Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Season 3, Episode 21
Original Air Date: April 30, 1990
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| via Memory Alpha |
It's a Barclay episode!
Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) doesn't seem to be working out on the engineering staff. He's socially awkward, constantly late and seemingly incompetent. LaForge and Riker both want him transferred off the ship but Picard challenges Geordi to befriend the man and see if he can bring him around.
Barclay is one of the best recurring characters on Next Gen. He is Trek's walking, talking cautionary tale. In this episode, he's addicted to the holodeck, having created, among other programs, a Three Musketeers-scape in which all of the other characters are played by members of the crew. Beverly is a fawning mother (or lover?). Jean-Luc, Geordi and Data are a swashbuckling trio. Will is a swordsman, too, though a diminutive one. Deanna is the scantily-clad Goddess of Empathy. All stand in awe of Barclay, a far more charismatic presence in this fantasy world.
The particular story is fair-to-middling but it's worth watching for Barclay.
Acting Notes
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| via Memory Alpha |
William Dwight Schultz was born November 24, 1947 in Baltimore. He attended Towson University. He made his breakthrough as Captain Murdock on The A-Team. Film appearances include The Fan, Fat Man and Little Boy and a cameo in The A-Team movie.
It’s still weird and awesome to think of the extended afterlife he enjoyed in Voyager.
ReplyDeleteI've seen it, but I don't remember it. I expect we'll be tackling Voyager at our house soon.
DeleteHe appeared in multiple episodes (unless you’re talking the series as a whole?), first in a random guest shot and then in a deliberate and pivotal recurring role.
DeleteI kinda know the series... I certainly knew it better than DS9 before the current binge.
DeleteI have seen the finale, which I know he's in, but I don't remember his part in it.
He’s a samurai warrior, defending the honor of his great love, Seven of Nine. It’s pretty left field, but all the more brilliant for it. Still a pretty weird final episode, though.
DeleteDefinitely worth revisiting... eventually...
DeleteAh, the A-Team.
ReplyDeleteThat was my brother's favorite TV show, and I guess you can't argue that it wasn't a lot of fun.
I still say "I love it when a plan comes together" from time to time.
I was never too keen to watch it, actually. I was probably a little too young, though I had friends who liked it. I was mostly fascinated by Mr. T.
DeleteI think Broccoli here opened the door to many other departures from Gene Roddenberry's somewhat restrictive ideas for the franchise. He wasn't the ultra-competent extrovert that everyone was supposed to be (in the Great Bird's vision). Soon came more moral grayness in TNG... and eventually *much* more nuanced takes on religion and capitalism in DS9.
ReplyDeleteWe've been binging DS9. Just got to Season 6. So good...
DeleteSignifying that I had way too much free time back when this episode first aired, I wondered back then how 24th century society would prevent people from becoming addicted to holodeck technology.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved Roddenberry's vision of humanity leaving its barbaric behavior behind but never believed it would mean utopia. That humans would still be dealing with all sorts of psychological issues.
With one of those issues being individuals becoming susceptible to addictive behavior to anything that gave unrestricted pleasure.
On simpler terms, I've also wondered how a Star trek society would control access to holodecks. Yeah, a reservations system would work but would the controlling authority be alerted whenever someone, like Barclay, was wheeling and dealing with crew mates to get more time in a holodeck?
As for the character of Barclay, it was refreshing to see that not everyone in the 24th century was a well-adjusted, wise demigod.
Exactly. Barclay is a reminder that humans are still, well, human.
DeleteOn DS9, holo-tech (is that a word?) is commoditized entertainment. On a Starfleet ship, I guess it's free for all.
I actually liked this episode especially when they found Barclays on the Holodeck. This was pretty good and Barclays is a good character
ReplyDeleteYeah - not in the top tier for me for the season but still good.
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