First off wow season 6 was strong. Riddles, Pathfinder, and Blink of an Eye, all pretty close to eachother in season 6. I think they'd all go on my top 10 voyager list. Anyone else love those episodes? Anyway am I the only one that finds it pretty sad that Broccoli was depressed on earth in Pathfinder? No wonder Riker stayed on the Enterprise - anyone who leaves loses the family feeling and all their friends.
Barclay, like so many of us, is shy and awkward and finds it devastatingly hard to make friends. So it stands to reason that Barclay, deprived of what little comradeship he found on the Enterprise, would latch on to any other crew he could find any connection with. He may not have served on Voyager, but he found a new purpose in his life trying to bring the ship home. He wants to be useful. He wants to make a difference. Which is a lot harder than it might seem!
He was obsessed with making contact with Voyager via Pathfinder. He was persistent, never let go. And he was rewarded with a positive result. And at least Deanna managed to make him smile. Hey may have few friends, but friends he can rely on. How many people are there who claim to be a friend in good times and who dump you when you are in trouble?
No it isn't, it's just about the food. D. Troi sat there with the ice cream, HER FAVORITE that Barclay has specifically replicated for her and didn't even touch it. In fact she puts it far away on the table, not right there in front of her like you would if you intended to eat it. [yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRlgr8OxQMY[/yt]
All that evolving and bettering ourselves.......and yet women in the 24th century still want confident, swaggering, alpha males Can't really blame him for being depressed (and just in case he wasn't sure......the Ferenghi send a hot blonde to remind him that non confident, swaggering, alpha males are repulsive and unloveable)
Also this scene is depressing because I have always believed that with replicated food all the calories/fat etc.. were perfectly balanced and you could live off of ice cream if you wanted, it's all the same nutrition. And yet Troi says she only wants one scoop because she is watching her figure. Barclay is a very nice guy but he needs someone who is patient enough to help him get over his nervousness. You have to sit through several uncomfortable dates I'd imagine.. I could do it, but I can talk to pretty much anyone. The evolving and bettering has elevated the status of the alphas even higher than we see today because, EVOLVED. Which implies that the beta is a subspecies.
I honestly think the scene might have been better if it was Geordi helping him instead of Troi, since he had his own problems with people judging him because of holodeck usage. Heck, Geordi was practically doing the same thing when he used it to help him solve the Booby Trap scenario. Not to mention LaForge already knew Barclay's abilities. And his word would have a lot more sway than Troi's in a technical environment. It's sad to think that after all that he wasn't close with him. It would have been awesome to have Barclay convince Geordi to go rogue with him on the holodeck in order to test the theory.
Troi looks so great in that ep though. After disliking her for 7 seasons of TNG FC and VOY were a revelation.
To me I'm a fan of the giant hair in the early seasons, even if it's a wig. The bigger the better. It did bother me that she didn't eat the ice cream. I guess they put really far away so that the cat would jump at it.
If only there were some kind of... virtual reality simulation machine with AIs that could serve as instructors for, say, learning to carry on dinner date conversations. Some kind of... deck of a ship or building where this learning could occur. Barclay is a great character and all, but his persistent social cluelessness strains credulity. And teacake, I agree that the figure-watching line was unfortunate, and that Sirtis was stunning in that phase.
From TNG's "The Price" TROI: and computer, I'd like a real chocolate sundae. COMPUTER : Define "real" in context, please. TROI: Real... not one of your perfectly synthesized, ingeniously enhanced imitations... real chocolate ice ream, real whipped cream... COMPUTER: This unit is programmed to provide sources of nutritional value. Your request does not fall within current guidelines. And how did that holodeck thing work out for Baracly? Not that well, sure you can go on a virtual date on a holodeck but would the program be programed to give what the usr wants ie. the perfect date? It can take time for socially awkward people to be come comfortable with someone. But that doesn't mean they've over come their awkwardness just that they have overcome it with that person(s). For a new person the whole process of becomming comfortable around someone might begin again.
I must admit that I hate season 6. There is something in it which ruins the whole season. I must also admit that I was never that fond of seeing TNG holograms jumping on and off Voyager in the later seasons. Voyager was supposed to be "lost in space". However, I do like TNG and I do like Barclay who is a good character. In fact, "Projections" is one of my top 10 Voyager favorites. Most for the strange scenario. I must admit that I wasn't sure that the episode was over before I saw the end credits. I also like it because of the great interaction between The Doctor and Barclay.
"Computer, make me a room full of conversation partners. Lock out the controls from any future modification by me. Also make me a speech professor, a therapist, a group of 4-5 friends, five wives rotating on a four shift rotation, and unlimited ice cream. Also lock door controls from anyone but me."
I third that! I was very shy and awkward, even into adulthood. I could see a lot of myself in Barclay (minus the holedeck). One of the things that turned me off of TNG during my first go-round was how the crew treated him. And Riker, being a senior officer, was not setting a very good example in taking part in the name-calling ("Broccoli") . I felt so bad for him! I'm not a fan of "cross overs", but it was so awesome for me to see him on Voyager in the Pathfinder episodes, playing the "hero".