Episode 129: "Elementary, Dear Data" 

When the Starship Enterprise arrives three days ahead of schedule to rendezvous with the U.S.S. Victory, the crew is presented with some well-deserved free time.
Knowing that Data is a Sherlock Holmes aficionado, Geordi summons Data to the holodeck, where they travel back to Victorian London to solve one of the famed detective's mysteries. Geordi plays Dr. Watson to Data's Holmes, but the trip turns out to be a brief one — having memorized every one of the Sherlock Holmes books, Data can solve the crime with very little effort.

Returning to the U.S.S. Enterprise, Geordi tries to explain to Data the difference between deduction and memorization. Dr. Kate Pulaski overhears their conversation and challenges Data to solve a real crime, a la Sherlock Holmes. Geordi orders the computer to present Data with an original mystery and an opponent who could defeat him.

Kate joins Data and Geordi as they return to London, via the holodeck. But their game turns serious when Kate is kidnapped by Holmes' arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty. Although they track down Kate's location, they are unable to retrieve her because Moriarty has taken control of the holodeck computer.

Leaving the holodeck, Geordi and Data apprise the crew of the situation with Kate. They learn that the computer didn't create an adversary worthy of Holmes' intelligence, but of Data's — which means Moriarty is very bright indeed! Picard insists upon returning to London with Data to rescue Kate.

Data leads Picard to Moriarty, who is still holding Kate hostage. Although Data offers to concede victory to his nemesis in order to end the charade, Moriarty wants more. He wants to leave the holodeck and become real. Luckily, Picard is able to convince Moriarty that he does not yet know how to convert artificially created holodeck matter into a more permanent form, and Moriarty releases Kate from captivity.

Production: 129
Season: 2 Episode: 3
Air Date: 12.05.1988
Stardate: 42286.3
Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes as William Riker
Brent Spiner as Data
LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn as Worf
Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
Diana Muldaur as Katherine Pulaski
Wil Wheaton as Wesley Crusher
Daniel Davis as Moriarty
Alan Shearman as Lestrade
The original ending of this episode had Data and Picard privately realize that because of Moriarty's drawing surviving off the holodeck (see Goofs entry), there was a possibility that Moriarty himself could exist in the real world. The rest of the scene would therefore have been mere deception on Picard's part. No-one was comfortable with that element, so it was removed.

Goofs for Elementary, Dear Data (1988)


Continuity: Geordi freezes the Sherlock Holmes simulation on the holodeck, yet the simulated fire in the fireplace continues to burn and flicker like normal.

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Moriarty hands Data a piece of paper upon which is a sketch of the Enterprise. Data immediately storms off the holodeck, and shows the paper to LaForge. As the paper was holographic, it should have vanished the moment it was removed from the holodeck. However, other episodes have established that some objects (such as food) are actually replicated within the holodeck, and thus are "real" (i.e. not holographic), depending on the needs of the program and its user.

Miscellaneous: Geordi flips the drawing of the Enterprise vertically to reveal its image, which means that he was originally viewing it upside down.

 

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STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION

"Elementary, Dear Data"
#40272-129

Written by
Brian Alan Lane

Directed by
Rob Bowman

THE WRITING CREDITS MAY NOT BE FINAL AND SHOULD NOT BE USED
FOR PUBLICITY OR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING
WITH THE TELEVISION LEGAL DEPARTMENT.

Copyright 1988 Paramount Pictures Corporation. All Rights
Reserved. This script is not for publication or
reproduction. No one is authorized to dispose of same. If
lost or destroyed, please notify the Script Department.

2ND REV. FINAL DRAFT

OCTOBER 12, 1988

STAR TREK: "Elementary, Dear Data" - 10/12/88 - CAST

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION
"Elementary, Dear Data"

CAST

PICARD                           SHERLOCK HOLMES (DATA)
RIKER                DOCTOR JOHN H. WATSON (GEORDI)
DATA                                  INSPECTOR G. LESTRADE
PULASKI                                              JABEZ WILSON
TROI                                                               PIE MAN
GEORDI                     PROFESSOR JAMES MORIARTY
WORF                                      PROSTITUTE (WHORE)
WESLEY                                                            THUG
.                                                                    RUFFIAN
ASSISTANT ENGINEER                                               .
(CLANCY)                                                Non-Speaking
.                                                                         MAN
Voice-Over                                      STREET VENDORS
COMPUTER VOICE                           PENNY POSTMEN
.                                                                     BOBBIES
.                                                        STREET URCHINS
.                                                              BARRISTERS
.                                                           BUSINESSMEN
.                                                                       LADIES
.                                                          LAMPLIGHTERS
.                                                                        TARTS
.                                                                    SAILORS
.                                                                       YOUTH
.                                                                       THUGS
.                                                            PROSTITUTES
.                                                                  BEGGARS
.                                                                      CROWD
.                                                                  THE PODY
.                                                                     WOMAN
.                                                                       BOBBY
.                                            TWO DRUNKEN SEAMEN
.                                                            TWO WHORES
.                                                           TWO BEGGARS

Voice-Over
COACHMAN
 

Click this link to view the complete script in a TXT format