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Data's darkest moment comes in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Most Toys," a brilliant episode of sci-fi television. Since his debut in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the android Data quickly became one of the show's most beloved characters. With his endearing personality and quest to become human, Data was surprisingly relatable.
As a prominent member of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) Enterprise-D crew, Data saved the ship on more than one occasion. He was one of the most understanding members of the ship's crew, but even he could be pushed too far. This is what happens in TNG season 3, episode 22, "The Most Toys," in which an insidious collector named Kivas Fajo (Saul Rubinek) kidnaps Data to keep the one-of-a-kind android in his personal collection.
Data Makes a Shockingly Dark Decision in "The Most Toys"
After Kivas Fajo kidnaps Data and fakes his death, he takes the android to his locked collection room. Data initially refuses to cooperate, but when Fajo threatens the people who work for him, Data eventually complies.
Thanks in part to a stellar performance from Saul Rubinek, Kivas Fajo remains one of the most despicable one-off characters in Star Trek history, and even Data grows upset by Fajo's actions. Fajo eventually does kill one of the women who works for him, and when Data gets his hands on Fajo's phaser, the collector taunts Data, falsely believing the android won't be able to kill him.
Data's programming generally prevents him from harming other lifeforms, but Data knows he cannot allow Fajo to continue his actions. In the end, Data appears to fire a deadly phaser weapon at Fajo, reasoning that he would be preventing further harm by killing Fajo. As he's beamed back to the Enterprise-D, Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) notices that a weapon has supposedly discharged during transport.
When questioned, Data says that something must have happened during the transport. The question of whether Data truly fired the weapon is left unanswered, although the evidence suggests that he did indeed try to kill Fajo. According to the episode's writer, Shari Goodhartz, Data did indeed fire his weapon, and, had it been up to her, the ending would have been less ambiguous.
Assuming Data fired his weapon, that's an incredibly dark, but entirely human response from the android. He was so angered and hurt by Fajo's actions that he could not, in good conscience, let the man live. It's a shocking decision for Data, but one that makes a certain kind of sense, too.
"The Most Toys" Is an Underrated Sci-fi Episode
Not only is "The Most Toys" one of Data's greatest Star Trek episodes, but it's also one of the best episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's a tense hour that belongs almost entirely to Brent Spiner and Saul Rubinek. Both actors play off of one another well, and their performances help elevate the episode, transforming it into what should be a Star Trek classic.
Data's journey to discover his own humanity was one of the best continuing storylines on TNG, and "The Most Toys" marks an important step along that journey. Data's decision to shoot Fajo reveals the darker side of his humanity and hints at the villain he could become if he chose to go against his conscience. Episodes like "The Most Toys" cement Data as one of Star Trek's most fascinating characters, showing multiple sides to the lovable android.
"The Most Toys" may not get as much love as some episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it should be considered a masterpiece. It not only offers fascinating insight into Data as a character, but also has an interesting story and a great Star Trek guest star. It's a highly underrated episode that belongs on more best-of lists, and it marks an integral moment along Data's journey to find his humanity.
