Whether indulging in a murder mystery, visiting the beach or letting you drop into an Irish town to delete people who might annoy you, the Holodeck was one of the creature comforts of the Next Generation era that let the crew train, relax, vent frustrations and all with the very real risk that it might malfunction and kill everyone. Technically introduced in the Animated Series, the Holodeck becam,e a main feature on board starships from Encounter At Farpoint onwards and become a popular setting for an adventure that brought it’s own trop[es and traditions.
Looking back through the Next Generation era, the Holodeck was an excuse for wild west adventures, sacred rituals and things that would likely make the architects of the Online Safety Act faint if they looked at Quark’s commercial offerings. With so many to watch through, here’s a personal top five of the fantasy adventures.
The Big Goodbye. TNG Season One
The first of all the holodeck adventures, The Big Goodbye is where the rules were laid out for everything to come. With Picard being stressed out thanks to some diplomacy and needing to learn a new language fast, Troi punts him off to the holodeck to let his hair down. Well, figuratively speaking anyway. Immersing himself in a recreation of one of his favourite books, he becomes Dixon Hill, a private detective on a simple case that soon becomes deadly.
A poorly timed scan of their ship makes the holodeck malfunction, trapping Picard along with Data, Crusher and a red-shirt who gets fatally injured due to the safety protocols being off. While we’d seen glimpses of the holodeck already, this was the first time it was used as the primary setting, and where we’d see the dangers of technology gone wrong. It all worked quite well in building the tension as Picard struggles between solving the case and his officer bleeding out. The only down side is that the story would be buried under multiple versions of the same error, drowning out a fairly enjoyable originating episode.
Take Me Out To the Holosuite. DS9 Season 7.
All too often the holodeck is just a quick backdrop and only becomes the core of the plot when something goes wrong. Here, it wasn’t the holodeck that was broken. It was was Captain Sisko’s ego.
Showcasing the holodeck as a proper recreational space for once, Sisko can’t help himself being goaded by an old rival into a game of baseball between crucial battles in the Dominion war. And thats the episode. Just a personal grudge and baseball. It’s just a nice and relaxing fun episode with the DS9 crew figuring out how to play the game, Worf taking everything far too seriously, Rom being hopeless and Kassidy – one of the few actual baseball fans – shamelessly spilling all of Sisko’s insecurities to rally the troops against a team of elite Vulcans.
It’s a rare episode that uses the holodeck for a fun setting without panic, alarm or worrying about safety protocols!
Elementary, Dear Data, TNG Season 2 & Ship in a Bottle, TNG Season 6
Cheating here with a joint entry, but a combination that book ends the story of Moriarty. Ship in a Bottle follows The Big Goodbye’s theme of the holodeck going wrong. But this time it’s all Geordie’s fault. After watching Data play Sherlock Holmes, but solving everything in the first few minutes since he’s read all the books, Geordie asks the system to make up it’s own story. But he mis-speaks and asks it to program a challenge that can defeat Data.
That challenge broke down the walls of fiction and reality, giving vilian Moriarty self awareness of himself as a recreation in a story. But his ambition wanted more. Soon after hijacking the ships command with a desire to be free of the holodeck, Moriarty returned control to Picard in agreement that his file would be stored and revived once technology existed to let him leave the holodeck. Years later, holodeck addict Reg Barclay would accidentally activate the stored program and, sure enough, Moriarty got his wish and walked right out.
Of course, it was all another deception to unknowingly trap the crew in a simulation of the Enterprise and let them figure out how to replicate his apparent freedom. Technically the second part poses more intrigue than the first, but it’s hard to have one without the other.
Bride of Chaotica. Voyager, Season 5.
Sometimes Star Trek does things that are just a bit silly and try to ground them in the reality of the universe. It doesn’t always work, and occasionally it’s a bit too silly. Bride of Chaotica is just that kind of silly that really shouldn’t work, but somehow…
Obsessed with early 19th century culture, one of Tom Paris’ favourite things to do is be 1930’s sci fi hero Captain Proton; a fantasy with cheesy characters, tin foil props and every bit of retro weirdness to make you smile. Problem is that the fantasy seems ot have attracted the attention of photonic life forms who are completely blind to the ideas of Voyager and a holographic recreation as to them, the simulation is reality. And they’ve accidentally gone to war with the bad guy.
The only solution they have? Play along. Stop the war and get the aliens on their way so Voyager can go back to normal. Well, as normal as Voyager gets.
It’s Only a Paper Moon, DS9 Season 7
In all the TNG era shows, Deep Space Nine was extremely conservative with using the holodeck – or holosuite as it was known in Quarks. Aside from one or two traditional holodek emergencies such as transporter patterns turning crew into the cast of a spy drama, the holosuite was typically reserved as a setting only when it had a purpose. Late in Deep Space Nine that purpose came in the form of Vic Fontaine.
Introduced as a self aware Vegan lounge singer who helped Odo find his romantic side, in this episode Vic plays reluctant therapist to Nog. Once eager to be the model officer and soldier, the reality of war hit Nog hard in a close combat assault that left both physical and emotional trauma on the young officer. Returning to Deep Space Nine, he found solace only in escaping the reality and throwing himself into the fantasy of Vic’s world.
A favourite of the late Aaron Eisenberg in his role as Nog, It’s Only A Paper Moon used the holodeck and the sci fi backdrop to bring it all back down to Earth with a strong and poignant exploration of the effects of PTSD in combat veterans, how easy it can be to get pulled deeper into depression and the value or patience, support and recovery.
Honourable Mentions
It’s a hard list to whittle down, and there’s sure to be a few favourite missed. If you’re looking for holodeck episodes and need more than five to pick from – Reg Barclay’s debut episode Hollow Pursuits from TNG Season 3 showcases the holodeck as a coping mechanism for social anxiety (and it’s companion episode Pathfinder from Voyager, bringing Barclay back to therapy!); A Fistful of Data’s offers Worf in a Western; DS9’s Our Man Bashir brings us some Bond parody spy drama with Bashir and Garak; Author Author in Voyager’s seventh seasons gives us a healthy dose of Robert Picardo as the Doctor and you can’t go wrong with a heist in DS9’s Badda-Bing Badda-Bang from season 7.
You can browse through all the holodeck episodes in the Star Trek Universe on Paramount Plus!
About the author
Resistance Is Optional: Choose Your Adventure!
Our trials of bringing the fleet together have been hit and miss with scheduling and dates being a bit slim. So we're opening the floor to the fleet to pick the next date and theme! You can make your selection below on what works best for you ahead of our next fleet event! The final outcome will be shared at Europa on Facebook and in Fleet Alert in the Officers Hub as soon as we have a comfortable number of notes. For more information or to get direct updates on non-Discord online events, you can the subscribe to Twitch channel, visit twitch.tv/sfcq2. Google Meets events are hosted by our google account - you can add sfcquad2@gmail.com to your whitelist to ensure direct notification. Info and invite confirmations may also come from jt@sfcq2.com directly.
Sixty Year Mission…
It's been a really weird year already for the world of Star Trek fans. We started 2026 with a new venture into a strange new future with Starfleet Academy. Then just as the show had won people over, we found out it's the latest in a long list of recent productions to get a cancellation order, is a bit of a weird way to start the 60th anniversary of a legendary franchise. The past few years we've kind of spoiled. Growing up it was exciting to have Deep Space Nine run alongside the Next Generation. In modern times we had multiple shows going at once with Discovery's launch spawning a new world of story telling from revisiting Picard in his post-Starfleet years, to animated comedy with Lower Decks, to finally telling the story of Captain Pike and even a peek […]
[Retro Review] Let This Be Your Last Battlefield
Often shown in highlight reels and quoted in discussions about Star Trek's more forward thinking messages, Let This Be Your Last Battlefield is at it's simplest, a story of the ridiculousness of segregation. En route to a vital mission of mercy, Kirk and his crew end up in the middle of a political minefield. Interrupted in the mission by a stolen Federation shuttle carrying an injured alien, Lokai from the planet Cheron, they're soon further interrupted by Commissioner Bele, an official representing Cheron who announces Lokai as a political traitor and demanding custody. One asylum request later, Kirk's stuck between the two trying to find the right course of action knowing he has orders to follow beyond the situation. The separation between Belle and Lokai is a simple context. And also a strangely charged one looking at it from a […]
[Treknology] The Holodeck
An immersive experience in itself, the Holodeck is one of the many creature comforts that help bring comfort and entertainment within the life of a starship years from home that not only acts in creating a live action gaming environment, but as a useful tool for educational simulations, experiments and the occasional Hirogen nightmare! The holodeck is a complex device. Essentially a simulated environment generator, the holodeck is usually a vast room that used a combination of forcefields, matter replication and visually manipulative holographic systems to create an immersive environment that one or multiple people can use to not only see and hear, but physically interact with. Able to replicate anything from historical settings to an entirely original landscape, the holodeck ios Knightmare in ultra high resolution without a headset or guide, but a physical interaction with a created world […]
A Fistful of Sisko
In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it's past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to 'black sheep' of the family with it's history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet's most complex captains. Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who's become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of.... why?! And also, if you want a quick intro - here's our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBkvzPoofQ IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Season 6, Episode 13 Lets […]
Starfleet Academy to end with with Season 2
Announced first by Variety, it's been announced that Starfleet Academy will end with Season 2. Having just launches in January with the first season finale receiving positive reactions, and it's second season now in post-production following the completion of filming, the announcement comes at an unsurprising time with Paramount undergoing new ownership under Skydance and more business shenanigans with further consolidation in the works with plans to absorb Warner Brothers into the mix. Set in the 32nd century and using Discovery's season 3 'Burn' storyline as a reset point, Starfleet Academy was focused on new original characters who had signed up to be the new stewards of Starfleet's future to rebuild the strength and vision of the Federation. Opening strong, Academy improved throughout it's first season and used it's setting to help strengthen the hopeful vision of the future and […]
Related
A Fistful of Justice
Although it's one of the worlds most legendary science fiction shows, Star Trek has always dabbled with format and genre's, all dressed up behind deep space adventures. Whether using the holodeck for a touch of fantasy, or diving into the horrors of war through Deep Space Nine's run, the variety of story telling never seems to fit one mould. But out of all the different tales told in the wonderful world of Starfleet, one that always promises to deliver is the court room drama. This month we're diving into the most captivating of Star Trek's courtroom drama's with a Fistful of Justice! AD ASTRA PER ASPERA Strange New Worlds, Season 2 One of the most modern examples of Strar Trek's court room drama saw Pike's own Number One, Una-Chin Reilly, under court martial for a serious breach of Starfleet regulation […]
A Fistful of Sisko
In the past few years, Star Trek has made several nods to it's past. But while The NExt Generation and Voyager had their continuations, Deep Space Nine continued to 'black sheep' of the family with it's history and name drops being few and far between. Until Academy when we had an entire episode based around the legend of Starfleet's most complex captains. Starting his show as a widower and single parent, Benjamin Sisko started his time in Star Trek as a reluctant hero turned religious icon who's become a prime figure in Bajoran history, the Federation-Dominion war and much more. If you missed his series, first of.... why?! And also, if you want a quick intro - here's our Sisko top five to see what the fuss is all about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzBkvzPoofQ IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT Season 6, Episode 13 Lets […]
A Fistful of Honour Beyond Bloodshed
Feared throughout the galaxy due to being fearless warriors who thrive on battle and bloodshed, the Klingon's are one of Star Trek's most iconic races and yet, with all their history, perhaps the most misunderstood. Starting off in the original series as authoritarian and distrustful antagonist, they were written as a parallel to Russia with the Klingon Empire in a cold war with the Federation following a long conflict. The Klingons would have a bit of reinvention in the movies thanks to higher budgets giving the producers a chance for a more alien look, while their culture and history would get a little more depth on The Next Generation thanks to the inclusion of Worf, the first Klingon member of Starfleet. But Worf's views on the Klingon culture weren't quite spot on. From a noble house, Worf was displaced and […]
A Fistful of Familiar Surroundings
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. President Forward During the Next Generation multiple set pieces were re-used and recycled from the set pieces built for the film franchise. From the obvious re-use of internal corridors, to smaller pieces such as Dr Crushers office being McCoy's, it's hard for a keen eye to ignore how much the productions shared between them. But as The Next Generation became the dominant forcer with ongoing production and full standing sets, eventually the turn tabled and by the final original cast instalment, it was the TNG stages that became the obvious redress solution. The most jarring of the films set re-uses was the office of the president. As Kirk and McCoy were charged with assassination, a political poop show begins and the Federation […]
A Fistful of New Beginnings
The coming of a new year always comes with a feeling of new beginnings. Whether it's hearing the bells at midnight or planning a list of new years resolutions to forget about by February, the changing of numbers and another year ahead can bring us a sense of starting over. To commemorate another year passing, and the beginning of a new Star Trek milestone, we're kicking off with our usual list looking at five times Star Trek itself was able to give itself a fresh start. GROWING THE BEARD Between the first and second seasons of The Next Generation, things changed. A lot. A lot of the Next Generation was just carrying over from the abandoned Phase II and Roddenberry's constant rewrites led to a very inconsistent start for the show. By the second season things has calmed down a […]
A Fistful of Forgotten Technology
Travelling the stars is a lot more fun when you have engineers who can turn rocks into replicators and scientists who come up with some crazy ideas on a whim and bring some brand new tech into creation to solve this weeks problem. But sometimes you have to wonder what happens to the inventions that didn't last the week.... Borg Again Once upon a time, Neelix died. Then Seven came along, casually unstuffed some Borg probes in him and suddenly he's back to life again. Mortal Coil is an episode that focuses on Neelix's belief and psychological after effects of being dead, even if just briefly, only to experience nothing but his revival. It's a common story throughout all genre's of TV. It's just this time there were nanoprobes to speed up the 'coming back to life' part. Seven's nanoprobes […]
