- The Control Voice: It is said that God made man in his image, but man fell from grace. Still, man has retained from his humble beginnings the innate desire to create. But how will man's creations fare? Will they attain a measure of the divine? Or will they, too, fall from grace?
A robot is put on trial for the murder of his creator.
- The Control Voice: Empathy, sacrifice, love. These qualities are not confined to walls of flesh and blood but are found within the deepest, best parts of man's soul... no matter where that soul resides.
I, Tropebot:
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Two related examples. Nina Link is Dr. Charles Link's niece in the 1964 version of "I, Robot" while Mina Link is Dr. Link's daughter in the 1995 version. Nina does not have much of a relationship with the robot Adam Link in the former but Mina thinks of Adam as being like her brother in the latter.
- Adapted Out: The newspaper reporter Judson Ellis is a major supporting character in the 1964 version of "I, Robot" but does not appear here.
- Artificial Family Member: Mina Link testifies that the robot Adam is like a brother to her.
- Casting Gag: Leonard Nimoy who played the reporter in the 1964 version, plays the lawyer in this one. His son Adam Nimoy directed the episode.
- Courtroom Episode: While the original 1964 version involves a robot named Adam being tried for the murder of his creator Dr. Link, this episode involves a capacity hearing to determine whether Adam deserves a trial or should be simply dismantled.
- Cruel Twist Ending: In the original from the sixties show, robot Adam Link is judged to be Just a Machine, and sentenced to dismantling. On the way however, he sacrifices himself to save a pedestrian from a truck, proving his humanity. In the remake, Adam is judged to be human after all...and then sacrifices himself to save a pedestrian from a truck, proving his humanity, even though he just proved it!
- Death of Personality: Raised as a defence. Adam Link wasn't suitable as a Robot Soldier, so his creator tried to erase his personality causing him to lash out in self defence, his lawyer arguing that any human would have reacted the same way.
- Easily Forgiven: Mina doesn't blame Link for killing her father.
- Gender Flip: Dr. Charles Link's closest living relative is his daughter Mina. In the 1939 short story "The Trial of Adam Link, Robot" by Eando Binder on which it is based, Dr. Link's nephew Tom is his closest relative.
- The Remake: Of the original from the 1963 show.
- Robocam: Several shots are seen from the perspective of Adam Link.
- Robot Soldier: The robot Adam was created by Dr. Charles Link as an experiment. When Dr. Link lost his funding, he was forced to find alternative sources of finance. To that end, he entered into business with a defense contractor who wanted him to create an army of robot soldiers. Adam was to be the prototype. When Dr. Link attempted to erase his memory files, a malfunction caused Adam to reactivate and he killed his creator.
- Self-Restraint: Adam Link has just killed his creator after said creator, on the behest of the government, tried to erase Adam's personality and reprogram him as a mindless weapon. Most of this episode consists of a trial determining whether or not Adam should be considered a person fit to stand trial or a piece of haywire machinery that should be immediately scrapped. The entire time he is cuffed with rather hefty restraints. In the end Adam wins the right to stand trial as a person. However, as everyone is leaving the courthouse, the prosecuting attorney who argued against Adam's humanity accidentally walks into the path of a truck. Adam effortlessly breaks his restraints and pushes her out of the way, sacrificing himself in the process.
- Shipped in Shackles: Adam Link at the end. He is able to effortlessly break them when he saves Carrie Emerson from being run over by a truck.
- Smart People Play Chess: Though in this case, Thurman Cutler doesn't enjoy playing it.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Why risk American lives when you can just send Adam to do the job? Turns out Adam has other ideas about suffering a Death of Personality so he can be reprogrammed as a soldier.
