Observations in TNG: "Transfigurations"

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

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


"Transfigurations" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG Other caps Comparison TNG to TNG-R Description TNG-R
The unnamed sun and planet in the Zeta Gelis cluster previously appeared as the sun Delos and its planet Brekka in "Symbiosis".
Re-Used Planets in TNG
A new planet was created for the TNG-R episode. It is not the same as Brekka.
This painted mountain backdrop has not identified in other episodes so far. The shot in HD.

The Zalkonian escape pod is a re-use of Kivas Fajo's shuttle, seen aboard the Jovis in "The Most Toys".
Redresses of the Nenebek

The piece of debris in front of Geordi has been part of the ceiling of the Enterprise refit since "Star Trek: The Motion Picture".


"The Most Toys"

"Star Trek I"
We can recognize more details, such as the aforementioned greebles and the grating in the aft wall, in HD.
The greebles on the hull part to the left of Riker are hardly recognizable in SD. But these are the same parts that were attached to the Krieger wave generator in "A Matter of Perspective" and the bridge consoles of the Enterprise-C in "Yesterday's Enterprise".
"A Matter of Perspective"

"Yesterday's Enterprise"
John Doe's wounds are unusually severe. His brain is visible through his open skull and his molars can be seen through his open cheek. The gruesome make-up in HD.
In order to hook up Geordi's nervous system with that of John Doe, she attaches an extension to her medical tricorder. This extension appears only in "Transfigurations". Beverly's devices in HD close-ups.
The small devices that link the two neural systems later appear in "Night Terrors" as cortical scanners.
"Night Terrors"
An energy flash moves from John Doe's head to Geordi's head. No changes
Another look at John Doe's severe injuries, showing his amputated arm. Another look at the make-up in HD.
A cute little detail: This device is equipped with seven LEDs and seems to indicate which parts of the body are responsive and which are not. No changes

The emergency biosupport unit in which John Doe is lying here originally was a cloning unit on Mariposa in "Up the Long Ladder". It appears again as a medical bed in "The Best of Both Worlds II" and "Ethics".

The red and blue tubes can be seen again in the quarantine unit in "Brothers".


"Up the Long Ladder"

"Ethics"
A look at the unit in HD.

"The Best of Both Worlds II"

"Brothers"
The recessed console in the background was originally created for the transporter room of the USS Enterprise-A, seen in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier". It first appeared on TNG in the computer room in "The Measure of a Man" and was from this episode on a fixed part in the science lab first seen in this episode.
"Star Trek V"

"Star Trek VI"
The heading reads "Patient Status", but we can't recognize the small writing even in HD.

"The Measure of a Man"

"Peak Performance"
The very same patient status display already appeared in "Samaritan Snare".
"Samaritan Snare"
This second shot of the planet in the Zeta Gelis cluster also originally was Brekka in "Symbiosis".
"Symbiosis"

"Symbiosis" HD
Another good look at the new planet in HD.
The large console in the background first appeared in the lab on the Ferengi Marauder in "Ménage à Troi". It can also be seen on the Amargosa Observatory in "Star Trek: Generations". This is another console that would remain in the science lab until the end of the series.
"Ménage à Troi"

"Generations"
A better look at the console in HD.
The small device attached to the desk was originally a part of the medical device Pulaski used on Riker in "Shades of Gray". It appeared again in "Conundrum".
"Shades of Gray"

"Conundrum"
The left half of John Doe's face is covered with a large medical patch. A close-up of the patch in HD.
The two wall consoles in the medical lab originally appeared in the smaller medical lab in "Home Soil". They displayed the same graphics, although the translights must have been changed as the colors are different.
"Home Soil"

"Home Soil"
No changes
The graphic on the left is a modification of the polywater diagram created for "The Naked Now" while the graphic on the right is usually displayed by a small monitor often seen in Crusher's sickbay office.
"The Naked Now"

"Unnatural Selection"
This display shows the cell regeneration in John Doe's body. When the shot was filmed, the camera moved slightly to the right. The graphic display, added in post production, wasn't moved likewise, so it jumps around relative to the screen when comparing the two shots in quick succession. The display as it appears in HD. It doesn't jump around any more.

The console to the left of Beverly was earlier seen in the cybernetics lab in "The Offspring". It later appeared as a Cardassian console in "Chain of Command I" and as a Borg console in "Descent II".

This particular biobed and its base will never appear again.


"The Offspring"

"Chain of Command I"
The console and biobed in HD.
This shot of a medical monitor is stock footage from "Time Squared". It shows the large medical display in sickbay. The console Crusher faces when she looks at the display was seen earlier in the episode, it has a different medical interface. The LCARS display of the large sickbay display was changed between seasons 2 and 3 and also looks different now, as can be seen in the screen cap from "The Vengeance Factor".
"Time Squared"

Earlier in this episode
We can almost read some of the small writing in HD.

"The Vengeance Factor"

Doctor Crusher uses a medical device to heal John Doe's wounds.

The medical lab, which later often appeared as the science lab or stellar cartography, was one of the last recurring sets created for TNG. As can be seen in the shot from "Homeward", the set remained more or less the same until the end of the series.

The octagonal ceiling also appears in the cybernetics lab in "The Offspring", as well as in the Malcorian hospital in "First Contact" and on the bridge of the Brattain in "Night Terrors".

The wall on the right with its six rectangular lights debuted in "Samaritan Snare" and could also be seen in "The Emissary".


"Samaritan Snare"

"The Offspring"
The effect as it appears in TNG-R.

"First Contact"

"Ethics"

"I, Borg"

"Homeward"
The motor assist bands were later re-used in "Realm of Fear" as monitoring devices.
"Realm of Fear"
The devices in HD, plus a first good look at John's "healthy" make-up.
Riker waits in front of the turbolift located close to the starboard Ten Forward entrance. He enters the turbolift on deck 12 and leaves it on deck 6.
"The Bonding"
No changes

"Q Who"
The sickbay replicator strangely displays a Zibalian graphic. The prop was removed from sickbay for the filming of "The Most Toys" where it was used on the Zibalian ship Jovis, but it was returned after filming that episode and appears as a regular Starfleet replicator in "Sarek". It is possible that this happened due to necessary refilming after David Rappaport (the first actor to play Kivas Fajo) attempted to commit suicide and several scenes from "The Most Toys" needed to be refilmed with Saul Rubinek as Kivas Fajo after "Sarek". Maybe it was forgotten to remove the Zibalian graphic when the prop was needed again for "Transfigurations".
"The Most Toys"

"Sarek"
We can clearly see the Zibalian writing in HD.
O'Brien wears a similar kayaking outfit in two DS9 episodes, "In the Cards" and "Inquisition".
DS9: "Inquisition"
The wetsuit as it appears in TNG-R.
In the dinner scene with his mother, Wesley is wearing a black undershirt that is not visible on any other occasion.
Earlier in this episode
The uniform in HD.
The small platform on the aft bridge station was especially built for this episode so the Zalkonian storage device wouldn't roll down. The blue storage device reappeared many years later, on the Mari homeworld in the VOY episode "Random Thoughts".
The Thieves of the Delta Quadrant

VOY: "Random Thoughts"
A look at the bottle in HD.
Zalkonian star maps and their English translations. The screens remain unchanged in TNG-R.
The transparent domes in the background originally appeared in the geological lab in "Pen Pals". They will remain part of the lab set until the end of the series.
"Pen Pals"
No changes
Doug Drexler in his cameo on Star Trek: The Next Generation. At the time, he was working in the make-up department. He seems to appear behind the bar at the end of his scene. No changes

Medical readouts of John Doe's lifesigns. The small display, flashing red, was added in post production.

The small text box above the anatomical diagram appeared in several other episodes and, as the close view from "Pen Pals" reveals, is just a string of numbers.


"Pen Pals"
A good look at the display in HD.
This shot reveals that the medical/science lab is directly connected to the large corridor set. It is located opposite the transporter room. No changes
The shuttlebay control booth was added to the set for "Evolution". Much more of the set (and the display in the booth, listing the status of all Enterprise-D shuttles) can be seen in this episode. The set as it appears in HD.
The footage of the Tpe-15 shuttle was originally filmed for "Time Squared". This is evidenced by the lettering on the hull, which has changed since that episode was filmed. Like in the original episode, the footage of the shuttle was inserted into footage of the shuttlebay in post production. The footage of the opening shuttlebay doors has never been seen before.
"Time Squared"
The sequence in HD, still the same as in "Time Squared".

"The Most Toys"
The Zalkonian ship is a modification of the Tarellian plague ship, seen in "Haven". Footage of the ship approaching the Enterprise-D was re-used in the Voyager episode "Jetrel" where the ship appeared as a Haakonian shuttle.
Redresses of the Tarellian Vessel

"Haven"
We can recognize more details of the ship in HD. Its dorsal surface is not as smooth as it previously appeared.

VOY: "Jetrel"

Two of the consoles on the Zalkonian vessel previously appeared on Federation starships. The one in the background was seen in the cargo bay in "Code of Honor" but also appeared on the bridge of the Atlec ship in "The Outrageous Okona". It was originally a sickbay console aboard the USS Enterprise in the first two Star Trek films.

Consoles like the small one attached to the desk were seen in several earlier TNG episodes, like "Booby Trap" and "The Emissary".

The transparent display seen through the "window" on the bridge debuted on Risa in "Captain's Holiday".


"Star Trek II"

"The Outrageous Okona"
A good look at the Zalkonian bridge in HD.

"Code of Honor"

"Booby Trap"

"The Emissary"

"Captain's Holiday"
The star chart seen behind the Risian glass interface was originally seen in Picard's ready room aboard the alternate USS Enterprise-D in "Yesterday's Enterprise". It also appeared in Maxwell's ready room aboard the USS Phoenix in "The Wounded".
"Yesterday's Enterprise"

"The Wounded"
Owing to the depth of field, we can't recognize more details on this display in HD. But we can see the complex ornaments on Sunad's uniform.

This footage of the Zalkonian starship facing the USS Enterprise-D was re-used in "The Game", as the Ktarian ship appearing in that episode was filmed using the same filming miniature. A shot of the Tarellian plague ship from a similar angle shows what the model looked like before modification.

The shot of the USS Enterprise-D is new, it was filmed using the 4-foot model. Compare this to similar shots of the 2-foot model ("The Ensigns of Command") and 6-foot model ("The Vengeance Factor").


"Haven"

"The Ensigns of Command"
We can recognize more details of the ship in this HD shot too.

"The Vengeance Factor"
Actor Mark La Mura places his hand a little too far on the window frame of the observation lounge window. The glass/transparent aluminum should normally be located here already. No changes
The large medical device in the background is only seen in this episode. In real life, it is a panoramic dental X-ray machine of the type GE Panelipse, most likely rented for this episode. The machine in HD.
An LCARS display of the USS Enterprise-D is switched on when John Doe sends an energy wave through the ship. It is similar to the display Riker uses in "Encounter at Farpoint".
"Encounter at Farpoint"
An HD close-up of the display.
The shot of the energy wave moving over the hull of the saucer section is a freeze frame from a shot of the model filmed for "Encounter at Farpoint" and fully seen in "Conspiracy".
"Conspiracy"
The effect in TNG-R.
Sunad's desk aboard the bridge of his ship was originally built for the courtroom in "The Measure of a Man".
"The Measure of a Man"
An HD close-up of the desk.
John Doe has transformed into the next evolutionary stage of the Zalkonians. The effect in TNG-R, and another good look at Sunad's uniform.
The Zalkonian military uniform later appeared in a couple of DS9 episodes. It was worn by several Dopterians on the show.
DS9: "The Way of the Warrior"
The Zalkonian starship flies away. A screenshot from "Haven" shows what the Tarellian plague ship looks like from a similar angle.
"Haven"
A good look at the port side of the ship in HD.
John Doe's light illuminates the faces of the Starfleet crew. The reconstructed light effects. Note on the second still that the light ball is more intricate in TNG-R.
The completely non-corporeal stage of Zalkonian evolution.
One of the rare cases when the large ceiling window on the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D is fully seen.
"Justice"

"The Dauphin"
The shot of John Doe leaving the USS Enterprise-D is a freeze-frame from the opening credits of TNG. In this shot, the observation lounge is lit blue and the footage of the small moving figures is not inserted into the shot. As can be seen, the lights on top of and around the bridge module were modified a little.
Opening credits
The shot still looks the same in TNG-R.

 


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