Brent Spiner’s complex performance as Lt. Commander Data helped make the android one of Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s most beloved characters. Created by cyberneticist Dr. Noonien Soong (also Brent Spiner), Data was an incredibly advanced android who wanted nothing more than to be human. Throughout TNG and beyond, Brent Spiner delivered a layered and nuanced performance as Data grew closer and closer to his ultimate goal.
From the beginning of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Brent Spiner made Data relatable and incredibly compelling to watch, as his emotions peeked through his robotic android exterior. Data looked to his crewmates aboard the USS Enterprise-D for insight into the human condition, and he became one of the most valuable members of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s (Patrick Stewart) iconic crew.
“A Fistful of Datas”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 8
Star Trek: The Next Generation got a lot of mileage out of the holodeck, and “A Fistful of Datas” marks one of the show’s most creative uses of the 24th-century technology. The story centers on Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) and his son, Alexander (Brian Bonsall), as they embark on a Wild West-inspired holodeck adventure.
When the Enterprise computer malfunctions, all of the holodeck characters take on the appearance of Data and possess his superior android abilities. Meanwhile, Data starts using Wild West language and mannerisms without even realizing he’s doing it. “A Fistful of Datas” is one of the many episodes that make great use of Brent Spiner’s comedic chops, from Data spitting into a potted plant to his Western drawl.
“Peak Performance”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 21
The main plot of “Peak Performance” focuses on a war games exercise between the Enterprise-D and the USS Hathaway that gets interrupted by the Ferengi. The subplot, however, centers on Data’s crisis of confidence after he loses a game of Strategema to an expert named Sirna Kolrami (Roy Brocksmith).
Convinced that he must be malfunctioning, Data removes himself from duty, but Captain Picard helps him to see that “it is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.” After regaining his confidence, Data ends another Strategema game with Kolrami in a draw. This is one of the first times we’ve seen Data doubt himself, and Brent Spiner plays it with an understated depth.
“Time’s Arrow”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5, Episode 26 & Season 6, Episode 1
In this Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter, Data gets pulled into a time portal that deposits him in 1893 San Francisco. Once there, Data struggles to blend in, but he puts his poker skills to good use to earn some money and quickly begins making friends. The locals may find Data strange, but even they cannot help but be charmed by his innocent curiosity.
The first part of “Time’s Arrow” opens with the discovery of Data’s disembodied head among ancient Earth artifacts, which causes the android to consider his own death. As Data discusses his potential demise with Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), he remains as detached as ever. Still, Brent Spiner continues to imbue Data with subtle human qualities throughout “Time’s Arrow,” and his scenes range from humorous to heartfelt.
Premiered November 22, 1996 – Directed By Jonathan Frakes
In what many consider to be Star Trek: The Next Generation’s best feature film, Data comes face-to-face with the Borg Queen (Alice Krige). While Captain Picard fights Borg drones on the Enterprise and the crew helps Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) prepare for his historic warp flight, the Borg Queen tempts Data with the promise of new skin that can experience physical sensations.
Despite being tempted for 0.68 seconds, Data remains loyal to Captain Picard and his friends, and plays a vital role in stopping the Borg Queen and saving the future. Data spends part of First Contact with his emotion chip deactivated, but the Borg Queen later reactivates it. Brent Spiner’s stellar performance highlights Data’s deeper understanding of humanity (compared to his time on TNG) and his willingness to sacrifice to save his friends.
“The Measure of a Man”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, Episode 9
In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2’s “The Measure of a Man,” Dr. Bruce Maddox (Brian Brophy) pays a visit to the Enterprise, saying that he wants to dismantle Data for further study. Data has no desire to be dismantled, which leads to a trial to determine whether or not Data is the property of Starfleet.
Captain Picard, who argues in defense of Data, and Commander Riker, who argues against him, get some great moments in “The Measure of a Man,” as well.
As always, Brent Spiner plays Data’s emotionlessness with a subtle undercurrent of feeling, as the android first prepares to leave the Enterprise and his friends and later answers questions at his trial. “The Measure of a Man” is a brilliant and beloved episode of Star Trek for a number of reasons, and Spiner’s performance as Data is a big part of that.
“Data’s Day”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 11
As its title would suggest, “Data’s Day” details a day in the life of Data, as he describes his experiences aboard the Enterprise to Dr. Maddox. Data spends much of the day preparing for the wedding of Chief Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) and Keiko (Rosalind Chao), and studying the eccentricities of human behavior.
From Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) teaching Data to dance to Data trying to train his cat, Spot, “Data’s Day” contains some of the android’s most charming moments. Brent Spiner makes Data hard to dislike, and his expressions and line readings are pitch-perfect. I especially love the way Spiner delivers the line in which Data calls Geordi a “lunkhead” as part of an experiment “with friendly jibes and insults.”
Star Trek: Picard Season 3
Originally Aired From February 16 To April 20, 2023
Despite Data’s sacrificial death in Star Trek: Nemesis (and another “death” in Star Trek: Picard season 1), Data made a triumphant return in Star Trek: Picard season 3, complete with a newly upgraded android body. After being rescued from Daystrom Station, the consciousnesses of Data and Lore compete for control of this new body, resulting in one of Brent Spiner’s strongest performances to date.
In episode 7, “Dominion,” and episode 8, “Surrender,” Spiner effortlessly switches between Data and Lore, and his expressions make it obvious which one is talking before he even says anything. This leads to a wonderful scene within the android’s positronic brain that sees Data use his own memories to overwrite Lore. Spiner then takes on a more human affect for the final version of Data, while still making him feel like the android fans love.
“The Offspring”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 16
In one of Data’s best episodes and perhaps his most heartbreaking storyline, Data builds an android daughter named Lal (Hallie Todd). Data spends much of the episode showing Lal how to interact with the crew of the Enterprise-D, taking on the role of a doting father. When Starfleet threatens to take Lal away, Data stands up for his daughter, pointing out the ways he is being treated differently from his human counterparts.
Brent Spiner imbues Data with more humanity than ever, as the android clearly cares deeply for his daughter, despite his protestations that he’s incapable of love. When Lal suffers a catastrophic malfunction, Data fights to save her just as much as any father would, and Spiner beautifully conveys Data’s quiet devastation when he’s unsuccessful.
“The Most Toys”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 22
In “The Most Toys,” Data is pushed to his limits after being kidnapped by a depraved collector named Kivas Fajo (Saul Rubinek). Fajo tricks the Enterprise-D crew into believing Data was killed in a shuttle accident, and then threatens his own workers to get Data to follow his orders.
When Fajo kills his assistant after she tries to help Data, Data points a disruptor at the collector and fires just as he’s beamed back to the Enterprise. Data’s programming should prevent him from harming another lifeform, but Fajo is so despicable that Data finds a way to justify killing him.
“The Most Toys” offers fascinating insight into Data as a character, and Brent Spiner portrays Data’s anger and disgust with his usual subtlety. It’s one of Data’s most powerful moments, and Spiner’s performance (along with Saul Rubinek’s) makes this an episode not to be missed.
“Brothers”
Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4, Episode 3
Brent Spiner does triple duty in “Brothers,” portraying not only Data, but also his evil twin brother, Lore, as well as their elderly creator, Dr. Noonien Soong. When Soong activates a homing beacon in Data’s programming, the android singlehandedly takes over the Enterprise-D and flies it to Soong’s laboratory on Terlina III.
Spiner plays Data as suitably reserved when compared to Lore’s scenery chewing and Soong’s eccentricity. In one particularly wonderful moment, Data realizes that he was created after Lore, and says with wonder, “I am not less perfect than Lore.” Spiner delivers the line perfectly, expressing feeling while still being true to Data’s character in a way that only Brent Spiner can.
At the end of “Brothers,” Data comforts his dying “father,” lamenting the fact that he won’t be able to mourn him. But Soong (and the audience) knows that Data will grieve in his “own way.” It’s a lovely scene that, again, captures the essence of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Data as an android who is not as emotionless as he appears.
- Release Date
-
1987 – 1994-00-00
- Network
-
Syndication
- Showrunner
-
Gene Roddenberry
- Directors
-
Cliff Bole, Les Landau, Winrich Kolbe, Rob Bowman, Robert Scheerer, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Wiemer, Gabrielle Beaumont, Alexander Singer, David Carson, Paul Lynch, Corey Allen, Patrick Stewart, Chip Chalmers, Joseph L. Scanlan, James L. Conway, Robert Lederman, Tom Benko, Timothy Bond, Robert Legato, Adam Nimoy, Robert Becker, David Livingston, LeVar Burton
- Writers
-
René Echevarria, Maurice Hurley, Richard Manning, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Tracy Tormé, Hannah Louise Shearer, Stuart Charno, Ira Steven Behr, Sara B. Cooper, Peter Allan Fields, Herbert Wright, Frank Abatemarco, Burton Armus, Hilary Bader, Morgan Gendel, David Kemper, Michael I. Wagner, Philip LaZebnik, Robert McCullough, Susan Sackett, Nick Sagan, Fred Bronson, Robert Hewitt Wolfe, Sam Rolfe