Elementary, Dear Data (episode)

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"Elementary, Dear Data"
TNG, Episode 2x03 Production number: 40272-129 First aired: 5 December 1988
←	28th of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	28th of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	134th of 727 released in all	→
Written By Brian Alan Lane Directed By Rob Bowman
42286.3 (2365)
	Arc: Professor James Moriarty (1 of 2)	→
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The Enterprise is threatened when a character in Data and La Forge's holodeck simulation becomes sentient.

Contents 1 Summary 2 Background Information 2.1 Awards 2.2 Video and DVD releases 3 Links and References 3.1 Starring 3.2 Also Starring 3.3 Special Appearance By 3.4 Guest Stars 3.5 Co-Stars 3.6 Uncredited Co-Stars 3.7 References 3.8 Log entries

[edit] Summary

Geordi La Forge invites Data to take part in a Sherlock Holmes holographic story. Data, who has memorized all of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories of Sherlock Holmes, instantly recognizes the story after only the first few moments, and immediately solves the case. La Forge abruptly freezes the program and storms out of the holodeck.

Talking over the incident in Ten Forward, La Forge and Data are overheard by Dr. Katherine Pulaski, who states that Data is incapable of solving a real mystery. Data takes this as a challenge, and invites Pulaski to join La Forge and him in another Holmes story. This time, the computer is instructed to create a new mystery in the Holmes style. This is less than successful, however, because the computer merely combines elements of the existing Holmes stories in a way that Data is again easily able to solve.

Geordi makes another try, however, and carefully instructs the computer to create a story and character capable of defeating Data. The new program runs and the three are off on their new adventure. The story takes an unexpected twist when Dr. Pulaski is actually kidnapped by Sherlock Holmes' arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty, who was somehow imbued with a measure of consciousness and witnessed the use of the holodeck arch. Moriarty desires to learn more, and makes it easy for Data to track him and his hostage. Upon handing Data a hand-drawn profile of the USS Enterprise-D, Data immediately leaves the holodeck with La Forge following in confusion. Meanwhile, Moriarty learns a great deal about the Enterprise from the computer, and somehow constructs a crude device that toggles attitude control in the holodeck. He uses this several times, causing the ship to shudder uncontrollably.

Meeting with Captain Picard and the senior officers, La Forge figures out that it was his instructions to create an adversary capable of defeating Data, not Sherlock Holmes, that initiated the holodeck override control and is preventing them from ending the holodeck program. Picard decides that he must personally meet with Moriarty, whom he confronts, but who is adamant that he is sentient and self-aware, and should be allowed to continue to exist. After Moriarty releases Dr. Pulaski and returns control of the ship to Captain Picard, Picard explains that the ship's computer can store Moriarty's character indefinitely, and that the Federation would work on a way to bring Moriarty out of the holodeck. Moriarty's program is stored and ended, and the matter is considered closed.

[edit] Background Information

• Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher) does not appear in this episode

• This episode contained elements from and references to the stories A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of the Speckled Band and The Red-Headed League.

• At the time of filming, the producers believed that the Sherlock Holmes character was public domain. After the episode aired, the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle notified Paramount that they still retained the copyright on the character, and would require a usage fee if the character was used again. This legal issue would delay sequel episodes for nearly four years, at which time an agreement was reached for use of the character in "Ship in a Bottle". The unusual delay was subsequently referenced in the latter episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion).

• When starting the initial Holmes program, Data gives the full name "Dr. John Watson" for La Forge's character. The stories of the Holmes canon have identified Dr. Watson's first name as both "John" and "James".

• The equation fragments on Moriarty's chalkboard, surrounding his "sketch" of the Enterprise, include .
  i.e. Ataru over Lum — the two main characters of Rumiko Takahashi's anime series, Urusei Yatsura.

[edit] Awards

• This episode was nominated for two Emmy Awards: Outstanding Art Direction for a Series and Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 15, catalogue number VHR 2468, 3 June 1991.
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 2.1, catalogue number VHR 4737, 1 March 1999.
• As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Starring

• Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard
• Jonathan Frakes as Commander William T. Riker

[edit] Also Starring

• LeVar Burton as Lieutenant Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf
• Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi
• Brent Spiner as Lieutenant Commander Data

[edit] Special Appearance By

• Diana Muldaur as Doctor Pulaski

[edit] Guest Stars

• Daniel Davis as James Moriarty
• Alan Shearman as Lestrade

[edit] Co-Stars

• Biff Manard as Ruffian
• Diz White as Prostitute
• Anne Elizabeth Ramsay as Assistant Engineer Clancy
• Richard Merson as Pie Man

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• Majel Barrett as the USS Enterprise-D computer voice
• Jeffrey Deacon as a command division officer
• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace
• Mark Wilson as a bystander
• Unknown performers as
  • Boy
  • Bystanders
  • Dead man
  • Emissary
  • Jabez Wilson
  • Widow

[edit] References

221B Baker Street; ales; Alpha Centauri; antimatter power; arch; assistant engineer; attitude control; black magic; The Blue Boy; Bohemia; Bristol; Bruce-Partington plans; Constellation-class; "cogito, ergo sum"; Dartmoor; Delphi; detective; dilithium regulator; Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan; emerald; fail safe system; Flaxville Meat Market; Holmes, Sherlock; holodeck; Inspector; King of Bohemia; London; mortality fail-safe; Noted Ale and Stout Stores; Oracle of Delphi; override protocol; particle beam; pie; police; police officer; prostitute; prostitution; Queen Victoria; Red-Headed League; Reichenbach Falls; robbery; Rule's; sailor; sentience; shillings; "shipshape in Bristol fashion"; snake; snuff box; stouts; Tottenham Court Road; Tovey Mews; transporter; tuppence; Valley of Fear, The; Victory, HMS; Victory, USS; violin; Von Ormstein, Wilhelm Gottsreich Sigismond; warehouse; Watson, John; Whitaker's Almanack; Zimbata

[edit] Log entries

• Captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), 2365

Previous episode: "Where Silence Has Lease"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2

Next episode: "The Outrageous Okona"