The Offspring (episode)

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"The Offspring"
TNG, Episode 3x16 Production number: 40273-164 First aired: 12 March 1990
←	63rd of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	63rd of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	170th of 726 released in all	→

Written By René Echevarria Directed By Jonathan Frakes
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Data creates an android "daughter," but Starfleet wants to take her for study.

1 Summary
2 Log entries
3 Memorable Quotes
4 Background Information
- 4.1 Video and DVD releases
5 Links and References

[edit] Summary

Data and fellow officers in cybernetics

In secret, Lieutenant Commander Data creates a new Soong-type android. Originally it is androgynous, because Data wants the "child" to be able to pick its race and gender. Data and Counselor Deanna Troi take the child to the holodeck so it can try on various appearances. After many hours, it chooses a human female appearance. Troi says, "Congratulations, Data. It's a girl!"

At first, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is incredulous about Data's "daughter". He knows that the creation of a new artificial life form will attract a lot of attention from the Federation. Data simply says, "I have not observed anyone else on board consulting you about their procreation, Captain."

Data names his daughter Lal, which means "Beloved" in the Hindi language. He walks her through the first days of her life, adding information to her positronic brain and helping her interpret her environment. While Data is on duty, he leaves Lal in the care of the bartender Guinan, who begins to teach Lal the fundamentals of Human interaction. All three are surprised when Lal uses a verbal contraction (saying 'I've' instead of 'I have), a skill which Data has never been able to master.

Commander William Riker, returning from leave and unaware of Data's creation, walks into Ten Forward and begins a conversation with Lal. She experiments with some of her new knowledge and suddenly embraces Riker in a kiss. At that moment, Data walks in and says, "Commander Riker, what are your intentions towards my daughter?" "Your daughter?" a shocked Riker says, and quickly leaves the bar.

Meanwhile, Lal has indeed created a stir in the science community of Starfleet, and they send Admiral Anthony Haftel to the Enterprise. His intention is to take Lal to a facility where she will be "taken care of". Data disagrees, and says he is the best qualified to teach Lal. A conflict arises – the captain must disobey Starfleet's orders, or allow Data's daughter to be taken away. Finally the parties agree to ask Lal what she wants. She says she wants to stay with her father on the Enterprise. After being excused from the briefing room, she is suddenly overcome with emotion and goes to Troi in obvious distress, who confirms that Lal is actually feeling fear, though they do not know how this is possible.

In the briefing room, Haftel orders Data to hand Lal over to Starfleet, however Captain Picard is unwilling to stand by and allow Data to hand over his daughter. As androids are considered sentient within Starfleet, Picard will not allow their personal liberties to be violated by forcing someone to hand their child over to them. Picard informs Haftel that he will take this to the highest level if need be, when Troi calls all three to the Cybernetics Lab.

Finding Lal in the central chamber, Data realizes that Lal's neural net is suffering cascade failure, and Admiral Haftel offers to help him try and save his daughter. Despite working for hours, Lal cannot be saved. She and Data share her last moments together, and she tells her father she loves him. Data regrets he cannot feel the same for her, and Lal responds that she'll feel it for both of them.

On the bridge, Data informs the crew that Lal suffered complete cascade failure, but she will live on, as he transferred her memories into his neural net before she died. Data takes his station on the bridge; however, as he looks out into space, it is clear that Lal's death has had an effect on him.

[edit] Log entries

"Captain's log, supplemental. I have just been advised of a highly unusual project undertaken by Commander Data."

"Second officer science log, supplemental. Training and social skills at the most elementary level has begun. Lal is progressing very slowly, but is not deterred by early setbacks. While motor coordination has improved 12%, reflexes still need to develop. Visual comprehension is especially difficult for Lal. Translating her vast data banks into recognizable applications may improve with additional transfers. She is also learning to supplement her innate android behavior with simulated Human responses… and it is interesting to note that as I observe Lal learning about her world, I share in her experience almost as though I am learning things over again."

"Captain's log, supplemental. We are holding position pending the arrival of Admiral Haftel from Starfleet Research. Commander Data is completing his final neural transfers to the android he has named Lal; which I have learned in the language Hindi means beloved."

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"I have observed that in most species there is a primal instinct to perpetuate themselves. Until now I have been the last of my kind. If I would be damaged or destroyed, I will be lost forever. But if I am successful with the creation of Lal, my continuance is assured. I understand the risk, sir. And I am prepared to accept the responsibility."

- Data

"Congratulations, Data! It's a girl!"

- Troi to Data, after unveiling Lal's choice of gender

"Commander, what are your intentions towards my daughter?"
"Your daughter?!"

- Data and Riker, just after Riker was kissed by Lal

"There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge they are sentient, but ignore their personal liberty and freedoms. Order a man to turn his child over to the state? Not while I am his captain."

- Picard to Admiral Haftel after Haftel orders Data to turn over Lal to Starfleet Command

"Hello Data."
"Guinan."
"Lal, how are you?"
"I am functioning within normal... I am fine, thank you."
"Good."

- Guinan speaking to Data and Lal as they walk in Ten Forward.

"Then he is questioning my ability as a parent."
"In a manner of speaking..."
"Does the Admiral have children, Sir?"
"I believe he does. Why?"
"I am forced to wonder how much experience he had as a parent when his first child was born."

- Data and Picard

"He's biting that female!"

- Lal, seeing a couple kiss.

"I will take this to Starfleet myself."
"I am Starfleet, Captain!"

- Picard and Haftel

[edit] Background Information

This episode was the first to be directed by Jonathan Frakes. Frakes went on to be one of Star Trek 's most acclaimed directors, helming Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection along with several episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.
This is the first Star Trek episode written by René Echevarria.
Whoopi Goldberg successfully fought to change a line of her dialog in the scene when Guinan was teaching Lal the facts of life from "when a man loves a woman" to "when two people are in love", thereby further reinforcing the belief that in the 24th century, a person's sexual orientation is unimportant; however, an attempt to place a same-sex couple in the background of Ten Forward was stopped at the last minute by producer David Livingston.
When Captain Picard and Deanna Troi are discussing the relevance of Lal's status as a child in the corridor, there is a reference to Deanna's experience of being a parent from "The Child".

Data's painting

In this episode, Data incorrectly states that until the activation of Lal, he was the last of his kind. He may have been under the assumption that Lore had been incapacitated in "Datalore". In addition, he did not yet know about the Juliana Tainer and B-4 androids.
This is one of Michael Dorn's two favorite TNG episodes, the other being "The Drumhead". [1]
Lal goes through much of the same evolution as does Rayna Kapec in the TOS episode "Requiem for Methuselah". Both characters are experiencing new emotions and stimuli that lead to awkwardness and confusion. This continues until death. Lal's death, caused by her inability to cope with the emotional distress of having to leave Data and the Enterprise-D, is very much like the death of Rayna when forced to choose between Flint and Kirk.
The painting Data shows to Lal in his quarters is one he painted in the style of Piet Mondrian. It can be seen on an easel in his quarters in the episodes "A Matter of Time" and "Hero Worship".
Whereas the Season 2 episode "The Measure Of A Man" dealt with Data and his rights as an android, this episode deals with his rights as a parent toward what would constitute a living being.