Star Trek: 15 Best Holodeck Moments
6. Hollow Pursuits - The Goddess Of Empathy
Nominated for an Emmy Award, this was the episode that introduced Reginald Barclay to the Star Trek universe. Dwight Schultz had been a fan of Star Trek for many years and Rick Berman had been waiting to find a role for him.
The episode was not created nor produced with the intention of parodying obsessive Star Trek fans, though it has come to be seen as that in the years since. Barclay is, in many ways, the ultimate Trekkie, doing his best to interact with his favourite characters in a situation that he is in control. Then, in the real life, he tries to look interesting while examining a potted plant in the corner.
That line about the plant was taken almost verbatim from something Michael Pillar had said to Ira Stephen Behr on joining the writing staff. Both Barclay and Pillar would go on to have lasting impacts on the franchise as a whole.
This was another episode that was a lot of fun to work on, one that has also been one of the Next Generation's most enjoyed episodes along the way. All of the main cast get to play outside of their usual roles, perhaps none more so than Marina Sirtis as the Goddess of Empathy!
There is also a cheeky reference to Back to the Future buried in the episode, waiting for keen eyed fans to notice.