So who was the weak link in the cast?

Interesting, considering most would say Data and Worf were likely the most popular characters on the show. A lot of the episodes were Data episodes and he rarely wasn't a major factor in the resolution of the problem.

So, no, Data was certainly not the weak link; he was the strongest link in the chain, with Worf and Picard close behind.

I would say Wesley (though I actually like the character) because he was badly written as well as Troi who, while a very logical character to have on such a ship, was rarely used wisely.

Calling Brent Spiner essentially a bad actor is really putting your critic in its place.

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Wesley Crusher. He did a lot of nothing.

Troi was easily the worst actor.

Troi, because she was always nosing her way into everything, and because she always wore that stupid leotard instead of a regular uniform like everybody else.

troi was the worst, she could read all the emotions yet in the poker scenes she never wins

she should know immediately that someone is bluffing and call them

Spiner's ability to put over subtextual intent while using so little emotion puts him as one of the stronger cast members, in my opinion. The character needing to emote from time to time is as much a problem of writing and directing as it is with Spiner, who was more than likely asked to perform the role that way. There are several moments in the series, though, where he doesn't affect any emotions where the typical move as an actor would be to go that route.

As to the character clearly having some emotional ties, I think it's partly the programming of mimicking human behaviour, partly Data's attempts to mimic human behaviour, and partly because the character evolves. I mean his positronic brain probably was "evolving" or, perhaps upgrading is a better term here. It was doing it on its own.

There might also be a fine distinction between recognising the importance of things like music or personal interaction without connection to glands and endorphins and such things.

Furthermore, Data is clearly programmed to prioritize or value things - he has "wants", even though those are not necessarily "emotions". Perhaps some of this is the way that Data himself categorizes emotions or thinks of them. Maybe he kinda has them all along.

Which brings me to my last point: we clearly have a Tin Man situation here. He kinda has the heart all along, he just doesn't think he does.