ALL SCI-FI

[Bogmeister]

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THE BIG GOODBYE
episode #12; first season / Air Date: 1/11/88
written by Tracy Torme; Directed by Joseph L. Scanlan


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This was the episode where we were given our first long look at the capabilities of the holodeck, the recreational device used by the TNG crew. We were given a glimpse of it in the first episode, Encounter at Farpoint; in this one, the entire episode revolves around it.

Picard is a fan of old mystery thrillers from the 1930s featuring detective Dixon Hill (like Sam Spade). Since he is becoming fatigued trying to memorize a greeting in an insectoid language, this seems a good opportunity to relax in a recreation of that period, especially since the program had just been upgraded

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Accompanying Picard as 'Dix' is Data (who has studied the period — he was imitating Sherlock Holmes a few episodes back), a ship's historian, and Beverly Crusher.

They become immersed in the old San Francisco setting, such as Picard getting grilled by a hostile cop (William Boyett) and enjoying it immensely.

But that insect race conducts a long range scan of the ship and disrupts the holodeck program. The holodeck locks down, and the safety settings are taken off line. This is not good, because Dix and his companions are soon confronted by arch-villain Cyrus Redblock (Lawrence Tierney) and his henchmen.

The bullets are now lethal . . . not just make-believe.

It was also here that we got the strongest indication of a romantic connection between Picard and his doctor (Crusher). Of course, this was the result of placing them together in an exotic (for them) setting, allowing their romantic instincts to rise up.

I almost expected them to be dating in the next episode. But this didn't happen. Once back to the routine of the starship, it was all professional, although we would revisit the possibilities occasionally.

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I didn't like this episode very much when I first watched it back in '88. It came across as somewhat slow and rather pointless, even with an intriguing menace and a more intriguing denouement.

But a funny thing happened in the past 20 years. I came to appreciate all those old films from the thirties & forties, those famous "film noirs", the b&w atmospheric big city-crime-suspensers.

In this episode a viewer gets immersed in the period along with the TNG characters. Watching them get their kicks from this rare form of entertainment is priceless (Data has a couple of hilarious lines, imitating the lexicon of the period). Then, when things get serious, it becomes suitably grim.

TNG Trivia:

~ Picard would briefly return to this private eye character Dixon Hill in the holodeck in the episode Clues in 4th season, and in the TNG film, First Contact (96), where-in he purposely turned off the safety protocols again to deal with some Borg drones.

~ The imaginary character of Hill was originally meant to be named Dixon Steele, but producers were worried about the similarity to the TV series/character called Remington Steele and demanded that writer Torme change it.


BoG
Galaxy Overlord Galactus

[Bud Brewster]

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This is not really an enjoyable episode, even though it was made somewhat in the spirit A Piece of the Action from TOS. But the characters here do a rotten job when they try to fit in with the era.

For example, Bogmeister didn't mention the funny scene with sci-fi legend Dick Miller as a newsstand vendor who sells a paper to Picard and Data, and then overhears their conversation about the baseball scores.

Data starts spouting sports news from the "future", and Mr. Miller scoffs at Data's claim that the New York Yankee's 56-game winning streak will finally be broken by the Cleveland Indians!

To be honest, the whole comic bit wasn't as funny as the better moments in A Piece of the Action, but it was a sincere effort, I supposed.

But the worse moments were the attempts by Picard and his colleagues to convince the bad guys who threaten to shoot them (as they did to the fourth member of the Enterprise group) that they're all from the futures and that everyone else is just an illusion.

It made the characters seem stupid and the whole episode look silly.

Furthermore, the conversation at end between Picard and the loyal police detective who asks the captain if he and his beloved family will still exists after Picard leaves the holodeck . . . was embarrassingly dumb!

Picard's answer was, in fact, even dumber. "I honestly don't know."

Oh good lord . . . are we supposed to weep for this hologram's termination when the program ended? Seriously!?
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)