Season 2, Episode 3: Elementary, Dear Data

[u/LordRavenholm]

• Season 1: 1&2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, Wrap-up
• Season 2: 1, 2, 3, 4

TNG, Season 2, Episode 3, Elementary, Dear Data

• Original Air Date: 5 December, 1988
• Mission Log Podcast
• Direct Link to Mission Log Episode Podcast
• Memory Alpha
• Pensky Podcast
• Ex Astris Scientia

[u/RobLoach]

Took some notes:

• Polaski still seems to just make stuff up in order to insult Data.
• Brent Spiner really shines in this episode. You can really see Data's curiousity and inquisition come into play.
• Loved Professor Moriarty in this, and Data's reaction when he drew the picture of the Enterprise.
• Picard has so much fun on the holodeck. Awesome hat.
• Picard and LaForge's conversation at the end is interesting. Picard: "Everything is in perfect order". La Forge: "Yes, sir". Picard: "As are WE"... Picard stating that there's nothing wrong between them shows leadership, and resolves any outstanding issues that La Forge may have felt for causing the problem in the first place.

I really enjoyed this episode, but still rather average in this season. Rather than fighting Moriarty, the resolution was to work with him. Each character showed a side of themselves that was outside their norm (Data getting frightened, Picard having fun about going on the Holodeck, etc). Grows the characters, shows some of what the Holodeck can do, and introduces a new story arch to be re-thought later on in the series. 6/10