Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Hero Worship (1992)

Brent Spiner: Lieutenant Commander Data

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lt. Commander Data : I have often wished to be human. I study people carefully, in order to more closely approximate human behavior.

  Timothy : Why? We're stronger and smarter than humans. We can do more than they can.

  Lt. Commander Data : But I cannot take pride in my abilities. I cannot take pleasure in my accomplishments.

  Timothy : But... we never have to feel bad either.

  Lt. Commander Data : I would gladly risk feeling bad at times, if it also meant that I could... taste my dessert.

• Lt. Commander Data : I have been told that imitation is the highest form of flattery.

• [Data is trying to dress Timothy's hair, who keeps wiggling his head] 

  Lt. Commander Data : Timothy, your head movements are counterproductive. Can you be still?

  Timothy : But you do it.

  Lt. Commander Data : [puzzled]  The servo-mechanisms in my neck are designed to approximate human movements. I did not realize the effect was so distracting.

• [Data and Troi are watching Timothy playing with other children] 

  Lt. Commander Data : He laughed!

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Yes. It's nice to see, isn't it?

  Lt. Commander Data : It is certainly not consistent with his android persona.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : I'd say he's beginning the process of letting go of that fantasy.

  Lt. Commander Data : Hm. Then my work with him is done.

  Counselor Deanna Troi : No, I... I don't think it is, Data. A laugh is one step in the right direction. We need to help him take a few more steps.

• Lt. Commander Data : Hello, Timothy.

  Timothy : Hi, Data. How are you?

  Lt. Commander Data : I am operating within established parameters. How are you?

  Timothy : I miss my parents. But... I'm okay.

• Lt. Commander Data : Timothy - androids do not lie.

• [last lines] 

  Timothy : Can we still do things together? Even if I'm not really an android?

  Lt. Commander Data : I have many human friends. I would be pleased to count you among them.

  Timothy : That would be...

  [he takes on an 'androidish' expression] 

  Timothy : ...acceptable.

  [smiles] 

• Lt. Commander Data : I have often wondered what it must be like to have one's... mouth water in anticipation of the arrival of a confection. Or to feel the pleasure I have observed in humans as they consume it.

• Lt. Cmdr. Data : [to Georgi]  Geordi, as a child, did you ever experienced a traumatic event?

  Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge : You wondering about Timothy?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Yes.

  Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge : I was caught in a fire once. I have must been... I don't know, five I guess. It was before I got the first Visor... It was only a couple of minutes until my parents found me and pulled me out. And nobody got hurt, but let me tell you... it was one of the longest couple of minutes of my life. It was a while after that before I could let my parents get out of ear shot. It was like... I absolutely needed to know that they were there, you know?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Timothy no longer has that kind of support.

  Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge : [sadly acknowledging]  Yeah.

• [Timothy has been found pinned beneath a fallen beam on the Vico. After a failed attempt to beam him aboard, Data decides to free Timothy by lifting the debris off of him] 

  Timothy : Are you going to lift that?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Yes. Then I will take you to the corridor.. We will transfer back to the Enterprise from there. Do you understand?

  Timothy : How can you pick up something so heavy?

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : I am an android. My strength is many times that of a human.

  [pause] 

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : It is going to be... okay.

• [after coming to the conclusion that Timothy is not being fully honest about the Vico's destruction, Captain Picard has the boy taken into his ready room, with Counselor Troi and Lt. Commander Data present, for questioning] 

  Capt. Jean-Luc Picard : Timothy, can you tell us what happened to your ship?

  Timothy : [firmly]  I did tell you!

  Counselor Deanna Troi : Tell us again,

  Timothy : We were attacked.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : That is very unlikely, our investigation concludes that...

  Timothy : [interrupting; shouting]  We were attacked, we were attacked!

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : [conciliating]  Timothy... Androids do not lie.

  [pause] 

  Timothy : It... It was... me.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Please, explain.

  Timothy : [his voice breaking]  It was me... I did it. I killed them all.

• [Data and Timothy are painting with acrylics when Timothy yawns sleepily] 

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : Perhaps you should return to your quarters.

  Timothy : I'm fine. The servo-mechanisms in my mouth are designed to approximate human movements.

  [Data thinks for a moment, then opens his mouth, practicing yawning movements] 

  Timothy : That is not bad.

  Lt. Cmdr. Data : [stops what he was doing]  Thank you.

• [Data is brushing Timothy's hair to look like his own. Timothy starts to open up a little] 

  Timothy : Data... what's the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

  Lt. Commander Data : Fear is not a quality that I possess.

  Timothy : Because it's an emotion?

  Lt. Commander Data : Correct.

  Timothy : But wha-what if you had a nightmare?

  Lt. Commander Data : I never have a nightmare. I do not require sleep.

  [Data stops mid brush and crouches down to a seated Timothy's eye level. There is what strangely looks like concern in his eyes as he watches the boy carefully] 

  Lt. Commander Data : Timothy... Are you having disturbing dreams?

  Timothy : [Timothy hesitates before assuming the android persona]  I... do not require sleep.

• Lt. Commander Data : [the Enterprise is being compounded by increasingly more powerful shockwaves. With Timothy by his side, Data has discovered something unusual in his research from the science aft]  Sir, Drop the sheids!

  Cmdr. William Riker : That's suicide, Data!

  Lt. Commander Data : Captain. Drop the shields.

  [Captain Picard looks at Data and sees that the android is dead serious] 

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Make it so!

  [Worf drops the shields. The shock wave passes over the ship gently and calmly]