Star Trek: The Next Generation 6.12

Ship in a Bottle

Reginald Barkley is trying to repair the Holodeck when he encounters Professor Moriarty. Barkley tells Data and Geordie about what happened. Meanwhile, the Enterprise arrives in the Detrian system to observe the collusion of two planets and the creation of a new star.  

Together, with Captain Picard, Data and Reg return to the Holodeck. Picard tries to explain to Moriarty that he can’t leave the Holodeck but Moriarty insists that he must. Moriarty walks out of the Holodeck, something he should not be able to do.

Doctor Crusher examines Moriarty and judges him to be human. Picard shows Moriarty around. Moriarty explains to Captain Picard that he wants the Holodeck to create the Countess Regina Bartholomew, the love of his life. Picard asks Moriarty to be patient while they try to figure how it is that he was able to leave the Holodeck. Moriarty loses patience and takes control of the Enterprise. Picard points out that the planetary collision might destroy the Enterprise but Moriarty is determined to have his way. 

Data, Geordi, and Barkley test an idea and attempt to transport a chair off the Holodeck but it doesn’t work. Geordi works on trying to regain control of the Enterprise. His first attempt seems to work but then something goes wrong. Data has a theory about what went wrong: they (Picard, Data, Barkley) never left the Holodeck. Everyone else, including Geordi, is a simulation.

Moriarty contacts Commander Riker and insists that they beam himself and the Countess off the Holodeck. Riker does it but it turns out to be a trick engineered by Picard who used the Holodeck within the simulation of the Enterprise to fool Moriarty and the Countess into thinking that they got what they wanted so that Moriarty would release control of the Enterprise. 

Thoughts

This is the second of two episodes in which Professor Moriarty appeared and the the fourth of five episodes in which Reginald Barkley appeared. 

I don't recall but I may have seen this episode before. It has a familiar feel to it.

I like this episode very much but I’m not sure that everything in it adds up. The mental gymnastics were a little too much for me to follow. I want to believe that it all adds up but I’ve seen this show take short cuts before. I could watch this episode again, paying more attention to certain details but I’m not convinced that would satisfy me.