History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E11HeroWorship

* DarkSecret: Played with. Timothy ''thinks'' he has one, believing himself to be responsible for the destruction of the ''Vico.'' However, as its' point out, there's no way that what he did could have led to the destruction of the ship. But it is something that a child of his age would take upon himself.

* ChuckCunnnghamSyndrome: Even though the episode ends with Data saying that he'll spend more time with Timothy, the kid is never seen again. Given that he's an orphan, he was likely dropped off at a Federation planet to be adopted.

The ''Enterprise'' is sent to investigate the disappearance of the science vessel SS ''Vico'', and they find it destroyed inside a "black cluster," whatever that is. They beam over an away team to make a copy of the ship’s computer banks, but while they’re there, they find a young boy trapped in the wreckage--the ''Vico''’s only survivor. The transporters can’t pull him through, so Data lifts up the debris to free the boy and gets him to where the transporters can reach just before the whole room collapses on them. The boy, whose name is Timothy, tells Dr. Crusher that an alien ship destroyed the ''Vico'', and that said aliens beamed over and killed everyone on the ship. He was only spared because he was hiding. Data turns to leave and let Timothy rest, but Timothy holds on to Data’s hand. Counselor Troi tells Data to stay with the boy for a while.

Geordi points out that there’s no evidence of anyone beaming onto the ''Vico''. Troi says that she didn’t sense any deception from Timothy about what happened, so Picard, having finally realized that what Troi does or doesn’t sense means precisely squat, concludes the boy must have made up that story for some reason. Troi suggests having Data spend some time with him, which may make him open up about the truth. Now, the boy is in a delicate state, and Data doesn’t have the best track record with handling emotions well, [[IdiotBall so naturally they send him in to talk to the kid alone with no one to keep him from saying something stupid]]. He finds Timothy building a model of an ancient temple, and promptly tells him it sucks. Having reduced an orphan child to tears in almost record time, Data decides his work is done and turns to go, but then changes his mind and further taunts the kid by finishing the model himself, doing that "sped-up footage that’s supposed to look like he’s moving really fast, but instead just looks like sped-up footage" thing. Timothy asks how he did it, and he explains that as an android he has enhanced mental and physical abilities, but no emotions. The tradeoff doesn’t sound so bad to Timothy, who decides to live as an android from then on.

Credit where credit’s due, the kid actually does a pretty good job mimicking Data’s mannerisms. Good enough, evidently, to convince Counselor Troi that this is actually a good idea. She declares that this is an effective way for Timothy to deal with his emotions until he’s ready to face what happened. Picard orders Data to teach Timothy how to be a proper android (the first step, of course, is to slick his hair back). As the two of them spend time together, the ''Enterprise'' enters the black cluster, and almost as soon as they do the ship begins to rock violently as it runs into energy waves. Geordi promises to adjust the shields to compensate. Worf begins to pick up the signals of another ship, but they keep disappearing and moving around. They eventually figure out that these are actually echoes of the ''Enterprise''’s own signals reflecting off the wave fronts.

After observing Timothy in class and seeing him laugh and play with the other kids, Troi determines that Timothy is making progress, and encourages Data to help move things along, by explaining his own desire to be human to Timothy. Data takes Timothy to Ten Forward for smoothies. Timothy enjoys his drink and asks Data how he likes his. Data explains that he neither likes nor dislikes it, since he has no sense of enjoyment. He says that even though androids have more capabilities than humans and don’t feel sadness, he often thinks that he would be willing to trade that for the ability to taste his food.

The gravitational wave fronts become stronger, rendering the ''Enterprise''’s sensors and phasers useless. This goes to prove that the ''Vico'' wasn’t attacked by another ship, because the ship couldn’t have cloaked or fired its weapons. Picard calls Timothy into his ready room to explain what really happened. Timothy confesses that the destruction of the ''Vico'' was his fault, because he accidentally touched one of the ship’s computers, but they assure him that the computers were designed to make that sort of accident impossible. The ''Enterprise'' is rocked by more gravitational waves, and Timothy says that the same thing happened on the ''Vico''. Riker orders the ship to increase shield strength, and Timothy says the ''Vico'' tried the same thing. Each time they strengthen the shields, the waves get stronger, until they threaten to destroy the ship. Based on what Timothy said, Data does some quick checks on the computers, then tells Picard to drop the shields. Picard does so, and the next wave passes harmlessly by. Data explains the gravitational waves were reflecting the energy of their shields back at them.

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (what is ''Franchise/StarTrek'''s [[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable." And then he's never seen again.

* ArtisticLicenseAstronomy: The "black cluster" was supposedly formed when a group of protostars all collapsed into black holes at once, creating an area of generally strong gravity. Needless to say, this isn't how black holes work at all.

The ''Enterprise'' is off to investigate the disappearance of the ''Vico'', and they find it destroyed inside a "black cluster", whatever that is. They beam over an away team to make a copy of the ship’s computer banks, but while they’re there, they find a young boy trapped in the wreckage – the ''Vico''’s only survivor. The transporters can’t pull him through, so Data lifts up the debris to free the boy and gets him to where the transporters can reach just before the whole room collapses on them. The boy, whose name is Timothy, tells Dr. Crusher that an alien ship destroyed the ''Vico'', and that said aliens beamed over and killed everyone on the ship. He was only spared because he was hiding. Data turns to leave and let Timothy rest, but Timothy holds on to Data’s hand. Counselor Troi tells Data to stay with the boy for a while.

Geordi points out that there’s no evidence of anyone beaming onto the ''Vico''. Troi says that she didn’t sense any deception from Timothy about what happened, so Picard, having finally realized that what Troi does or doesn’t sense means precisely squat, concludes the boy must have made up that story for some reason. Troi suggests having Data spend some time with him, which may make him open up about the truth. Now, the boy is in a delicate state, and Data doesn’t have the best track record with handling emotions well, [[IdiotBall so naturally they send him in to talk to the kid alone with no one to keep him from saying something stupid]]. He finds Timothy building a model of an ancient temple, and promptly tells him it sucks. Having reduced an orphan child to tears in almost record time, Data decides his work is done and turns to go, but then changes his mind and further taunts the kid by finishing the model himself, doing that "sped up footage that’s supposed to look like he’s moving really fast, but instead just looks like sped up footage" thing. Timothy asks how he did it, and he explains that as an android he has enhanced mental and physical abilities, but no emotions. The tradeoff doesn’t sound so bad to Timothy, who decides to live as an android from then on.

Credit where credit’s due, the kid actually does a pretty good job mimicking Data’s mannerisms. Good enough, evidently, to convince Counselor Troi that this is actually a good idea. She declares that this is an effective way for Timothy to deal with his emotions until he’s ready to face what happened. Picard orders Data to teach Timothy how to be a proper android (the first step, of course, is to slick his hair back). As the two of them spend time together, the ''Enterprise'' enters the black cluster, and almost as soon as they do the ship begins to rock violently as it runs into energy waves. Geordi promises to adjust the shields to compensate. Worf begins to pick up the signals of another ship, but they keep disappearing and moving around. They eventually figure out that these are actually echoes of the Enterprise’s own signals reflecting off the wave fronts.

After observing Timothy in class and seeing him laugh and play with the other kids, Troi determines that Timothy is making progress, and encourages Data to help move things along. Data takes Timothy to Ten Forward for smoothies. Timothy enjoys his drink and asks Data how he likes his. Data explains that he neither likes nor dislikes it, since he has no sense of enjoyment. He says that even though androids have more capabilities than humans and don’t feel sadness, he often thinks that he would be willing to trade that for the ability to taste his food.

The gravitational wave fronts become stronger, rendering the ''Enterprise''’s sensors and phasers useless. This goes to prove that the ''Vico'' wasn’t attacked by another ship, because the ship couldn’t have cloaked or fired its weapons. Picard calls Timothy into his ready room to explain what really happened. Timothy confesses that the destruction of the Vico was his fault, because he accidentally touched one of the ship’s computers, but they assure him that the computers were designed to make that sort of accident impossible. The ''Enterprise'' is rocked by more gravitational waves, and Timothy says that the same thing happened on the ''Vico''. Riker orders the ship to increase shield strength, and Timothy says the ''Vico'' tried the same thing. Each time they strengthen the shields, the waves get stronger, until they threaten to destroy the ship. Based on what Timothy said, Data does some quick checks on the computers, then tells Picard to drop the shields. Picard does so, and the next wave passes harmlessly by. Data explains the gravitational waves were reflecting the energy of their shields back at them.

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (what is ''Franchise/StarTrek'''s [[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable". And then he's never seen again.

* StandardSciFiFleet: The ''Enterprise-D'' is the big heavy cruiser/exploratory variant of TheBattlestar. The SS ''Vico'' is a civilian-operated tin can of a science ship.
* TheStoic: Timothy becomes this during his emulation of Data, or at least tries to maintain this. He finally breaks out of it when confronted by the crew about what happened to the ''Vico'' after finding out that his story about an ambush wasn't true.

!!This episode provides examples of

* ItsAllMyFault: Timothy blames himself for the destruction of the ''Vico''.

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (what is ''Franchise/StarTrek'''s [[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" (what is ''StarTrek'''s [[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" ([[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier what is]] ''StarTrek'''s [[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" ([[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier what is ''Star Trek''s deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" ([[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier what is ''StarTrek'''s deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" ([[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier what is ''Star Trek'''s deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".

After the children sing a rousing rendition of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" ([[StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier what is ''Star Trek''’s deal with that song, anyway?]]), Data talks to Timothy, who’s no longer acting like an android. He’s still sad about losing his family, but he’s dealing with it. Data tells him that he would be happy to continue spending time with Timothy, which Timothy decides would be... "acceptable".