The USS Cerritos crew has faced numerous dimensional fissures this year, but the most recent rupture in space and time brings an unexpected guest to the Alpha Quadrant. In “Lower Decks” season 5 episode 7, titled “Fully Dilated,” Captain Freeman and her crew come across a purple version of the USS Enterprise-D, raising bigger questions than just matching hull colors.
Spoiler alert! Proceed with caution if you haven’t watched this week’s episode yet.
Lieutenants Beckett Mariner, D’Vana Tendi, and T’Lyn are sent on a mission to retrieve Starfleet wreckage on the planet Dilmer III. What they find goes beyond a damaged shuttlecraft—they stumble upon the disembodied head of Lt Cmdr Data, in a purple hue.
Officially, Data sacrificed himself in “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002), making his appearance in “Lower Decks” season 5, set in 2382, quite puzzling. Below, we delve into how Data returns in this series.
Isn’t Data supposed to be dead?
In the established continuity, Data sacrificed himself in “Star Trek: Nemesis” (2002). Fast forward to 2382 in “Lower Decks” season 5, and his return raises questions about his supposed demise.
Data’s essence survived through various means, leading to his return in “Lower Decks” despite his supposed demise years earlier. His presence in the current timeline is a result of existing in a parallel dimension, separate from the Data known to fans. For more details on Data’s journey in “Lower Decks” and how he interacts with the crew, keep watching new episodes on Paramount Plus every Thursday.
Where does this Data come from?
