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

The Purgatory of Feeling and the Irony of Mortality

In a poignant exchange, Graves, while battling his own mortality, engages Data in a conversation that explores the essence of human emotions and existence. Graves' whistling of 'If I Only Had A Heart' sets the tone for a dialogue that contrasts his impending death with Data's inability to experience human feelings. Graves probes Data's understanding of desire, pain, and other emotions, leading to a moment of deep introspection for Data. The scene culminates with Graves darkly joking about mourning someone who can't die—Data—highlighting the android's existential difference. This moment not only underscores the thematic tension between human mortality and artificial existence but also foreshadows Graves' desperate attempt to achieve immortality by transferring his consciousness into Data.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

1

Graves coughs, smiles with bitter irony as he muses about mourning a man who will never know death; Data fumbles over 'funny,' and Graves turns away before declaring 'We're much alike,' sealing an uneasy intimacy that foreshadows deeper consequences.

ironic detachment to intimate, unsettling kinship

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

2
Ira Graves
Doctor
 primary

Melancholic and ironic, masking his desperation with philosophical musings

Graves whistles 'If I Only Had A Heart' while working, then engages Data in a probing conversation about human emotions and existence. He exhibits a mix of melancholy, irony, and a grim sense of humor, especially when comparing his impending death to Data's unfeeling existence.

Goals in this moment
  • • To highlight the differences between human and artificial existence
  • • To subtly manipulate Data's understanding of his own nature
Active beliefs
  • • That human emotions and experiences are fundamentally superior to artificial existence
  • • That Data's existence is a kind of purgatory
Character traits
Melancholic Ironic Manipulative Philosophical
Follow Ira Graves's journey
Data
Second Officer
 primary

Thoughtful, almost sad when confronted with his inability to experience human emotions

Data engages in a deep philosophical conversation with Graves, reflecting on human emotions and his own lack of them. He moves closer to Graves when struck by the song's meaning, showing curiosity and a hint of sadness in his voice when admitting his limitations.

Goals in this moment
  • • To understand human emotions and existence
  • • To engage with Graves on a philosophical level
Active beliefs
  • • That human emotions are complex and desirable
  • • That his existence is fundamentally different from human life
Character traits
Thoughtful Curious Earnest Introspective
Follow Data's journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

2
"If I Only Had A Heart" Song (Graves' Whistled Performance)

Graves whistles 'If I Only Had A Heart,' a song from 'The Wizard of Oz,' which serves as a poignant symbol of Data's existential struggle. The song's lyrics about yearning for emotional capacity mirror Data's own quest for humanity, creating a layered moment where art imitates artificial life.

Before: Not being actively referenced or used
After: Embedded in the conversation as a thematic anchor
Before: Not being actively referenced or used
After: Embedded in the conversation as a thematic anchor
Graves' Written Material (Including Final Instructions)

Data interacts with Graves' written material at superhuman speed, absorbing its contents in moments. This action demonstrates Data's capabilities and sets the stage for their deeper conversation about human emotions and existence.

Before: Scattered throughout Graves' laboratory workspace
After: Processed by Data, their contents absorbed
Before: Scattered throughout Graves' laboratory workspace
After: Processed by Data, their contents absorbed

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Graves' Laboratory

Graves' laboratory serves as the setting for this profound and melancholic exchange between Graves and Data. The sterile, clinical environment heightens the contrast between Graves' organic deterioration and Data's perpetual stillness, making it a philosophical battleground where human desperation collides with android innocence.

Atmosphere Melancholic and introspective, charged with existential tension
Function Setting for philosophical confrontation
Symbolism Represents the nexus of human mortality and artificial existence
Sterile white surfaces reflecting the cold glow of equipment The faint scent of ozone and antiseptic

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What this causes 6
Foreshadowing medium

"Graves quietly whistles 'If I Only Had A Heart' while Data studies his work (intimate, symbolic bonding); later Data behaves cryptically and programs Graves-triggered holodeck behavior—the earlier musical/moment motif prefigures Data's becoming a living conduit for Graves' persona."

Data's Erratic Behavior at the Holodeck Threshold
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …
Foreshadowing medium

"Graves quietly whistles 'If I Only Had A Heart' while Data studies his work (intimate, symbolic bonding); later Data behaves cryptically and programs Graves-triggered holodeck behavior—the earlier musical/moment motif prefigures Data's becoming a living conduit for Graves' persona."

The Code Beneath the Courtesy
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 First Fissures in Data's Facade
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."

Data's Dignity and the Shadow of Graves
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."

Data's Mechanical Mourning
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 Contradiction in Graves' Last Words
S2E5 · Star Trek: The Next Generation …

Key Dialogue

"GRAVES: 'I feel pity for you. Your existence is a kind of walking purgatory — neither dead nor alive, never really feeling anything. Just existing. Just existing.'"
"GRAVES: 'Listen to me — a dying man taking the time to mourn a man who will never know death. Funny, isn't it?'"
"GRAVES: 'I've had the same difficulty most of my life. We're much alike.'"