OnStar Trek: The Next Generation, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) occasionally cosplayed as his favorite hard-boiled detective, Dixon Hill. Ascaptain of the USS Enterprise-D, Captain Picard was a serious man who rarely took time to himself. Picard had to be coerced by Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) to take a proper vacation, preferring to spend his time off in action-packed holodeck adventures that were anything but relaxing. Introduced inTNG’spremiere, the holodeck gave the show a new way to explore genres and different forms of storytelling.
While the holodeck could be used for Starfleet training exercises, it was often used for recreational purposes. By the 24th century,holo novels had mostly replaced film and television as the next level of storytelling,allowing the viewer to physically participate in the story. Users could also craft their own holodeck programs, recreating their home planet, for example, or creating an entirely imagined world. Captain Picard’s holodeck program of choice allowed him to take on the role of one of his childhood heroes, fictional detective Dixon Hill.
Captain Picard’s Dixon Hill Cosplay In Star Trek: TNG Explained
The Dixon Hill Holodeck Program Appeared In 3 TNG Episodes, As Well As Star Trek: First Contact
The character of Dixon Hill was created by screenwriter Tracy Tormé, who penned the episode in which the detective first appeared —TNGseason 1, episode 12, “The Big Goodbye.” Inspired by film noir, Tormé included numerous references to the genre within the episode, and specifically paid homage to 1941’sThe Maltese Falcon. WithintheStar Trekuniverse,the Dixon Hill novels were originally published on Earth in the 1930sand were later adapted into holoprograms. Captain Picard first cosplays as Dixon Hill in “The Big Goodbye,” accompanied by Dr. Crusher and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).
Playing Dixon Hill not only allows Captain Picard to solve intriguing mysteries, but also gives him a break from the much higher stakes that come with being captain of the Federation’s flagship.
Captain Picard’s holodeck adventure quickly turns deadly in “The Big Goodbye,” when the holodeck safely protocols malfunction, marking the first of manyStar Trekepisodes featuring a malfunctioning holodeck.Picard plays Dixon Hill again inTNGseason 2, episode 19, “Manhunt,“retreating to the holodeck to avoid Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett). Dixon Hill’s last appearance onTNGcomes in season 4, episode 14, “Clues,” in which Picard shows off the holodeck program to an unimpressed Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg). Picard’s favorite detective also pops up inStar Trek: First Contact,as he and Lily Sloane (Alfre Woodard) fight to escape the Borg.
Picard Was The First Star Trek Cosplayer
Several Other Trek Characters Have Empraced Cosplaying
OtherStar Trekcharacters have dressed up as fictional heroes, but Picard was the franchise’s first true cosplayer.Picard took on the persona of Dixon Hill for fun,and his knowledge of the detective’s stories helped him navigate that world. Although Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) occasionally wore period costumes, it was always in service of a mission, and they did not portray specific fictional characters. OnStar Trek: Deep Space Nine,Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig)appeared in a series ofJulian Bashir, Secret Agentholonovels, which riffed on James Bond.
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Star Trek: Voyageralso had a few cosplayers, including Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang), who enjoyed role playing as Captain Proton and his sidekick Buster Kincaid. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) even joined them on occasion, as the villainous Queen Arachnia. Tom Paris createdThe Adventures of Captain Proton,which paid homage to 1930s sci-fi serials likeFlash Gordon. Cosplaying has become a bit of aStar Trektradition, but it all started with Captain Picard’s Dixon Hill inStar Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Cast
Star Trek: The Next Generation follows Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew aboard the USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they embark on interstellar explorations, seeking out new worlds and civilizations.
