I'm happy they invented the holodeck. Such a great addition to the franchise. No more travel to alien planets that miraculously look like Earth of a certain historic period (like in A piece of the Action) or inexplicable time jumps (like in Assignment: Earth). And writers knew from day one what to do with the holodeck: create memorable, funny, unusual, often silly episodes that are totally detached from space exploration or the day to day duties of officers (most of the time this is). You can't tell 25 hardcore sci-fi episodes per year. And it's Picard's playground where he can leave his stiff and formal Captain's persona. In fact, all actors can have fun. In particular Data and Crusher are performing extremely well.
This episode is not a masterpiece and I don't feel the binge-watching fatiguee yet that cries for a little holo-diversion but it's a fun episode. What more can you ask for? It's the first holo-epiosde and they have already discovered that holo-episodes are even more fun when some trouble on the holodeck somehow affects the reality outside. Countless - more sophisticated and sometimes more philosophical - iterations of this pattern will follow but I think they did a solid first take on this and set the tone for great holo-episodes to come. It's certainly not the best holo-episodes of the franchise but it's perhaps the most entertaining episode of this season. The B-plot is weak though.
Review by Alexander von LimbergBlockedParent2023-01-27T22:48:43Z
I'm happy they invented the holodeck. Such a great addition to the franchise. No more travel to alien planets that miraculously look like Earth of a certain historic period (like in A piece of the Action) or inexplicable time jumps (like in Assignment: Earth). And writers knew from day one what to do with the holodeck: create memorable, funny, unusual, often silly episodes that are totally detached from space exploration or the day to day duties of officers (most of the time this is). You can't tell 25 hardcore sci-fi episodes per year. And it's Picard's playground where he can leave his stiff and formal Captain's persona. In fact, all actors can have fun. In particular Data and Crusher are performing extremely well.
This episode is not a masterpiece and I don't feel the binge-watching fatiguee yet that cries for a little holo-diversion but it's a fun episode. What more can you ask for? It's the first holo-epiosde and they have already discovered that holo-episodes are even more fun when some trouble on the holodeck somehow affects the reality outside. Countless - more sophisticated and sometimes more philosophical - iterations of this pattern will follow but I think they did a solid first take on this and set the tone for great holo-episodes to come. It's certainly not the best holo-episodes of the franchise but it's perhaps the most entertaining episode of this season. The B-plot is weak though.