Beverly Crusher: Now why do I find that so hard to believe?
Original air date: March 12, 1990
Data has been acting unusually secretively since returning from a cybernetics conference. The reason soon becomes clear when he calls in Geordi, Troi, and Wesley to meet his creation, Lal, an android patterned after himself whom he regards as his child.
Picard marvels at the achievement but objects to the fact that Data went about it without his knowledge, pointing out that the ability to create new sentient androids could have sweeping consequences for the galaxy. Unrepentant, Data affirms that Lal is his offspring, and nobody else on the ship has to get the captain's permission to procreate. Picard concedes, but goes ahead and notifies Starfleet of this development.
Picard is soon contacted by Admiral Haftel, who says that Starfleet Command wants to move Lal to an advanced research facility to study her and help her develop. Further, they do not want Data to have any further influence on her. Picard tells Haftel that Data considers Lal his child and will not concede to have her taken from him. To settle the matter, Haftel will rendezvous with the Enterprise and make a final decision.
Meanwhile, Data is teaching Lal everything he can about humans and functioning in human society. He allows her to choose her own gender and form, and she chooses to become a human woman. Data enrolls her in school, but the other children shun her. To help her learn social skills, Data instead enlists Guinan to give her a job as a waitress in Ten-Forward. After learning about kissing, she plants a big smooch on Riker, who has just returned from shore leave and has no idea who she is.
Haftel arrives onboard and makes no pretense of considering any option but the removal of Lal, insisting that it will be better for her development. But Lal seems to already be exceeding Data's abilities. Not only does she use contractions, but she also starts experiencing actual emotions. Unfortunately, the emotion is fear at the prospect of being forcibly parted from her father. Data and Picard's arguments fail to move Haftel, and he orders Data to relinquish Lal. This breach of basic civil rights so offends Picard that he puts his own career on the line to oppose it.
The point turns out to be moot, however. Lal's emotions were apparently an early symptom of a fatal cascade fault. Data and the Admiral put aside their differences to try to save her, but their efforts are ultimately in vain. Lal dies after telling her father she loves him, but Data transfers her memories to his own neural net so she will always remain a part of him.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Badass Boast: When Haftel continues to dismissively refer to Data and Lal as androids, mere technological constructs, Picard stands up and reminds him that they are sentient, with rights, which he himself defined in court.
- Barbie Doll Anatomy: Lal's first form is a genderless, golden-skinned being with no genitalia or sexual characteristics. This was intentional on Data's part, he wanted Lal to be able to choose his/her own species, gender, and appearance.
- Blatant Lies: Haftel contacts Picard and says he hopes he hasn't disturbed him. Picard, scowling at Haftel in his pajamas, states stoically, "Of course not."
- Book Ends: Deanna, Geordi, and Wesley are the first three to meet the newly-constructed Lal. They're also the three who wait outside Data's lab while Data and Haftel try (and fail) to save her.
- Bottle Episode: Written, along with "Allegiance", to counteract the budget overruns incurred by "Yesterday's Enterprise." This episode takes place aboard the Enterprise, featuring a single new set (Data's cybernetics lab).
- Boyfriend-Blocking Dad: Data, particularly with respect to Riker.Data: Commander—What are your intentions towards my daughter?
Riker: Your daughter!? - Call-Back: Two to "The Measure of a Man":
- "He was remarkable," referencing Bruce Maddox.
- Picard says of androids, "They're living, sentient beings. Their rights and privileges in society have been defined. I helped define them."
- Character Development: In this episode, Picard goes from discouraging Data from viewing Lal as his child to his strongest supporter of his rights as a parent. The Admiral and Lal could also count.
- The Comically Serious: Lal, to her own confusion.Lal: Then, without understanding humor, I have somehow mastered it.
- Constantly Curious: Lal, because she was just created. Definitely takes after her daddy.
- Continuity Nod: Deanna Troi comments that Picard is struggling to understand Data and Lal's connection because he's never been a parent, the comment obviously implies she does understand, alluding to her brief experience as a mother in ''The Child''.
- A much bigger one is also made to Picard helping establish the rights of androids as sentient beings in "The Measure of a Man".
- Double Standard:
- Picard at first tells Data he would have preferred to have been told ahead of time he was planning on creating another android, Data points out that he never observed other crew members talking to the Captain about plans to procreate. Also counts as a Catch and Return.
- Data refers to the Admiral questioning his abilities as a first-time parent and wonders if anyone questioned the Admiral when his first child was born.
- Everyone Has Standards: Although Admiral Haftel wishes to confiscate Lal, when her program begins breaking down he immediately offers his cybernetics expertise to help Data try and save her life and is genuinely saddened when the two of them fail to do so.
- Exact Words: When Haftel states Data can only teach Lal so much, after a moment, she agrees. She then says that once she has learned all her father has to teach her, then it would be logical to go elsewhere.
- Face Palm: Another TNG example when Data talks about parenting with Picard, causing the captain to place both hands on his face.
- A Father to His Men: Picard, as usual. "Order a man to hand his child over to the state? Not while I am his captain."
- Fright Deathtrap: Lal's positronic brain suffers from a cascade failure after experiencing her First Time Feeling fear when Admiral Haftel threatens to separate her from Data. The damage leads to a total systems failure.
- Grew Beyond Their Programming: This happens to Lal, gradually. First she's able to use contractions. Then she outright feels genuine emotions... unfortunately. Her physical body can't handle the new inputs, and starts to shut down. Basically, her hardware crashes while trying to run a program too advanced for it.
- He Will Not Cry, so I Cry for Him: Data regrets that he cannot return Lal's feelings of love, so she says
she will feel it for both of them. - Holding Hands: Lal learns about the practice of humans holding hands and holds Data's hand.Lal: I learned today humans like to hold hands. It is a symbolic gesture of affection.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Played for laughs when Lal hauls Riker across the bar and snogs him. Riker retreats in flustered confusion.
- I Am the Noun: When Picard objects to Admiral Haftel's order to remove Lal from the Enterprise, and threatens to go to Starfleet over the matter, Haftel says, "I am Starfleet!", as if that settles things.
- Innocuously Important Episode: The theme of Data having offspring is a major plot point in Star Trek: Picard.
- Insane Admiral: Haftel at first, but then subverted when he put his differences aside and tries to help Data save Lal.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Haftel is one of the most unpleasant admirals we meet in the franchise, but when he says that there are only two Soong-type androids in existence, and that keeping them both in the same place means that with a single Romulan torpedo both could be lost forever, even Picard has to acknowledge that he has a point. Data himself had even made a similar argument in favor of creating Lal, as her existence ensures the survival of Dr. Soong's work should something happen to Data. But this is not enough to sway Picard or Haftel.
- Of course, Haftel should be familiar with the existence of Lore, but for some reason he's never brought up in the narrative.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While Haftel is firmly entrenched in his prejudice against Data, that doesn't mean he won't try to help save Lal's life despite disagreeing about her rights. When he goes to tell the others that Lal won't last much longer, Haftel is practically in tears and speaks with admiration toward Data's attempt to keep her alive.
- Kids Are Cruel: The children in school shun and laugh at Lal. Data tells her that humans will cope with fear of the unusual with mockery.
- Little "No": Picard calmly but firmly tells Data to ignore any orders from Admiral Haftel to hand over Lal.Admiral Haftel: Then I regret that must order you to transport Lal aboard my ship.
[Data rises and prepares to obey]
Picard: Belay that order, Mr. Data.
Haftel: I beg your pardon?
Picard: I will take this to Starfleet myself.
Haftel: I am Starfleet, Captain. Proceed, Commander.
Picard: Hold your ground, Mr. Data. - Meaningful Name: According to the episode, at least, Lal is a Hindi word meaning "beloved."
- Mr. Fanservice: A rare moment from Picard; when he is woken by a message from Admiral Haftel in the middle of the night, he leaves his robe wide open, showing off much of his chest.
- No Social Skills: Lal, because she's only a few weeks old. Data apprentices her to Guinan so she can build some.
- Parents as People: As parenthood is a major theme of the episode, it gets brought up. Haftel himself is a parent and he admits it was only with great difficulty that he figured out how to best be a father and let his children spread their own wings, it's part of what makes him biased against Data and Lal staying together. While he struggles to consider them a true family due to being androids, he still feels that if they are to be considered father and daughter, that their co-dependency will only be harmful in the long run.
- Patrick Stewart Speech:
- Picard says, "There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders."
- Data gives one to Lal:Lal: I watch them and I can do the things they do but I will never feel the emotions. I'll never know love.
Data: It is a limitation we must learn to accept, Lal.
Lal: Then why do you still try to emulate humans? What purpose does it serve except to remind you that you are incomplete?
Data: I have asked myself that many times as I have struggled to be more human. Until I realized it is the struggle itself that is most important. We must strive to be more than we are, Lal. It does not matter that we will never reach our ultimate goal. The effort yields its own rewards.
Lal: You are wise, Father.
Data: It is the difference between knowledge and experience.
- Ridiculously Human Robots: Data designed Lal to have more natural looking skin and eyes, making her visually indistinct from other humans. She also learns to emulate human behavior to a far greater degree than even her father, using contractions in her speech to his amazement.
- Robot Girl: Lal. Aside from her movements and mannerisms, she appears fully to be a teenage girl; Data was able to synthesize more natural-looking skin and eyes than his own.
- Soul Fragment: At the end of the episode, Data transfers what remains of Lal into his own neural network.
- Wham Line: Something that Troi says that signifies trouble:Lal: Troi... Admiral—... Admiral—... An admiral from Starfleet has come to take me away... Troi. I am... ...scared.
Deanna Troi: [concerned, suddenly sensing Lal's fear] You are scared, aren't you?! - What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Haftel does not see Data as having full rights, and Lal is nothing more than an advanced computer he wants to program to his own views. Picard, having helped define their rights in "The Measure of a Man," becomes Data's defender to make sure their rights are not infringed upon.
