You know what would be a good palate cleanser after a kid heavy episode last time? A good action heavy episode.
You know what wouldn’t be (at least on paper)? An episode where a small child starts to emulate Data.
The similarities between the two episodes are pretty significant, but this ends up being a much much better show. Looking after a child is interesting in Data’s context, because it ties into his quest for humanity. The actor playing the young kid is also pretty good, making his development believable.
The B-plot was another forgettable plot, but the tie into the main story was strong, and the final resolution was good (although seriously -the explanation was one sentence Data, you had time to say more than ‘drop shields, Captain’).
219 down, 518 to go.