Spock vs Data

[Castle]

Spock and Data are arguably the breakout stars of TOS and TNG.

Data was created in The Next Generation to be the Spock like character of TOS but Data quickly grew out of spock's shadows and became an iconic star trek character in his own right.

Although I like Spock, I enjoyed watching Data more as a character and found him more relatable than Spock.

Spock understood emotions, he had them but chose to suppress them for a big portion of his life, whereas Data never had emotions and tried to gain them to understand what made humans ''better'' than sentient life

Data's journey to becoming more human struck a bigger emotional core than Spock finally learning to balance his vulcan and human half.

Every Spock is welcomed to be discussed in the post. Including Zachary Quinto's Kelvin Spock and Ethan Peck's Discovery Spock

[Kirby101]

You mean if they fought each other?

[Castle]

You mean if they fought each other?

No. I mean their character development and personality throughout the series.

I have always cared more about story telling than fight scenes.

However if they fought each other, Data wins.

Spock is only half vulcan and 3 times stronger than humans. Data is an android. he should be 15x stronger than humans.

[Jim Kelly]

The other day, I got to the end of my rewatch of The Original Series, by watching "Turnabout Intruder." In that episode curiously Nurse Chapel is a brunette and there's no Uhura (another communications officer is in her seat). Dr. Janice Lester apparently hit a glass ceiling at Starfleet, which is what drove her to take over Jim Kirk's body. Of course, Lester might just be an unreliable narrator--but if true this would seem to be a reversal in thinking from the creative team--given that in the pilot episode Majel Barrett was Number 1. As I understand it, the idea was that Number 1 was an emotionless intellectual--essentially what Spock later became (in the pilot he seems to be more human in his emotions). So that makes me wonder what might have happened if they had gone with Number 1--it would have certainly set a different example for the women on the show.

[Celgress]

I prefer Data.

[babyblob]

If I had to pick between the two I would pick Spock. But I am not overly fond of either.

Spock did the whole outsider trying to understand humans. That is fine and he had some great back and forth with McCoy. but because he did it so well TNG had to have Data.

it seemed like every episode of the 7 seasons that focused on Data were all about him trying to understand humans, and wanting to be more human.

Yet as smart as he was he just couldnt quite grasp it. he was activated what 20 years before he joined the Enterprise crew? in that whole time he was around humans, went through Star Fleet academy where he was around even more humans, and the place is in San Fran Earth that has tons of humans. Yet in that 20 years he couldnt understand simple slang? Like in Encounter at Farpoint where O brian says they will burn the midnight oil and Data tells him it is dangerous to light fuel on a star ship. So with all the knowledge downloaded in his brain there was not a section on slang? In his years at the academy they never once had a student cramming for exams who used this phrase and explained it to him? Even after 7 seasons of being around people who befriended him, treated him and Laforge bent over backwards to explain every little thing to him yet he just did not understand.

I know the last TNG movie where Data sacrifices himself to save the ship and his friends was to be some big moment at how much he has grown and become human. I dont see it that way. I see it as a Star Fleet officer who did what he had to do to save his ship and crew mates. His friends just happened to be ther. I think Data would have done the same thing if he just happened to be on some random ship and like he was just posted to The USS No Name two weeks before and he need to give his life to save the ship didnt know anyone on it closely he still would have done it. Because he was doing his duty.

I know they wanted to play him as an outsider they just really over did it I think.

Odo on DS9 played the outsider who didnt understand humans much better because he grew over the course of the show and started to have a much better understanding of solids. he had issues with love but hey who doesnt?

[titanfan]

I liked Spock but absolutely despised Data.

The robot that wanted to be human trope has been overdone so much and Data was clearly the writers' pet. (Spock was too but in a different way) Data only became more obnoxious in the later seasons and in the movies as his popularity supposedly grew. The actor that plays Data was fantastic, but as a character, he ruined so many TNG episodes for me. In the movies he had way too much screen time in what should have been more of an ensemble cast.

[BeastieRunner]

Even Kelvin Spock had a better journey than Data.

But I do like Data.

[sunofdarkchild]

Spock had compelling relationships as well as a compelling journey. Data only really had a compelling journey and his most compelling relationship ended up being his short fling with Tasha Yar. Even his friendship with Geordi was more sort of 'just there' than anything you'd tune in to see like the Kirk-Spock-Bones dynamic.

[stargazer01]

Spock and Data are arguably the breakout stars of TOS and TNG.

You mean the actors or the characters? I think Shatner and Stewart are/were bigger stars than them.

As for the characters, Kirk and Picard are also breakouts. And Captain Kirk and Mr Spock even more iconic, IMO. They define Star Trek.

Personally, I like them all 4 a lot. Great characters, but I love Kirk and Spock more. They are my childhood along with Superman, and that's hard to beat. But I really, genuinely feel more for Kirk and Spock and their relationship than Data and Picard. I love how they grew together throughout the show and the movies. I wasn't as impressed with TNG movies. The show was better. But TOS and the movies had a more satisfying character development for me.

This ending still gives me goosebumps. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Perfection.

[sunofdarkchild]

You mean the actors or the characters? I think Shatner and Stewart are/were bigger stars than them.

As for the characters, Kirk and Picard are also breakouts. And Captain Kirk and Mr Spock even more iconic, IMO. They define Star Trek.

Personally, I like them all 4 a lot. Great characters, but I love Kirk and Spock more. They are my childhood along with Superman, and that's hard to beat. But I really, genuinely feel more for Kirk and Spock and their relationship than Data and Picard. I love how they grew together throughout the show and the movies. I wasn't as impressed with TNG movies. The show was better. But TOS and the movies had a more satisfying character development for me.

This ending still gives me goosebumps. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Perfection.

Ah, what a great finale Star Trek 6 was. I love how the main theme plays when Spock tells a joke to cheer everyone up and Kirk's final on-screen command as captain of the Enterprise being 'second star to the right and straight on till morning' is so perfect for his character.

[Castle]

Spock had compelling relationships as well as a compelling journey. Data only really had a compelling journey and his most compelling relationship ended up being his short fling with Tasha Yar. Even his friendship with Geordi was more sort of 'just there' than anything you'd tune in to see like the Kirk-Spock-Bones dynamic.

Data also had compelling relationships. Picard for one and Keiko O'brien. I dont think his relationship with Geordi was just there, they had their challenges. my issue with spock is, spock had this aura that he was better than us, data though an android was more relatable.

It was only when it got to the movies and the later Kelvin films that Spock sort of mellowed down. I just feel for data more.

Honestly my favourite Spock is Quinto's Spock.

[Powerboy]

Spock was, in many ways, based on the idea that men are trained to suppress emotions and his troubled life is a symbol of that. Data is the opposite, of course. He has muted emotions and wants to have more.

I liked Spock more back in the day. Overall, I like Data more. He has pathos but also can be funny and lighthearted.

[Hypestyle]

so has there ever been a comic book team up mini series in the era when Spock was still alive?

[green_garnish]

I have no preference. They are individuals with no relationship to one another. I couldn't prefer one over the other any more than I could prefer Kirk or Picard.