The Pulaski racism train just won't stop! This time she risks her own life and the safety of the entire ship to try and prove how inferior Data is to a real human. Also, I know this is military grade hardware and that shit is dangerous, but shouldn't there be a few more safety protocols built in to keep someone from accidentally putting a holographic construct in charge of the entire ship? This episode continues the trend of holodeck adventures gone wrong which the TNG writers just can't get enough of.
The episode opens with the Enterprise waiting for a few days for the arrival on a ship they are to rendezvous with for some reason. With time on their hands Geordi and Data decide to have a Sherlock Holmes adventure on the holodeck. But since Data only asks for a random Conan Doyle reference it quickly gets boring as Data has them all memorized and Geordi storms off in a huff. At Ten Forward Geordi explains that without a challenge it would be boring. And of course Pulaski can't keep her mouth shut when someone is bad mouthing Data. After explaining how Data can't do any original thought (something he is clearly more capable of than just about anyone on the ship) she challenges him to a real mystery on the holodeck.
They all return to the holodeck and this time request some sort of remix, but again Data recognizes the elements from the already existing mysteries and figures it out which for some reason Pulaski uses to justify the claim he can't be original. No, that was something generated by the ships computer that wasn't original, but whatever. Geordi then tells the computer to come up with an opponent that can defeat Data and it takes so much power Worf notices the drain from the bridge. Moriarty suddenly gains consciousness and notices Geordi messing with the arch on the holodeck. As soon as they leave he starts messing with it. He then kidnaps Pulaski leaving Data and Geordi with a real mystery.
Data soon finds Moriarty's den, but is surprised when he is recognized as not being the real Holmes. He then hands Data a drawn picture of the Enterprise which horrifies Data who storms off the holodeck and tries to turn it off. But it doesn't work! Geordi somehow despite not actually trying to has turned off all override protocols on the holodeck giving it total control over the ships computer. They explain it to Picard who is pissed, but agrees to go back in with Data to try and straighten things out. Before they can return the ship is rocked by control being overridden from the holodeck, Moriarty has figured out how to control the ship! When they get back in the system is having problems rendering. They make there way to Moriarty's den and find Pulaski happily eating crumpets with him. After explaining the situation Moriarty agrees to let them save his program and turn off the holodeck so he can come back in a future episode. And the episode ends without them establishing safety protocols or anything!
Review: As a kid I loved the idea of the holodeck accidentally creating a true intelligence. But if that is all it takes to make a true AI, why aren't they using AI's all the time? The ships computer is clearly less intelligent than the program it creates and runs which has some serious issues. I am also going to start taking off a point from the score for Pulaski racism so:
3 out of 10
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