First Aired: January 18th, 1988
Summary
The Enterprise takes a detour to the planet where Data was discovered in hopes of learning more about the demise of the colonists whose memories he contains. What they find is another Data, in separate parts. Once they assemble him he reveals that his name is Lore and insists that he was built after Data, as a more perfect version of him. However, Lore later reveals that Data was built afterwards because the colonists felt Lore was too human. Meanwhile, thanks to childrens' drawings and Lore's account of his time with the colonists, the bridge crew learn that a great crystalline being which feeds on life energy is what destroyed the colonists and their entire planet. Lore then betrays Data, his "dear brother," and switches bodies with him in order to advance his nefarious plot. He tells the unconscious Data that the colonists' demise was because he led the crystal being to them, and plans to do the same to the Enterprise. Wesley sees right through Lore, however, and due to his persistence Data is able to stop Lore by sending him into space, getting rid of both Lore and the crystal being.
Two Ways of Revealing Character Lore
This episode closely follows the one where we learn more about Deanna Troi through her almost-marriage. While I immensely enjoyed this episode as I love Data, I couldn't help but compare the two episodes as I watched this one. Since this episode is in the first season and we know very little about Data's history at this point, it makes sense to have an episode focused on him and his past. What does not make sense is why Data gets so much more agency in his episode than Deanna did in hers. Data wanted Lore brought on board and assembled, Data gave permission for Doctor Crusher and the chief engineer to examine him as a blueprint for constructing Lore, and Data ultimately brought Lore down. Deanna did not choose her intended, she agreed to marry him out of an obligation to Betazoid custom, and he was the one who called the engagement off. While it was undoubtedly not a conscious choice by the writers, it still is a choice that was made, and lack of intention does not make it any less sexist.
Friends Forever (Until the Plot Requires Otherwise)
Looking at the episode itself, since the main focus is Data and Lore and no other new characters are introduced, there is at first glance little to say about whether or not there are sexist elements to the plot when looked at alone. Women play no significant role in it. Yet that, in and of itself, is worth examining. Deanna Troi is nowhere to be found in this episode. Lieutenant Yar performs her duty as head of security and does nothing more than that. In fact, other than readying photon torpedos to be fired, she barely even gets to do that. Her lack of involvement is strange, considering previous episodes have established a friendship between Yar and Data.
"Ah, Motherhood"
Doctor Crusher's main purpose in this episode is to be Wesley's mother, which Captain Picard even blatantly tells her after sending her off the bridge to follow Wesley to his room. She questions being sent away to which he responds, "I am asking you to look after your son." This is not the first time that Doctor Crusher has been forced to choose to be a mother over being a doctor on a starship, and undoubtedly will not be the last. I had initially loved that she was being allowed to be both a mother and an officer, but the more she is shoved into one role or the other the more I see that she likely will not ever be both in one episode.
To return to the plot, since she is the only one who knows how to power Data (in Lore's body) up again, Wesley needs Doctor Crusher in order to wake Data. This is her one moment of actually mattering to the story of the episode. Once she, Data, and Wesley face Lore, Lore almost immediately casts her away by threatening to harm Wesley, lighting her arm on fire for good measure as she retreats. She returns with Captain Picard, Lieutenant Yar, and Lieutenant Worf, only to discover that Data and Wesley have already finished handling Lore.
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