'The Measure of a Man' is a must-see despite 2 annoying characters
The question of individual rights, what makes a person who they are, and the way we all choose to navigate our lives is more important now than ever before. How much freedom does the government believe is feasible for one individual? Should those who navigate and process their surroundings differently be singled out and studied?
What if the government told those individuals that they had no choice but to cooperate? What a horrifying dystopia. And it always makes me flinch when Commander Riker, forced to play devil's advocate in court, detaches Data's arm. It's like body horror without the blood!
Captain Louvois rules that Data deserves the chance to discover whether he has a soul. However, the way Data turns to Maddox and officially refuses to submit to his experiments, yet encourages Maddox to continue his work, shows us that Data is more human in his actions than most. He is neither arrogant nor prideful in his win; rather, he's one step closer to humanity. This episode has many lessons to offer, and it still resonates with me today.
What are your opinions of "The Measure of a Man?" If you've never seen it before, don't let two of The Next Generation's most annoying characters stop you from enjoying it. Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. We'd love to hear from you, Trekkies!