I’ve been a little hesitant to embrace Ship in A Bottle in the past, because it’s the sequal to Elementary, Dear Data, which establishes the flat out insane idea that the Enterprise computer can just conjure up sentient beings if you just … ask it to. This dumb concept pops up in Deep Space Nine, and informs The Doctor in Voyager, who might have had a more complex arc if he wasn’t just essentially born sentient.
Anyway, this episode is actually pretty charming, and is a rare holodeck episode that is both loopy and doesn’t break the audience’s suspended disbelief. It’s also one of my favorite showcases of Barclay, because it suits his character but he feels more integrated into the crew rather than a Special Guest Star.
Data and Geordi play around in the holodeck but then there’s a guy that’s not left-handed!Barclay is called in to check out the holodeck’s handedness and then Moriarty shows up!Moriarty wants to meet with Picard to see why he hasn’t had a follow-up episode yet.And then he says “I think therefore I am” and he can leave the holodeck. This is the power of philosophy, people!He thinks space is cool and all but he mostly wants his holo-girlfriend.Picard says he’ll try but none of this really makes sense so idk.Moriarty gets impatient and takes over the ship very easily!They try to figure out how to get Moriarty’s girlfriend off the holodeck. Doesn’t she just have to say the magic words like Moriarty did? It’s almost as if things aren’t as they appear….They try to beam a chair off the holodeck but it doesn’t work real great – it cannot think so it cannot am.But then Geordi catches something with……………………………………. HIS LEFT HAND!huh that’s weird too, I guess.Picard, Data, and Barclay never left the holodeck! Moriarty gets the command codes from Picard trying to regain access. Now he’s holding the REAL Enterprise hostage!Side note: there’s a catastrophic astronomical event happening too.They click their heels together while repeating “I think therefore I am!”It works? They give Moriarty a shuttle so he can go exploring.The shuttle can work on voice command only.But it was all a trick by Picard! He transported Moriarty into ANOTHER holodeck program!!They keep Moriarty’s program running so he can go on exploring unaware.They joke that they might be in a holo-program still lol Barclay has not slept since.
