N316

    I WAS MOVED TO TEARS.

    The directing is brilliant and prevents the whole thing from becoming schmaltzy.

    Best Actor: Hallie Todd, she is fantastic from her first scene to her last. It's a big pity she can't return. Oh well.

    Best Scenes:

1. Data and his child arrive home together.
2. Lal holds Data's hand.
3. Riker Meets Lal.
4. Lal dies.
5. Picard stands up to the Admiral for Data's sake.
6. "Smell!!"
7. "He's biting that female!!"
8. "I have somehow mastered it!!"

    There is an awful lot of depth to this episode: a study of parenting, creating life, a sense of wonder at existing, being different, being handicapped, sense of family.

    I'll never forget how much I worried for Lal at each stage of her development: would she succeed in school? In her job? I hoped against hope that she would remain with Data. I cried when she couldn't.

GRADE: A+

    THIS IS MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE EPISODE.

    The Next Generation produced many, many superb episodes in it's long run, but this one is easily my favourite. No other episode managed to make such an emotional impact on me. I've seen it a few times since (three, maybe?) and it always makes me cry.

    Great stuff.

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