A Fistful of Datas 

While the crew is experiencing some much needed down time, Worf and his son go on an Old West excursion in the holodeck, where they meet several versions of Data serving as the bad guy after an experiment in Engineering goes wrong.

Director:

Patrick Stewart

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), Robert Hewitt Wolfe (teleplay by)

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lieutenant Worf
Gates McFadden	...	Dr. Beverly Crusher
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data / Frank Hollander / Eli Hollander / Henchman / Bandito / Annie Meyers
Brian Bonsall	...	Alexander Rozhenko
John Pyper-Ferguson	...	Eli Hollander
Joy Garrett	...	Annie Meyers
Jorge Cervera Jr.	...	Bandito
Majel Barrett	...	Enterprise Computer (voice)

Storyline

When a supply ship is a day late, the Enterprise crew has an unexpected day to kill in leisure. Geordi and Data get permission to do an experiment, taking the main computer off line a few hours and Data's circuit running various systems, but a small physical burn-out in Data causes a series of malfunctions in him, such as his vocabulary and voice aberrations, but also various glitches in the many functions of the ship's computer, such as keeping track of recordings of say Picard's flute music or the text of a play Crusher and Riker are in. It's worst of all for Worf, who was ordered by Picard to indulge in some purposeless leisure, and chose to join his son Alexander on the holodeck as sheriff and deputy, with period adept Troi as mysterious stranger, in Deadwood, a Wild West evocation, in which two Data-like villains appear, also father and son, with daunting android abilities and no regular computer-restraint..

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Plot Keywords:

u.s.s. enterprise ncc 1701 d | wild west | holoprogram | gunslinger | gunfighter | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1992 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Worf's quarters, the Ligonian glavin can be seen. It was previously seen in the episodes "Peak Performance", "Reunion", "Redemption", "New Ground", and "Cost of Living".

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Goofs

When Frank and Eli Hollander (at this point both played by Data) are talking at the prison on the holodeck, the side of Data's left arm seems to be cut off as he turns to walk away. This is due to the split-screen technique used to show both Datas in the same frame.

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Quotes

Lieutenant Worf: Where have they taken my son? Where is he?
[grabs Eli by his collar]
Eli Hollander: Temper, temper, Sheriff. My pa ain't gonna like it if I come home all bruised.

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Crazy Credits

This western inspired episode ends with the Enterprise flying into the sunset...

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Connections

References Quantum Leap (1989)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

Where Was Clint Eastwood?

Alexander talks his father, Worf, into using some time off to go back to the "ancient" West. That is, they go back to the Old West as a Sheriff and his deputy. At first, it is easy, because he simply punches out the bad guy. But Alexander doesn't like it because it is too easy. So they up the odds by making the holodeck program more sophisticated. Unfortunately, as often happens, a glitch occurs in engineering and they are left to fend for themselves. Also, all the bad guys begin to look like Data because it was during the use of his positronic brain that all this took place (he was wired to the computer and images of him are being sent to the holodeck). What occurs is a predictable shootout between Worf and the data/father of the young gunfighter that is in jail. There is one really good line. I'll paraphrase. The bad guy looks at Worf and says, "Is that your face or was your mother scared by an armadillo." The great humor is watching Worf use his stuffy dialect to speak to the characters. It is such a contrast. Back on board, Data begins to act like a stereotypical movie cowboy. Great fun. Deanna also plays a gunslinging woman who is just as formidable as the others.