The title is misspelled here. "Fistful of Datas" (corrected by the Mod)

This episode contains to my mind probably the most careless nit of any incarnation of Star Trek. This is, of course, the business with the mannequin. It's so obvious! Did the cameraman not have the guts to point out to the director "hey, maybe we should frame this differently..."

What mannequin?

And hmmm, why did we never get to see the fascinating sequel, 'For a Few Datas More'? ...

Hope I'm not re-inventing the wheel or beating a dead horse (or any other clichés!) -- but isn't it rather odd that several characters refer to this episode's holodeck-created period as 'the ancient West'?
Think maybe it was Geordi who specifically called it the American West of the 19th century (which was fairly obvious anyway).
That was only several hundred years before the show's time period, not eons ago.
Now, I'm not exactly sure where 'old' ends and 'ancient' begins (although when it comes to my own chronological age I can sorta feel it, lllol).
But just for example, I can't recall anyone in our own time ever referring to 'the ancient Elizabethan era,' or 'ancient Europe during the Dark Ages.'

Perhaps the definition of "ancient" changed from the 20th century to the 2300s. Just the technological advances between 18xx and 23xx would probably prompt someone in the Trek universe to refer to such a primitive time as "ancient". Of course, we could wonder what they call, for example, the BCs.

I've got a good one. In the opening scene Picard reviews Worf's training curriculum on the handheld data pad. Picard is holding it properly in his hand and reading the display. The scene cuts to Worf, then cuts back to Picard. Picard is still reading the data pad and then lowers the data pad to his lap. The pad is now upside down.

How come Worf and Troi didn't hunt for the manual controls hidden in a wall or something, like they always do on Voyager?(Bride of Chaotica, the Killing Game)

Why is Worf looking for more work, even during his time when he should be on leave? He acted like he was trying to duck out of going to Deadwood with Alexander.
Troi is a hoot with her combination Old West and Betazoid accents.
Were some of the Old/Ancient west costumes also used in "Spectre of the Gun?" Data with the mustache in the Old West costume reminded me of Kurt Russell in "Tombstone."

Why is Worf looking for more work, even during his time when he should be on leave? He acted like he was trying to duck out of going to Deadwood with Alexander.

He was.

The end scene, with the Enterprise flying off into the sunset, with the cowboy music, was great. However, I reckon the sunset over the planet looked very much like the opening of "2001"

So they are orbiting Deinonychus VII. Why did they decide to name a star after a Dinosaur? (FYI Deinonychus means 'Terrible Claw.')

According to the Star Trek Omnipedia Dr. Crusher wrote the play she is trying to get the Captain to appear in. One more thing to add to Dr. Crusher's list of accomplishments.

While it is funny that they call the 'Old West,' the "Ancient West," what period of time do they consider to be the Old West? (And what about the Middle Ages, and the art movements of Modernism and Postmodernism?)

This episode was directed by Patrick Stewart. Hmmm, an Englishman directing a Western?

Alexander tells the computer to take the program back to when he and Worf enter the saloon, but it actually restarts the sequence earlier.

So did Counselor Troi enter the Holodeck late or was she just waiting for the right moment to make her entrance? (And if she was waiting why didn't Worf or Alexander see her standing or sitting outside the saloon?)

If Riker had read the play before rehearsal, then why didn't he realize that something was wrong and say so? He should have known that Data's poem wasn't part of the play.

How did the Holodeck download Data's voice synthesizer? Shouldn't the Hollander boy sound just like the actor who played him instead of sounding like Data?
For that matter, if the problem is just some transposed files from Data's memory, then why do the Holodeck characters look like Data? Does Data have a program in his memory describing what he is supposed to look like?

KAM: Patrick Stewart (along with Colm Meaney and Roy Scheider from Seaquest) is starring in a TNT movie about the old west called "King Of Texas."

KAM: This episode was directed by Patrick Stewart. Hmmm, an Englishman directing a Western?
Luigi Novi: Well, some of the most famous westerns were the ones by Sergio Leone, which were called (somewhat offensively, IMO), "spaghetti westerns." Should we call this episode a "tea and crumpets western," or a "everything boiled western"?

KAM: How did the Holodeck download Data's voice synthesizer?
Luigi Novi: The holodeck can syntesize other people's voices on its own. Doesn't it have the same program itself?

KAM: Shouldn't the Hollander boy sound just like the actor who played him instead of sounding like Data? For that matter, if the problem is just some transposed files from Data's memory, then why do the Holodeck characters look like Data? Does Data have a program in his memory describing what he is supposed to look like?
Luigi Novi: Perhaps part of Data's files were the files on his own technical specifications?

Bubble-and-squeak Western?
Spotted Dick Western?
Hey, this is fun.

What next? "Peckham" Cassidy and the Wandsworth Kid?!
I reckon Marina Sirtis's "American" accent slips to her native Londoner towards the end. Make no mistake - as she holds one of Hollander's folks at gunpoint, she lets slip "Dahn't even think abahhht it!"

Maybe I missed some dialogue, but during the time geordi and the others try to repair the damage, they always mention that non-vital systems for recreation are affected and list them: food synthezisers, holodeck and so on. Why does nobody say "Hey, wait a minute, was anybody of the crew in a holodeck programm at the moment? Are they maybe trapped in there? Lets look at them?"

BEST SCENE: The "Data bar-maid" embracing Sheriff Worf. I'll bet Brent Spiner & Michael Dorn had fun doing that scene. No doubt there was some blooper reels with people bursting out with laughter when Data (Spiner) came out dressed in drag and talking in a falsetto female voice.

NANJAO: Yet another good episode directed by Patrick Stewart.

I take it Worf gave Barclay a serious talking-to as promised - we don't seem to hear from the Ancient West ever again! And, thankfully, when we see Alexander in his next episode, he appears to have outgrown his fetish for those big leather boots.

Mind you, I'd have liked to see Voyager's Doctor reprise Robert Picardo's old role as The Cowboy again!

[pictures that scene in "Innerspace" with Robert Picardo in his underpants]

On second thoughts...

This episode is simular to "Spectre of the Gun" (TOS)...without the Melkots. In both episodes, nothing was real...except death.

As I recall, death wasn't real in that episode. They were able to defy it through a mind meld, and Chekov's "death" never occurred.

Luigi--well, yes and no---the dialogue indicates death was real was until they found out that they could defy it.

I agree with Adam, the Enterprise "riding" into the sunset with the Western music was a great scene.

P.S. I saw the mannequin posing as Data in the jail cell when "Pa" Data "Hollander" was talking with "Sheriff" Worf & "Durango" Troi. It's so bad. It reminded me of that scene in "The Naked Time" (TOS) when Spock was looking over the "dead woman" on the floor on PSI 2000

Picard cheated!

He's recording his flute solo at a slower tempo than it's supposed to be played. (Largo) THEN to add insult to injury, he has it played back at the right tempo! (Allegro)

Not only that, but when he first records the piece (as everybody starts interrupting him) he actually changes tempo from the first to the second bar - and the accompaniment track follows his every move. Now that's clever.

If anyone is interested, the piece of Data's music which interrupts the playback later in the show is Dvorak's Slavonic Dance no. 8 (from the end of the first set of 8).

And hmmm, why did we never get to see the fascinating sequel, 'For a Few Datas More'? ...

Don't forget the episode's original title, which really was called "The Good, The Bad, and the Klingon."

I don't remember if it was already mentioned a few years back before NC temporary went kerplooey but I was watching this today on DVD and noticed two things that Phil didn't mention in his books. One, when Eli Hollander's talking to the Mexican dude in the saloon and makes a self-deprecating remark the Mexican laughs, takes a drink and then says, "You're a very funny man, señor", but when Alexander restarts that part of the program and Eli makes the same remarks the Mexican laughs, then says that same line again and then takes a drink.

The other part was the nice closing shot of the episode with the Enterprise "riding off into the sunset," accompanied by Old West themed music.

The Vigo strikes a uncanny resemblence to the Grissom from STIII

The Vigo? I don't think there's ever been a ship named Vigo in Star Trek. The closest was the Vico, but that was in "Hero Worship." And yes, it was an Oberth-class ship, like the USS Grissom in Star Trek III.

Sorry...I misheard the ship name: It was USS BIKO.
(Star Trek Encyclopedia)

Ah, right!!! Sorry!

John A. Lang: The [Biko] strikes a uncanny resemblence to the Grissom from STIII
Luigi Novi: Well, obviously, since they're both Oberth-class ships, and ships of the same class generally look identical.

The most original Emmy Award acceptance speech ever
Great Line #1: “And, well…I’m not much of an actor.” -Picard to Beverly in the teaser, quite humorous, given it is Patrick Stewart, one of the most distinguished actor in Trek saying this.

Nice to know Barcaly gets his ideas about age-appropriate material from Michael Jackson and Woody Allen
Great Line #2: “Well, Mister Barclay helped a little.” -Alexander to Worf, after Worf sees a holo-brothel and prostitute in the program, and asks Alexander if he wrote the program himself.

You mean you didn’t begin to see when the hooker started whistling to you from the balcony?
Great Line #3: “I am beginning to see the appeal of this program!” -Worf to Alexander, after the program suddenly becomes violent.

---Notes:
Eli Hollander is said to be the “Butcher of Bozeman,” another reference by episode writer Brannon Braga to the Montana city of his birth.

He should see Michael Jackson
When Riker entered Picard’s holoprogram in Manhunt, the characters did not react to Riker’s odd appearance. But in this episode, Eli reacts to Worf’s Klingon physiognomy, asking him is his mother mated with an armadillo. Or do the characters not react to clothing that’s out of time and place, but only to facial features?
That must android for “You look ridiculous, but I’m too polite to say so”
When Geordi asks Data what he thinks of his not-yet-fully-grown beard, Data replies, “As is the case with many natural growth processes, it is difficult to envision the end product based on an intermediate stage.” Given the sophistication of Data’s brain, the sophistication of even today’s forensic computer programs used to project age and facial features of unidentified bodies, missing children and suspects over long periods of time, as well as the fact that Data is a talented painter, and that portraiture is one of his fortes (as seen from his portrait of Lal in Inheritance), he, of all people, should be able to envision things like that.
Maybe the Sheriff’s office doubles as the town’s travel agency?
I think Alexander or Barclay need to study up on their Ancient West geography a bit. Deadwood is in South Dakota, but the map hanging in the sheriff’s office is of Arizona.
The Betazoid with no name
When Frank Hollander goes to see Eli in his jail cell in Act 4, Eli tells him that he doesn’t know who the stranger is, and that she hasn’t mentioned her name. Actually, she mentioned her name, Durango, in Act 2, in the first scene in the jail.
Today IS a good day to be soft on crime!
When Worf is about to shoot Hollander, he sees Alexander, and as if not wanting to do so in front of him, decides to let Hollander go. Why does he do this? This would make sense from a human perspective, but not a Klingon one. Wouldn’t the normal Klingon thing be to kill him? Hasn’t Worf, dismayed at Alexander’s lack of Klingon cultural identity, been trying to raise him in the Klingon way? This exact point later comes up in Act 3 of Firstborn, when Alex refuses to kill a holodeck opponent. Moreover, why does he allow the Hollander’s to leave? Shouldn’t he arrest them? Sure, he made an “honorable agreement” with them, but does Klingon culture require one of two people who made an agreement to be held to it after the other has not only broken it, but tried to kill the first person?
Today IS a good day to use abilities I never had before!
I pointed out how when Picard ordered Worf to disable the Borg’s tractor beam in Q Who, Worf missed the area of the Borg ship from which the tractor beam was emanating THREE TIMES. But in this episode, he outguns a hologram with the abilities of Data?

Phil Farrand, from the NextGen Guide vol. I;
“Equipment Oddity#1: To make his personal force field, Worf tears apart his communicator. Let me say that again: Worf tears his communicator apart. Why not just tap it and call for help? LaForge said only secondary systems were affected by Data’s overwrite. Communications is a primary system.”
Luigi Novi: We don’t know that. Obviously, it’s one of the most important ones on the ship, but we don’t know what the exact organizational structure of the different systems are, or on which tier of systems communications is designated. There is no such information in The Star Trek Technical Manual to either confirm or contradict this. For all we know, life support, sensors and propulsion could be considered primary, and weapons and communications secondary.

I think Alexander or Barclay need to study up on their Ancient West geography a bit. Deadwood is in South Dakota, but the map hanging in the sheriff’s office is of Arizona.
Couldn't it be another fictional Deadwood?

When Worf is about to shoot Hollander, he sees Alexander, and as if not wanting to do so in front of him, decides to let Hollander go. Why does he do this? This would make sense from a human perspective, but not a Klingon one. Wouldn’t the normal Klingon thing be to kill him? Hasn’t Worf, dismayed at Alexander’s lack of Klingon cultural identity, been trying to raise him in the Klingon way? This exact point later comes up in Act 3 of Firstborn, when Alex refuses to kill a holodeck opponent. Moreover, why does he allow the Hollander’s to leave? Shouldn’t he arrest them? Sure, he made an “honorable agreement” with them, but does Klingon culture require one of two people who made an agreement to be held to it after the other has not only broken it, but tried to kill the first person?
We're talking about the guy raised by humans that's lived around humans all of his life. While he is a good deal more Klingon, he still has some human values. I think that this attitude toward Alexander is probably consistent with his desire to not ask his son to kill him in Ethics and sending him to Earth.

I pointed out how when Picard ordered Worf to disable the Borg’s tractor beam in Q Who, Worf missed the area of the Borg ship from which the tractor beam was emanating THREE TIMES. But in this episode, he outguns a hologram with the abilities of Data?
Wasn't that Phil that pointed that out? And I would imagine that shooting a handheld weapon is different than firing the ship's weapons. I think a more valid comparison would be the Ferengi he missed in Rascals or one of the example in the Guide about Worf's marksmanship.

My question is, why does it take Worf so long to pull his gun? The Data outlaw is able to fire the entire payload of bullets into the shielded Worf and then catch a gun thrown by one of his companions before Worf even grabs his gun. What was he waiting for?

Did it occur to you that maybe that part was in slow-motion?

Or he's just displaying his usual reaction speed when he's at tactical

JoshM: We're talking about the guy raised by humans that's lived around humans all of his life. While he is a good deal more Klingon, he still has some human values. I think that this attitude toward Alexander is probably consistent with his desire to not ask his son to kill him in Ethics and sending him to Earth.
Luigi Novi: Putting aside the fact that he had not intention of asking his son to kill him in Ethics (only to deliver the blade to him), that has nothing to do with the situation in this episode. We're not talking about not choosing to commit ritual suicide because of an injury that has ended one's life as a warrior. We're talking about killing an enemy that has tried to kill you and reneged on an agreement. Given how Worf has had difficulty raising Alexander in the Klingon way, and how Alexander has resisted this upbringing, choosing to let Hollander go makes no sense, especially considering that he's just a hologram character.

The Betazoid with no name
When Frank Hollander goes to see Eli in his jail cell in Act 4, Eli tells him that he doesn’t know who the stranger is, and that she hasn’t mentioned her name. Actually, she mentioned her name, Durango, in Act 2, in the first scene in the jail.

Possible anti-nit: When Eli hears the name in Act 2, its still the holodec character before the "problem". In Act 4, however, Data has replaced the holodec characters due to the "problem", so the info about the name may not have been transmitted.

Nice to know Barcaly gets his ideas about age-appropriate material from Michael Jackson and Woody Allen
Great Line #2: “Well, Mister Barclay helped a little.” -Alexander to Worf, after Worf sees a holo-brothel and prostitute in the program, and asks Alexander if he wrote the program himself.

Well, we don't know where Barclays info about the ancient west comes from - maybe he has just seen some movies (like Alexander?), and one of the ever-present elements in these movies is the hooker. Alexander or Barclay also included the piano player, the bad mexican, the typical sheriff's office... all constants of western movies.

You mean you didn’t begin to see when the hooker started whistling to you from the balcony?
Great Line #3: “I am beginning to see the appeal of this program!” -Worf to Alexander, after the program suddenly becomes violent.

Well, Worf has always shown to be interested in fight. When have we seen him interested in hookers? Why should he care about females, after Kehlyr (and look at the trouble that followed that short encounter! )

Possible anti-nit: When Eli hears the name in Act 2, its still the holodec character before the "problem". In Act 4, however, Data has replaced the holodec characters due to the "problem", so the info about the name may not have been transmitted. - constanze

Another possibility is that Eli actually doesn't know who Durango beyond her name.

constanze: Possible anti-nit: When Eli hears the name in Act 2, its still the holodec character before the "problem". In Act 4, however, Data has replaced the holodec characters due to the "problem", so the info about the name may not have been transmitted.
Luigi Novi: Then you’re saying he would’ve lost all of his memories that were created up until he gained Data’s appearance and abilities? If that’s the case, why isn’t he wondering what he’s doing in jail? He was in a bar talking with friends before Worf and Alexander showed up.

constanze: Well, we don't know where Barclays info about the ancient west comes from - maybe he has just seen some movies (like Alexander?), and one of the ever-present elements in these movies is the hooker. Alexander or Barclay also included the piano player, the bad mexican, the typical sheriff's office... all constants of western movies.
Luigi Novi: What does historical accuracy have to do with whether it is age-appropriate?

constanze: Well, Worf has always shown to be interested in fight. When have we seen him interested in hookers? Why should he care about females…
Luigi Novi: He shouldn’t. The funny headings are jokes.

Darth Sarcasm: Another possibility is that Eli actually doesn't know who Durango beyond her name.
Luigi Novi: Except that constanze is responding to my nit that Eli said she didn’t give her name. As I stated above, she did.

Luigi,

no, I wasn't saying that the holo-Eli lost all of his memories, I just suggested that not all information was transmitted, which I think is plausible if due to a screwup as the data files were crossed - which is why Holo-Eli is suddenly replaced with Data-Eli.

Luigi Novi: What does historical accuracy have to do with whether it is age-appropriate?

I don't see a problem with "age-appropriate". If Alexander got his knowledge indeed from Western movies/novels rather than from school lessons, does he know what the hooker does? Isn't she for him just a part of the story, which either gets the good guy in trouble or gives the sheriff information about the bad guy? Like the piano player who is always shot at unintenionally during the barfight? (And hasn't Alexander seen Lwaxana in the bath during one of the earlier ep.? Haven't we been lead to believe that in the time of Star Trek, humans have moved beyond prudishness, as they did with predjudices and most of religion - where a lot of prudishness comes from?)
As for Barclay not stopping Alexander to include a hooker - if he knew Alexander wasn't aware of the implication, it would be an in-joke. Like in children's novels which adults can also read, there are references that children will miss, but that will make adults chuckle. Why Worf reacts this way to the hooker, as if its wrong - that's what I'm wondering about. By his reaction, he is pointing Alexander to the fact that there's sth. strange/inappropriate about a hooker. From Alexanders reaction, he doesn't seem to have been aware of it before.

Luigi Novi: Except that constanze is responding to my nit that Eli said she didn’t give her name. As I stated above, she did. - Luigi

Oh, I see... I didn't read it carefully enough. Oops!

Anyway, I was always under the impression that the exchange of dialogue where Worf and Troi break character in the jail was done in a lowered tone, perhaps out of earshot of Eli. Another possibility is that the Holodeck characters are programmed to not recognize non-character chatter.


Haven't we been lead to believe that in the time of Star Trek, humans have moved beyond prudishness, as they did with predjudices and most of religion - where a lot of prudishness comes from?) - constanze

Well... there's prudishness, and there's prudishness. I think there's a distinct difference between nudity (like Lwaxana in the bath... assuming they were naked) and sex (like the depiction of prostitutes).


By his reaction, he is pointing Alexander to the fact that there's sth. strange/inappropriate about a hooker. From Alexanders reaction, he doesn't seem to have been aware of it before. - constanze

Which is a natural thing for a father to do...

constanze: I don't see a problem with "age-appropriate". If Alexander got his knowledge indeed from Western movies/novels rather than from school lessons, does he know what the hooker does?
Luigi Novi: He didn’t get his knowledge of the hooker from movies or novels. He got it from Barclay. Didn’t you read the above quote for which that comment was a sarcastic heading?

constanze: Isn't she for him just a part of the story, which either gets the good guy in trouble or gives the sheriff information about the bad guy? Like the piano player who is always shot at unintenionally during the barfight?
Luigi Novi: No, because a child knows what piano player is. He doesn’t necessarily know what a hooker is, and if he asks, the parent may considerate it a subject he doesn’t wish to discuss with the child at that particular time in the child’s development.

constanze: And hasn't Alexander seen Lwaxana in the bath during one of the earlier ep.?
Luigi Novi: Which has nothing to do with what a hooker is.

constanze: Haven't we been lead to believe that in the time of Star Trek, humans have moved beyond prudishness, as they did with predjudices and most of religion - where a lot of prudishness comes from?
Luigi Novi: And prudishness means that parents shouldn’t get to decide when their children should learn about sex, but should instead learn about it from loner engineers with too much holodeck time on their hands (not to mention other things)?

constanze: As for Barclay not stopping Alexander to include a hooker - if he knew Alexander wasn't aware of the implication, it would be an in-joke.
Luigi Novi: Alexander might ask, and Worf may not want him to find out about sex just then, or through that permutation of it.

constanze: Like in children's novels which adults can also read, there are references that children will miss, but that will make adults chuckle.
Luigi Novi: Not things such as prostitution.

John Pyper-Ferguson (Eli) is great at playing oily types; he's probably best known as Pete Hutter, who survived death every appearance, on the sadly lamented "Brisco County Jr."

Perhaps barclay glossed over the hooker issuse by saying "She works at the saloon". In real westerns, they just showed a floozy hanging out at the bar and never went into detail about why she is there.

Trek's own Majel Barrett played one of those "floozies" in Westworld.

Luigi, I read a book when I was about 11 (I think it was one of Douglas Adams') that had the F-word in it, and I don't think it adversely affected me because I just thought it was a nonsense word. I suppose if it was really well described...but in my experience most children will just bleep over anything to do with sexuality as it doesn't interest them until maybe 12.

The F-word is not the same thing as prostitution. I learned the F-word and S-word long before I learned about sex. One can learn that a word is "bad" before they learn what it really means. The point remains that by Barclay including a hooker in the program, he is exposing Alex to something Worf may not want him to, which is not Barclay's place.

I accept that, Luigi. I thought you were lambasting Worf for letting Alexander see that stuff, not Barclay.

Though maybe Klingons don't censor that sort of thing from children? (Hard upbringing and all that)

No, on second thoughts I take that back. Worf's line to Alexander about designing the programme himself seems to suggest that he wouldn't approve of the brothel et al.

Well, I don't know...

If I may add my 10 cents, I never thought about this remark seriously. I suppose it wasn't intended that way, I thought it was a joke.

I don't mean to offend anybody here, I myself am a mother of an 8 year old boy and I know something about protecting children.

Still, Worfs remark just drove a smirk out of me, I half expected to see the menacing Klingon "discussing" the issue with poor, nervous Barclay...

Thande: I accept that, Luigi. I thought you were lambasting Worf for letting Alexander see that stuff, not Barclay.
Luigi Novi: Worf didn't help design the program. Barclay did.

I have to say as a parent too (a son and daughter both kindergarden age) the way they handled the bar floozy thing seemed more humorous than dangerous. (except maybe to barclay when Worf "discussed" things with him)
I must admit it has been a bit since I last saw this episode but IRC they didn't go into detail and Alexander seemed to just shrug it off as she was more background flavor and he was more interested in the gunfight/adventure aspects of things.
And maybe Klingons dont have the same hang ups humans do but having Barclay bring things up before Worf could or was ready to do so (We have already seen Worf is not exactly the best at having father son chats) probably didn't help Worf's mood.

I don't know if this was pointed out already, but in a shot when Data is first trying out the ship systems with his interface, Geordi's visor looks like it's hovering off his left temple.

Also, during the Worf/"Data" shootout, the gun thrown to "Data" is clearly CG. Even when this episode was made, were they not able to at least take a better image of the gun and twirl it on the screen?

Despite these little things, I absolutely love this episode, particularly the look on Worf's face in the ending shot with his hat ^^... and Troi's Western accent.

By the way, I agree with Someone Else with this comment: "Perhaps the definition of "ancient" changed from the 20th century to the 2300s. Just the technological advances between 18xx and 23xx would probably prompt someone in the Trek universe to refer to such a primitive time as "ancient". Of course, we could wonder what they call, for example, the BCs."

The BCs would presumably still be ancient, as I imagine besides the techno advances, Athens, Rome, Mesopotamian region, etc., have remained similar to today. They've never referred to this century as "Ancient", so we must assume to them it is not.

...if any of that made sense, let me know.

Just a thought: I wouldn't mind being arrested by Durango.

I bet you wouldn't mind being searched by durango either...

Come on, John, you'd be shouting "I did it! Arrest ME!!!! Hands off, everyone, she's MINE!"

John would be saying, I've got a weapon hidden around here somewhere...

I'd be her "prisoner of love"

No one had ever tried that experiment with Data before? He's been in Starfleet for what, 30 years?

This episode was directed by the actor that played Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek The Next Generation.

Magneto: Stay out of my way Picard!

When Riker entered Picard’s holoprogram in Manhunt, the characters did not react to Riker’s odd appearance. But in this episode, Eli reacts to Worf’s Klingon physiognomy, asking him is his mother mated with an armadillo. Or do the characters not react to clothing that’s out of time and place, but only to facial features?

He reacted a bit but hardly in a realistic manor. In the 19th century someone coming into a saloon looking like a warewolf only getting a "you're so ugly" joke is pretty tame. A realistic response would for them to run for the hills. Since Alexander designed the program he probably made the parameters to be that no one reacts to his and Worf's alien appearance. The insult was probably just that, a simple insult in the same vein as a "you're so ugly that your mom had to tie a pork chop around your neck to get the dog to play with you" style joke.

good 1215402207324

NANJAO

The piano in the saloon has a broken key. One of them doesn't come up to the same height as the others.

Also, if Eli had the abilities of Data, could he have bent the jail cell bars and let himself out if he wanted to? It's a good thing Eli didn't try to break himself out of prison or he would have accidently succeeded.

Just a bit of trivia: Brent Spiner is originally from Texas, and it was once said that when he would watch earlier TNG episodes, he would cringe because he could still hear his accent. That's funny, I never did!

This is my favorite episode with Alexander. Like I said elsewhere, here, he was less annoying than usual, and he and his father were having an enjoyable experience together doing something fun. And he made perfect sense when he said that doing the Holoprogram on a low difficulty level was no fun, as it "had to be harder to catch the bad guys".

I agree, as a fan of classic video games (primarily Sega Genesis from 1994-2002) I didn't like it when my games were too easy. Although I really hated it when they were so hard I couldn't even get through the level, let alone defeat the boss at the end!

One last thing. Worf asks for Klingon Fire Wine at one point. Just how different is that from *Blood* Wine? Is it actually on fire?

That reminds me of the "Flaming Moe's" episode of The Simpsons. "I had no idea why, but fire made it good!"

for Klingon Fire Wine at one point. Just how different is that from *Blood* Wine?

Depends. How different is Champagne from a Napa Valley Red from a Johannesberg Riesling?

Scott, have you seen "Sideways" at all? You seem to have knowledge wabout various wines. Personally, I really liked Paul Giamatti in that role, usually, he plays some real mean and nasty characters, like in "Private Parts", "Big Fat Liar", and "The Nanny Diaries". But in this movie, he was a decent guy and I felt sorry for him having to hang out with the real jerk that Thomas Haden Church played!

Anyway, I myself don't know very much about wine. But for Trek's sake, the creation of Blood Wine on DS9 was something that the Klingons could imbibe in after victories in battle. And boy, did they ever imbibe! It makes Trek-sense, though.

Although Worf also enjoyed prune juice, and he would order that at the Replimat quite often. Hey, to each their own, I ususally say!

Nope, never seen it.