Star Trek: 10 Greatest Genre Episodes Ever
9. Western: A Fistful Of Datas
Per Britannica.com:
Western, a genre of novels and short stories, motion pictures, and television and radio shows that are set in the American West, usually in the period from the 1850s to the end of the 19th century.
There really was only ever one clear winner in this genre, though Star Trek has experimented with westerns a number of times. In The Original Series, Spectre Of The Gun offered audiences a view of the O.K. Corral, while Star Trek: Enterprise visited a modern frontier in North Star. While A Fistful Of Datas may blend a couple of genres (looking at you, comedy), it is a western at its core.
You probably know the story: Worf's latest attempt at hiding from Alexander takes him, in the guise of spending time together, to Deadwood, a lonely frontier town in which he will play the Sheriff. Thanks to a computer hiccup, Data begins appearing in the most inopportune places, while director Patrick Stewart rolled the camera with glee.
Considering the comedic nature of the episode, it makes every effort to capture the feel of those spaghetti westerns of yesteryear. Brent Spiner is having a ball as he swaggers through town, revolver on his hip, while Marina Sirtis embodies the lone drifter, here to help the Sheriff. Even little Alexander gets something to do as the kidnapped deputy.
In other words, it captures all of the tropes of the genre (we see you, piano player closing the lid before a gunfight. We see you) and lovingly recreates them on the holodeck. It may not be the most original take on westerns, but it remains Star Trek's premiere offering in that genre to date.