A FISTFUL OF DATAS


Now *this* was a pleasant surprise.

Certainly your average TNG detractor was offered more than enough here to
change channels and watch "Wheel Of Fortune" instead.  Alexander.  Holodeck
malfunctions.  Troi.  The wild west.  Kind of makes you shudder when put
that way, doesn't it?

But actually it turned out to be a pleasant little diversion, in large part
due to the simplicity and plausibility of the script, and the acting talents
of Brent Spiner and (of all people) Marina Sirtis.

Spiner's ability to make Data seem menacing or comical in all manner of
situations is of course well-documented in such episodes as "Brothers", but
who would have thought that Sirtis would have slipped so easily into a wild
west motif?  She seemed comfortable here, without being self-indulgent (the
downfall of such episodes as "Captain's Holiday", which this could have easily
fallen to the level of in other circumstances).

This episode reveals a number of things about the characters which we hadn't
really seen portrayed believably before.  We see some genuine positive
interaction between Worf and Alexander, and also get to see Worf really
enjoying himself for a change.  (His grin at the end of the episode was
perhaps the best fade-out they could have come up with.)  Alexander didn't
act like a brat, but like a child - which he is.  And who would have
pegged Troi as being into the wild west?  Not I, but it was pulled off
expertly here.  Plus, we saw Picard playing the pipe for the first time
since "The Inner Light".

The script was patchy, but on the whole held together well enough.  Some bits
of humor were forced and uncomfortable (mainly those involving Annie; thank
goodness the program ended when it did, and not just for Worf's sake!), others
succeeded despite their predictability (Worf's comment about understanding
the attraction of the program - having just punched two people senseless),
and a few drew sincere chuckles (especially Data's interaction with Spot - or
do I have that backwards?  Also the comment about Barclay).

Technological doubletalk was kept to a minimum, though one of the gaffes in
the episode is the plausibility of being able to make a force field out of
a communicator and a telegraph.  On the other hand, the reason for the
holodeck's malfunction was believable (but when will they ever learn not
to tamper with the main computer? :-)

Like I said, this episode was a nice little diversion.  It probably would
have stood up even better if the episodes preceding it had been stronger
(i.e., it would have looked like a lightweight and whimsical change of
pace from stronger, heavyweight episodes; only what we've been watching
for the last two months has been far from heavyweight).  I recommend it.

Grade: B

SEASON SIX AT A GLANCE:
Time's Arrow II: B-
Realm Of Fear: C
Man Of The People: C
Relics: B+
Schisms: B-
True Q: D-
Rascals: D+
A Fistful Of Datas: B
---
Total Points: 17 2/3
Season Average: 2.208 (C+)
(Rise of 0.113 from last episode)