Television Review: The Schizoid Man (Star Trek: The Next Generation, S2X06, 1989)

The Schizoid Man (S02E06)

Airdate: January 23rd 1989

Written by: Tracy Tormé
Directed by: Les Landau

Running Time: 46 minutes

Within the sprawling chronicles of Star Trek, numerous episodes have stumbled under the weight of derivative premises, only to be salvaged by the alchemy of superior execution, compelling performances, or thematic depth. The Schizoid Man, the sixth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season, stands firmly within this category. While its central narrative device – the transference of a human consciousness into another being – traverses well-worn Trek territory, the episode ultimately transcends its predictable scaffolding through exceptional acting and a focused, if imperfect, exploration of identity and mortality, making it a respectable, if not revolutionary, entry in the franchise’s canon.

The plot initiates with the USS Enterprise-D responding to a distress signal emanating from the remote laboratory of Dr. Ira Graves, portrayed by W. Morgan Sheppard, lauded as the Federation’s pre-eminent cybernetics expert. The call originates from his personal assistant, Kareen Briannon (Barbara Alyn Woods), who expresses profound concern over Graves’ rapidly deteriorating physical condition and increasingly volatile mood swings. The away team dispatched to investigate comprises the Vulcan physician Dr. Selar (Suzan Plakson), temporarily filling the role of Chief Medical Officer during Dr. Pulaski’s absence due to a concurrent medical crisis, alongside Lieutenant Commander Data. Upon arrival, Graves presents as a terminally ill, profoundly arrogant, and misanthropic figure, yet exhibits an immediate, intense fascination with Data. This fixation intensifies dramatically upon learning Data was constructed by Dr. Noonien Soongb, whom Graves labels as merely his "pupil," leading him to audaciously declare himself "Data’s grandfather." Dr. Selar subsequently delivers the grim diagnosis: Graves suffers from Darnay’s disease, a fatal and incurable neurological degeneration. Shortly thereafter, Data solemnly reports that Graves expired within his arms.

The true narrative engine ignites upon the crew’s return to the Enterprise. Data begins exhibiting profoundly uncharacteristic behaviour: his speech patterns grow abrasive and condescending, he displays inappropriate rudeness towards colleagues, and develops a sudden, unsettling preoccupation with female crew members, particularly Kareen. Counselor Troi’s empathic abilities soon detect a disturbing anomaly – two distinct personalities cohabiting Data’s positronic matrix. The revelation follows swiftly: Graves, exploiting Data’s temporary deactivation during the away mission, had utilised his unparalleled expertise to execute a complete neural upload, transferring his own consciousness and personality into the android’s body. In Ten Forward, the Graves-possessed Data confesses this act to a horrified Kareen, simultaneously revealing his lifelong, possessive obsession with her and callously offering to transfer her consciousness into a gynoid body once he locates a suitable one. Her visceral rejection sets the stage for Captain Picard’s direct confrontation, escalating into physical violence as Graves abuses Data’s superior strength. The resolution arrives when Graves, confronted by Picard’s unwavering moral stance and perhaps glimpsing the monstrous reflection of his own actions within Data’s stolen form, experiences a moment of profound remorse. He elects to transfer his consciousness into the ship’s computer core, sacrificing his human sentience and emotional capacity for existence as mere data, thereby restoring Data to his original state.

It is impossible to discuss The Schizoid Man without acknowledging the significant precedent it follows. The concept of alien entities or human consciousnesses usurping the bodies of main characters is a foundational Trek trope, explicitly established in The Original Series’s The Enemy Within and revisited relatively recently in TNG’s own Conspiracy. What lends Tracy Tormé’s script a degree of freshness is its specific application to Data, forcing a direct confrontation between human mortality and artificial longevity. The episode probes provocative questions: What constitutes true humanity? Is the preservation of a single, deeply flawed human life ethically justifiable if it necessitates the erasure of a unique, sentient artificial being? While utilising Data as the vessel for this dilemma is inherently fascinating, the narrative squanders some potent thematic potential. Crucially, Graves is rendered as an almost uniformly repellent character – defined by colossal ego, uncontrollable lust, and the bitter desperation of a man facing the end of a long, privileged life. This portrayal significantly skews the ethical quandary. The moral weight would shift dramatically, and the central conflict become far more complex and disturbing, had the consciousness attempting to supplant Data belonged to a young, idealistic individual or even a child facing premature death. Graves’ inherent unpleasantness makes his ultimate defeat feel less like a profound ethical victory and more like the removal of a nuisance.

Where the episode undeniably excels is in its acting. W. Morgan Sheppard imbues the ailing Graves with a captivating blend of intellectual arrogance, physical frailty, and a flickering, almost pitiable, awareness of his own mortality. His initial scenes possess a raw, uncomfortable power. However, the true masterclass arrives with Brent Spiner’s dual performance. He meticulously constructs the Graves-possessed Data, initially signalling the intrusion through subtle vocal inflections and minute shifts in posture – details observant viewers can detect before the Enterprise crew, creating effective dramatic irony. As Graves’ control solidifies, Spiner transforms the beloved android into a chillingly plausible threat: arrogant, sexually predatory, and wielding Data’s physical prowess with dangerous intent. This ability to dismantle Data’s core identity so convincingly remains one of Spiner’s finest achievements.

Nevertheless, the episode falters in execution at critical junctures. The most glaring misstep is the funeral scene for Graves. Data/Graves delivers a eulogy so extravagantly self-aggrandising and floridly inappropriate that even the usually stoic Captain Picard visibly squirms, compelled to abruptly terminate the proceedings – a moment that rings false and undermines the solemnity expected aboard Starfleet’s flagship. Furthermore, the climax suffers from a distinct lack of tension and narrative satisfaction. Graves’ sudden, almost instantaneous realisation of his wrongdoing and subsequent self-sacrifice feels profoundly unearned. After establishing him as a man consumed by narcissism and a desperate will to survive at any cost, his swift moral epiphany lacks sufficient psychological groundwork, rendering the resolution anticlimactic and emotionally hollow. The villain simply sees the light and vanishes, robbing the conflict of its necessary weight.

Historically, the episode holds significance for introducing Dr. Selar, the first prominent Vulcan character to grace The Next Generation. Although Plakson’s Selar departed after this single appearance, her presence formally shattered Gene Roddenberry’s initial, often-cited embargo against featuring Vulcans in the new series. Subsequent references to Selar within the show’s lore cemented her place in TNG’s expanded universe, paving the way for later Vulcan characters like Tuvok in Voyager. Additionally, The Schizoid Man delights fans with subtle cultural nods. Its title directly references the eponymous episode of the 1960s British cult series The Prisoner; intriguingly, Prisoner star Patrick McGoohan was originally slated to portray Graves before scheduling conflicts intervened. The haunting use of the song "If I Had a Heart" from The Wizard of Oz first sung by the dying Graves and later grotesquely echoed by his Data incarnation adds a layer of poignant, unsettling irony.

At the end, *The Schizoid Man? is a competently crafted episode that demonstrates TNG’s ability to elevate familiar concepts through strong character work and focused performances, particularly the outstanding dual turn by Brent Spiner.While it offers substantial rewards for dedicated Trekkies appreciating its acting nuances and historical footnotes, its derivative core plot and execution flaws prevent it from ascending to the ranks of The Next Generation’s most memorable or thematically profound episodes, particularly within the stronger latter half of its second season.

RATING: 6/10 (++)

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