For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here
Overview – The Enterprise is en route to Starbase 416 to save a young
boy who is in severe need of medical help. It is during this crisis that Data
suddenly and unexpectedly takes control of the ship and redirects it to Terlina
III. As the crew try to regain control of the ship, Data beams down to the
planet where he encounters his creator and “father”, Doctor Noonian Soong. Soong
had activated a homing device in Data that would cause the android’s
programming to seek only Data’s return to the cyberneticist that created him. As Data reconnects with Soong, they are joined
by Data’s brother, Lore, who was inadvertently activated by the same homing
device. As the father and sons reunite, the purpose of Soong’s plan is
revealed, as he has created an emotion chip for Data. As he prepares to implant
the chip into Data, Lore takes matters into his own hands.
Score: 8/10 – I quite enjoy this episode. It gives us
a great insight into Data and does a lot to move his character’s development
along. We follow up on the fate of Lore and meet Dr. Soong himself. Data
finally gets a chance to have emotions, and this development will have big
impacts in a few seasons. Best of all, this episode really showcases Brent
Spiner’s acting skills. Honestly, how he went all seven seasons of TNG without
a single Emmy nomination is beyond my comprehension. I am hard pressed to think
of any actor in television that had this much screen time as three distinct
characters, and he pulled it off in fantastic form. Not only does he make each character unique, but he adds depth to all of them. Even Lore is one you can't help and feel a bit of sympathy for, except at the end when he pulls a fast one on them and assaults Soong. The side story of the two
brothers on the Enterprise serves as fair backdrop to give the episode a touch
of risk, but the focus is all on Data. In the end, we get some great insight
into one of Star Trek’s most beloved and popular characters.
Relevance – 3 points. One point for following up with
Lore’s fate from “Datalore”. He apparently had spent a couple years floating in
space until he was picked up by the Pakleds. Another point scored for the
emotion chip which will come into play in the Season 6 finale as well as the
movie “Generations”. There is also a throwback to “Encounter at Farpoint” as
Data once again tries to (unsuccessfully) whistle “Pop Goes the Weasel”. That
gives it a third point in this category.
Continuity – 3 points. I don’t see anything in this
episode that goes against story, character, or universe continuity. There are
everybody acts the way we would expect. Nothing contradicts here. Lore
especially shows a few layers that do accurately reflect who he is. He shows a
love for his brother that I believe is genuine, and he gives us a few moments where we believe that his evil actions in the past were more like those of a misguided teenager lashing out for attention. He also reveals that in his
books, Lore always comes first, and turns on his creator that ultimately seals his role as a villain. He will play on his knowledge of Soong and Data
to deceive them and gain the upper hand.
Character Development – 2 points. This is all about Data. This
is his story where he is reunited with members of his “family”, mainly his
father and brother. We almost see him achieve one of his desires in gaining
emotions. Mostly, his best moment comes when he is saying goodbye to Doctor
Soong who is dying. It is touching and shows a deep look into how thoughtful
Data is. He gives his father a reassurance that he will honor his memory and
legacy. All the other characters are simply doing what they do, but nothing
really gives us much insight into their characters.
Social Commentary – 3 points. Family. It is a universal
theme. Families are complex and often messy. Here, we have a family made up of
a father and his two sons (both androids). While Soong does care for both of them,
he had to make some hard choices regarding Lore due to his actions. Despite his
good intentions, Soong’s day of reckoning came. I’m not saying that Soong
deserved what Lore did to him, but sometimes doing the right thing can catch up
with you. This can lead to another theme of the unintended consequences of even
our best intended actions. In the midst of all of this is Data, the good son,
who deserved better than he received. And in the end, the side story of the two
brothers on the Enterprise teaches Data, and us, an important lesson on family:
“Brothers forgive”.
Cool Stuff – 2 points. There is definitely a point
for Doctor Noonien Soong. Brent Spiner plays the character with delicious zest.
Another point is scored for seeing Brent Spiner play three different characters
at once. It was well acted and edited. I already said it once, but I want to
say it again, but it was almost criminal that Spiner did not receive even an
Emmy nomination for his work in this episode.
Rank – Admiral (21 points). Season 4 started with the Best of Both
Worlds ending, and then, to lighten things up a bit, gives us back-to-back
episodes about family. Brothers is the second of those, and it is a strong
episode. Brent Spiner is the biggest highlight with portraying three different
characters at the same time, and he is up to the task. A great continuation to
the Lore story, an important move in Data’s development, and introduced to a
fun character in Noonian Soong. A must see episode on many fronts.
If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.
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