Data (Star Trek series, 5 parts)
Five-part Star Trek: TNG parody: Captain Picard loses patience with the android Data's inability to use contractions.
Content note: Mild language ('damn') in part 4.
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Free for classrooms, worksheets, slides and other non-commercial use under CC BY-NC 4.0, with credit to Ben Orlin.
Cartoon by Ben Orlin, Math with Bad Drawings. https://cartoons.mathwithbaddrawings.com/2017-05-02-data/ (CC BY-NC 4.0)Transcript
[1] Captain Picard | Lieutenant Commander Data (portraits)
[2] Data: "I cannot locate the source of the signal, Captain." Picard: "You what?" Data: "I cannot locate the source." Picard: "Let me get this straight, Data." [the bridge crew begin to squirm]
[3] Picard: "You're a robot who can form friendships, paint landscapes, serve in combat, and reason ethically." [whispers of "Don't!" "Please, Captain" "Let it go, Jean-Luc"] Picard: "But you can't handle CONTRACTIONS?" [Silence. The bridge crew avert their eyes]
[4] Picard: "Just say CAN'T! Not 'cannot.' Say 'can't.' It's the simplest damn thing. Can you do that for me, Data? Please?" Data: "I... think I can."
[5] Picard: "Then do it. Say 'can't.'" Data: "I... I... I..." Picard: "SAY IT, ROBOT" Data: "I cannot."