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 726 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 computer creates a sentient holodeck character inside Data's Sherlock Holmes program.

Contents 1 Summary 1.1 Log Entries 2 Background Information 2.1 Awards 2.2 Video and DVD releases 3 Links and References 3.1 Special Appearance By 3.2 Guest Stars 3.3 Co-Stars 3.4 Uncredited Co-Stars 3.5 References

[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 the holographic character Professor James Moriarty, who was 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 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.

[edit] Log Entries

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

[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 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" (ST:TNG 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, 3 June 1991.
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 2.1, 1 March 1999.
• As part of the TNG Season 2 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[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

• Guy Vardaman as Darien Wallace

[edit] References

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

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