Star Trek The Next Generation
S2E5
· Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Schizoid Man

The Contradiction in Graves' Last Words

Data's unsettling calmness about Graves' death unsettles Picard, Riker, and Pulaski as he insists on fulfilling Graves' specific funeral arrangements—a request that starkly contradicts Data's claim that Graves died too swiftly to communicate final wishes. Pulaski clinically confirms the speed of death, only to be sharply corrected by Data when she refers to him as 'it,' revealing his atypical emotional spike. The scene's tension escalates when Data mentions Graves' 'dying wish,' prompting Riker to note the impossibility of such a request given the circumstances, planting the seeds of suspicion about what truly transpired between Graves and Data.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

At the doorway, Data pauses and insists the crew hold Graves' funeral "the way he wanted," calling it his dying wish—an assertion that conflicts with the earlier claim of instantaneous death and introduces a concrete mystery to unravel.

routine courtesy to puzzling inconsistency

Riker puzzles over the timeline—if death was swift, when could Graves have made a dying wish?—and Pulaski offers a speculative answer (perhaps a premonition), shifting the group's mood from puzzled to speculative and heightening narrative tension.

confusion to tentative hypothesizing

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

4
Ira Graves
Doctor
 primary

Posthumously obsessive about controlling his legacy

Absent physically but psychologically present through Data's references—his legacy and potential lingering consciousness dominate the subtext of the conversation.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure his funeral arrangements reflect his greatness
  • • Maintain some form of existence through Data if transferred successfully
Active beliefs
  • • That his intellect deserves preservation beyond biological death
  • • That Data represents the perfect vessel for his continued existence
Character traits
Mentally persistent Egocentrically demanding Manipulative through proxies
Follow Ira Graves's journey
Katherine Pulaski
Doctor (Chief Medical Officer)
 primary

Defensive professionalism covering discomfort with both Data's correction and the disturbing implications of his behavior

Clashes with Data immediately after supporting his factual claim about Graves' rapid death, becoming defensive when corrected about her pronoun use while failing to examine the deeper implications of Data's behavior.

Goals in this moment
  • • Present medical findings with factual accuracy
  • • Maintain professional decorum despite interpersonal tensions
Active beliefs
  • • That biological death is absolute and medically verifiable
  • • That protocols should dictate pronoun usage regardless of personal preferences
Character traits
Clinically detached Professionally defensive Medically precise Slow to recognize anomalies
Follow Katherine Pulaski's journey
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain
 primary

Surface calm masking underlying turmoil (whether his own or Graves' influence)

Exhibiting contradictory behavior—initially presenting as characteristically emotionless about Graves' death before displaying uncharacteristic linguistic corrections about personhood pronouns and emotional investment in funeral arrangements.

Goals in this moment
  • • Ensure Graves' funeral arrangements comply with what Graves would want
  • • Defend his personhood status against Pulaski's linguistic dehumanization
Active beliefs
  • • That being referred to as 'it' constitutes an unacceptable denial of his personhood
  • • That honoring Graves' wishes is his paramount responsibility
Character traits
Oddly defensive about pronouns Selective emotional engagement Contradictory statements Unusual persistence about funeral
Follow Jean-Luc Picard's journey
William Riker
Commander
 primary

Thoughtfully concerned without overt alarm

First to notice and voice the glaring inconsistency between Data's claims about the timing of Graves' death and his subsequent reference to a dying wish, demonstrating superior investigative instincts.

Goals in this moment
  • • Identify logical inconsistencies in the situation
  • • Alert Picard to potential dangers without causing panic
Active beliefs
  • • That Data's behavior contains troubling inconsistencies worthy of investigation
  • • That major decisions should be made after careful consideration of all evidence
Character traits
Observant Discreetly suspicious Tactically restrained Diplomatically cautious
Follow William Riker's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Preliminary Report on Ira Graves' Death

Pulaski cites her preliminary report to scientifically validate Data's claim about Graves' rapid death, using its factual neutrality as both medical justification and psychological distancing mechanism from the growing unease about Data's behavior.

Before: Completed medical documentation in Pulaski's possession
After: Referenced authoritative document whose conclusions become increasingly suspicious …
Before: Completed medical documentation in Pulaski's possession
After: Referenced authoritative document whose conclusions become increasingly suspicious given Data's contradictory claims

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Captain's Ready Room

The Captain's Ready Room serves as the confined space where growing suspicions about Data's identity manifest, its formal Starfleet setting heightening the incongruity of Data's emotional outburst and logical contradictions.

Atmosphere Tension-filled with unspoken suspicions brewing beneath professional decorum
Function Meeting place for discussing grave concerns about a crewmember's potentially compromised identity
Symbolism Represents the collision between institutional trust and creeping paranoia
Access Limited to senior officers discussing sensitive matters
Starlight scattering across polished desks Acoustics amplifying loaded pauses

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 4
Symbolic Parallel medium

"Graves' metaphoric identification with mechanical longing ('If I Only Had A Heart' and 'We're much alike') resonates with Data's philosophical detachment when Picard asks if Graves' death unsettles him—both beats explore mortality, identity, and the blurred human/machine line."

Frail Hearts and Asphalt Circuits
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …
Symbolic Parallel medium

"Graves' metaphoric identification with mechanical longing ('If I Only Had A Heart' and 'We're much alike') resonates with Data's philosophical detachment when Picard asks if Graves' death unsettles him—both beats explore mortality, identity, and the blurred human/machine line."

Purgatory of an Android's Existence
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …
Symbolic Parallel medium

"Graves' metaphoric identification with mechanical longing ('If I Only Had A Heart' and 'We're much alike') resonates with Data's philosophical detachment when Picard asks if Graves' death unsettles him—both beats explore mortality, identity, and the blurred human/machine line."

The Walking Purgatory of Desire
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …
Symbolic Parallel medium

"Graves' metaphoric identification with mechanical longing ('If I Only Had A Heart' and 'We're much alike') resonates with Data's philosophical detachment when Picard asks if Graves' death unsettles him—both beats explore mortality, identity, and the blurred human/machine line."

The Purgatory of Feeling and the Irony of Mortality
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …

Key Dialogue

"DATA: 'I am not an "it," Doctor. You have been duly informed of this on several occasions, yet you continue to label me with that abhorrent pronoun.'"
"DATA: 'We will try and do the funeral the way he wanted, will we not, Captain?'"
"RIKER: 'I thought he said death came swiftly. When did Graves have time to make a dying wish?'"