STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
Season 3, Episode 16

The Offspring

Series: The Next Generation - (1987-1994)
Season: 3
Episode #: 3.16
Production #: 40273-164
Original Airdate: 03/12/1990

Writer(s): René Echevarria
Director(s): Jonathan Frakes

Guest Stars
Hallie Todd as Lal
Nicolas Coster as Vice Admiral Anthony Haftel
Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan
Judyann Elder as Lt. Ballard
Diane Moser as a Ten Forward Crew Person
Hayne Bayle as a Ten Forward Crew Person
Maria Leone as a Ten Forward Crew Person
James G. Becker as a Ten Forward Crew Person

Uncredited Guest Stars
Rachen Assapiomonwait as Ensign Nelson
Michael Braveheart as Ltjg. Martinez
Carrie Crain as a Ten Forward Waitress
Leonard Crofoot as the Lal Mannequin
Kristina Kochoff as the Andorian Lal
Mark Lentry as a Sciences Division Officer
Debbie Marsh as a Civilian
Tim McCormack as Ensign Bennett
Michael Moorehead as a Sciences Division Ensign
Keith Rayve as a Command Division Ensign
John Rice as a Sciences Division Officer
Guy Vardaman as Lt. Darien Wallace
Andy Wiley as the Human Male Lal

Stardate: 43657.0

Synopsis

Hoping to further his creator's work and perpetuate his species, Data creates an android named Lal, who receives Data's programming through neural transfers. Although Picard is apprehensive about Starfleet's reaction to the unauthorized experiment, he allows Data to continue his research.

Allowed to select its own appearance, Lal chooses the form of a human female. As she becomes increasingly capable of perception and feeling, Data enrolls Lal in school so that she can assimilate human behavior. When the android has difficulty fitting in with the children, Guinan agrees to let her work in Ten Forward, where she can supervise Lal's socialization process, and where Lal can study many different kinds of people.

Meanwhile, Starfleet Admiral Haftel learns of Data's creation and informs Picard that he wants to transfer Lal to a research station where he can more closely monitor her progress. When Picard refuses, citing Lal and Data's mutual need to remain together for full developmental growth, Haftel gets permission to come aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise to observe Lal and is empowered to remove her from the ship if he is dissatisfied by what he sees.

[ Complete Screencap Index ]

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Haftel is convinced that a bar is an unacceptable environment for Lal and orders her removed from Ten Forward. He then meets with Lal in the hopes of convincing her to leave the Enterprise, but she firmly states her desire to remain with her "father" Data and the crew. Upset by her meeting with the Admiral, Lal seeks out Troi, who is stunned to sense the emotion of fear emanating from the android.

After Haftel informs Data that Lal will be taken from the starship, Picard states his intention to defy the admiral's orders, but their face-off is interrupted by an emergency call from Troi. Data and Haftel rush to Lal's side, only to find that she is dying. Troi tells them that Lal's functions broke down after experiencing an extraordinary range of feelings in the counselor's presence.

In a valiant effort to save Lal, Haftel joins Data in repairing the android's malfunction, but her neural pathways shut down faster than they can fix them. After Lal thanks Data for her life and tells him that she loves him, her neural system fails and she expires. Unable to experience the grief and emotion the crew feels at Lal's loss, Data must be content with Lal's memories of life, which he transfers to his brain.

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