Portrait of a Character – B-4
B-4 got a bum rap in canon.
Origins
The character is canon, from the film, Star Trek: Nemesis. The Barnstorming series takes place after the conclusion of that film. Hence B-4 is a logical addition to the Enterprise-E‘s crew.
Portrayal
Brent Spiner as B-4 (image is for educational purposes only and is courtesy of Memory Alpha)
As in canon, B-4 is played by actor Brent Spiner.
Personality
A bit stiff, and also learning all the time, B-4 doesn’t understand that the crew is somewhat sad to see him. While they don’t blame him for Data’s demise, he is too much of a painful reminder for them. So they unwittingly shun him. Martin Madden is one of the few people who spends any significant time with him; Geordi LaForge also does.
Relationships
B-4 is an android, and at a somewhat lower functional level than Data. Hence B-4 is, as such, incapable of having what we would call a relationship.
Mirror Universe
B-4 and Data don’t have Mirror Universe counterparts. The closest is Lore, who is evil but who comes from our universe.
Quote
“Universe to universe crossovers can currently be divided into four types, with a fifth type being unknown. The first is ancient, and is accomplished only by Calafans. This species originates in the part of the Milky Way galaxy where the septum between two universes is at its thinnest. Amplifying dishes located on Lafa II, at a spot that the natives refer to as Point Abic, help to focus Calafan meditations and dream states. Dreaming and meditating Calafans are able to readily cross over, although only between the home universe, which vibrates on the twenty-one centimeter radiation band, and the mirror, which vibrates at twenty centimeters.
“Prior to 2157, the dishes prevented Calafan crossovers during their conscious, nonmeditative states. However, the mirror High Priestess, known as the teenager Yimar, commanded a change in the frequency emitted by the dishes in her universe, thereby permitting conscious, nonmeditative crossovers, but only by purebred Calafans in either universe.”
Upshot
This highly intelligent and highly functioning android is an integral part of the Barnstorming series. And, as such, will be back.
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