Data's Day

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Star Trek: TNG episode
"Data's Day"
Dr. Crusher attempts to teach Data how to dance in "Data's Day"
Episode no.	85
Prod. code	185
Airdate	January 07, 1991
Writer(s)	Harold Apter Ronald D. Moore
Director	Robert Wiemer
Guest star(s)	Colm Meaney Rosalind Chao April Grace Sierra Pecheur Alan Scarfe Shelly Desai
Year	2367
Stardate	44390.1
Episode chronology
Previous	"The Loss"
Next	"The Wounded"

"Data's Day" is a fourth season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Data records the event of a single day of his life, which include Chief O'Brien and Keiko's pre-wedding jitters, learning to dance and the investigation of the loss of a Vulcan Ambassador in a transporter accident. The episode has an average rating of 4.5/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of May 18, 2008).[1]

[edit] Plot Summary

The episode begins as Data composes a letter to Commander Bruce Maddox (a cyberneticist at the Daystrom Institute, who was first introduced in The Measure of a Man), detailing a normal day in his life, with a focus on friendship.

One of the several sub-plots is the impending wedding of Transporter Chief Miles O'Brien and civilian botanist Keiko Ishikawa, which Keiko decides to call off, telling Data it will make her happier. Data delivers this news to Chief O'Brien, believing that since he wants to make Keiko happy, he will want to call off the wedding. This, of course, has disastrous results. Geordi assures Data that the wedding will proceed as planned.

The other important sub-plot includes a Vulcan Ambassador, T'Pel, who had arranged a secret meeting with a Romulan ship. Data is assigned to escort her while she is on board.

Data then asks Dr. Crusher to teach him how to dance, having discovered from her service record that she had won dance competitions. She agrees to instruct him on the condition that he not share this information with the rest of the crew, not wanting to be called 'The Dancing Doctor' again.

Chief O'Brien then asks Data to convince Keiko to go through with the wedding. He fails yet again, and talks to Counselor Troi to try to understand Keiko's decision.

In the Holodeck, Data quickly learns how to tap dance from Dr. Crusher, but learns that the style is inappropriate for social dancing. When she attempts to instruct him in ballroom dancing, Data is much more challenged. Dr. Crusher is then called away to sickbay to deliver a baby, and Data is left alone with a holographic partner.

The Enterprise then meets a Romulan warbird, and despite Picard's unease about the situation, T'Pel transports aboard. However, something interrupts the transporter signal and the Ambassador is killed.

Finding no flaw in the transporter system, Data uses the principles of Sherlock Holmes to come to the conclusion that T'Pel was not really killed-the Romulans beamed her off the ship themselves and left behind genetic material designed to fool the crew into thinking that she died in the transporter beam.

Picard turns back, and intercepts the Romulans in the middle of the neutral zone. He confronts the Romulan Admiral Mendak, and learns that T'Pel is actually a Romulan spy. Before shots are fired, another Romulan warbird appears next to the first one and three more enter the sector. Picard is then forced to retreat into Federation space.

Data then approaches Keiko to make amends. She informs him that she is not angry at him, and that the wedding will proceed as usual. Miles and Keiko are married by Captain Picard.

Later, in sickbay, the Captain and Data visit the newest member of the Enterprise crew--a baby born while the Enterprise was in mortal peril.

[edit] Production Notes

Gates McFadden and Brent Spiner both stated that they did their own dancing in this episode, except for one overhead shot where Spiner requested a double, as he did not feel confident enough to pull it off. McFadden did the choreography, as she was a well-known Hollywood choreographer long before Next Generation.

v • d • e Star Trek Romulan stories

Star Trek	"Balance of Terror" • "The Deadly Years" • "The Enterprise Incident"

Star Trek: The Animated Series	"The Survivor" • "The Practical Joker"

Star Trek: The Next Generation	"The Neutral Zone" • "Contagion" • "The Enemy" • "The Defector" • "Tin Man" • "Data's Day" • "The Mind's Eye" • "Redemption" • "Unification" • "The Next Phase" • "Face of the Enemy" • "Birthright" • "The Chase" • "Timescape" • "The Pegasus" • "All Good Things..." • Star Trek Nemesis

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	"The Search" • "Visionary" • "Improbable Cause" • "The Die is Cast" • "By Inferno's Light" • "In the Pale Moonlight" • "Image in the Sand" • "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges"

Star Trek: Voyager	"Eye of the Needle" • "Message in a Bottle"

Star Trek: Enterprise	"Minefield" • "Kir'Shara" • "Babel One" • "United" • "The Aenar"

v • d • e Star Trek Vulcan stories

Star Trek	Balance of Terror • Amok Time • Journey to Babel • The Immunity Syndrome • The Enterprise Incident • All Our Yesterdays • Star Trek: The Motion Picture • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star Trek: The Next Generation	Sarek • Data's Day • Unification • Gambit • Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Take Me Out to the Holosuite • Field of Fire

Star Trek: Voyager	Learning Curve • Meld • Innocence • Tuvix • Flashback • Alter Ego • Blood Fever • Random Thoughts • Infinite Regress • Counterpoint • Gravity • Juggernaut • Riddles • Unimatrix Zero • Repression

Star Trek: Enterprise	Broken Bow • The Andorian Incident • Breaking the Ice • Shadows of P'Jem • Fusion • Fallen Hero • Carbon Creek • The Seventh • Stigma • Cease Fire • Bounty • The Expanse • Impulse • Proving Ground • Harbinger • Damage • E² • Home • The Forge • Awakening • Kir'Shara • Affliction • Demons • Terra Prime • These Are the Voyages...