Less of a "holodeck gone wrong" episode than it is a "holodeck gone weird". And I feel quite weird myself, because apparently this episode is a favourite among fans and the cast/crew. I honestly struggled to keep my attention on it.
Maybe it's because it feels like ground that's been trodden so many times before, or maybe it's because of how unimpressed I was by the Beowulf environment. Trek has done this endless times over, they just normally substitute the halls of Viking warriors for Klingons.
If anything, I felt that it highlighted how much Robert Picardo stands out among the rest of his cast mates as having a fantastic character to work with. The Doctor is fun to watch and he has some great comedy moments here. In theory, the concept of sending the Doctor onto the holodeck to do the crew's work for them would make sense, but it just raised so many questions for me about what he is. The characters, and indeed the show itself, is treating him as if he were a real person now with feelings, desires and specialities. That would suggest that holograms are capable of becoming a recognised life form and that Starfleet ships can create them (a subject done by TNG).
It's just very quaint, very safe, and an uninteresting side step for the show. I do admit, though, that Freya the Shield-maiden was pretty awesome. Bonus points: no Neelix.
Review by LeftHandedGuitaristBlockedParent2017-09-26T13:59:18Z
Less of a "holodeck gone wrong" episode than it is a "holodeck gone weird". And I feel quite weird myself, because apparently this episode is a favourite among fans and the cast/crew. I honestly struggled to keep my attention on it.
Maybe it's because it feels like ground that's been trodden so many times before, or maybe it's because of how unimpressed I was by the Beowulf environment. Trek has done this endless times over, they just normally substitute the halls of Viking warriors for Klingons.
If anything, I felt that it highlighted how much Robert Picardo stands out among the rest of his cast mates as having a fantastic character to work with. The Doctor is fun to watch and he has some great comedy moments here. In theory, the concept of sending the Doctor onto the holodeck to do the crew's work for them would make sense, but it just raised so many questions for me about what he is. The characters, and indeed the show itself, is treating him as if he were a real person now with feelings, desires and specialities. That would suggest that holograms are capable of becoming a recognised life form and that Starfleet ships can create them (a subject done by TNG).
It's just very quaint, very safe, and an uninteresting side step for the show. I do admit, though, that Freya the Shield-maiden was pretty awesome.
Bonus points: no Neelix.