Brothers (episode)

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Real World article
(written from a Production point of view)

"Brothers"
TNG, Episode 4x03 Production number: 40274-177 First aired: 8 October 1990
←	76th of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	76th of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	183rd of 727 released in all	→

Written By Rick Berman Directed By Robert Bowman
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Data jeopardizes an emergency mission to save an ill child when he gets a signal from his creator.

[edit] Summary

Dr. Crusher is involved in a medical emergency as Willie Potts, a young child of the USS Enterprise-D is infected by parasites from a cove palm that he ate while on shore leave on Ogus II with his brother Jake. Willie has to be quarantined to protect the rest of the crew and to stabilize him before he can be transferred to Starbase 416 for immediate medical attention.

On the way to Sickbay in the turbo life with Willie's brother, Commander Data suddenly begins to seemingly malfunction, and instead gets off on the bridge. He then plots a totally different course than the one ordered, and begins to commandeer the ship, first by removing the atmosphere from the main bridge. Under protest, the rest of the bridge staff evacuate to main engineering, giving Data enough time to very effectively establish himself as the sole commander of the ship (using his precise imitations of Picard's voice). He also blocks all of Captain Picard's attempts to regain control from engineering, which include aborting an attempt to regain control of the secondary hull via a saucer separation, and towing the saucer section with a tractor beam. Lieutenant Worf, Commander Riker, and another crew member reestablish life support on the bridge, and attempt to gain access to the bridge from deck 2, until Data activates a force field blocking the only access point left.

Once he arrives at his destination (Terlina III), Data discovers that the crew has managed to disable site-to-site transport, and then programs a 'creative' series of force fields to enable him to get to transporter room 1. He enters a security code, locking all functions that were previously transferred to the bridge. He then makes his way to transporter room 1, using the force field series he programmed, traps the awaiting ambush within the transporter pad, re-enables the site-to-site transport, and beams down to the planet's surface.

While the main bridge crew argues with the computer in engineering, Willie's chances of survival are reducing every hour.

Once on the planet's surface, Data is greeted by his father, who reveals that it was he who had controlled him and brought him to this planet and his lab. He discussed a new device he had made for Data: the emotion chip. Unfortunately, the same program had activated in Lore's brain and brought him to Dr. Soong's lab as well. Soong explains that he only designed one chip, for Data, and that he thought Lore had been destroyed. Lore incapacitates Data, and Dr. Soong mistakingly implants the chip in him instead. After finding out, Lore attacks Dr. Soong and escapes. Dr. Soong dies shortly afterwards.

Once back on board the Enterprise, Data restores the command functions to the bridge, and the ship rushes back to Starbase 416 in time to save the young boy from the parasites.

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[edit] Memorable quotes

"1 - 7 - 3 - 4 - 6 - 7 - 3 - 2 - 1 - 4 - 7 - 6 - Charlie - 3 - 2 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 4 - 3 - Tango - 7 - 3 - 2 - Victor - 7 - 3 - 1 - 1 - 7 - 8 - 8 - 8 - 7 - 3 - 2 - 4 - 7 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 7 - 6 - 4 - 3 - 7 - 6 - Lock."

- Data, entering a security code at breakneck speed using Picard's voice (so fast the computer could not keep up with him)

"Why does a painter paint? Hmm? Why does a boxer box? You know what Michelangelo used to say? That the sculptures he made were already there before he started, hidden in the marble. All he needed to do was remove the unneeded bits. Wasn't quite that easy with you, Data. But the need to do it, my need to do it, was no different than Michelangelo's need."

- Dr. Soong

"The sons of the prophet
Were valiant and bold
And quite unaccustomed to fear
But of all the most reckless
Or so I am told
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir."

- Lore (singing)

"Often-Wrong's got a broken heart
Can't even tell his boys apart."

- Lore, to Dr. Soong

"There were brave men aplenty
All well known to fame
Who served in the ranks of the Czar …"

- Lore (singing)

"I am not less perfect than Lore."

- Data

"Goodbye, Data..."
"Goodbye... Father."

- Dr. Soong, Data, calling his creator Father for the first and only time

"Brothers forgive."

- Dr. Crusher, to Data

[edit] Background information

Brent Spiner plays three of the main characters in this episode: Data, Lore, and Doctor Noonien Soong. He received billing for the latter two in the end credits.
James Lashly (who plays Ensign Kopf in this episode) later plays George Primmin in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes "The Passenger" and "Move Along Home".
At one point it appeared having Brent Spiner in three distinct roles would not be feasible and several older Asian male actors (including Keye Luke) were considered for the role of Dr. Soong.
The interior and components of a combadge are seen for the first time when Dr. Soong adjusts Data's. The top and bottom sections are connected by a hinge on the (wearer's) left side. Among the interior components is a red light.
The final draft of the script was dated 13 July 1990, and revisions were made as late as 6 August.

Computer display of Data's lockout code.

The strength of Data's lockout code would potentially require trying 36⁵² combinations to break it, or 846,700,936,056,091,894,301,310,586,236,842,935,416,138,248,772,949,513,519,821,268,414,868,295,354,679,296 combinations – equivalent to cracking a 269-bit key in symmetric cryptography, something that is currently impossible to do.
The numbers in the seventh and twenty-third positions of his sequence, three and four, respectively, are missing on the computer display. Also the computer has incorrectly inserted a one ahead of the triple eights later in the sequence.
In a re-use of prop lighting, Dr. Soong turns out to have the exact same model of wall fixture as Kivas Fajo had in his gallery room in "The Most Toys". The design apparently uses dichroic filters, as we see two pairs of colors and their complements being produced from the upward pointing white light source.
This is the second episode in a row to deal with crew members and their families. The following episode also deals with the family issues of a guest star.
Data whistles the same tune, Pop Goes the Weasel, in this episode as he did in the pilot "Encounter at Farpoint". He still has not mastered the human act of whistling.
The song which Lore sings to Dr. Soong comes from the poem Abdul Abulbul Amir, written by William Percy French in 1877. That poem has been frequently misquoted and parodied, and the excerpts in this episode are also not accurate to the original text.
In April 2007, the Pakled costume worn by Spiner as Lore in this episode was auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction and sold for $2,155.00.
This was the final episode to be directed by Rob Bowman, who had been the show's lead director during the first two seasons. Rick Berman had decided not to re-hire Bowman after the second season for exceeding his budget on "Q Who" but was forced to hire him for this episode when he realized that none of the show's other directors (at least that would be available to direct the episode) had a proper understanding of the split-screen techniques required to allow Spiner to play multiple roles in the same shot.
Comic book artists Jerome K. Moore and Arne Starr met Spiner on set during the filming of this episode. Starr presented Spiner with a caricature of Spiner as Superman, titled "The Man of Shlameel." Written on it was the phrase "It's a bird, it's a plane, no...It's Spinerman!." Spiner supposedly kept the picture on his desk in his office for many years, so Starr was told. [1] (some information provided to Memory Alpha by Arne Starr)

[edit] Awards

This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Series.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 39, 17 February 1992.
As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Data Box: 6 November 1995.
As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition, under the "Data" section, 29 September 1997.
UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 4.1, 19 March 2001.
As part of the TNG Season 4 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

Cory Danziger as Jake Potts
Colm Meaney as Miles O'Brien

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

Previous episode:
"Family"

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 4

Next episode:
"Suddenly Human"

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