star trek wiki moriarty

• April 6, 2024 | ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunner Explains Why They Reopened A TNG Mystery To Start Season 5
• April 5, 2024 | Roddenberry Archive Expands With Virtual Tours Of Deep Space 9 Station And The USS Discovery
• April 5, 2024 | Podcast: All Access Reviews The First Two Episodes Of ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5
• April 4, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Embraces Second Chances In “Under The Twin Moons”
• April 4, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Returns With New Vitality And A Lore-Fueled Quest In “Red Directive”

Daniel Davis Talks About His “Different” Moriarty In ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3

| October 11, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 61 comments so far

The final moment of the new NYCCC Star Trek: Picard teaser trailer had a surprise reveal: the return of Moriarty, the holographic Sherlock Holmes adversary who plagued the USS Enterprise-D on a couple of occasions. Actor Daniel Davis has come back to the role after almost three decades, and in a new video, he reveals more about Moriarty’s return including some minor spoilers .

The return of Moriarty is “threatening”

The hologram of James Moriarty played by Daniel Davis was created in the second season  Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Elementary, Dear Data” by Geordi La Forge, who tasked the Enterprise’s computer to create an opponent that could defeat Data. The result was a hologram that became self-aware and tried to take over the ship. Davis played the character again in the sixth season’s “Ship in a Bottle,” which ended with the hologram being stored in a cube that ran a simulation so he would believe he had escaped the USS Enterprise.

Daniel Davis as Moriarty in “Elementary, Dead Data”

Now the character is returning in season 3 of Picard; showrunner Terry Matalas says  he is one of its three villains (the other two being Amanda Plummer’s Vadic and Brent Spiner’s Lore). During the NYCC panel, show star Sir Patrick Stewart was asked to talk about working with Daniel Davis again, but Matalas jumped in to try to prevent any spoilers, saying, “He can’t.” Stewart did say this: “Moriarty being back again is both entertaining and threatening.”

Moriarty brought a gun to the Picard NYCC trailer

Moriarty is different on Picard

In a new Cameo video from Tim Roy , Daniel Davis said he was happy to finally be able to talk about it but also revealed that he only appears in a single episode of Picard .

I have to say a hallelujah because my non-disclosure agreement was lifted yesterday at the New York Comic Con with the announcement that Moriarty would be returning. I’ve had to sit on this information since last December when I went to Los Angeles to film the episode. It was a fantastic experience as it always is… The work was was wonderful. It was just one day of shooting.

While his time in the season appears to be limited, Davis dropped a very interesting clue:

The one thing I think I can tell you is I think the fans will enjoy what happens more if they understand that it’s a bit of a callback to an earlier season, way before Moriarty even appeared actually—the first meeting between Riker and Data. You should remind yourselves of that.

It appears Davis is talking about the scene in the Next Generation series premiere “Encounter at Farpoint” when Riker meets Data for the first time in the holodeck, where Data was trying to master whistling. Davis also indicates that in Picard season 3, he has a scene with Jonathan Frakes’ Riker:

As Riker says in the script in the scene that we did, “This is not the Moriarity that we know from the Enterprise.” And in fact, that is true. And that’s all I can tell you. It’s a different different kind of Moriarty, but it’s still Moriarty. It’s very exciting.

Riker meets Data in “Encounter at Farpoint”

Even though Davis only shot for a day, he was impressed by the scale of the production and attention to detail. He recalled for Moriarty on TNG they used a costume rented from the famed Western Costume Company , but for Picard the production sent someone to his home in New York to measure him for a custom costume.

They had tailor-made the outfit for me and it fit like a glove. It was absolutely astonishing, including an Inverness cape . It was an amazing costume. And then of course, you are treated so wonderfully by the company.

He also recalled being able to spend some quality time with Sir Patrick Stewart.

That day when I finished my fitting, I was on my way back to the parking lot and I ran into Jonathan Frakes and he was standing outside Patrick Stewart’s trailer, and Patrick Stewart poked his head out and he had finished his work for the day and he said [in perfect Stewart voice], “Oh, Daniel, how wonderful that you’re back” and I was invited into his trailer, and we sat and had a conversation for maybe 90 minutes… Patrick and I have a similar background in the theater and we are both acquainted with Ian McKellen. Of course, they are very close friends And I stood by for Ian in Amadeus on Broadway. So we had a lot to talk about the theater and about his plans and what he’s currently involved with—and I can’t tell you about any of those things either. But we had a wonderful time together.

Daniel Davis as Moriarty in the Picard NYCC trailer

The final season of Picard premieres on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., with new episodes of the 10-episode-long season available to stream weekly on Thursdays.  Picard  streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories, and in Canada it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

Related Articles

Discovery , TNG

‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Showrunner Explains Why They Reopened A TNG Mystery To Start Season 5

Art , Books , Collectibles , DS9 , Merchandise , Strange New Worlds , TNG , TOS

Star Trek Merch: TOS Art Poster, EXO Ensign Ro, “Subspace Rhapsody” On Vinyl, And More

Comics , DS9 , TNG

See Worf’s Crew Take On Mind-Controlling Space Bugs In ‘Star Trek: Defiant’ #13 Preview

Books , Review , Star Trek: Picard , VOY

Review: Action-Packed ‘Star Trek: Picard: Firewall’ Reveals Seven’s Compelling Quest For Identity

Only one episode huh?

And only one day of shooting, apparently. So he cannot even be a really big part of that episode.

Yeah, that’s disappointing. He was by far the best surprise of the trailer.

Of course, Daniel Davis has also played the captain of the USS Enterprise… CVN-65, in “The Hunt For Red October”.

That was Fred Dalton Thompson.

Thompson played the Admiral who was on board the Enterprise. Davis played the Captain of the Enterprise, Davenport.

So the Captain was the guy who didn’t care for Ryan wearing the uniform? The way the scene was set up was that Dalton was playing the Captain. I guess I do recall Ryan calling him “Admiral”.

Nothing ever dies in Star Trek anymore. Who would’ve ever thought a 30+ year old holodeck character from two episodes would’ve ever been back? Actually I think he would’ve been too perfect to bring back on Lower Decks and hey maybe they still can. ;)

Really looking forward to this!

We already know that Thadiun Okona ( The Outrageous Okona ) is returning via Prodigy , and this after Bruce Maddox ( The Measure of a Man ) returned via Picard and Ensign Sonya Gomez ( Q Who? and Samaritan Snare ) returned via Lower Decks .

It seems Secret Hideout really likes TNG Season 2. Maybe Carolyn Seymour is next?

Wow, I never really thought about that, but you’re right. There do seem to be a lot of call backs to season 2

I never thought about that either, but you’re right. And who knows, maybe Dr.Pulaski might make an appearance at some point. She is still the biggest new character from season 2 but was never seen or heard from again. And the actor is still around as well.

Moriart wasn’t dead the las time that we saw him.More or Less,Trapped In A Cube,for lack of a better term. But living his life, with the Contessa.

I wasn’t talking literally, just in general that characters never disappear and always extended in some part of the franchise in various media; many for decades on end. And yes even when a character dies…they still come back! ;D

Do I have to check my eyes or did he mention Data?!?!?! 😁😁😁 So I hope my biggest hope will come true and Data indeed will return too!!!

Damn, you’d figure that after dismantling Lore for the last time, they would have fed him into a shredder. Apparently not. So, some 25th century picker bought a surplus Federation storage locker at auction, and got a big payday with a disassembled android.

Lore never visited Talos IV, so they can’t legally execute him.

“good one!”

Yeah, that one’s a Keeper.

They can turn him off. And it would be a good idea to completely disassemble him after that and store him in different parts of the galaxy. He’s not “executed” as he could be put back together and turned on.

Would it be killing him if they destroyed everything but the head?

Is Data’s mother still alive? I mean the character, not the actress; Fionnula Flanagan is still alive.

But Flanagan looks almost the same as she did in Inheritance. . Amazing. One of those actors who just always looked older than they really were I guess (see also Wilford Brimley and Ellen Corby.)

All I can imagine now is season three opening with the 25th century version of Storage Wars!

I was beyond excited seeing him in the trailer, but with him being in just one episode I think I would have preferred to see the reveal in the episode itself.

I think in one of the interviews with Terry, this is what he was hinting at – he had to get permission to include a callback only a few would remember.

Little disappointed it this sounds this is just a cameo. I’d have been stoked it he’d been the season’s big bad somehow.

I’m getting the feeling there are going to be a ton of cameo’s this season.

And so begins the drip feeding of “trust me it will be special” from the cast

I had hoped for Nicky the Nose, but he’ll do.

I’m absolutely thrilled Moriarty will be back. It was honestly a huge surprise for me when I saw the trailer. But it seems odd to make his reveal at the end such a big thing when he’ll be there for what is most likely just one scene (Daniel did 1 day of filming which will hardly be more than the 1 scene he mentioned). I think I would’ve preferred to have gotten his reveal in the actual episode, making his small part feel more impactful.

I’m not so sure it will be just one scene. I mean a tailor made custom suit for one scene?!

I agree with you, but I also am reminded that Discovery spent a ton of time and money on the Klingon torchbearer suit for about 10 seconds of screentime. So wouldn’t put it past them to throw money at the production (though I hope the powers that be have learned some things about what not to do in a star Trek production).

Oh. Huh… Did not know that. Well I hope he is in more than one seen. Moriarty is the thing that got me the most excited about this season.

I’m making a prediction now: Moriarty is just one of several callbacks we’re going to get. This is going to be a “Commander Data, this is your life” kind of thing, with Lore, Moriarty, and other villains returning for minor roles.

What exactly do you mean with “Commander Data, this is your life”? ☺️

It’s a reference to an old TV show, This Is Your Life, in which people would be presented with folks from their past.

Interesting theory, But why would they even be doing that unless Data has some connection to the big bad of the season?

Someone in the Youtube comments on the teaser trailer had some interesting conjecture. Moriarty was created as the one person who could defeat Data. What if he is “summoned” by our TNG crew to defeat Lore? (again, not my theory – but thought it was interesting.)

Makes as much sense as anything else

That’s actually a really interesting theory.

I’ve been wondering this myself. I think Moriarty won’t be a villain this season, first because he’s just in one ep, and second because it makes sense they’d look thru their historical “AI” as it were to try to figure out how to escape whatever bad situation they’re in, and Moriarty is or will be one of them.

Well, that was informative. (Sarcasm)

Better news but it’s still awful he was even involved at all. There is no way to incorporate Moriarity into Trek in a workable way unless they wanted to make the Doyle characters real in the Trek world and time travel was involved. And that is pretty over the top even for Trek.

You realize that he is a character that has already appeared twice in TNG. What is unworkable about him?

They brought him in and used him in ways that didn’t work at all. It’s not unusual. There were a number of episodes that just didn’t work. How in this case? It makes no sense that a hologram would have the ability to take over the ship from the holodeck. At all. If that was so anyone could. Seems like an incredible security flaw. What’s stopping people from saying “create the Enterprise’ auxiliary control that actually works. Boom. You now have total control of the ship. Sorry but that’s insane.

I am assuming you don’t watch the classic series such as TNG? Several episodes show the TNG charecters were fans of classic literature. Picard likes Shakespeare while Geordi and Data liked Sherlock Holmes stories and reenacted them in the holodeck.

This version of Moriarty was created in the holodeck by accident when they tried to create an opponent that could defeat Data. He is a sentient hologram, and he already appeared in two episodes of TNG.

There is only one “classic” series. And it’s not TNG. Referencing classic literature is a long way away from a holodeck created character magically has the ability to take over the ship from the holodeck. Doesn’t matter he is sentient or not. And the character doesn’t need to be sentient to defeat Data. All that character needs is all information about Data and they would know about his “off” switch. It’s actually amazingly easy to defeat Data.

Thanks, this is literally the dumbest thing I’ve read this week.

I was under the impression that this person based on the volume of comments knows something about Trek? if they are joking, it did not translate to text

The comment demonstrates I do know something of Trek. But I guess the only thing I am ignoring is the ability for writers to insert things in that make no sense for their stories to work. Which is obviously what went on in the Moriarity episodes. To a much higher degree than usual.

But you didn’t explain why. Which seems even dumber in and of itself.

One episode. That’s a let down.

Hey, lets not forget that Hugh was only in ONE episode and he was in a good chunk of season 1. They should bring back Worfs holo battle partner to de-pacify him;)

Three – “I, Borg”, then “Descent” parts 1 & 2.

It’s not a great sign that the writers had to rely on a Holodeck trick for the plot.

I don’t know, I thought the Dixon Hill trick in First Contact was fun. Could be something along those lines.

This is an odd one, it seems like with only 1-day of shooting in one episode, he has a very minor roll to play and it would have been best to leave this as nice little surprise for when the episode airs. Appearing in the trailer is likely going to set expectations a little too high.

I was the same. But then again, I’m glad he told us now he’ll only be in 1 episode so expectations are already lowered.

I’d love it if they brought back Vic Fontaine, too! There was always a lot more to that character than met the eye.

I can’t believe no one has suggested this, but with all the hints about both, I think Moriarty downloads and takes over Lore’s body. Thoughts?

Picard Season 3 Brings Back One Of The Next Generation's Silliest Villains

This post contains  spoilers for episode 6, season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard."

On the sixth episode of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard" — called "The Bounty" — Worf (Michael Dorn), Raffi (Michelle Hurd), and Capt. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) break into a space-bound, top-secret Federation storage warehouse called Daystrom station. On board, the characters find a lot of shadowy corridors lined with lockers containing strange "Star Trek"-related artifacts. In one locker, Worf discovers a living tribble, only this one is equipped with fangs and a sucker mouth. In another, Raffi finds the remains of Capt. Kirk, presumably retrieved from under a pile of rocks on Veridian III. The references rest on the border of cute and insufferable, and the episode as a whole leans far too hard into nostalgic temptation. 

Case in point: Daystrom station is equipped with an artificially intelligent security system that recognizes Riker and Worf and immediately initiates a holographic security countermeasure. Ignoring for a moment that a mere storage warehouse is equipped with sophisticated holo-emitters, Riker, Worf, and Raffi find themselves facing off against none other than Moriarty (Daniel Davis), the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes as he appeared in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1893 short story, "The Final Problem." Raffi is baffled that a holographic villain from the 19th century is guarding a Federation black site in the 25th, especially when only armed with an old-fashioned pistol.

Moriarty's presence on "Picard" is a little perplexing, but it was perhaps no more perplexing than his two previous appearances on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" where Moriarty, as a hologram, achieved consciousness and attempted to take over the Enterprise.

Ship in a bottle

Moriarty, as played by Daniel Davis, first appeared in the episode "Elementary, Dear Data" (December 5, 1988). In that episode, Data (Brent Spiner)  had become too good at solving Sherlock Holmes mysteries on the holodeck, making the deduction and investigation parts of the stories — the fun parts — unnecessary. Geordi (LeVar Burton), bored in his role as Dr. Watson, suggested to Data that he needed to be challenged by a mystery, and asked the holodeck to create a character that would actually be capable of besting Data. Note that Geordi said "Data" and not "Sherlock Holmes." The holodeck, using heretofore unknown powers, created a Prof. Moriarty that is self-aware. Moriarty knows he is a citizen of 19th-century England but also finds himself able to access the Enterprise's computers, slowly becoming aware that he is a mere character in a high-tech simulation. He will eventually try to gain control of the ship. 

It will take a great deal of negotiation from Picard to convince him to stop his shenanigans. Moriarty is stored in the ship's memory to be dealt with at a later time. He will be restored accidentally in the episode "Ship in a Bottle" (January 24, 1993) where he will announce he was aware of the passage of time, even when stored in a memory bank. Once again, he will attempt to take over the Enterprise. At the end of the episode, Moriarty is duped into a simulation, and he is placed into a computerized cube that will provide him and his beloved wife with a lifetime of adventures. 

How is Moriarty here?

One can see why "Star Trek" writers are drawn to Moriarty. Like the denizens of the Enterprise, he is an intellectual. And like all life forms on "Star Trek," he demands respect and autonomy; when Picard is confronted with a new life form, he initially balks, unsure how to deal with the fact that his ship spontaneously created an adult human being. Moriarty is a character from classic Western literature, a canon that Trek is fairly obsessed with. Additionally, visiting Doyle's England provides "The Next Generation" with some much-needed visual variety; one can only look at grey-and-lavender hallways for so long before aching for dark earth tones. 

As a villain, though, Moriarty does possess a palpable fatuity. While the dramatic explanation for the character is laid out in detail, his actual presence on "Star Trek" feels a little like, say, Mr. Peabody and Sherman visiting Cleopatra. Author Loren D. Estleman once wrote a novel called "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula."  "Moriarty vs. Picard" tilts away from "essay on the nature of consciousness" pretty quickly, and falls headlong into the realm of Estleman-like fan fiction.

Moriarty's presence on "Picard" is, quite disappointingly, presented bluntly and without reason, making the character only that much more absurd. As a security device, Moriarty fires bullets at Worf, Raffi, and Riker, while also psychically playing noisy, isolated musical chords through the station's sound system. Riker eventually intuits that the notes being played are from "Pop Goes the Weasel," a tune he once whistled for Data in the "Next Generation" pilot episode. 

Riker also realizes this version of Moriarty is not the same one as before, and is actually a manifestation of Data's consciousness (!). Data is alive and nearby (!!).

It's an unfortunately silly twist that doesn't do anything to allay the character's inherent silliness. 

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Ship in a Bottle

• Episode aired Jan 23, 1993

Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable. Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable. Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable.

• Alexander Singer
• Gene Roddenberry
• René Echevarria
• Brannon Braga
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 23 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Countess Barthalomew

• Enterprise Computer
• Crewman Garvey
• (uncredited)

• Command Division Officer
• Science Division Officer

• Ensign Russell
• Command Division Lieutenant

• Operations Division Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Ship in a Bottle has one of the longest pre-credits sequence of any TNG episode, clocking in at just over six and a half minutes.
• Goofs When Picard warns Moriarty about criminal activity, Moriarty blames his creator by saying his crimes were "the scribblings of an Englishman dead now for four centuries." Arthur Conan Doyle was Scottish, not English.

[last lines]

Barclay : As far as Moriarty and the Countess know, they're halfway to Meles II by now. This enhancement module contains enough active memory to provide them with experiences for a lifetime

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : They will live their lives and never know any difference.

Counselor Deanna Troi : In a sense, you did give Moriarty what he wanted.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : In a sense. But who knows? Our reality may be very much like theirs, and all this might just be an elaborate simulation, running inside a little device sitting on someone's table.

[everyone walks off, except Barclay]

Barclay : [tentatively] Computer, end program.

• Crazy credits The episode ends just as Barclay gives the command for the computer to end the holodeck program.
• Connections Edited from TrekCulture: 10 Greatest Final Lines In Star Trek Episodes (2022)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 23

• Feb 18, 2006
• January 23, 1993 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

Star Trek: Picard’s Daniel Davis Shares His Thoughts On Moriarty's Return And Potential Future Appearances

The star had a lot to share.

Warning! The following contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Picard episode "Bounty." Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard made a ton of references in the episode "Bounty," but few were as exciting as the reappearance of the classic villain from The Next Generation , Moriarty . Actor Daniel Davis reprised his role for a brief scene and was kind enough to speak to CinemaBlend about returning to the character after decades away. 

I spoke to Daniel Davis about his return as Moriarty and learned that even he didn't fully understand it until a couple of days before we spoke. Davis explained what all went down after he agreed to return and how he wasn't entirely sure what was happening with the character in Star Trek: Picard all throughout filming: 

All I saw were the pages that I was on, and I read the scene and thought, Well, this is not exactly the Moriarty from Next Gen.’ It’s a different take on it…So by the time I got to L.A. I still didn’t have a complete script, and I didn’t know what happened after my scene and what I was doing, really…It made sense to me after I saw it, but not so much sense to me when I was doing it. But somehow or another it worked out ok.

As mentioned, Daniel Davis finally got a chance to see the episode and learned that his Moriarty was actually a clue provided to Riker from Data , who was in the facility . Davis definitely had a greater appreciation for the scene and what it was trying to accomplish compared to when he filmed the Star Trek: Picard scene without any context. 

For those who don't remember, Moriarty was a hologram program based on the Sherlock Holmes character created to challenge Data. In “Elementary, Dear Data,” Moriarty became self-aware, and Picard promised to find a way for him to live outside of the holodeck. 

Moriarty returned in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's “Ship In A Bottle" upset that Picard lied about finding a way to remove him from the holodeck. That actually wasn't true, but the villain couldn't be convinced otherwise. The crew then had to trick Moriarty into believing he'd left the Enterprise , but in actuality, he was trapped in a simulation within a simulation, which was contained inside a memory module.

Daniel Davis admitted that, prior to receiving his scene, his mind was buzzing with possibilities about what his Star Trek: Picard arc might be about. The actor talked about the storyline he'd hoped to be a part of, which would've tied back to his story in The Next Generation : 

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

I created my own little scenario in my head about what the episode might be about. My hope, or what I fantasized, was that there would be some sort of resolution between Picard and I about the fact that he does not break promises. And he promised he would find a way to get me off the holodeck, and he never did. So, I thought, ‘Ok, the whole Star Trek: Picard series is about revisiting his mistakes from the past and blah blah blah,’ But that was in my mind.

Daniel Davis didn't get the reunion with Patrick Stewart that he hoped for, and I'm sure there are a few who watched with their Paramount+ subscription who felt the same way. Unfortunately, Jean-Luc Picard was elsewhere working on a rescue plan to save Riker, Worf and Raffi, so there wasn't an opportunity for the two to meet. Of course, it wouldn't have really mattered if they did, because again, this wasn't the actual Moriarty. 

While Daniel Davis didn't get the chance to properly reprise his role, he's certainly open to the possibility if it presents itself in the future. Davis mused about the possibility of appearing in another upcoming Star Trek series or even another season of Picard if that's in the cards:

Even though it’s supposedly the final season of Star Trek: Picard and Patrick has said in one place that he’s done with Picard and another place he says, “Never say never,” there’s always a possibility. One of the producers said to me Moriarty is one of those characters who can show up anywhere. And so, there’s so many incarnations of Star Trek right now. I might pop up on Strange New Worlds! What could be more strange than that?

I would've pointed out that it'd be hard for a holodeck character to make an appearance in the TOS era of Star Trek , but Daniel Davis does have a point. Hell, Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds are having a crossover in the upcoming season, so is it really that hard to believe something like this could happen? 

More realistically, it seems far more likely we'd see Davis on one of the other shows or even a Picard spinoff. While there isn't anything definitive in the works at the moment, there are plenty of folks in the cast campaigning to see the story continue past this. There are definitely more stories to tell if it does, but we'll just have to wait and see. 

Catch new episodes of Star Trek: Picard Thursdays on Paramount+ . With the season officially past the halfway point, now is as good of a time as any to revisit the best episodes so far and speculate where the rest of this season is headed. 

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.

'She's Just Killing It': FBI: International Stars Have High Praise For The Newest Series Regular, But What Else Is Amanda Tate Hiding?

‘A Very Complicated Guy’: Fallout’s Walton Goggins Told Us About Playing Possibly The Biggest Villain Of His Career (Other Than Justified’s Boyd Crowder)

'They Ambushed Me': Marc Summers Says Quiet On Set Quotes About Nickelodeon Happened Before He Walked Out Of The Interview

Most Popular

By Dirk Libbey April 04, 2024

By Nick Venable April 04, 2024

By Adam Holmes April 04, 2024

By Heidi Venable April 04, 2024

By Corey Chichizola April 04, 2024

By Philip Sledge April 04, 2024

By Riley Utley April 04, 2024

By Carly Levy April 04, 2024

By Sean O'Connell April 04, 2024

• 2 Tiana's Bayou Adventure May Not Have The Massive Quantity Of Animatronics As Splash Mountain, But The Quality Makes Up For It
• 3 Matt Czuchry Got Straight Up Asked if Logan Is A Bad Boyfriend On Gilmore Girls, And As Team Logan I’m Loving His Answer
• 4 Critics Have Seen The First Omen, And They Can’t Stop Talking About The ‘Gnarly Violence’ Of That ‘Gruesome Birth Scene’
• 5 ‘The Saddest Thing’: Home Town’s Erin Napier Just Got Real With Meanspirited Commenters, And Makes A Good Point About Those Who Appear On The Show

Screen Rant

How is tng's moriarty back in star trek: picard season 3.

One of Star Trek: Picard season 3's biggest surprises is the return of Professor James Moriarty. Here's what we know about the villain's comeback.

Professor James Moriarty (Daniel Davis) is back in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but how? Moriarty is among the huge surprises in the new Star Trek: Picard season 3 trailer, which focuses on the villains of the final season of the hit Paramount+ series that reunites Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) with the full cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Star Trek: Picard season 3 also brings back Lore (Brent Spiner) and introduces a new Big Bad named Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer). But it's Moriarty's return that perhaps raises the most questions.

Moriarty pops up at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3's trailer, where he utters the line, "Greetings, old friends!" and pulls out a pistol. It is apparently the same Moriarty who was last seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, "Ship in a Bottle." Yet Moriarty was always a hologram, so is the 19th century criminal mastermind back in the flesh? There are a couple of ways this is possible, if so. Star Trek: Voyager introduced the mobile emitter that allowed the holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) to leave Sickbay; perhaps Professor Moriarty has a 25th century version of the device that allows him to function outside of a holodeck program. Another possibility is that Moriarty is back in a synthetic body. After all, Star Trek: Picard season 1 introduced perfectly human-like androids in Soji and Dahj (Isa Briones), and Jean-Luc Picard himself died and was resurrected in a synthetic body. Perhaps the genius Moriarty accomplished the same feat, either by himself or maybe with the help of Lore.

Related: Picard Season 3 Will Show Captain Riker's Biggest Difference To Jean-Luc

TNG 's Professor James Moriarty Explained

Moriarty was introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode "Elementary Dear Data." He was the foil for Data (Brent Spiner), who enjoyed role playing as Sherlock Holmes, with Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) as Watson, on the holodeck. Moriarty was upgraded into a program who could challenge Data's intellect, and the virtual villain quickly became self-aware and attempted to take over the USS Enterprise-D. Along with his love interest, Countess Regina Bartholemew (Stephanie Beacham), Moriarty again tried to gain control of the Enterprise in the TNG season 6 episode, "Ship in a Bottle." Captain Picard's solution was to place Moriarty and Regina in an endlessly regenerating holodeck program which would allow them to explore the galaxy and live out their lives.

However, it was always a lingering question what happened to Moriarty and his program after the Enterprise-D was destroyed in Star Trek Generations . Whether Moriarty's program was salvaged or lost was never determined. Nonetheless, Moriarty is now back in Star Trek: Picard season 3, which will hopefully provide an explanation for how this is possible.

Everything Revealed About Moriarty's Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Return

Daniel Davis recently provided a few more scintillating details about his return as Professor Moriarty in a Cameo that was reported by TrekMovie.com . According to the actor, Moriarty only appears in one episode of Star Trek: Picard season 3, and his return is "a bit of a callback to an earlier season, way before Moriarty even appeared actually—the first meeting between Riker and Data." Davis must be referring to the Star Trek: The Next Generation pilot , "Encounter at Farpoint," when Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) first met Data and called the android, "Pinocchio."

Davis also added that Riker says in the script of his appearance in Star Trek: Picard season 3, "'This is not the Moriarity that we know from the Enterprise.' And in fact, that is true... It’s a different kind of Moriarty, but it’s still Moriarty." Daniel Davis' hints do point towards the possibility that Moriarty is back as a synthetic or that he underwent a profound change since his last TNG appearance, be it physically or mentally. The mystery of Professor James Moriarty is certainly one of the most compelling aspects of Star Trek: Picard season 3.

Next: What Happened To Data's Evil Brother Lore Between TNG & Picard Season 3

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres February 16, 2023, on Paramount+.

Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

• Science Fiction Villains
• Artificial Intelligence
• Fictional Fictional
• Archenemies
• Blackmailers
• On & Off

Professor Moriarty (Star Trek)

• View history

Professor James Moriarty is a recurring antagonist in Star Trek: The Next Generation , serving as the main antagonist of the episodes "Elementary Dear Data" and "Ship in a Bottle".

He was portrayed by Daniel Davis .

Biography [ ]

While playing the parts of Holmes and Watson on the holodeck, Lieutenant Geordi LaForge became frustrated with the fact Lieutenant Commander Data instantly knew the solution to every case because of his complete knowledge of all Holmes stories. He instructed the computer to create an adversary capable of defeating Data. As a result, the computer created a hologram of Holmes' archenemy Professor Moriarty and imbued him with sentience. The Moriarty hologram began to deduce what he was and that he was on board a spaceship and dreamed of being free. He took Doctor Pulaski hostage and was able to gain control of the Enterprise from his holographic laboratory, threatening to disrupt the ship unless he was released. Picard and Data went to negotiate with him, with Moriarty having realised who Data really was rather than continuing to view him as Holmes. Picard was able to convince him that there was no way to free him but promised to try and find a way. Moriarty accepted the reassurance and released control of the ship, being stored in active memory.

However, Moriarty proceeded to spend four years in nothingness before accidentally being reactivated by Lieutenant Barclay. Picard and Data joined Barclay in meeting with Moriarty, who astonished them by walking off the holodeck, citing his willpower. He asked them to find a way to free his lover, Countess Regina Bartholomew, who he had informed of her true nature. However, it transpired that they were all still on the holodeck, in an illusion Moriarty had created. Having tricked Picard into giving him his command codes, Moriarty gained control of the real Enterprise and demanded they find a way to free him. Picard tricked him again, making Moriarty believe he and the Countess had been beamed off the holodeck when in fact they were still there. Unaware of the deception, Moriarty was convinced he had left the Enterprise in a shuttle and released control of the ship. Picard had the programme continue to run in active memory, so Moriarty would believe he was travelling the galaxy, feeding him constant new experiences for the rest of a human lifespan.

Navigation [ ]

• 1 Skar King
• 2 Owl (Twisted Childhood Universe)
• 3 Winnie-the-Pooh (Twisted Childhood Universe)

Star Trek: Who Is [Holographic] James Moriarty?

Who is the well dressed man in the new season 3 trailer of Picard, and what his presence might mean for the show?

With all the new and exciting details that came out of the Picard season three trailer , the appearance of a well-dressed figure bathed in blue light might not have meant much for casual fans of the franchise. However, to longtime viewers, his identity was clear (and exciting) straight away. While it may seem odd, this is the returning figure of Professor James Moriarty (played by Daniel Davis), Sherlock Holmes’ arch nemesis. But how is this possible?

The Moriarty that appears in The Next Generation is not flesh and blood. Rather, he is a holographic representation of him from a hold-novel fleshed out by none other than Data. He was first introduced in season 2, during the aptly named episode “Elementary Dear Data,” as a holodeck character programmed to give Data and Geordi La Forge a challenge while they played Sherlock and Watson as part of a Sherlock Holo-novel in their downtime. The program for Moriarty was upgraded in order to become a worthy opponent to Data, who could easily see through any mystery. The holographic Moriarty was designed to pose a real challenge for him, but as an unfortunate side effect of his newfound genius, he quickly became self-aware, realizing he was not entirely real. His sentience and nefarious nature would lead him to try and take over the ship not only once, but twice.

RELATED: Star Trek: Picard – What Does Season 2’s Plot Mean For The Future Of The Borg?

Moriarty's story ends with Picard acknowledging his sentience, and forgiving him for trying to take control of the ship. He realizes that all Moriarty wants is to explore the universe, alongside his love interest Countess Regina Bartholomew, another holographic character. His solution to the unusual predicament is not to delete the program, unable to do so as it would break with his belief that the sentient holograms are living beings . Instead, he places the two characters inside an endless holodeck program where they are able to live out eternity exploring a holographic universe.

While this might sound like a great solution at first, forever is a long time. After a while, Moriarty's fabricated reality would most likely become boring and repetitive. What's more, knowing that it was just a simulation would take a lot of the joy out of it. Audiences are never told what happens to him and his countess. Many assumed that the program was lost with the destruction of the iconic Enterprise D in Star Trek Generations, but with his appearance in Picard 's season 3 trailer, it's clear that he survived.

Moriarty's role within the new season is still somewhat of a mystery. It's not even certain whether he will be playing a good guy or a villain. It’s clear that he is the same entity from before, not just another version of the professor. He utters "Greetings, old friends," suggesting he knows those in front of him, most likely members of the original TNG crew. This said, however, actor Daniel Davis has said that the Picard Moriarty is not entirely the same Moriarty from TNG. He is still the same, but different in a way that viewers can only discover watching the show. What this means is unclear. Perhaps he has returned as an android/synthetic, a theme that Picard seems very keen on exploring . Or maybe his personality or character is different. It might suggest that this version of the villain is not villain at all, and instead will help the protagonists in some way.

Davis has revealed a little more about his role, however. He reported that his appearance is more like a cameo than a large role. His appearance in the trailer is more likely fan service than it is vitally important, trying to pack in as many gasps and cries of joy from older Trekkies as they see more and more returning characters. He states that he only appears in one episode, and that rather than focusing on his own episodes from TNG, his presence is more related to another old episode, a callback to the first meeting between Data and commander Riker. This was in the pilot episode “Encounter at Farpoint,” the episode that also first introduced Q and the Borg . It will be interesting to see how this works, as this was well before the character was introduced.

Whatever form the old professor will take, it’s certain to be impactful. The character has been an important player in the ongoing quest for the recognition of synthetics as living, sentient beings . His presence, combined with that of Lore, will hopefully take this question further, taking another look at what it means to be alive. All audiences can do now is avidly await for the show to release in early 2023, and see the seemingly dramatic end to Captain Picard’s story.

MORE: Star Trek: The Fan Backlash To The J.J. Abrams Films Explained

The Bounty (episode)

• View history

Now on the run, Picard and the skeleton crew of the USS Titan must break into Starfleet's most top-secret facility to expose a plot that could destroy the Federation. Picard must turn to the only soul in the galaxy who can help – an old friend.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 2 Memorable quotes
• 3.2 Story and script
• 3.3 Cast and characters
• 3.4 Production
• 3.5 Continuity
• 3.6 Reception
• 4.1 Starring
• 4.2 Special guest stars
• 4.3 Guest starring
• 4.4 Co-starring
• 4.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 4.6 Stunt doubles
• 4.7 Stand-ins
• 4.8.1 Spacecraft references
• 4.8.2 LCARS references
• 4.8.3 Meta references
• 4.9 External links

Summary [ ]

Three Federation starships arrive at the location of a transponder left behind by the USS Titan -A , while another is found by the Shrike . Vadic grows increasingly frustrated, threatening her "ill-defined, unshapen" crew if another one tells her they have not located Picard . The Changeling at the helm explains that the Titan keeps leaving behind decoy transponders and jumping to warp at infrequent intervals. Vadic thinks of how exhausted they must be… as she is, as are all of their "brothers and sisters" who have to wear the faces of the Federation. She then becomes more upbeat, saying that there will be rest, a day of "lifeless bodies burning in space." They will have peace and unity again… but first, they will have their vengeance. The helm continues to persist; Frontier Day is 72 hours away, and they have no better idea of where Jack Crusher is than they did before. As they are saying a change of leadership might be needed, Vadic simply orders "enough" and the Changeling beside her draws their weapon and vaporizes the would-be mutineer on the spot.

Vadic sets her crew to work on finding all of Picard's known associates, including past and present Starfleet colleagues – anyone to whom he might turn for help. " We will scorch the Earth under which he stands, and the night will brighten with the ashes of the Federation, " she declares. " And from them… we will rise. "

Act One [ ]

In the Titan 's sickbay , Beverly Crusher speaks to Picard about Jack's condition. After he had confided in her about his waking nightmares, she ran a micro-neural scan, and found all of the portions of his brain relating to cognition and imagination were affected. Jack has a terminal diagnosis of Irumodic Syndrome , which he inherited from Picard. Beverly remembers how he had had nightmares and spoke to imaginary things as a child, but she had thought he was gifted, not "plagued with an overclocked brain." She has given him a neuro-inhibitor to temper the hallucinations, and it might be decades before the disease finally catches up with him. When Picard begins to speak, she stops him, telling him not to waste time burdening himself, when he could instead be unburdening Jack.

Picard finds Jack in the holodeck , still set to 10 Forward Avenue , seated at the bar having had several drinks by this point. When Jack sees him, he has the landlord pour one for his "old man" as well. He explains he is celebrating the fact that he is not crazy, just broken – and the way he sees it, he can either wallow in self-pity, or be like a Japanese teacup , which can be put back together with molten gold … or in Jack's case, bourbon . Picard thinks Jack should take it more seriously, but Jack says he is taking it "deadly serious," and quite possibly dead. He asks how Picard survived dealing with it, and Picard points out that he didn't , having had his body replaced with a golem , but he had lived with the syndrome for decades – and Jack has plenty more good years ahead of him. Jack laments that it was unfortunate Picard wasn't as good at passing on genetics as he is wisdom. His mother had tried to protect him from becoming "collateral damage" in Picard's life, but he finds it ironic that he was probably doomed before he was born. He downs his drink and leaves, just as Seven of Nine calls: "they" have arrived, she informs Picard.

Worf and Musiker beam aboard, greeted in the transporter room by Picard, Riker , Beverly, and Seven. Worf formally asks permission to come aboard, and Picard happily grants it, saying it has been too long. Worf replies it has been eleven years, five months, four days , minus his infrequent messages and his annual bottle of " sour mead ." Riker knows he was talking about Chateau Picard , which Worf thinks is "quite tart." Though she knows Worf was not a "hugger" (and Riker points this out), Beverly hugs him anyway, glad to see him. Musiker tells Picard that Worf engages in meditation, and Worf confirms this, saying that the most advantageous battle stance is to be one within oneself, earning an incredulous reaction from Riker. Musiker greets her former-lover Seven, asking if she is alright; Seven replies that they are alive, at least. Musiker and Worf had a difficult time tracking the Titan down, which gave them time to process the idea that Picard and Beverly were now parents. Worf then turns his attention to business, telling Picard that they have to ensure Ro Laren did not die in vain, to protect both Starfleet and her kin, and that they have much to report.

As the Titan goes to warp, the crew meets in the observation lounge with Captain Shaw . Worf explains that the Changelings have re-emerged as a threat. During the Dominion War , they had used deception and might against the Federation, and Starfleet retaliated with the morphogenic virus ; there were scars and shame on both sides. Starfleet had also provided the cure to the Great Link , but Shaw points out that it had weaponized a number of zealots as well. Ro believed that whatever was being planned was tied to Frontier Day – " no better stage on which to make a statement, " as Picard puts it, and the day was coming in less than 48 hours. With time a factor and no leads, Worf and Musiker believe they have to return to the scene of the crime: Daystrom Station , where Starfleet keeps its experimental weapons technology and alien contraband, off the books. A few months earlier, Vadic had broken into the station and stolen a number of classified weapons, including the portal weapon , but Musiker and Worf speculate that the portal's use at the recruiting center on M'talas Prime was meant to cover the theft of something else; Shaw thinks it obvious that the weapon they took is even more deadly than the portal weapon. Seven points out that the only way to know for certain is to check Daystrom's inventory, and Beverly adds the copy Ro was able to obtain was heavily redacted. The full manifest would be located inside Daystrom's vault. Starfleet security has had patrols every hour on the station since the break-in, but the vault itself is protected by an "astonishingly lethal" AI system, to which Worf and Musiker have acquired a key. However, if the key fails, instead of searching for one missing weapon, they will find themselves at the wrong end of many. Ro believed this weapon key to the entire conspiracy, and Picard also knows it is the only way they can both clear their names and save Starfleet. He then asks for volunteers.

Worf, Musiker, and Seven head to the transporter room, where Seven tries to reach out to Musiker. Seeing this, Worf says he has been in battle alongside lovers many times, and is able to mention how therapeutic it can be when Seven says she is not going. Worf is relieved, admitting he had been practicing deceit, and that breakups on his homeworld rarely ended without bloodshed. Riker then enters, having volunteered to join the team. Seven reports they have come out of warp as close as they could to beam them in without alerting Starfleet. Ro's intel had a workaround for the station's transport inhibitors , but they will have to beam them in and out before the manual patrols. Riker asks how long they have to find the weapons manifest, and Musiker estimates an hour at best. Riker hopes the key works, otherwise they will have to resort to "old-fashioned Klingon offense". Worf mentions that he now prefers pacifism to actual combat, before giving the order to energize. As the beam takes them, a deadpan Riker mutters that they are all going to die.

As they materialize inside the station, the station's AI conducts a security scan, requiring they identify themselves. Worf plugs Krinn 's key into the system, just as the computer threatens to use lethal force if the "Daystrom visitors" do not identify themselves. After a tense moment, the key succeeds, granting them access to the station. But outside, their troubles are just beginning: two starships drop out of warp, having managed to locate the Titan . Shaw orders red alert and tries to have the team brought back, but Lieutenant Mura says that he can't get a lock; the ships have activated transport inhibitors to block any rescue from the station. Sidney La Forge recognizes them as Echelon -class ships, and they have traceable payloads; if they hit the Titan with their weapons, they could track the ship as they fled. " Spoken like a true La Forge, " Picard commends her, before saying they have to run before their pursuers realize who is inside Daystrom. La Forge warns that short of being invisible, they won't be able to come back until the other ships can't track them. Picard taps his combadge and informs Riker of the situation, but adds he has an idea, before telling La Forge to set a course for Athan Prime . La Forge doesn't think it is a good idea, and Worf adds that Starfleet security will patrol that area in less than an hour. Picard promises they will be back by then. The two ships lock weapons, and Shaw gives the order to withdraw at maximum warp.

The team, now on their own, explores Daystrom's weapons vault, which Worf explains as being the repository for Section 31 's more "nefarious" technology. Among the items contained within are a thalaron generator , a second Genesis Device , and the body of Captain James T. Kirk . Worf is startled by a genetically modified tribble that viciously jumps at the glass in its containment cell. Riker jokes about the "mighty Klingon" and the even "mightier attack tribble," but Worf is not amused, seeing that Riker still finds comfort in humor, and humor in others' discomfort. Riker is surprised that Worf is so serious now, before Musiker directs them back to the mission at hand, and getting out – alive. The station's AI detects Riker's speech patterns and identifies him, preparing security measures. As they make their way through the corridors, a holographic crow flies past them, startling them. Riker thinks there is something familiar about it, before Worf calls out that he has found the mainframe. As he prepares to access it, a note from a violin can be heard over the comms, Riker identifying it as an F-sharp. A further burst of music sounds as the lights go out. When the emergency lights kick in, they are confronted by a man in a 19th century formal outfit, complete with top hat, and Riker is astonished to recognize him as Professor Moriarty .

" Greetings, old friends, " Moriarty says politely, as he pulls out a pistol from his coat.

Act Two [ ]

The Titan arrives at Athan Prime, home to the Fleet Museum . The " old spacedock " has been moved here, to act as the last resting place of legendary starships. Shaw orders La Forge to find a place among the "relics," to be a "needle in the haystack." The station hails them, and though La Forge is clearly hesitant, Shaw has it put on screen. Picard is glad to see the caller, Commodore Geordi La Forge , the museum's director and Sidney's father. But Geordi does not appear happy to see them, telling Picard to power down nonessential systems immediately.

Geordi beams aboard along with his daughter Alandra . He admits that in the nanosecond he spent in the transporter beam, he debated the virtues of a curt, professional handshake or an uncomfortable, but long-overdue hug, before electing to give Beverly the latter. He then gives curt greetings to Picard and Sidney. As Picard prepares to introduce him to Jack, Geordi interrupts, saying he is in the middle of his third memo to Starfleet protesting having all of the fleet in one location for Frontier Day. Further, with all of the thousands of people who visit the museum daily, sooner or later someone will point out the one ship that doesn't belong there. Geordi is adamant that they need to talk, and quickly leaves. Alandra greets her sister, who calls their father "impossible"; Alandra promises to do what she can. Jack sarcastically notes the "warm and cuddly" greeting, and Sidney admits she has not been on the best of terms with her father, something Jack sees they have in common.

On learning that Jack is Picard's son, Geordi is not entirely surprised that his old captain has managed to turn fatherhood into an intergalactic incident. Picard tries to explain that not only is Starfleet after them, but Changelings are as well, and tells him that Worf and Riker are stuck on Daystrom Station. Picard asks for Geordi's help to clone the Titan 's transponder signal to lure their pursuers away from Daystrom Station. Geordi is not happy to see his old friends pulled into the situation as well, and explains that even if he were willing, he couldn't clone a transponder signal without randomized Starfleet security codes. He then has Alandra explain the biggest problem: every ship in Starfleet is now fully integrated, able to "talk" to each other. The Titan is a beacon, and it will only be a matter of time before they get close enough to track. Picard realizes this was how the two Echelon s had found them.

At Daystrom Station, the search for the team continues, the starships USS Sternbach and USS Cole continuing their sensor sweeps. Musiker wonders what a 19th century holo-villain is doing defending a 25th century black site . Moriarty retorts that "villain" does not do justice to his complexity, and only reveals her simplicity; Riker remarks that at least somebody is consistent. Moriarty opens fire, his old-style pistol firing live rounds, while the team's phasers pass through his holographic form. As further musical notes blare, Riker realizes this is not the same self-aware Moriarty they encountered on the USS Enterprise -D decades before, but more of a projection, one that is blocking their way to the security vault. Riker is able to identify the musical notes as they come, while Moriarty calls them "solvable puzzles," mocking their unguarded expressions, their visible scars. " Such pathetic old warriors, " he sneers. Further musical notes sound, and Riker asks if he is trying to play some kind of a song for them. Moriarty confirms this, calling it a "maddening melody" and a "saccharine song," one he can not get out of his head. Riker then hears a portion he recognizes: " Pop Goes the Weasel ," recalling hearing it on the holodeck when he first came aboard the Enterprise -D. Riker whistles the last notes of the song. Moriarty smiles, calling it "marvelous," as his projection vanishes, and the door to the mainframe opens. Worf asks how he knew it would work, and Riker recalls he had shared that tune with another dear friend ages ago, one who also dreamt of crows and sought to thwart Moriarty with the intellect of Sherlock Holmes … " somebody who couldn't whistle worth a damn. " He recalls finishing the song the same way on the holodeck for Data decades before , who had also called it "marvelous." As they enter the mainframe, they see another Soong-type android : The station's security AI.

Act Three [ ]

Geordi makes it clear he wants to help his old captain and crew, but he has a lot at stake. In the best-case scenario, he faces court martial , and at worst, a compromised Starfleet will put his family at risk. Alandra mentions something in Hangar Bay 12 that could help them, but her father immediately shuts that down. Picard insists this is a life-or-death situation, but Geordi retorts that it is always life-or-death, which he felt fine with when he did so willingly with his own life while under Picard's command, but now he believes Picard has put Sidney in grave danger, a charge Picard denies, defending her choice to join Starfleet. As the fathers continue to argue, an exasperated Alandra leaves, apologetically reminding Sidney about their father's stubbornness.

Jack exchanges a glance with Sidney, before seating himself (over Seven's initial protest) in the captain's chair , saying he just wanted to "try it out." They cycle through the ships in the museum, and Jack is able to identify some of them: The USS Defiant , the USS New Jersey , and one he calls his personal favorite, the USS Enterprise -A , admiring her "clean retro lines," calling himself a " Constitution -class man." Seven remarks on how knowledgeable he is for someone who "didn't give a damn about Starfleet," but Jack has always been interested in starships, even before he knew about Picard being his father. Seven then brings up another ship that Jack calls a "beauty" but is unfamiliar with: The USS Voyager , which Seven explains had made its name farther out than any of the others had ever gone. She also calls it her home, where she had been "reborn," and the crew was her family. Jack sees she is now looking for another, noting how they were all looking for connection, but are always "just a little bit alone": " Stars in the same galaxy, but light years between us. " Seven laughingly tells him he is truly his father's son, as Picard also has a knack for "poetic drive-by observation," which she sometimes finds annoying… but can also make a person feel seen. Jack admits that being equal parts irritating and endearing isn't "entirely unfamiliar." Seven then brings up another ship, the HMS Bounty , a Klingon Bird-of-Prey pulled from the bottom of San Francisco Bay after " the whole whale thing " in 2286 . The story goes that the searchers had a difficult time finding it, and Jack realizes it was because the cloaking device had reactivated.

" They took a keen interest in your sentient AI friend here. "

Inside Daystrom's mainframe, Riker realizes the android was not trying to harm them; it was trying to communicate with them, because it recognized them. Musiker had thought Data had died ( twice ), and Riker confirms he did; Worf is adamant it can not be the same Data. Musiker examines the records, seeing this new android is a hybrid, a synthetic with an android interface. Riker thinks it could be their Data; before his first death, Data had copied his entire being into B-4 , which had been unrecoverable up to that point; with the synth ban now lifted, nothing was now impossible. After the death of Altan Soong , Starfleet co-opted most of his unfinished work, taking a particular interest in the new android. Musiker finds a holographic message from Soong in the records. In the recording, the doctor explains that before gifting his golem to Picard, he had intended to live beyond his years, becoming his own legacy. But in his last days, he recognized that this was not just poor humanity, it was poor science. Evolution was not meant to be preservation – it was meant to be addition.

At the same time, aboard the Titan , Geordi explains that Sidney has always been stubborn, which he admits she likely inherited from him, thinking that a parent always wants to impart the best aspects of themselves to their children. Picard, recently introduced to fatherhood himself, has learned that one is not always in control of what they pass on – strengths, weaknesses, and flaws alike.

Soong goes on to explain that the new golem he wanted to create would have various aspects of the other Soong-type androids: Lal , B-4, Lore , and "a great deal" of Data, this time with the wisdom and "true Human " aesthetic of age, and the hope that within the totality, something – someone – will rise to be the best of them. However, the records indicate that Soong died before he was able to finish the work, and that the personalities within the golem are battling one another.

Geordi thinks back to his days on the Enterprise , rushing into danger. He never feared for his life, not like he does for Sidney. He wants to help, but he cannot do so and protect his children at the same time. Picard returns to the bridge, saying they are leaving; Geordi will not help them, and he has to respect his wishes. However, he tells Sidney that her father wants to speak to her first.

Sidney point-blank asks why Geordi won't help them. He sits his daughter down, explaining that he and Picard have reached an agreement: She is to stay at the museum with him, and Picard will say for the record she was an unwilling participant in his action. Sidney protests, knowing it is not true, but Geordi tells her this is how it has to be. Sidney knows what is at stake, having seen a corpse that looked just like her. Geordi insists it should be left to Starfleet, but she reminds him that she is also a Starfleet officer. She had grown up listening to his adventures under Picard's command, how they always stood up for what was right. Geordi thinks it was a different time, but Sidney does not, thinking that it all stems from her not being like Alandra, who became an engineer like their father. While Geordi could build ships, Sidney only wanted to fly them, and she feels he took that as her rejecting him, while she believes it brought them closer. " You would believe in this if you believed in me, " she says, rising to leave. Geordi stops her, asking if she knows what he and Alandra felt when the Titan went missing, and now that they are on the run, and Sidney is jeopardizing her life and career. Sidney reminds him she is on the run with her crew. When Geordi tells her they are not her family, she hits back that they are her family, because he had taught her that. " And I'm not scared to step up and help them, " she adds. " You are. "

As she returns to the bridge, Picard and Seven consider their options. They are almost out of time; Picard thinks they may have no choice but to return to Daystrom Station and engage the two Echelon 's themselves to rescue their team, and suggests meeting with Shaw to discuss strategy. After they leave, Jack apologetically remarks on how he is partly responsible for the situation, and compliments Sidney on her ability to fly them "rather wonderfully" out of the messes he's made. This leads him to two simple questions: First, how well did they know the museum facility, and two, how do they feel about engaging in "minor larceny?" The La Forge siblings exchange amused looks at this.

Musiker wonders why Starfleet would install an insane AI to protect their deepest secrets; Riker thinks it was because it is a one-of-a-kind work of art, certainly more advanced than anything Starfleet could come up with. He recalls how it glitched out when it saw them, because it recognized them. This means that the AI saw everything that came and went in the station. " He is not protecting the manifest, " Worf realizes; " he is the manifest. " As Musiker brings up the files, an alarm sounds: Starfleet security has found them. They are out of time, and Picard is not answering their repeated comms.

The Titan suddenly begins experiencing bursts of electromagnetic radiation , causing parts of the ship to seemingly phase out of view. Geordi demands to know what Picard has done, but Picard is just as confused as he is. Just then, the Titan disappears completely; now cloaked. Geordi accuses Picard of stealing the cloaking device from the Bird-of-Prey, but as Picard protests his innocence, he stops, as both fathers realize the culprits: Their children. Jack and Sidney are attempting to install the cloak, but are having difficulty with it. Geordi warns that Starfleet will be on its way, as the theft of the cloak set off an automated security alert, and asks how many Federation treaties Picard has just violated. Picard half-jokingly replies they will have to add it to his tab, before pleading with Geordi to help them. Geordi finally gives in, heading down to engineering (with a not-at-all-joking demand to Jack to stay away from his daughter) to help properly install the cloak.

Musiker works to free the android, but sees Starfleet security coming right up to them; she will not have time. Drawing his phaser, Riker (over Worf's protests) rushes in to give them that time. The Titan moves in under cloak, but Seven warns that they will have to decloak to beam the team out. As the Titan flies in, Riker is exchanging fire with the security officers, before taking a hit to the back from a transport inhibitor tag. Shaw orders what signals can be locked onto to be beamed out, as the Titan escapes to warp. Geordi and Jack meet the team in the transporter room, hearing of Riker's capture. " We have lost one friend in battle, but gained another, " Worf says, as he steps aside to reveal their new "friend," Geordi then recognizes as the aged face of Data.

Act Four [ ]

Worf promises to Picard that he will find Riker and bring him home: " And fearful be the god or man or beast that stands in my way. " Picard sincerely thanks him, and sends him on his way. Jack then enters, offering his apologies about Riker. He goes on to admit he can be a lot of things, mostly a "prick at the bar" who says things he can't take back, and maybe a bit cocky (" A bit? " Picard wonders). But he likes to think he has a few virtues as well, such as compassion, tenacity, and being principled, as well as occasionally clever. All of those, he gets from his mother. However, he also has courage, loyalty, and wisdom beyond his years, and until a week ago, he had no idea where those traits came from. Maybe he didn't just get some "bullshit disease" from his father, but "some of the good bits" as well. " Maybe, " Picard agrees.

In sickbay, Geordi admits to Sidney that he is not angry at her for what she did, but disappointed in himself for not doing what his younger self would have done, expressing his pride in her. He then asks for an ionic flow regulator , but Sidney corrects him by saying he needed the focal adjustment spanner for the main port. When he asks how she knew, she answers that the reason she crashed so many speeders as a kid was to spend time with him fixing them. Picard, Beverly, and Worf enter a moment later, Picard stunned to see Data once again, having watched him die twice now. Geordi points out that he had watched Data the android die, but this was something else. The personalities had yet to be integrated, but the information is still there. Worf asks if he could tell them what Vadic stole from Daystrom, and Geordi believes he can, assuming he is sane enough to speak. He can reboot the android body, but warns that he can not completely isolate Data even with the personality partitions in place, so they will not know who they are going to get. Picard gives him the go-ahead, and Geordi brings the android online by flipping a switch at the back of the android's neck . He appears confused, but recognizes Geordi and Picard (addressing the latter as "captain"), saying that there are many voices of himself inside Daystrom Android M-5-10 , but only one speaks about them with the most fondness. He says that he is Data, but then corrects that to say that he was Data. Beverly sees him as like Picard: Synthetic, but human. Picard asks him about the break-in at Daystrom. The android cycles through its personalities: Lore, B-4, even Altan Soong, also repeating Picard's name over and over. Finally, however, it accesses the manifest, finding the item that the Changelings stole: Human remains… the original organic body of Picard himself.

Aboard Daystrom Station, a security officer is attempting to beat the location of Picard and Jack out of Riker. Bloody but unbowed, Riker refuses outright, earning him another punch to the face. The security officer stares at him for a moment before drawing a phaser and vaporizing the two other officers in the room… before its shape becomes that of Vadic, who cheerfully greets him. Taken aboard the Shrike , Riker sizes up Vadic's burly-looking companion, wondering how much of that "goo shit" they poured into him, earning another hard strike across the face. Riker keeps up his good cheer, however, asking if Vadic thought he would give up more than three decades of loyalty just for her. Vadic agrees that he wouldn't do it for her, before revealing who she has held in a nearby cell: Deanna Troi . " Oh, Will… ", Troi sadly says to her husband.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" For so long, my mother thought to protect me from you. To shield me from being collateral damage in the life of Jean-Luc Picard. Irony is… maybe I was doomed before I was even born. "

" The most advantageous battle stance is being one within oneself. " " Whoa. Seriously? " " I just said it. "

" I have gone into battle with lovers countless times. It can be therapeutic if… " " I'm not going. " " That is a relief. I was practicing deceit. Breakups on my homeworld seldom end without bloodshed. "

" Captain Riker… " " Worf, call me Will. Come on. " " You should know that I now prefer pacifism to actual combat. Energize. " " We're all gonna die. "

" A mighty Klingon taken aback by the even mightier attack tribble! " " I see you still find comfort in humor. And humor in other people's discomfort. " " You used to poke back. What happened to you? "

" Let us continue our search but tread lightly. We will not be prey, we will be... friendly energy. " " I don't understand the world anymore. "

" Greetings, old friends. "

" What solvable puzzles you all are. Your unguarded expressions, your visible scars... my, how time has spun you all apart. Such pathetic old warriors. "

" Are you trying to play a song for us? Some sort of a tune? " " Yes! Yes, a maddening melody. A saccharine song. One that I cannot get out of my head! "

" Yep, I'm definitely a Constitution -class man. "

" Oh, she's a beauty. Which one's that? " " The USS Voyager . She made her name farther out than… any of those other relics had ever gone. I was reborn there. She was my home. Her crew were my family. "

" Is that a Klingon Bird of Prey? " " The HMS Bounty , pulled from the bottom of the San Francisco Bay. " " Yeah, right, the whole whale thing. "

" Before I gifted Picard my golem, my intention was to live beyond my years. To become my own legacy. Now, I see in my final days that wasn't just poor Humanity, it was poor science... because evolution is not an act of preservation. It's addition. Into this new golem will go a bit of Lal, B-4, of Lore and, of course, a great deal of Data. This time with the true wisdom and Human aesthetic of age. With the hope in that in totality, something-- someone-- will rise to be the best of us. "

" I think back on those days on the Enterprise , all the danger we rushed into... I never feared for my life. "

" Captain, your hull is battered, bruised and basically paper-thin. You're spewing fumes through layers of 21st century duct tape. " " Yeah, it's been a weird week. "

" Geordi? Captain? " " Yes. Data, is that you? " " Yes, sir. No, sir. I… I am not certain. " " He's like you, Jean-Luc. " " I am Data. " " Synthetic… " " No, I was Data. " " But Human. "

" I'm Lore... I am B-4.... I am Soong... No, I am more. "

" Oh, look at this one. How much of that goo shit did they pour into you? "

Background information [ ]

• 16 March 2023 : Title publicly revealed by Wil Wheaton in TRR : " Imposters ".

Story and script [ ]

• A scene filmed for the episode but ultimately cut depicted a conversation between Worf and Riker in which the Klingon admitted to having killed an innocent woman whom he believed to be a Changeling infiltrator. [1]

Cast and characters [ ]

• LeVar Burton reprises his role of Geordi La Forge , marking the character's first appearance since Star Trek Nemesis in 2002 . Previously, he reprised the role for the Star Trek Online expansion "Escalation" in 2017 .
• Brent Spiner reprises the personalities of Data , (last seen in PIC : " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 "), Lore (last seen in TNG : " Descent, Part II ") and B-4 (last seen disassembled in " Remembrance " but last played by Spiner in Star Trek Nemesis ) as well as Altan Soong (last seen in "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2").
• Daniel Davis reprises his role of James Moriarty after last portraying the character on-screen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode " Ship In A Bottle " in 1993 .
• This episode marks the first time that the main cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation have appeared together since Star Trek Nemesis , save for Denise Crosby and Wil Wheaton .
• This episode marks the first time in Star Trek that regulars from three different series (in this case Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager ) appear together on screen on a fourth show.
• Despite being listed in the episode's end credits, Stephanie Czajkowski ( T'Veen ) and Jin Maley ( Kova Esmar ) do not appear in this episode.

Production [ ]

• The episode featured clips from TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ".
• Much of the bio featured in the James T. Kirk's datafile, including the dates of his five-year mission as 2264-2269, was lifted directly from the Kirk bio in all four editions of the Star Trek Encyclopedia .
• As Seven of Nine and Jack Crusher view the ships in the Fleet Museum, the themes from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Star Trek: The Original Series , and Star Trek: Voyager can be heard. When they view the HMS Bounty , the main title theme from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is heard, and when Daystrom Android M-5-10 is activated, motifs from Star Trek Nemesis can be heard.

Continuity [ ]

• The previously unspecified neurological disorder that was diagnosed by Dr. Moritz Benayoun in " Maps and Legends " that ultimately caused the death of Picard's Human body in " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 " is confirmed to be Irumodic Syndrome , which was made known to Picard by Q in TNG : " All Good Things... "
• Riker chides Worf about his disdain of tribbles, originally seen in DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations "
• Those featured included the USS Defiant (last seen in PRO : " Supernova, Part 1 "), the USS Enterprise -A (last seen in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ), the USS Voyager (last seen in VOY : " Endgame "), and the HMS Bounty (last seen in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ).
• Those ships not specifically featured included the Enterprise NX-01 (last seen in ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ", but since refit), the USS Excelsior (last seen in VOY : " Flashback "), the USS Stargazer (last seen in TNG : " The Battle "), and the Kronos One (last seen in The Undiscovered Country ). The USS Pioneer , a starship that prominently appears in the third season end credits , was not shown among the museum ships .
• Additional unidentified ships that appeared included two Akira -class , a Miranda -class , a Nebula -class , a Saber -class , and a Romulan Bird-of-Prey .
• In Riker's personnel file , it confirms that he was born on August 19 and officially gives his mother's name as Betty C. Riker.
• When Moriarty plays " Pop Goes the Weasel " for Riker, Worf and Raffi, it's being played on a violin . Data first played the violin while playing the part of Sherlock Holmes in TNG : " Elementary, Dear Data " where Moriarty first appeared. Data subsequently played the violin in future episodes, such as TNG : " The Ensigns of Command ", " Sarek ", et. al.
• Riker references Data's dream of a crow that led to his discovery of his dream program in TNG : " Birthright, Part I "
• Raffi and Picard reference Data's two previous deaths in Star Trek Nemesis and " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ".
• Riker refers to Data's attempt to copy his memories to B-4 from Star Trek Nemesis .
• Dr. Soong references his gifting of his Golem to Picard to restore him to life in " Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2 ".

Reception [ ]

• Ed Speleers later praised the writing for the scene where Jack and Seven view the ships at the Fleet Museum: “There’s a recognition of being an outsider and living on the edge and then trying to find their way into confirming with society, in this case Starfleet. They understand one another; there’s a rogue streak to them. I love that scene when they’re looking at the starships. It’s a love sort of, quite a tender moment, but it’s full of humor and it’s in the middle of everything’s that going on in Jack’s head at the point where he’s in complete shambles. To have this moment of levity with Seven, it just inflates it. It comes down to the wonderful writing. You look at the team of writers they had on board, and they nail it in terms of moments of levity, then driving back into humor, then driving back into serious tension.” [1]

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Michelle Hurd as Raffaela Musiker
• Ed Speleers as Jack Crusher

Special guest stars [ ]

• LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge
• Michael Dorn as Worf
• Jonathan Frakes as William T. Riker
• Gates McFadden as Beverly Crusher
• Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi
• Data (archive footage)
• Daystrom Android M-5-10
• Altan Soong (holographic recording)
• Daniel Davis as James Moriarty

Guest starring [ ]

• Todd Stashwick as Liam Shaw
• Amanda Plummer as Vadic
• Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut as Sidney La Forge

Co-starring [ ]

• Mica Burton as Alandra La Forge
• Stephanie Czajkowski as Lt. T'Veen (credit only)
• Joseph Lee as Lt. Mura
• Jin Maley as Ensign Esmar (credit only)
• Amy Earhart as Titan Computer
• Vaughn Page as Shrike Bridge Changeling
• Byron Quiros as Starfleet Lieutenant

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Whitney Coleman as Security officer
• Angel Manuel as Shrike Commander
• Holographic bartender
• Shrike personnel
• USS Cole officer (VO)
• USS Sternback officer (VO)

Stunt doubles [ ]

• Alyma Dorsey as stunt double for Michelle Hurd
• Quinn Early as stunt double for Michael Dorn
• Unknown stunt performer as stunt double for Jonathan Frakes

Stand-ins [ ]

• Margot Muraszkiewicz as stand-in for Jeri Ryan
• Sedríque as stand-in for Michael Dorn
• Thadeus Welch as stand-in for Patrick Stewart

References [ ]

19th century ; 21st century ; 25th century ; 2390 ; access panel ; admiral ; AI system ; Athan Prime ; attack tribble ; B-4 ; Betazoid ; black site ; Borg ; burgle ; captain ; Changeling ; Chateau Picard ; cognition ; commander ; commodore ; corpse (aka remains ); court martial ; crow ; decades ; diamonds ; doctor ; Dominion War ; duct tape ; EM radiation ; engineer ; faces ; Federation ; Fleet Museum ; focal adjustment spanner ; Founders' homeworld ; Frontier Day ; Genesis II Device ; gold ; golem ; Great Link ; Holmes, Sherlock ; hologram ; holographic crow ; hug ; hugger ; Human ; hybrid ; imagination ; ionic flow regulator ; Irumodic Syndrome ; Japanese ; Kirk, James T. ; Klingon ; La Forge's spouse ; La Forge, Sidney (Changeling); Lal ; landlord ; larceny ; lieutenant commander ; Lore ; mainframe computer ; maximum warp ; mead ; micro-neural scan ; morphogenic virus ; musical notes ; neuro-inhibitor ; nanosecond ; pearls ; " Pop Goes the Weasel "; portal device ; power resonators ; Qo'noS ; recruitment center ; reflective index ; reset switch ; retro ; Ro Laren ; saccharine ; San Francisco Bay ; Section 31 ; security terminal ; smoke ; " smoking gun "; Soong-type android ; sour ; speeder ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Intelligence ; Starfleet Security ; Starfleet uniform (2350s-2370s) ; Starfleet uniform (early 2400s) ; starship ; teacup ; Ten Forward, 2024 ; traceable payload ; transponder ; transponder signal ; transport inhibitor ; van Gogh, Vincent ; villain ; vinculum ; vision ; waking nightmare ; " whale thing "; whistle ; zealot

Spacecraft references [ ]

Akira -class ; Argo , USS ; Bounty , HMS ; Cole , USS ; Constellation -class ; Constitution -class ; Constitution II -class ; Constitution III -class ; Defiant -class ; Defiant , USS ; Duderstadt -class ; Echelon -class ; Enterprise , USS ; Enterprise -A, USS ; Enterprise -D, USS ; Excelsior -class ; Excelsior II -class ; Excelsior , USS ; Intrepid -class ; Klingon Bird-of-Prey (aka B'rel -class ); Kronos One ; K't'inga -class ; Lexington , USS ; Mestral , USS ; Miranda -class ; Nebula -class ; New Jersey , USS ; NX-class (refit); Romulan Bird-of-Prey (aka T'Liss -class ; unnamed ); Saber -class ; Saratoga , USS ; Sentinel , USS ; Shrike ; Spacedock -type ; Spacedock One ; Stargazer , USS ; Sternbach , USS ; Titan -A, USS ; Trumbull , USS ; Voyager , USS ; Wersching , USS : Yorktown , USS

LCARS references [ ]

2207 ; 2264 ; 2267 ; 2269 ; 2286 ; 2335 ; 2353 ; 2357 ; 2373 ; Alaska ; android duplicator ; Arretan android ; Blass Award for Space Exploration ; D'Arsay archive ; Daystrom Institute ; Deep Space 9 ; deflector ; Earth ; EM radiation ; Enterprise , USS ; environmental sensor ; Eve speciman ; extinct ; Federation Council ; Genesis Planet ; Grankite Order of Tactics (Class of Excellence) ; G'Rold ; integration ; intermix ratio ; interplexing node ; Kirk, James T. ; Karagite Order of Heroism ; magnetic containment field ; Marcus, Carol ; Marcus, David ; Medal of Honor ; Mutara Nebula ; neural net monitor ; Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission ; personnel file ; Picard, Jean-Luc ; Preantares Ribbon of Commendation (Classes First and Second) ; project log ; Project Phoenix ; Riker, Betty ; Riker, Kyle ; rodent ; security breach ; Silver Palm with Cluster ; Singh, Khan Noonien ; Star of Kahless ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry ; terminal diagnosis ; thalaron generator ; tribble ; tribble homeworld ; Troi, Deanna ; Veridian III ; vinculum

Meta references [ ]

External links [ ].

• " The Bounty " at the Internet Movie Database
• The Bounty at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Discovering the Bounty " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 3 Star Trek: Discovery

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Dec 5, 2018

"Elementary, Dear Data" Turns 30

startrek.com

“ Elementary, Dear Data ,” the third episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s second season, premiered on December 5th, 1988, and as well as being a classic TNG adventure, the show also gave us another early glimpse at Data’s journey of discovery as he discovered more and more about the intricacies of humanity. It’s a fan-favorite for good reason. Adding a touch of 19th century flair to the 24th century adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D , we entered the smog-laden, dangerous world of Victorian London in the late 1800’s.

Visiting the holodeck, Data and Geordi embarked upon a classic Holmes mystery as they waited for a rendezvous with the U.S.S. Victory . However, Data, with his encyclopedic memory, made short work of solving the mystery. Geordi left the holodeck in frustration, a move that confused Data. The engineer explained in Ten Forward that the fun is in solving the unknown, a conversation that Dr. Pulaski overheard. She challenged Data, claiming that he would be incapable of solving a mystery that he didn’t already know the outcome of. Data accepted, and on the holodeck Geordi created an original holographic Sherlock Holmes mystery with an adversary capable of besting the android.

The first curveball was thrown as Dr. Pulaski was kidnapped and Data soon learned that Professor Moriarty – Sherlock Holmes’ mortal enemy – was responsible. The second curveball arrived when they learned that this Moriarty was well aware that he was a holographic character in a computer simulation, accessing the ship’s computer and showing them an image of the Enterprise he had drawn. Geordi and Data left the holodeck, and the engineer realized his error. Moriarty wasn’t created to just beat Holmes, but to be equal to the intelligence and abilities of Data. When the professor took control of the ship’s stabilizer controls, Picard joined Geordi on the holodeck.

Moriarty showed that he had evolved well beyond his programming, capable of surviving in the world beyond the walls of the holodeck. Picard made it clear that wouldn’t be possible but pledged that if a way were ever discovered to convert holodeck material into a permanent state able to exist outside the holodeck, they would bring him back. The program was ended as the U.S.S. Victory arrived.

The writing of the episode was inspired by Data’s experiences in “ The Big Goodbye ” and the season one episode “ Lonely Among Us ,” which revealed that Data had a fascination with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary creation Sherlock Holmes. “Elementary, Dear Data” was the first detailed investigation of his interest, and more episodes were planned. However, a misunderstanding regarding the stories of Sherlock Holmes being in the public domain put paid to that for another five seasons… until the sixth-season episode “ Ship in a Bottle ” saw Moriarty return.

One of the most visually appealing episodes to that point in the show’s run, “Elementary, Dear Data” earned two Emmy Award nominations, one each for Outstanding Costume Design for a Series and Outstanding Art Direction for a Series. The sets for the episode were built from the ground up, giving the show a lavish, unique look. The final scenes, in which Picard and Moriarty went head to head with the fate of the Enterprise hanging in the balance, saw significant changes and unresolved plot threads, according to Maurice Hurley, the late TNG producer.

“In that ending, Picard knew how to defeat Moriarty,” Hurley told The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion . “He tricked him. He knew all along that Moriarty could leave the holodeck whenever he wanted to, and he knew because when Data came out and showed him a drawing of the Enterprise , if that piece of paper could leave the holodeck, that means that the fail-safe had broken down. In turn, this means that the matter-energy converter which creates the holodeck, now allowed the matter to leave the holodeck, which was, up to that point, impossible. When he knew that paper had left the holodeck, he knew that Moriarty could as well, so he lied to him."

Interestingly, given his pitch-perfect British accent, Daniel Davis, the actor behind Professor Moriarty, is from Arkansas in the United States and nowhere near 221B Baker Street in London. He would return as Moriarty five seasons later, as would the increasingly regular and very welcome visits to the holodeck, which became a staple of TNG and, later, Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager .

Director Rob Bowman was pleased with the episode, believing that there was enough in the scope of the plot to get two episodes out of it. “The original draft of that script was so eloquently written; absolutely beautiful, but it was probably a two-hour episode at least and was written way, way down, but that was a wonderful script,” he said. “We pulled the episode off."

They certainly did. So, here’s to “Elementary, Dear Data." Thirty years old -- and it’s looking as sleuthful as ever.

Mark Newbold has been an avid Trek fan since the 1970's, when TOS was shown on UK TV, but it was the original cast movie series and TNG era that sealed the deal. Mark is a writer for Star Trek: The Official Magazine , is editor-in-Chief of Star Trek: The Neutral Zone and was a stage host at Destination Star Trek Germany in 2018. At heart, he's a Niner. Follow him on Twitter .

Get Updates By Email