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Star Trek: The Next Generation :: The Schizoid Man (02x06)
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Episode Information |
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| Title: | The Schizoid Man |
| Episode #: | 02x06 |
| Production Number: | 131 |
| Original Airdate: | Monday January 23rd, 1989 |
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| | Other Release Dates: (Edit) | | Country: | Aired On: | |
 CA (Télé-Québec) |
Jan 23, 1989 |
 UK (BBC TWO) |
May 08, 1991 |
 FR (BBC TWO) |
May 08, 1991 |
 IE (BBC TWO) |
May 08, 1991 |
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Episode Summary |
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Stardate: 42437.5 The Enterprise receives a distress call from one of the greatest living scientist, Ira Graves. His assistant has called for help against his wishes. The elderly Graves has an incurable illness, and is now near death. However, they find Graves interested in learning more about Data.
After Graves dies, Data begins acting strangely, and the crew begins to worry about what is happening to him.
| | There are no foreign summaries for this episode: Contribute |
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Guest Stars |
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Main Cast |
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Episode Notes |
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Log Entries:
*Captain's Log, Stardate 42437.7. We've successfully repaired the stricken liner U.S.S. Constantinople. 46 of her people suffered injuries, mostly minor. They have been treated and supplied with the proper medicines. Our task complete, we are heading back to Gravesworld with great dispatch.
*Captain's Log, supplemental. I leave Gravesworld with an empty feeling in the knowledge that our mission was unsuccessful. Whatever scientific secrets Ira Graves was about to unlock have been lost forever. Our immediate priority is to reach the nearest starbase so that Grave's assistant can get on with her life.
*Captain's Personal Log: Although Commander Data has assured me that his odd behavior will return to normal, I can't help thinking that something went wrong during his visit to Gravesworld.
*Captain's Personal Log. We have arrived at Starbase 6 where Miss Brianon will await transport back to Earth. I'm greatly troubled by the unusual behavior of Commander Data and fear that somehow it is directly related to the experiments of Ira Graves.
*Captain's Log, supplemental. We've said goodbye to Karen Brianon with the hopeful feeling that her future will be a bright one. The intellect of Ira Graves has been deposited into our computer. There is knowledge but no consciousness. The human equation has been lost.
| Patrick McGoohan, the star and creator of the acclaimed series The Prisoner was initially to have played the role of Dr. Ira Graves but he pulled out. There is also an episode on that series entitled "The Schizoid Man."
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Featured Songs |
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| Artist | Song Title | Played When | | •Harold Arlen / E.Y. Harburg | If I Only Had a Heart | Whistled at various times by Graves & Data/Graves |
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Episode Quotes |
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Dr. Ira Graves / Data: (delivering his own eulogy) I can safely say, that to know him, was to love him. And to love him was to know him...Those who knew him, loved him, while those who did not know him, loved him from afar.
Captain Picard: Data.
Dr. Ira Graves / Data: I am almost finished, sir.
Captain Picard: You are finished, Data.
| Data: I trust I did nothing...unbecoming to a Starfleet officer?
Riker: (facetiously) Does wrestling with a Klingon targ ring a bell?
Data: (long pause for thought) Did I win?
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Cultural References |
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Song: "If I Only Had a Heart"
This song, whistled by Graves, is the Tin Man version of "If I Only Had a Heart/Brain/The Nerve" from the classic 1939 musical Wizard of Oz. Particularly appropriate given that Data has been referred to by others as "Tin Man" (notably Armus, in Skin of Evil).
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Analysis |
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The writing/film editing in this episode, particularly that of the setup/plotting, is fairly poor. The "mystery" of Data's behavior is utterly obvious from the very start, telegraphed as it is by a blunt statement made by Graves moments before Data announces Graves' death. It turns the story from a potentially interesting one to a very pedestrian and weak Star Trek: The Next Generation episode.
In particular, there is no reason for the overt scene describing what Graves was working on moments before Data (who, uncharacteristically and conveniently, has mentioned his on/off switch to Graves). This should have been left for both the viewer and the rest of the crew to discover, perhaps by examining some of Graves' records or notes. The script also calls for Graves-as-Data to bash the viewer over the head with the fact that he's actually Graves and not Data not once but twice, with scenes of Data referring to his health in the exact same words as Graves and also with Data whistling the same tune as Graves is shown to whistle. This could have been handled much more subtly, leaving the cause of Data's behavior as more mysterious.
In summary, the episode is heavy-handed and clumsy, like many of the episodes of the first two ST:TNG seasons. How much of the flaws of this episode must be attributed to bad direction/editing and how much to bad writing is unclear. Either, or both, could be at fault. Beginning with season three, there will be far fewer episodes with the level of weak writing, directing, and/or editing central to this one, as the different support personnel get a feel for the heart of ST and for good SF.
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Episode References |
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