Editing Elementary, Dear Data

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox television episode
| image =Burton, Muldaur, Spiner.-Elementary, Dear Data.jpg
| caption =
| series = [[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]
| season = 2
| episode = 3
| production = 129
| airdate = {{Start date|1988|12|05}}
| writer = Brian Alan Lane
| director = [[Rob Bowman (filmmaker)|Rob Bowman]]
| photographer = Edward R. Brown
| music = [[Dennis McCarthy (composer)|Dennis McCarthy]]
| guests =
* [[Daniel Davis (actor)|Daniel Davis]] – [[Professor Moriarty|James Moriarty]]
* Alan Shearman – Lestrade
* [[Biff Manard]] – Ruffian
* Diz White – Prostitute
* [[Anne Ramsay|Anne Elizabeth Ramsay]] – Clancy
* Richard Merson – Pie Man
| prev = [[Where Silence Has Lease]]
| next = [[The Outrageous Okona]]
| episode_list = List of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes
| season_article = Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2
}}

"'''Elementary, Dear Data'''" is the third episode of the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2|second season]] of the American [[science fiction]] television series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'', the 29th episode overall. It was written by Brian Alan Lane and directed by [[Rob Bowman (director)|Rob Bowman]]. It was originally released on December&nbsp;5, 1988, in [[first-run syndication|broadcast syndication]].

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the [[Starfleet]] crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|Federation starship ''Enterprise''-D]]. In this episode, a holographic adversary is created on the [[holodeck]] of the ''Enterprise'' when Data and Geordi take some time off to play a [[Sherlock Holmes]] game. The plot line from this episode was continued in the sixth season episode "[[Ship in a Bottle (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Ship in a Bottle]]", and the Moriarty character appeared a third time in "The Bounty" (the sixth episode of [[Star Trek: Picard season 3]]).

In 1989, "Elementary, Dear Data" was nominated for two [[Emmy Awards]]: Outstanding Art Direction for a Series, [[Richard D. James (production designer)|Richard D. James]], Art Director; [[Jim Mees]], Set Decorator and Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, Durinda Wood, Costume Designer; [[William Ware Theiss]], [[Starfleet Uniforms]] Creator.<ref name="Anniversary" />

==Plot==
As the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] starship ''[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|Enterprise]]'', under the command of Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]], waits to rendezvous with the USS ''Victory'', Chief Engineer [[Geordi La Forge|La Forge]] and [[Data (Star Trek)|Commander Data]] go to the holodeck to recreate a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Data, playing Holmes, has memorized all of the Holmes stories, and recognizes and solves the mystery within minutes. Frustrated, Geordi leaves the holodeck, leaving Data confused. In Ten Forward, Geordi explains that the fun is in solving the unknown; Data does not understand. Overhearing their conversation, Chief Medical Officer [[Katherine Pulaski|Dr. Pulaski]] asserts that Data is incapable of solving a mystery to which he does not already know the outcome. Data accepts Dr. Pulaski's challenge and invites her to join them on the holodeck. There, Geordi instructs the computer to create a unique Sherlock Holmes mystery with an adversary who is capable of defeating Data.

In the new program, Dr. Pulaski is kidnapped, and Data investigates. They soon discover that [[Professor Moriarty]] is responsible, but when they find him with Pulaski in his hideout, they are shocked when they learn that Moriarty is aware of the holodeck program being a simulation, and is able to access the holodeck computer, showing them a sketch of the ''Enterprise'' he has drawn based on the computer's description. Data and Geordi leave the holodeck to alert the captain, and Geordi realizes that when he asked the computer to create the program he had asked for an adversary who could defeat Data, not Sherlock Holmes; as a result, the computer gave the holodeck character, Professor Moriarty, the intelligence and cunning needed to challenge Data, plus the ability to access the ship's computer. When Moriarty gains access to ship stabilizer controls, Data returns to the holodeck with Captain Picard.

Picard meets Moriarty, who demonstrates that he has evolved beyond his original programming and asks to continue to exist in the real world. Picard tells Moriarty that this would not be possible; instead, he saves the program and tells Moriarty that if they ever discover a way to convert holodeck matter into a permanent form they will bring him back. Picard discontinues the program and the USS ''Victory'' arrives, with La Forge preparing to present a model of the historic [[HMS Victory|HMS ''Victory'']].

==Production==
"Elementary, Dear Data" was written by Brian Alan Lane and directed by Rob Bowman.<ref>{{cite book |date=1996 |last1=Phillips |first1=Mark |last2=Garcia |first2=Frank |title=Science Fiction Television Series: Episode Guides, Histories, and Casts and Credits for 62 Prime Time Shows, 1959 Through 1989 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-0041-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=giTuAAAAMAAJ }}</ref>

===Story and script===
This episode contains elements from and references to the [[Sherlock Holmes]] short stories "[[A Scandal in Bohemia]]", "[[The Red-Headed League]]", "[[The Adventure of the Speckled Band]]", and "[[The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans]]", as well as the Holmes novel ''[[The Valley of Fear]]''. Furthermore, Moriarty's creation being a result of [[Geordi La Forge]] requesting an opponent capable of defeating Data references [[Arthur Conan Doyle]]'s creation of the same character for the short story ''[[The Final Problem]]'' – specifically, as an opponent capable of defeating Sherlock Holmes who, at the time, Doyle wanted to kill off.

Reportedly, the original ending had [[Jean-Luc Picard]] lying to Moriarty, that he could have existed outside the [[holodeck]], the same way the piece of paper on which he drew the ''Enterprise'' also stayed intact outside the holodeck. Co-executive producer Maurice Hurley wanted to keep that ending, as it made Picard look clever, but [[Gene Roddenberry]] nixed it, saying it made Picard look cruel. Instead, the paper stays intact without any explanation.<ref name="TorRewatch" />

When the episode was created, the staff believed Moriarty to be in the [[public domain]], given that ''The Final Problem'' was written in 1893, over 95 years before the episode aired.   However, the Doyle estate complained to Paramount.  The estate vigorously defends the copyright to the Holmes universe, and the stories were not always in the public domain outside of the United States.  Paramount and the Doyle estate eventually settled a deal, allowing for Moriarty's return several years later in the 1993 episode "[[Ship in a Bottle (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|Ship in a Bottle]]".<Ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.startrek.com/news/28-years-later-its-still-elementary-dear-data |title=28 Years Later... It's Still "Elementary, Dear Data" |date=December 5, 2016 |website=StarTrek.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-picard-season-3-daniel-davis-interview/ |first=John |last=Orquiola |date=March 23, 202 |title=Daniel Davis Interview: Star Trek Picard Season 3 |website=ScreenRant }}</ref>
 
===Casting===
The episode features [[Daniel Davis (actor)|Daniel Davis]] as [[Professor Moriarty|James Moriarty]]. Daniel Davis used an [[English accent]] for this role, though he is from Arkansas and speaks with an American accent when not in character. Davis was auditioning for the role of Moriarty alongside another actor in the room [[Brian Bedford]] directly in front of director [[Rob Bowman (director)|Rob Bowman]]. Davis said of being in the room with Brian Bedford, "So he's the standout in my mind, and we were sort of taking bets with each other about which of us would get it. We hadn't worked together or seen each other in a long time. So it was a very friendly rivalry. Then, when I got it, he was a very good sport and invited me to come to dinner to celebrate that I had gotten the part."<ref name="DavisInterview" />

The episode also features [[Anne Ramsay|Anne Elizabeth Ramsay]], making her first ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' appearance as Ensign Clancy. The actress reprised the role in "[[The Emissary (Star Trek: The Next Generation)|The Emissary]]", also in season two. Ramsay went on to a busy career as an actress. She co-starred as Lisa Stemple, the dysfunctional sister of Helen Hunt's character, in 123 episodes of ''[[Mad About You]]'', for which she shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Ramsay also played a recurring role on ''[[Six Feet Under (TV series)|Six Feet Under]]'' and ''[[Dexter (TV series)|Dexter]]''.<ref name="Anniversary" />

==Reception==
In 1989, the episode was nominated for two Emmy awards.<ref name="Anniversary" />

In 2016, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' rated "Elementary, Dear Data" the 10th best episode of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'',<ref>{{cite web |author1=Aaron Couch |author2=Graeme McMillan |title='Star Trek: The Next Generation' — The 25 Greatest Episodes |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/star-trek-next-generation-episodes-930854 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=February 22, 2019 |date=September 21, 2016}}</ref> and the 26th best of all ''Star Trek'' episodes to date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/star-trek-episodes-best-100-924455/item/emissary-star-trek-100-925069|title="Emissary" - 'Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=September 8, 2016 |access-date=February 23, 2019}}</ref> James Hunt of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' gave it a 100% watch rating and remarked it was "fantastic episode". In particular he praised concepts explored about computers and artificial intelligence as well as the Data and Geordi character sequences.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2013 |author=James Hunt |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-star-trek-tng-elementary-dear-data/ |title=Revisiting Star Trek TNG: Elementary Dear Data |website=[[Den of Geek]] |access-date=January 27, 2022 }}</ref> [[Keith DeCandido]], writing for ''[[Reactor (magazine)|Reactor]]'', rated it 7 out of 10.<ref name="TorRewatch" />

The episode's title "Elementary, Dear Data" was noted as a play on the iconic but false Sherlock Holmes phrase "[[Elementary, my dear Watson]]".<ref>{{cite book |date=2011 |last1=Steiff |first1=Josef |title=Sherlock Holmes and Philosophy: The Footprints of a Gigantic Mind |publisher=Open Court Publishing |isbn=978-0-8126-9731-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vq24xAyfoq0C }}</ref>

In 2011, this episode was noted by ''[[Forbes]]'' as one that explores the implications of advanced technology, in this case for exploring an apparently self-aware software program.<ref name="forbes">{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/04/08/the-10-best-singularity-themed-star-trek-episodes/|title=The 10 Best Singularity Themed Star Trek Episodes|last=Knapp|first=Alex|website=Forbes |access-date=March 27, 2019}}</ref>

In 2016, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine rated the holographic Professor Moriarty as the 5th best villain of the ''Star Trek'' franchise.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=September 6, 2016 |first=Alex |last=Fitzpatrick |url=https://time.com/4477514/best-star-trek-villains-ever/ |title= From Q to Khan: The 10 Best Star Trek Villains Ever |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=January 27, 2022}}</ref>

In 2020, ''[[Static Media|Looper]]'' listed this as one of the best episodes for Data, remarking that it is "''The Next Generation'' having a whole lot of fun"; Geordi and Data tackle a holodeck gone wrong plot, with a Sherlock Holmes theme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.looper.com/187063/the-best-data-episodes-of-star-trek-the-next-generation/ |title=The best Data available episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation|last=Martin|first=Michileen|date=February 5, 2020|website=[[Static Media|Looper]]|access-date=February 12, 2020}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Anniversary">{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/article/28-years-later-its-still-elementary-dear-data | title = 28 Years Later... It's Still "Elementary, Dear Data"| date = December 5, 2016| publisher = StarTrek.com |access-date=January 4, 2018 }}</ref>

<ref name="TorRewatch">{{cite web |date=August 18, 2011 |first=Keith |last=DeCandido |author-link=Keith DeCandido |url=https://reactormag.com/star-trek-the-next-generation-rewatch-qelementary-dear-dataq/
 | title = Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Elementary, Dear Data"| magazine=Reactor |access-date=January 4, 2025 }}</ref>

<ref name="DavisInterview">{{cite web |url=http://www.startrek.com/article/interview-treks-moriarty-daniel-davis | title =Interview: Trek's Moriarty, Daniel Davis| date =June 25, 2014| publisher = StarTrek.com |access-date=January 4, 2018 }}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb episode}}
* {{Memory Alpha|Elementary, Dear Data|"Elementary, Dear Data"}}

{{Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes|2}}
{{Star Trek holodeck stories}}
{{Sherlock Holmes by others}}

[[Category:Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episodes]]
[[Category:1988 American television episodes]]
[[Category:Star Trek holodeck episodes]]
[[Category:Works based on Sherlock Holmes]]
[[Category:Metafictional television episodes]]
[[Category:Television episodes about artificial intelligence]]
[[Category:Television episodes directed by Rob Bowman (director)]]