The Enterprise journeys to quadrant Korona Four to greet the Jarada, an insect-like race obsessed with protocol. Picard must greet them in their language, perfectly, and it's a very difficult greeting. Sensing that he's working a bit too hard, Deanna convinces him to test out the recently upgraded holodeck. He enters the fictional world of Dixon Hill, private investigator.

Picard is enchanted by his first visit, and invites Bev back for a second go, along with a historian, one Mr. Whalen. Data, curious about the character's attraction, quickly reads all the literature Dixon Hill ever appeared in, and requests to go along. The three males enter (Beverly will be along later), where "Dixon Hill" is arrested for a murder he didn't commit.

Once they're inside, a Jaradan long-range probe shakes the ship, and somehow causes problems in the holodeck controls. The doors let Beverly in shortly afterwards, but then no one can get out. As the ship nears the rendezvous point, Riker sends Geordi to get Picard out of the holodeck, only to find that no one can get in or out. Geordi and Wesley immediately get to work.

Meanwhile, inside, Picard/Hill is released after being interrogated. The four return to his office, where they are threatened by Felix Leech, a Peter Lorre-type bad guy. Whalen tries to get the gun away from Leech, and Leech shoots him, physically injuring Whalen. Since the holodeck isn't supposed to allow that to happen, Picard realizes something's wrong. He knocks the gun away from Leech, who flees. Picard tries to call for the exit and encounters no response.

Later, as work on the outside continues, Leech appears with his boss, Cyrus Redblock. Hill's detective friend, Lt. Bell, appears and is imprisoned with the others. Redblock demands that Hill turn over "the item," which he had been contracted to find, and responds to Picard's plea that he is not Dixon Hill by threatening Beverly's life.

Eventually, Geordi and Wes get the doors open. Redblock, now convinced, still holds Picard and the others at bay, and then exits the holodeck with Leech to plunder this new world, where the two quickly dissolve. Picard returns to the bridge just in time to deliver the Jaradan greeting perfectly, and the ship moves on.

Highlight Listing:

"The Big Goodbye" - When the holodecks malfunction, the Captain and two crew members become trapped in San Francisco, 1941, where they are held hostage by murderous gangsters.

Advertising Headline:

HELD HOSTAGE BY HISTORY A holodeck malfunction traps Picard in the year 1941.

TV log listing:

Picard is trapped in 1941 on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. PLEASE NOTE: The following legal restriction applies to the promotion of this episode. There is a scene in which characters are seen at a newsstand in 1941 San Francisco. One of the characters picks up a copy of TIME magazine and the front and back cover is shown. Please do not use this cover in any advertising, promotion or publicity of this episode. None of the materials provided to you contain this scene. If you produce your own promos for any reason, please be sure to avoid using it.

Technical design, graphic design, interactive features, HTML & CGI programming by Andrew Tong. || All materials Copyright © 1987-1995 by their respective authors. || Document created: January 28, 1995 || Last Modified: July 12, 1999