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Observations in TNG: "The Measure of a Man"

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

Here are some observations about sets, props and visual effects in TNG: "The Measure of a Man" without a specific theme, and a comparison of the original TV release (TNG) with the remastered episode (TNG-R). We also identify the additional scenes in the extended version on the season 2 Blu-ray set.

"The Measure of a Man" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
The "bedroom-part" of Data's quarters is finally shown in this episode. In previous episodes, only the "office-part" had been seen. A bed was located in the small alcove behind Data in Lt. Robinson's quarters in "The Outrageous Okona". The wall decoration behind Data exclusively appears in his quarters and is seen for the first time in this episode as well.		"The Offspring"		A better look at this part of the set in HD.
The backside of the playing cards has a unique design in this episode. In other poker sessions, the cards looked more traditional.				A close-up of the cards in HD.
Poker chips are seen for the first time in this scene as well. Here, chips of three different colors are seen, gold, silver and bronze. In the future, only bronze and silver chips appear.				A close-up of the chips in HD.
The shot of the USS Enterprise is seen for the first time in this episode. The footage of Starbase 173, however, is re-used from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan".		"Star Trek II"		We can recognize more details of the station in HD.
A silver sculpture of a woman can be seen aboard Starbase 173. A similar sculpture, albeit colored differently, appears inside the central dome of the genome colony on Moab IV.		"The Masterpiece Society"		A close-up of the statue in HD.
This shot of the USS Enterprise-D seen through a Starbase 173 window mimics a similar shot of the USS Enterprise seen through Mr. Lurry's office window on Starbase K-7 in "The Trouble with Tribbles". In contrast to the TOS episode, the shot of the USS Enterprise-D was added in post production (via bluescreen) and was not a physical effect on set.		"The Trouble with Tribbles"		The effect was recreated for TNG-R.
Like the earlier shot of Starbase 173, this is also a re-use of footage of Regula I, created for "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". It is interesting to see how much a difference the changed lighting of the model can make. Redresses of the Orbital Office Complex		"Star Trek II"		The recreated shot in HD.
Similar tables appeared in the USS Enterprise-D lounge in "Where No One Has Gone Before" and "Haven" and in the Café des Artistes in "We'll Always Have Paris". Production designer Richard James borrowed the backlit wall panels from the Eddie Murphy movie "Coming to America", where they appeared in the Palace of Zamunda.	"Where No One Has Gone Before"	"We'll Always Have Paris"		No changes
An Antican can be seen in the background. This is the first of many future reappearances of the species after "Lonely Among Us".				Unlike the previous members of his species, this Antican doesn't have the long white beard and eyebrows.
Extended scene #1, not in the original TV version				Nakamura, Maddox and Picard are beamed aboard and walk though a corridor to a turbolift before entering the bridge.
Admiral Nakamura is wearing the season 2 admiral's uniform, which appears for the first time in this episode and replaces the season 1 uniform. It will be replaced by yet another admiral's uniform in season 3.				A better look at the uniform in HD.
Footage of Starbase 173 was inserted into the observation lounge windows in post production. The same footage was seen previously in the episode. While moving star fields, added in post production, appeared in the lounge windows in previous episodes, this is the first time a starbase, ship or planet was seen through the windows.				The effect was recreated for TNG-R.
				The effect was recreated for TNG-R.
The transparent chip (called a message disk in the script) with the Starfleet transfer orders given by Maddox to Picard was first seen in "Lonely Among Us". It was designed by Rick Sternbach. Rick Sternbach: "This was just a different type of non-volatile storage medium than a regular isolinear chip. I suspect it has a built-in Bluetooth sort of component to send data to a PADD or tricorder or desktop monitor. The round brass disk is the actual storage medium. I designed this one, as well as yet another 'non-standard' chip, the recording of Wesley's dad. I guess there's lots of different formats in Starfleet. :)"		"Lonely Among Us"		A better look at the chip in HD.
Extended scene #2, not in the original TV version				After the meeting with Maddox, Picard contacts Nakamura via his ready room desktop monitor.
Picard views the Starfleet transfer orders on the desktop monitor in his ready room. The graphic was added in post production.				The graphic was created from scratch for TNG-R. The font of "40271" is a different one. The text still isn't legible.
Extended scene #3, not in the original TV version				Picard reviews Starfleet's transfer regulations, which can be seen on his monitor now.


Louvois's office on Starbase 173 is a redress of the USS Enterprise-D guest lounge seen in "The Neutral Zone" and "The Outrageous Okona". It was erected at the same part of the set, opposite the transporter room. To hide the recognizable Enterprise-D corridors and transporter room door, a fake wall was erected behind the lounge door, roughly in the middle of the narrow transporter room corridor. That is why the corridor behind the lounge door, as can be seen in the screenshot, is really narrow as well, as it is only half as wide as the transporter room corridor.	"The Neutral Zone"	"The Outrageous Okona"		No changes
Extended scene #4, not in the original TV version				Data appears in engineering with his Sherlock Holmes pipe.
This is the second appearance of the blue carry case. In "11001001", the four parrises squares players were also carrying those cases. Similar cases appeared in many later TNG and DS9 episodes.		"11001001"		A close-up of the case in HD.
Data's hologram of Tasha makes its first appearance in "The Measure of a Man". It would be seen once more, in "The Most Toys". A similar, but slightly different holoprojector is seen in the DS9 episode "Sanctuary".	"The Most Toys"	"Sanctuary"		The recreated effect simulates the refraction of light passing through the semi-transparent projection.
No footage of the back of the Tasha Yar hologram was seen in "Skin of Evil". This means Denise Crosby was either shot from different angles during the making of that episode, making it possible to use real footage of her here, or new footage with somebody else standing in for Crosby was filmed for this episode.		"Skin of Evil"		No changes
The hidden wall drawers in Data's quarters are seen in use again after "Datalore".		"Datalore"		No changes
Data's quarters have not changed much since "Datalore" and "The Schizoid Man". This would change after this episode, however. When this part of the set reappeared in "Peak Performance", the blue carpet covering the walls had been replaced by a gray, ribbed surface.	"Datalore"	"The Schizoid Man"		No changes
What seems to be Data's Starfleet Academy graduation diploma is visible in his quarters in this shot. Riker's similar diploma is seen in "Conundrum". Picard's slightly different diploma appears in "The Battle". The two transparent blocks/panels under the diploma also appeared in Data's quarters in "Datalore". They were also seen in Stubbs's quarters in "Evolution" and Crusher's sickbay office in "Rascals".	"The Battle"	"Evolution"		A close-up of the diploma in HD.
	"Conundrum"	"Rascals"		A close-up of the diploma in HD.
The sculpture in Data's quarters was previously seen in several other episodes. In season 1, it appeared in "When the Bough Breaks" and "Justice". In "The Schizoid Man" it was seen in Dr. Ira Graves's living room, so Data maybe inherited the statue from his "grandfather". Re-Used Props - Decoration		"The Schizoid Man"		The statue in TNG-R.
The second door to Data's quarters (leading to the "bedroom-section"), is hidden behind a portable wall console, similar to the ones used in main engineering to hide the corridor set. It is also possible that it is one of the wall plugs used in main engineering. In "The Schizoid Man", the door was hidden behind a mirror.	"The Schizoid Man"	"Q Who"		The statue in TNG-R.
The painting behind Data was on display in Crusher's sickbay office throughout the first season of TNG. In season 2, it first appeared in Diana Giddings's quarters in "The Outrageous Okona" before it was relocated to Data's quarters for this one episode. Space Art in Star Trek: The Next Generation	"We'll Always Have Paris"	"The Outrageous Okona"		No changes
As previously mentioned, Louvois's office is a redress of the guest lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D, last seen in "The Outrageous Okona". The two displays with the Federation logo are seen in both episodes as well.		"The Outrageous Okona"		No changes
Compare the carpet covered walls behind Okona ("The Outrageous Okona") and behind Picard and Louvois in this episode.		"The Outrageous Okona"		No changes
At Data's farewell party, Geordi is holding a chess piece from the first season 3-D chess set.		"The Neutral Zone"		A close-up of the chess piece in HD.
Extended scene #5, not in the original TV version				The blue plastic dome seen in Ten Forward in previous episodes is seen up close in this deleted scene.
				At Data's farewell party, Pulaski gives Data advice on his life after Starfleet. Troi and Riker discuss their feelings about Data. The party is then interrupted by Maddox, which infuriates Worf.


The third and final shot of Starbase 173 appearing in this episode is also a re-use of footage of Regula I from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". This means that no new footage of the starbase model was filmed for this episode.		"Star Trek II"		The recreated shot in HD.
Extended scene #6, not in the original TV version				Riker interrupts Picard's fencing match, saying that he will do everything to win the case.
Extended scene #7, not in the original TV version				Picard reviews his legal strategy with Data.
Extended scene #7, not in the original TV version				Data's Starfleet Academy diploma can be seen up close in this shot. His name is given as "NFN / NMI Data". NFN stands for "no first name", NMI for "no middle initial".
The computer room is a redress of the science lab, first fully seen in "Home Soil". The wall console Riker is working on is blocking the door to sickbay. A monitor displaying previously filmed footage is behind the central display of this console, a first for a wall console of this type. As the door to sickbay is behind the console, there was plenty of space for the large monitor.		"Home Soil"		A close-up of the monitor in HD.
The wall console blocking another, never used door to the science lab, looks very similar to another wall console seen in main engineering.		"Where No One Has Gone Before"		No changes
The console briefly seen here was rented from Modern Props. It previously appeared in "11001001".		"11001001"		No changes
The large wall console in the computer room is seen for the first time on TNG. It is a re-use of the aft transporter room console, which first appeared in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and was also seen in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". This console appeared in many later TNG episodes, usually in the science or medical lab.	"Star Trek V"	"Star Trek VI"		No changes
The graphic of Data contains several in-jokes. "Kei/Yuri Submodule" is another reference to the anime series "Dirty Pair", while the "oscillation overthruster" played an integral role in the film "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension". A replica of the prop itself would appear only a few episodes later, in "Pen Pals". Visual Crossovers with Other Series/Movies				The unchanged display in HD. Just as on Data's Starfleet Academy diploma, seen up close in a deleted scene, his name is given as "NFN / NMI Data".

On Louvois's desk, a thin black PADD with a graphic of Data can be seen. This PADD would appear in several later episodes, like "Legacy" and "Bloodlines", usually in sickbay.	"Legacy"	"Bloodlines"		A close-up of the prop in HD.
The courtroom on Starbase 173 is the most extensive redress of the USS Enterprise bridge, created for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", yet. This part of the set was last seen as the battle bridge of the USS Enterprise-D in "The Arsenal of Freedom". It also appeared as that set in "Encounter at Farpoint" and was redressed as the USS Stargazer bridge for "The Battle". For "The Measure of a Man", the two turbolift doors and the large console in between were replaced by much simpler walls with large light fixtures, which were occasionally turned into LCARS displays. In this appearance, the set was often re-used in following TNG seasons, often appearing as bridges of other starships (like the USS Hathaway in "Peak Performance") or as rooms aboard the USS Enterprise-D. Re-Used Starship Interiors		"Peak Performance"		A good look at the room in TNG-R.
The star chart behind Data originally appeared in the Starfleet Headquarters transmitter room in "Conspiracy". This is only the first of many later re-uses of this graphic. Re-Used Graphics		"Conspiracy"		No changes
Lore's and Data's forearms seem to be constructed differently.		"Datalore"		A better look at Data's arm in TNG-R.
This side door to the set is also seen in "Encounter at Farpoint".		"Encounter at Farpoint"		No changes
The large monitor behind data (a redress of the battle bridge main viewer) displays a starship list.				We can identify many of the names and registries in HD. Unfortunately the registries are completely random and not in line with previous canon evidence, such as from TNG: "Conspiracy".
This shot gives a good first look at the true size of Ten Forward.				A look at Ten Forward in TNG-R.
Data's rank and name appear on the front side of the carry case.				In HD, it can be read that he is listed as "Lt Cmdr NFN / NMI Data".
Data's Starfleet decorations are also seen in "The Most Toys". Most of the medals are pins that were commercially available at the time. Some were produced by FASA, such as a Klingon rank pin seen here. The second medal in the upper row and the third one in the lower row were designed by Rick Sternbach.		"The Most Toys"		A better look at the medals in HD.
Another angle of the Tasha Yar hologram is seen in this shot. Again, either footage from this angle was filmed during the production of "Skin of Evil" or another person is standing in for Tasha here.				No changes
The star chart behind Maddox also appeared on the bridge of the USS Lantree in "Unnatural Selection". Indeed, the whole battle bridge main viewscreen, featuring said graphic, was seen in the earlier episode.		"Unnatural Selection"		The chart is a bit better visible in TNG-R.
On the battle bridge, this door led to the ready room. It can be seen that this part of the set was not changed too much when the battle bridge was redressed for this and later episodes.		"The Arsenal of Freedom"		No changes
The battle bridge main viewer (last seen in "The Arsenal of Freedom") is fully seen in this shot. As can be seen when comparing this shot with a similar screen cap of the USS Lantree bridge (from "Unnatural Selection"), the left star chart was completely unchanged, while the starship list on the right replaces a similar star chart.	"The Arsenal of Freedom"	"Unnatural Selection"		The set corner in HD.
The smaller LCARS display to the left of the battle bridge main viewer also displays the Milky Way graphic from "Conspiracy".				A close-up of the star chart in HD.
Extended scene #8, not in the original TV version				The scene in which Data invites his "prosecutor" Riker to the holodeck celebration was slightly extended.

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