When did Data achieve Spock status?

[prometheus 0]

Data became to TNG what Spock was to TOS... in a way. What I mean is, he complimented Picard like Spock complimented Kirk. When, though, did this happen? I think that the Picard - Data relationship took off around the time of First Contact. Like a father and a son. This left the previously strong Geordi-Data relationship on the side line. The latter relationship was strong in Generations though, with the chip and the guilt and so forth. In the TNG series Data became stronger around the start of the third series I feel. But then again, all the characters did in a way.

 

I would have liked to have seen Data become first officer and Riker die, to be replaced with his twin Thomas Riker, who later went on to join the Maquis. That joung lieuthenant commander would have been fresh and fun and maybe his potential for insubbordination would have been fun...

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I've always thought of Data as being TNG's Spock

[gul_nodrog 2]

Now I don't know about Riker dying ....

 

It always struck me that Riker outranked Data on the Enterprise considering Data's seniority in years (wasn't 26 years stated in "Measure of a Man" during season 2?). Surely, that was more than Riker had under his belt ... he seemed very young in Encounter at Farpoint, not fresh from the academy young, but young.

 

I'm sure that it was prejudice against Data as an "artificial" life form that held him back a bit and allowed a younger officer with fewer service years to outrank him. You encounter it periodically throughout TNGs run, this poor attitude about Data from folks outside of the crew of the Enterprise.

 

In the movie First Contact you really see the relationship between Picard and Data developing into that "father/son" thing ... In FC, I personally would throw Worf in there as well so that you have the Kirk/Spock/McCoy thing mirrored. Of course, all that was thrown out in the subsequent Star Trek "films" ... but, oh well, there it is.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

I've always thought of Data as being TNG's Spock

285363[/snapback]

 

Me too and the same for Odo and The Dr.

 

As for when Data began to "compliment" Picard in the same way Spock did for Kirk I can't say that ever happened between them in the same way but as for Picard becoming a father figure to Data I think it began as early as Pen Pals.

[Christiantrekfan 0]

I never saw "Pen Pals", but I do agree about the father/son thing between Picard and Data. And yes, I've always thought of Data as TNG's Spock.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

I think the foundation was laid in "Best of Both Worlds II" when Data was hooked up to Locutus. This laid the groundwork for First Contact when Picard told Lily "When I was held captive on the Borg ship my crew risked everything to save me. There is someone still on board, and I owe him the same." It is clear that Picard thought he owed Data something more than Ensign Lynch.

 

But I think the real defining moment came in "All Good Things". When Picard was an old man in the future looking for help from his old colleagues, who is the first person he thought of to help him out? "I don't know! I don't know! I want to see Data!"

 

Then of course Nemesis clinched it.

[Yillara Skye 1]

I am not sure, actually. I had always thought he had the status pretty much from the get go. And if not then, then probably by the time of the mid 1st season or Measure of A Man at the latest.

[Wishfire 2]

I think he got Spock status pretty much when the character was created.

[Takara_Soong 4]

I agree that Data was created to be the Spock of TNG but I don't think he achieved the status of being the Spock of TNG right away. As Data grew his status increased. Season one didn't focus much on the inter-personal relationships of the crew so it wasn't until season two that the relationship between Data and Picard really started to grow into something special. I believe that Picard was a mentor to Data and their relationship grew stronger the more Data pushed himself in his quest to be more human.

[Wishfire 2]

I'll have to disagree on that one... Data always tried to be more human, while whenever someone brought up Spock's human heritage, he always reminded them of his Vulcan half, therefore he tried to deny his human half. The character of Data was created to be cold and unemotional like Spock. But since that would be too familiar, they added a twist... Cold and unemotional, but wanting to be human.

[Takara_Soong 4]

I'll have to disagree on that one... Data always tried to be more human, while whenever someone brought up Spock's human heritage, he always reminded them of his Vulcan half, therefore he tried to deny his human half. The character of Data was created to be cold and unemotional like Spock. But since that would be too familiar, they added a twist... Cold and unemotional, but wanting to be human.

286779[/snapback]

 

I think you are taking my words (and others) too literally. I'm not saying that Data was supposed to be a mirror image of Spock. Spock and Data were both characters that were used to gauge the humanity of the humans around them.

 

I disagree with your assessment of both Data and Spock being cold and there is a difference between suppressing emotions and not having them.

[Odie 0]

Sorry for coming in late with this post. I have always thought Data was fill in Spock’s shoes in the same way he did in the show and the movies. Data and Spock was the logical voice on the bridge.

 

As far as Data’s and Picard’s relationship I saw it start in the first season with Measure of a Man . That is when Picard started to see Data as more than his second officer. From than it just grow to be something like a father and son relationship. I believe that Picard saw something in Data that was like himself. He also saw when he was taken more of an interest in what Data was doing he grow as a person and became more "human". Data as needed a father figure in his life to show him what it might to be human. Picard filled in that spot nicely. Dr. Soong may have created and Data called him his father, but he was never there for android.