The Doctor

[Gojira]

I love the show and the Doctor is one of my favorite characters. However, I always thought that the premise of him being a sophisticated hologram was a little too far fetched. Anyone else feel this way? Sure I got used to it but there were moments when I would just roll my eyes.

 

[Captrek]

I had a thought about the EMH. We know that the holodeck is capable of simultaneously managing multiple holocharacters that behave intelligently. Also, the EMH is designed for use in emergency situations in which there isn’t enough medical personnel. So it seems to me that they have both the technology and very compelling reason to give the EMH capabilities like the X-Men character Multiple Man.

BTW, I don’t like how he is referred to as The Doctor with a capital T and capital D. A big deal is made in the series about how he doesn’t have a name, so The Doctor isn’t his name and shouldn’t be capitalized. He is just the doctor.

 

[Willieck]

I love the show and the Doctor is one of my favourite characters. However, I always thought that the premise of him being a sophisticated hologram was a little too far fetched. Anyone else feel this way? Sure I got used to it but there were moments when I would just roll my eyes.

This is Star Trek. "Far Fetched" goes with the territory. .

 

[BlobVanDam]

At the beginning he wasn't too much more developed than any other holodeck character, but he developed FAR too quickly, and I really feel they lost an opportunity to develop the character more slowly, much like they did with Data. It sort of detracted from the achievement of him going from average hologram to a full sentient being.
But The Doctor is just so awesome that it didn't bother me. He was about the only thing saving those early seasons anyway.

 

[GalaxyX]

The character is enjoyable, but you have to have TONS of suspension of disbelief.

I think they were trying to go for a more sophisticated Data, but Data was self contained. The doctor was just a software running on the Voyager hardware, and later on running on the Mobile Emitter.

Data was somewhat more believable also because he wasn't fully humanized, at least in the series. He always lacked emotions, and kept a degree of innocence. The doctor practically became human by the 2nd season, even teaching Seven how to be human 4th season on.

 

[BlobVanDam]

The character is enjoyable, but you have to have TONS of suspension of disbelief.

I think they were trying to go for a more sophisticated Data, but Data was self contained. The doctor was just a software running on the Voyager hardware, and later on running on the Mobile Emitter.

Data was somewhat more believable also because he wasn't fully humanized, at least in the series. He always lacked emotions, and kept a degree of innocence. The doctor practically became human by the 2nd season, even teaching Seven how to be human 4th season on.

The problem is that Data felt like a plausible android with plausible development, whereas holodeck characters have always been too (un)believably human. The Doctor started out at an established level of intelligence for a hologram, but they skipped over the character stuff pretty quickly. They had a few episodes where Kes helped him develop his bedside manner, but ironically within a few episodes he was the most charismatic and interesting character on board.
They had some good character episodes later on where he dealt with issues such as being compromised by personal feelings, and falling in love, but it was too little, too late for his development. (although they were still all among my favourite episodes)

 

[GalaxyX]

^^^ I take it for what it is. I never really believe the doctor is a holographic character though. He's pretty much Robert Picardo to me the whole series.

 

[Lord Manitou]

Suppose alot of people would want to stay away from this topic. Aren't all medical doctors sophisticated?
This is probably headed under StarTrek as A.I. With any character who is an A.I. only a few important lines were represented.
{||}
In 'Flesh and Blood' the sophisticated A.I. had more attributes; like more cognizance and more stability and more knowledge it could deal with. They were better.
At times the doctor represents all these. His profession was his topmost priority and anything else that was not important was simply discarded.

 

[USS Excelsior]

The Doctor was more like the Moriarty hologram in terms of growing and being self-aware, along with some of those Irish holograms.

 

[Gojira]

^^^ I take it for what it is. I never really believe the doctor is a holographic character though. He's pretty much Robert Picardo to me the whole series.

Robert Picardo was so good in that role there are times he just steals the show and that is why he was one of my favorites on Voyager even though the premise was hard to swallow.

 

[sevenstars]

The character is enjoyable, but you have to have TONS of suspension of disbelief.

Yeah, that's it.

The whole issue of holodeck characters and their degree of consciousness was a little bizarre, and I felt like it got out of control in Voyager. If the doctor was pretty much human, there were plenty of recurring characters that might at least feel some anxiety/resentment at being turned off.

As for Data, I never understood how a character with no emotions manages to "wish" to be human.

 

[Shatnertage]

The character is enjoyable, but you have to have TONS of suspension of disbelief.

Yeah, that's it.

The whole issue of holodeck characters and their degree of consciousness was a little bizarre, and I felt like it got out of control in Voyager. If the doctor was pretty much human, there were plenty of recurring characters that might at least feel some anxiety/resentment at being turned off.

As for Data, I never understood how a character with no emotions manages to "wish" to be human.

My thoughts precisely. Wishing to become something that you're not is definitely an emotional response. Unless Soong was such a sadist that he included it in Data's program, just to mess with him.

Like a lot of other parts of Trek, the whole issue of the Doctor's sentience, etc, is one that I'm careful not to look to closely at, lest I spoil the fun.

 

[exodus]

I love the show and the Doctor is one of my favourite characters. However, I always thought that the premise of him being a sophisticated hologram was a little too far fetched. Anyone else feel this way? Sure I got used to it but there were moments when I would just roll my eyes.

This is Star Trek. "Far Fetched" goes with the territory. .

'Nuff said.

 

[Gojira]

I love the show and the Doctor is one of my favourite characters. However, I always thought that the premise of him being a sophisticated hologram was a little too far fetched. Anyone else feel this way? Sure I got used to it but there were moments when I would just roll my eyes.

This is Star Trek. "Far Fetched" goes with the territory. .

'Nuff said.

I agree with this too.

 

[exodus]

This is Star Trek. "Far Fetched" goes with the territory. .

'Nuff said.

I agree with this too.

If they've gotten us to believe a machine can turn a bowl of ice cream into a pair of shoes, then I'll believe the Doctor can fly if they tell me so. It's also why I don't question why the ship is in great shape week after week. If they say it's fixed, then I accept it. Too me that's what sci-fi is, too accept the unlikely as likely.

 

[Gaith]

I bought it all until the marrying-a-human-woman part. Sorry, can't go there. Ick.

 

[henbane]

'Nuff said.

I agree with this too.

If they've gotten us to believe a machine can turn a bowl of ice cream into a pair of shoes, then I'll believe the Doctor can fly if they tell me so. It's also why I don't question why the ship is in great shape week after week. If they say it's fixed, then I accept it. Too me that's what sci-fi is, too accept the unlikely as likely.

I'm with you there exodus - why spoil fiction by imposing too much reality upon it??

 

[froot]

I'm with you there exodus - why spoil fiction by imposing too much reality upon it??

Sound. In. Space.

That is all.

 

[exodus]

I'm with you there exodus - why spoil fiction by imposing too much reality upon it??

Sound. In. Space.

That is all.

Tachyon particals make all that null & void too.

 

[Gary7]

I attribute his quirky character to the persona incorporated into his programming. The "hologram" aspect is just the physical manifestation of his program. Definitely needed in order to make it easier to relate to him.

However, what really burns me is how they treat him as a physical entity that can be lost. He is a PROGRAM that is stored in MEMORY and can be COPIED at will anytime. So, those episodes where there is all this trumped up tension at the risk of losing him are rather ridiculous. "Losing" the hologram instance of the doctor would simply mean losing his memories after the last time he was saved. Simple as that. This is a basic premise to computing, one which I'd think a good percentage of the audience would recognize. So, I really wish they'd been more sensitive to that.