A Fistful of Datas

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Star Trek: TNG episode
"A Fistful of Datas"
Deanna Troi as "Durango", "Sheriff" Worf, and Alexander
Episode no.
Prod. code	234
Airdate	November 09, 1992
Writer(s)	Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Director	Patrick Stewart
Guest star(s)	Brian Bonsall John Pyper-Ferguson Joy Garrett Jorge Cervera, Jr.
Year	2369
Stardate	46271.5
Episode chronology
Previous	"Rascals"
Next	"The Quality of Life"

A Fistful of Datas is a sixth-season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and was first aired on 11.09.1992.

1 Plot Summary
2 Memorable quotes
3 Commentary
4 External links

[edit] Plot Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In this episode, Alexander convinces his father, Worf, to accompany him on a trip to the "ancient west" on the holodeck. Worf reluctantly plays the part of sheriff in the town of Deadwood. Alexander is his deputy, and Troi plays "the mysterious stranger".

Meanwhile, Data and Geordi experiment with using Data's brain as a backup for the Enterprise's computer. A seemingly small malfunction occurs. Soon, Data's programming begins to take over parts of the Enterprise's computer, replicating what is stored in his memory. Data's cat food (for Spot) appears when food is ordered from the replicators, and Picard's music is overwritten by Data's.

In the holodeck, the outlaw characters start looking like Data. Worf has apprehended Eli Hollander, a cowboy accused of murder. Eli's father has come to rescue him from jail, and kidnaps Alexander to use as bait. At first Worf assumed that Data had been invited by Troi or Alexander to play the role of Eli's father. But it soon becomes apparent to Worf that something is seriously wrong when Eli has him shot. By this time Worf and Troi have discovered that they cannot end the program, and the holodeck's safety features are off. Also, the holodeck is replacing all the characters with replicas of Data, and Troi discovers that not only do the characters appear to look like Data, they also have his strength,speed and reflexes. However, they realize if they can ride the story to its end, the program will terminate on its own. Worf and Troi make a deal with Eli's father: Eli will be exchanged for Alexander.

Worf thinks everything is settled, but Troi knows better - the outlaws are not concerned with honor, and they will certainly try to kill them. They construct a shield to protect Worf from bullets. During the shootout, the outlaws are defeated, but the program does not end until Data, in the character of an enamored woman, throws herself into Worf's arms. Finally, the program ends.

Geordi determines the cause of the malfunctions aboard ship and fixes them. In their quarters, Alexander asks his father if he will ever want to visit Deadwood again, and smiles when he replies in the affirmative.

[edit] Memorable quotes

Worf: "What are his rights in this century? Is there a trial, or shall I execute him?"

Worf is ordering a drink at the local bar.

Annie: "What'll you have." Worf: "Uh...Klingon Firewine." Annie: (laughing) "This ain't Kansas City! We ain't got none of that fancy European stuff here!"

[edit] Commentary

In this episode, we see Captain Picard playing his Ressikan flute, which he learned to play in the episode The Inner Light.
This episode's title is a reference to the spaghetti western film A Fistful of Dollars.
The character of Frank Hollander, Eli's father, seems to have similarities in appearance with the character Hatfield in the film Stagecoach, played by John Carradine. However, in Stagecoach Hatfield is a gambler, not a villain.
This episode is one of only four episodes which does not contain a shot of the Enterprise's bridge; the others being "Family", "Dark Page and "Liaisons".
The USS Biko (NCC-50331, an Oberth class starship) is mentioned in this episode a possible tribute to Steven Biko a nonviolent anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, who was beaten to death by the whilst in police custody.
The closing shot of the episode, like many other Westerns, features the Enterprise flying off into the sunset.
The character, "Eli Hollander," is named after Eli Hollander, a film professor at University of California, Santa Cruz.