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| Professor Moriarty (Daniel Davis) and Picard, in a battle of wits and wills. |
When Data's Sherlock Holmes simulation experiences a glitch, Barclay performs a holodeck diagnostic - only to unlock Professor Moriarty (Daniel Davis), the holodeck villain accidentally granted sentience four years earlier. Moriarty has spent that time locked in "protected memory," and has been aware of the passage of time during his imprisonment.
Picard meets with the professor, explaining that while Starfleet is investigating his situation, they are no closer finding a way to free him from the holodeck. Moriarty refuses to accept further delay, however, insisting that he can will himself into surviving in the real world. He walks right out of the holodeck into the ship's corridors...
And, in defiance of everything the crew understands about how the holodeck works, he continues to exist.
Moriarty makes a further request: That Picard free the Countess Bartholomew (Stephanie Beacham), his holographic lover, much as he was himself freed. It's a request the captain cannot grant. Even if he could be sure of success, there are too many ethical and practical questions for him to sanction it. So the brilliant and ruthless Moriarty takes matters into his own hands, rerouting ship's systems to seize control of the Enterprise!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: Though Moriarty was created as an adversary for Data, it fell to Picard in Elementary, Dear Data to truly deal with the sentient being he had become. Here, Picard and Moriarty are seen as mirror images of each other from the beginning. Both are intellectual men, both possessing a degree of charm and refinement. The countess describes Picard as a man accustomed to getting what he wants, but this description could apply just as easily to either man. And while Picard outmaneuvers Moriarty in the end, he does so by adapting Moriarty's own tactics to his advantage - surely the highest form of flattery.
Data: The one who first realizes the nature of Moriarty's plan. Appropriately enough, he does so after he is faced with a seemingly impossible piece of data following an experiment. He uses Holmes' own axiom in response to this; he eliminates the impossible to arrive at the improbable truth. He then confirms it for both himself and Picard in a way that recalls the holodeck glitch in the teaser, creating a nice sense of symmetry between the beginning of the episode and its ending.
Barclay: Acts as a stand-in for viewers who either didn't remember or hadn't seen Elementary, Dear Data. Since Barclay was not yet part of the show in Season Two, it feels completely natural that he would have to have the key events sketched out for him. This allows the exposition to come through more naturally than would have been possible without him. And even though he's very much a supporting player in this episode, Dwight Schultz remains an engaging and likable presence.
Moriarty: In the second of his two appearances as Moriarty, Daniel Davis is given a broader role to play and makes the most of it. Davis retains the charisma that made him memorable in his first appearance, but now he is pitted against the ship's crew. His attempts to manipulate Picard form the core of the episode, his brilliant mind the only weapon he needs to put the entire ship in jeopardy. That he has a concrete goal, one which is not entirely unsympathetic, adds a welcome extra layer to an already effective character.
THOUGHTS
Season Two's Elementary, Dear Data was an episode that demanded a sequel. Thanks to the tangle of copyright laws involved in the use of Sherlock Holmes, it ended up taking more than full four seasons for that sequel to materialize. That's a very long time in the life of a television series, and writer Rene Echevarria wisely focuses his script in such a way that familiarity with the earlier episode is not needed to enjoy this show. The two facts necessary for the episode to be understood are that Moriarty is a holodeck character who was granted sentience, and that Picard made a deal with him to see what could be done to grant him freedom from the holodeck. Both of these items are dealt with clearly and quickly at the very start of the show, allowing the story to move in its own direction.
This is no retread of the earlier episode. The bulk of it occurs not in a recreation of Victorian England, but in the familiar settings of the Enterprise. Moriarty isn't just holding one crew member hostage - He's holding the entire ship hostage, and is unfazed at the thought of perishing with the vessel. "If I am just a fictional character," he says reasonably, "then very little will be lost."
The "ship-in-danger" subplot is thin and contrived, but mercifully little screen time is given to it. The script is focused exactly where it should be: On the battle of wits and wills between Moriarty and Picard. It's a clever and well-paced script, too. The entire first Act is devoted to establishing the situation with Moriarty. Enough time is given to "sell" the idea of a sentient holodeck character stepping onto the ship proper, and then the first Act ends with Moriarty's takeover of the Enterprise. The stakes are raised again at the halfway point, when the script takes an unexpected turn that upends the entire episode. There is then one final turn after that, all wrapped up with an effective and thoughful tag scene.
Well-paced, well-acted, and extremely clever, Ship in a Bottle was likely the perfect choice of episode to follow-up the powerhouse that was Chain of Command. Effortlessly enjoyable viewing.
Overall Rating: 8/10.
Previous Episode: Chain of Command
Next Episode: Aquiel
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