Data (Star Trek TNG)

Overview
A Soong-Type Android created in the 24th Century, Data is a fully functional and sentient synthetic life form created in 2338 by Dr. Noonien Soong, a reclusive cybernetics genius. He became a dedicated and noteworthy Starfleet officer, rising to the post of Second Officer and Chief Operation Officer aboard the USS Enterprise-D and later the USS Enterprise-E. Often childlike and naive in certain respects yet possessing immense physical and intellectual capabilities accompanied with surprising wisdom; Data has an ongoing struggle to better understand and emulate human behavior and emotions.

Data first appeared on September 28, 1987 in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation premiere episode "Encounter at Farpoint". He was portrayed by Brent Spiner throughout the series run and a number of feature films focusing on the Next Generation cast. He was apparently destroyed in the feature film, Star Trek: Nemesis sacrificing his 'existence' to save the lives of his human crewmates in 2379.

Data is considered by many to be the main star of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the successor of the original Star Trek 's Spock character who was an "outsider" who provided a unique perspective on humanity. One of the most popular members of the TNG cast, Data had a number of episodes dedicated towards him and several important plotlines in the series and feature films dedicated or revolved around him.

Films

 * Star Trek: Generations (1994)
 * Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
 * Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
 * Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Season 1

 * Encounter at Farpoint
 * The Naked Now
 * Code of Honor
 * The Last Outpost
 * Where No One Has Gone Before
 * Lonely Among Us
 * Justice
 * The Battle
 * Hide and Q
 * Haven
 * The Big Goodbye
 * Datalore
 * Angel One
 * 11001001
 * Too Short a Season
 * When the Bough Breaks
 * Home Soil
 * Coming of Age
 * Heart of Glory
 * The Arsenal of Freedom
 * Symbiosis
 * Skin of Evil
 * We'll Always Have Paris
 * Conspiracy
 * The Neutral Zone

Season 2

 * The Child
 * Where Silence Has Lease
 * Elementary, Dear Data
 * The Outrageous Okona
 * Loud as a Whisper
 * The Schizoid Man
 * Unnatural Selection
 * A Matter of Honor
 * The Measure of a Man
 * The Dauphin
 * Contagion
 * The Royale
 * Time Squared
 * The Icarus Factor
 * Pen Pals
 * Q Who
 * Samaritan Snare
 * Up the Long Ladder
 * Manhunt
 * The Emissary
 * Peak Performance
 * Shades of Gray

Season 3

 * Evolution
 * The Ensigns of Command
 * The Survivors
 * Who Watches the Watchers
 * The Bonding
 * Booby Trap
 * The Enemy
 * The Price
 * The Vengeance Factor
 * The Defector
 * The Hunted
 * The High Ground
 * Déjà Q
 * A Matter of Perspective
 * Yesterday's Enterprise
 * The Offspring
 * Sins of the Father
 * Allegiance
 * Captain's Holiday
 * Tin Man
 * Hollow Pursuits
 * The Most Toys
 * Sarek
 * Ménage à Troi
 * Transfigurations
 * The Best of Both Worlds: Part 1

Season 4

 * The Best of Both Worlds: Part 2
 * Brothers
 * Suddenly Human
 * Remember Me
 * Legacy
 * Reunion
 * Future Imperfect
 * Final Mission
 * The Loss
 * Data's Day
 * The Wounded
 * Devil's Due
 * Clues
 * First Contact
 * Galaxy's Child
 * Night Terrors
 * Identity Crisis
 * The Nth Degree
 * Qpid
 * The Drumhead
 * Half a Life
 * The Host
 * The Mind's Eye
 * In Theory
 * Redemption: Part 1

Season 5

 * Redemption: Part 2
 * Darmok
 * Ensign Ro
 * Silicon Avatar
 * Disaster
 * The Game
 * Unification: Part 1
 * Unification: Part 2
 * A Matter of Time
 * New Ground
 * Hero Worship
 * Violations
 * The Masterpiece Society
 * Conundrum
 * Power Play
 * Ethics
 * The Outcast
 * Cause and Effect
 * The First Duty
 * Cost of Living
 * The Perfect Mate
 * Imaginary Friend
 * I, Borg
 * The Next Phase
 * The Inner Light
 * Time's Arrow: Part 1

Season 6

 * Time's Arrow: Part 2
 * Realm of Fear
 * Man of the People
 * Relics
 * Schisms
 * True Q
 * Rascals
 * A Fistful of Datas
 * The Quality of Life
 * Chain of Command: Part 1
 * Chain of Command: Part 2
 * Ship in a Bottle
 * Aquiel
 * Face of the Enemy
 * Tapestry
 * Birthright: Part 1
 * Birthright: Part 2
 * Starship Mine
 * Lessons
 * The Chase
 * Frame of Mind
 * Suspicions
 * Rightful Heir
 * Second Chances
 * Timescape
 * Descent: Part 1

Season 7
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 * Descent: Part 2
 * Liaisons
 * Interface
 * Gambit: Part 1
 * Gambit: Part 2
 * Phantasms
 * Dark Page
 * Attached
 * Force of Nature
 * Inheritance
 * Parallels
 * The Pegasus
 * Homeward
 * Sub Rosa
 * Lower Decks
 * Thine Own Self
 * Masks
 * Eye of the Beholder
 * Genesis
 * Journey's End
 * Firstborn
 * Bloodlines
 * Emergence
 * Preemptive Strike
 * All Good Things...: Part 1
 * All Good Things...: Part 2

Star Trek: Enterprise

 * These Are the Voyages... (uncredited voiceover)

Trivia

 * The character of Data was based on several unused concepts by Gene Roddenberry. The first was the titular character from a 1974 television movie The Questor Tapes who was an android who was seeking to become more human and a Vulcan character known as Xon from the 1978 Star Trek: Phase II project which was an attempt to revive the series. Intended to serve as a replacement for Leonard Nimoy's Spock character, Xon was actually a new graduate from the Vulcan Science Academy and a full blooded Vulcan as well as being an absurdly young prodigy who was very interested in learning about humanity itself and emotions.
 * Brent Spiner had to endure extensive makeup tests after being cast in the role of Data as the final appearance of the android was not yet determined. He was painted every palette color including bubblegum pink and battleship grey before they decided on his defining look of bright gold with yellow irised contacts.
 * Brent Spiner reported that he was originally opposed to the idea of being forced to wear makeup for the role of Data believing that: "My argument with Gene was, 'If you could make a creature that moves like this and looks like this and thinks like this, why can't you do the skin?' And Gene's response was, 'What makes you think what you have isn't better than skin?' And that's very difficult to argue with."
 * The character of Data was inducted into Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame on April 9, 2008. The Robot Hall of Fame includes such fictional characters as Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still; R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars Franchise; Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet; and the T-800 from the Terminator Franchise as well as real-life robots such as the Unimate, the first industrial robot created by General Motors and ASIMO, the first walking robot created by Honda Motors.

Quotes

 * "We're all more than the sum of our parts, Data. You'll have to be more than the sum of your programming." ―Deanna Troi to Data; Star Trek: The Next Generation, "In Theory"