Data's Day

"Data's Day" is the 85th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the 11th episode of the fourth season. This episode introduces both Keiko O'Brien and Data's pet cat Spot.

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the Federation starship USS Enterprise-D. In this episode, Data composes a letter to Commander Bruce Maddox that follows along with his involvement in both the upcoming marriage of Chief O'Brien and Keiko Ishikawa and the delivery of a Vulcan ambassador on a mission to the Romulans.

Plot

While commanding the night shift aboard the Enterprise, Data (Brent Spiner) begins composing composes a letter to Commander Bruce Maddox^[1] detailing a normal day in his life with a focus on friendship.

Data mentions his involvement in the impending wedding of Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) and civilian botanist Keiko Ishikawa (Rosalind Chao) where he had been asked to give the bride away. However, when visiting with Keiko she announces that she has decided to call it off, telling Data in frustration that it will make her happier. Data then delivers this news to Chief O'Brien, believing that since O'Brien wants to make Keiko happy, he will be pleased, which he is not. Geordi (LeVar Burton) assures Data that the wedding will proceed as planned.

Data discusses the Enterprise's mission involving a Vulcan ambassador, T'Pel (Sierra Pecheur), who has arranged a secret meeting with a Romulan ship. Data is assigned as her escort while she is on board. T'Pel asks Data about the Enterprise's defense capabilities, which Data finds suspicious, but after Data informs her that he has the same safeguards as the ship's computer regarding reporting such requests to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), she drops the question, stating that she was interested only in testing Data's safeguards. Because Vulcans do not lie, Data decides not to pursue the issue.

Data then asks Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) to teach him how to dance, having discovered from her service record that she won dance competitions. She agrees to instruct him on the condition that he not share this information with the rest of the crew, for fear of again being called 'The Dancing Doctor'.

Chief O'Brien asks Data to persuade Keiko to go through with the wedding. He fails yet again, and talks to Counselor Troi (Marina Sirtis) to try to understand Keiko's decision.

In the holodeck, Data almost instantly learns how to tap dance from Dr. Crusher before telling her that he is ready to dance at the wedding. Telling him that tap dancing is inappropriate for social dancing she attempts to instruct him in ballroom dancing, but Data finds it much more difficult, as he cannot watch Dr. Crusher's feet. Dr. Crusher is then called away to sickbay to deliver a baby, and Data is left alone with a holographic partner.

The Enterprise rendezvous with a Romulan warbird and, despite Picard's unease about the situation, T'Pel transports aboard. However, something interrupts the transporter signal and the ambassador is killed.

Finding no flaw in the transporter system, Data uses the principles of Sherlock Holmes to come to the conclusion that T'Pel was not really killed: The Romulans beamed her off the ship themselves and left behind genetic material designed to fool the crew into thinking that she died in a transporter accident.

Picard speeds back to intercept the Romulans in the middle of the neutral zone. He confronts the Romulan Admiral Mendak (Alan Scarfe) and learns that T'Pel is actually a Romulan spy. Before shots are fired, another Romulan warbird appears next to the first one and three more enter the sector, minutes away. Picard is forced to retreat into Federation space.

Data approaches Keiko to make amends. She informs him that she is not angry at him, and that the wedding will proceed as planned. Miles and Keiko are married by Captain Picard.

Data notes that although there are many emotions that he does not understand and cannot share, he does understand the emotion of love and belonging.

Later, in Sickbay, the captain and Data visit the newest member of the Enterprise crew—a baby born while the Enterprise was in mortal peril.

References

^ Maddox is a cyberneticist at the Daystrom Institute who was first introduced in the second season episode "The Measure of a Man"

Star Trek The Next Generation DVD set, volume 4, disc 3, selection 3

External links

"Data's Day" at IMDb
Template:Tv.com episode
"Data's Day" rewatch by Keith R. A. DeCandido
"Data's Day" at Memory Alpha
Template:StarTrek.com link

Template:Star Trek Vulcan stories

[1] Maddox is a cyberneticist at the Daystrom Institute who was first introduced in the second season episode "The Measure of a Man"

[1]

v t e Star Trek: Romulan stories
The Original Series	"Balance of Terror" "The Deadly Years" "The Enterprise Incident"
The Animated Series	"The Survivor" "The Practical Joker"
The Next Generation	"The Neutral Zone" "Contagion" "The Enemy" "The Defector" "Tin Man" "Data's Day" "The Mind's Eye" "Redemption" "Unification" "The Next Phase" "Face of the Enemy" "Birthright" "The Chase" "Timescape" "The Pegasus"
Deep Space Nine	"The Search" "Visionary" "Improbable Cause" "The Die is Cast" "By Inferno's Light" "In the Pale Moonlight" "Image in the Sand" "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"
Voyager	"Eye of the Needle" "Message in a Bottle"
Enterprise	"Minefield" "Kir'Shara" "Babel One" "United" "The Aenar"
Discovery	"Unification III"
Picard	"Remembrance" "Maps and Legends" "The End Is the Beginning" "Absolute Candor" "Stardust City Rag" "The Impossible Box"
Strange New Worlds	"A Quality of Mercy"
Films	Star Trek: Nemesis Star Trek
Category:Star Trek

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Season 1	"Encounter at Farpoint, Part I" "Encounter at Farpoint, Part II" "The Naked Now" "Code of Honor" "The Last Outpost" "Where No One Has Gone Before" "Lonely Among Us" "Justice" "The Battle" "Hide and Q" "Haven" "The Big Goodbye" "Datalore" "Angel One" "11001001" "Too Short a Season" "When the Bough Breaks" "Home Soil" "Coming of Age" "Heart of Glory" "The Arsenal of Freedom" "Symbiosis" "Skin of Evil" "We'll Always Have Paris" "Conspiracy" "The Neutral Zone"
Season 2	"The Child" "Where Silence Has Lease" "Elementary, Dear Data" "The Outrageous Okona" "Loud as a Whisper" "The Schizoid Man" "Unnatural Selection" "A Matter of Honor" "The Measure of a Man" "The Dauphin" "Contagion" "The Royale" "Time Squared" "The Icarus Factor" "Pen Pals" "Q Who" "Samaritan Snare" "Up the Long Ladder" "Manhunt" "The Emissary" "Peak Performance" "Shades of Gray"
Season 3	"Evolution" "The Ensigns of Command" "The Survivors" "Who Watches the Watchers" "The Bonding" "Booby Trap" "The Enemy" "The Price" "The Vengeance Factor" "The Defector" "The Hunted" "The High Ground" "Deja Q" "A Matter of Perspective" "Yesterday's Enterprise" "The Offspring" "Sins of the Father" "Allegiance" "Captain's Holiday" "Tin Man" "Hollow Pursuits" "The Most Toys" "Sarek" "Ménage à Troi" "Transfigurations" "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"
Season 4	"The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" "Family" "Brothers" "Suddenly Human" "Remember Me" "Legacy" "Reunion" "Future Imperfect" "Final Mission" "The Loss" "Data's Day" "The Wounded" "Devil's Due" "Clues" "First Contact" "Galaxy's Child" "Night Terrors" "Identity Crisis" "The Nth Degree" "Qpid" "The Drumhead" "Half a Life" "The Host" "The Mind's Eye" "In Theory" "Redemption I"
Season 5	"Redemption II" "Darmok" "Ensign Ro" "Silicon Avatar" "Disaster" "The Game" "Unification, Part I" "Unification, Part II" "A Matter of Time" "New Ground" "Hero Worship" "Violations" "The Masterpiece Society" "Conundrum" "Power Play" "Ethics" "The Outcast" "Cause and Effect" "The First Duty" "Cost of Living" "The Perfect Mate" "Imaginary Friend" "I, Borg" "The Next Phase" "The Inner Light" "Time's Arrow, Part I"
Season 6	"Time's Arrow, Part II" "Realm of Fear" "Man of the People" "Relics" "Schisms" "True Q" "Rascals" "A Fistful of Datas" "The Quality of Life" "Chain of Command, Part I" "Chain of Command, Part II" "Ship in a Bottle" "Aquiel" "Face of the Enemy" "Tapestry" "Birthright, Part I" "Birthright, Part II" "Starship Mine" "Lessons" "The Chase" "Frame of Mind" "Suspicions" "Rightful Heir" "Second Chances" "Timescape" "Descent, Part I"
Season 7	"Descent, Part II" "Liaisons" "Interface" "Gambit, Part I" "Gambit, Part II" "Phantasms" "Dark Page" "Attached" "Force of Nature" "Inheritance" "Parallels" "The Pegasus" "Homeward" "Sub Rosa" "Lower Decks" "Thine Own Self" "Masks" "Eye of the Beholder" "Genesis" "Journey's End" "Firstborn" "Bloodlines" "Emergence" "Preemptive Strike" "All Good Things..., Part I" "All Good Things..., Part II"

v t e Star Trek: The Next Generation
Characters	Beverly Crusher Wesley Crusher Data Geordi La Forge Guinan Miles O'Brien Keiko O'Brien Jean-Luc Picard Katherine Pulaski Q William Riker Ro Laren Deanna Troi Worf Tasha Yar
Episodes	Season 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Films	Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis
Video games	The Next Generation (1993) The Next Generation (1994) Generations: Beyond the Nexus A World for All Seasons A Final Unity Generations Klingon Honor Guard Birth of the Federation Hidden Evil
Related articles	Awards Cast Novels Pinball Role-playing Game USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) "These Are the Voyages..." Technical Manual Countdown Picard