K is for Kaput which is how I feel right now. In Star Trek TNG Commander Data transfers android daughter Lal's entire process of existence into his own positronic brain. You see Data was Lal's father, creating Lal in 2366 using his own brain as a template.He nurtures and brings a unique sentient android (played by Hallie Todd) to life so he could have an offspring. All seemed jolly fine on the surface, once Lal chose her own appearance she was able to emulate humans and their odd behaviour, use verbal contractions and eventually exceed even the parameters of her own fathers sophisticated programming... Lal was able to FEEL......EMOTIONS! How could this happen?
Starfleet's Patriarch Admiral Haftel beams aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D to take control of the Lal situation. Apparently he wants to acquire android Lal like you would a piece of technology, to study her. Haftel is a hard nosed, cold hearted brute who crushes Lal's emotional happiness. The cruel beast declares her the property of Starfleet without so much as considering Lal's personal needs. Captain Picard is horrified and objects but Admiral Haftel is adamant. 'I am Starfleet, Captain' growls Haftel at Picard through gritted teeth. Poor Lal. She never stood a chance and experiences extreme fear and confusion. The situation is grim. Lal returns to Datas lab just before the end of her life and then finally we understand why. A cascade failure in her neural net has caused irreparable, permanent positronic systems failure. Lal is Kaput and is dying from emotional overload. Despite being capable of 60 trillion operations per second, her father Data cannot save her.
Starfleet's Patriarch Admiral Haftel beams aboard the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D to take control of the Lal situation. Apparently he wants to acquire android Lal like you would a piece of technology, to study her. Haftel is a hard nosed, cold hearted brute who crushes Lal's emotional happiness. The cruel beast declares her the property of Starfleet without so much as considering Lal's personal needs. Captain Picard is horrified and objects but Admiral Haftel is adamant. 'I am Starfleet, Captain' growls Haftel at Picard through gritted teeth. Poor Lal. She never stood a chance and experiences extreme fear and confusion. The situation is grim. Lal returns to Datas lab just before the end of her life and then finally we understand why. A cascade failure in her neural net has caused irreparable, permanent positronic systems failure. Lal is Kaput and is dying from emotional overload. Despite being capable of 60 trillion operations per second, her father Data cannot save her.
Star Trek's 'The Offspring' is a really tragic episode. I believe Lal died because she was heartbroken!
We must say goodbye now.
We must say goodbye now.
I F-E-E-L.
What do you feel Lal?
I Love You Father.
5 comments:
Nice recap. I'd forgotten about this episode.
I'd forgotten it as well. Very sad.
That is so sad. I love how Star Trek episodes are mini novels with the capability of so much depth. Poor Lal!
Definitely one of the more tragic episodes for Data.
One of my favorite Data episodes. The moment he shuts her down always gets me. Who says Data can't love?
@Lydia Each episode packed a lot in them
- Maurice Mitchell
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