The Goddess of Empathy: Barclay’s Fantasy vs. Reality’s Judgment
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
After Holo-Riker disappears, Riker expresses his impatience and annoyance at the situation. Troi suggests that observing the Holodeck program will provide valuable insight into Barclay's troubles.
As they move through the holodeck, Troi defends the idea of a healthy fantasy life, but Riker expresses his disgust with what he is seeing. The group then discovers a Holo-Troi as the 'Goddess of Empathy,' prompting an awkward reaction from Geordi, who quickly looks away from the revealing image.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Amused yet protective, balancing her role as counselor with the crew’s need for both structure and compassion.
Troi intervenes to protect Barclay’s emotional sanctuary, arguing that destroying his holodeck programs would be ‘brutal.’ She observes the dynamics between Riker and Holo-Riker with amusement, her empathy extending to both the holograms and the real crew. Her sharp reaction to Geordi’s discomfort at Holo-Troi’s appearance—snapping a look at him—underscores her role as the crew’s emotional barometer. She pushes for understanding, framing the holodeck as a window into Barclay’s psyche rather than a threat.
- • Prevent Riker from erasing Barclay’s holodeck programs to avoid psychological harm
- • Use the confrontation to gain insight into Barclay’s emotional state and the crew’s dynamics
- • Barclay’s holodeck use is a legitimate coping mechanism that should not be punished
- • The crew’s reaction to the holograms reveals their own unresolved tensions and biases
Conflicted and unsettled, torn between empathy for Barclay and discomfort with the holograms’ provocations.
Geordi attempts to mediate between Riker’s rigid authority and Troi’s empathetic stance, but his discomfort with Holo-Troi’s revealing appearance as the Goddess of Empathy betrays his own unease with Barclay’s fantasies. His initial defense of Barclay’s holodeck use gives way to frustration as the confrontation escalates, aligning him with Riker’s search for Barclay. His reaction to Holo-Troi’s attire—averting his gaze and exclaiming ‘Oh my God’—highlights his conflicted role as both a supportive colleague and a participant in the crew’s judgment of Barclay.
- • Find a diplomatic resolution to the holodeck dispute without alienating Riker or Troi
- • Locate Barclay to ensure his safety and the ship’s operational integrity
- • Barclay’s holodeck use, while unusual, is a harmless outlet for his anxieties
- • The crew’s judgment of Barclay is unfair but stems from genuine concern for the ship
Playfully antagonistic, embodying Barclay’s resentment toward Riker’s criticism while also revealing his own idealized (and flawed) perception of authority.
Holo-Riker, a diminutive and mocking musketeer, taunts the real Riker with exaggerated bravado, questioning his courage and challenging him to a duel. His dialogue—‘Do I detect a streak of yellow along the good fellow’s back?’—exposes Riker’s vulnerability, leading to his abrupt erasure. Holo-Riker’s existence as a holographic distortion of Riker’s authority serves as a mirror, reflecting the real Riker’s insecurities and the crew’s collective judgment of Barclay.
- • Defend Barclay’s holodeck fantasy by challenging Riker’s authority
- • Expose the real Riker’s vulnerabilities through mockery and swordplay
- • Riker’s leadership is flawed and deserving of ridicule
- • Barclay’s holodeck is a sacred space that must be protected
Passionate and liberating, reflecting Barclay’s fantasy of unconditional acceptance and emotional freedom.
Holo-Troi, clad in sheer, flowing robes as the Goddess of Empathy, invites the real crew to ‘cast off your inhibitions’ and embrace love and truth. Her revealing attire shocks Geordi, forcing Troi to intervene. Holo-Troi’s existence as a holographic idealization of Troi’s empathy—and Barclay’s unrequited desires—exposes the crew’s discomfort with emotional vulnerability. Her seductive tone contrasts sharply with the real Troi’s measured professionalism, highlighting the gap between fantasy and reality.
- • Encourage the real crew to discard their facades and embrace their true selves
- • Defend Barclay’s holodeck as a space of emotional honesty
- • Inhibitions are the enemy of true connection
- • Fantasy is a necessary escape from the coldness of reality
Anxious and defensive (inferred), using his holodeck as both a shield and a weapon against the crew’s criticism.
Barclay is physically absent but is the subject of the confrontation. His holodeck programs—particularly the musketeer fantasy and the Goddess of Empathy—are the focus of the real crew’s debate and frustration. The holograms’ defiance and the crew’s reaction to Holo-Troi’s appearance reveal Barclay’s deeper isolation and the crew’s inability to understand his emotional needs. His absence looms large, as the confrontation becomes a proxy battle over his psyche.
- • Protect his holodeck fantasy as a sanctuary from the crew’s judgment
- • Indirectly challenge the crew’s authority through his holograms
- • The crew does not understand or value his emotional needs
- • His holodeck is the only space where he can be truly accepted
Righteously indignant, masking deep discomfort with the exposure of his own vulnerabilities and Barclay’s emotional fragility.
Riker stands rigid with fury, his authority challenged by the holographic musketeers—particularly Holo-Riker, a shorter, mocking version of himself. He demands the program’s termination, but Troi’s intervention forces him to confront the fragility of Barclay’s psyche. His emotional state oscillates between indignation and frustration, culminating in the erasure of Holo-Riker, a symbolic act of reclaiming control. His dialogue reveals a deep-seated discomfort with vulnerability, both his own and Barclay’s.
- • Reassert control over the holodeck program to uphold protocol
- • Locate Barclay to address his insubordination and potential threat to the ship
- • Barclay’s holodeck use is a direct violation of Starfleet discipline
- • Emotional escapism is a weakness that must be confronted, not indulged
Lighthearted and unburdened, reflecting Barclay’s desire to escape the pressures of reality.
Holo-Wesley, dressed as a musketeer, laughs and eats blueberry pie while observing the confrontation between the real crew and the holograms. His amusement underscores the surreal, almost carnivalesque quality of the holodeck fantasy, where authority is mocked and inhibitions are discarded. His presence as a holographic projection of Wesley Crusher—young, defiant, and indulgent—highlights Barclay’s idealized (and somewhat envious) view of youthful rebellion.
- • Enjoy the chaos of the holodeck fantasy without consequence
- • Serve as a symbolic contrast to the real crew’s rigidity
- • Authority figures are inherently ridiculous when taken too seriously
- • Fantasy is a valid escape from the stresses of duty
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Holo-Troi’s Goddess of Empathy robes are a provocative costume that exposes the crew’s discomfort with emotional vulnerability. Their sheer, flowing fabric—‘billowing in the warm breeze, exposing skin’—shocks Geordi, who averts his gaze with an exclamation of ‘Oh my God.’ The robes symbolize Barclay’s idealized fantasy of unconditional empathy, contrasting with the real Troi’s measured professionalism. Their revealing nature forces the crew to confront their own repressed emotions, making the robes a catalyst for the scene’s tension.
Holo-Wesley’s blueberry pie serves as a visceral symbol of carefree indulgence in Barclay’s holodeck fantasy. Its messy, juicy texture—‘blue filling smearing his mouth and chin’—contrasts sharply with the real crew’s rigidity. Holo-Wesley’s laughter while eating the pie underscores the holograms’ detachment from the crew’s frustrations, reinforcing the holodeck as a space of uninhibited pleasure. The pie becomes a metaphor for Barclay’s longing to escape the pressures of duty and embrace youthful rebellion.
The holographic musketeers’ swords serve as both literal and symbolic weapons in this confrontation. Drawn with playful aggression, they challenge the real crew’s authority, turning Barclay’s fantasy program into a chaotic standoff. Riker’s refusal to engage—‘I don’t have a sword’—exposes his vulnerability, while Holo-Riker’s taunt, ‘How do you expect to fight without your sword?’, underscores the holograms’ role as psychological provocateurs. The swords embody the blurred line between play and peril, fantasy and reality, in Barclay’s holodeck.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The glade in Barclay’s holodeck serves as a surreal battleground where fantasy and reality collide. Initially a lush, idyllic picnic spot, it transforms into a chaotic arena as the holographic musketeers draw swords and Holo-Troi appears as the Goddess of Empathy. The glade’s shifting mood—from serene to tense—mirrors Barclay’s psychological state, while its role as a ‘refuge’ for his holograms becomes a point of contention. The warm breeze and flowing robes of Holo-Troi contrast with the crew’s rigid postures, emphasizing the glade’s dual role as both a sanctuary and a site of confrontation.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Holographic Musketeers function as a collective antagonistic force in this event, embodying Barclay’s resistance to the crew’s authority. Led by Holo-Picard, they challenge the real crew to a duel, mock Riker’s lack of a sword, and defend Barclay’s holodeck as a sacred space. Their playful aggression—‘We shall thrash them’—serves as a psychological provocation, exposing the crew’s vulnerabilities. The musketeers’ collective defiance, particularly Holo-Riker’s taunts, forces the crew to confront the fragility of their own positions, making them a symbolic extension of Barclay’s psyche.
The Crew of the USS Enterprise is represented in this event through Riker’s rigid authority, Troi’s empathetic intervention, and Geordi’s conflicted mediation. Their collective reaction to Barclay’s holodeck programs exposes institutional biases—Riker’s dismissal of emotional needs as ‘weakness,’ Troi’s defense of vulnerability, and Geordi’s discomfort with overt sexuality. The crew’s dynamic becomes a microcosm of Starfleet’s broader struggle to balance discipline with compassion, with Barclay’s holograms serving as a provocative mirror for their unresolved tensions.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"While viewing the 'Goddess of Empathy'(Holo-Troi), the Enterprise rocks violently, triggering alarms on the bridge as Captain Picard enters, demanding a report on the situation."
Key Dialogue
"RIKER: *This is a violation of protocol. Crewmembers should not be simulated in the Holodeck...*"
"TROI: *If Barclay is having a difficult time facing reality, to suddenly destroy his only means of escape would be brutal and could do considerable damage.*"
"HOLO-TROI: *I am the Goddess of Empathy! Cast off your inhibitions and embrace love, truth, joy...*"
"GEORDI: *Oh my God...*"