Is It Better That Data Died Instead of Picard

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I read a while back that originally Picard was the one who was supposed to die on the movie but that was changed. Do you think it would have been better if Picard died or do you think Data was the better choice if someone had to die? I think that it's better that Data died because he can be brought back a lot easier than Picard could be if they ever decided to bring TNG back in the future. What are your thoughts?

[Mr.Picard 12]

I think that no one should have died in that movie... :P

 

But that wasn't the question, I know.

Anyways. I have to be selfish and say I'm glad it wasn't Jean-Luc who died. I dunno what I would have done if this had happened :P Probably cried endlessly. It would have been such a loss... for the Federation... (and for me :o )... I can't say Data's death was not such a loss because it WAS one... Oh dear, I just can't come up with a good reason for why Data was the "better" one to die because I didn't want him to die either... :)

[gul_nodrog 2]

I would have preferred that no one died in that movie (except Shinzon ... ick).

 

When Spock died in Wrath of Kahn it was done so well, had such a huge emotional impact and was probably the best acting that Shatner had ever done before or since.

 

When Data died in Nemesis, there was no surprise and I thought the scene was quite flat emotionally. Plus, the addition of B4 kind of lessened the impact because you knew there was a "back door" escape plan, if you will. With Spock, you really thought he was dead and gone forever ... who knew that McCoy was walking around with Spock's "katra"? I sure didn't, not until we got the whole story in Search for Spock.

 

I voted Picard should have died, but I wish you had added a fourth choice: No one.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

I agree with what you said about how Data's death was emotionally flat. I think it's just that it happened so fast. There really was no build up to his death and it wasn't as dramatic as Spock's death. There was even more of a build up in Kirk's quick death scene than there was in Data's. I wasn't emotionally sad at all when Data died, and he's my favorite or second favorite in TNG. The only time it hit me emotionally is when the crew started talking about their first memories of Data and when B4 started to sing "Blue Skies". I admit, those moments of the film were sad, but that should have happened when Data first died and not minutes afterward

[Takara_Soong 4]

I'm another who didn't want either to die but if I HAD to choose one then I would have picked Picard. His death could have ushered in a whole new series of films with a new crew (which some people seem to want). With Riker and Troi already committed to the Titan they would have needed a new captain for the Enterprise-E. Knowing Starfleet, they would not have promoted Data to that position but hopefully he would have been kept as first officer. Having Data and Geordi as a link to TNG while introducing new characters could have worked.

 

I'm still really curious about what John Logan had in mind for a sequel. I've heard him, Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner say it would have been different from anything Trek has done before.

[sea trooper 0]

I voted Picard should have died. I don't know if it was because I didn't want Data to die or because I don't like Picard much, maybe both. The point: I was dead inside three days after watching Nemesis. Ask Zengo, I even yelled at him! Oh Data...

Edited December 10, 2004 by sea trooper

[RikerChick 5]

I'm not a huge fan of either Data or Picard but if one of them had to die (I agree nobody should've died) I'd rather it be Data.

[hangon 3]

No one dieing would have been better but i was glad Data bit the bullet and not Picard,but did data really die?...he downloaded all his memorys to B4 so in away he is not dead.

[Kyra_Ashleigh 0]

It would have been sad no matter who had died.

[Yillara Skye 1]

I would have preferred it if no one had died in the film.

 

And most importantly, I would certainly never ever pick Data to be the one to have died. I do nowadays watch the entire film, but for a while I would stop watching it right as he was about to fire on the thalaron matrix. I still tear up when it gets to the scene, and if I am in a bad or sad mood then I will still cry through the rest of the film.

[Tench745 0]

Well, I differ from all of you in that, I think someone had to die. I mean, every movie, The same TNG crew is wonderfully re-united and they all are fine in the end. Data was a logical choice to die, because the producers knew they could replace him. I don't think, however, that the backup plan should have quite so evident in the film. The fans should have thought that Data was actually gone forever. Like Spock's death, it would have been a much more emotional situation.

[Wishfire 2]

I voted no. Of all the characters, Data was the only one who could die and be convincingly resurrected without spacial/temporal anomalies. Remember B-4? He has all of Data's memories. With a little re-wiring, he would basically be Data.

 

I suppose that Picard could have come back... The Romulans did make one clone of him, who's to say there's not another somewhere, complete (somehow) with memories. Even Riker could have been replaced somehow with Thomas Riker. Worf couldn't have died. Remember the episode where Alexander's future self came back from the future? That's basically proof that Worf will survive for many more years. Everyone else would need a miracle (or an afore-mentioned spacial/temporal anomaly) to return. Either that, or the intervention of the Mirror Universe.

[pittykitty 0]

Realize this: Data finally realized what humanity was and met his full potential to become something he always dreamed. That gets my full support of "yes."

[KIMIMELA 1]

That question is nasty, in my opinion , its like saying: !

Personally I think shinzon should have died and data and picard get back....and make a happy ending

[WildStar 0]

Data can alwasy be put backe togethere

[KIMIMELA 1]

Data can alwasy be put back together 

289670[/snapback]

 

 

I agree , but when he got blown to peices in the universe, dont you think its a bit.......dead?

 

HEY THAT REMINDS ME OF "DATALORE!"

Sir, you referred to him as an "it". Does that also mean I fall into the catergory as a "thing?"

[LoveMalePecs1 0]

Voted No neither should have been killed but in the film it happened to be Data who died a Heroic Death of sorts even if B4 has his memories he'd have alot to learn to catch up to Data's knowledge and experience.

[JGG 0]

It's a shame such a wonderful series such as Star Trek TNG had such a success on television, ended with such a 1 dimensional last movie. Really they shouldn't have killed anyone off because all the characters made such a wonderful Star Trek show.

[Matt 0]

I'd rather nobody died but at least with Data we had a sense that he wasn't entirely lost to us.

[Major Viper 0]

Data did the best when he saved Picard`s life.

 

But I can`t watch Nemesis often because I have to cry endlessly.

[mj 7]

I voted no. I agree with the many that wish no one had to die, but there are more possibilities with B-4 than with Picard's death. It was as if Data were dealing with the issue of his own posterity when he placed his memories in B-4. That is the most he had done in the way of developing a Soong-type android since the creation of his own daughter Lau (sp?), who of course did not survive.

 

With the death Shinzon, and Rene and Robert in Generations, there would be no male members of Picard's immediate family. Since Picard is still alive he still has a chance to think about his own posterity. Again I think it was better for Picard to continue.

 

I did not find the death scene flat. It was not unexpected to the audience ( or at least not to me, since I had been reading about it for more than a year before I actually saw the film), but it was unexpected to the crew of Enterprise. I think they were numb, and did not immediately react, and that is not surprising under the circumstances.

[Wishfire 2]

I just re-watched that scene. I find it flat in no way. First, Data places the mini-transporter unit on Picard (the only one). Then, he stares for a moment at the space where Picard was a moment before and whispers "Good-bye", almost regretfully, as if he wished that there was another way. Then he aims his phaser at the theleron generator, pauses for a moment as if he was reflecting on everything he had experienced, and then, like a true hero, fired.

 

One could compare Data's death to Spock's in Star Trek 2, but there were many differences. Yes, in both cases the unemotional one (and to many people, the most lovable) sacrificed themselves to save everyone else. And in both cases it was an extreme case of heroics. But that's where the similarities end.

 

In Star Trek 2, Spock's death was slow. That meant that Kirk had a few moments to exchange last words with his best friend. In Nemesis, Data's death was sudden. Picard had no chance to say anything to Data. In The Wrath of Kahn, Spock's body was regenerated by the Genesis Planet. In Nemesis, Data was completely destroyed by the destuction of the Scimitar.

 

There's only one remaining similarity between the two deaths... In each case, the memories of the deceased survived in someone else. For Spock, he melded with McCoy and transferred his katra. For Data, he downloaded all of his memories into B4.

 

I think, though the stories tend to be very similar at the end, that Data's death was most appropriate. Through his death, a sequel is most probable.

[Stephen of Borg 2]

Data's death happened so fast, you didn't have time to be sad until after it happened.

[Datalover_06 0]

either way is just as tragic. :biggrin:

[Jack_Bauer 1]

I voted No.

 

It is better that Data died because there would be no way to feasibly resurrect Picard.

Edited December 18, 2004 by Jack_Bauer

[HRH The KING 0]

Really, it was such a poor movie, watched by so few people, there was no reason to kill any of the main characters, especially when you consider the lame ending with "All-Of-Data's-Memories-Placed-Into-An-Identical-Looking-Android-Thus-Rendering-The-Entire-Death-Of-Data-Pointless".

 

:unsure:

Edited December 20, 2004 by The King

[Capt_Picard 0]

I saw the first showing of the movie when it came out. When Data transportered Picard to the Enterprise and fired his phaser and the power beam(as it were) I heard a little girl behind me ask, "Is Data dead?" No one really talked after that. What Data did saved the lives of his friends and Earth. Who is to say that it is better that one die rather then the other? Either way to save the crew of the E and Earth one had to die and I know we all did not want that to happen.

[she_wolf 0]

Im glad Jean-luc didn't die...i love Capt Picard... :unsure: but it was very sad that Data went, or did he ??..........

[KIMIMELA 1]

i had to watch it twice to make sure what i saw really happened ....i wanted to cry but my mum was in the same room at the time

i just went :lol: ...."i'm ok!" ...

[Johnathan MacLeod 0]

The whole movie was bad. Poorly written, and the sad attempt to breathe some genuine excitement into the script by killing a main character was hideous.

 

That having been said, Data was given the out by having B4 discovered, and in my opinion, wasting a quarter of the film time setting up the failsafe for the "climactic" ending.

 

I think that the only good reason for killing Data, was that as an android, he seemed to be getting a little aged looking, this way if they bring the cast back again, any physical differences can ba explained as belonging solely to B4

 

I for one hope that they do one more film at least, and manage to replace my faith in the franchise.