STAR TREK: TNG, Thine Own Self, S7x16, GALLIFREY GALS GET WARPED

What does it really take to be a commander? Is Troi capable of that? While we wonder if Data is capable of remembering that he's... Well, Data.
It seems there was a little hiccup during the export of this episode. The first few minutes in the reaction the alignment will be a little off but it goes back to normal the moment the reaction starts!
Thank you all for being here with us on these watch throughs and thank you for always being a supportive and wonderful community!
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PAULA DEMING
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KATRINA ALYSHA
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[@MichaelJShaffer]

Always enjoyed this one. Data's pure, innocent logic and the scientist is some of the best stuff. When she finally says, "I don't know." she shows just how good a true scientist she is. Great discussion.🖖

[@StarkRG]

Yeah, they did a good job showing that, while we see her diagnoses and treatments as quackery, she actually is a very intelligent, observant person, she just doesn't have a wide enough knowledge base.

[@jerodast]

I feel like she was almost written/acted to be unlikeable - nobody likes authority that stubbornly asserts their correctness when the viewer knows them to be incorrect. But ultimately she ended up sympathetic and seemed open to learning from Data, a clever balance. I truly believe she would've been able to revolutionize science on her world, she just had to unlearn the "everyone knows that" assumptions she'd been brought up with. I will say, the episode seemed to make a claim beyond just "old timey people were just too ignorant." Data, with his explicit knowledge erased and using only the powers of rationality, criticized her very APPROACH to science as superficial analogy rather than rigorous empiricism. That bit was probably included as a justification for how he could still demonstrate his intellectual ability despite the memory loss, but to me it comes off like a moderate condemnation of all pre-enlightenment academic thought - like if they'd only been less lazy with HOW they drew conclusions, they could've advanced their society much more quickly from the same starting point. Of course, knowing HOW to know, is also knowledge - but perhaps that form of knowledge is hardwired in Data's brain. Humanoid lifeforms arising from evolution do need to develop it as a species, since our thought originates from, yes, superficial pattern recognition developed in non-sapient animal neurology. So, proto-science lady didn't just need the right experimental setup Data showed her - she needed to be taught not to accept things like "everyone knows ferocious beasts dominate the north" at face value. (Fun fact: On Earth ferocious beasts dominate the north. Was very fun hearing about my friends' required shotgun training before doing their stints at an Alaskan research station.)

[@rantandroll7583]

The beauty of TNG is that an otherwise cliche plot is lifted by their earnestness. In that universe it feels fresh and engaging, and it works because we love Data.

[@jpwphoenix1701]

As much as I always love a Data episode, I actually really liked the B story with Troi training to become a Commander. It's a great bit of continuity after what happened back in Season 5 "Disaster". Plus, gotta love the ending with Data returning to the ship to find Troi now outranks him.

[@rafetizer]

It's really satisfying when you see that realization hit Troi right after she successfully completes the test.

[@maisiesummers42]

Troi might outrank Data, but he's still third in command of the ship, after Picard and Riker. So on the bridge, he would still be the one to give orders.

[@silvervibranium2832]

I Love the B story. Even more than A. Her epiphany might be my favorite Troi moment. The person who cares most of every crewmember faces having to order her friend to die. This is great Trek writing.

[@TheWyldKarde]

That's something that's always stuck with me, just the cold-blooded fact that to be in command you have to put the ship and crew first, even if it means looking someone in the eye and ordering them to their death.

[@JamesC1981]

when she says to data "you can call me sir" does that mean she now suddenly outranks him?

[@TheWyldKarde]

@@JamesC1981 If Troi has the bridge for that watch then she's the captain, so she outranks everyone. Of course, in the event of a crisis you'd expect Picard or Riker to very quickly take command, but for routine operations she's in charge for that shift.

[@dxrebel]

I actually thought the B plot was pretty nonsensical, as much as I like Troi. Nonsensical at least within the Trek world. She fails the test 3 times, essentially blowing up the ship. Riker then slips her the clue that it's not a technical issue. Then she succeeds and passes? Erm if I crash 3 planes but land the fourth, does that make me a qualified pilot?

[@jerodast]

@@dxrebel I've never done pilot training, but I would guess that yes, you will probably crash a lot of planes in the simulator before becoming a qualified pilot :) Sure, I suppose this oversimplifies the test process, but hey - this is NOT a technical test (like flying planes). It's kind of a lesson you can only learn twice - once in the testing room, and once again the first time you have to do it for real. But yeah, I get the sense Riker really would've cancelled the test if she hadn't passed it right after her conversation. You gotta wonder what guideline Starfleet sets for how many "fails" you get for that one - it doesn't sound right to expect every suitable commander to actually realize in time that death is the only option, but obviously too many times makes you doubt the sincerity of the final run. 3-4 times seems about right.

[@davidgrover3860]

Why go near prewarp civilizations? To explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.

[@gluuuuue]

Or to clean up your own crashed probe that may prematurely expose the native pre-industrial society to the unintended presence of advanced technology, let alone radioactivity

[@jerodast]

Psh is any prewarp civilization really gonna tell you anything "new" :P

[@weray7605]

I love this episode so much; it combines Data with Prime Directive conundrums.

[@lordhoot1]

At conventions Marina Sirtis calls this "the episode where I get promoted for killing Geordi"

[@paulobrien9572]

Seems Cora Beth Godsey thinks she's a know it all on any planet

[@brianadkins3880]

Oh,wow. Not sure I ever knew it was her! lol Thank you!

[@hemmojito]

With all her spitballing she's a true scientist. She still wants to learn and is receptive to logic and willing to lay down her assumptions for a better explanation.

[@weray7605]

I've been saying it for a few Seasons now -- contrary to belief, a huge number of the mid-Season episodes ARE THE BEST!

[@StarkRG]

That's particularly true with this last season. A _lot_ of really excellent episodes along with what is, arguably, the worst.

[@ABrecher]

"Then do it." For my money one of the most heart-wrenching lines in all of Star Trek.

[@jerodast]

I would've liked Geordi to really ham it up more. "TELL MY FATHER, WHO ONLY HAS ME NOW DUE TO THE RECENT LOSS OF MY MOTHER, THAT I LOVE HIM AND I'M SORRY HE HAD TO WITNESS THE NEWS OF MY DEATH. WORF, IT HAS BEEN MY GREATEST HONOR TO SERVE WITH YOU. **pained but determined gathering of breath as he heads into the maintenance shaft** "

[@jerodast]

"I NEVER TOOK THE KOBAYASHI MARU, COUNSELOR, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MY SOLUTION?" ...anyway I'm totally kidding. I love that scene completely. But at the same time I sometimes think the simulation goes a little light on pressuring the would-be commander about the decision.

[@shallowgal462]

Interesting that when human beings suffer traumatic amnesia, they often have no memory of their period of amnesia when their original memory comes back. The village scientist was a long-time cast member of The Waltons.

[@HenryDorset]

Of course I like, what you're doing! And, I am very happy to attend "FedCon" in my home country of germany this coming weekend and see Marina on stage knocking it out of the park, like she does, again! 😀

[@thefuppits]

This is a quintessential Star Trek episode - saying so much with so little. A favorite! Nary a phaser nor pew pew in sight. We think of this episode a lot nowadays. When Data tells the Doctor/Teacher lady of the village, "I believe you are reasoning by analogy. Classifying objects and phenomenon according to superficial examination, rather than empirical evidence.", what comes to mind are what some charitably call, "low information voters". Part of what Data is talking about there, by any other name, is the difference between ignorance, knowledge and fact. We have a whole crop of party line politicians out there, whose whole goal is to detach voters from empirical evidence/knowledge/facts, and replace that with superficial examination and reasoning by analogy. They are literally using the tools of ignorance, to increase ignorance and establish themselves as the purveyors of fact and reality. It's all about the "narrative". "Reality is Subjective"... have you seen that t-shirt? It's around, especially as certain "rallies". Truth and fact is not about "narrative". Narratives are about validating reality only if it fits broader agendas. If the facts and truth don't speak to the agenda, the task is for them to literally lie, or at best convince themselves there can be such a thing as "alternative facts". Alternative Facts, is another phrase for bull pucky, propaganda, lies, "spin". The Doctor/Teacher lady at first had an agenda that she had all the answers. She tried protecting that, but the character wasn't trying to trick or fool anyone, she just had to trust in her methods, they are what validated her authority and knowledge. It's when she finally said, "I don't know..." when faced with things beyond her methods and understanding, that's when she freed herself from the shackles of ignorance. After that she began to accept that Data was indeed operating beyond her experience, and began opening herself up to what has been known for centuries here on Earth as, The Scientific Method. The Scientific Method in great part responsible for human progress as a species. Gee, we wonder what could go wrong with leaders and the powerful brokering in spin, lies and alternate facts? It might look like, what we have today. Provable facts and information, being attacked and replaced by the spin. Diversity becomes division and anything that doesn't fit the narrative is destroyed, damaged or disabled to lay rails for the Narrative trains. Yeh, good Star Trek operates on multiple levels, in a natural way that doesn't preach nor tell you what or how to think. It just lays it out with good character story and settings, where the wisdom and thoughtfulness revealed through a good episode is a by-product of skilled script writing and a damn good set of mechanics the show is built upon. Fwiw, it should be pointed out here, Data was "killed" by people doing what they believed to be the right thing. It could be said, he was killed by ignorance. One might draw the comparison, his killers, were low information voters... The road to h*ll is paved with the best of intentions, indeed.

[@rafetizer]

Oh come now, you know it could have been so much better with 1000 cut/pasted cloned ships vs. 1000 other cloned ships.

[@daniellanctot6548]

I always loved this episode, first and foremost because I always thought the Data storyline could have easily been a movie plot in itself (with the story extended and stretched out, of course) but also because of Troi’s test and the solution of ordering someone to their death, which is very much in line with the infamous Captain’s test of the Kobayashi Maru and the Psych test Wesley Crusher took at the academy many seasons before. ... Thanks for the note about the writers wanting to make a “Data is Frankenstein’s monster” story as I didn’t know that but it does feel that way and is probably in part why the storyline spoke to me so much; having been a fan of Gothic Horror for a very long time! 👍👍 Regarding the cure for radiation poisoning, there actually is medication that can slightly reduce radiation in the body, but more for lesser cases of RP; so yes, the cure Data concocted is a futuristic MacGuffin device to insure a happy ending in this episode.

[@jzero4813]

This is the episode where Data finally gets the human experience of waking up hung over after a party you can't remember.

[@StarkRG]

Now he's a real boy.

[@Calzaki]

Paula's point about how conveniently they treat radiation through BS is on point. In a later instance they end up radiation inoculations

[@StarkRG]

Radiation inoculation is _kind_ of a thing in the form of stable iodine, but that's only to protect against the effects of inhaling or ingesting radioactive material in fallout, not direct exposure to ionising radiation. I figure, in science fiction, if it _can_ be handwaved away by an expert being unable to explain it to non-experts, then it should be. It happens enough in real life. "Obviously there's no such thing as a 'radiation vaccine', but to explain what it actually does would require at least two years of a biomed degree and a semester of nanite programming, so I'm just going to tell you it's a 'radiation vaccine' and you're going to let me inject you with it, ok?"

[@richardwilliams5387]

Gates looked fantastic in that "disguise".

[@jerodast]

She really does. I also love how casual they both are about it. "You've seen this a dozen times, you know we can just pop down here and breeze in and out with ease, so let's just get on with it."

[@colonelquack]

Makes you wonder why Data was never promoted. I recall the episode where he's in command of another ship, disobeys orders, puts his crew at risk, and reveals the romulans were aiding the Duras sisters. Or when Data was in command after Picard and Riker are captured, Worf gives him lip. He expertly pulls him aside and handles him. Troi, as head of HR, obviously knows how to handle people. Pity we don't get more Troi In Charge.

[@firefly24601]

From the stuff I've seen go down on TNG, I don't think Starfleet HAS an HR department. Nor a functioning JAG corps.

[@jerodast]

You just reminded me I skipped Gambit, never my favorite episode, but that means I missed the Gals' reaction to the Worf-Data scene. I think I gotta go back and see that...

[@sharkdentures3247]

Wow! Two adults with a past relationship and working together in the same organization,with a hierarchy, and occupying different levels of power? BEHAVING like "adults"? And NO HR Department/ complaints to be seen? Even when the results are (initially) unpleasant, or unhappy? Gee, the Star Trek Federation really IS a "utopia"! lol Good on the Gallifrey Gals for noting it.

[@ryanhodin5014]

Somehow, watching this episode now I can't get the soundtrack from "Chernobyl" out of my head. At least it was just bits of radioactive metal. Not great, not terrible...

[@quoniam426]

One of my favorite episodes. There is an episode in Enterprise season 1 with similar premices of an infection of a pre warp society and a "primitive" but very cunning and promising scientist trying to solve the problem.

[@StarkRG]

If it's the one I'm thinking of it has a pretty confronting ending to it. Something about not helping a dying population because doing so would ruin the potential future of another. I _think_ they were trying to justify the Prime Directive, but I really don't think they did that.

[@kenmercer8112]

Love this episode. fighting a yawn myself now.

[@cleekmaker00]

"My First Duty... is to the Ship."

[@jerodast]

SEE? SEE y'all who love "The First Duty" so much? That fucking "the first duty is to the truth" BS is a load of bunk Picard made up! The First Duty is to whatever you want it to be! Mostly kidding, I love the episode but I do think the obsession with "truth as the first duty" is baloney :P

[@cypher515]

The one reason I couldn't be a commanding officer in the military is that Kat downplays what they have to be capable of doing, and dare I say that certain officers in fiction fail at even being able to order subordinates to _risk,_ their lives. Troi said it clearly: sometimes an officer or NCO _has_ to _order_ someone to their _certain_ death to save their crew mates, civilians, or just to complete the mission. I wonder if audiences would have accepted at the climax of Independence Day, the President telling a certain character, "You know what you have to do," rather than the character volunteering. (Oddly enough, I have three close family members in the military, living or deceased. But my Dad was an E-5 Specialist meaning he earned Sergeants' pay but had no subordinates, my ex-brother in law was a Fireman Third Class in the Navy but he had basically a Family Obligations Discharge so he never set sail, and my brother in law was Navy ROTC but I know he medical'd out of it around the time of Marines OCS, so he was never commissioned. None of them ever got to a position of authority. Come to think of it, one of my grandpa's was a medic in WW2 and the other never made Corporal in the Corps of Engineers, not that he minded.)

[@brianstraight9308]

Great episode but it always seems odd to me Data has all of his language skills but has specifically forgotten the word "radioactive" so the story can work.

[@StarkRG]

Technical knowledge is kept in a different module, or something. Like a rumble pack off an N64.

[@matthiasheppe]

@@StarkRG Yeah, but he still has enough technical knowledge to make a treatment for radiation sickness. :)

[@StarkRG]

@@matthiasheppe That's kind of the premise of the episode, he doesn't at the beginning. He sees someone's magnifier and figures out a way to make one that is significantly more powerful. Basically he develops the scientific method, biology, physics, optics, and chemistry all from first principles in the matter of a few days.

[@jerodast]

@@matthiasheppe Technical skill, not technical knowledge. But with that skill, he developed the knowledge.

[@matthiasheppe]

@@jerodast Yes, that makes sense.

[@emeraldknight5522]

It's like Adama said in the BSG series: "Sometimes you have to roll the hard 6."

[@pauld6967]

When this aired, my friends and I would get together at one of our houses to watch the episodes. Almost every one of us IMMEDIATELY clued in that this was,...inspired by (*cough* direct rip off *cough*) an episode of _'The Six Million Dollar Man'_ where Steve Austin, after a crash landing, wanders into a town without his memory of who he is or his special abilities.

[@ChevaliersEmeraude]

Hi there Galli Gals! :p So since you two are reacting to Star Trek, I've recently found this little animated show, Star Trek: Lower Decks! It's a really fun show, worth a watch! I'm not even a fan of Star Trek and I'm enjoying it (Although lots of references go over my head, obviously! :p ). But yeah, I do recommend putting that show on your list, it's a really fun one! :)

[@jokerz7936]

Episodes like this where we see less developed societies always makes me think of my answer to the question "Have Aliens Been on Earth?". You really think a species that has achieved Interstellar Space Travel would have any interest in us?

[@gold-waffles]

I wonder if any of them thought about trekking to the river after they all saw him dump that bucket though...

[@Splurr]

Se you out There !🖖10. Countdown❤

[@kodilivetv9011]

When this came out, my wife and I could not agree on a name for our son, then as we were watching this we looked out each other at the same time and said "That's the name."

[@jerodast]

Well I hope Thine has grown up to be a fine young man!

[@josefschiltz2192]

A quote from the poor - yet to be late (spoilers) - Polonius, who is giving sage advice to his son Laertes. He really shouldn't have hidden behind the arras. - which is a tapestry that is too penetrable by a sword! Ouch!

[@patsk8872]

Soon... the next episode is waking... 😰

[@arekschneyer3802]

Super fun episode!

[@jonathanross149]

Data inadvertently breaking the prime directive.

[@jerodast]

He just gave science on this planet a 100 year skipahead, what was he thinking!

[@rafetizer]

The selective memory loss is a bit wishy-washy but eh, still an entertaining episode.

[@jonathanross149]

Next episode: "Neither a Lender"

[@StarkRG]

This is a really great episode, sadly it's sandwitched between two of the top 10 episodes of TNG so it ends up feeling a teensy bit lacklustre. I really, _really_ loved the idea of someone rediscovering the scientific method and developing it from scratch over a matter of weeks or even just days to uncover a malady and cure it in time to save everyone (or, rather, nearly everyone).

[@carlosvergara4132]

I like what you are doing.

[@doomshallot4203]

another great episode i was looking forward to! :D

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

Kat, if you're reading this, don't spoil yourself, but do pass along the message to Paula: -"Star Trek 40th Anniversary Tribute", video from 2007, featuring The Inner Light, and _literally everyone_ if you know, you know. watch the old version from 2007, not the edit from 2009... the original is much better edited. and Kat,.... stock up on tissues.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

The 'cure', yeah, that's pretty much "sufficiently advanced technology". Acute radiation exposure isn't really something we can do much about currently; you remove the source of exposure and give supportive treatment for the symptoms, and hope it's enough. Survivors will often have an increased chance of cancer afterwards, which would warrant ongoing regular observation.

[@Richard_Ashton]

At Chernobyl, they used Iodine tablets (Potassium Iodide) as it absorbs the radiation.

[@patsk8872]

@@Richard_Ashton No. It doesn't. Non-radioactive iodine does exactly one thing, which is to saturate yourself (mainly your thyroid) with the non-radioactive iodine, so that when you are exposed to the radioactive kind, you don't absorb much of it.

[@brianstraight9308]

We'll just accept that memory-scrambled Data was able to make a "24th century" radiation sickness cure that was highly concentrated (the bucket sufficiently contaminated the entire well) has no risk of overdosing (I mean, it's the only source of water.. How long did it last in there? When/how is it uses up?) and was advanced enough from the resources Data had to him to make the radiation sickness no longer a problem. Also throughout Trek different "types" of radiation are often mentioned we'll also assume this was one of those non-existent Trek Types of radiation that can be cured with simple treatments and have no further concerns.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@@Richard_Ashton Nope. Your thyroid actively absorbs iodine out of your blood, and uses it to make hormones. If you had a sufficient quantity of a radioisotope of iodine in your blood, your thyroid would hoover it up and be destoyed by the high-energy radiation emitted as it decays. Iodine supplements can be given to prevent or ameliorate that, but it's a very specific exposure, and the symptoms the villagers show - skin lesions and so on - indicate external exposure, not ingestion.

[@Yggdrasil42]

⁠@@Richard_Ashton The Iodine tablets have to be used *before* exposure to radiation since the Thyroid has to absorb the non-radioactivd Iodine from the tablets so there isn't room to absorb radioactive Iodine from the environment.

[@mconnaghan]

Another quality thine own cat video!

[@BritneyLaZonga]

Yooo! new Episode nice! Good callback to last ep already :D

[@weray7605]

Wow, Paula! A few hours ago when I watched the full-length version on Patreon your YAWNING got me just like it got Kat (it's way worse on the Patreon.). And just a few minutes as I watched the truncated version here on KZbin, your Yawn got me again! What's up with that? (The gift that keeps on giving.) @ 12:38

[@flnthrn2]

No, it is empiracal data.............................. bee-yatch ~!!!

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

I never really understood why she needed to be promoted. She does not become the second officer, but she outranks the second officer. I know that role and rank sometimes are not related.

[@gluuuuue]

They're only kinda correlated with a number of exceptions, which I believe mirrors the organizational hierarchy of the US military and probably others. In the franchise, including TNG, we've occasionally seen captains who wear science division colors rather than command. And Dr. Crusher, Spock, and McCoy are all rank commander with science colors, which I think signifies its importance on both Enterprises.

[@daniellanctot6548]

Being a commander in rank does not mean you are the second in command of the ship or equal to them, only that you have the rank necessary to become one. Be hierarchy, Riker still outranks Troi simply because he is in the command structure of the ship and wears the red uniform for it; while Troi as part of the science/medical blue uniformed division is under the command. And she is not alone: Beverly Crusher carried the rank of Commander (with the three pins on her collar) since SEASON 1. Again, Riker outranks her too even though they have the same rank (though Beverly can outrank both him and Picard in cases where it is medically dangerous to keep either of them in charge, and we have seen her use that authority many times throughout the years.) As for her outranking the Second Officer, Data, again, there is a play of power between her blue medical division and Data’s gold Operations division: Even though Troi DOES outrank Data from this point on, Data is still second in command after only Riker and Picard, so in matters of the ship’s operations, Data has the authority to make decisions for the good of the ship and crew. If Diana thought she should go against Dara’s authority (in normal circumstances, of course, and excluding the exceptional occasion where, say: She would have been made leader of an away team that included Data), she would have to have a clear and strong reasoning (Medical or otherwise) to overrule the second in command of the ship; if she challenges his authority without good reason and with official objection from him or while resulting is serious consequences to the ship and crew, she would open herself to a court marshal for having needlessly put them at risk. So, in crisis situations, one where neither Picard or Riker are not available to lead, Troi could be seen as the senior most officer to temporarily replace them, even over Data. But while the normal operations of the ship are ongoing, Troi has no reason to challenge or overrule Data’s orders and should differ to him (And this sort of responsibility to accept the authority of the one in command on a Federation ship has been explored in many ways throughout this series)

[@ZipplyZane]

Yeah, it would honestly make more sense if she stayed a Lieutenant Commander but was promoted into the command track. It's not like lieutenant commanders (like Data) or lieutenants (e.g. La Forge) can't take command. But I suspect they wanted something official to change. Making it a promotion makes it easy to parse for the everyday viewer. Since she was officially a lieutenant commander before, they just took her up the next rank. It is, however, at least understandable why she's not above the second officer in actual duties. Most of her rank is in being a psychologist, not in taking command. Data still has a lot more experience in actual command.

[@ZipplyZane]

@@daniellanctot6548 It wouldn't surprise me if first and second officer are official rankings, and that they would always go first, regardless of rank, even in emergency situations. As you note, in everyday situations, it seems that the captain or conn officer assigns command, and that rank cannot override that--except that the captain (or first officer if the captain isn't there) are automatically in command as soon as they start giving orders.

[@gluuuuue]

Not to carry this on too long but.. @@ZipplyZane Captain, Commander, Lt. Cmr. Lieutenant, Ensign are all ranksof officers as individuals. The hierarchy of *commanding* the ship is distinct from their officer rank, whichi s probably better thought of as each officer's rank in *Starfleet*. These are technically a Commanding Officer (as in commanding the ship, on its missions-usually but not always someone of Captain rank, but often spoken of as "captaining" the ship and so on), an Executive Officer (who is the First Officer, or sometimes XO), Second Officer, etc. A ship's captain ultimately decides who he has filling the various top roles both for his bridge crew and the various department heads. I've a brother who's an officer in the US Navy, and as far's I've ever seen, the ranks and roles on ships are pretty identical.

[@xenocore01]

Actually, Line Officer Navy Folks, are there specific qualifications to become a LT CDR like what was shown in this episode? or is it all just promotion boards?

[@jerodast]

I believe Troi became a full commander.

[@canadianpophunter6474]

Soooooo.... next episode.... :D

[@DarkLordSyn]

I'm sorry, hold on a sec. Is Kat wearing a Babs Tar shirt?

[@KatAlysha]

Yes I absolutely am!

[@OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

I hate it when my fluids overheat...

[@dxrebel]

That bridge test is some straight up BS. She fails 3 times, gets a clue from a befriended examiner, then passes, and she is a bridge officer? This isn't getting your driver's license, you have a 75% failure rate.

[@jerodast]

I had to reload this page so all the threads I'd read through before have closed...didn't I reply to this comment once already? Hm...

[@scgreek1114]

One of you has similar skin coloring to Data. Oh no, it's an Ice Woman! 😀

[@brianadkins3880]

You're grossed out by Christmas lights!? lol Sorry, guess it's just never bothered me. Except maybe when they took off his head! Ok, time for another show suggestion. Not sure if it's been mentioned before and it's only if you still want to watch another sci-fi show. The (original) Quantum Leap! The main lead- actor Scott Bakula - would go on to play Captain Archer on ST:Enterprise.

[@jerodast]

See, removing a head nice and clean seems way less gross than roughly ripping off skin from the face. It's not necessarily the Christmas lights that are gross, it's the fact that we can see the Christmas lines and a whole bunch of bare metal yet he's still walkin around talkin haha.

[@kengascoigne5946]

0:00 first veiw!

[@ertuginan9479]

Will you continue with DS9 after you finish up TNG?

[@seanbumstead1250]

Problem is Deanna was promoted but she is still not higher rank than data,so he shouldn't call her sir,they got that wrong

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

She is a higher rank; she's a full Commander now, hence the 3 full pips on her collar.

[@brianstraight9308]

Data is the Second Officer, Troi is still "just the counselor." Data is higher in the chain of command. He still out ranks her.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@@brianstraight9308 No, Data is a Lieutenant Commander. You'll notice he has 2 full pips and one hollow. He holds the *position* of second officer, which is an appointment, not a fucking rank. Troi is a Commander, which outranks Data. And she has the bridge that shift, which would mean even if she did not outrank him (which she does), it would be correct for him to acknowledge an order with "sir".

[@brianstraight9308]

You're delving too much into semantics. Data is a higher position on the ship. But, yes, for that watch he calls Troi "sir" since she has the bridge. Almost any other time? Troi calls him "sir" because he's the Second Officer.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

​@@brianstraight9308 Weird, because Dr Crusher and Geordie - at this point in their careers, also Lt Cdrs - don't cut about calling Data 'sir', and they don't have the advantage of rank. Just admit you're wrong here.