMO. I like the conflict it puts into Data… but not much else. It feels as though what is normally relegated to Plot-B, has been moved into Plot-A status. With WAAAAY too much technobabble. Its relentless. That said, thank you for the early access. 😁

Damn, all this time I never knew this was a Frakes joint!

I originally thought this was just an okay episode. Watching your reactions made me appreciate it more. Side note, was hard to keep this in sync. I watch this on Parmount + their commercia brakes were coming up at random right in the middle of a take.

Early access? Now that's a perk I can get behind

Glad you enjoyed this one so much. Looking forward to seeing how you react to the next two...

yeah I'm also loving the early releases. In the years since TNG Frakes has become of the most respected TV directors in the industry.

This episode makes me think about the Maddox line "You are endowing Data with human characteristics because it looks human. But it is not. If it were a box on wheels, I would not be facing this opposition." - The exocomps are basically boxes with wheels (well, some antigrav units) and it's great that Data who more easily passes for a lifeform is the one to "pay it forward" like Josh said.

Jonathan Frakes is a very well respected director in the fandom and I think there is really good camera work and direction in all of the episodes you mentioned like in Cause and Effect with the different camera angles or with The Drumhead and the judge being left alone in that room as her final shot and he directs actors really well and gets really good performances from them so its not just the scripts of the episodes that make him so good

Wow glad you REALLY like this one. People are a lot more lukewarm to it from what I see in the fandom. But there is a lot to like in this

Appreciating these early releases 🙏