He's right, it does make perfect sense for Data to go out the way he did. People just " didnt like" it because they had an emotional link to the character. For some fans, it was like losing a friend ( well... kinda). Sign of great acting and character development
To me, Brent Spiner is the best actor that ever played in Star Trek. All the nuances that went into the character of Data, his evil twin Lore and the other characters that he played throughout the series like Dr. Arik Soong in STE. He is a truly talented theater actor and yet he didn't bring all that "over the top" theater performance that is felt with other theater actors that have played in the show. Also, the evolution of his character from robot to man was truly unique and interesting interpretation in ST. I have just finished watching ST:TNG again and i can honestly say i will miss him the most.
Him and Sir Patrick Stewart are the best actors to ever have been in Star Trek. Which makes sense, because both of them are traditional theater actors and are good friends in real life.
ST has many very good actors, especially in DS9 in my opinion, so if I had to pick just one at gunpoint, it would be Jeffrey Combs (Weyoun, Brunt, Shran). But I assume you would consider him being theatrically over the top for your own taste,which I'd understand.
He’s also very sweet, I met him at DST Birmingham and gave him a letter telling him how I feel about him, and to this day, my feelings haven’t changed at all! I love this guy with all my heart, and I always will!
It was nice to hear Brent sharing his perspective on playing a role that become as iconic in its own way as Gene had envisioned for Leonard. Not many of these parts come along in any genre.
nemesis was great in the fact that the reaction of Datas death, proves that we all saw him as human, we mourned him as a human rather then a machine . shows how great a job brent had done that everyone was shocked the moment he made a human decision to sacrifice himself for his captain. he became fully human at the end
You hit the nail on the head!! I agree with Brent that why would anyone not like the ending and that it made sense to end it that way. Besides, he left it open with the transfer of his memories to B4! Oh well, you can't please everybody!
@Wesley harmon DATA gave his life once before (B4) but because he eventually came back nobody automatically remembers. 'Times Arrow' was one of my all time favorite STNG episodes.
Thank you for being Data. I too hated when Data died, but I also understand the thought behind it and it does make sense but it still tore my heart out when Data sacrificed himself.
Mr Data is one of the best T.V. Characters in Television History. I learnt a lot of things from him when I was growing up... especially I remember one chapter when he lost a game. Then the Captain told him, " You can make no mistakes and still lose." Well that was a incredible piece of writing. R.I.P Mr. Data.
Fans just didn't want to see Data die. Period. So beloved is he. But Brent is right, it was a fitting enough conclusion to the character's journey. An aging chip? I hadn't thought of that...
Arnold is coming back as an old terminator.. their excuse is that a terminator has human skin on the outside that naturally ages in the same way.. lol.
There is that film Bicentennial Man where Robin Williams plays a robot who decides he wants to age to be more like a human, and I always thought that would also have been a perfect solution for having Data in future Trek.
I think, if Data were to die in a different way, it would have to be for something more personal- perhaps he'd get shot saving Geordi and would die in his arms or another closer friend than Picard (who really only seemed to have a curious professional relationship with Data).
EXACTLY i've been saying the same thing...people loved data TOO much to be ok with his character being killed off AND this movie just rips off Wrath of Khan by doing that anyway so it was already explored before. the dual identity parrallell dimension thing sounded way better...too bad rick berman screwed that up
Data was the reason why I watched TNG... The journey of discovery he made was brilliant comedy, and when he sacrificed himself, i cried. He did the right thing and it was time for Brent to release the character. There was no other character i enjoyed more. There is only one Cmd Data..... Best wishes for the future
I think the best news that I took away from this was that not only does Brent feel creatively fulfilled, but that the whole cast treats eachother like a big family. that's all I could ever want for people that made such a positive impact on my life growing up.
Amazing how the became so close. Most of them were well into their 30's or 40's when this journey began. They were all well developed actors. Imagine having the journey of your life take flight at middle age and then go into the stratosphere....
The death of Data was fitting but as a lifelong fan it was like losing a family member whom you've cherished seeing them die. I remember watching the first episode of Star Trek TNG back in 1987, I've been a fan since early 70s. It hard to see even good things end.
I suppose they could use digital anti-ageing these days, or something like DeepFake using TNG footage, but in the teaser trailer it looks like they went for the "ageing chip" idea.
I'm #27 like... Yes he is playing DATA but B4 was not exactly designed with all the complexities that DATA had or Dr. Noonien Soong wouldn't have redesigned him. I would very much like to see where the story line goes in the new series.
The reason I'm sad is because I was hoping Data would live on (even off screen) for another few years.... I think of all the people he touched and all the memories he possesed.... all gone in an instant! Mr Spiner seems like a very humble and lovely fella. I think he probably gets some weird questions andd werid fan experience but he handles it with aplomb and dignity. Well, I've accepted Data's death because I know the cast lives on and Brent is still around; a part of Data is still around!
I love it that they all still see each other, like an extended family! That’s what sentimental old Trekkies like me dream of. Just like imagining Shatner , Walter Koenig and George Takei and Nichelle Nichols and the rest of the surviving TOS cast getting together for social reunions. The same with DS9 and Voyager and Enterprise too. In a few years time I would hope the family of actors and production cast too from Discovery would be getting together for reunions as well too!
Nemesis was an excellent movie Brent !! It was an edge of the seat for me and my family, in time people will realize the scope and depth of this masterpiece..... Johnnie ....... Ohio.
I really wanted Sela as the villain, she part romulan, has that human connection, already has an adverse relationship with Picard and Denise Crosby was playing the role only a year before in Star Trek Armada.
2019 and so enjoying this. I’ve been waiting for them to put ALL the shows TOGETHER. All characters from STNG, Voyager, Deep Space 9, etc in one epic thunderous amazing compilation! It would, of course, HAVE to be 3 hrs long with an old school way-INTERMISSION! Even with all the ‘streaming channels I’d physically go to see it. Just sayin ❤️
They did an amazing job with nemesis and truth be told I like the scene were data gives his life for the crew he finale had shown that he was human it was an epic movie.
+Joseph Zysk I agree that one part was Data finally reaching the end of his Journey and even if he did die he did it for his Friends and that is what a true friend does.
+Joseph Zysk Failure one of Nemesis is: The light on the Enterprise is not dark. It hast do be bright and comfortable, that's how life is on the Enterprise. And they did it wrong in Nemesis. Nemesis ist definitely the worst of the 10 Star Trek Movies. (10 because i do not count J.R. Abrams's movies as Star Trek)
Picard.... So the borg queen when she had data captured and put flesh on him was able to use his parts with human flesh like they are talking about in episode one! Love it!! She in a way was able to clone data or had the info saved in the borg ship we saw at the end of the episode
How can you not understand Data dying? Isn't sacrificing yourself the ultimate last step of being human? It wasn't just the "i'm programmed to die because they're more important" thing, i think he has proven he is above that reasoning. It was an expression of love and proving he truly had a soul, the thing he was striving for throughout his life on the enterprise coined as his longing to be human.
And now we know that you all did it again! Brent, the fans didn't like it when Data sacrificed himself because we were afraid we'd never see him again! It took almost 20 years, but we did see him again!
Shinzon would have been a far better villain if he was Picard's son. There would be more of an emotional investment in the character towards the audience.
I think the moment he slapped that mobile transporter tag on Picard and said "goodbye" was the moment he had transcended his Android programming and became Human. You can probably take some trechnobabble scans of Data's Positronic brain at that very moment, and you'd see so many circuits and pathways frying while others form in an unexpected and unexplainable manner, as his consciousness exceeded the sum of his parts and forced a sort of evolution from a machine into an entity. Its what I feel
Brent Spiner ist ein toller Schauspieler. Er war und ist der perfekte Data, kann aber auch andere Rollen sehr gut spielen. Was ich nicht wusste, ist dass Brent Spiner eher wie Lore ist. Kleines Beispiel, er rief läute mit der Stimme von Patrick Stewart an. Und er tat dies wirklich überzeugend. 👍
Maybe I should give _Nemesis_ another look. I re-watched _Insurrection_ recently and found myself enjoying it immensely. It's not a "big" movie, but it works for me. I also liked _Generations_ and many do not. Interesting factoid: James Marsters ("Spike" from _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ ) was almost given the part of Shinzon, but when he went to read with Patrick Stewart, he was so geeked-out, he couldn't function and lost the part. 😆He laughs about it now. Marsters played a badass, well-muscled, smoking-hot vampire, but in reality, he's a huge geek...like most people who post below _Star Trek_ RU-vid videos. Since a lot of people dislike _Nemesis_ , I doubt it hurt Marsters' career. (He admits _Dragonball_ probably did and agrees with those who say it sucked, but since I have no idea what that franchise is about, I really don't care.) I sometimes wonder what James Marsters would have done with the role of Shinzon. Do you think he looks more like Patrick Stewart than Tom Hardy does? That's what I kept getting hung up on, of all things. I could suspend my disbelief for warp drive, green-blooded aliens with pointed ears, etc., but Picard's clone looking nothing like him? Somehow that helped derail the movie for me. That makes no sense and yet, there ya go. That brings me to something I want to say...at the end of a huge post below a somewhat obscure video: 🙃 (Hi there, if you're reading this.) Movie likes / dislikes are somewhat subjective. We shouldn't get angry with those whose opinions differ from ours. I'm not sure if it's a symptom of our collapsing society or a cause. Maybe it's both. One thing is certain: Animosity over movies is _not_ healthy. It's been on my mind a lot. For example, the new series, _Picard_ , didn't capture my interest, but I'm not on the warpath about it. It seems some people are. There are more productive things to do with one's time than get worked up over movies and television. We should feel free to critique them, yes, but IMO, there's an unhealthy preoccupation when they fail to live up to our expectations. I was disappointed with how _Game of Thrones_ ended, but luckily, my life doesn't revolve around entertainment. Sure, I was a bit pissed for awhile, but I moved on to other interests.
@@sarahkinsey5434 right. I ALWAYS expected a Q movie. They should have got 2 more movies I think. And Branon Braga and Ronald d Moore should have wrote another. They wrote generations and first Contact. Oh and Frakes should have directed nemesis or another tng movie
"... or Dr. Soong, who invented Data and Lore and B4, he may have had an actual blood son that we could meet who was a scientist who created a brand new android who could be some kid who then does the next 20 movies. Anything could happen. It's Star Trek." I hope he got paid for that!
I actually liked Nemesis (young Tom Hardy as the villain!) and was sad they didn't make another TNG movie to follow up, especially after I heard Brent basically say (in other interviews as well) they were saving bringing Data back for the next movie... Oh well, at least in the comics (and I think the online video game's canon) his memories basically revive him in the body of B4, and he becomes a Starfleet captain with his own ship. That's the fate Data deserves.
Spiner wanted Data to die. It was his choice. He felt that he was too old for the part, even though it was established in season 6 (7?) That Data ages in appearance
Everyone who cheers Brent for it or slates him for being an actor not screenwriter you might want to read the novelisation of the movie. The forward talked about how John Logan came to Rick and Brent and pitched this idea and they knew hardly anything about the show they had made. They had no idea who Remans were or anything, John actually asked them if they even watched the show?? So if you like it or not just remember it was mostly made by a fan for fans, if it went wrong along the way, also remember the studio made them change it....nuff said lol.
@@roberts3741 when they were writing the idea nope, John had to explain details like Remans to them, I believe Rick even got Andorians and Remans mixed up
@@develynseether4426 wow. To be fair I didnt know the Remans were part of Romulan culture - that is, I dont remember them being mentioned. But it's such an easy concept to follow. I would have asked "are the Remans canon?", gotten a quick answer, and that would've been it. That's crazy.
@thebuckrogers22 I know, his reasoning makes sense, and there is hours of that character to watch, and he could essentially come back in B4, who had not achieved sentience (which he actually does in the Star Trek prequel comics to the new movie!!), but people don't want a good thing to end. I know it hasn't ended for them, they're like extended family now, but we don't get to see them anymore. :(
It's funny that he said that Patrick Stewart didn't want to play a Picard that has a son considering how Star Trek: Picard season 3 turned out 10 years later.
To remain good friends, and continue to see each other, is so great. Another Data would always be a copy, and contrived like someone trying to be a copy of your best friend.
And here we are, 9 years after this interview, 17 years after Nemesis - and Data is back. Hallelujah. I wasnt happy with his death because I didnt want him to die. I came to terms with it in 2009 when the "Countdown " comic stated - without elaborating - that Data was the Captain of the Enterprise. And I've been okay with that for 10 years. But now, that unsatisfying (to me) death is going to be given proper dramatic weight, as it's a storyline in Picard. I have no idea how that will play out. Maybe he's a hologram and he is still gone. I hope not. It will be nice to see him again.
Nemesis gets a bad wrap, really. But one of the biggest problems with it are the scenes that were deleted. Seriously. Insert nearly all of them and you get a much better film - including the add-on to the ending.
I'm not sure how many of you follow the star trek timeline, however according to the Star Trek Online game, B4 was rebooted, only to become Data, who eventually becomes Captain of the Enterprise-E.
The problem with Data’s demise in Nemesis was that it was the end of his character… at the end of a BAD movie. It didn’t feel worth it. It wasn’t sufficiently earned.
I hated Data’s death! Not because it was badly written or out of character, but because I selfishly didn’t want my favourite android to die. The way he whispered “Goodbye” after Picard teleports away was just so “aaaaaaagghhhhh”.
It was a lot more like it. I think that it's come about in Picard. Data was a wonderful contradiction. Always never getting it just right. His incident with the Sailing Ship was classic. I'll never forget that! Ever !
As a ST fan, NEXT GEN: Best movie: First Contact. Original movie cast: We’ve got whales! Remember where we parked. I watched the first “free” episode of Picard. I wish I could afford to sign up for all access.
i never understood Data dying in the last movie (thats what he said that studio didnt want to make another one with them so this was lucky to have even been made) and esp since he had an ageing program and they use stunt people anyway. You look close enough at some of the scenes u can see stunt doubles being used when Brent was in his 30s--so Data dying made no sense.
There are some iconic ST characters. Data is one of them thanks to how he was portrayed. But I saw he will be in PICARD (at last in one episode) as will Frakes, Sirtis and the Borg (I forget his name) that they helped become an individual.
i love "its star trek, yeah."It is what it is what it is. Though i understand WHY data had to be sacrificed, i'm still not happy that he does. Though really it was the only way he could achieve his dream of being human.
I think it’s fine and a very brave thing for the writers and producers to do , to kill off such a beloved character. Also I think the ageing chip idea is a very clever way to incorporate the natural ageing of the actor Brent Spiner too and alow him to continue to play the role if he still wants to.
I grew up watching Data. He will always be my favourite. His constant struggles with improving himself always inspired me. His character inspired me in so many ways. *spoilers warning * I cried so much watching what happened to him in the end of Picard series. But it really was a fitting end. They say never meet your hero's. This time I disagree. I really wish I could meet Brent Spiner. At least, ( cuz i know I would babble on like an idiot if I ever met him irl) to thank him for being such a positive influence in my life growing up. Thank you.
There is actually ONE opportunity to bring Data back, and I feel it is absolutely necessary. The comics series "countdown" that describe the events of Romulus that lead to both the JJ Abrams Star Trek movie and the Star Trek Online MMO (which continues main timeline). These events need to be in a visual format. Not necessarily feature film, but a TV movie or stand-alone miniseries. The events ARE official canon, so as such, we need to see them as such so others will accept it.
I always thought Data should have an "aging chip" -- but listening to Brent's explanation here, it makes more sense. I like the idea of Dr. Soong having a son create a new android -- Or, maybe have one of the clones he made in the Enterprise series survive and do something with that... yep. It's Star Trek -- ANYTHING can happen.