Star Trek’s Secret Connection To Cinema’s Most Important Film
Star Trek is a kind of cinematic intersection…not only has the franchise had a number of hit films of its own, but it has also influenced countless filmmakers who went on to leave a distinct mark on Hollywood. For as inspirational as this franchise can be on other creators, though, it has often been influenced by some of the greatest movies in film history.
That is clear in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Schizoid Man,” which had a character whistling “If Only I Had a Heart” from The Wizard of Oz.
Using Data To Cheat Death
You’ll need to understand more of what this Star Trek episode is about to understand why its Wizard of Oz reference is so appropriate. “The Schizoid Man” introduces us to Dr. Ira Graves, someone intimately familiar with Data’s design because he was once the greatest mentor to the android’s creator. He uses this knowledge for evil, though, transferring his brain from his own dying body into Data in an effort to cheat death.
The Wizard Of Oz
That may sound like your typical Star Trek adventure, so why did Graves hum the famous song from The Wizard of Oz while in Data’s body? In “If Only I Had a Heart,” the Tin Man laments that he could be human if (you guessed it) he had a heart. At one point in the song, he specifically laments that he can’t “register emotion” without having a heart and becoming human.
Data’s Heart
As any fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation can tell you, this Wizard of Oz song perfectly dramatizes the struggles of everybody’s favorite android. Data begins the series as a contradiction: he’s possibly the most sophisticated artificial being in the galaxy, but he would trade it all away to become human. Like the Tin Man, Data dreams of experiencing human emotions, a goal he eventually realizes with a special emotion chip designed by his creator.
Of course, the metaphor in this Star Trek episode isn’t perfect…Dr. Graves sings this Wizard of Oz tune after he’s in Data’s body, and he doesn’t seem to experience any of the aforementioned emotional limitations. From Data’s perspective, Graves would be someone who did achieve his goal of experiencing human emotions for himself. The scientist has a relatively quirky personality, and it’s possible that he was just being ironic.
Good Natured Teasing Between Friends
This early Star Trek: The Next Generation episode is relatively memorable, and fans of The Wizard of Oz may be interested to know that the Tin Man isn’t the only fictional artificial being that Data gets compared to. On multiple occasions, Riker refers to the android as “Pinnochio.” Like the Tin Man’s song, this literary allusion helps underscore Data’s quest to discover his own humanity.
Star Trek Is Filled With Film References
While Star Trek didn’t return to The Wizard of Oz very often, this episode helped introduce a proud tradition of futuristic characters who apparently have an obsession with 20th-century films.
In Discovery, the AI Zora shows the crew the Buster Keaton comedy Sherlock Jr., and the Strange New Worlds premiere reveals Captain Pike as a major fanboy of The Day the Earth Stood Still. These film references never fail to charm, and if you hated them, then it’s time for the Tin Man to move over…we’ve found someone else who needs a heart way more than he does.
