Demolishing old cars, maybe.
One thing I especially hate in "In Theory" ...
- Thread starter Skipper
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That was an accident. He liked driving them...fast! Not his fault someone put a quarry in his path.
I can't see that was Autism that they wanted to portray as it was not an "apple in anyone's eye yet." I think it was more a reverse Spock they wanted. Each series always had something to do with understanding humans and emotion. I feel with Voyager its Tuvok and the Doctor and with DS9 it was Odo. It's just something - a trend, that ST liked to explore. That would be closer to Barclay, and it makes sense since they based him off of some fans they knew. Not sure they liked it too much. True story. And Barclay actually had MI so they did not need an allegory. But whatever humanizes Data more to others. Have no problem. Also, feel the crew was acting very archaic (About "Broccoli') about that especially with Troi on board but she was usually there just to be a Psi. Even back then people were more enlightened. I mean Data was also awkward. But as soon as he got emotions and it was not perfect, I noticed Picard becoming short with him. *Shrugs*
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Damn Apple Maps updates.That was an accident. He liked driving them...fast! Not his fault someone put a quarry in his path.
Just watched this episode for the first time and... it's not that bad?
Jenna falls for Data because she expends a lot of time with him, he makes her laugh, he's supporting... Those seem to me perfectly normal reasons for falling for someone. Data may not have expressed any romantic interest so far, but why shouldn't she try? Someone has to take the initiative, anyway.
That's not "nice guy" behaviour. A "nice guy" is some dude who fakes friendship in the hopes of getting sex out of a woman, but quickly stops being "nice" as soon as the woman rejects him, because it was all fake. That has nothing to do with Data in the episode.
I also don't think that Jenna treated Data the wrong way. She wasn't trying to change him, or force an unnatural behaviour on him. She liked him with all his quirks.
Of course it didn't work in the end. None of these relationships work in the show because the showrunners wouldn't stick a major character into a permanent relationship. Happened a few episodes before, in "The Host", when they just put the trill into a female body at the end to cut short the relationship with Crusher. Or in "Half a Life", with Lwaxanna's boyfriend choosing death at the end. It's just a cop-out.
As for the "50's sitcom" scene, it's obviously done for comedic effect. And it's made clear that Data is making a mistake in trying to mimic that stuff, and that Jenna doesn't like it at all. Anyway, I feel that Data is imitating the roles of a traditional 50's wife, and not a 50's husband, with all that offering of refreshments or dinner, and cleaning the room while Jenna rests on the sofa after a "hard day's work".
Jenna falls for Data because she expends a lot of time with him, he makes her laugh, he's supporting... Those seem to me perfectly normal reasons for falling for someone. Data may not have expressed any romantic interest so far, but why shouldn't she try? Someone has to take the initiative, anyway.
That's not "nice guy" behaviour. A "nice guy" is some dude who fakes friendship in the hopes of getting sex out of a woman, but quickly stops being "nice" as soon as the woman rejects him, because it was all fake. That has nothing to do with Data in the episode.
I also don't think that Jenna treated Data the wrong way. She wasn't trying to change him, or force an unnatural behaviour on him. She liked him with all his quirks.
Of course it didn't work in the end. None of these relationships work in the show because the showrunners wouldn't stick a major character into a permanent relationship. Happened a few episodes before, in "The Host", when they just put the trill into a female body at the end to cut short the relationship with Crusher. Or in "Half a Life", with Lwaxanna's boyfriend choosing death at the end. It's just a cop-out.
As for the "50's sitcom" scene, it's obviously done for comedic effect. And it's made clear that Data is making a mistake in trying to mimic that stuff, and that Jenna doesn't like it at all. Anyway, I feel that Data is imitating the roles of a traditional 50's wife, and not a 50's husband, with all that offering of refreshments or dinner, and cleaning the room while Jenna rests on the sofa after a "hard day's work".
I don't think either Data or Jenna were in the wrong. I think the advice and changing subroutines by Data is a massive misunderstanding of his character at that point and doesn't serve either character well.
If she had gotten re-married/ started a long term relationship, that wouldn't have been a problem. Quark's mom and the Nagus got together, and they probably appeared about as often as she did.
But why? Data tried to be a father in "The Offspring". It's been a constant of his character that he struggles to be more human, or to experience things as humans do. So why is this different? He had a memento of Tasha, so it's not really like he's completely unemotional. The characters say that, himself included, but reading between the lines it's obviously not true, not at a deep level anyway.
Yeah, but it was a big part of Lwaxanna's character to flirt with Picard for comedic effect, or use her in these manhunting plots. The writers probably didn't want to lose the opportunity to keep doing that, just in case.
That's why I said the writing was a disservice
An American show made for American audiences, using a cultural touchstone that people would understand.
I love this episode. It is sprinkled with funny moments throughout.
The Guinan to Data "don't look at me" scene is hilarious, as is Data's awkward attempt at blowing a kiss to Jenna. Those are just two of the many moments that made me laugh.
Data was basically going through the motions of romance, albeit clumsily. There was no substance underlying his actions. He was essentially clueless. For me, that made it funny.
At the same time, I found Data's attempt at romance to be endearing. He meant well. And it helps that Jenna is cute and pleasant. It is charming love(less) story.
At the end, when Data was sitting quietly, in his darkened quarters, all alone except for the company of Spot, were we supposed to feel sorry for Data?
That ending scene reminded me of what McCoy said to Spock in TOS "Requiem for Methuselah".
McCoy to Spock: "Well, I guess that's all. I can tell Jim later or you can. Considering his opponent's longevity, truly an eternal triangle. You wouldn't understand that, would you, Spock? You see, I feel sorrier for you than I do for him because you'll never know the things that love can drive a man to. The ecstasies, the miseries, the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures, the glorious victories. All of these things you'll never know simply because the word love isn't written into your book. Goodnight, Spock."
McCoy's words could just as well have applied to Data.
Ironically, in "Requiem for Methuselah", Kirk fell head over heels for, of all people, an android, Rayna. But unlike Data, Rayna had emotions, and those emotions ultimately overwhelmed her and led to her demise.
In both instances, but for different reasons, neither human, Jenna nor Kirk, got a happy ending in their relationship with their respective android partner.
The Guinan to Data "don't look at me" scene is hilarious, as is Data's awkward attempt at blowing a kiss to Jenna. Those are just two of the many moments that made me laugh.
Data was basically going through the motions of romance, albeit clumsily. There was no substance underlying his actions. He was essentially clueless. For me, that made it funny.
At the same time, I found Data's attempt at romance to be endearing. He meant well. And it helps that Jenna is cute and pleasant. It is charming love(less) story.
At the end, when Data was sitting quietly, in his darkened quarters, all alone except for the company of Spot, were we supposed to feel sorry for Data?
That ending scene reminded me of what McCoy said to Spock in TOS "Requiem for Methuselah".
McCoy to Spock: "Well, I guess that's all. I can tell Jim later or you can. Considering his opponent's longevity, truly an eternal triangle. You wouldn't understand that, would you, Spock? You see, I feel sorrier for you than I do for him because you'll never know the things that love can drive a man to. The ecstasies, the miseries, the broken rules, the desperate chances, the glorious failures, the glorious victories. All of these things you'll never know simply because the word love isn't written into your book. Goodnight, Spock."
McCoy's words could just as well have applied to Data.
Ironically, in "Requiem for Methuselah", Kirk fell head over heels for, of all people, an android, Rayna. But unlike Data, Rayna had emotions, and those emotions ultimately overwhelmed her and led to her demise.
In both instances, but for different reasons, neither human, Jenna nor Kirk, got a happy ending in their relationship with their respective android partner.
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There is something that I dislike about "In Theory". But it had to do with the B story.
The way that Picard piloted the shuttlecraft bugged me. Picard's fingers were moving at warp speed, typing coordinates and whatnot into the control panel.
As talented and special as Picard may be, there is no humanly way that a person could have successfully steered the shuttlecraft away from those space anomalies as long as Picard did.
Those anomalies were popping up suddenly and randomly. Picard had seconds or less to maneuver the shuttlecraft to safety.
Under those circumstances, a pilot would have just a split second to think of new coordinates, and then to correctly type those coordinates into the helm control.
At one point, Picard shouts aloud:
"Changing course. Heading zero seven three, mark two eight eight.
New heading. two eight four mark zero one three."
A human mind could not think that quickly. By the time you get to "mark" in your mind, it would be too late.
Even if someone could think up new coordinates that fast, that person would still have to quickly and correctly type in those coordinates into the panel. Whenever I make a post in TrekBBS, it is guaranteed that I will make typos.
The method of steering a shuttlecraft is too time consuming and prone to error. But, I suppose if one were on a leisurely cruise, it would work just fine.
I guess my beef with that scene is probably more directed at the set designers. It seems to me that having a yoke, as an option, to steer a shuttlecraft would make a great deal of sense.
A yoke would allow a pilot to react instantaneously, using hand eye coordination, to what he sees happening in front of him. No need to think of numbers and then type in those numbers.
Did the set designers think that a yoke would look too old fashioned and too low tech?
The panels on the ships do look sleek and futuristic. But that is putting form over function. But this is a tv show, so I will just have to accept that form trumps function.
Nevertheless, no matter how old fashioned it may have looked, a yoke would have come in handy in this situation, imo.
The way that Picard piloted the shuttlecraft bugged me. Picard's fingers were moving at warp speed, typing coordinates and whatnot into the control panel.
As talented and special as Picard may be, there is no humanly way that a person could have successfully steered the shuttlecraft away from those space anomalies as long as Picard did.
Those anomalies were popping up suddenly and randomly. Picard had seconds or less to maneuver the shuttlecraft to safety.
Under those circumstances, a pilot would have just a split second to think of new coordinates, and then to correctly type those coordinates into the helm control.
At one point, Picard shouts aloud:
"Changing course. Heading zero seven three, mark two eight eight.
New heading. two eight four mark zero one three."
A human mind could not think that quickly. By the time you get to "mark" in your mind, it would be too late.
Even if someone could think up new coordinates that fast, that person would still have to quickly and correctly type in those coordinates into the panel. Whenever I make a post in TrekBBS, it is guaranteed that I will make typos.
The method of steering a shuttlecraft is too time consuming and prone to error. But, I suppose if one were on a leisurely cruise, it would work just fine.
I guess my beef with that scene is probably more directed at the set designers. It seems to me that having a yoke, as an option, to steer a shuttlecraft would make a great deal of sense.
A yoke would allow a pilot to react instantaneously, using hand eye coordination, to what he sees happening in front of him. No need to think of numbers and then type in those numbers.
Did the set designers think that a yoke would look too old fashioned and too low tech?
The panels on the ships do look sleek and futuristic. But that is putting form over function. But this is a tv show, so I will just have to accept that form trumps function.
Nevertheless, no matter how old fashioned it may have looked, a yoke would have come in handy in this situation, imo.
maybe combine the plots, and Data is stuck out there, and they both realize that having to worrry about each other and relationships just aren't going to work. Maybe Data has to change his precedence in algorithms to not care about her in order to pilot correctly or something. lol.
Another thing that was amusing about the episode was the contrast. When Data (regarding the B story) was discussing the space anomaly with Picard and the others, he was clearly in his element. He was competent and confident.
But when he turned his attention to his relationship with Jenna, he was more like a moron.
But when he turned his attention to his relationship with Jenna, he was more like a moron.
and wouldn't confidence be an emotion? once again, he is in denial lol.
Well, simply put, Data was given poor advice. He was not told to rely on past experience (relationship with Tasha) or recognizing his growth. He was told to "be careful."
Many a human have messed up a relationship by going with poor advice.
Depends on how you define confidence. If it’s the simple assurance that you can do something, it may not have an emotional component.
Thst being said... yeah. Data has emotions. He just doesn't know it.
I personally think that Deanna should have been a little more honest, regarding his limitations.
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