![[DISCUSSION] In TNG's "The Most Toys" (s3e22), did Data lie about firing the disruptor?](https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/3bde53cd-b0ed-41da-a851-41ee70448045.png){kind=link}
Episode premise:
Kivas Fajo is determined to add the unique Data to his prized collection of one-of-a-kind artefacts and, staging Data’s apparent death, he imprisons him aboard his ship.
We know that Data is later logically coerced to lie in “Clues” to protect the crew, but this appears to be a decision all his own. Or did he not in fact actually fire the weapon?
The glancing look in question:
Data is typically straightforward and matter-of-fact with his responses. This one seems a little more “human” as it were. He’d rather redirect than answer.
Data’s answer was “you don’t want the real answer” and Riker and O’Brien decided they didn’t.
Seems like it. Kinda wish he noticed the start of his beam out, then quickly put the disruptor on overload and threw it toward Fajo. The trek equivalent of not looking back at the explosion.
“It looks like your collector’s value is about to go down.”
puts on sunglasses
Yeah, I don’t have an explanation for the out-of-character-ness for that (at least that early in the series), but I would assume his report included all of the details as they occurred (including an official answer to the question posed here).
My theory is he did, indeed, intend to kill Fajo but the writers/executives wanted some wiggle room so we got that.
I’m sure the vagueness is intentional, but hey, it gets us talking and debating decades later.