Star Trek: The Next Generation’scoolest invention mostly disappeared fromStar TrekmoviesafterStar Trek: First Contact. Set about 100 years afterStar Trek: The Original Series,TNGintroduced an entirely new cast of charactersand also brought several new futuristic technologies toStar Trek canon. The USS Enterprise-D of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was much larger than its predecessors and had numerous features earlier versions of the Starship Eneterprise lacked.
The most versatile and impressivenew technology introduced inStar Trek: The Next Generationwas the holodeck. With a combination of replicator, transporter, and holographic technology, the holodeck could create a virtual world that felt realistic in almost every way.Starfleet’s Galaxy-class ships like the Enterprise-D were equipped with holodecksthat could be used for training exercises, combat practice, and recreation. The holodeck also allowedTNGto explore different genres of storytelling, as the crew could visit holographic versions of historical periods and fictional worlds.
Why TNG’s Holodeck Vanished From Star Trek Movies After First Contact
Star Trek Has Done Many Holodeck Episodes, But Never A True Holodeck Film
Manyepisodes ofStar Trek: The Next Generationmade use of the holodeck, and the technology played a role in the first twoTNGfilms. InStar Trek Generations,Captain Picard and his crew celebrated Worf’s (Michael Dorn) promotion to Lt. Commander on the holodeck with a simulation of a 19th-century British Naval ship. The holodeck returned inStar Trek: First Contact,in whichCaptain Picard and Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard) escaped from the Borg in a Dixon Hill holoprogram.When Picard disabled the holodeck’s safety protocols, he was able to dispatch two Borg drones using a Tommy gun.
Star Trek’s 20 Best Holodeck Episodes
Star Trek’s holodecks entertain, fulfill fantasies, heal old wounds, train cadets, and malfunction badly, as seen in these 20 best episodes.
Although Vice Admiral Dougherty (Anthony Zerbe) had hidden a giant holoship on the Ba’ku planet inStar Trek: Insurrection,the technology itself played a relatively minor role in the film.Star Trek: Nemesisdid not use the holodeck at all,raising the question of why the films mostly dropped the technology.TNG, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,andStar Trek: Voyagerall did their fair share of holodeck stories, so perhaps producers felt that the technology had been overused. How many times can theholodeck safety protocols malfunction, after all, before people begin to question why the technology is still in use?
Holodecks Don’t Exist In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies
Although Gene Roddenberry had a concept for a holodeck-like technology duringStar Trek: The Original Series, the holodeck itself did not debut untilStar Trek: The Next Generation. As seen inTNG’spremiere, holodecks were still relatively new technology even by the mid-24th century.J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009) takes place in the 23rd century,meaning holodecks had not yet been invented. With the alterations in theStar Trektimelinecaused by Nero (Eric Bana), Abrams' Kelvin Universe has already spun off in different directions thanTrek’sPrime Universe.
InStar Trek: The Animated Seriesseason 2, episode 3, “The Practical Joker,” the Enterprise is revealed to have a holographic recreation room similar to the holodeck.
It’s unclear how the changes in the Kelvin Universe will affect the invention of the holodeck, but Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew will likely never get to experience the technology. TheJ.J. AbramsStar Trekfilmsincorporate big sci-fi action scenes and galaxy-level threats, not leaving much room for holodeck storylines even if the technology had been available. With its twenty-plus episode seasons,Star Trek: The Next Generationhad more time to show its characters spending their downtime on the holodeck, butStar Trek’sbig-screen adventures rarely have that luxury.
