Star Trek: 15 Best Holodeck Moments
9. A Fistful Of Datas - Deadwood Becomes Data-Wood
This episode is just a delight from start to finish! Directed by none other than Patrick Stewart, it is a sixth season entry from the Next Generation, seriously offering Brent Spiner the opportunity to show off his acting chops.
While the initial plot seems to focus on Worf bonding with Alexander, this is more or less quickly swept away by the comedy of having Data appear as all of the different characters in the town, along with having the real Data speak and walk like a cowboy.
This isn't an episode that asks the audience to dig deep into the themes on show. It's a Western, unashamedly so. From the quick draw duel between Sheriff Worf and Data, to the final shot of the Enterprise flying off into the sun, this is a loving tribute to an age of cinema gone by.
The shoot was tight on time. Patrick Stewart requested that the location be set up at night so that they could capture every moment of daylight, as they only had one day to shoot on the lot. He took inspiration from Westerns like Rio Bravo and Shane in creating this entry, borrowing a shot from Shane itself, where Alexander looks out at the street from underneath the saloon doors.
Of all of the characters that he got to play in the episode, Brent Spiner felt mostly 'homely' as the landlady of the bar. Brilliant.