FULL DISCUSSION - Star Trek TNG S2E15 - Pen Pals

Oof...couldn't disagree more with you guys about the A-story here; it's always been a great character study of Data for me, and a prime example of a situation where he attempted to be more than the sum of his parts, with consequences both good and bad, just as they are for any human being. But I'll let the go-to Data writer, Melinda Snodgrass (who wrote the episode's teleplay), explain better than I could: "[Y]ou can picture Data becoming entranced in answering [the] question, 'Is there anyone out there?' First, he's an android and if you ask him a question, you're going to get an answer. Secondly, the whole thing would be so charmingly intriguing to him, that he would do it [...] You never could picture any of the other characters doing that, but Data can make the mistake, and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense, and step out of his careful Starfleet training because he's really just growing up. He's more of a child than Wesley."

It ain't perfect, but I love this episode. Rules are meant to be broken in some circumstances. The Prime Directive after all has been broken several times in many ST universes. otherwise who are we if we dont help another being when it "doesn't hit right with us"? and ask yourself could you live with yourself? I agree perhaps it was a slightly too much a leap for Data.. Patrick is well versed in managing a horse hence the scenes. just an innocent perspective..

The trouble with Pulaski is that even when she’s being warm and compassionate, any character played by Diana Muldaur comes across as condescending most of the time. And she may be a lovely person in real life, but that seems to be a common thread with her acting.

I've always liked this episode a lot, but Josh makes some trenchant points about Data's characterization. The writing staff considered various characters as Sarjenka's contact on the Enterprise; it was Melinda Snodgrass, the writer of "The Measure of a Man" and scriptwriter of this episode, who convinced them that it should be Data. She later said, "You never could picture any of the other characters doing that, but Data can make the mistake, and I don't mean that in a pejorative sense, and step out of his careful Starfleet training because he's really just growing up. *He's more of a child than Wesley.*" (emphasis added) I've seen at least one online comment to the effect that the episode would have worked better if Data and Wesley had switched roles.

Now that this and the next episode have both dropped... "I guess Season 2 peaked with Measure of a Man and Code of Honor." * Laughs in Borg... *

He played it very oblique though, he was clueless about chatting up a strange alien child or breaking the prime directive. No other character except for maybe Wesley’s dumb ass would have behaved this way. He does have ethical subroutines that guide is “empathy” and behavior and as an ethically just being he’s guided by them. But he can’t actually feel for Sarjenka or anyone at least not the way a human would.

Maybe O'brien said "That" to not openly admit that Data (and himself) just shattered the PD by beaming an alien on board. Perhaps by saying "that" he is maintaining plausible deniability. "At 14:00" Lieutenant Data requested two to beam up, correct? O'brien: "That's correct sir." "You then proceeded to beam up the lieutenant and a young alien girl." O: I never said that sir. "Nevertheless, 3 minutes later, Data arrives on the bridge with a child, to the protests of the Captain." O: Did he? "And in fact, when Data left the transporter room 1 minute after beam up, you asked him if he was going to take "that" with him. To what were you referring?" O: To the item in his hand when he left.

Data has extremely strong curiosity as well as a very powerful ethical program. Those things lead him to talk to Sarjenka and then for him to "feel" something needs done. That feeling of wanting to save a civilization and this person probably was weighed more important than the prime directive. He swore a oath to star fleet and the prime directive but that isn't written into the very core of his being the way his ethical program is. So in that sense it works without him having "emotions" in the way we think of emotions. But.... it still doesn't really make sense that he kept the conversation going for so many weeks without telling anyone...that is a plot hole.🤷‍♂️

Of all the episodes of Star Trek, this was definitely one of them.

You can meet Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Walter Koenig and Clint Howard at Trekonderoga, May 17-19 2024 in Ticonderoga NY. Why? I'm not sure.

This is actually one of my favorite episodes...dunno why, but it is. But of course my parameters are not the same as most.

I like when Troi and Picard are first walking to the holodeck, that one Ensign has to throw himself against the wall to get by them because Troi won't move her ass over and share the hallway....

Data most certainly has emotions, he just doesn't think he does. The writing and his performance does not make sense if he has no emotions. He cares, shows concern, takes pride in his accomplishments, feels loss, has friendships, has hobbies, he smirks, winces, etc. It's like Wizard of Oz - scarecrow, cowardly lion, tin man, they think they're searching for a brain, courage, and a heart, but fail to realize they had them the whole time.

That's really interesting that I like this episode more than you guys. I think you guys like the first two seasons altogether a lot more than I do, so maybe my bar is lower? I can't say it's a good episode there's just a lot of tidbits I liked in it.

Sorry, very new to Patreon, how come you've gone straight to E15 after E10? Or do the Uncut reactions turn up a little out of sequence on here? No problem, just making sure I'm not going nuts :)

Alex: "Picard's got two beings inside him, 'I wanna save everybody' and 'follow the rules.'" That to me is what makes lawful good characters so interesting when done well, you're always going to run into those conflicting directives and sometimes it's going to just tear you up.

Josh, I really appreciate you defending Data's character, I fully agree this was really unusually "human" for him, as sweet as it was. It might have made way more sense to have WESLEY discover the signal and cultivate the connection because he's inexperienced, he doesn't know any better, and he can act emotionally. Then he learns a painful lesson when he has to let her go.

Ahhh, Season 2... Yup. Episodes I haven't thought of since 1988.

You guys are picking up on episodes scored by Ron Jones and episodes NOT scored by Ron Jones. Don't get me wrong, I like Dennis McCarthy, but he didn't push the envelope (and didn't piss off Berman in the process) in his scores. It's apparent from the opening notes of an episode whether it was McCarthy or Jones (or a guest, and later Chattaway)

33:39 That's Fireball in your eyes. :grin: It's funny to me how much you guys did have to say and laugh at the episode that didn't impress you much.

20:30 O'Brien didn't bother me at all. I wouldn't know how to address that being at all either. ("That" can certainly be short for "that being".) There is absolutely nothing wrong with what he said, and "that" cannot possibly be construed as an offensive word. :eye_rolls:

19:00 Doctor Pulaski was not "picking on" Data. That would mean she was trying to be hostile or rude—she was not! She just had a complete failure of understanding on how to relate to him. She's a doctor interacting with someone she could never help. This is the first time you've probably ever encountered such a person. How would you feel in her position?

15:22 I paused the video to write this comment... just at the perfect moment to see Alex flipping us all off. LOL!! I'll say it again... you have yet to see TNG's pinnacle of greatness. You will not be prepared for it. You will not even know it's coming. And if you're both not bawling... *insert non-specific monetary self-penalty here*

12:10 Data knew EXACTLY what he was doing. It was not necessary for him to play her transmission for everyone in the act of obeying the captain's order.

8:34 The "B" story made me cringe a lot. Seeing Wesley's inexperience and lack of confident authority be fodder for his subordinates was easy to identify with and kinda hard to watch on first viewing.

4:30 16:30 I think that's a point. But the reason that Data was the obvious choice for this storyline is his child-like view of the universe.

1:02 I am pretty certain that the lack of background score was a money-saving element.

The only memorable part of this episode to me is the debate about the Prime Directive. I really hate how they went from "we won't interfere in someone else's politics" to "sorry but your planet is destined to die".

Welcome to truly not liking an episode lol

Peaked? Hmmmm. Still some episodes left.

I get what Josh was saying about the family aspect of the Enterprise crew. That was definitely part of this show's appeal for a lot of viewers, including me. They just draw you in ... warm fuzzies.

No score, only 1 alien = budget issues by this point in the season. They're lucky they got outdoor shooting with Picard's holodeck scenes.

I like this episode a lot, but I forgot about that O'Brien line. That was a weird choice.

I never really thought it seemed out of character for Data, personally.. and I couldn't see another character doing what Data did. I feel like other people would have immediately considered the consequences of their actions, whereas.. weirdly, for being an android, I feel like it makes more sense for Data to NOT consider the future consequence of talking to a little alien girl until she's actually in danger. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I see your points, though, and can see why people might think Data should have immediately said something.

Even though I love scored music in movies and TV, I honestly never pick up on it's absence unless it's clear none of it has music.

For me, it works with Data compared to someone like Troi because like I said before Data is childlike and would be snagged into the conversation from curiosity. Troi would move in because duty would say she had to move on from that first message.

I like this episode for 2 things, and that’s the scene with the crew debating what should be done, and Pulaski finally (finally!) not being an ass, and treating Data like a person with feelings.

I never wanted to live on that Enterprise. Even if it was realistic (and not an idealised vision of space travel), it's fine to visit the characters and ship every week, but........well you'll find out in several seasons time about how mundane certain aspects and crew jobs on the Enterprise might be......"I can't live another second as that man."

Since I tend to only mention the IMDB rankings when the ep is good: For a point of comparison, this one is ranked 120th, jammed between two eps you've seen: Home Soil and Skin of Evil.

I see all the criticism and they are valid. I guess I was just more okay with them. I have other thoughts...but those would involve spoiling.

For me, the highlight of this episode is the informal discussion in Picard's quarters regarding the Prime Directive.

You guys wanna trip out. The little girl alien was played by Nikki Cox. Google image search what she looks like today. She filled out.