The 12th episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation introduces "Dixon Hill" and the whole sub-genre of the holodeck malfunction episode. Listen to the Mission Log gang discuss "The Big Goodbye" in the latest podcast below.
Mission Log 107 – “The Big Goodbye” (Star Trek: TNG Season 1, Episode 12)
Captain Picard has some time to kill, but there is trouble. A malfuction may turn his trip to the holodeck from some time to kill, to kill or be killed. Will he escape in time to impress insect people? Find out when “The Big Goodbye” gets put into the Mission Log. .
LISTEN: MISSION LOG PODCAST
Make it so
After “Farpoint,” this was the first episode I didn’t feel I had to apologize for.
This one had enough ideas to keep things chugging along… and, shockingly, the humor worked. As you mention in your Podcast, it’s also one of the first times that the Dr. Crusher character comes to life. We had Picard, Worf, Georgdi, and Data… and some wooden actor things. This gave us one more character to watch. (And in that dress, to watch closely!!) In fact, in all of Season One, this and the one with the binars (00011 11000 or some forgettable 1980’s technobabble title) were the only stand-outs.
Oh, you mentioned Lawrence Tierney’s roles in noir films, but didn’t mention the movies that modern audiences might remember… like “Reservoir Dogs,” “Pritzi’s Honor,” and “The Naked Gun.” 2 of those were after this ep, but still…
Oh, and this ep won awards… a Peabody (though, sadly not the more prestigious Sherman) and an Emmy for outstanding costumes going (very very deservedly) to William Theiss.
Hmm, they Emmy’d him without his even showing a half-boob in this ep.
These podcasts are great!