“The Measure of a Man” is episode nine of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is en route to the newly established Starbase 173 for port call and crew rotation. In Commander Riker’s quarters, Data, Geordi, Dr Pulaski, O’Brien and Riker himself are sitting down to play cards. Five card stud to start with. Data says the game is exceedingly simple and bets are made according to the relative strength of the hand. O’Brien comments that it’s time to pluck a chicken. In the first hand, Pulaski, Geordi and O’Brien all fold. Data asks if Riker’s expression is a poker face. Data folds as well. Riker had nothing. He bluffed. Data says it makes very little sense to do so when you cannot win. Except, Riker points out, he did win. He was betting Data wouldn’t call. The doctor says that was done through instinct.
Captain Picard is sitting in the lounge of the starbase when he sees someone and goes over to greet her. Captain Phillipa Louvois. Picard says she’s back in uniform. It’s 10 years since they last saw each other; Picard says it feels like 50. If there weren’t people around, can Louvois guess what he’d like to do? Bust a chair across her teeth is the reply. Yes; but after that? She comments about love being wonderful. Evidently, they have a complicated history.
Louvois is in charge of the 23rd sector JAG office. Brand new, just her and a terrified little ensign. Picard says she came back to Starfleet and says she had no reason to leave. She says she was forced out. The captain says no; it was her stubborn pride. It seems that Louvois prosecuted Picard during the Stargazer court-martial. He says she enjoyed it. She denies that; it’s standard procedure when a ship is lost. Picard claims Louvois enjoys the adversarial process more than getting to the truth. She thinks it’s good to see him again. It brings order and stability to her universe to know he’s still a pompous ass. And damned sexy. Admiral Nakamura comes over at this point and introduces Commander Bruce Maddox to Picard. Maddox has a proposal.
When they arrive on the bridge of the Enterprise, Maddox is eying Data. Picard is saying that he’s surprised a starbase was constructed so close to the Neutral Zone. Nakamura says there have been disturbing reports from both sides of the Neutral Zone. And they can let the Romulans know they’re here. Maddox is getting impatient and what he wants is brought up. Here’s there to work on Picard’s android. Data knows Maddox; he was the sole member of the group that evaluated Data when Data applied to Starfleet Academy to oppose it on the grounds that Data is not a sentient being. Maddox’s work will entail disassembling Data.
Maddox, Picard, Riker and Data meet in the observation lounge. Maddox has been continuing the work of Dr Noonian Soong and believes he’s close to being able to duplicate Data. The first step is to disassemble and study it. It being Data. Data thinks it sounds intriguing. However, when Data Maddox goes into more detail, Data is less than impressed with Maddox’s research and skills. Picard cannot allow Data to be subjected to such a risky experiment. Maddox was afraid of that. He has orders transferring Data to Starbase 173 under his command.
The captain speaks to Data in his ready room. The conversation leads Picard to look up Starfleet regulations on the transfer of personnel, and then head to see Captain Louvois in the hopes she can make sense of the gobbledygook. Picard can’t stop the transfer and doesn’t trust Maddox. It is unjustified and unfair; Data has rights. Is there an option? There is always an option; Data could resign. Overall, the conversation could have gone better.
Data is packing, including a hologram of Tasha Yar. Maddox enters when Data is in another part of his quarters. Data asks if it’s not customary to request permission before entering someone’s quarters. Maddox is here to try and persuade Data. Data uses his recent poker game to illustrate why he doesn’t want to do it. He has resigned from Starfleet. That isn’t going to stop Maddox.
Maddox has Data declared the property of Starfleet, and assigned to him. When Picard asks Louvois if he can challenge it, it seems he can. So, they have a trial to determine whether or not Data is property. Due to a shortage of staff, Captain Picard will defend Data. And Commander Riker will make the case for Data being property. And if Riker refuses, or fails to do this to the best of his ability, Louvois will automatically have Data ruled as being property. Not a comfortable situation for the commander. At one point, he smiles, because he realises he can win. Then his face drops – because he realises he can win.