Datalore
"Datalore" | |
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Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 13 |
Directed by | Rob Bowman |
Story by | Robert Lewin Maurice Hurley[1] |
Teleplay by | Robert Lewin Gene Roddenberry |
Featured music | Ron Jones |
Production code | 114 |
Original air date | January 18, 1988 |
Guest appearance | |
| |
"Datalore" is the thirteenth episode of the
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the
The story underwent significant changes prior to filming, with it originally meant to be a romance episode for Data with a female android. It was then altered to an "evil twin" plot at the suggestion of Spiner and elements of Data's origin were introduced, first as an alien creation and then at the hands of
The visuals for the Crystalline Entity were some of the first computer generated graphics on the television show.[2]
Casting
In this episode, Brent Spiner plays not only Data, but also the recurring character Lore.[3]
Plot
While on the way to
Lore then incapacitates Data, revealing that he plans to offer the ship's crew to the entity. When a signal transmission is detected from Data's quarters,
Lore's attempts to imitate Data are imperfect, though, arousing Picard's suspicion, especially when Lore does not recognize Picard's usual command to "make it so". Although Picard sends a security detachment to tail him, Lore overpowers Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) and evades pursuit. Meanwhile, the suspicious Dr. Crusher and her son, Wesley, reactivate the unconscious Data, and the three of them race to the cargo hold to find Lore plotting with the entity to defeat the Enterprise. When Lore discovers them, he threatens Wesley with a phaser and orders Dr. Crusher to leave. Data quickly rushes Lore and a brawl ensues. Data manages to knock Lore onto the transporter platform, and Wesley activates it, beaming Lore into space. With its conspirator no longer aboard, the crystalline entity departs, and the Enterprise resumes its journey to the starbase. Data uses a contraction at the end of the episode. Picard asks Data if he is alright, Data responds I'm fine.
Production
The original story for this episode featured a non-lookalike female android who was intended to be a love interest for Data. The new android was intended to have been created as something that could be deployed into dangerous or hazardous situations, described in the premise as something along the lines of a female android version of
He took the new episode on as a challenge, in the belief that the producers did not think the episode would work well, which caused him to become determined to put out a good episode. He had numerous discussions with Brent Spiner, Justman, and Rick Berman on aspects of the episode, and the technical requirements and effects required an additional day of filming.[1] Bowman credited Spiner for making the episode work, giving one example, "He did the one scene in his own office with Brent sitting down and Lore discussing what it's like to be human. He did one side, we shot through a double, then turned around, read it the other way and shot the other half of it. Those two characters in those scenes are different people... he really painted those characters differently."[1] Edits were still being made to the script during filming, as the writers wanted to introduce a new element to Data, in order to further distinguish him from Lore: an inability to use contractions. Data had used contractions during earlier episodes, and Spiner refused to shoot the scene until a final decision was reached; production stopped while there was a meeting on this subject between Gene Roddenberry, the producers, and the writers, in the middle of the bridge set.[6]
The music for the episode was composed by Ron Jones, and was later released on the second disc of the album Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Ron Jones Project. For this episode, Jones created a six-note theme to represent Lore. The crystalline entity was given a theme of three notes which played through two pieces entitled Crystal Entity and Crystal Attacks. The music played when the away team explore Omicron Theta was similar to that created by Jerry Goldsmith for the 1979 film Alien. Jones acknowledged that link saying that, "I was playing with the stuff like Jerry's music at the beginning of Alien, Bowman was like our Ridley Scott—he was like Ridley Scott Jr. and I was Jerry Goldsmith Jr."[7]
Executive producer
Special effects
The presentation of the Crystalline Entity alien this episode was re-created in computer generated graphics for the HD release on Blu-ray discs of Star Trek: The Next Generation.[9]
The original standard definition Crystalline Entity effect was also computer generated, and it was one of the first uses of CGI graphics on the show.[2]
Reception
"Datalore" was first broadcast on January 18, 1988, in
Several reviewers re-watched the episode after the end of the series.
Michelle Erica Green, who reviewed the episode for
Zack Handlen watched "Datalore" for The A.V. Club in April 2010. He noted that Data's origins had significant plotholes, such as that the ship which found Data did not investigate the planet. He thought that Lore was a well-conceived villain who works well with Spiner's strengths as an actor, but that the story only scratched the surface of the character's potential. He considered the contraction issue a problem, as despite saying that Data could not use them, he uses them throughout the episode, including immediately after Lore was beamed off the ship, which "punishes you for paying attention, because now you'll be half-convinced that the wrong robot was beamed away, and that Lore somehow won out in the end." He disliked the response of the crew to Wesley and thought that he was being mistreated, and gave the episode an overall grade of B−.[13]
The Crystalline Entity was noted by Space.com among the one of more exotic aliens in the Star Trek franchise; they note its snowflake like appearance—beautiful but deadly.[14]
In 2016,
In 2020, Space.com recommended watching this episode as background for Star Trek: Picard.[3]
In 2020, GameSpot noted this episode as one of the most bizarre episodes of the series.[16]
In 2020, SyFy Wire recommended this episode for binge watching, noting how it explores Data's origins and relationships.[17]
Home media and theatrical release
The episode was released as part of the season one
Episodes from "Encounter at Farpoint" to "Datalore" were released in Japan on LaserDisc on June 10, 1995, as part of First Season Part.1. This included half the first-season episodes with a total runtime of 638 minutes on 12-inch optical video discs.[22]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Gross; Altman (1993): p. 162
- ^ a b Failes, Ian (September 22, 2017). "Before CGI, Star Trek used shampoo bottles and ping pong balls for special effects". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on August 28, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ^ a b Snowden, Scott (January 23, 2020). "A complete guide to what 'Star Trek' to watch before 'Star Trek: Picard'". Space.com. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Nemecek (2003): p. 46
- ^ Tor.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ a b c Wheaton, Wil (December 3, 2007). "Star Trek: The Next Generation: Datalore". AOL TV. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Ron (2010). "Datalore #114". Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Ron Jones Project (Media notes). Ron Jones. Hollywood, California: Film Score Monthly. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ DeCandido, Keith (December 19, 2012). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Descent, Part 1"". Tor.com. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Pascale, Anthony. "New Crystalline Entity For Star Trek TNG in HD Revealed". TrekMovie.
- ^ "Star Trek: The Next Generation Nielsen Ratings – Seasons 1–2". TrekNation. Archived from the original on October 5, 2000. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ Green, Michelle Erica (May 25, 2007). "Datalore". TrekNation. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ Handlen, Zack (April 30, 2010). ""The Big Goodbye"/"Datalore"/"Angel One"". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Howell, Elizabeth (September 22, 2017). "15 of the Most Bizarre Alien Species Featured in 'Star Trek'". Space.com.
- ^ Ed Gross (July 27, 2016). "The 50 best Star Trek episodes ever". Empire. Retrieved June 29, 2019.
- ^ "The 11 Most Bizarre Moments Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation". GameSpot. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
- ^ Lane, Carly (June 29, 2020). "Very Important Binge: The best TNG episodes to watch before Star Trek: Picard". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Shaffer, RL (April 30, 2012). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Beams to Blu-ray". IGN. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Geoff Boucher (June 19, 2012). "'Star Trek: TNG': Jonathan Frakes light years past 'Farpoint'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2013. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ "Star Trek TNG 25th Anniversary Movie Event... TONIGHT!". StarTrek.com. July 23, 2012. Archived from the original on July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Star Trek: The Next Generation 25th Anniversary Event to Head to Cinemas". Entertainment Close-up. June 11, 2012. Archived from the original on June 10, 2014. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
- ^ "LaserDisc Database - Star Trek Next Generation: Log. 1: First Season Part.1 [PILF-2005]". LDDB. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
See also
- "Silicon Avatar", episode revealing that the deadly crystalline entity was lured to the planet Omicron Theta by Lore
- "Inheritance", in which Data learns why he was given the memories of the colonists of Omicron Theta
- Galactus, a Marvel Comics character who consumes the life force of planets.
References
- Gross, Edward; Altman, Mark A. (1993). Captain's Logs: The Complete Trek Voyages. London: Boxtree. ISBN 978-1-85283-899-7.
- Nemecek, Larry (2003). Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (3rd ed.). New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-5798-6.
External links
- "Datalore" at IMDb
- "Datalore" at Memory Alpha