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| A slip of the tongue can kill...Plot: Geordi and Data are taking a break on the holodeck, playing in a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. Unfortunately, Data solves the mystery before it gets started, which irritates Geordi. He tries to explain to our favorite android that he wanted to solve the mystery, not jump to the end. Data, however, is unable to comprehend this concept. Dr. Pulaski, overhearing, asserts that Data is totally incapable of solving a real, Holmesian-style, mystery. Data and Geordi disagree, so they go back to the holodeck together and try to develop a mystery that is totally original (in Holmsian style). Well, Geordi makes a major mistake by asking the computer to develop a character that is capable of defeating Data (as opposed to defeating Sherlock Holmes). Result; the computer makes a Prof. Moriarty who becomes fully self-conscious and fully capable of controlling the Enterprise from the holodeck. Then Dr. Pulaski get's kidnapped and Data and Geordi find Moriarty far more dangerous than they had expected (and of course, the safeguards are deactivated). Now Picard must go to the holodeck with Data and attempt to rescue the doctor and solve the issue...
Another top ten favorite of mine, the only complaint is the subject of sentience of a holodeck character (this theme of "non-living thing coming to life and becoming sentient" gets a little beaten to death after awhile). Nevertheless, it shows what can happen when you aren't careful in what you say (or how you say it). I also like the model of the USS Victory (sailing ship) in the Engineering Room that Geordi shows Data (and later, Picard) in this episode. Watch for one mistake with Geordi calling the USS Victory (the starship that they'll be in rendevous with) a "Constitution-class" starship (like the original USS Enterprise). Well, the Victory actually is "Constellation-class" starship (like the USS Hathaway). The reason was that the producers decided to change at the last minute and have the Victory not be Constitution-class and make a new model instead. So, it can be assumed that Geordi "misspoke" the class name by "accident".
Gets it's 5 stars easily in my book.
"Thank you for the tea and crumpets. I guess I'll be going." "Elementary, Dear Data" is Star Trek: The Next Generation's second season entry in the ongoing "problems with the holodeck" saga. Yep, somehow the holodeck still is open for business after it went bonkers in the first season. Guess the word "lawsuit" is non-existent in the 24th century.
Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) and Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) take advantage of their free time by participating in a Sherlock Holmes adventure on the holodeck. Things do not go as planned because Data knows the outcome of all the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Therefore, Doctor Katherine Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) challenges the android to solve a completely original Holmes mystery. La Forge relays the new parameters to the computer but a crisis ensues after a holographic Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis) that ultimately gains sentience is created.
Can a starship computer really create a self-aware being out of holomatter? Well, if you are willing to accept that premise then "Elementary, Dear Data" is a lot of fun. Data and La Forge make a good Holmes and Doctor John H. Watson and Pulaski has a number of amusing moments. However, the bulk of the credit for the episode's success has to go to Davis who turns in a wonderful guest performance. His Moriarty is charming and diabolical all at the same time and is a welcome change of pace from the alien-threat-of-the-week. One just hopes that someone took the initiative to put up "caution" and/or "warning" signs around the holodeck after the latest mishap with the contraption. That thing is a deathtrap!!
A major philosophical point is largely ignoredThis episode is more memorable for the extremely significant philosophical point that is largely ignored than it is for the dialog and battle between Data as Sherlock Holmes and a holographic Professor Moriarty. During a lull in duties, Geordi and Data retire to the holodeck where Data is Sherlock Holmes and Geordi is Dr. Watson. However, since Data has memorized all of the stories featuring Holmes, he quickly resolves the mysteries, which frustrates Geordi. In an attempt to spice up the game, Geordi instructs the holodeck computer to create an adversary capable of defeating Data in a battle of wits. The computer complies, creating a conscious, intelligent and self-aware Professor Moriarty, capable of programming the Enterprise computer and gaining control of the Enterprise, all from inside the holodeck.
Eventually, since the program cannot be terminated, Picard is forced to enter the holodeck and meet Moriarty face to face. Picard explains the situation to Moriarty, who returns control of the Enterprise to Picard. In return, Picard has the computer save the Moriarty character, with a promise to revisit the issue in the future.
Since it is the Enterprise computer that creates the sentient Professor Moriarty, the question becomes: Is the Enterprise computer sentient? The answer to this is most certainly no. In the episode "Q Who?" Geordi laughs at Ensign Gomez for being polite to a food dispenser. His statements indicate that he does not consider it to be sentient. Furthermore, the events in all the other episodes support this position. Therefore, the action in this episode is based on the premise that the non-sentient Enterprise computer created a sentient consciousness that is in many ways just as alive as any other creature. The fact that it can exist only in a holodeck is not significant as many organisms can exist only in their specialized environment. This is a very deep philosophical and scientific issue that is largely ignored.
A second problem is the ease with which Geordi misprograms the computer. Given the power of the Enterprise computers, there should be much greater safeguards to make sure that an error in speaking is not misconstrued. The number of safety and security overrides would have to be enormous, and there would have been an immediate directive to fix this obvious and serious software defect.
With these problems aside, this is still a good episode. Moriarty is a character who is devious, ruthless and yet a gentleman. It was a very wise move when he was brought back in a future episode. Dr. Pulaski is adorable in her Victorian outfit as she accompanies Data and Geordi back to the streets of London during the reign of Queen Victoria. There is just too much direct and subtle activity packed into it.
Fun to watch!Who cares about the technical part of it.
its a fun chase!
It's not elementary.It's not even entertainment!Based on some prior reviews I bought this. Boy, was I disappointed.
Even though some of the other reviewers give away the plot and surprises, I thought I would enjoy this. All I can say is you have to be brain dead to be entertained by this. Gene Roddenberry would be very disappointed!
Be warned: Data DOES NOT turn out to be Sherlock Holmes' arch enemy, Professor Moriarty.
And yes, Data defeats Professor Moriarty before the professor defeats him.
I think you would have to check your brain at the door to like this one. I really do not understand all the glowing reviews from the other customers.
Amazon.comOkay, blame it on Geordi La Forge. It's his slip of the tongue that causes all the mayhem in this episode. After Data ruins a perfectly good holographic adventure by jumping to the end of a Sherlock Holmes mystery, the frustrated chief engineer asks the computer to create an adversary worthy of defeating the android. What Geordi meant to say was an adversary worthy of Holmes, but never mind. The computer obliges and Moriarty is born. Literally. He comes equipped with superintelligence approaching consciousness and a direct line to the main computer. Somehow, Dr. Pulaski gets thrown into the mix--as a crumpet-eating hostage, of all things--and Moriarty starts messing with the Star Trek universe as we know it and turns reality on its ear. TNG is at its best when it doesn't take itself too seriously. "Elementary, Dear Data" is an utterly charming outing into high-tech Victorian wacky land. In fact, this episode proved to be so popular that the story was continued three years later in "Ship in a Bottle." The writing is excellent and Daniel Davis is sublime as Moriarty, the hologram who's sentient and knows it. This makes many best of Trek episode lists, and is simply a must-own for all TNG fans. --Kayla Riggney
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