Captain Picard runs into an old acquaintance, Captain Phillipa Louvois, while the Enterprise is visiting Starbase 173. The reunion is interrupted by Admiral Nakamura who has business to conduct with Captain Picard. Nakamura brings Commander Bruce Maddox with him aboard the Enterprise. Maddox has orders from Starfleet giving him authority to experiment on Data.
Data finds flaws in what Maddox plans to do. Data suggests that Maddox needs to do more research and come back when he is more prepared to proceed with his proposed experiments. Maddox takes issue with Data's objection and insists that Starfleet has given him the authority to with Data as he sees fit.
Data tries to resign from Starfleet in order to get out of having to submit to Maddox. Maddox insists that Data is the property of Starfleet and has no rights in the matter. Captain Picard steps forward to object to what Maddox is trying to do. The matter goes to Captain Louvois, the JAG officer for Starbase 173, who initially rules in favor of Maddox but is then forced to convene a formal hearing on the matter when Picard refuses to accept her decision.
Commander Riker, despite not wanting to help the case against Data, is appointed to represent Commander Maddox in the matter. He tries to refuse but is told that if he does not then there will be no hearing and that Maddox will get his way.
Riker's case is fairly simple, Data is a machine and therefore has no choice in the matter. He goes so far as to turn off Data in the middle of the hearing in order to prove his point. Picard calls Maddox to the stand and uses Maddox own words against him to prove that Data is indeed sentient and has rights.
Thoughts
I'm not sure if I have seen this episode before. I know that I had heard of it but watching it today did not bring back clear memories of watching it in the past.
I see similarities between this episode and the two episodes that I watched yesterday. Maddox strikes me as being similar to Kosinski in 1.06 (Where No Man Has Gone Before) in that he is an expert who tries to get his way despite the objections of others. This episode is similar to 1.12 (Datalore) in that it is very much focused on Data and his origins.
Maddox is an expert in robotics and was present when Data applied to Starfleet Academy. Maddox was the only member of the review board who voted against allowing Data admission to the Academy. This is the only episode of The Next Generation in which Maddox appeared but he also appeared in a few episodes of Picard.
Captain Louvois prosecuted a case against Picard 10 years earlier but they remained friends. She was the lawyer for the prosecution when he was court martialed for the loss of the USS Stargazer. He was the captain of the Stargazer for 22 years right up until it was lost in the Battle of Maxia. Picard was a bridge officer aboard the Stargazer when he was first assigned to the ship and later became its captain. Picard and Louvois are happy to see one another and the episode ends with him asking her to dinner. This is the only episode of any Star Trek series in which she appears but she has appeared in a few Star Trek novels.
This was an excellent episode. I can see why it is considered to be one of the best episodes of the series. I think the hearing is a bit rushed but I think that they do a great job of examining the case from different perspectives.
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