YMMV / Star Trek: The Next Generation S2E9 "The Measure of a Man"

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• Alternate Character Interpretation: Is Captain Phillipa Louvois more concerned with her career and making a name for herself than with proper judiciary? In her initial conversation with Captain Picard she expresses the hope of making some good law out on the frontier, despite the fact that she is a Starfleet officer and not a civilian judge or politician. When Data's case is put before her, she is hell bent on taking it up immediately, despite the fact that proper legal counsel for both sides in the case is unavailable, and the fact that it has nothing to do with Data's conduct as a Starfleet officer but instead is a civil rights case. She will tolerate no delays and literally has to threaten Riker into representing Maddox in full knowledge of the fact that Riker is a personal friend of Data's, so she threatens Riker again that if his performance as counsel does not meet with her approval then she will summarily rule against Data. This comes across as her being overeager to have her name attached to a major judicial precedent regardless of who she has to railroad in order to achieve this.
• Anvilicious: Having Whoopi Goldberg talk about the trajectory of the arguments around Data leading to the creation of "disposable people" is about as subtle as knocking down a wall by driving an 18-wheeler truck into it, especially for an episode produced in 1988/89. This is also exactly why it is as effective as it is.
• Canon Fodder:
  • Phillipa Louvois' behavior during the court martial of Picard is shown in the novel The Buried Age. We see why Picard has some lingering anger after 10 years.
  • The Autobiography of Jean-Luc Picard provides its own take on the matter. In this version, Louvois has Picard charged with negligence and dereliction of duty on the grounds that Stargazer was a very old ship that should no longer have been in service and Picard should have arranged for her to be decommissioned. Picard's defense counsel (who had previously served on Stargazer) countered that Picard and his crew did their best to keep the ship spaceworthy and it was the admiralty that was responsible for deciding whether or not to decommission Stargazer, not Picard.
• Growing the Beard: After the weak and shaky season 1, season 2 named the trope, with this episode being the crowner. It has since been considered to be the best episode of TNG up to that point and a classic for the ages, with masterful performances from Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner and Whoopi Goldberg and the best writing TNG had seen yet. Even with another five seasons still to come, it's a permanent resident of any list of the top 10 episodes of the series, and often appears on lists of the top 10 Star Trek episodes in the whole franchise, and set a standard for other stories attempting to engage with the ethical issues surrounding artificially created life that few have managed to match.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Despite the ruling in this episode, repeated plots in regards to Holograms in Star Trek: Voyager and the existence of synthetic labour in Star Trek: Picard shows that Starfleet and the Federation did stoop to use of synthetic slavery in the end.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Captain Louvois counters Riker's attempt to refuse to act as the prosecution by threatening to make a summary ruling that based on her findings, "Data is a toaster." In Battlestar Galactica (2003), "toaster" is a common nickname for the Cylons, another race of androids.
• Moment of Awesome:
  • So many great, defining character moments in this one. Data standing up to Maddox, and then later forgiving Maddox and Riker after the fact (the latter doubles as a Heartwarming Moment). Riker when he delivers his prosecution (also a Tear Jerker). Guinan when she gives her "disposable people" speech to Picard. Perhaps the big one is Picard's defense of Data, a speech which Mark Oshiro referred to as "a work of art" in his review of the episode.
  • On a meta-note, this episode in itself is an MOA for writer Melinda M. Snodgrass, who was told by producer Rick Berman: "Whatever else you do, you'll be remembered for 'Measure of a Man'."
  • Riker gets one in a deleted scene available only the extended version available in the Blu-ray release. Maddox visits the farewell party being held for Data. He asks about Data's plans after he leaves and Data suggests that he might go into teaching. Maddox responds that he has a better idea, that Data could go into carnival work, billed as "the walking encyclopedia." Riker is then summoned by Picard via comm and, as he makes his exit, he comments "I know you're just leaving. I'll escort you," and pushes (nay, shoves) Maddox out of the room.
  • Worf gets his own moment in the same scene; when Maddox starts mocking Data, Worf steps forward with clear, unmistakable intent and has to be held back by Riker.
  • Subtly awesome when Louvois forces Riker to be the prosecutor and he just silently turns around and walks out the door.
• Tear Jerker:
  • Data bringing out the holographic image of Tasha Yar tends to start the waterworks. Even more so when Data refuses to answer why he kept the portrait until Picard assures him that Tasha wouldn’t mind under the circumstances.
  • Geordi's withdrawn behavior at Data's going-away party. Poor Geordi looks heartbroken at the prospect of losing his best friend, especially like this.
  • Watch Riker's face when he sits down after delivering his prosecution. That's the face of a man who knows he probably just ruined his friend's life.
  • Data forgiving Riker for prosecuting the case, and further, understanding that prosecuting the case had hurt Riker. Then, Data taking Riker to the party.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character: Sadly, this is Phillipa Louvois' only appearance. Which is a shame, as she had a memorable chemistry with Picard (and Amanda McBroom is clearly having a ball with the production), and had great potential as a recurring character or Love Interest. She does, however, appear a few times in the Expanded Universe.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: It's extremely odd that despite having made a couple of appearances in the episode, at no point is Dr. Pulaski part of the actual hearing. Having someone who is both a doctor and has consistently invalidated Data as being anything more than a machine as a witness or even the prosecutor would allow for both some counter arguments for Picard's claims and the experience could provide Pulaski with some Character Development and start thinking of Data as an actual sentient being.
• Values Dissonance: Maddox violates scientific laws and yet is never punished for it. Also, few characters seem to really care about that side of the issue. Also, the dangers involved with Artificial Intelligence are never even discussed.
• Values Resonance: Data fighting for his right to bodily autonomy, and against being subjected to surgery against his will, has been taken in more recent years as an easily fitting analogy for abortion rights as well as transgender and non-binary rights. Notably, Maddox's insistence on referring to Data as "it" for most of the episode has been compared to misgendering a trans person.

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