Picard Always Knew: Data Is Star Trek TNG"s Away Team MVP

Summary

• Lt. Commander Data's android abilities, including enhanced strength and intelligence, made him a crucial asset on away missions in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Data's observant and open-minded nature, combined with his lack of bias and emotion, allowed him to excel in various situations and display empathy for other life forms.
• While Data's android capabilities saved the day on numerous occasions, his distinct appearance and vulnerability to manipulation also posed challenges during undercover missions and encounters with individuals who understood his technology.

From the earliest episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) proved to be crucial to the success of numerous away missions. As the second officer on the USS Enterprise-D under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Data was always an important member of the crew, but away missions were where the android truly excelled. With his superior strength, intelligence, and agility, Data was instrumental in saving the day on countless occasions. Captain Picard always made sure to play to Data's strengths, and the lovable android became one of Picard's most trusted officers and closest friends.
More than anything, Data wished to be human, and he spent much of Star Trek: The Next Generation studying humanity in order to understand it better. Despite this desire, it was often Data's android abilities that came in most useful on away missions. Not only did Data have the enhanced abilities of an android, but he was also incredibly observant and open-minded. He noticed things that others missed and approached every situation without bias or emotion. While Data did not technically experience human emotions, he cared deeply about those around him and often displayed empathy and concern for other life forms in Data's best Star Trek episodes.