Summary[]
The Enterprise investigates the mystery of Data's head, which was found in a cave in San Francisco, among artifacts from the 19th century. The trace leads to Devidia II where an away team discovers a time rift that transfers Data to San Francisco of the year 1893. Here Data meets Guinan, who has no recollection of him because she will meet him in the future, and Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain, who is suspicious about the strange visitors.
Errors and Explanations[]
The Nitpicker's Guide
Next Generation Trekkers
Volume 2[]
Plot Oversights[]
- Data betting one dollar, instead of the agreed ante of fifty cents, without drawing any comment from the other players. Data was only given a trio of one dollar coins in exchange for the communicator.
- Worf claiming that their bodies would have turned to dust if they died in the cavern in 1893. Worf may be assuming there is soming in the soil that would disolve biological material.
Internet Movie Database[]
Incorrectly regarded as goofs[]
- After discussing Data, Riker and Troi join Data in the turbolift, which continues on its way. However, neither of the two tells the turbolift where they want to go, as they ordinarily would, but exit with Data at his destination. While this is indeed an unusual procedure, it could be argued that Riker and Troi assumed correctly that Data was heading in their direction, i.e. the bridge, since all bridge officers had been called to their stations only moments earlier.[N 2]
Nit Central[]
- Shira Karp on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 12:26 pm: Continuing my thread from "City on the Edge of Forever"... TIME TRAVEL AND HYGEINE.
Crusher correctly identifies the aliens' strategy as time travel back to a disease-ridden era. Why do we not see the five officers in the landing party getting their shots before they go? And why aren't they taking pasteurized micro-sealed ration bars with them in case this disease-ridden era has high instances of food poisoning? Jake Dominguez on Wednesday, May 24, 2000 - 8:23 pm: I would imagine that when new officers sign up in Starfleet they get an overall inoculation for most types of known biohazards and harmful organisms. After all, the crew visits new planets every other week.
I concur with you on the food issue, Shira. A lot of deadly diseases prevalent in the 1800's spread through bad food and water. Plus it never looks like they can carry anything in those uniforms. It would have been satisfactory to see the Away Teams every so often carry a big rucksack for supplies. Seniram That would further increase the risk of polluting the timeline. Keith Ratliff on Wednesday, October 18, 2000 - 12:29 am: About the sicknesses, a majority of sicknesses take days to manifest. They probably just go to sick bay and have the diseases purged (when they return). We do not know how long they were there, although it had to be at least 3 days. It may have not been enough for the diseases to manifest. Sophie Hawksworth on Wednesday, July 04, 2001 - 3:57 am: Diseases would be purged by the biofilters in the transporter when they return to the ship. - Rene on Sunday, September 24, 2000 - 8:48 am: Why didn't they try to activate the 500 year old head and ask it what happened? It would have needed emergency repair work and a spare body!
- Keith Ratliff on Wednesday, October 18, 2000 - 12:29 am: When they are shown the head, that the officer found in the cave, Picard and Data look at each other. Neither one then, nor anyone else later, asks where the body is, or even looks for it. Why? They probably assumed it had been destroyed by what severed the head.
- Endora on Monday, February 26, 2001 - 10:22 am: Not that it might be a big deal, but now isn't Data's head 500 years older than his body? ScottN on Monday, February 26, 2001 - 11:10 am: Yes, it is. And your point would be? Will on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 10:33 am: I'm guessing that Endora's point is that the delicate machinery and electronic whatevers are now 500 years old, and should have experienced some decay, or (gonna get gross here) bugs and parasites entering via Data's nose, and openings in the connections sticking out of his neck to nest. There'd have to be little openings to allow it to be connected to his body. Frankly, I'm amazed that Dr.Soong created something that could last that long, albeit in an inert state. Will on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 10:33 am: The head should also have been covered in alot more dirt, if not partially broken down by natural erosion, as it was subjected to all of the earthquakes in the San Francisco area for 500 years, and not once did a rock hit the head, and tear the skin, and break an eyeball. Adam Bomb (Abomb) on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 8:06 am: Watch the episode on Sy-Fy HD. Although the episode was probably not converted to HD for broadcast on Sy-Fy's HD channel, it appears dirtier than in the SD broadcasts. It still should have been dirtier than it was, however. Luigi Novi (Luigi_novi) on Friday, September 02, 2011 - 2:17 pm: Isn't it possible that whoever found it brushed it off when they did so, in order to identify what type of object it was?
- Will on Tuesday, July 03, 2001 - 10:33 am: I'll never understand why they had to slap the time travel element into the alien's need for energy. There's plenty of primitive planets out there, even in the 24th century, so why not drain those people? Time travel AND space travel combined is too much of a waste of energy. Using time travel to an earlier period allows them to hide what they are doing as the deaths would be recorded as a natural consequence of the era.
Notes[]
| The Next Generation Season 5 |
| Redemption Part 2 I Darmok I Ensign Ro I Silicon Avatar I Disaster I The Game I Unification Part 1 I Unification Part 2 I A Matter of Time I New Ground I Hero Worship I Violations I The Masterpiece Society I Conundrum I Power Play I Ethics I The Outcast I Cause and Effect I The First Duty I Cost of Living I The Perfect Mate I Imaginary Friend I I Borg I The Next Phase I The Inner Light I Time's Arrow Part 1 |