[TNG] Hollow Pursuits

[TNG] Season 3, Episode 21: Hollow Pursuits

Rating: 2

It’s great to see a different type of starfleet officer, especially one played by Dwight Schultz, and it’s also nice to see the main cast from a different perspective. The disdain a lot of them have for Barclay is pretty hard to watch though, combined with generally weak writing in this episode. On the plus side “Hollow Pursuits” tackles a topic viewers had probably been wondering about – people using the holodeck for unhealthy stuff. It’s too bad the execution of this episode didn’t live up to the topics.
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Notes:

We meet Barclay. He’s not a fan of Riker.

But outside the holodeck, he’s shy.

Meanwhile stuff is breaking.

Geordi and Riker REALLY don't like Barclay. They keep calling him Broccolli and say they don't want to be in the same room with him. Picard basically tells them to stop acting like babies

Geordi and Riker REALLY don’t like Barclay. They keep calling him “Broccoli” and say they don’t want to be in the same room with him. Picard rightly tells them to stop acting like babies.

Geordi invites Barclay to a meeting. They try to figure out why stuff is breaking. Wesley asks if Barclay considered to flow capacitor

Geordi invites Barclay to a meeting. They try to figure out why stuff is breaking. Wesley asks if Barclay considered a flow capacitor.

Barclay: “I knew about the flux capacitor, but I didn’t need to hear about it from some 17 years old kid”
Back to the Future!

Barclay's holodeck programs get out of hand

Barclay’s holodeck programs get even more creepy.

Data wonders why calling Barclay, “Broccoli” is considered a joke. We don’t understand it either, Data.

Then more stuff breaks!

Picard accidentally calls him Broccoli to his face. whoops

In Barcay's holdeck program, he has Wesley eating a whole pie. Interesting touch, Barclay

In Barcay’s holdeck program, he has Wesley eating a whole pie. I don’t really get it, but interesting touch, Barclay.

He duels all the people that he doesn’t have the confidence to face in real life.

Geordi finds out about his holodeck adventures. Sometimes I think this whole episode is so we see Geordi in a different light, and that he looks less dorky by comparison. It’s interesting seeing him as the tough-boss-type, and it works. I guess that’s the power of a “lower decks” type of episode.