"Out of character moments" in TNG ?

What are in your opinion the most out-of-character moments in TNG ?

So, for example, Worf giving a very un-Worf-like response in a scene, or Data behaving in a way you don't think should 'belong' to his character traits ?

I only mean out-of character moments that don't seem to have been written purposely as such. So, a nice person acting mean and violent because he or she proves to be under some alien influence later in the episode wouldn't count. Neither would someone lashing out unexpectedly, and later it is revealed the character had at that time just heard news of a perished family member. Or even a person giving an unexpected response for humorous effect. I mean, scenes with flaws in the writing that somehow feel like they 'slipped through' a consistency check of the editors.

(At the moment, I cannot yet think of examples but I'm sure there must be! )

 

Picard's "Shut up, Wesley!" in "Datalore" is my favorite in-character out-of-character moment, certainly unusual but justified by the tense context.

Riker and Guinan ignoring trying to help Wesley for some pseudo-flirting in "The Dauphin" was pretty out of character but also fun.

I think the only really bad moments are the crew, especially Riker, being unconcerned about Amanda becoming a Q in "True Q" and the crew easily exterminating the parasites in "Phantasms".
Edit: Also, Wesley was unusually rude, or at least forward and insensitive, with Picard in the beginning of their trip in "Samaritan Snare".

 

The entire Homeward episode

The TNG movie "Action" Picard

 

I always liked it whenever Riker got angry enough that he began to shout at people. The rant scene in ''Future Imperfect'' comes to mind, especially telling Picard to shut up.

The guy was usually pretty mellow, so it was always fun to see him raise it up a notch.

 

The ending scene of The Most Toys definitely.

 

Lots of moments with Data. I suppose the easiest that comes to mind is in Data's Day. Data taps his fingers nervously, loses concentration at times, and stares at the ambassador's headdress like a kid.

Expanding out - pretty much all four movies. Picard goes from diplomat to action hero. Picard seemed recovered from his Borg experience, given his actions in I Borg, yet in First Contact, he's a broken, bitter man on the brink of uncontrolled rage. Then of course in Journey's End, he's like "they gotta go", but in Insurrection, he's like "no way, this is wrong!"

 

^Well in "Journey's End" Picard was (very reluctantly) trying to enforce a treaty on fellow Federation citizens in order to end/avoid a war, in Insurrection what was at stake was getting to live longer and more youthfully and didn't involve Federation members, the two situations don't seem very comparable to me.

I think Worf generally wasn't regressive as to say "you may now give birth" in "Disaster" or that women were weak in "The Outcast". Almost the whole crew being pretty incompetent, enough to get taken over, in "The Game" and "Rascals" (especially Worf missing a shot) were also pretty out-of-character.

 

I disagree about action picard being out of character but that's a whole 'nother discussion. First Contact is different because the enterprise and earth was being threatened.

One moment I found out of character was the scene where there's a lot of Data's in that time anomaly episode... think it was We'll Always Have Paris. Just something weird about the way he acts in that scene, like he was breaking character for a moment.

 

Data's creepy-assed smirk when he pulls Welsy out the pond in "Encounter at Farpoint".

 

Starfleet, when they tried to take Lal away in The Offspring. That seemed rather tyrannical.

I don't think the last scene of The Most Toys was out of character. Data expanded his moral reasoning to expand the meaning of 'Do not kill' to also include 'Kill only when not doing so would allow them to continue killing and enslaving if there is no nonlethal alternative'. Though I don't understand why it didn't occur to Data to just throw something at Fajo.

Riker, every time he turned down a command.

 

Whenever Geordi uses archaic phrases, like "buku" or "bat out of hell".

 

Picard allowing the destruction of a vessel that was not a threat in "Conundrum".

 

You are correct, it was "We'll always have Paris" and yes I can see that. He uses a contraction. And he seems very emotional. But it was early on in the show so...

 

It was out of character, but on purpose, Data bursting out of his sides with laughter in Deja Q.

 

Riker, pretty much from season three to the end of the series.

 

Data using a contraction at the end of Datalore. Alternatively (depending on your point of view), Data saying he couldn't use contractions during Datalore.

Another one that was on purpose - A drunk Troi venting in First Contact.

 

Worf being visibly/outwardly embarrassed with his gorch

 

Data getting angry at Jenna D'Sora in 'In Theory'.

Although it was a part of his new relationship program Data made because he had started dating.


"Perhaps there's something wrong with YOU!"

 

Data making a mess with the isolinear chips on the floor in Pen Pals. It makes me wonder if that role in the sorry was originally Wesley's, until the plotline about him being a department head was inserted instead. It would variably make more sense for an emotional teenager to do the other weird things left to Data in this episode, such as "accidentally" broadcasting Sarjenca's cry for help.