‘THE BIG GOODBYE’ (TNG)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This is a holodeck episode from the ‘Star Trek: TNG’ series. It’s also the first episode where we get to see Captain Picard re-enact his favourite hero from American fiction. The crime detective: Dixon Hill.
Now I admit, I was confused by what the holodeck was about and didn’t understand when I watched the episode. This was also before I saw the first episode of the ‘TNG’ series, ‘Encounter At Farpoint’.
When I got into this episode with my parents, I was expecting this to be a time-travel story back to the 1940s. Instead, this turned out to be a fantasy land exploration for Captain Picard to be his hero.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love the holodeck episodes now from watching the ‘TNG’ series after I saw more of them. I used the holodeck as inspiration for my ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘The Space Hotel’.
But back then, I wasn’t very keen since I didn’t get what the holodeck was all about. Now I’m wiser and want a holodeck myself so that I can get to play out my fantasies, dreams and be my heroes. 😀
Picard tries out the new holodeck program of Dixon Hill, whilst taking a break from opening negotiations with the insect-like Jarada. This episode shows an interesting side to Picard’s character.
It’s ironic that a man like Picard would love American gangster novels like Dixon Hill. But a captain of a Federation starship has to unwind and takes pleasures when off-duty. This has to be one of them.
By the way, Dixon Hill is a metafictional detective character in ‘Star Trek’. I did wonder whether he was an actual fictional character created in American literature, but it does not seem to be the case.
Dixon Hill seems to be created solely for the ‘TNG’ series to add development to Picard’s character. I don’t mind this as such, though I do wonder whether Dixon Hill was created in the 1940s or later on.
There is an element of Dixon Hill being based on the American gangsters of the 1940s like Humphrey Bogart. I like the 1940s setting, especially when Picard and a few others enter the world of Dixon Hill.
I like that first scene when Picard enters as Dixon Hill in the holodeck and he’s still in his Starfleet uniform. Picard has a kiss on the cheek from a holographic woman, but to him it feels so real indeed.
Eventually, Picard re-enters the holodeck, wearing proper 1940s clothes to act as Dixon Hill. He’s accompanied by David Selbug as Dr. Whalen, who is a visiting historian and an expert for Dixon Hall.
Data comes along too, as he’s intrigued about Picard’s interest in Dixon Hill. I found it funny when Data read all there is to know about Dixon Hill in a fast rate and sounding like a gangster American 🙂
Beverly Crusher also comes to join Picard in the holodeck. I like it when Beverly dresses up as an American lady of the 1940s. There’s a touching moment when Picard and Beverely meet each other.
It gets tense when the alien Jarada probe the Enterprise ship and the holodeck malfunctions with Picard, Data, Beverly and Whalen inside. Neither can get out of the holodeck and Whalen gets shot.
It becomes too real for Picard and the others when they’re in trouble and threatened by gangsters led by Lawrence Tierney as Cyrus Redblock. Picard try to reason with Redblock, but he doesn’t listen.
Thankfully Wesley manages to get the holodeck doors open for Picard and the others to get out. It was tense when Redblock and Harvey Jason as Felix Leech stepped out of the holodeck and vanished.
‘The Big Goodbye’ is an enjoyable holodeck episode of the ‘TNG’ series. It was my first proper introduction to the concept of a holodeck in ‘Star Trek’. It is light years away of ‘The Original Series’.
‘The Last Goodbye’ (TNG) rating – 8/10
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