Inheritance (episode)

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"Inheritance"
TNG, Episode 7x10 Production number: 40277-262 First aired: 22 November 1993
←	161st of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	161st of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	297th of 727 released in all	→

Teleplay By Dan Koeppel and René Echevarria Story By Dan Koeppel Directed By Robert Scheerer
47410.2 (2370)
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Data meets Juliana Tainer, former wife of Dr. Noonien Soong and Data's "mother," but she holds a shocking secret that even she doesn't know she carries.

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

When the Atreans discover that the magma on their homeworld, Atrea IV, is cooling, posing a significant threat to the continued habitability of the planet, the Enterprise is dispatched to find a solution. Dr. Pran Tainer, an Atrean geologist, and his wife, Dr. Juliana Tainer, come on board to assist the Enterprise crew in this task.

After briefing the senior officers on the nature of the problem, Pran and most of the other officers leave the room, leaving Data alone with Juliana Tainer. Juliana asks Data if he remembers her, and when he says he does not she reveals she was Dr. Noonien Soong’s wife, and involved in Data’s construction, making her Data’s mother.

[edit] Act One

In Ten Forward, Data and Juliana sit down to talk. Juliana reveals details of Data’s early days, which she considers to be his childhood. Data had trouble with his motor skills and sensory processing at first, and Dr. Soong tinkered with his programming until he’d corrected the problems. At this point, the Soongs deactivated Data and gave him the experiences and logs of the Omicron Theta colonists in an effort to develop Data’s humanity without the aid of emotions. It was during this time that the Crystalline Entity attacked the colony, and the Soongs were forced to flee. Juliana explains that the life pod in which she and Dr. Soong escaped only had room for two, and they had to leave Data behind.

Data is curious as to why, when he met Dr. Soong on Terlina III, Soong did not mention Juliana, and why there was no record in the colonists’ logs of Soong’s marriage to Juliana. Juliana tells Data the story of how she and Soong eloped on Mavala IV because Juliana’s mother disapproved of Soong’s occupation. Then Juliana tells Data that she eventually left Soong because he was more focussed on his work than her, and their solitary life in the jungle of Terlina III was “no life at all.” Keen to get to know him better, Juliana suggests they spend more time together, but Data brusquely tells her that he wants to corroborate her story first.

Data joins Geordi in Engineering, and proceeds with verifying what Juliana told him. He finds records that show Soong and Juliana spent four days on Mavala IV, but there is no accompanying proof of marriage. Geordi suggests that Data is looking for a lie, but Data protests that he merely can’t figure out why Soong would never have mentioned his wife. Aware of the fact that Juliana left Dr. Soong, Geordi wonders if maybe Soong had his heart broken and wasn’t eager to discuss the experience. Together, he and Data surmise that there may be hidden memories inside Data’s emotion chip about his mother, which Soong intended Data to access when he was ready.

Data is still clearly confused by the situation, and Geordi notes that it’s because it doesn’t fit in Data’s logical processors—there’s no rational explanation. This, Geordi says, is life, and Data needs to get used to life not conforming to his preconceptions. Disturbed by a past he cannot remember, Data nevertheless says he’s curious to know more about his mother.

[edit] Act Two

As Juliana and Data walk through the halls, Juliana mentions that she had wanted a daughter while Soong had wanted a son. The dispute was settled when Soong created Data’s head in his own image. When Juliana and Data reach Counselor Troi’s quarters, Juliana remarks that Soong would be relieved to see that Data’s sexuality program was fully-functional. As Data attempts to correct her, Juliana walks away smiling.

In Data’s quarters, Data plays a Handel piece for his mother, telling her that he will play the piece at a recital the next evening. Juliana says that Data’s performance was beautiful, causing Data to wonder if she is exaggerating his abilities as most parents do of their children. Juliana also reveals that she was responsible for Data’s creative aspect, a part of his programming which Dr. Soong considered irrelevant in the absence of emotion. Data confides in his mother that it is during his creative endeavours that he comes closest to humanity. After saying that she’s quite familiar with the Handel piece, Juliana offers to accompany Data on the viola at the recital next evening.

Juliana also notices Data’s paintings, including one of his erstwhile daughter, Lal. When Data supplies the story of her inception and subsequent deactivation, Juliana looks slightly shaken. Data is unperturbed and replicates a viola for her with which they can practice for the recital. After practising in Ten Forward, Juliana asks Data if he would consider creating another child. Data still wishes to procreate, but Juliana begins recounting the difficulties she and Dr. Soong encountered. She relates to Data that she and Dr. Soong had created and lost three prototypes prior to Lore, and that Lore’s cruel and evil nature had almost convinced them to stop trying. In fact, Juliana had cautioned against creating Data.

This causes Juliana to reveal the reason that she had avoided contact with Data after realizing he’d survived the attack on Omicron Theta: guilt. She had deliberately left Data behind when she could have taken him with her and Dr. Soong in the life pod. She feared at the time that Data would eventually become like Lore, and forced Soong to abandon him when the Crystalline Entity came. Before Data can react, Juliana rushes out of the room in tears.

[edit] Act Three

Mining continues on the surface of the planet. Dr. Tainer seems to have a little bit of luck in finding the right frequency while drilling. Later, as they are in the mine pocket, Pran Tainer admits to Data that Dr. Tainer told him what she told Data. When Data asks her to explain her reason for leaving him in Omicron Theta, she explains that had Data been a biological child she would not have left him behind. However, she adds, it did not make it any easier. She was just afraid of how Data would turn out. They get back to work, and Data notices that Dr. Tainer seems to be perfectly comfortable in what seems to be a very hot mine shaft.

Later that day, Data and Dr. Tainer perform the recital in Ten Forward. The performance goes by perfectly, a fact that Data seems to keenly observe.

Data later consults Dr. Crusher, wishing to see Dr. Tainer's medical records, for reasons he says that he does not want to specify. Dr. Crusher is initially reticent, but finally relents. She replies, after looking at Dr. Tainer's records, that Juliana seems to have a mild case of hypertension, a normal occurrence for her age. Commander Riker calls Data at this point.

Data is informed that the mine shaft they had created has become unstable, and that Pran has sustained some injuries trying to restabilize it. Dr. Tainer and Data proceed to be transported onto the shaft. After Data rearranges the pattern enhancers they make their way through the now treacherous shaft to get to their machine. Riker soon checks with them, informing them that the shaft has reached a dangerous level of instability. Data promises to expedite their work, and quickly wrap up, saving the integrity of the shaft. As they proceed to the transport point, however, they realize that it has sunk far below their current level due to the seismic activity. Data determines that since there is no way to climb down, they will have to jump. Dr. Tainer protests, fearing that it is too high, but there is not enough time. Data takes her down with him. But while he survives intact, he sees that Dr. Tainer's arm has been separated from her body--and circuitry flashes within it.

[edit] Act Four

In the sickbay, La Forge examines the circuitry present in Dr. Tainer's head. It becomes apparent that Juliana Tainer is an android, one more advanced than Data. Her internal machinery was designed to give off Human life signs. Data admits that he had begun to suspect she might be an android, picking up on a few cues that were too subtle to be noticed by anyone other than him. He is, however, puzzled as to why she deactivated upon sustaining her injuries. Upon examining her further, Data spots an information chip built with a holographic interface.

Data activates the chip in the holodeck, and a hologram of his father, Noonien Soong, appears, explaining that he would answer any questions as to the nature of the Juliana android. When he realizes that it is Data who has activated him, he becomes happy to see his son again, and states that he expected Data to be the one to activate the hologram. Dr. Soong then explains that after an accident that threatened Juliana's life, he strove to perfect the technology to encode a person's memories into a positronic matrix, so that he can somehow salvage her consciousness. He soon succeeded, and a few days after the real Juliana Soong died, he activated the Juliana android, complete with experiences and memory. They were happy, but Dr. Soong's failure to adequately express his love for Juliana prompted her to leave him. In the end, Dr. Soong sternly admonishes Data not to tell her that she is an android, so that she can live out the rest of her life as a human.

Data is confronted with a difficult choice, and consults with Counselor Deanna Troi, Dr. Crusher, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. After some discussion, Captain Picard reassures Data that they will support whatever decision he comes up with.

Data replaces the information chip into Dr. Tainer's head, and she comes to. Data explains that after she made the jump, she broke a bone in her arm, but that everything is fine now.

As Juliana Tainer prepares to be transported off the ship, Data reminds her of the love that Dr. Soong had for her. Juliana replies that she is consequently not surprised that Data developed and turned out so well--he is the product of two parents who loved him and each other.

[edit] Background Information

Fionnula Flanagan (Juliana Tainer) had earlier played Enina Tandro in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Dax". She returned to Star Trek in 2002, in the role of Vulcan Ambassador V'Lar, in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Fallen Hero".
The character name of Juliana Tainer was named by co-writer Dan Koeppel after mountain bike racer Juli Furtado [1].

[edit] Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 81, 6 June 1994.
As part of the TNG Season 7 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

Previous episode:
"Force of Nature"

Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 7

Next episode:
"Parallels"

Inheritance (episode)

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

[edit] Act One

[edit] Act Two

[edit] Act Three

[edit] Act Four

[edit] Background Information

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Stunt doubles and stand-ins

[edit] References

[edit] Other references

[edit] Timeline

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