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Some alter egos just deserve to be wiped out! But is Lore's disappearance permanent?
Doppelgangers and evil twins are a staple of science fiction, and in
Star Trek they have frequently been at the centre of the series'
plotlines. Ever since a mysterious transport accident produced two
Captain Kirks in TOS episode 'The Enemy Within' - resulting in a
masterclass in histrionics aboard the Enterprise - we have come to
expect the series to deliver only the mildest of twists on this hoary
old cliche.
Demonic possession and instant cloning may have become de rigeur as far
back as 1966, but the idea of creating a regular character to represent
the flip-side of a key cast member is more ambitious. That was the
original intention at least behind the creation of Lore, android brother
of Lieutenant Commander Data, one of Star Trek's most unanimously
popular characters. Ultimately, Lore only appeared in a few episodes of
the Next Generation, but made a memorable impact both on the series and
on fans' attitudes towards Data.
Programmed by his (and Data's) father, the enigmatic Dr Soong, Lore is
the counterpoint to Data's rationalism and restraint: self-aware,
emotional and sadistic. Debuting in the first season episode 'Datalore',
the character initially showed promise. Lore seemed shockingly
malevolent when paired with his innocent brother, and the interaction
between the two characters - lifted by high-quality effects - was hugely
entertaining to watch. But by his second outing, in the fourth season's
'Brothers', it was clear that the concept of Lore had limited mileage. The
producers had toyed with using the character as a recurring player in
the mould of Q, but decided it might stretch the idea of 'Data's
hinterland' a little too far.
Watching Brent Spiner play Lore has been an oddly uncomfortable
experience, though evidently fun for the actor. The character is
effectively sinister but, equipped with Spiner's broad, gummy smile,
also faintly comical. Yet, in 'Brothers', where Spiner plays not only Data
and Lore, but also their creator, Dr Soong, it becomes clear why it was
this actor - alongside Patrick Stewart - who helped secure the success
of Star Trek's most risky spin-off.
Data kills Lore - rather unsatisfactorily - in the Next Generation
episode 'Descent, Part II', which, for anyone who hasn't seen it, is not
exactly a gem in the series' history. But, this being Star Trek, and
considering some of the rumours circling around the fate of Data in the
next Trek movie, Lore may not be gone forever.
Key episodes: Datalore, Brothers, Descent Parts 1 and 2
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