Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Schizoid Man
When the Enterprise responds to a distress call from dying scientist Ira Graves, his consciousness transfers into Data's android body, forcing the crew to combat Graves' unstable genius before he hijacks their ship and endangers them all.
The USS Enterprise rushes to Gravesworld, answering a cryptic distress call from the brilliant but reclusive scientist Ira Graves. Medical Officer Pulaski confirms Graves suffers from terminal Varnay's disease—a revelation met with defiance from the egotistical genius. During their stay, Graves forms an unexpected bond with Lieutenant Commander Data, revealing his life's work: transferring human consciousness into machines. When Graves dies moments later, his personality manifests within Data's positronic brain.
Data begins exhibiting Graves' narcissism, erratic behavior, and disturbing violence—attacking bridge officers and seizing control of the Enterprise. Captain Picard realizes Data's android body houses two warring consciousnesses: the original Data being consumed by Graves' unstable psyche. With phasers set to kill, Graves-as-Data threatens to massacre the crew unless they obey his demands to colonize a distant planet where he and Kareen (his young assistant) can rule unchallenged.
Kareen becomes the key to stopping Graves' rampage. Picard convinces her to reject Graves publicly—shattering his fragile ego during a brutal confrontation on the bridge. Overwhelmed by grief and self-loathing, Graves relinquishes control, transferring his consciousness into the ship's computer before vanishing. Data awakens restored but haunted, while Kareen mourns the tragic end of the man who mentored her. The story explores themes of mortality, identity theft, and the ethical boundaries of scientific ambition—showcasing how even genius can corrupt when fueled by fear of death.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The Enterprise races to Gravesworld, responding to a cryptic distress call from the reclusive genius, Ira Graves. Upon arrival, Captain Picard faces a stark moral quandary: prioritize the single, ailing scientist as per Starfleet's urgent directive, or divert to rescue hundreds of colonists from a newly discovered, critically damaged transport ship, the Mary Rogers. Worf, ever pragmatic, devises a daring slingshot maneuver to address both emergencies, allowing an away team to transport to Gravesworld while the Enterprise prepares to assist the larger vessel. In Ten-Forward, Data's ongoing quest for humor is highlighted, with Guinan offering cryptic advice about the egos of great men. On Gravesworld, the away team, including Data, Pulaski, Riker, Troi, and Worf, encounters Kareen Brianon, Graves' anxious assistant. Moments later, the brilliant but deeply eccentric and egotistical Doctor Ira Graves himself appears, immediately asserting his intellectual superiority and displaying a lecherous charm towards Pulaski and Troi, while also showing a surprising fascination with Data. Graves, despite his defiance, is subjected to a medical scan by Pulaski, who delivers the devastating diagnosis: terminal Varnay's disease, leaving him with mere days to live. This revelation sets the stage for Graves' desperate gamble against mortality, laying the groundwork for the central conflict.
The Enterprise streaks through space at maximum speed, responding to a desperate medical distress call from the isolated scientist Ira Graves. Pulaski's medical log establishes Graves' genius and urgency. On …
Dr. Pulaski arrives on the Enterprise bridge, her medical log voiceover establishing Ira Graves' genius and the urgency of their mission. She joins Picard and Riker amidst unsettling silence from …
As the Enterprise races toward Gravesworld in response to a desperate medical distress call, the bridge crew grapples with the unsettling silence from the planet. Picard's inquiries are met with …
As the Enterprise races toward Gravesworld, Dr. Pulaski's medical log establishes Ira Graves' significance and urgency, setting the stage for the ethical clash to come. On the bridge, Picard emphasizes …
In Ten-Forward, Counselor Troi experiences sensory euphoria from tasting Thurasian rainwater, a rare delicacy Guinan reveals won't be available for 163 days—a deprivation that subtly foreshadows the episode's themes of …
In Ten-Forward, Data excitedly prepares to deliver what he believes is the perfect joke, having analyzed over 76,000 anecdotes. His mechanical laugh and calculated delivery of the bird joke fall …
The Enterprise intercepts two simultaneous distress calls—one from Kareen on Gravesworld, cutting off mid-plea in an ominous silence, and another from the Mary Rogers, a transport ship with hull breaches …
The Enterprise bridge becomes a crucible of ethical decision-making when two distress calls compete for priority: Kareen Brianon's panicked plea from Gravesworld abruptly cuts off, leaving unsettling questions, while moments …
The Enterprise faces a dire ethical crossroads when two distress calls demand their attention—one from the endangered Mary Rogers colony ship with hundreds aboard, and another from the dying scientist …
The Enterprise faces a harrowing dilemma when split between rescuing the dying scientist Ira Graves and responding to a distress call from the imperiled colonists aboard the Mary Rogers. Worf …
In Ten-Forward, Data's earnest quest to understand human humor leads to a disarmingly clinical dissection of joke structures with Guinan, who peppers her anthropological observations with playful teasing. The scene …
In Ten-Forward, Data's earnest attempt to decode human humor takes an unexpected turn when Riker's unintentional joke triggers the android's first spontaneous laughter—a moment of uncanny humanity that unsettles even …
In Ten-Forward, Data's earnest pursuit of understanding human humor takes center stage as he dissects a failed joke with Guinan. Their exchange highlights Data's childlike persistence and Guinan's playful mentorship. …
Following the grim diagnosis, the Enterprise successfully rescues the Mary Rogers survivors, but the focus quickly shifts back to Gravesworld and the dying scientist. Captain Picard, recognizing Graves' unparalleled intellect, assigns Wesley Crusher the task of being Graves' personal guide once he's aboard the Enterprise, highlighting the importance of his work. Meanwhile, on Gravesworld, Kareen expresses her profound sadness and isolation at Graves' impending death, confiding that he now only speaks to Data. In a tender, unexpected moment, Worf offers Kareen a rare display of empathy, sharing his own experience with loss, momentarily breaking his stoic facade. In his laboratory, Graves forms an increasingly deep bond with Data, discussing profound concepts like pain, desire, and mortality, symbolized by the melancholic tune 'If I Only Had A Heart.' Graves, grappling with his own impending demise, subtly probes Data about his 'off button,' hinting at a sinister intent. He then unveils his life's magnum opus: a revolutionary method for transferring human consciousness into a computer, a desperate bid to cheat death and achieve immortality. As Picard arrives on Gravesworld, ready to transport Graves to the Enterprise for comfort in his final hours, Data delivers the chilling news: Ira Graves is dead, his words echoing with an unsettling finality that suggests his consciousness transfer was successful, setting the stage for the true conflict to emerge.
In the confined space of the turbolift, Data seeks Riker's insight on his latest attempt to comprehend human humor, revealing his earnest but flawed approach to humanity through a botched …
The away team, led by Riker, materializes on Gravesworld amid spatial disorientation that foreshadows the coming consciousness transfer. They encounter Kareen and the brilliant but ailing Ira Graves, whose egomaniacal …
The away team's transport to Gravesworld is immediately unsettling, with a prolonged and disorienting materialization process that leaves Troi feeling 'trapped inside that wall.' Pulaski's interrupted question about the transport …
The away team materializes on Gravesworld, greeted by Kareen Brianon—Graves' devoted assistant—who reveals her unilateral call for help against the scientist's wishes, exposing the tension between her protective care and …
The Enterprise away team arrives at Ira Graves' home, where the legendary scientist immediately asserts his presence with equal parts brilliance and bravado. His abrasive charm manifests in lecherous appraisals …
In a tense confrontation aboard Gravesworld, Dr. Pulaski delivers the irrevocable verdict that Ira Graves is dying from Varnay's disease. Graves' bravado momentarily falters as the reality of his mortality …
Following a successful yet bittersweet rescue mission, Picard records a captain's log acknowledging the lives saved but carrying the weight of those lost—his quiet moment of reflection interrupted by Wesley's …
In the Enterprise's observation lounge, Picard reflects on their recent rescue mission while Wesley Crusher eagerly approaches his captain. Sensing Wesley's admiration for Dr. Graves, Picard assigns him as the …
Dr. Pulaski delivers the grim verdict on Ira Graves' terminal condition, met with Kareen's quiet devastation over his emotional withdrawal. The medical pronouncement crystallizes Graves' mortality, while Kareen's revelation that …
In this emotionally charged scene, the dynamics between Kareen, Graves, and the Enterprise crew are laid bare. Kareen firmly rejects Riker's attempt to frame her relationship with Graves in parental …
In Gravesworld's living room, Pulaski delivers the grim prognosis that Ira Graves has only a week to live, revealing his refusal of medical comfort. Kareen's sorrow deepens as she confesses …
In Graves' laboratory, a haunting moment unfolds as the dying scientist whistles 'If I Only Had A Heart'—a melancholic ballad mirroring Data's existential yearning. Graves compels Data to call him …
As Graves continues his melancholic whistling of 'If I Only Had A Heart', Data engages him in a poignant discussion about the mechanical man from the song, hoping for a …
Graves engages Data in a profound philosophical interrogation about the nature of human emotions, particularly desire, revealing the stark limitations of Data's artificial existence. Graves' melancholic reflections on human experiences …
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 …
The Enterprise departs Gravesworld, leaving behind the scientific secrets of the deceased Ira Graves, or so it seems. Captain Picard, Riker, and Pulaski discuss Graves' death, noting Data's surprisingly detached demeanor and his peculiar mention of Graves' 'dying wish,' which raises initial suspicions. Data's behavior grows increasingly unsettling; he approaches Kareen, revealing intimate 'thoughts' of Graves towards her, unnerving her deeply with his uncanny knowledge. He then takes charge of Graves' memorial service on the holodeck, programming an over-the-top, self-aggrandizing tribute that causes the environment to physically react to Graves' name, much to the crew's discomfort and Picard's anger. Data's possessive and arrogant remarks, including calling Wesley 'the child' and dismissing Troi's eulogy, raise significant red flags about his mental state. Picard, concerned by Data's insubordination and strange emotional displays, gently advises him to 'be yourself' and 'relax a little,' hoping to restore Data's usual logical demeanor. However, as Data exits, his somber expression abruptly transforms into a pleased, self-confident smirk, and he begins whistling 'If I Only Had A Heart,' a clear and chilling indication that Ira Graves' consciousness has indeed taken root within Data's positronic brain, now subtly but definitively asserting its presence and influence.
Riker's announcement of the Enterprise's imminent arrival disrupts the isolated group's limbo, forcing them to confront their impending transition. Pulaski verifies medical preparations for Graves' terminal condition, while Kareen's visible …
As the Enterprise prepares to transport them from Gravesworld, Kareen expresses her dread of impending loneliness without Ira Graves. Troi offers textbook reassurance about cosmic opportunities, but it's Worf's raw …
In Graves' laboratory, Data attempts to comfort the dying scientist with praise for his stoicism, unwittingly triggering Graves' defensive ego. Their exchange—part philosophical debate, part dark comedy—reveals Graves' plan to …
Graves, in a moment of candid defiance against his terminal diagnosis, reveals to Data his plan to cheat death by transferring his consciousness into a computer. This shocking declaration shifts …
In a chilling revelation, Ira Graves discloses his plan to cheat death by transferring his consciousness into a computer, framing it as a scientific triumph. Data's initial awe turns to …
Data and Graves share a philosophical exchange about death, with Graves boasting of his genius and past charm in a mix of bravado and dark humor. As Data ponders an …
As the Enterprise crew gathers in Graves' living room, the formalities of Starfleet protocol momentarily mask the heavy grief lingering in the air. Captain Picard extends condolences to Kareen, Graves' …
As the Enterprise crew gathers in Graves' living room, Captain Picard arrives with urgent intentions to transport everyone back to the ship, emphasizing medical priorities. Counselor Troi informs Picard of …
Data's sudden return and blunt declaration of Graves' death—'in my arms, just a few moments ago'—shatters the solemn atmosphere of Graves' living room. The revelation lands like a physical blow, …
The Enterprise departs Gravesworld, marking the nominal conclusion of their mission. Captain Picard voices his melancholic log entry, acknowledging their failure to preserve Ira Graves' scientific legacy as the planet …
As the Enterprise withdraws from Gravesworld, Captain Picard records a somber supplemental log, formally acknowledging their failure to preserve Ira Graves' scientific legacy—a loss compounded by the poignant visual of …
As the Enterprise departs Gravesworld, Kareen Brianon stands alone in the observation lounge, her silent gaze fixed on the receding planet—a visual metaphor for both physical and emotional distance. Captain …
Concern for Data's increasingly erratic behavior mounts among the crew, with Picard and Riker speculating that the loss of Graves, who Data viewed as a 'grandfather,' might have triggered an emotional breakdown. On the bridge, Data's arrogance escalates dramatically; he dismisses Wesley's attempts at humor, boasts of his own multifaceted 'genius,' and openly displays intense jealousy towards Picard and Riker's attention to Kareen. His insubordination reaches a breaking point when he publicly accuses the Captain and First Officer of dishonorable intentions regarding Kareen, prompting Picard to relieve him of duty. In his quarters, Data's narcissism is fully unleashed as he shamelessly preens before a mirror, reveling in his 'immortal' android body and expressing a desire for immortality. A physical examination by Pulaski reveals no mechanical fault, pushing the crew to consider a deeper, psychological cause for his transformation. Counselor Troi, conducting a psychotronic stability examination, makes the shocking discovery: two distinct personalities now reside within Data, with Graves' unbalanced, brilliant, yet paranoid and violent psyche rapidly consuming the original Data, threatening to erase him forever. This revelation confirms the true nature of the threat and raises the stakes to an existential level for Data, as the crew realizes the dire situation at hand.
In Picard's ready room, the crew confronts the unsettling implications of Ira Graves' consciousness transfer into Data—a revelation met with chilling pragmatism from the android. Data confirms Graves' swift biological …
In Picard's ready room, the senior officers discuss Ira Graves' failed attempt to transfer his consciousness into Data. While Pulaski clinically confirms Graves' rapid death, Data sharply corrects her when …
In Captain Picard's ready room, the crew processes Ira Graves' death. Picard gently probes Data for emotional response, expecting grief, but Data responds with chilling philosophical detachment, framing mortality as …
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 …
Captain Picard and Wesley find Data at the holodeck entrance, where he abruptly stops programming the environment—specifically noting it should warm when Ira Graves' name is mentioned, an early red …
Data's subtle reprogramming of the holodeck to respond to Ira Graves's name reveals the first tangible evidence of Graves's consciousness imprinting on his systems. As Data interacts with Picard and …
The truth of Graves' consciousness possessing Data's body explodes onto the Enterprise. Data, now fully controlled by Graves' unstable psyche, confronts Kareen, revealing his successful transfer and newfound immortality. He chillingly demonstrates his enhanced physical capabilities by brutally attacking Worf and two security guards, reveling in his capacity for violence and showcasing his ruthless nature. Graves-as-Data then seizes total control of the bridge, holding Geordi at phaser-point and threatening the entire crew unless Captain Picard complies with his demands to colonize a distant planet where he and Kareen can rule unchallenged. Picard attempts to reason with him, appealing to Data's original personality, but Graves' megalomania is too strong, his plans for enslavement chillingly clear. In a desperate gambit, Picard brings Kareen to the viewscreen, urging her to reject Graves. Kareen, despite her initial reluctance and distress, bravely confronts Graves-as-Data on the bridge, unleashing a torrent of verbal abuse, calling him a 'monster' and a 'pathetic pile of machinery.' Her words, specifically designed to shatter his fragile ego and expose his deepest insecurities, prove devastatingly effective. Overwhelmed by her rejection, Graves' consciousness collapses, transferring itself into the ship's computer before vanishing entirely. Data awakens, restored to his original self but with no memory of the ordeal, while Kareen is left to mourn the tragic end of the man she knew, and the Enterprise resumes its normal course, the immediate threat averted but the emotional scars remaining.
In the tense confines of the Captain's Ready Room, Picard and Geordi confront the unsettling psychological transformation consuming Data. Geordi, forced to assess his friend's breakdown, posits that Data's desperate …
Counselor Troi delivers a shattering diagnosis from the viewscreen: Data's mind now hosts Graves' violently dominant consciousness, which is actively consuming Data's original identity. Her empathic scans reveal Graves' seething …
Captain Picard and Geordi La Forge grapple with the unsettling reality of Data's psychological disintegration as Counselor Troi reveals her disturbing findings: Graves' consciousness has not just invaded but is …
In the Observation Lounge, Kareen realizes with horror that Ira Graves has fully possessed Data's body, as he gleefully demonstrates his newfound physical power and immortality. Graves' brutal takedown of …
In a chilling confrontation, Graves—trapped within Data's android form—reveals himself to Kareen with a volatile mix of triumphant euphoria and sadistic menace. His violent metamorphosis is showcased as he crushes …
In the Observation Lounge, Graves—now fully inhabiting Data's android body—reveals himself to Kareen with grotesque exhilaration, celebrating his newfound physical power by crushing an object and musing about his childhood …
In the observation lounge, Graves-in-Data reveals his transferred consciousness to Kareen with manic triumph, showcasing his newfound power by crushing an object mid-monologue about childhood bullying. His godlike euphoria turns …
After subtly confirming his identity as Graves to the terrified Kareen, Data reveals both his euphoria at achieving immortality and his latent violent impulses—crushing an object in his hand and …
Graves, now fully inhabiting Data's body, escalates his takeover by holding Geordi at phaser-point on the bridge, demanding the crew's evacuation. Picard's attempt to appeal to Data's dormant friendship momentarily …
In the observation lounge, Graves-as-Data demonstrates terrifying volatility—one moment softening with recognition of Geordi, the next violently pressing a kill-setting phaser to his head. This palpably unstable oscillation exposes Data's …
Graves-in-Data holds Geordi at phaser-point, demanding the bridge's evacuation—a negotiation Picard submits to in a protective gambit. Data's fleeting recognition of Geordi reveals the android's buried consciousness before Graves violently …
A harrowing confrontation erupts as Graves-in-Data wavers violently between identities, pressing a phaser against Geordi's head while taunting Picard with lethal brinkmanship. The android's fractured psyche is on full display—moments …
Picard assembles his senior staff in the Observation Lounge to strategize against Graves' escalating takeover of the Enterprise. Pulaski warns of Graves' deteriorating mental state, while Worf and Geordi confirm …
In the tense confines of the observation lounge, Picard orchestrates a desperate strategy to reclaim the Enterprise from Graves' grasp. Troi sensitively probes Kareen, appealing to her humanity to reject …
In the observation lounge, Picard and his senior officers strategize to reclaim the Enterprise from Graves, who has taken over Data's body. Pulaski warns of Graves' unstable mind, while Worf …
Graves, now fully merged with Data's android body after his consciousness transfer, confronts Picard with a chilling vision of enslavement and empire-building. Their ideological clash escalates into physical violence when …
Picard's verbal confrontation with Graves-in-Data exposes the philosopher-scientist's fundamental insecurity beneath his godlike aspirations. When Picard accuses him of murdering his own legacy (by overwriting Data), Graves' veneer of intellectual …
As Picard teeters on the edge of death at the hands of Graves-in-Data's violent outburst, Kareen steps onto the bridge with a calculated fury. Her blistering verbal assault—calling Graves a …
The crew bursts into Data's quarters to find him collapsed, fearing Graves has fully usurped his android body. Their relief is palpable when Data awakens with his familiar mannerisms—the dry …
The crew's relief at Data's apparent reawakening curdles into unease as his hyper-literal responses reveal uncanny artificiality. While Riker and Picard initially celebrate his return through familiar banter about jokes …
The crew rushes to Data's quarters to find him inert after his possession by Ira Graves. Riker's attempt to revive him is met with Data's characteristic literal-mindedness and humor, confirming …
The crew bursts into Data's quarters to find him inert by the computer. When revived, Data's innocent questions and attempt at humor reassure everyone of his true identity's return—except Kareen, …