Info Starships Fleet Yards Treknology

Episodes Database Fandom Community

Observations in TNG: "The Price"

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

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

"The Price" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
The stripes and collar of Seth Mendoza's costume are made from the same material as the 21st century military uniforms seen in "Encounter at Farpoint" and the Ferengi headgear, seen in "The Last Outpost" and "The Battle".	"Encounter at Farpoint"	"The Last Outpost"		A closer look at the costume in HD.
Dr. Crusher is the only senior officer not yet seen with the final season 3 uniform but with the intermediate version, identifiable by the front zipper.				The HD cap clearly reveals the zipper.
The Barzan wormhole as seen through the Ten Forward windows. A few more episodes feature VFX objects seen through these windows: "The Child"?, "The Schizoid Man", "Q Who" and "Booby Trap". Note the tubes running down the back of Barzan Prime Minister Bhavani. These are obviously part of her breathing apparatus. They run down to a small device on her left side that is never really visible in the episode.	"The Schizoid Man"	"Booby Trap"		The effect looks practically identical in TNG-R.
The USS Enterprise-D in orbit of Barzan II. The planet is a re-use of Gagarin IV from "Unnatural Selection". Re-Used Planets in TNG				A new planet appears in TNG-R. It is unclear whether it is the very same as in TNG-R: "Unnatural Selection".
The Barzan make-up. It would take almost three decades for another Barzan to appear in Star Trek, Commander Nhan in Star Trek Discovery.		DIS: "Brother"		A better look at the make-up in HD.
The new Ferengi uniform, introduced in season 2's "Peak Performance", can be fully seen on this screen cap. The Ferengi look more respectable with this uniform than they did with the furry clothing seen in season 1.		"The Battle"		No changes
The lower part of the new Ferengi headgear is made from a different, more colorful material but the top rim is still made from the same fabric as in season 1. That part of the headgear is no longer silver but gold now, however. The Ferengi rank insignia can be nicely seen in this screenshot, too.		"The Last Outpost"		A better look at the Ferengi headgear and uniform in HD.
This is the short corridor connecting the bridge with the observation lounge. This marks the first time the camera was placed inside the corridor.				No changes

As gold-pressed latinum hadn't been introduced yet, the Ferengi use small bars of gold to bid for exclusive rights to the Barzan wormhole.				The gold bars in HD.
Troi reviews Devinoni Ral's biographical data on a desktop monitor in her office. The desktop monitor still looks like it did in season 2. Variations of the TNG Desktop Monitor		"Up the Long Ladder"		We can read almost the complete text on the display. According to the file, Devinoni Ral studied at the University of Hurkos, Oneamisu Campus. This is a reference to the anime film "Oneamisu No Tsubasa" ("Wings of Honnêamise").
Troi's office is seen for the second time in this episode, after it first appeared in "The Icarus Factor". This screenshot reveals the set was built on the opposite side of the short transporter room corridor.				No changes
All in all, the set has not changed a lot since season 2. But notice how much more pink the light wall has become between seasons. Circular pieces of wall decoration like this were last seen in the guest lounge in "The Outrageous Okona". Similar round and rectangular pieces of decoration began appearing in crew quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-D in the fourth season, slowly replacing the space paintings created by Rick Sternbach. Space Art in Star Trek: The Next Generation The Platner Arm Chair and Platner Lounge Chair were respectively replaced by a Platner Stool and an Artifort F549 Tulip Midi. Those chairs would not change again after "The Price". Commercially Available Chairs in Star Trek There is a light in Troi's lamp for the first time. It used to be dark in "The Icarus Factor".		"The Outrageous Okona"		No changes
		"The Icarus Factor"
This shot of the USS Enterprise-D orbiting Barzan II also appeared in "Unnatural Selection" where the planet was Gagarin IV.				Another look at the revised planet.
A Ferengi syringe is used to extract Ferengi blood pyrocytes. The pyrocytes seem to be yellow in contrast to Ferengi blood, which is red as seen in DS9: "The Ascent" and "The Emperor's New Cloak".		DS9: "The Ascent"		An HD close-up of the device (and the Ferengi head)
A kinetic ribbon sculpture by C. Jeré, which will later be seen several times in Data's quarters, appears for the first time in the guest quarters occupied by the Ferengi. Many pieces of art by C. Jeré were rented for the show.		"The Offspring"		No changes
This set is the junior officers' quarters. It features a large painting, called "Denkir IV from inner moon", also seen in Marla Aster's quarters. A smaller version appears in the observation lounge. Space Art in Star Trek: The Next Generation		"The Bonding"		No changes
Like in "The Last Outpost", Ferengi fingernails are silvery blue. In Alien Hands		"The Last Outpost"		No changes
As can be seen in this shot, the color scheme of the replicator LCARS interface has changed since season 2. In the first two seasons, the interface was yellow/blue, now it is orange/purple. Michael Okuda: "The orange version used incandescent lamps, which had a very warm cast to them. The other version used florescent lamps, which had a faint greenish tint, as commonly seen on most of the bridge graphics. Also, those particular flourescents weren't quite bright enough."		"The Dauphin"		No changes
"The Price" features one of the biggest black cardboard squares ever and the only time one is seen in a corridor. It is used here to hide the reflection of the camera as Mendoza stumbles into sickbay. A couple of moments later, when Riker and Picard leave sickbay, the cardboard is gone. Note the power cord under the sickbay bed that is visible through the open door.				No changes

A look into sickbay from the corridor. Two comparison screenshots from "The Naked Now" and "The Neutral Zone" show what the set looked like in the first season. As can be seen, the back door to sickbay has been moved considerably to the left.	"The Naked Now"	"The Neutral Zone"		A look at the set in TNG-R.
Sickbay has gained some new sparkly blankets, similar to older ones, but Ian Andrew Troi's blue blanket from "The Child" is also still around. A purple version of this also exists, such as in "Shades of Gray", as do simple blue ones.	"The Child"	"Shades of Gray"
The large hole on the top of the biobed was covered with a dark plexiglass sheet with white stripes since it was last seen in "The Enemy".		"The Enemy"		No changes
"The Price" is the first of two episodes in which this double page (502/503) from Picard's Annotated Shakespeare, volume I appears in his ready room. The pages feature two illustrations from Twelfth Night and will reappear in "The Defector". Picard's Shakespeare Books		Pages 502/503		The book in HD.
Something is amiss with one of the corridor overhead position marker panels seen behind Riker and Picard.				No changes
The lights in the turbolift are not turned on in this shot. The comparison screenshot from "The Hunted" shows an illuminated turbolift.		"The Hunted"		No changes
The Ferengi shuttle makes its first appearance in this episode. Here it is shown to be of roughly the same size as a type 15 shuttlepod. The size of the Ferengi shuttle would increase in later reappearances of the model. Variations of the Ferengi Shuttle The lettering on the hull of the Federation shuttlepods has changed since its earlier appearances in "Time Squared" and "The Ensigns of Command". Variations of the Type-15 Shuttle		"Time Squared"		The model shot looks brilliant in HD.

The interior of the Ferengi shuttle features some furniture that would appear several times over the course of the series. The cockpit console reappears only two episodes later aboard the Romulan scout ship in "The Defector". The chairs are later seen on the bridge of the Ktarian ship in "The Game" and on the Romulan Warbirds in "Future Imperfect" and "Face of the Enemy".	"The Defector"	"Face of the Enemy"		A better look at the inside of the shuttle.
	"Future Imperfect"	"The Game"
When the same Ferengi shuttle reappears in the VOY episode "False Profits", the interior of the shuttlepod has changed completely and the pod is much larger.		VOY: "False Profits"
The Barzan wormhole slowly opens. Its appearance is identical to the one earlier in the episode (obviously, because the same effect was used twice). When its other end reappears many years later in the Voyager episode "False Profits", the appearance of the wormhole has changed drastically.		VOY: "False Profits"		The features of the wormhole are somewhat better defined in HD. Note how new light beams are reflected from the two shuttles now.



Two more screenshots of the wormhole, showing its three-dimensionality.

Inside the Barzan wormhole. The interior of the wormhole appears completely different in "False Profits" as well.		VOY: "False Profits"		While it is overall just as blurry, there is less motion blur in the sequence in TNG-R.
The proposal of the United Federation of Planets for rights to the Barzan wormhole. The LCARS display shows the number 40273, meaning this is a third season LCARS display.		Photo of the translight		We can almost read the text in HD.
This is the first time we can see a purple light in the corner of Deanna's bedroom. In previous episodes, the corners used to be dark or white.	"The Naked Now"	"The Child"		No changes
The two shuttlepods inside the wormhole.				The motion blur has been reduced and the contrast increased in this sequence too.
The two shuttlepods leave the Barzan wormhole.
A good look at the interior of the Type-15 shuttle.				The shuttle interior in HD.
The two shuttlepods next to each other. In the first shot, the filming miniature of the Type-15 shuttlepod was used. The second shot shows the full-sized model of the shuttlepod. The Type-15 shuttlepod cockpit has not been really modified since "The Ensigns of Command". But notice the new LCARS buttons at the front on the port side. They seem to hide a spot of dirt, already present in "The Ensigns of Command"...		"The Ensigns of Command"		The shot with the life-size pod looks awesome in HD.

The exercise room is a redress of the part of main engineering normally featuring the MSD and pool table. The MSD was hidden behind a large mirror but the curved lights to the left and right of it and the corridors that lead to the sides are still visible. In addition to that, the large LCARS displays on the slanted side walls were covered with a silver wall panel similar to the lower and upper ones. The alcove housing the turbolift door can be seen at the right side of the screenshot. The second mirror is put right before where the corridor plugs normally are normally placed.	"Where Silence Has Lease"	"The Icarus Factor"		The set and the infamous fitness fashion of the 1980's in HD.
Something has changed in this shot. It seems the mirror directly in front of the MSD was moved closer to the other mirror, so the lights to the right and left of the MSD and the corridors leading to the sides are no longer visible. This is only true for the screenshots featuring Troi, however, as the reflection of the two lights can still be seen in the shots with Crusher.		Set plan		No changes

The Pair Match game, often seen on Ten Forward tables, is seen up close in this shot again. Present-Day Devices as Props				A close-up of the pyramid in HD.
Another shot of the two shuttlepods.				No changes
A better look at the unique type of chair seen in the cockpit of the Ferengi shuttle.				No changes
The interior of the Barzan wormhole as seen through the cockpit window of the shuttlepod.				The effects are much the same in HD as in the original.
The Barzan wormhole moves position, as seen through the cockpit window of the Ferengi shuttle. The dome at the center of the console is characteristically Ferengi. Domed interfaces like this first appeared in season 2's "Peak Performance". These domes had not been introduced in season 1, but they seem to echo the Ferengi thought maker seen in "The Battle". Ferengi writing with its characteristic 60 degree angles also debuted in that episode.		"The Battle"
So much glass in Troi's quarters during her dinner with Devinoni Ral! It all looks very TNG (and very 80's).				No changes
The ornate cutlery was last seen in "Manhunt" when the elder Troi woman, Lwaxana, was having dinner with Captain Jen-Luc Picard. It will also show up in "Déjà Q" and in "Sins of the Father". Note the illuminated blue corner, unlike the pink corner in Deanna's bedroom.		"Manhunt"		No changes
Like the previous two, this shot of Barzan II also is a re-use from "Unnatural Selection".				Yet another look at the revised planet.
The 3D chess set is prominently seen in this Ten Forward shot.				In HD, the silver and glass chess pieces can be seen much better.
This shot of the Ferengi Marauder was originally created for "Peak Performance".		"Peak Performance"		The Marauder in HD.
The bridge of the Ferengi Marauder has not changed much since it was last seen in "Peak Performance". The lighting was modified (red instead of green) but the consoles and the rest of the room are still the same. The consoles in the background have been seen in countless Star Trek episodes and films in the past, such as "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and "Contagion".	"Star Trek II"	"Contagion"		A good look at the Ferengi bridge in HD.
		"Peak Performance"
A graphic of the Barzan wormhole is displayed on one of the aft bridge monitors. The graphic is different in the VOY episode "False Profits".		VOY: "False Profits"		An HD close-up of the display.
This is what Ferengi missiles look like.				The effect is just a light in TNG-R as well.
Unlike in "Q Who", when the observation lounge was also seen during a red alert, the rim of the viewscreen in the lounge doesn't flash red. This effect never appeared again after the episode, though.		"Q Who"		No changes
Premier Bhavani's dress and jewelry were later worn by Ambassador Taxco in the DS9 episode "The Forsaken". For the re-use on DS9, a colorful sash was added, the large belt made from the same fabric as the dress was removed and the dangling, golden part of the necklace was removed. Curiously, the two also have the same forehead make-up!		DS9: "The Forsaken"		A close-up of the necklace in HD.
A better look at the Ferengi Marauder. The footage originally created for "Peak Performance" is re-used once more.				No changes
The door label to Troi's quarters was (falsely) seen on Salia's guest quarters in "The Dauphin".		"The Dauphin"		The job title "Counselor" has been added to the label, as the HD screen cap reveals.

Credits

The stage layout comes from Star Trek Stages History. Special thanks to Angelo Cifaldi for the photo of the LCARS translight!

Back to Observations index

Top

View as gallery