Why, when Data's head removed, does it look so fake? A quirk built in by Dr Soong? Mind you, the removal only happens in Data's dream in this episode.

Did you also happen to notice that the head looked exactly like the head found in the cave in San Francisco in "Time's Arrow, Part One"? (WINK WINK!)

Anyone ever see the video for "Don't Come Around Here No More" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers? I have a feeling that one of the people behind this episode had that video in mind. You see, the video was a kind of warped version of the tea party in Alice in Wonderland in which Tom Petty is the Mad Hatter, the Heartbreakers are guests at the table, and they got this blonde beauty to be Alice. Anyway, you know the "Troi cake" scene? They did the same thing to Alice in the music video: her body is a cake, and her head and hands are the only "real" body parts. Only in the video, they don't use any knives; Tom and the band just dig in with their hands. But it's still a real close parallel, isn't it?

A rather underrated episode from season 7 I'd say. It was written by Brannon Braga, not one of my favorites, but I have to give him this: He can write very funny scenes. Data offering to help Geordi with Ensign Tyler, Worf taking care of Spot (and sneezing). The problem I have with Braga's writing is that it isn't very focused, he has several plots going simultaneously but doesn't fully succeed in combining them at the end. Whatever happened to Geordi speaking to Tyler for example?

Also, the telephone inside Data isn't very good, in the first scene you can see Spiner moving sideways but the telephone is absolutely still.

JOKE:

What kind of cake was Troi?

Cheesecake!


I wanna piece!

With mint frosting!

Ah yes, vut suumtimes und cake, is just und cake!

Re the Tom Petty video mentioned - it was produced and directed by a Mr Brannon Braga - who happened to write this episode... the Petty video is a rip off of a film that Mr Braga wrote and directed whilst at college...

So that explains that then.

Matthew Wooller

This is the last time we see Spot as a male, if I'm not mistaken. Here's my theory on how Spot became a girl cat before "Genesis": Worf is a bad cat-sitter.

I assume that somehow Spot died while in Worf's care, probably through negligence of some kind. Most likely, Spot died from lack of being called a good and pretty cat, as per Data's instructions. Worf then felt pressed to replace Spot before Data got back, but he apparently has a difficult time telling the difference between male and female felines. Data probably gave him a stern, yet unemotional, talking to sometime offscreen.

CRUSHER: Data, I think Spot is pregnant
DATA: But Spot is male, not female
CRUSHER: Are you sure about that?
DATA: Well, I assumed...
CRUSHER: Just as I suspected. Quite female.
DATA: Oh $*%&.

What are they doing with the knife in engineering? La Forge asks Data to scan it for microfractures. Does it have anything to do with the warp core or the plasma conduits? Its only purpose seems to be that Data can stab Troi.

It's so they can all stay sharp... but maybe some of them don't quite cut it?

It seems Braga tries to justify his technobabble stories by comparing them to real life things.

"It is similar to directed dreaming..."

or

"just like leeches..."

And oh boy. So much psychobable in this episode too.

I thought that the "knife" was a bit of machinery that just happened to look like a serrated blade.

Did you also happen to notice that the head looked exactly like the head found in the cave in San Francisco in "Time's Arrow, Part One"? (WINK WINK!)

But it was the same head! Because, if you remember, they reattached the 500-year-old head back to Data's body in part 2 of that episode, and he's had it ever since! So you're right in both aspects!

Considering the Data-Worf pseudo-romantic themes that run through this season, could it be that Data's subconscious placing Worf eating Troi has some double significance?

Geordi is bothered by a crush that a pretty ensign has on him? Considering how ineffective he is at picking up women, why does this bother him?

After stabbing Troi, Data is restrained by Worf and Riker, but it is Riker who holds Data's knife hand. In Datalore Worf was knocked out by Lore, implying that androids are, at least, as strong as Klingons, and Klingons are supposedly stronger than Humans, but when our friendly neighborhood android appears to have gone on a killing spree, it's the human who tries to wrestle the weapon away from him. As Tactical Officer I guess Worf decided on this strategy, "While Data is distracted killing Riker, I will push Data's 'off-switch' and then move up in rank." (Isn't that how they do it on Klingon ships?)

NANJAO: Data preparing for sleep reminded me of Stan Laurel.

Geordi can see up & down the electromagnetic spectrum and can even see more than Data. Shouldn't he have noticed these creatures?

I would imagine that Geordi simply didn't reciprocate that ensign's feelings, Keith.

Geordi can see up & down the electromagnetic spectrum and can even see more than Data. Shouldn't he have noticed these creatures?

They weren't in the EM spectrum, they were out of phase (I believe the technobabble was "interphasic").

Another very good episode directed by Patrick Stewart.

Personally, Aside from the "Troi cake with mint frosting", I liked the straw in Riker's head with Beverly Crusher drinking from it. That was wild.

I couldn't help but notice that Spot LOVES Troi....especially when Spot gets his tummy rubbed. I swear I heard Spot purring. (Of course, I would purr too if I had Troi rubbing me like that.)

Great lines (paraphrasing):

Geordi: It's a cellular peptide cake.
Worf (with his mouth full): Wiv mint frofting.

>>In Datalore Worf was knocked out by Lore, implying that androids are, at least, as strong as Klingons

In an episode (The Chase, I believe), Data very easily wins a simple battle of strength with a Klingon. (IIRC, it was something like a Klingon version of arm wrestling.)

Picard has also mentioned that Soong-type androids (Lal, in this case) have the strength of ten men.

Data has clearly be shown to be stronger than a Klingon. In Clues Worf stated that Data is one of the few people on board (IIRC) with the speed and strength to break his wrist. Data was also able to easily kill Borg drones with apparently little physical efforst in ST First Contact. He can also jump several tens of feet downward and land on his feet, as seen in ST First Contact. He can throw a normal humanoid clear across a shuttle bay, as seen at the end of The Most Toys.

Considering the Data-Worf pseudo-romantic themes that run through this season...

The...hell?!?!

That scene looks to me as if Data isn't trying to be violent towards them, he just tries to walk past Worf and Riker, and when they block him he wakes up straight away (in possibly the worst case of "the morning after" in all of Star Trek).

Maybe he has some repressed hate towards Troi.

Considering that Freud's ideas have been all but completely discredited by the 21st century, one wonders why Data thought it would be a good idea to consult him for psychoanalysis.

GREAT MOMENT: Deanna Troi sauntering down the hall to the Turbolift.

This post has been edited by the moderator.

All right Mr. Crusher, three things:
1. If I remove a post of yours (or anyone elses), it does not mean you should post it again.

2. It was not necessary to insult John Lang. If you have a problem or complaint about a another persons post, simply leave a message asking me to review it. You'll notice I have edited John's post.

3. Let me remind you of Phil's 2nd rule of nitpicking. You seem not to remember it.
All nitpickers shall perform their duties with light-heartedness and good cheer.
Please keep it in mind.

So what kind of frosting does the data cake have?

Also, Crusher sucking on Riker's brains brings new meaning to her play: frame of mind.

I think it was mint frosting.

So the whole point of this episode was that the new warp core that they just picked up from star base "yada yada" had some space bugs in it that prevented it from working. So I cant help but wonder why the episode made it look like the ship was stuck adrift in the middle of nowhere. If they were never able to turn their warp drive on shouldn't they still be just a stone's throw away from the star base? I bet that was why the exterior shot's always showed the ship from the same angle, they didn't want to embarrass Picard by panning out and showing a starbase just a few feet away with the folks on the base all looking the window snickering at the Enterprise for just sitting out there with it's lights off.

I agree with Thande...

BEST LINE: Worf (with his mouth full): Wiv mint frofting.

* Worf refers to Spot as Data's "animal", and says "Spot, come here", as though he is unaware that cats typically don't respond to such commands. Since Worf was raised among humans, why does he seem to be unfamiliar with cats? Is it no longer common for humans to keep cats as pets in the 24th century?

* Was Data's dreaming program deleted after the events in this episode? The next time he stabs or otherwise attacks someone during a waking dream state, it may not work out so well.

Not everyone keeps cats and people who haven't been part of a family that owned cats sometimes don't know that most cats don't come when called.

On the other hand maybe he was just playing tough and as soon as he was out of site of everyone he was all, "Ohhhhh, who's a pwetty wittle kitty?" ;-)

But why does Worf respond "Your animal" when Data mentions Spot, rather than "Your cat", as if he doesn't know what type of animal Spot is? Assuming that's not just part of the act... he might actually have a collection of cute kitteh videos saved on his computer :-)

Maybe either Riker or LaForge told him what a monster Spot was.

(IIRC neither had much fun when Data asked them to care for Spot.)