The Humor Experiment and the Arrival at Graves' Lair
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Data probes the nature of humor as a pathway to humanness and tests Riker's legendary anecdote, exposing Data's earnest striving for emotion and forging a casual rapport between the two officers.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Defiant but intrigued
GRAVES displays arrogance and lechery while resisting medical examination, then intellectually examines Data with fascination, foreshadowing his interest in artificial consciousness as a means to escape mortality.
- • Avoid acknowledging his mortality
- • Examine Data's android nature
- • His intellect makes him superior to others
- • Artificial consciousness might transcend biological limits
Worried but curious
KAREEN expresses genuine concern for Graves' health while displaying shy attraction towards Worf, revealing her dual roles as devoted assistant and socially inexperienced woman.
- • Ensure Graves receives medical attention
- • Understand the unfamiliar visitors
- • Graves' health must be prioritized over his pride
- • Starfleet visitors may provide necessary help
Clinically detached but compassionate
PULASKI professionally assesses Graves' condition despite his resistance, delivering his terminal diagnosis with clinical detachment mixed with sympathy.
- • Accurately diagnose Graves' condition
- • Provide medical care regardless of patient resistance
- • Medical ethics override patient preferences in emergencies
- • Truthful diagnoses are necessary regardless of consequences
Confused but determined
DATA earnestly attempts to understand humor through logic and joke analysis, revealing both his persistence and misunderstanding of human social interaction when his aquatic fowl joke falls flat.
- • Understand and replicate human humor
- • Achieve greater human connection
- • Mastering humor will bring him closer to humanity
- • Human social interactions can be logically decoded
Professionally alert but personally offended
WORF maintains security protocols and reacts irritably when mistaken for a Romulan by Kareen, demonstrating his characteristic warrior pride and cultural sensitivity.
- • Protect the away team
- • Maintain Klingon dignity in unfamiliar surroundings
- • Romulan comparisons are insulting to Klingons
- • Security protocols must be strictly followed
Amused but supportive
RIKER demonstrates patient mentorship towards DATA, engaging thoughtfully with his question about humor before gently correcting his misunderstanding about the aquatic fowl joke's reception aboard the Enterprise.
- • Help Data understand human social nuances
- • Maintain team morale during a potentially tense mission
- • Data's quest for humanity is valid and deserves support
- • Humor can be a bridge to understanding human connection
Slightly embarrassed but composed
TROI experiences transport disorientation and handles Graves' inappropriate attention with professional composure, demonstrating both her empathic sensitivity and diplomatic skills.
- • Maintain professional demeanor despite discomfort
- • Assess interpersonal dynamics among the group
- • Professionalism must be maintained in difficult situations
- • Understanding group dynamics is crucial to mission success
Focused and professional
GEORDI technically explains the transporter effects to the away team while operating the controls with practiced efficiency, demonstrating his engineering expertise.
- • Ensure safe transport of the away team
- • Prepare team for unusual transport effects
- • Technical precision ensures mission safety
- • Crew should be informed about unusual procedures
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The phasers are set to stun per Riker's orders, demonstrating Starfleet's restraint even when preparing for potential threats on Gravesworld, while maintaining readiness for any security issues.
The transporter system is used to beam the away team to Gravesworld, with Geordi explaining the unusual effects of long-range transport that cause temporary disorientation upon materialization.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The turbolift serves as an intimate space for Data and Riker's conversation about humor, where Data's earnest questioning and Riker's patient responses unfold before transitioning to the transporter room.
The transporter room functions as the departure point for the away mission, where final preparations are made before the team beams to Gravesworld under potentially risky circumstances.
Gravesworld is the destination where the away team materializes in Graves' living quarters, encountering both the brilliant but erratic scientist and his concerned assistant in a cluttered environment that reflects Graves' unconventional genius.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
No narrative connections mapped yet
This event is currently isolated in the narrative graph
Key Dialogue
"DATA: Do you think it is pointless for me to try and understand humor?"
"RIKER: Pointless? Not necessarily."
"GRAVES: I taught him everything he knows. You could say I was the father of his work... Which kinda makes me your grandfather, doesn't it sonny?"
"PULASKI: You have Varnay's disease. I'm sorry, Ira. You're dying, and there's nothing I can do about it."