Data Didn't Need an Emotions Chip

I'm sure this post seems completely random, but hey: blame Our Boi Zack (who recently, out of nowhere, decided to watch and review Generations) -- and the fact that I'm stuck at home and therefore have a lot of time to reflect on random nonsense.

Thesis: Data didn't need an emotions chip. On the contrary, he already had emotions -- from almost the very beginning. Said emotions were very subtle, yes, but they were emotions all the same.

Consider, for instance, "Skin of Evil." At Tasha's funeral, Data arguably expresses grief at her passing. As he says to Picard, "I keep thinking... how empty it will be without her presence." Question: Does your toaster notice when you're gone? Does your Alexa?

We can also closely examine the seminal episode "The Measure of a Man." When Maddox first visits the Enterprise bridge, Data's reaction is quite fascinating; indeed, he's clearly displaying unease. And when he explains the reason for his apparent nervousness - that Maddox once argued he was not sapient - his demeanor there suggests he's undergoing something more than a mere retrieval of data. This, by the way, backs up what he says to Maddox later: that he transcends engineering. Reflect: what could Data mean when he claims his memories contain an essence beyond simple information? And how do we experience that essence?

Of course, we also have one of the most famous scenes in "The Measure of a Man," in which Picard unpacks Data's carry-on for the benefit of the JAG officer (and everyone else present at Data's hearing). Every item in that bag demonstrates Data's capacity to feel. That he's packed his medals, for example, shows that he's capable of pride. And that he's packed Picard's book and Tasha's farewell message reveals his sentimentality.

Data also expresses desires for marriage and family; in one episode, he even builds himself a daughter. And he's obviously cognizant of his own uniqueness -- and the loneliness that engenders. True: he doesn't instinctively understand humor and sarcasm, and he frequently has trouble predicting how people will respond to his well-meaning attempts to interact on a human level. But that makes Data spectrum-y -- not emotionless.

In my view, there was nothing fundamentally wrong with Data that required a patch to fix. He was eminently "human" just the way he was.

But what do you think, gentle readers? Please comment below!