star trek moriarty gif

Everything You Should Know About Star Trek's Moriarty

"Star Trek: The Next Generation" has its fair share of bad guys. While the Romulans and the Ferengi make a major mark, the series also boasts a number of singular villains who memorably cause problems for the crew of the Enterprise. Data's evil brother Lore may be the most famous, popping up in several episodes and giving Picard and his crew significant grief. But there is another individual antagonist who rarely gets the attention he deserves: the malicious Professor James Moriarty. This iconic evil-doer exists thanks to the holodeck technology the beloved series introduced to the "Star Trek" canon.

Early episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" often struggle to craft compelling stories set in the ship's virtual reality. But Moriarty makes his presence felt in two of the best holodeck stories of the series, told four years apart. A dastardly villain who wants nothing more than to escape his simulated domain and live freely in the real world, Moriarty is willing to use deadly means to make this happen, putting the lives of everyone on the Enterprise in peril.

With the surprise announcement that he'll be returning in Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard," the time is right to explore this one-of-a-kind "Star Trek" villain. From his origins to his aims, this is everything you should know about Professor James Moriarty.

Ripped from the pages of Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty debuts in the Season 2 "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Elementary, Dear Data." As you might suspect, the series doesn't simply create a new character as an homage to the iconic "Sherlock Holmes" villain: Moriarty  is that character within the confines of the Enterprise's holodeck. The holodeck can create entire worlds, populated by artificially intelligent people. Just as Picard uses it to live out the adventures of his favorite detective novel series, "Dixon Hill," the android Commander Data becomes Sherlock Holmes within its virtual borders.

In this Season 2 installment, Data heads to the holodeck for some fun with Lt. Geordi La Forge, who plays the part of Mr. Watson, the super-sleuth's companion. Like the literary Moriarty, the "Star Trek" version of the character is a deviously cunning criminal adversary who matches wits with Data's Sherlock Holmes. He's so vividly charismatic, he quickly establishes himself as one of the best on-screen versions of the classic "Sherlock Holmes" character . Moriarty initially concocts a scheme to kidnap a member of the Enterprise crew and force Data to solve the case, but soon sets out on a very different quest for physical freedom. Because, as with all things "Star Trek," this Moriarty comes with a science fiction twist.

Moriarty only exists thanks to Dr. Pulaski

While all of the pre-designed people who inhabit the holodeck programs possess a form of artificial intelligence, they are not gifted with sentience and are not truly alive. They're more like highly advanced video game NPCs, who can flexibly react to new situations and behave independently. But Moriarty does achieve sentience, which sets him apart from every other holodeck character and makes him a far more formidable opponent.

Moriarty is granted sentience by accident and happenstance. In a way, he owes his entire existence to Dr. Katherine Pulaski, the doctor who briefly replaces Beverly Crusher in Season 2. The more cynical Pulaski is a skeptic of Data's android abilities, and doesn't believe for one moment that he's capable of the creative thinking required to solve a true Holmesian mystery. After a pair of ill-conceived attempts at building a program to challenge him, Geordi La Forge realizes that the holodeck needs to create an original Holmes-style story that Data has never read to truly test his sleuthing skills. This requires a villain capable of defeating his android intellect.

The Enterprise computer follows La Forge's instructions to create an adversary who can go toe-to-toe with Data. The result is a truly 24th century supervillain: A sentient hologram of Professor Moriarty. He promptly kidnaps Dr. Pulaski, without whom he wouldn't exist.

He's one of the most dangerous villains on Star Trek: The Next Generation

In his first appearance, the holographic Moriarty is initially overwhelmed by the gift of sentience. He has little more than 19th century knowledge, but seems to be aware of the nature of his existence on the holodeck, and uses the kidnapping of Dr. Pulaski that's been programmed into him to get answers. As Picard later notes, Moriarty may not be familiar with the 24th century, but he's just as vicious in their present as he was in Arthur Conan Doyle's.

A devastating combination of computer-enhanced genius, shrewd cunning, and 24th century holographic technology makes Moriarty into a significant threat. He quickly becomes one of the most dangerous adversaries the crew of the Enterprise ever faces. He can't overpower them physically, or defeat them with more threatening weapons, but he can absolutely out-think and out-maneuver them. In fact, Professor Moriarty comes as close as anyone ever does to beating Picard and his crew on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." In "Elementary, Dear Data," he only yields when the Enterprise captain appeals to his reason, and promises to help him leave the confines of the holodeck some day.

Moriarty traps Picard in an elaborate simulated reality

After Moriarty gives up his fight in "Elementary, Dear Data," his program is shut down and stored in the computer's memory, where he doesn't experience the passage of time ... or so we initially believe. Flash-forward to Season 6 of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and Moriarty returns in the episode "Ship in a Bottle."

This episode begins with Data and Geordi La Forge indulging in yet another "Sherlock Holmes" holodeck adventure. When they notice a small computer glitch, they ask Lt. Reginald Barclay to take a look. While purging the system files, Barclay discovers Moriarty's program. Moriarty demands to speak with Captain Picard. According to the incensed Englishman, he's been waiting to emerge from the holodeck systems for nearly four years, and has been conscious the entire time. The computer has been his prison.

Picard tells him that even the Federation's most prominent scientists can't find a way to bring him into the real world. Professor Moriarty is enraged, and forces their hand. Creating an elaborate holodeck within the holodeck, Moriarty tricks Picard, Data, and Barclay into believing he's gained control of the Enterprise. By refusing to release them from a collision course with a star if they don't find a way to bring him out of the holodeck, Moriarty is able to outsmart our heroes and gain control of the real Enterprise.

Moriarty is defeated by Data

Created by an unwitting holodeck command, Professor Moriarty begins as a rival to Commander Data. Appropriately, Data shows a gift for gumshoeing, and is every bit as clever and insightful as Sherlock Holmes himself. But after Moriarty ends his first battle with the Enterprise in "Elementary, Dear Data," "Ship in a Bottle" sees him match wits with Data more directly.

Luring Picard, Data, and Barclay into his home turf on the holodeck, Moriarty deceives them with a complex program. While they believe they've exited the holodeck, they've actually stepped into a virtual recreation of the Enterprise that Moriarty created and controls. The villain begins to manipulate their reality according to his own whims. Unsurprisingly, it's Data who connects the dots and realizes what's going on. To stop him, Data and Picard create a third program: A holodeck within the holodeck within the holodeck. This fools Moriarty into believing he's found freedom outside the digital realm. 

"Ship in a Bottle" is an "Inception"-style story that delivers a series of mind-bending twists. It's all the more impressive for being the product of an era in which virtual reality stories were still new and untested.

A cosmos in the computer

When Professor Moriarty is put into the computer's memory after the events of "Elementary, Dear Data," it's intended to be a temporary solution. But when he returns in "Ship in a Bottle," he's looking for a permanent cure to his holodeck confinement. After deceiving him with a series of simulations within simulations, Data and Picard find an ingenious way of stopping Moriarty for good, while still giving him what he wants. 

Moriarty's holographic program is inserted into an isolated holodeck module. Barclay explains that this module is like a holodeck without physicality, and will run continuously within the confines of its own circuitry, providing Moriarty with his own simulated version of the real world. It has enough memory to last a lifetime.

Though he isn't able to leave the holodeck, Moriarty essentially gets his wish. He has the ability to explore the cosmos, albeit a simulated one. But, as Picard notes, reality is in the eye of the beholder. For all the crew of the Enterprise knows, their reality could be the fabricated product of a module sitting on someone's table. But while that may give Picard and his crew solace, it's unlikely that the vengeful Moriarty would be as philosophical about it if he were to discover the truth.

Moriarty is the first sentient hologram on Star Trek

When "Elementary, Dear Data" first premiered in 1988, the idea of a holographic person was a relatively new concept in mainstream science fiction. Though "Star Trek" had featured sentient computers before, including Commander Data himself, a self-aware hologram with a body and soul was pretty fresh, being only briefly hinted at in Season 1's "11001001."   Moriarty is the first hologram in "Star Trek" to be confirmed as a sentient being who is aware of the nature of his existence and is an equal of characters in the physical world.

Since that time, holographic people have become a "Star Trek" mainstay . In "Star Trek: Picard," we see Captain Rios using a contingent of holographic duplicates as the crew of his ship, La Sirena. The starship Protostar on "Star Trek: Prodigy" includes a holographic Captain Janeway. Though it's not made clear if these holograms are truly sentient, "Star Trek: Voyager" Season 7's "Flesh and Blood" introduces an entire race of self-aware holograms, while Season 4's "Revulsion" makes it clear that self-aware holograms aren't limited to the Federation. Sentient holographic lounge singer Vic Fontaine even becomes a recurring character on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine."

Moriarty creates a sentient holographic lover

Moriarty's plan in "Ship in a Bottle" revolves around his desire to escape the holodeck and find a new life in the real world. He also wants to bring his one true love, the aristocratic and adventurous Countess Regina Barthalomew, along for the ride. Whether this desire is genuine or part of his larger ruse isn't clear, but he does seem to have real affection for her. While Picard and Data wrestle with the philosophical and moral consequences of deliberately creating a new sentient hologram, Moriarty simply takes matters into his own hands and brings her to life by instructing the computer to do so.

Once she is endowed with consciousness, the Countess stands by Moriarty's plan to hold the Enterprise hostage, fully believing in her lover's cause and righteousness. Eventually, when Moriarty is led to believe he's been freed (though he is, in fact, inside a holodeck module), the Countess joins him on a trip to a distant world, where they presumably live out their holographic lives. 

A legal dispute almost halted Moriarty's return

"Star Trek" fans aren't the only ones who love this holographic version of Arthur Conan Doyle's greatest villain — he's also popular with the franchise's writers and producers. So when plans to bring Moriarty back for another episode after his debut were stymied, the crew wasn't thrilled. According to "The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion," this was the result of a squabble between the Arthur Conan Doyle estate and Paramount. But after producer Jeri Taylor took another look at the dispute, the matter was quickly settled, allowing Moriarty to return in "Ship in a Bottle."

The creative team was so entranced with Moriarty, they dreamed up a third appearance for him. René Echevarria — writer of "Ship in a Bottle" — and producers Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga initially planned to bring the villain back in Season 7. As Echevarria details in the audio commentary of the Season 7 episode "Lower Decks," this follow-up installment would have seen Moriarty discover his virtual circumstances, and look for revenge. But they ultimately felt this story couldn't trump the satisfying ending "Ship in a Bottle" provides. Thus, the episode was abandoned. 

Moriarty inspired Voyager's holographic Doctor

According to  "A Vision of the Future,"  Moriarty inspired The Doctor of "Star Trek: Voyager" fame, who serves aboard the titular ship. Development notes from series co-creator Jeri Taylor reveal that the team actually considered bringing Moriarty himself into the series, but failed to find a believable way to make this happen. However, the notion of a holographic being filling the doctor slot remained enticing. Eventually, the unnamed Doctor was born. His self-aware nature is the basis of many episodes, which explore philosophical themes regarding sentience, immateriality, and his relationship to the conventional human experience.

The biggest change The Doctor sees over the course of "Star Trek: Voyager" is the addition of his mobile emitter, which allows him to move about, unfettered by holographic projectors. What would that mean for Moriarty? It's a tantalizing notion. Now that such technology exists in the "Star Trek" universe — and has been seen once again in "Star Trek: Picard," if only briefly — we can't help but wonder if Picard is ethically obligated to free Moriarty from his holographic fantasy.

He's played by a '90s sitcom star

"Elementary, Dear Data" is part of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Season 2, a slate of episodes that sees the addition of Dr. Pulaski, the growth of Riker's beard, and what many believe to be a marked improvement in the show's quality. Moriarty's debut episode is a big highlight, what with its clever premise and sharp writing. One particularly major part of what makes the episode, and Moriarty himself, so memorable is Daniel Davis' performance as the Holmesian bad guy.

When this episode first hit the airwaves, Davis was probably best known for his stint on the daytime soap opera  "Texas." While short-lived by soap opera standards, "Texas" still garnered more than 600 episodes, over 180 of which include Davis' performance as Elliot Carrington. Audiences would get to know the actor much better in the 1990s, as he joined the main cast of popular sitcom "The Nanny," starring Fran Drescher. Here, Davis starred as Edward Niles, the wealthy Sheffield family's snooty English butler, who regularly thumbs his nose at the less refined Fran Fine, the series' titular nanny. Since "The Nanny" came to an end, Davis has made a wide range of on-screen appearances. But his turn as Moriarty remains one of his most recognizable roles.

Producers have wanted to bring Moriarty back for a long time

Given Moriarty's popularity, it stands to reason that the creators of newer "Star Trek" shows like "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Lower Decks" would be equally enamored of him. Many of these talented folks grew up on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," after all. So it should come as no surprise that his reemergence in Season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard" has apparently been something that the series' creators have been considering since the show's inception.

During a Q&A with fans on Instagram , co-creator Michael Chabon answered a number of questions regarding the series. One fan asked what single character he would like to include, if possible. Chabon's answer was simple: Professor James Moriarty. Though Chabon vacated the role of showrunner after Season 1 concluded, he remained a producer on "Star Trek: Picard" through its final two seasons. While it's unknown if it was his influence that secured a return for Holmes' arch-enemy, it's pretty clear that the people behind the series have long been hoping to bring Moriarty back.

James Moriarty

• View history

Professor James Moriarty was a fictional character from the 19th century Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle . He was an adversary to Sherlock Holmes, a man with knowledge equal to that of Holmes. Appearing in two Holmes stories, Moriarty was defeated by Sherlock Holmes at Reichenbach Falls , but only at the cost of Holmes' own life.

Katherine Pulaski read Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories in her youth and was always frightened by the despicable Moriarty. A love interest of Professor Moriarty was the Countess Regina Barthalomew . ( TNG : " Elementary, Dear Data ", " Ship In A Bottle ")

A hologram based on Moriarty was created on board the USS Enterprise -D in 2365 . The hologram grew far beyond the parameters of the Moriarty character when Geordi La Forge misspoke and requested that the computer create an adversary that could defeat Data , rather than Holmes as portrayed by Data. To do so, the computer had to program the Moriarty hologram with Data's considerable knowledge; as a side effect, the Moriarty hologram became self-aware .

In 2369 , when the holographic Moriarty appeared to gain the ability to exit the holodeck , Captain Picard warned him that the criminal behavior shown in the novels and short stories would not be acceptable in the 24th century . The holographic Moriarty assured him that he was not the same as the fictional character from the "scribblings of an Englishman dead for four centuries." ( TNG : " Ship In A Bottle ")

External links [ ]

• James Moriarty at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Professor Moriarty at Wikipedia
• James Moriarty at the Sherlock Holmes wiki
• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

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Daniel Davis Talks About His “Different” Moriarty In ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3

| October 11, 2022 | By: TrekMovie.com Staff 61 comments so far

The final moment of the new NYCCC Star Trek: Picard teaser trailer had a surprise reveal: the return of Moriarty, the holographic Sherlock Holmes adversary who plagued the USS Enterprise-D on a couple of occasions. Actor Daniel Davis has come back to the role after almost three decades, and in a new video, he reveals more about Moriarty’s return including some minor spoilers .

The return of Moriarty is “threatening”

The hologram of James Moriarty played by Daniel Davis was created in the second season  Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Elementary, Dear Data” by Geordi La Forge, who tasked the Enterprise’s computer to create an opponent that could defeat Data. The result was a hologram that became self-aware and tried to take over the ship. Davis played the character again in the sixth season’s “Ship in a Bottle,” which ended with the hologram being stored in a cube that ran a simulation so he would believe he had escaped the USS Enterprise.

Daniel Davis as Moriarty in “Elementary, Dead Data”

Now the character is returning in season 3 of Picard; showrunner Terry Matalas says  he is one of its three villains (the other two being Amanda Plummer’s Vadic and Brent Spiner’s Lore). During the NYCC panel, show star Sir Patrick Stewart was asked to talk about working with Daniel Davis again, but Matalas jumped in to try to prevent any spoilers, saying, “He can’t.” Stewart did say this: “Moriarty being back again is both entertaining and threatening.”

Moriarty brought a gun to the Picard NYCC trailer

Moriarty is different on Picard

In a new Cameo video from Tim Roy , Daniel Davis said he was happy to finally be able to talk about it but also revealed that he only appears in a single episode of Picard .

I have to say a hallelujah because my non-disclosure agreement was lifted yesterday at the New York Comic Con with the announcement that Moriarty would be returning. I’ve had to sit on this information since last December when I went to Los Angeles to film the episode. It was a fantastic experience as it always is… The work was was wonderful. It was just one day of shooting.

While his time in the season appears to be limited, Davis dropped a very interesting clue:

The one thing I think I can tell you is I think the fans will enjoy what happens more if they understand that it’s a bit of a callback to an earlier season, way before Moriarty even appeared actually—the first meeting between Riker and Data. You should remind yourselves of that.

It appears Davis is talking about the scene in the Next Generation series premiere “Encounter at Farpoint” when Riker meets Data for the first time in the holodeck, where Data was trying to master whistling. Davis also indicates that in Picard season 3, he has a scene with Jonathan Frakes’ Riker:

As Riker says in the script in the scene that we did, “This is not the Moriarity that we know from the Enterprise.” And in fact, that is true. And that’s all I can tell you. It’s a different different kind of Moriarty, but it’s still Moriarty. It’s very exciting.

Riker meets Data in “Encounter at Farpoint”

Even though Davis only shot for a day, he was impressed by the scale of the production and attention to detail. He recalled for Moriarty on TNG they used a costume rented from the famed Western Costume Company , but for Picard the production sent someone to his home in New York to measure him for a custom costume.

They had tailor-made the outfit for me and it fit like a glove. It was absolutely astonishing, including an Inverness cape . It was an amazing costume. And then of course, you are treated so wonderfully by the company.

He also recalled being able to spend some quality time with Sir Patrick Stewart.

That day when I finished my fitting, I was on my way back to the parking lot and I ran into Jonathan Frakes and he was standing outside Patrick Stewart’s trailer, and Patrick Stewart poked his head out and he had finished his work for the day and he said [in perfect Stewart voice], “Oh, Daniel, how wonderful that you’re back” and I was invited into his trailer, and we sat and had a conversation for maybe 90 minutes… Patrick and I have a similar background in the theater and we are both acquainted with Ian McKellen. Of course, they are very close friends And I stood by for Ian in Amadeus on Broadway. So we had a lot to talk about the theater and about his plans and what he’s currently involved with—and I can’t tell you about any of those things either. But we had a wonderful time together.

Daniel Davis as Moriarty in the Picard NYCC trailer

The final season of Picard premieres on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, exclusively on Paramount+  in the U.S., with new episodes of the 10-episode-long season available to stream weekly on Thursdays.  Picard  streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories, and in Canada it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Keep up with news for the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com .

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Only one episode huh?

And only one day of shooting, apparently. So he cannot even be a really big part of that episode.

Yeah, that’s disappointing. He was by far the best surprise of the trailer.

Of course, Daniel Davis has also played the captain of the USS Enterprise… CVN-65, in “The Hunt For Red October”.

That was Fred Dalton Thompson.

Thompson played the Admiral who was on board the Enterprise. Davis played the Captain of the Enterprise, Davenport.

So the Captain was the guy who didn’t care for Ryan wearing the uniform? The way the scene was set up was that Dalton was playing the Captain. I guess I do recall Ryan calling him “Admiral”.

Nothing ever dies in Star Trek anymore. Who would’ve ever thought a 30+ year old holodeck character from two episodes would’ve ever been back? Actually I think he would’ve been too perfect to bring back on Lower Decks and hey maybe they still can. ;)

Really looking forward to this!

We already know that Thadiun Okona ( The Outrageous Okona ) is returning via Prodigy , and this after Bruce Maddox ( The Measure of a Man ) returned via Picard and Ensign Sonya Gomez ( Q Who? and Samaritan Snare ) returned via Lower Decks .

It seems Secret Hideout really likes TNG Season 2. Maybe Carolyn Seymour is next?

Wow, I never really thought about that, but you’re right. There do seem to be a lot of call backs to season 2

I never thought about that either, but you’re right. And who knows, maybe Dr.Pulaski might make an appearance at some point. She is still the biggest new character from season 2 but was never seen or heard from again. And the actor is still around as well.

Moriart wasn’t dead the las time that we saw him.More or Less,Trapped In A Cube,for lack of a better term. But living his life, with the Contessa.

I wasn’t talking literally, just in general that characters never disappear and always extended in some part of the franchise in various media; many for decades on end. And yes even when a character dies…they still come back! ;D

Do I have to check my eyes or did he mention Data?!?!?! 😁😁😁 So I hope my biggest hope will come true and Data indeed will return too!!!

Damn, you’d figure that after dismantling Lore for the last time, they would have fed him into a shredder. Apparently not. So, some 25th century picker bought a surplus Federation storage locker at auction, and got a big payday with a disassembled android.

Lore never visited Talos IV, so they can’t legally execute him.

“good one!”

Yeah, that one’s a Keeper.

They can turn him off. And it would be a good idea to completely disassemble him after that and store him in different parts of the galaxy. He’s not “executed” as he could be put back together and turned on.

Would it be killing him if they destroyed everything but the head?

Is Data’s mother still alive? I mean the character, not the actress; Fionnula Flanagan is still alive.

But Flanagan looks almost the same as she did in Inheritance. . Amazing. One of those actors who just always looked older than they really were I guess (see also Wilford Brimley and Ellen Corby.)

All I can imagine now is season three opening with the 25th century version of Storage Wars!

I was beyond excited seeing him in the trailer, but with him being in just one episode I think I would have preferred to see the reveal in the episode itself.

I think in one of the interviews with Terry, this is what he was hinting at – he had to get permission to include a callback only a few would remember.

Little disappointed it this sounds this is just a cameo. I’d have been stoked it he’d been the season’s big bad somehow.

I’m getting the feeling there are going to be a ton of cameo’s this season.

And so begins the drip feeding of “trust me it will be special” from the cast

I had hoped for Nicky the Nose, but he’ll do.

I’m absolutely thrilled Moriarty will be back. It was honestly a huge surprise for me when I saw the trailer. But it seems odd to make his reveal at the end such a big thing when he’ll be there for what is most likely just one scene (Daniel did 1 day of filming which will hardly be more than the 1 scene he mentioned). I think I would’ve preferred to have gotten his reveal in the actual episode, making his small part feel more impactful.

I’m not so sure it will be just one scene. I mean a tailor made custom suit for one scene?!

I agree with you, but I also am reminded that Discovery spent a ton of time and money on the Klingon torchbearer suit for about 10 seconds of screentime. So wouldn’t put it past them to throw money at the production (though I hope the powers that be have learned some things about what not to do in a star Trek production).

Oh. Huh… Did not know that. Well I hope he is in more than one seen. Moriarty is the thing that got me the most excited about this season.

I’m making a prediction now: Moriarty is just one of several callbacks we’re going to get. This is going to be a “Commander Data, this is your life” kind of thing, with Lore, Moriarty, and other villains returning for minor roles.

What exactly do you mean with “Commander Data, this is your life”? ☺️

It’s a reference to an old TV show, This Is Your Life, in which people would be presented with folks from their past.

Interesting theory, But why would they even be doing that unless Data has some connection to the big bad of the season?

Someone in the Youtube comments on the teaser trailer had some interesting conjecture. Moriarty was created as the one person who could defeat Data. What if he is “summoned” by our TNG crew to defeat Lore? (again, not my theory – but thought it was interesting.)

Makes as much sense as anything else

That’s actually a really interesting theory.

I’ve been wondering this myself. I think Moriarty won’t be a villain this season, first because he’s just in one ep, and second because it makes sense they’d look thru their historical “AI” as it were to try to figure out how to escape whatever bad situation they’re in, and Moriarty is or will be one of them.

Well, that was informative. (Sarcasm)

Better news but it’s still awful he was even involved at all. There is no way to incorporate Moriarity into Trek in a workable way unless they wanted to make the Doyle characters real in the Trek world and time travel was involved. And that is pretty over the top even for Trek.

You realize that he is a character that has already appeared twice in TNG. What is unworkable about him?

They brought him in and used him in ways that didn’t work at all. It’s not unusual. There were a number of episodes that just didn’t work. How in this case? It makes no sense that a hologram would have the ability to take over the ship from the holodeck. At all. If that was so anyone could. Seems like an incredible security flaw. What’s stopping people from saying “create the Enterprise’ auxiliary control that actually works. Boom. You now have total control of the ship. Sorry but that’s insane.

I am assuming you don’t watch the classic series such as TNG? Several episodes show the TNG charecters were fans of classic literature. Picard likes Shakespeare while Geordi and Data liked Sherlock Holmes stories and reenacted them in the holodeck.

This version of Moriarty was created in the holodeck by accident when they tried to create an opponent that could defeat Data. He is a sentient hologram, and he already appeared in two episodes of TNG.

There is only one “classic” series. And it’s not TNG. Referencing classic literature is a long way away from a holodeck created character magically has the ability to take over the ship from the holodeck. Doesn’t matter he is sentient or not. And the character doesn’t need to be sentient to defeat Data. All that character needs is all information about Data and they would know about his “off” switch. It’s actually amazingly easy to defeat Data.

Thanks, this is literally the dumbest thing I’ve read this week.

I was under the impression that this person based on the volume of comments knows something about Trek? if they are joking, it did not translate to text

The comment demonstrates I do know something of Trek. But I guess the only thing I am ignoring is the ability for writers to insert things in that make no sense for their stories to work. Which is obviously what went on in the Moriarity episodes. To a much higher degree than usual.

But you didn’t explain why. Which seems even dumber in and of itself.

One episode. That’s a let down.

Hey, lets not forget that Hugh was only in ONE episode and he was in a good chunk of season 1. They should bring back Worfs holo battle partner to de-pacify him;)

Three – “I, Borg”, then “Descent” parts 1 & 2.

It’s not a great sign that the writers had to rely on a Holodeck trick for the plot.

I don’t know, I thought the Dixon Hill trick in First Contact was fun. Could be something along those lines.

This is an odd one, it seems like with only 1-day of shooting in one episode, he has a very minor roll to play and it would have been best to leave this as nice little surprise for when the episode airs. Appearing in the trailer is likely going to set expectations a little too high.

I was the same. But then again, I’m glad he told us now he’ll only be in 1 episode so expectations are already lowered.

I’d love it if they brought back Vic Fontaine, too! There was always a lot more to that character than met the eye.

I can’t believe no one has suggested this, but with all the hints about both, I think Moriarty downloads and takes over Lore’s body. Thoughts?

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

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James Moriarty

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History [ ]

The hologram was created in 2365 when USS Enterprise -D Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge accidentally made the character smart enough to defeat Lieutenant Commander Data , not Sherlock Holmes. Moriarty managed to learn his true nature and held Doctor Katherine Pulaski hostage, despite being quite personable. Captain Jean-Luc Picard made a deal with Moriarty, allowing the hologram to go into storage until such a time as Starfleet engineers could study the hologram and one day release him from the confines of the holodeck and ship's memory. ( TNG episode : " Elementary, Dear Data ")

In 2369 , Moriarty was accidentally released from storage by Lieutenant Reginald Barclay . He was incensed that no work had been done (per Picard's promise) and played mind games with the Enterprise crew. The crew managed to trick Moriarty into believing that they had found a way to let him leave the holodeck with his romantic interest, Countess Regina Bartholomew . All the while, Moriarty and the countess resided in a constantly running holographic simulation of the universe, outside the ship's memory. ( TNG episode : " Ship in a Bottle ")

In 2393 , the Soong Foundation learned of Moriarty's existence. The foundation sued to take custody of the holographic program while Starfleet attorneys argued the security issues of doing so. Alyssa Cogley-Shaw compared Starfleet to the Obsidian Order as it was "imprisonment without a trial." ( ST website  : The Path to 2409 )

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], external links [ ].

• Professor Moriarty article at Wikipedia , the free encyclopedia.
• James Moriarty article at Baker Street Wiki
• James Moriarty article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• James Moriarty article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
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• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

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Published Apr 3, 2023

WARP FIVE: Daniel Davis on the Return of the Dastardly James Moriarty

The legacy actor weighs in on his role as the adversarial hologram over three decades later.

SPOILER WARNING: Discussion for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 6 "The Bounty" to follow!

StarTrek.com

Welcome to Warp Five, StarTrek.com's five question post-mortem with your favorite featured talent from the latest Star Trek episodes.

On the list of memorable foes Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise -D crew took on, Professor James Moriarty instantly comes to mind for most fans. Despite only appearing in two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (“ Elementary, Dear Data ” and “ Ship in A Bottle ”), the fully fleshed out hologram feels as if he’s been present for far longer.

StarTrek.com had the opportunity to talk to actor Daniel Davis about the iconic Sherlock Holmes foe, his relationships with the Star Trek family, returning to Moriarty over 30 years later in Star Trek: Picard .

On the Star Trek Family

For most Star Trek guest stars, they always recall being greeted with welcoming arms by the cast of any series, and the experience was no different for Daniel Davis.

“It’s a big of a cliché to say that the cast is like a family but they are, and I am part of that family now and it’s wonderful,” shares Davis. “They’ve included me at Star Trek conventions. On the last night, they typically go out for a big dinner with each other, and they’ve invited me along for the last several times that I’ve seen them. I really do feel close to them, and it was wonderful to just walk back into that world because they have a lot of fun. They’re very serious about the work and they enjoy each other still to this day, and that’s rare and wonderful to be a part of.”

On Reprising His Holographic Yet Sentient Role

Moriarty first appeared in the second season episode “ Elementary, Dear Data ,” as part of the Enterprise -D’s holodeck programs based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective novels. However, Data has memorized all of the Sherlock Holmes novels and their cases, solves all the mysteries without going through the holo-simulation. At the suggestion of Dr. Pulaski and Geordi La Forge, on finding a program that’s challenging for an individual like Data, they have the ship’s computer develop a new Sherlock Holmes -inspired story. Unfortunately, for the ship’s crew, when Geordi set the parameters, he asked for a “Holmes-type mystery with an opponent capable of defeating Data ,” resulting in a sentient holographic Moriarty who is aware that Data and Geordi are not Holmes and Watson, respectively, possesses thoughts he cannot comprehend, and can control the ship’s computer. His demand is clear; Moriarty wants to exist outside of the holodeck.

Star Trek: Picard ’s “ The Bounty ” marks Davis’ third appearance as Professor James Moriarty. On his return as the Holmesian foe, Davis remarks, “Getting back into the character was a little strange because it wasn't really Moriarty from The Next Generation.”

“There was something slightly askew about it,” explains Davis. “I was never sent the entire script; I only had the pages that I was on because they're very protective about material getting out. And I couldn't make heads or tails of it. And even Jonathan [Frakes’] character says, ‘This is not the Moriarty we knew on Enterprise .’ And I thought, ‘That's right, and who am I?’”

On Star Trek: Picard ’s Iteration of Moriarty

Davis only had the opportunity to view the episode in its entirety before his press interviews where it suddenly all clicked into place for him.

“It wasn’t until I saw the episode myself that I realized that I was a figment of whatever powers Data had left to guide Worf and Riker into where Data was so they could find him,” Davis elaborates. “It was really the perfect choice of character to be recognizable to Riker. You put in the black bird, you put in the tune, and you put in Moriarty. Then somewhere in Riker's mind, he goes, ‘Ah, Data's around. Data's here somewhere.’ That's when I figured out, ‘Oh, that's what I was doing.’ I didn't know what I was doing until I saw it. I'm curious to see how the fans are going to react to it. I really am.”

With Davis portraying a version of Moriarty from Data’s mind, how did he approach the role? He first revisited the Moriarty he knew from The Next Generation .

“It was interesting because again, it’s that thing that actors do,” states Davis. “They just work off the material and off the writing and off what they’re getting and receiving from other people in the scene. To hear LeVar’s character, Geordi, program Moriarty to be smarter than or as smart as Data, suddenly Moriarty appears with more understanding of his situation than any holodeck character prior to that. The fact that he realizes that he is a sentient being, but he can’t leave the holodeck.”

“To get back into the character, I just put the clothes back on and realized, ‘Oh, I’m back to where I was 30 years ago,’” Davis continues, “The only thing that was different was that I had grey hair now. I kept my hat on, so they didn’t see it that much. It wasn't really a challenge to go back into the character; it was just a challenge to know which aspect of the character I was getting back into. But Moriarty wears a lot of hats in Sherlock Holmes , so it made sense. It made sense finally.”

On Davis’ Experience with Star Trek Fans

Fans first caught a glimpse of Davis’ Star Trek: Picard inclusion in footage revealed at last year’s New York Comic Con. To say that fans went wild would be an understatement as Moriarty has been a fan-favorite adversary, not just in The Next Generation , but in the Star Trek pantheon.

What has Davis’ experience been with the Star Trek fandom?

“I have loved going to the conventions so much because when I'm working in the theater, I know immediately how things are playing, how it's being received and how the audience is reacting,” details Davis. “And on television, you don't know that until somebody comes up to you and says something.”

“There’s been so many [fan interactions], but I think one of the most touching ones was a young man in a convention in Australia,” adds Davis. “I was sitting at the table signing my picture and all that, and he was standing off to the corner and he was dressed in a beautiful suit and a tie, not the usual fan. I was there not only as Star Trek , but also The Nanny . And this is so touching, it almost moves me to tell the story. But he stood and he wouldn't approach, and finally, at the table, the line had diminished and there was nobody there. I kept seeing him and I just finally said, ‘Come on over.’ And he very shyly came over and I said, ‘Would you like a picture?’ He said, ‘I can't really afford a picture. I just wanted to tell you that I was bullied all through school, and every day I would come home, and I would watch The Nanny and I would forget about being bullied.’”

“It was so beautiful and very sweet,” Davis continues, “He said, ‘You just gave me so much laughter and joy. I love Moriarty, I love Niles, and I love everything you do.’ So of course, I gave him a picture. I said, ‘You're not going to have to buy it. Don't be silly.’ Those kinds of encounters- I had one couple show up in Las Vegas, and they had taken a photo of me and blown it up to- It was as big as a wall. And they said, ‘Could you please sign this?’ And I said, "Yeah, of course. Where will you put this?’ And they have a barn, and they hang all these pictures from the rafters in the barn. And they had me and they had Patrick [Stewart]. They had tons of people that they love from the show, and we're all now hanging in their barn.”

On Designing His Own Holosuite Program

Where would the legacy actor go if he could design his own holosuite program?

Davis ponders before stating, “In my simulation, I would want to create something where I was in Italy. I love being in Italy, and that I would be making a movie with Franco Zeffirelli where I’m dressed and looked like Marcello Mastroianni.”

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INTERVIEW: Daniel Davis on STAR TREK: PICARD’s Hologram Moriarty

Computer: safety protocols on!

RED ALERT ! This interview contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard season 3  episode 6, “The Bounty.” Written by Christopher Monfette and directed by Dan Liu , “The Bounty” is currently available for streaming on Paramount+. 

Daniel Davis first played the role of Hologram Professor James Moriarty in the  Star Trek: The Next Generation  season 2 episode “Elementary, Dear Data.” He later reprised the role in  TNG season 6’s “Ship in a Bottle.” In spite of appearing in only two episodes, the character cast a long shadow over the franchise. And now, Davis has returned to the Franchise in  Picard season 3’s “The Bounty.”

The Beat got the chance to chat with Davis over Zoom and find out all about returning to  Trek after thirty years, to ask about memorable convention experiences, and to find out where he thinks our favorite sentient hologram might possibly appear next!

This interview has been edited for clarity and length .  Cover image:  Picard season 3 teaser trailer .

AVERY KAPLAN: How did you come to be involved in Picard season 3?

DANIEL DAVIS: Back in November 2021, my agent called and said, “We’ve heard from Star Trek .” And I said, “Yes.” And he said, “Don’t you want to know what it is?” I said, “It doesn’t matter. Yes, whatever it is.”  

I guess they had been thinking about involving Moriarty in the episode, but they had begun to write and they thought, “Well before we write this, we better find out if we can get him to come back.” Yeah, twist my arm. Of course, you can get me! So once I said yes, they worked on the script.

But they kept the script from me; I never saw it. They keep things under close guard because things have a way of getting out. Which makes them very unhappy.

So all I got were my pages that I was going to be shooting. And I could not make heads or tails of it. I said, “This is not Moriarty, at least, not how I remember him.” Because the menacing and the danger had passed, I thought, with “Ship in a Bottle.” That we were over that aspect of him – and had gotten over it a long time before that, really.  

But I didn’t know who I was in “The Bounty.” And even, in Riker ( Jonathan Frakes )’s words: this is not the self-aware Moriarty that we knew on the Enterprise . So I was confused, and there wasn’t really anyone around to answer my questions, so, I did what actors do: I just said the words.

And then when I got the request from CBS to start doing these interviews, I said, “I can’t talk about it because I haven’t seen it, and I really don’t know how I fitted in or what the episode was about.” So they sent me a screener, and I watched the episode yesterday and today, and I thought, “Oh, okay. When you have the callback to Data ( Brent Spiner ) and Riker’s first meeting; and you have the crow; and you have Moriarty, who is a strong association with Data; and you have the tune, which is a strong association for Riker… Then Riker’s going, ‘Ah, snap finger: Data’s around here somewhere.’”  

And then, the scene that I didn’t read, but I saw finally, was Riker saying, “He wasn’t trying to hurt us, he was trying to guide us.” And I thought, “Ah! That’s why I was there.” But I was in the dark until that moment, so that was kind of strange.

But you do what actors do: you just sort of say the words and hope that it all works together when they cut it – and it did! So I think I’m supposed to be some version of Data – in whatever function his android brain still has – to lead them to him. And that’s why he wasn’t exactly the Moriarty that we know.

KAPLAN: Would you consider the Picard incarnation of Moriarty to be a manifestation of Data’s subconscious mind?

DAVIS: It’s possible… It could be a version of Data. I mean, he’s the most schizophrenic android in the history of androids, with so many personalities. So it’s either Data, or Lore, or Soong, or, you know, another manifestation. Because when Data does achieve consciousness in the episode. They haven’t integrated yet. So it’s very possible that Moriarty is a manifestation of some aspect of Data’s personality…

The interesting thing, though, is it was Geordi La Forge ( LeVar Burton ) that programmed Moriarty to be as brilliant as Data. I guess that Data, Geordi and Moriarty are sort of entwined in the psyche of each of them.

The only trouble was I didn’t get to see Geordi, even though he was in the episode, and I didn’t get to have a scene with Patrick Stewart . And so it wasn’t really what I was being called back to do, because I had a fantasy in my mind that I was being called back to resolve the broken promise that Picard made to me about getting me off the holodeck. But, it didn’t turn out to be that. So I’m still on that holodeck, somewhere! Floating around with Countess Bartholomew ( Stephanie Beacham ).  

KAPLAN: Does your personal interest in the Sherlock Holmes canon extend beyond this role?

DAVIS: Well, I read the books, back when I was younger. In high school, I think, I read all the short stories and books. And I was in a play, at my home theater of American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) in San Francisco, of The Crucifer of Blood , in which I played Doctor Watson opposite Peter Donat as Sherlock Holmes – and Moriarty was not a figure in that play.

I think that’s what’s exciting for the fans. You have Sherlock Holmes and you have Star Trek : you have two of the great mythologies of our culture combined into two, now three episodes. It’s pretty exciting.

KAPLAN: Is the role of Hologram Moriarty one that you find has often been close at mind, or was appearing in Picard a return to the past for you?

DAVIS: Well, it was both. It was a return to the past because it is thirty years since we did “Ship in a Bottle.” It’s also the thirtieth anniversary of The Nanny beginning, so I’ve got all these anniversaries in my head.

But it was something that I have hoped for. A return to Moriarty has been a hope of mine. When Picard first started, I mean, it was the first thing I thought of: will they bring me back? So it’s a very nostalgic period in my life. I never would have expected that it would last as long as it has. But, what was I thinking? Of course, it’s going to last, with the fans keeping it alive.

And I’ve been to conventions, and I get Cameo requests to be Moriarty. So it’s very much alive. It doesn’t go away. It’s part of me now.

KAPLAN: Do you have any memorable experiences from conventions?

DAVIS: Oh, I’ve had so many wonderful encounters with people. I’ve met people that I’m still in contact with. A few years ago, I was going to do a play in New York where I had to have a Scottish accent. And a man came up to the table with his wife, and he was clearly Scottish. And I said, “Would you mind if go off in a little room and record our conversation together?” I happened to have the script, and I said, “Could you read these lines to me?” He actually ended up being my inspiration for my accent when I did the play.

And once I had a couple show up. They unrolled a canvas poster, and on both sides were photographs of me as Moriarty. And it was as tall as a wall. I mean, it rolled out for, like, nine feet. And they wanted me to sign it. And of course, I did, and then I said, “But where do you put this?” And they showed me a picture of a barn that they have, and all of us hanging from the rafters in this barn. All these giant, nine-foot-long posters of all the characters that they could get to pose for them.  

And I have now met people from the four corners of the Earth. I have Australian fans, I have Chinese fans, a lot of people in Europe, and a lot of Italian fans. So it’s put me in contact with the world at large. Between this and Niles, I don’t know that there’s anywhere that I could go that I wouldn’t be recognized. “Oh, you’re Moriarty.” “Are you Niles?” I get it all the time. And it’s wonderful! I don’t mind it in the least.

KAPLAN: Like many other Star Trek actors, you have stage experience, specifically with Shakespeare. I’m curious if you have a favorite Shakespearian role you’ve performed?

DAVIS: I have been so lucky in my career. I was classically trained when I was young, and the theater was all I was ever interested in being a part of. The movies were something up there, that I didn’t understand how they do that. And television– when I was a kid, and trying to be an actor in the theater, people in the theater didn’t do television; people in the theater didn’t do movies; movie stars didn’t do plays. There were walls up between all the aspects of our profession. And they came down a few years ago.

But I have been in so many productions of Shakespeare – more than thirty. And I’ve been in Hamlet six times and played him four times. I played Macbeth; I played Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing ; I played King Lear a few years ago. I wanted to play King Lear while I could still pick up Cordelia at the end of the play.

And so I don’t have a bucket list any more of Shakespearian roles. I’ve done all the ones that I wanted to do. When I think of all of them, Hamlet is probably my favorite, because I played it at four different stages of my life. So that each time I played it, I brought the last five years of experience and knowledge with me into interpreting the role.  

And god bless him, Ian McKellen just did Hamlet . He’s eighty-something years old and he just did Hamlet again in London. So I thought, “If Ian can do it, I can do it. I’m gonna stick around and do it when I’m 82 and see how it goes.” But when you’re old enough to play these parts, when you’ve had enough life experience to play these complicated parts, you’re too old to do them. So, grab it while you can!

KAPLAN: In addition to live-action onscreen performances, you have also performed in several animated shows. Would you consider returning as an animated version of Hologram Moriarty?

DAVIS: I actually had a conversation about this with Kate Mulgrew ( Vice Admiral Janeway ) about a month ago. We had dinner together in New York, and I said, “Why couldn’t I?” I mean, as one of the producers on Picard said: “Moriarty can pop up anywhere.” So yes, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I think that Janeway and Moriarty is a marriage made in animated heaven, so, we’ll see!

New episodes of Picard are available for streaming on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

Read all of The Beat’s  Star Trek coverage by clicking here !

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Well done for spoiling the surprise for those in parts of the world where this episode in unaired.

I agree with the previous poster: “Moriarty” should have been kept out of the article title.

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Ship in a Bottle

• Episode aired Jan 23, 1993

Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable. Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable. Lt. Barclay mistakenly awakes Moriarty in the forgotten holodeck program, who then makes his demands clear and unforgettable.

• Alexander Singer
• Gene Roddenberry
• René Echevarria
• Brannon Braga
• Patrick Stewart
• Jonathan Frakes
• LeVar Burton
• 24 User reviews
• 7 Critic reviews

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard

• Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

• Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge

• Lieutenant Worf

• Doctor Beverly Crusher

• Counselor Deanna Troi

• Lieutenant Commander Data

• Countess Barthalomew

• Enterprise Computer
• Crewman Garvey
• (uncredited)

• Command Division Officer
• Science Division Officer

• Ensign Russell
• Command Division Lieutenant

• Operations Division Ensign
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Ship in a Bottle has one of the longest pre-credits sequence of any TNG episode, clocking in at just over six and a half minutes.
• Goofs When Picard warns Moriarty about criminal activity, Moriarty blames his creator by saying his crimes were "the scribblings of an Englishman dead now for four centuries." Arthur Conan Doyle was Scottish, not English.

[last lines]

Barclay : As far as Moriarty and the Countess know, they're halfway to Meles II by now. This enhancement module contains enough active memory to provide them with experiences for a lifetime

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : They will live their lives and never know any difference.

Counselor Deanna Troi : In a sense, you did give Moriarty what he wanted.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard : In a sense. But who knows? Our reality may be very much like theirs, and all this might just be an elaborate simulation, running inside a little device sitting on someone's table.

[everyone walks off, except Barclay]

Barclay : [tentatively] Computer, end program.

• Crazy credits The episode ends just as Barclay gives the command for the computer to end the holodeck program.
• Connections Edited from TrekCulture: 10 Greatest Final Lines In Star Trek Episodes (2022)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: The Next Generation Main Title Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User reviews 24

• neonblade-2
• Oct 17, 2019
• January 23, 1993 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 45 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Picard Season 3 Brings Back One Of The Next Generation's Silliest Villains

This post contains  spoilers for episode 6, season 3 of "Star Trek: Picard."

On the sixth episode of the third season of "Star Trek: Picard" — called "The Bounty" — Worf (Michael Dorn), Raffi (Michelle Hurd), and Capt. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) break into a space-bound, top-secret Federation storage warehouse called Daystrom station. On board, the characters find a lot of shadowy corridors lined with lockers containing strange "Star Trek"-related artifacts. In one locker, Worf discovers a living tribble, only this one is equipped with fangs and a sucker mouth. In another, Raffi finds the remains of Capt. Kirk, presumably retrieved from under a pile of rocks on Veridian III. The references rest on the border of cute and insufferable, and the episode as a whole leans far too hard into nostalgic temptation. 

Case in point: Daystrom station is equipped with an artificially intelligent security system that recognizes Riker and Worf and immediately initiates a holographic security countermeasure. Ignoring for a moment that a mere storage warehouse is equipped with sophisticated holo-emitters, Riker, Worf, and Raffi find themselves facing off against none other than Moriarty (Daniel Davis), the nemesis of Sherlock Holmes as he appeared in Arthur Conan Doyle's 1893 short story, "The Final Problem." Raffi is baffled that a holographic villain from the 19th century is guarding a Federation black site in the 25th, especially when only armed with an old-fashioned pistol.

Moriarty's presence on "Picard" is a little perplexing, but it was perhaps no more perplexing than his two previous appearances on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" where Moriarty, as a hologram, achieved consciousness and attempted to take over the Enterprise.

Ship in a bottle

Moriarty, as played by Daniel Davis, first appeared in the episode "Elementary, Dear Data" (December 5, 1988). In that episode, Data (Brent Spiner)  had become too good at solving Sherlock Holmes mysteries on the holodeck, making the deduction and investigation parts of the stories — the fun parts — unnecessary. Geordi (LeVar Burton), bored in his role as Dr. Watson, suggested to Data that he needed to be challenged by a mystery, and asked the holodeck to create a character that would actually be capable of besting Data. Note that Geordi said "Data" and not "Sherlock Holmes." The holodeck, using heretofore unknown powers, created a Prof. Moriarty that is self-aware. Moriarty knows he is a citizen of 19th-century England but also finds himself able to access the Enterprise's computers, slowly becoming aware that he is a mere character in a high-tech simulation. He will eventually try to gain control of the ship. 

It will take a great deal of negotiation from Picard to convince him to stop his shenanigans. Moriarty is stored in the ship's memory to be dealt with at a later time. He will be restored accidentally in the episode "Ship in a Bottle" (January 24, 1993) where he will announce he was aware of the passage of time, even when stored in a memory bank. Once again, he will attempt to take over the Enterprise. At the end of the episode, Moriarty is duped into a simulation, and he is placed into a computerized cube that will provide him and his beloved wife with a lifetime of adventures. 

How is Moriarty here?

One can see why "Star Trek" writers are drawn to Moriarty. Like the denizens of the Enterprise, he is an intellectual. And like all life forms on "Star Trek," he demands respect and autonomy; when Picard is confronted with a new life form, he initially balks, unsure how to deal with the fact that his ship spontaneously created an adult human being. Moriarty is a character from classic Western literature, a canon that Trek is fairly obsessed with. Additionally, visiting Doyle's England provides "The Next Generation" with some much-needed visual variety; one can only look at grey-and-lavender hallways for so long before aching for dark earth tones. 

As a villain, though, Moriarty does possess a palpable fatuity. While the dramatic explanation for the character is laid out in detail, his actual presence on "Star Trek" feels a little like, say, Mr. Peabody and Sherman visiting Cleopatra. Author Loren D. Estleman once wrote a novel called "Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula."  "Moriarty vs. Picard" tilts away from "essay on the nature of consciousness" pretty quickly, and falls headlong into the realm of Estleman-like fan fiction.

Moriarty's presence on "Picard" is, quite disappointingly, presented bluntly and without reason, making the character only that much more absurd. As a security device, Moriarty fires bullets at Worf, Raffi, and Riker, while also psychically playing noisy, isolated musical chords through the station's sound system. Riker eventually intuits that the notes being played are from "Pop Goes the Weasel," a tune he once whistled for Data in the "Next Generation" pilot episode. 

Riker also realizes this version of Moriarty is not the same one as before, and is actually a manifestation of Data's consciousness (!). Data is alive and nearby (!!).

It's an unfortunately silly twist that doesn't do anything to allay the character's inherent silliness. 

Screen Rant

The real professor moriarty is still a star trek: picard unanswered question.

A projection of the holographic Holmes villain appeared in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but what happened to the real Professor Moriarty?

• The real whereabouts of Professor Moriarty from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' remain unknown.
• Moriarty's projection in 'Star Trek: Picard' battled Captain Riker and crew in an intense scene.
• Future return of the real Professor Moriarty in the Star Trek universe is always a possibility.

Daniel Davis briefly returned as Professor James Moriarty in Star Trek: Picard season 3, but he was only a projection from the mind of Data (Brent Spiner). Moriarty was first created by accident in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 3, "Elementary, Dear Data," when Data and his best friend Lt. Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) were acting out a Sherlock Holmes mystery on the holodeck. When Geordi asked the computer of the USS Enterprise-D to create an adversary capable of defeating Data, the holographic Holmes villain, Moriarty, became self-aware in order to combat the android.

After taking control of the Enterprise, Moriarty asked Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to find a way for him to leave the holodeck. Although Picard promised that he and the crew would try, Moriarty was no closer to leaving the holodeck when he returned in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6, episode 12, "Ship in a Bottle." Frustrated with the lack of progress, Moriarty took matters into his own hands and attempted to trick Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew . Moriarty's ruse ultimately failed, but Data and Picard devised a way for Moriarty and his lover, Countess Regina Bartholemew (Stephanie Beacham), to exist inside a memory module believing themselves to have escaped the holodeck.

Star Trek: Professor Moriarty Explained

Star trek: picard didn’t answer what happened to the real professor moriarty, the moriarty seen in picard season 3 was only a projection from data's mind..

Despite a projection of Professor James Moriarty appearing in Star Trek: Picard season 3, the fate of the "real" Moriarty from Star Trek: The Next Generation remains unknown. In Picard season 3, episode 6, "The Bounty," Captain Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Captain Worf (Michael Dorn), and Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) infiltrate Daystrom Station searching for answers about a potential attack on the Federation. As they explore the station, the security system recognizes Riker by his voice and begins implementing security measures. After a holographic crow flies past and a violin note plays, Professor Moriarty appears and begins firing at the group with his pistol.

Riker then hears a melody he recognizes as the one Lt. Commander Data attempted to whistle when Riker first met the android - "Pop Goes The Weasel." When Riker finishes the song, Moriarty vanishes, allowing Riker and his friends to enter the station's mainframe. There, they see the Soong-type android known as Daystrom Android M-5-10, who controls the security system. Riker realizes that at least part of Data's mind must be stored within this android and that he was trying to communicate with them. In a recorded message, M-5-10's creator Dr. Altan Soong (Brent Spiner) reveals that this android contains aspects of Data, Lore, Data's daughter Lal (Hallie Todd), and B-4.

After some resistance from Lore, Data's personality later emerges as the dominant one in this new synthetic body, effectively bringing the beloved android back from the dead for the second time.

Can The Real Professor Moriarty Still Return To Star Trek?

With star trek's futuristic technology, anything is possible..

Since the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Ship in a Bottle," the real Professor Moriarty has not made another appearance in Star Trek . Moriarty and the Countess presumably continued their adventures within the memory module, but it's never revealed where the module ended up after the destruction of the Enterprise-D in Star Trek Generations . In "Ship in a Bottle," Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) stated: "This enhancement module contains enough active memory to provide them experiences for a lifetime." While this suggests the module will not remain active forever, it's unclear how long a "lifetime" would be for holograms.

The possibility remains open for Moriarty to return in some capacity.

With the always-advancing technology of the Star Trek universe, the possibility remains open for Moriarty to return in some capacity. Actor Daniel Davis has, of course, continued to age, so some explanation would have to be given for Moriarty to appear older, but Star Trek has worked around that problem before. If Moriarty realized that he and the Countess never truly left the holodeck, he could become even more villainous and return for revenge against the people who promised to help him. Whether or not the "real" Moriarty ever returns, the projection of Moriarty in Star Trek: Picard was a fun shout-out to a great Star Trek villain.

Star Trek: The Next Generation & Star Trek: Picard are available to stream on Paramount+.