Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) Elementary, Dear Data (1988) User Reviews

One step closer to the TNG we know and love

[Mr-Fusion · 9/10 · 1 May 2016]

'Elementary, Dear Data' may be a holodeck episode (and I honestly didn't expect all that much walking in), but it's one that refreshingly sees TNG up its game. This time around, it's Data and Geordi in a Sherlock Holmes mystery and Moriarty winds up taking over the ship. Not complicated, but I did like the big question being asked here: can a computer be alive? Dr. Pulaski spends a good deal of time haranguing Data for not being able to reason like real people (geez, this woman), while Moriarty yearns to learn more about the ship, stretch beyond his simulation limits and (more importantly) doesn't want his program being erased. But the situation is handled more thoughtfully than expected with Capt. Picard (in sweet top hat) brokering an understanding between the two.

All in all, a great episode; the wardrobe and sets are well done and you can tell Brent Spiner loves this Holmes stuff. More importantly, this actually feels like TNG: the characters feel right, Picard's actually softening, and everything's clicking.

9/10.

Anything but elementary

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 4 September 2018]

This episode proved so popular that 5 years later the Professor Moriarty character who Daniel Davis plays here was brought back for a sequel. It is a very thought provoking story on the mystery of life and creation.

Seeking a little R&R both Brent Spiner and LeVar Burton go to the Holodeck where Data has a Sherlock Holmes program with Geordi as Dr. Watson. The program is a bust since Data has read and memorized all of Arthur Conan Doyle's work and he cuts right to the chase.

What to do but to have the ship's computer design a program with a foe who is capable of beating the android. That it does, but Professor Moriarty works only too well and soon he's got control of the ship from the Holodeck.

At that point it's Captain Picard who has to take charge of the situation and defeat a Moriarty who is rapidly acquiring knowledge up to the present time.

Like any other creature with a sense of self, Moriarty wants to survive. You'll have to see how this is worked out and as TNG fans know it's not a permanent solution arrived here.

In response to Qanqor

[pxavier-13563 · 8/10 · 18 August 2016]

This was a really good episode. Everything about it was fun and exciting. I think Qanqor's review of this episode implies that he missed the point of what it was supposed to be. There needed to be an episode that wasn't so dark. They had just lost Yar.

Also no. The computer was locked out by Moriarity himself. When the system created him, it created him to be smart enough to defeat Data. The computer gace Moriarity the knowledge of the entire ship. Along with any knowledge that was present in the system itself. He overrode the system.(You honestly would have known that if you got halfway through. And at the end, he is the one that cancels the override)

And no. They could not have destroyed the Holodeck, they had explained that doing so would destroy Palaski.

Despite all those things. Even if they could just destroy the holodeck. The whole purpose of the episode was to solve a mystery. It was to challenge one's mind. Not use brute force to accomplish something.

Another definition of life

[russem31 · 14 April 2006]

ST:TNG:29 - "Elementary, Dear Data" (Stardate: 42286.3) - this is the 3rd episode of season 2, in which The Next Generation gets one of its more memorable characters in the form of Daniel Davis as Professor James Moriarty (a character he will portray again in the 6th season episode "Shp in a Bottle". This episode revisits Data's fascination with Sherlock Holmes which we first see in the first season. It's also interesting to note that even a Holodeck environment can be used dangerously if one is not careful because La Forge was able to create an adversary greater than "Data", or as Picard describes it, his "Nemesis." And, it's a riot to see Worf dressed up in 19th century London garb complete with gloves! This is one of the better TNG episodes.

Brent Spiner vs Daniel Davis

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 3 July 2012]

This is where The Next Generation really started increasing in Quality.

In Season 2, the addition of Guinan booted TNG in the rear-Every Starship should have a Bartender- And the replacement of Dr Crusher with an actor that really did well portraying a Doctor - It is just "Elementary" that the show got better.

The series saw an immediate increase in quality the moment they removed Tasha Yar: and I am glad that they Vindicated that character in the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"-But in Season One, the series was still being controlled by old-school personalities like David Gerrold, Dorothy C. Fontana, Gene Roddenberry and Bjo Trimble, who although being experts in the Kirk Era of Trek, had trouble writing for a 'Next Generation' - Including Gene, who had no direction for this series.

And So, Beverly Crusher was replaced by Dr Katherine Polaski, who was almost as good as Dr McCoy, she was a female version of McCoy-Including Acerbic Tongue.

But this episode, really gets into the relationship of Geordi and Data. Geordi wants to have an adventure, which Data ruins by his excessive knowledge of everything. No Mystery, No FUN. So Geordi tells the Computer, "Create a Villain that can defeat DATA."

This wonderful bit of FUN allows the creation of Daniel Davis' Dr Moriarty: An Intelligent Holodeck Character.

Dr Polaski, she just wants to Prove that Data can't pull off any kind of creative thinking, so they all meet in "London" and immediately, Moriarty "Kidnaps" Polaski, who he "Crams full of Crumpets"- This is one thing that should have been pursued, Moriarty's attraction to Polaski- That could have been exploited in another episode. But Polaski did not stay on the Enterprise very long.

This episode set the standard for TNG Holodeck episodes, Brent Spiner throws himself into Data's "Sherlock Holmes"- And Geordi, No Longer the misplaced Kunta Kintu of Trek, is now the Chief Engineer- Where he should have been from the Beginning, instead of about four Chief Engineers they had before him.

But what makes this episode, is Daniel Davis' Interaction with Data, Polaski and then Picard. I've seen Davis playing all kinds of roles, this one is one of his best.

Elementary, Dear Data

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 28 July 2012]

Because Data has read all of the Sherlock Holmes stories, every detail memorized, even able to play the superior sleuth's violin flawlessly, Geordi is frustrated because he wanted to help him solve a holographic mystery (Geordi would be portraying Dr. Watson to Data's Holmes) together. Dr. Pulaski feels that because he's a walking machine, his circuits would short if asked to deduce and risk failure against a capable opponent (a human quality he doesn't have). Geordi and Data decide to try to create a mystery with an opponent capable enough to offer a challenge, but instead of asking the computer to give them a villain able to defeat Holmes, he asks to provide one that can defeat Data. So the computer provides master criminal Moriarty with a consciousness and he can actually call for the holographic arch, eventually learning of how to control the Enterprise, overriding protocols that would end the program and kill him upon command, building a device with a lever that can shake the ship. Picard will have to have a talk with him. I love episodes where we see the hologram involved in stories because they seem to often involve complex challenges Picard and his officers must solve. This is a marvelous episode for actor Daniel Davis, as Moriarty, exuding a mixture of child-like wonder and determined focus on maintaining his existence. It is neat because we see a fictional, created character aware of the very system and people who led to his creation. He wants to live, knows he has an intelligence beyond the basics of his holographic design, and is willing to threaten the Enterprise in order to *not die*, to not *cease to exist*. I really like how Picard handles Moriarty's fate and this episode, "Elementary, Dear Data", one of the series most memorable episodes, and a standout from the second season, leaves open the opportunity for the character to return (and does in "Ship in the Bottle"). Good way for Pulaski to get involved, she once again "insults" Data, believing he's a machine, not able to truly rise beyond how he was programmed. The original Victory, a well-constructed oceanic model ship, built by Geordi as a gift to a former captain, makes a welcome appearance, recalling *simpler times* when man had to use the environment and their own intuition to guide through the seas, preparing for whatever challenges might await them, only counting on each other to get to the desired destination. There are plot "deficiencies* in regards to the ability of energy turned matter to leave the holodeck, but it wasn't that big a deal to me as it might be for nitpicky folks who demand perfection in regards to science. Holmes, the character, and London, are featured favorably here and if you love the stories, the show lovingly establishes their importance in history.

Then I'll still fill you with crumpets, madam

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 28 May 2021]

Data, Geordie and Dr Pulaski enter the holodeck following an interesting wager.

This is an enjoyable episode with a nice bit of philosophy and some entertaining character moments.

The plot is good but slightly stretches its own plausibility by asking us to buy into the mortal danger posed by a holographic character. It could have been equally interesting just posing the existential questions from Moriarty as part of a general holodeck adventure.

The strength of the episode mainly comes from the humour associated with Data and Geordie role playing Holmes and Watson. It is quite amusing and refreshing to have the characters in this setting, particularly Data who is suited to the nerdish qualities of being a super-sleuth. Dr Pulaski's presence works well as she continues to challenge Data's sentience and links with the main theme.

The visuals are good with a nice bit of set design and costuming in place for the holodeck scenes.

Brent Spiner and Daniel Davis are particularly good, while Diana Muldaur and LeVar Burton give strong support.

The main point of the episode is to tackle the philosophical themes in a light-hearted way. To do this you cannot take it as seriously as some other reviewers have. It's meant to be fun and for me it is.

For me it is a 7.5/10 but I round upwards.

Wonderful Episode and An Unforgettable Character!!

[nitinvarshney78 · 10/10 · 28 April 2020]

I am watching Star Trek Next Generation from Start and This one is the Best Episode till now in the Series ... Story , Premise and Acting everything is Top Notch ... I wish Some one in Star Trek Writers have a idea about Resurrection of Professor Moriarty in some future Trek Episode ... I think stand alone episodes of trek were better than whole season stories of now

Be careful what you say.

[thevacinstaller · 8/10 · 7 March 2021]

Elementary, Dear data is a well constructed and paced episode that moves skillfully from low stakes holodeck fun to life threatening calamity.

The writers of this episode clearly had a love for Sherlock Holmes as the atmosphere and set design are spot on. Daniel Davis delivers the best guest star performance since Vaughn Armstrong from 'heart of glory' and I was genuinely shocked to discover he was born in America and not the United Kingdom. I can feel the weight of his new found knowledge in his performance.

I loved how this episode finished ----- Instead of Moriarty killing Polaski or threatening the destruction of the Enterprise he is wise enough to understand his situation and he puts his fate in the hands of Picard. This is subtle tie-in to his conversation with Data/LaForge on observing what is not said ---- he's dealing with rationale people. To destroy or threaten the Enterprise would be to kill himself at this point and he has a conscious and can reason this out.

There is also a tie-in between Data being more than computer logic and Moriarty being more than holodeck programming. Dr Polaski should have plenty to think about after this experience.

The themes of this episode tie-in nicely with an upcoming beautiful episode. This is the tasty appetizer.

Holodeck épisodes are awesome

[nicofreezer · 9/10 · 30 August 2021]

I just love it, the thing is , in every TV shows there is never an episode where you get to see the characters just doing their stuff, out of the main story. Thats why this one is great, it is just a fun story about Data and La forge for 30 minutes, then yes it became more serious but for the most part is was all about fun and I love it. I totally Hope for more Holodeck épisodes, that was a great one 8.5/10.

this is wonderful!

[lisawea · 7/10 · 6 January 2008]

A lot of the loose threads are left for other episodes. I'm not just referring to ship in a bottle, but also to measure of a man. Admittedly it bugged me when the Issue of Data's computer-like intelligence, which was the catalyst for the doctor's challenge and thus for the main problem, was not answered but one would need an entire episode at least to answer it and that is given to them about 6 episodes later.

For now Moriarty is a great villain and well performed by Daniel Davis. The entire episode has a metaphysical plot-hole the size of this continent but hey, Star Trek IS metaphysical! watch the above named episodes to get a sense of fulfillment to the issues raised. There are a few minor errors but this episode is amusing, intriguing, silly and classic all at once. Of how many episodes can that truly be said ? 4 or 5 stars.

Sometimes the Holodeck Is a Loose Cannon!

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 4 August 2014]

On board the Enterprise, the Holodeck provides a recreational distraction for the crew. It is, without a doubt, the most complex of entities, going beyond the realm of current possibilities. For one thing, it is more than holographic. The people can be touched, the chairs sat in, the fog felt, and so on. Also, there are some possibilities that only the mind can envision. With the huge crew, there never seems to be a problem with crew members signing up for this thing. I believe there are two on the ship. Do only ranking officers get to use it? I know that in the future, little children are allowed in there. Anyway, it is fact, but there is little information about how it came to be (at least I haven't seen it yet). Back to the episode. Data has a thing for Sherlock Holmes and has created a program where he and Geordi (his Watson) encounter the villains from the Holmes canon. To Geordi's dismay, Data solves the crimes immediately, since he already knows the plot of the story. Geordi and Polaski talk him into allowing them to create a program where he has no idea what is going to happen. Geordi makes a terrible mistake when he asks that a character be created that could defeat "Data" rather than that could defeat "Holmes." This brings the great Moriarity to life and puts the ship and its crew in danger. The Holodeck seems to be able to create such an entity which would make it rather a dangerous thing, out of the hands of the crew. There are two issues at stake. The very life of the ship and Moriarity's mortality which comes into play. The final scene is a little too easy, but it gives us a thoughtful look at what constitutes a life form, which brings the prime directive into play. Picard goes about his business on a day to day basis, as crew members come and go in the Holodeck. It makes one wonder if some safeguards might be put in place after this episode.

Data Meets Moriarty

[Samuel-Shovel · 7/10 · 12 July 2019]

In "Elementary, Dear Data" Geordi and Data have some downtime and decide to drum up a Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery in the holodeck. Dr. Pulaski tags along but things go awry when Professor Moriarty discovers he's part of a holodeck program and kidnaps the doctor to maintain his existence. He figures out how to override the controls and is soon in total control of the holodeck and altering the ship somehow. Picard must enter the holodeck and negotiate with Moriarty to release the kidnapped Pulaski and give control of the ship back to the crew.

Data as Sherlock Holmes amuses me. I can't tell if Brent Spiner is bad at playing Data as Sherlock Holmes or if Data is just bad at playing as Sherlock Holmes but either way I find it funny. I like when Data and Geordi bro out like this.

The holodeck gets made fun of a lot as an overly powerful, dangerous tool that has no business being on a starship and this episode is case in point. The computer creates AI through Moriarty that is so smart and dangerous that it threatens the crew's very existence! One small slip up in instructions from Geordi cause all this to fall apart. The holodeck is like having a 800 pound gorilla in a cage on the Enterprise. Sure, it's probably fine most of the time and might even give the crew some entertainment... but the risks are way too high to justify it!

Anyways, we get to see a bit of Picard's great negotiating powers here. Kirk would have just beat Moriarty up but Picard uses tact and intelligence to regain control. Something tells me this won't be the last we see of this Moriarty character...

Bring your truck

[Qanqor · 4/10 · 29 March 2016]

While this is a superficially enjoyable episode, it is deeply flawed. Specifically, you might as well bring your truck to this episode, because you'll be able to drive it through the plot holes.

We reach a point where the crisis is that the holodeck Moriarty character has somehow become sentient and taken over control of the holodeck, and is holding Dr. Pulaski hostage within his holodeck-London world. We presume that the holodeck safeties have been disabled and the good doctor is in real peril (notice that nobody actually bothers to check). Data is unable to shut down the program; the computer announces that this is because it is locked under authority of-- Geordi.

The problem is, there are about a thousand different ways our heroes could easily and safely rescue the doctor. These, then, are the plot holes: 1a) As the goofs for this episode points out, the program is locked to Geordi. So Geordi should be able to unlock it, no prob. He doesn't even try.

1b) Data outranks Geordi. So he should be able to override Geordi's lockout.

1c) If nothing else, surely *Captain Picard* has the authority to override any computer lockout set by someone under him.

2) Why not just shut off the holodeck. Not ask the computer to shut it down, but shut it down yourself. Is Geordi an engineer or not? It's just a friggin' device in the end. Pull the power cord! Open the thing up and take out key circuits. Shut down the engines so there's no power for it to draw. Shut down the whole computer! (why not? they've done it before). Or just take an axe to all the holodeck equipment.

2b) You could also destroy the holodeck from the inside. There have to be emitters that create all the stuff in the holodeck. And engineering has the schematics to know exactly where they are located. Data could just go in with a hand phaser and quickly shoot out all the emitters. Boom, no more holographic projection, just an empty holodeck room with Dr. Pulaski standing in it somewhere.

3) Or how about something a zillion times simpler: Just beam her out of there! Duh! They know she's in the holodeck room, the computer even knows she's there (presumably based on her comm badge), the sensors can easily pick her out as the only life form in the room. Piece of cake to just transport her out!

Well, you get the idea. The conundrum is ridiculously contrived. And we haven't even *begun* to talk about the preposterous notion that the ship's computer could create sentience, just by someone asking it to. Pity that Dr. Soong wasted so much of his life designing Data's amazingly complex positronic brain, when all he had to do was just ask a regular computer to create sentience.

Sherlock Data

[SeekingCinema · 10/10 · 24 February 2020]

La Forge is frustrated with Data's ability to solve holodeck mysteries too quickly when playing Sherlock Holmes, ruining the element of suspense in the story. On a suggestion, he accidentally creates a villain who is capable of really challenging Data (in the form of Moriarty, Holmes' greatest adversary), which puts the Enterprise into a lot of trouble. Detective stories tend to make for great episodes, so why not throw in the greatest fictional detective of all time into a story? The plot is simply fantastic and the twist feels so obvious that you feel like you should have picked it up much before then. This episode again demonstrates how using sci-fi to alter the parameters of our universe can be used to tell a great story.

Inventive and well-written, a superior episode that makes full potential of the Holodeck

[movieguy96 · 8/10 · 22 November 2020]

I was pleasantly surprised by Elementary, Dear Data. After the frankly frustrating S1 episode The Big Goodbye I questioned how much mileage there could be in another Holodeck episode. The writing is much superior and Daniel Davis's Moriaty a very worthy adversary. Whereas in The Big Goodbye the holograms became aware of their own confinement they remained stock characters, one-dimensional and a bit boring. This episode makes some effort to correct that mistake and as a result Moriaty is more of a credible threat. His increased power heightens the sense of danger and urgency. Davis's performance is actually rather affecting and multifaceted, which is quite something given the relatively short runtime and limited nature of the script. It's a fun episode to watch, and is also noteworthy for furthering the relationship between Data and Dr. Pulaski. I rate it highly in this season.

Wholesome and wondrous in all the best ways

[romeroposadadaniel · 9/10 · 9 April 2021]

This episode shows TNG tackling big questions on consciousness and being, arriving at a warm, wholesome ending where curiosity and love of being alive are enough to make an entity "good'

"Merely throwing myself into the part, Watson."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 2 October 2023]

I thought it a little silly when Commander Data (Brent Spiner) resorted to an impersonation of Sherlock Holmes in the first season episode of Next Generation titled 'Lonely Among Us'. Here he goes whole hog, and accepts Lieutenant La Forge's (LeVar Burton) challenge to solve a hypothetical Holmes mystery without the benefit of one already written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, all of which had been memorized by Data already. To do so, they had to take to the holodeck, bringing along Dr. Kate Pulaski (Diana Muldaur), who still appears to have an elitist attitude toward Data as an android. At one point she calls him Geordi's 'artificial friend', which should have bothered the other two more than it did, even as she accepted Data's invitation to observe how he handled a brand new mystery. The only hitch here involved Geordi's computer command to issue a challenge that Data couldn't solve, and not Holmes, thereby potentially creating danger for the Enterprise.

The period atmosphere and depiction of old London was admirably done here, and it didn't take long for a Holmes nemesis to make his appearance felt. Actor Daniel Davis portrayed a suitably calculating Professor James Moriarty, and while only a holographic image, managed to acquire a semblance of a sentience that threatened to take over the Starship. Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart), realizing that his less senior officers goofed with their holodeck simulation, got personally involved in a battle of wits with Moriarty, eventually causing the villain to back down. For her part, it looked like Dr. Pulaski might have actually admired the Holmes antagonist.

All in all, it was a pretty good episode, even if Moriarty blinked in his dialog with Picard. It could easily have gone another way if he had persisted in his strategy, not knowing for certain whether he would cease to exist if he left the holodeck. That was Picard's ace in the hole, so to speak, which would have been true on this occasion, while leaving it an open question whether that outcome could be avoided in the future with some tweaking of the holodeck computer.

Oh no.....a holodeck episode!!!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 11 November 2014]

I noticed that so far every review for this particular episode is great. Well, I don't see it. After all, it's a holodeck episode and to me these particular plots are very unsatisfying and contrived. And, as a fan of Sherlock Holmes, I take no pleasure in seeing these characters brought into the annoying holodeck. In this case, Geordi and Data are playing Sherlock Holmes on the holodeck. However, the program is taken directly from an original story--and Data has memorized EVERYTHING--making the fantasy a complete waste of time. Geordi and the Doctor challenge Data to star in a NEW Holmes mystery--one that the computer could create. In it, their nemesis is Moriarty* and through some strange programming, this character gains sentience and eventually figured out that he was a hologram as well as how to access the control panel and computer!

I found this episode insufferable. The show had practically nothing to do with "Star Trek: The Next Generation"--and seemed amazingly misplaced. Additionally, while it's not as awful as the baseball game episode from "Deep Space 9", I found it very tough going sticking with this one. As a fan of Holmes and sci-fi, the episode really didn't satisfy either.

*Although it's practically a cliché to feature Moriarty, he was NOT a frequent character in the original Holmes novels and only appeared on a very occasional basis. The same can be said for Lestrade--who is only one of many policemen who Holmes works with in the original stories.

Awful Holodeck Episode #2

[anarchistica · 5/10 · 23 March 2020]

Oh look, something has gone wrong with the holodeck... again...

Okay, so the whole thing feels contrived but i have to admit that Daniel Davis (Niles from The Nanny) elevates the material to an extent that the episode almost gets a pass. However, in season 1 they already both got stuck on the holodeck and got deceived by a character it generated. Combine this with the utterly nonsensical notion that a playroom could kill you and take over your ship and we've got another failed episode.

A Senior Trekker writes....................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 28 December 2021]

The Second Season of Star Trek the Next Generation has often been downplayed due to multiple production and writing staff problems, and several major cast changes. Although of mixed quality, it does contain some outstanding and brilliant episodes, and Senior Trekker is extremely grateful to all those people who worked so hard under difficult circumstances to keep it on our screens.

This was one of the best episodes of this or any Star Trek series: the plot, dialogue, sets and costumes stand out for their huge attention to detail but I think the suspension of disbelief is mainly due to the quality of the acting. After all, this is a genre within a genre requiring great leaps of faith into an extremely complicated fictional construct.

And it's fun.

Well known screen and theatre actor, Daniel Davis, plays adversary Professor Moriarty with such a pitch-perfect accent that for a long time I thought he was actually British. The gravitas he brought to the character equalled or excelled many I've seen in more conventional Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

The depiction of Victorian London was first class. Of course, no one is going to get every detail correct, especially when they are working within the constraints of episodic television, but this script even went so far as to make a correct reference to Rules, oldest restaurant in London and de-rigueur haunt of the most stylish Gentlemen of the day.

(Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5)

Another boring holodeck melodrama

[briansgate · 2/10 · 29 July 2022]

With all the problems they have with the holodeck, Starfleet would either have had them removed or installed with easily accessible escape keys. This melodramatic plot device is used too often (more than once is too often) because the show didn't have enough ideas. It's a weak excuse to provide cheesy stories and this is a prime example. They couldn't come up with enough original stories, so they use the plot device of a Sherlock Holmes mystery.

More trying to force Dr. Pulaski down Trekkies Throats

[jseph1234-262-617488 · 4/10 · 16 July 2022]

This was annoying and ridiculous attempt by Producer Maurice Hurley to integrated the very "Dead and arrogant" Dr. Pulaski into the Enterprise Crew after having Gates McFadden ( Dr. Beverly Crusher) fired from the show between Season 1 and 2 (Its a Fact, you can look it up)

One of the WORST decision in Television history and thankfully the Pathetic and Petty Maurice Hurley left Star Trek TNG after season 2.

Beautiful Gates McFadden returned as the Chief Medical Officer aboard the Enterprise for Season 3 and the Films.