Object

Data's Farewell Wrapping Paper

A thin sheet of decorative gift wrap—gloss-finished, brightly patterned with celebratory motifs and creases from hurried handling. The paper rustles and flakes when torn, leaving ragged edges and small confetti-like fragments. Data physically opens and then deliberately rips this paper (at Wesley's prompting), producing audible crinkles that register as lighthearted ritual among the crew before the mood shifts.

4 appearances

Purpose

To enclose and conceal gifts brought for Data during his Ten-Forward farewell, marking the social ritual of gift exchange.

Significance

Functions as a ceremonial prop that stages the crew's warm, slightly comic send-off; the act of unwrapping and Data's literal ripping crystallizes his awkward participation in human social conventions and momentarily eases tension before Pulaski's warning and the episode's escalation.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S2E9 · The Measure of a Man

Farewell, Fractures, and a Stark Warning

Decorative wrapping paper on the gift table becomes a small ceremonial battleground: Data first attempts careful preservation, then rips the paper to conform to Wesley's social expectation. The ripped paper signals Data's willingness to perform humanity and punctuates the casual intimacy of the farewell.

Before: Glossy, gaily wrapped on the table covering a gift; neatly folded and intact.

After: Ripped and discarded as Data peels it away to reveal the antique book; fragments fall to the table.

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S2E9 · The Measure of a Man

Geordi's Fierce Farewell

A sheet of decorative wrapping paper covers a gift; Data initially considers preserving it but then rips it off to honor Wesley's social expectation. The paper's tearing punctuates the lighthearted ritual and marks the moment when ceremony yields to genuine sentiment.

Before: Neatly wrapped on the present, part of a small stack of gaily wrapped gifts on a Ten-Forward table.

After: Ripped open, crinkled fragments scattered briefly on the table as the antique book inside is revealed and handed to Data.

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S2E9 · The Measure of a Man

Ten-Forward: The Question of Personhood

Data deliberately rips the decorative wrapping paper to reveal Worf's gift; the crinkling and discarded paper punctuate the lighthearted ritual before the tone shifts, marking the boundary between ceremony and rupture.

Before: In use: a gaily wrapped present on the Ten-Forward gift table awaiting opening.

After: Torn and discarded on the table/ floor, its ceremonial function completed and its fragility echoing the crew's fragile moment.

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S2E9 · The Measure of a Man

A Farewell Interrupted — Maddox Provokes and Duty Calls

Gaily patterned wrapping paper is used as a small comic beat to reveal Data's literalism and social learning: he initially preserves it, then rips it to conform to Wesley's expectation. The tearing marks the crew's attempt to normalize ritual and humanize Data during the farewell.

Before: On the table covering an unopened gift on Ten‑Forward; neatly wrapped and expected as part of the party.

After: Torn and discarded after Data rips it open; fragments likely left on the table as the tone shifts.

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