Ship in a Bottle (23 Jan. 1993)

Diagnosing anomalies in the recreative Sherlock Holmes hologram game programs, Lieutenant Reginald 'Reg' Barclay III discovers protected memory contains the arch-villain character professor... See full summary »

Director:

Alexander Singer

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator), René Echevarria,

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Patrick Stewart	...	Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Commander William T. Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Doctor Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
Stephanie Beacham	...	Countess Barthalomew
Dwight Schultz	...	Barclay
Daniel Davis	...	Moriarty
Clement von Franckenstein	...	Gentleman
Majel Barrett	...	Enterprise Computer (voice)

Storyline

Diagnosing anomalies in the recreative Sherlock Holmes hologram game programs, Lieutenant Reginald 'Reg' Barclay III discovers protected memory contains the arch-villain character professor James Moriarty, who has become self-conscious and demands fulfillment of a recent promise by the crew that they would think up a way for him to leave the holodeck . To Picard's astonishment, Moriarty proves empirically his will suffices to leave the Holodeck, he even retains a physical body. Picard grants him the benefit of the doubt despite his crimes in fiction, but refuses to grant life to the countess Barthalomew, who was created as his ideal but holographic mate. Moriarty manages to seize control of the Enterprise to force the crew to obey anyhow at pain of total destruction. That still leaves the technological challenge, but Data's logical deduction comes up with an entirely different viewpoint, inspiring another challenge and approach...

---

Plot Keywords:

24th century

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

---

Details

Release Date:

23 January 1993 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ship in a Bottle has one of the longest pre-credits sequence of any Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. It clocks in at just over six and a half minutes.

---

Goofs

In the first scene, when La Forge tells the computer to "freeze program", the fire in the hearth keeps burning and flickering.

---

Quotes

Moriarty: My God - we're adrift in the heavens!
[when looking out into space for the first time]

---

Connections

References Star Trek: The Next Generation: Elementary, Dear Data (1988)

---

Soundtracks

"Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title"
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

Ship In A Bottle, The Best Episode of Star Trek: Next Generation

This was an excellent episode capturing mystery, adventure, as well as heart warming feelings for Moriarty and it's sequel to this episode was equally imaginative. In Ship in a bottle" Data and Lt. Forge go to the Holladeck to find a character capable of defeating Data. The way this was portrayed on the screen felt like the Enterprise Computer had created a character imputing a soul to the character. As you learn of how Moriarty no longer holds the same evil demeanor as had been depicted in the Sherlock Holmes stories it tugged at my own heart strings when his character is about to end. I was pleased to see character played by Daniel Davis come back to reprise the role and the create his Hollogrphic wife demanding that the two now be allowed to escape from off the Hollodeck and continue into space. The ending to the sequel was excellent as well.