“The Schizoid Man”
Written by Richard Manning & Hans Beimler and Tracy Tormé
Directed by Les Landau
Season 2, Episode 6
Production episode 40272-131
Original air date: January 23, 1989
Stardate: 42437.5
Captain’s Log: Ira Graves is a renowned cyberneticist who is apparently ill. The Enterprise responds to a distress call made by Graves’s assistant, Kareen Brianon. The ship receives another distress call, this from the Constantinople, a ship that is ferrying two thousand settlers. The Enterprise must give aid to the Constantinople, so Data leads an away team including Lieutenant Selar, one of Pulaski’s staff, as well as Worf and Troi, to help Graves.
Graves is irritable, sexist, cranky, cantankerous, and insults and/or patronizes every member of the away team. Especially amusing is when he looks at Data and declares him to have no aesthetic value whatsoever, and also recognizes him as the work of Noonien Soong, who was Graves’s protégé. (Given that we later learn in “Brothers” that Data is a lookalike for Soong, the “no aesthetic value” line is even funnier.)
Selar confirms that Graves is dying of Darnay’s disease, which has no cure. While the away team awaits the Enterprise‘s return, Data spends time talking to Graves. After whistling “If I Only Had a Heart” from The Wizard of Oz, Graves reveals that he has found a way to download his consciousness into a computer. Data then tells him about his off switch.
When the Enterprise returns, Data announces that Graves has died in his arms. They bring the body to the ship, where Picard leads a memorial service. At the service, Data waxes histrionic on the subject of Graves, and he also tells Kareen how strong Graves’s feelings were for her.
If the viewer has any doubts that Graves has downloaded himself into Data’s body, they are eliminated when Data checks out a passing female officer’s ass and then starts whistling “If I Only Had a Heart.”
Graves-as-Data starts falling out of character more and more, patronizing Wes and getting jealous of Picard when he gives Kareen a tour of the bridge. After snapping at Picard and insulting him, the captain sends him to engineering so La Forge can run a full systems check on him, but he finds nothing.
Since he’s physically fine, Troi administers something called a “psychotronic stability examination” to Data, where she shows him a series of images, and the computer registers his response to them. Troi’s diagnosis is there are two disparate personalities within him, dominant and recessive. The dominant persona is getting stronger—it’s arrogant, disdainful of authority, and unstable. Picard realizes that this is Graves, confirmed by Selar when she describes what Graves was like.
Meanwhile, Graves reveals to Kareen that he downloaded his personality into Data before he died. He is looking forward to everything he can accomplish over the next thousand years—and he promises to make an android body for Kareen. However, she does not wish to be put in a machine. This angers Graves, and he nearly crushes Kareen’s hand.
Picard confronts Graves in engineering. Picard pleads for Data, but Graves dismisses his concerns—”I am man, he is machine. There is no question who must live and what must die.” Graves also insists he is not a violent man, but Picard then finds La Forge and another engineer unconscious on the deck. Graves insists it was an accident; then Picard calls Pulaski who reports that Kareen’s hand is fractured in two places.
Picard insists that Data is a unique lifeform whose existence should not be sacrificed to prolong Graves’s life. Graves’s reaction is to hit Picard very hard—which devastates Graves, as he realizes that he simply cannot handle Data’s strength. Picard and La Forge find Data lying down in his quarters, himself again—with Graves having downloaded himself into the Enterprise computer. His personality has been lost, only his knowledge remains.
Thank You, Counselor Obvious: Troi senses jealousy coming off of Graves-as-Data in waves.
If I Only Had a Brain…: Data opens the episode by trying out a beard—apparently the actors and writers taking their own little dig at Jonathan Frakes’s decision to grow one, especially since it’s the same shape and color as his co-star’s—and then meets his “grandfather.” He mentions that he’s had great difficulty understanding what humor is, calling back in particular to “The Outrageous Okona,” and he also tells Graves about his off-switch, first revealed in “Datalore.”
No Sex, Please, We’re Starfleet: Graves has had the hots for Kareen, which is only slightly creepy, and he’s convinced that being in an android body means he can be with her in a way that he couldn’t when he was an old, dying man. Hey, we do know that Data’s body is fully functional
There is No Honor in Being Pummeled. When Kareen—who has apparently led a sheltered life—asks if Worf is a Romulan, he gets very insulted, more so when Graves explains that, while Klingons and Romulans don’t look alike, they do act alike.
I’m a Doctor, Not an Escalator: Pulaski is very concerned about Graves’s health until the Constantinople distress call arrives, at which point, she sends another doctor. It’s actually a nice move that shows that there really are a thousand people on the ship, not just the handful who are in the opening credits. (We’ll see more of this over the course of the season.)
Welcome Aboard: W. Morgan Sheppard is stupendous as always as Ira Graves, who creates a magnificent impression in only a couple of short scenes—so much so that it gives Brent Spiner a lot of material to work with when impersonating him throughout the rest of the episode. Barbara Alyn Woods is mostly blonde as Graves’s assistant/object of desire.
But the big story is Suzie Plakson, who plays the first of four roles she would play on Trek as Lieutenant Selar, a Vulcan doctor. The wonderful Plakson returns to TNG twice as the half-human/half-Klingon K’Ehleyr (the first time later this season), and also appears on Voyager as a Q and Enterprise as an Andorian named Tarah.
I Believe I Said that: “Those who knew him, loved him. And those who didn’t know him, loved him from afar.”
“Data!”
“I am almost finished, sir.”
“You are finished, Data.”
Graves-as-Data delivering his own eulogy, more’s the pity, and Picard cutting him off at the pass, and not a moment too soon.
Trivial Matters: Selar is never seen again onscreen, but the character is referenced several times throughout TNG, and also appears in several novels and comic books, among them the novels The Eyes of the Beholders by A.C. Crispin and Catalyst of Sorrows by Margaret Wander Bonanno, the comic Perchance to Dream by your humble rewatcher, and, most extensively, as a regular in the novels-only series New Frontier, written by Peter David, where Selar serves as the chief medical officer on the U.S.S. Excalibur under Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.
We see younger versions of both Graves and Data’s creator Noonien Soong in Jeffrey Lang’s novel Immortal Coil.
The episode takes its title from an episode of The Prisoner. The producers originally wanted that show’s star Patrick McGoohan to play Graves.
Picard’s arguments to Graves about Data’s value will be repeated, after a fashion, in “The Measure of a Man.”
Make It So: “Call me ‘grandpa’.” A delightful episode that gives Brent Spiner a chance to shine, provides a fantastic showcase for guest stars W. Morgan Sheppard and Suzie Plakson, and a morality play that recalls The Wizard of Oz, The Prisoner, and Frankenstein, not to mention Shakespeare’s 18th Sonnet, which Picard quotes.
Truly this is Spiner’s episode, starting out as Data (his monotone “Grandpa” is particularly hilarious), then with bits of Sheppard’s performance starting to eke through before finally coming completely to the fore. It’s a performance that, like so much of Spiner’s work, manages to be both obvious and subtle at the same time.
What is particularly appealing about this episode as written is that ultimately it’s Graves himself who makes the choice to sacrifice himself. There’s no technobabble solution (which would’ve been an easy out, have the tech go wrong), and it isn’t Picard’s speechifying that saves the day, either—though it helps. For all that he’s a pompous ass, Graves is not an idiot, and he truly isn’t a violent man. Realizing that he’s hurt people is too much for him to bear, and allows the character to go out on a heroic note.
Warp factor rating: 8
Keith R.A. DeCandido‘s first ever published Star Trek fiction was the TNG comic book Perchance to Dream, which featured Selar in a supporting role. He went on to write a metric buttload of Trek fiction in both prose and comics form, and he’s also contributed quite a bit to Star Trek Magazine over the years, most recently writing the TNG movie portion of the Star Trek Ultimate Guide appearing in issue #37 of the magazine. For more about Keith, go to his web site, from which you can order his latest books, and check out his blog, his Facebook page, and his Twitter feed, not to mention his twice-monthly podcast Dead Kitchen Radio.
Yes this is a good one, underrated, IMO. Good performance by Spiner. For a time, in the middle there, I thought he was hamming it up too much, a little too Shatner-like, if I might say. But, Troi’s explanation of how Graves slowly takes over makes the actions seem natural.
Also, yes it was good that Pulaski devoted herself to the passengers of the other ship, but you know, in her heart of hearts, that she wanted NO part of that long-range transport whatsoever.
@Keith
Wait. Selar was only in this one episode? This is rocking my world. I could have sworn she was around more!
“Those who knew him, loved him. And those who didn’t know him, loved him from afar.”
That memorial scene is one of the funniest comic bits in Trek, and IMHO ranks with the wedding scene in “Sixteen Candles” as one of the funniest “ceremony gone wrong” sequences ever! I also enjoy the exchange between Data and Wes:
“When you get as old as I, you’ll understand.”
“As old as you? Chronologically, Data, you’re not much older than I am.”
One review complained that the audience figures out what’s going on “three commercial breaks ahead of the crew,” but even if that’s true, the ride more than makes up for that.
@2. Ryancbritt: apprently, the actress was around more, even if the character wasn’t. She does look very familiar.
Not a bad episode, though I always find the final Ten Forward scene rather awkward. This is a scene, remembere, where Data breaks (not bruises, not dislocates, but breaks, as in splits in two) two bones in Kareen’s hand, and all she says is: ‘Ira, you’re hurting me!’ That’s one stoic lady! If that was me, I think I’d probably give it a good, old-fashioned ‘Arrgghh!’ followed by a couple of swear words at the very least.
I would listen to William Morgan Sheppard read the phone book. He makes this episode for me.
This now seems like a better episode reading this commentary than I thought it was. I was always annoyed by Graves-Data’s absolute arrogance. I bought it from Graves because he was a newly introduced character so I didn’t have any preconceived notions about how he should act. But when Data got taken over by Graves, I hated how he acted. Until I read this, I never considered that it was because we immediately get a strong implication of exactly what happened while the Enterprise crew has to work it out for themselves. Then again, I am watching it again, and it is so screamingly obvious even to the crew. They see extremely unusual behavior from Data on the Bridge that gets everyone’s attention but they take him to Engineering and check his circuits instead of at least looking up what Graves did and figuring out what he did to Data. They say he’s a brilliant mind, and even if they didn’t know he was a cyberneticist or computer scientist or whatever, they seem to take a long time to connect the dots.
They finally admit to knowing all along, and Picard confronts him personally, but I don’t know why they didn’t consider that possibility before letting him on the Bridge let alone letting him wander around even after Troi found out there is another personality inside him.
All in all, I never realized the acting was so good in this, especially by Brent Spiner. I only think its good acting now because it makes me want to scream at the TV.
If Dr. Pulaski ha a date on the Constantinople, will he be waiting on the Istanbul?
@sps49 You have made my morning!
Why did the Constantinople get the works, anyway?
@@@@@#8
That’s nobody’s business but the Turks.
But seriously, this episode is just superb. Spiner is always great, Shepherd rules everything he does (#2 on my list of great voices behind Tony Jay), but the line I remember the most goes to Wes, just for the delivery and the look on his face: “‘To know him, is to love him, is to know him’?!?” Priceless.
@9 Shades of the future snarky Wil Wheaton in that Wes, hm?
Ryan: I know, hard to believe, but we never saw Selar on screen again. She was referenced any number of times (“Remember Me,” “Tapestry,” “Suspicions,” “Sub-Rosa,” “Genesis,” and in the alternate timeline of “Yesterday’s Enterprise“), and of course there’s the novels and comics I cited, which is probably why you think we saw more of her.
“When I stroke the beard – thusly – do I not appear more… intellectual?”
The Beard Scene is easily one of my favourite Data bits. It cracks me up every time. Also, any time an aquaintance grows a new beard.
There’s an interesting story behind how Ira Graves’ planet got its name. It used to be called Cemetery Planet, but it would eventually (and somewhat ironically) be renamed Gravesworld after Ira.
You see, back when Ira Graves was a younger man he actually had a career in Starfleet. During a famous battle when he was a rear admiral, the then strategically situated Cemetery Planet had been taken by Romulans. Starfleet had won the day, taken most of the disputed system, and beaten the Romulans back on their heels. But somehow the crucial world ended up in enemy hands without so much as a skirmish.
Admiral Graves was furious over the obvious blunder of allowing the Romulans to regroup and reinforce their position and he blamed it on his superior, Admiral Ewell. Highly agitated and overwrought, he gave a report to Fleet Admiral Lee, and it went something like this:
After regaining his composure, Ira continued…
Okay, I’m crazy late to this party, but:
I couldn’t help but snicker at Picard’s line:
“We’ve said good-bye to Karen Briannon with the hopeful feeling that her future will be a bright one.”
One of my favourite 2nd season episodes mostly due to Spiner’s performance. When he’s snickering under his breath while Picard shows Briannon the bridge, I burst out laughing several times. This is the point when the crew should have realized that Data was no longer Data. Did anyone else notice when Data/Ira strikes Picard in the engine room, Patrick Steward spins the wrong way?
Great episode, and superb acting from Spiner. To know him was to love him….
Love, love, love the final bit with Data on the flo0r. As the audience (this is still early 2nd season, after all) WE know it’s Data as soon as he opens his mouth. Picard might as well have said, with rolling eyes, “Get up, Data.”
To this day, I cannot understand the logic of the “near warp transport”. For the sake of three or four seconds, they’re willing to risk the safety of the away team by warping away mid-transport? That idea drives me nuts and has a strong whiff of pure episode filler.
Good episode. I liked it. Lots of great Data moments. Also, this episode for me shows both the best and worst of early-TNG Picard. In the beginning of the episode, I found him cold and distant to the point of being quite unlikable. I found Picard’s worst moment to be when he refused to let Data/Graves finish his eulogy. Yes, the speech was over-the-top and circular, but in reality the it only lasted a couple of minutes, and Data did promise that he was almost finished. On the opposite end of the Picard spectrum, we had his wonderful scene with Data/Graves in engineering at the end of the episode. Picard was passionate and eloquent, and showed real gravitas and charisma, while still remaining true to Picard as a character. It was easy to see how Graves could have a change-of-heart after his confrontation with Picard. Good stuff.
I also loved the Wizard of Oz references, and took particular joy in Data’s “Dorothy” wake-up scene. I was also fond of Kareen. She was very attractive, but something about her look seemed very TOS-like. Especially that initial view-screen encounter. Maybe it was the colors in her clothing and background. I could easily have pictured her as a guest-star / love-interest on TOS.
You know, it occurs to me that Graves-in-Data, as described here, seems to be showing an awful lot of emotions. Makes me wonder a bit about Data’s later “emotions chip.” Data’s ongoing difficulties connecting with human emotions would, from this episode, seem not primarily to be a hardware problem.
Why is it that I cannot ever see the title of this episode without thinking of THIS — https://vimeo.com/301701863 ??
Very late comment, but it’s worth noting that the VFX in this episode are just superb. The scale model work is timelessly wonderful; Pulaski’s seamless turbolift journey from a lower deck to the bridge gives a real sense of scale to the Enterprise; Geordie’s hula hoop style diagnostic tool, astoundingly, looks not at all naff; Ira’s coffin floating in space is very convincing even though there must have been some heavy compositing work involved; we also get a brilliant (and unparalleled in the rest of the series iirc) view of the ship jumping to warp from the perspective of ten forward. You even see the planet slipping away. Gorgeous.
I can’t believe I missed commenting on this episode. I can’t think of much to say about it, though.
@13/EnsignJayburd: I don’t know if this commenter is still around, but could someone explain the joke? With characters named Ewell and Lee, I thought it was a feghoot that would end in some kind of punny punch line with “you’ll” in it. If it’s not that, I have no idea what it’s a reference to.
@19/Benjamin: The idea of Data being emotionless was a retcon not clearly established until season 3, although there are bits in season 2 that can be taken as implying it. The original intention was that he had the capacity for emotion but it was underdeveloped, so he felt things in a subdued way at most (see “Skin of Evil” and “The Measure of a Man” regarding his feelings toward Tasha Yar). I’ve said elsewhere how much I hated that retcon; it’s a dumb sci-fi cliche that “robots can’t have feelings,” since if anything, emotions are primal, hardwired responses that would be far, far easier to simulate in an AI than the complexity of sentient thought.
@22 ChristopherLBennett: The joke is the reference to W. Morgan Shepard’s (Ira Graves) role of Confederate Major General Isaac R. Trimble in the 1993 film Gettysburg. It is mirroring the scene where Trimble is speaking to General Robert E. Lee about General Ewell’s failure to push and seize Cemetery Hill from the Federal army at the end of the first day.
I never realized Selar never appeared again. I guess it’s what Keith said, because I read all the New Frontier novels perhaps that’s why I had the idea she appeared in more TNG episodes. I also agree with the commenter who mentioned the near warp transport. Totally unnecessary to save maybe a few minutes. And to the commentor about the broken bones in the hand: not nearly as painful as breaking a femur. Sometimes you can break a bone without even knowing it.
I’d forgotten that the delightful Suzie Plakson was Dr. Selar in this. Great as K’Ehleyr and on the short-lived sitcom Love and War. It’s a real shame that Selar only gets name-checked from here on out.
Of course it’s more fine work from Brent Spiner too. Data’s entirely deadpan use of “Grandpa” is cherce.
I very much liked that shot of Pulaski’s turbolift ride at the beginning mentioned by Moke @21, and on a broadly similar note agree with KRAD in the post that it’s nice to see the depth of the crew acknowledged with Dr. Selar’s appearance.