The Schizoid Man is an episode that just doesn’t fire on all cylinders. The character of Dr. Graves is exceptionally irritating and the story, while plausible within the realm of science fiction, doesn’t do enough to highlight the real message of the episode: that Data is just as valuable a life form as Dr. Graves.

Unfortunately for the episode, Dr. Graves’ character is arrogant, irritating, chauvinistic, and downright rude. It’s problematic because if we had been able to identify with his character a bit more, we would have been more likely to empathize with his plight — both before he dies, and after he transfers his consciousness to Data. As it stands in the episode, we simply cannot wait for Graves to die — one way or the other.

Data is, yet again, given a focus in this episode with the purpose of exploring both humanity and the nature of “life.” The introductory scenes where he attempts to wear a beard are amusing. But they serve little real purpose for either the episode or his overall character arc.

Unfortunately for us, Data’s character is absent for the rest of the episode. At first, it is interesting to see Data behaving differently, but once he truly assumes Graves’ personality, the performance becomes just as grating as Graves himself.

A slight improvement over Loud as a Whisper, The Schizoid Man is an episode that, unless you are a die-hard fan, is neither very interesting or enjoyable to watch.

Filed under: TNG Reviews