“Elementary, Dear Data” is episode three of season two of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise has arrived on station three days early for a rendezvous with the USS Victory. Data is heading to engineering because Geordi has asked him to come. Geordi’s assistant says that Geordi is with the Victory. Not the starship; a model of the HMS Victory that Geordi has made as a gift for the captain of the Victory, under whom he served as an ensign. Geordi tells Data that sail is the proper way to move a ship. Data points out Geordi’s speciality is nothing remotely related. Geordi says that’s why it fascinates him. It’s human nature, to love what they don’t have. He built the ship by hand. Regarding Geordi’s message; whilst they are waiting for the rendezvous, it’s time for Geordi to be Watson. They’ve shared Geordi’s dream; now it’s time to share one of Data’s, and Geordi hands him a pipe.
In “Lonely Among Us” Data became fascinated with Sherlock Holmes. They head to the holodeck where Geordi asks for a random mystery from the Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They enter 221B Baker Street where Data explains the meaning of things. Geordi asks what Watson does; he keeps a written record of what Holmes does for later publication. Geordi starts writing as Data plays the violin. He says they are about to have guests. Inspector Lestrade arrives with someone at this point. Unfortunately, Data quickly solves the case, because he knows how it goes. Geordi freezes the program and asks for the exit.
In Ten Forward, Geordi asks Data what point there is to is. They are there to solve a mystery but Data has them all memorised. With no mystery, there’s no game. No game, no fun. The fun is had in the attempt to solve the mystery. Dr Pulaski interjects at this point. She tells Geordi he’s wasting his breath, asking a computer not to compute. The thrill of victory comes from the possibility of failure. Data learns by rote. Holmes’ deductive reasoning came from his understanding of the soul, an understanding beyond Data. Geordi thinks Pulaski is being unfair. She disagrees. Data has not a prayer of solving a mystery he hasn’t read. Geordi says they will get the computer to create one in the Holmes style. Pulaski says Data won’t be able to solve it. He accepts her challenge. And Pulaski is invited as well.
This is the doctor’s first visit to a holodeck of this sophistication and Data and Geordi explain how it works. The first mystery Data solves very easily; it was simply two Holmes stories mashed together. Pulaski tells Data that original thought isn’t possible for him. A man is watching as Geordi calls for the arch. He asks the computer for a new story, one with an opponent who has the ability to defeat Data. Those are the only parameters. On the bridge, Worf notices an unusual surge in power.
On the holodeck, the watcher is approached by a woman who asks him if there’s anything wrong. He says he feels like a new man. He mentions Geordi summoning the arch and says arch himself. The arch appears. That shouldn’t happen. He speaks to the computer. It responds. That also shouldn’t happen. The woman flees, telling the man, who she calls Moriarty, that it’s dark magic.
Geordi and Data are wandering around when they hear a scream. They return and find one of Pulaski’s shoes. Data says she’s been abducted. Geordi suggests that she’s just hiding. Data disagrees. There are footfalls and he says she has been taken away by two men. No, he didn’t read this in a Holmes story and explains how he deduced this. Moriarty is watching.
Data and Geordi follow the footfalls but arrive at a dead end. Then Lestrade finds them. There’s been a murder. Data isn’t interested, because he doesn’t see a connection to the doctor’s disappearance. Geordi suggests how the victim was killed but Data explains what really happened.
Data isn’t sure what’s going on. What is happening is that they have a problem. Again. Geordi’s instructions to it have been followed precisely, and that has caused problems. Frankly, Geordi shouldn’t have been able to do instructions as broad as he did; he’s not the highest-ranking officer on the ship, after all.