‘THE MOST TOYS‘ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
In this episode, Data gets kidnapped and becomes part of a collection. I believe I saw this episode only once on DVD back in 2005. I don’t regard it highly, but neither do I feel this is an awful TV story.
‘The Most Toys’ begins with the Enterprise collecting some hitridium to help a colony world suffering from contamination of its water supply. They collect this hitridium from a trade ship called the Jovis.
Data is the one who is collecting the volatile substance and has done several trips transporting the hitridium from the Jovis to the Enterprise. His final trip however doesn’t go exactly according to plan.
Before he goes back, Data gets kidnapped by the Jovis crew led by Varria. The shuttlecraft travels back to the Enterprise crew before it explodes in space. The Enterprise crew are so shocked by this.
Now this is an observation on my part. Why didn’t Data have someone accompany him? He was alone when collecting the hitridium. Should it be a two-person mission to see the transport of cargo?
In fact, it would make it exciting and tense if Data and another person were kidnapped. Data would be threatened to do the biding of Zibalian trader Kiva Fajo if that other person was getting tortured.
And yes, after Data’s shuttlecraft is destroyed, Picard is in contact with Kivas Fajo who is apologetic about the ‘demise’ of their crewmember. Picard and the others are unaware Fajo is deceiving them.
The Enterprise crew believe that Data is dead. But due to the emergency with the colony world needing their help, they’re forced to leave. Will they discover the truth about what really happened?
Meanwhile, Data is held captive aboard the Jovis and he meets Saul Rubinek as Kivas Fajo. Fajo wants to add Data to his collection of rare and valuable objections, since he considers him so unique.
Most of the episode with Data has him protesting to Fajo that he won’t comply with his wishes and is determined to return to the Enterprise. Fajo treats him like a prize and doesn’t acknowledge him.
It’s interesting that Fajo has collected a lot of items whilst trading. This includes a 1960s baseball trading card with the smell of bubble-gum on it. One wonders how Fajo managed to obtain this card.
He also happens to have a painting of the Mona Lisa. Wait a minute! That’s not the Mona Lisa! It’s a fake! That Mona Lisa’s a fake! Don’t believe me? Check out the ‘Doctor Who’ TV story ‘City of Death’. 😀
Data gets forced to change out of his Enterprise uniform into some oddly purple-coloured garments as well as sit in a chair. Data becomes increasingly uncooperative, which might get him into trouble.
There’s a moment when Fajo splashes a solvent on Data’s uniform so that he’d be compelled to change his clothes. I was afraid that Data’s circuitry might be affected when Fajo threw that solvent.
Another moment is when Data deliberately plays silent and immobile when Fajo shows him off to a rival trader. I thought it was clever of Data to outwit Fajo as he’s being made a part of his collection.
But it results in Fajo threatening to kill Varria with a very rare and illegal Varon T-disruptor in front of Data. This is to make Data sit in the chair, which works. It was terrrifying how manipulative Fajo was.
Meanwhile Geordi, Wesley and the others mourn the loss of Data and start accepting of his demise. Geordi is unwilling, as he feels he’s missing something regarding the shuttlecraft exploding in space.
But it turns out Geordi’s suspicions are correct as the visit to the colony world in providing the hitridium seems to be a coincidence. The Enterprise eventually heads back to save their friend Data.
Data meanwhile gets help from Jane Daly as Varria, as they attempt to escape the Jovis. But in the process, Varria gets killed by Fajo. I thought that Data would kill Fajo, as he seemed to get vengeful.
Colm Meaney guest stars as Chief O’Brien in the episode, who rescues Data from the Jovis. There’s also Nehemiah Persoff as Toff, the trader who saw Data silent and immobile when Fajo showed him.
‘The Most Toys’ ends on a tense note as Data visits Fajo in the brig. It turns out his collection of possessions will be returned to their owners. Who owned the baseball card and the Mona Lisa then?
‘The Most Toys’ rating – 7/10
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