Observations in TNG: "Half a Life"

A joint project with TrekCore, by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider

Here are some observations about sets, props and visual effects in TNG: "Half a Life" without a specific theme, and a comparison of the original TV release (TNG) with the remastered episode (TNG-R).


"Half a Life" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG Other caps Comparison TNG to TNG-R Description TNG-R
Kaelon II has appeared as several other planets in earlier episodes, like Surata IV in "Shades of Gray" and Risa in "Captain's Holiday".
Re-Used Planets in TNG
Like Risa in the remastered version of the latter episode, the remastered Kaelon II clearly shows the slightly modified continent outlines of Australia. Kaelon II seems a lot dryer than Risa, though.
Picard hesitantly enters the corridor through the rarely used turbolift access next to the holodeck/cargo bay doors. No changes
A graphic of a photon torpedo is displayed on the observation lounge monitor in this shot. The torpedo seems very short and too wide in the graphic. The animated graphic was reconstructed for TNG-R. We can clearly see in the wide shots that the display is sharper than its surroundings. The new graphic was apparently created without exact knowledge of the original. It only includes rectangles that roughly correspond with the components that should be inside the torpedo casing.
A close-up if the tactical console. Lwaxana Troi's reflection can be seen on the surface. A better look at the console in HD.
A number of PADDs that have been used before can be seen on the "pool table" in main engineering here. The PADD in the foreground still shows a map of the Tagus III ruins from "Qpid". The map featuring two graphics of the USS Enterprise-D, leaning on the central console was seen in several previous episodes, like "Galaxy's Child". The large PADD with the black reflective surface was first seen in Dr. Graves's lab in "The Schizoid Man" and was used by Picard in "Final Mission".
"Qpid"

"The Schizoid Man"
A better look at the pool table and the PADDs in HD.

"Galaxy's Child"

"Final Mission"
The small white PADD was earlier seen in "The Outrageous Okona" and "Evolution".
"The Outrageous Okona"

"Evolution"
Lwaxana Troi can clearly be seen wiping the small white PADD off the pool table. Yet a few seconds later, it is back on the table. No changes
The USS Enterprise-D approaches Praxillus. The recomposed shot in HD. Note the more noticeable position lights, especially on the nacelles.
The three dresses Lwaxana Troi takes into consideration for her next meeting with Dr. Timicin were all worn by her in previous episodes. She wore the blue dress and the red dress in "Manhunt" and the green dress was given to her by DaiMon Tog in "Ménage à Troi".
"Manhunt"
We can see the true colors of the dresses as late as in the remastered version.

"Manhunt"

"Ménage à Troi"
This shot of the USS Enterprise-D was originally created for "Suddenly Human". It was tinted orange here as the ship is very close to Praxillus.
"Suddenly Human"
The shot of the ship in HD.
Several different shots of Praxillus during its attempted revitalization are seen in this episode. The close-up of the surface of the sun was flipped and re-used at the beginning of "Redemption II".
"Redemption II"
The sequence in the remastered version.
Several shots of the composite sensor analysis graphic seen in this episode. The graphic prominently features the number 4077, a reference to the TV show M*A*S*H in which David Ogden Stiers (Dr. Timicin) played Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. 4077 was the unit number of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in which Winchester served. This display was newly created for TNG-R and inserted into the live footage.
The USS Enterprise-D escapes as the sun Praxillus goes nova. The shot used in the SD version of "Half a Life" originally appeared in "The Best of Both Worlds I" and was mirror-inverted.
Enterprise Flybys in TNG and TNG-R
Fore TNG-R, the shot was replaced with a similar flyby originally filmed for "The Best of Both Worlds II".
A close-up of the pyramidal Pair Match game often seen on Ten Forward tables.
Present-Day Devices as Props
A close-up of the device.
The USS Enterprise-D in orbit of Kaelon II. Again, this footage clearly shows the continental outline of Australia, only the footage is flipped here.
O'Brien looks at the transporter console when he leaves the room. In the wide shot, nicely showing the transporter platform, the flashing red graphic, added in post production, is missing. A comparison screenshot from "The Bonding" shows the new black paneling that was added to the set after the filming of "Family".
"The Bonding"
The "Locked" display was newly created for TNG-R, as evidenced by the different font.
A look at the slightly reworked transporter room.
Betazoid oskoids, as eaten by Lwaxana Troi here, were also seen in "Ménage à Troi". The same vegetable was used in both episodes.
"Ménage à Troi"
An HD close-up of the vegetable.
A graphic of Praxillus is seen on this wall console in main engineering. This is the first time a graphic has been inserted into this panel in post production. The sequence in HD.
Timicin looks at the composite sensor analysis on the central monitor of the "pool table". This display too was created anew for TNG-R.
The other side of the central console displays an interesting graphic. In HD, the words "Kaelon Ignition Project Test Results 4077" can be deciphered.
Like in "Up the Long Ladder" and in "Remember Me", Picard again seems to be reading something on one of the large transparent orange isolinear chips/PADDs in his ready room even though they contain no text whatsoever.
"Up the Long Ladder"

"Remember Me"
The HD shot confirms that there is nothing to read on the PADD.
Another shot of the USS Enterprise-D in orbit of Kaelon II. In the remastered version of the episode, the Australian coastlines can again be made out.
Timicin contacts the Kaelon Minister of Science B'Tardat using Picard's ready room desktop monitor. Light blue fabric can be seen at the bottom left side of the screen, even though Timicin's costume does not contain a fabric of that color. This can be explained by the fact that stock footage from "Night Terrors" was used for this shot, where Doctor Crusher, wearing her light blue medical coat, uses the desktop monitor.
"Night Terrors"
The monitor as it appears in TNG-R.

"Night Terrors"
The fact that the display reads 40273 shows that this graphic was originally made for the 3rd season. A fourth season LCARS display would feature the number 40274. This display was newly created as well for TNG-R.
A microphone boom reflection can be seen in the black area above the yellow Enterprise-D graphic. We can see the equipment in TNG-R just as well.
Doctor Crusher's medical coat seems very wide in this shot. Gates McFadden was visibly pregnant towards the end of the fourth season so the wide coat was used to hide her pregnancy. The bridge shot in HD.
Two Kaelon warships are approaching the USS Enterprise-D in orbit of Kaelon II, first seen on the main viewscreen, then in an external shot of the ships. The Kaelon ships are a re-use of the Jovis, seen in "The Most Toys", itself a modification of the Husnock ship seen in "The Survivors". The footage of the USS Enterprise-D was newly filmed for this shot.
Redresses of the Husnock Ship

"The Most Toys"
The HD version is a great improvement.

"The Most Toys"

"The Survivors"
The large mirror in Lwaxana Troi's guest quarters was used to allow shots of conversations between her and her daughter that had both in view (only Deanna Troi's reflection was seen in the mirror while the two were conversing). When Lwaxana Troi and the camera moved during this conversation, however, filming equipment was briefly visible. First a microphone boom and then lighting equipment. We can see the equipment in TNG-R just as well.
Lwaxana Troi's brooch was originally worn by Palor Toff in "The Most Toys".
"The Most Toys"
The brooch in HD.
Both Timicin's and Lwaxana Troi's suitcases have been seen before. Timicin's suitcase is similar to the one that contained keepsakes from Jack Crusher in "Family" and Troi's suitcase has been used by many people before, including Dr Dalen Quaice in "Remember Me" and Marla Aster in "The Bonding".
"The Bonding"

"Family"
No changes

"Remember Me"

 


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