YMMV / Star Trek: The Next Generation S3E21 "Hollow Pursuits"

• Alternative Character Interpretation:
  • Riker's behavior even before learning about the holoprograms comes across less as dissatisfaction with Barclay's work, and more a personal hatred for the guy. One detail that's missing is just how long Riker's been dealing with Barclay's problems. (Judging by the early conversations he has with Geordi and Picard, it's probably been a while.)
• Angst? What Angst?: Geordi seems totally fine, even understanding, of his musketeer doppelgänger, an interesting contrast to Riker (who's portrayed as an overeager musketeer wannabe) and Troi (the Goddess of Empathy).
  • This may be justified as LaForge once fell in love with a holodeck program and likely understands what Reg is going through. Also, his doppelgänger is basically just him in a costume, while Riker's is unusually short, and Troi's is a blatant (in-universe) Ms. Fanservice.
• Diagnosed by the Audience: Barclay, who, in addition to social anxiety, seems to suffer from Aspergers' or some other form of higher functioning autism.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Reg Barclay was written as a one-shot character, but was so well received that the writers brought him back throughout TNG and Star Trek: Voyager.
• Funny Moments: The entire scene with LaForge, Riker and Troi meeting Barclay's holodeck characters is a riot (especially their differing reactions to the Goddess of Empathy, and Riker trolling Troi over it). Barclay's never gonna live that one down.
• Harsher in Hindsight:
  • After watching "Black Mirror: USS Callister", it's a good thing for those holodeck characters that Barclay is a fundamentally decent guy and not a Complete Monster.
  • When Geordi, Riker, and Troi are going through Barclay's "Three Musketeers" program and they see their holographic selves, Troi tries to say there's nothing wrong with Barclay invoking their images in the program, to which Riker retorts "Well, there ought to be.". In "Galaxy's Child", Geordi would see himself get into this situation when Dr. Leah Brahms encounters her holographic doppelganger from "Booby Trap" and accuses him of exploiting her image to produce a holographic love toy.
• Memetic Mutation: In the fandom, many a joke or meme has been made of Barclay's, uh, sexual prowess in the holodeck.
• Once Original, Now Common: The notability of this episode largely surrounds the main characters who are The Ace at their jobs having to deal with a character who, while talented, had such anxiety he couldn't function in the real world. Later episodes and later Star Trek shows would be a lot more engaged with flawed characters who have dysfunctional attributes and the topics discussed in this episode (including a very tame depiction of holodeck romantic indulgences) comes across as fairly quaint.
• Values Dissonance:
  • While Reg is still sympathetic, his habit of creating hologram versions of his co-workers and supervisors to either beat them up or make out with them is more than a little creepy. Holo Troi in particular sets off a lot of alarm bells. Then again, Reg is fully aware they're not real.
  • The episode can come across to modern audiences as being more than a little dismissive of various conditions such as ASD (autism spectrum disorder) due to being made during a time when ASD was not as well known as it is today.
• Values Resonance: Awareness and sympathy for mental and behavioral health issues such as anxiety disorders have only increased since the episode premiered.
  • Reg’s fighting and beating up co-workers (granted holo-ones) who act as Entitled Bastards reflects what many people wish they could do to people who bully and disrespect them but are unable to do so due to similar circumstances.
• The Woobie: Obviously Barclay, even though his holodeck exploits (most notably, creeping on a holographic doppelgänger of Troi) kind of border on Jerkass Woobie. To be fair to Barclay, his willingness to open up to Geordi shows that he doesn’t want to go on being like he is. He wants to be a valued member of the crew, but his anxiety prevents him from becoming one. As soon as he realizes that he can be valuable, he says goodbye to his holodeck versions of the crew. (Except Program 9.)