Is anyone else disappointed by Brothers?

[Richard S. Ta]

I watched it recently. I really liked it.

I prefer to appreciate the show for the character work, direction, designs and so on. I leave the tedious nitpicking to others.

All the plot holes described are the engine that makes the story move. If things worked more logically, most Star Trek episodes would be 2 minutes long, or 50 minutes of nothing happening.

 

[AntonyF]

I like it.

Things like Data being able to commandeer the ship sure it crossed my mind it's a fatal flaw - but something I laugh at more than am troubled by. If you pick at the tapestry of Trek's issues like that it'd fall apart.

The young brother stuff isn't great and is forced jeopardy... and "They're brothers, Data. Brothers forgive," is delivered with all the tact of Naked Bolian Mudwrestling by Crusher and it's an awful line.

Can't forgive Data for pushing you off a boat Bev, but you think he should forgive Lore even though that's likely an emotion and Lore just killed his pa while stealing his emotion chip? Sure. Oh but Pulaski is meannnn.

 

[Phoenix219]

I like it.

Things like Data being able to commandeer the ship sure it crossed my mind it's a fatal flaw - but something I laugh at more than am troubled by. If you pick at the tapestry of Trek's issues like that it'd fall apart.

The young brother stuff isn't great and is forced jeopardy... and "They're brothers, Data. Brothers forgive," is delivered with all the tact of Naked Bolian Mudwrestling by Crusher and it's an awful line.

Can't forgive Data for pushing you off a boat Bev, but you think he should forgive Lore even though that's likely an emotion and Lore just killed his pa while stealing his emotion chip? Sure. Oh but Pulaski is meannnn.

Ironically, Pulaski ended up understanding him better than everyone else.

 

[Mojochi]

Ironically, Pulaski ended up understanding him better than everyone else.

Necessity is the mother of invention

 

[JamesRye]

I love that music where Data's locking out the ship and where they evacuate the bridge (a reuse of the BOBW music?). The characters are all so professional, reacting to the situation like adults would. It's such a cool action sequence, even though there's no action! Just scientists calmly leaving the bridge to go to engineering. I love it.

I think in modern Trek there'd be a lot more angst and the sequence would have to be more flashy.

 

[CoveTom]

That scene makes it seem like it's expected for Data to stay on the bridge in that scenario. I'm not sure why that would be the standard protocol. Sure, Data can exist without life support. But why? Wouldn't you want him with the rest of the senior staff in engineering working on solving the problem?

And, BTW, I love the "blue alert" look, both in this episode and in Voyager when they land the ship.

 

[DonIago]

It's possible Picard expected Data to do what he could to restore life support and expected to be back on the bridge within minutes. Or that Data was tasked with ensuring continuity of command functions while the others got situated in Engineering, and then he'd join them.

I also liked the blue look on the E-D bridge; shame I don't think we ever saw it again.

 

[Schlegelmilch]

I like Brothers, but if I'm in Star Fleet Command, Data never serves on a starship again. Imagine an enemy starting the homing device during a battle. I'd think the same about Geordi. Wasn't his visor used by Klingons twice?.

 

[DonIago]

I like Brothers, but if I'm in Star Fleet Command, Data never serves on a starship again. Imagine an enemy starting the homing device during a battle. I'd think the same about Geordi. Wasn't his visor used by Klingons twice?.

How many times in the franchise has the ship or station been seized by compromised individuals? It's not as though Data or Geordi are uniquely vulnerable.

Although I don't recall Discovery ever being taken over unless you want to broadly construe things with Lorca.

 

[Schlegelmilch]

How many times in the franchise has the ship or station been seized by compromised individuals? It's not as though Data or Geordi are uniquely vulnerable.

Although I don't recall Discovery ever being taken over unless you want to broadly construe things with Lorca.

You're right, but usually through crew mistakes, godlike powers, or superior technology not hacking individuals. In this respect they are unique

 

[Lynx]

I think that Brothers is a good episode, even if I was a bit annoyed that Data did get away with hijacking the Enterprise for his own purpose. What if that little kid had died?

Otherwise I find the episode interesting and a bit exciting.

Lore is actually really creepy too.

 

[Mojochi]

That scene makes it seem like it's expected for Data to stay on the bridge in that scenario. I'm not sure why that would be the standard protocol. Sure, Data can exist without life support. But why? Wouldn't you want him with the rest of the senior staff in engineering working on solving the problem?

I wouldn't imagine it's routine for Data to remain on the bridge in that scenario. Picard orders bridge control to be diverted to engineering, & for everyone to reassemble there. After that's implemented, the bridge should be presumably nonfunctional anyhow, except that Data intervenes before it's achieved.

Then, from engineering Picard later asks the computer Data's location, as if it's not known that he'd still be up there. I think they assumed he too was evacuating.

What's weird is the nod the 3 command officers share, at the last moment, before Riker exits in the aft turbolift & Picard exits in the forward one. At that moment, Data is positioned off to the starboard side, as if he's leading them to think he's maybe leaving via the conference room exit... Possibly?

Does the conference room have its own turbolift in the corridor off its other entrance? (I've always wondered. We've seen people come to that room, from that opposing entrance, without being directed thru the main bridge, which makes sense that there'd be a way to it that bypasses bridge access)

 

[DonIago]

I think it's reasonable to assume that one can take a turbolift to Deck One and access the conference room without going through the Bridge. Indeed, that's likely often desirable when dealing with hostile powers or such (e.g. the Cardassians in "Chain of Command").

What's less clear is why anyone would expect Data to leave the Bridge via the conference room, and since the others do seem to acknowledge Data, that's why I've tended to think that given his lack of need for life support, they expected him to at least temporarily remain on the Bridge.

 

[Mojochi]

I think it's reasonable to assume that one can take a turbolift to Deck One and access the conference room without going through the Bridge. Indeed, that's likely often desirable when dealing with hostile powers or such (e.g. the Cardassians in "Chain of Command").

What's less clear is why anyone would expect Data to leave the Bridge via the conference room, and since the others do seem to acknowledge Data, that's why I've tended to think that given his lack of need for life support, they expected him to at least temporarily remain on the Bridge.

But that's not where Picard expects him to be when he asks the computer for his location, once they reassemble in Engineering. That's what leads me to think they expected he'd evacuated. They didn't know he was there, & are wondering why he is.

As for why he might be expected to leave via the conference room, you're right that it's not really made clear, but I can at least imagine that when evacuating a space, all areas of egress should be visually inspected to make sure no one is left behind on that deck? Why else do Riker & Picard split up? They could go together in one lift. That nod they all share (at least to me) signifies that they're all checking in, before they split up according to their evac plan.