Risian Logos and Design
by Jörg Hillebrand, Bernd Schneider and Brad Wilder
Appearances of Risian Logos and DesignAddendum
Risa is shown in two TNG episodes, one DS9, one ENT and one LOW episode, and potentially in one VOY episode as well. Almost every time we can see different logos, writing or other design elements.
Appearances of Risian Logos and Design
TNG: Captain's Holiday
We can also see Risian writing in the episode. These are angular and have characteristic "steps". This motif can also be found in the unanimated glass part of the display. Looking around in Risian hotel rooms, we can see that this step motif reappears everywhere, in the windows, the window decorations, the lamps and generally on the structural supports in the hotel rooms. The window decorations in Vash's and Picard's quarters almost look like a square heart, which certainly befits the entertainment planet Risa.
Horga'hns, like the one that Riker gave to Picard, already appear, but are not an integral part of the Risian design, the way they would be in ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights". Still, a large horga'hn can be seen as a statue in the Risian resort.
TNG: The Game
At the beginning of this episode, we can see Riker's hotel room on Risa for a moment. It is noticeable that Picard's / Vash's room, as it was seen more than a year and a half earlier, was faithfully restored. The stepped wall struts and windows are the same. The characteristic wall lamp from "Captain's Holiday" is also present again. However, the heart-shaped window decorations are missing, probably because Etana Jol throws Riker's communicator out of the window. A horga'hn is placed on the table in the hotel room, but the Risian logo and Risian characters cannot be seen in the episode.
DS9: Let He Who Is Without Sin
In this episode, which takes place almost entirely on Risa, we can spot surprisingly few Risian logos. In fact, the Risian logo only appears on the foreheads of the local population. We can see that the logo has changed compared to "Captain's Holiday". It now only consists of the upper wide arch and the lower narrow arch. The vertical line that used to make the logo look like a stick figure is missing. Looking at Arandis's face logo in various scenes of the episode, it becomes evident that the logo always looks slightly different. So it doesn't seem to be a tattoo, but make-up or a sticker. The other Risians seen in this episode also have a wider range in terms of the appearance of the logo.
As already in "Captain's Holiday", there is an oversized horga'hn, but here the statue is the size of a building. Nothing can be seen here of the angular, stepped room design from the two TNG episodes.
A building on Risa was later reused in VOY: "Random Thoughts" on the Mari homeworld. It is based on another similar building that was seen in Paris a year earlier in DS9: "Paradise Lost". The geodesic dome was later seen, slightly compressed, in the Voyager episode "Blink of an Eye".
The walls and wall panels in the Risian resort in "Let He Who Is Without Sin" were previously seen in DS9: "To the Death" in the Iconian ziggurat.
The copper-colored columns (partially illuminated) also appeared earlier. They originate in the engine room of the Enterprise-E in "First Contact". These pillars would later frequently appear in Star Trek: Voyager, on the Borgified USS Voyager and on Borg ships.
Small round and hexagonal windows that appear several times in this episode are also characteristic of the Risian design of this episode. These windows are reflected in the exterior of the Risian building. A wall decoration with the same pattern also appears frequently in the episode.
The same window/wall panels were later seen on Son'a starships in "Star Trek: Insurrection". These windows would also reappear in the Risian nightclub in "Two Days and Two Nights", so there is a certain Risian design continuity here. Finally, we can see the wall in ENT: "These Are The Voyages", just before Archer delivers his speech.
DS9: Who Mourns for Morn?
One of the mourners at Morn's memorial service is a Risian , which can be recognized, albeit very weakly, by her Risian forehead logo.
ENT: Two Days and Two Nights
In this episode we can see numerous Risians, including civilians for the first time. The Risian forehead logo is similar but not quite the same as the one in the DS9 episode "Let He Who Is Without Sin". It appears that the upper arch at the ends is now a little more jagged. We can also spot differences between the logos of individual Risians, as in the DS9 episode.
It is noticeable in this episode that the horga'hn is more present in the Risian design of the 22nd century. The Risian door switches are modeled on a horga'hn (although this may be a special feature in this particular resort).
On a menu in a restaurant, there are Risian characters, for the first time since "Captain's Holiday", and the logo of the restaurant. These curved characters differ significantly from those of the 24th century, as seen in "Captain's Holiday".
The angular Risian interior design from the TNG episodes is partly reflected in the angular lamps and the edges of the balcony.
LOW: Envoys
In the Risian district on Tulgana IV we can see another giant horga'hn as well as several Risians. Only two of them are visible up close, with forehead logos that look like those already established in DS9 or ENT.
Discovery
The 32rd century Risian Ruon Tarka, who first appears in DIS: "The Examples", has a forehead emblem that resembles those that appeared on DS9 and Enterprise, only more angular and not on white ground.
A 32nd century Risian emblem appears at the voting in DIS: "...But to Connect", among many other symbols. It is a stick figure, for the first time since TNG: "Captain's Holiday". However, unlike in the TNG episode, the official emblem is not identical to the forehead marking. The appropriate color is conjectural, as all icons on the transparent display are either red or green, depending on the vote.
The classic Risian stick figure also appears in PRO: "Masquerade", as a symbol for the Trill species on a display in the genetic lab on Noble Isle.
Addendum
VOY: Inside Man
In this Voyager episode, Reg Barclay visits Deanna Troi while on vacation on a beach. The episode never mentions which planet she is on. The script of the episode is not available online, so there is no further indication of whether the planet is possibly supposed to be Risa. However, we can see that all bathers on the beach have a white towel with a green logo on their deck chair. The logo particularly is well visible on Troi's deck chair.
When the Star Trek Star Charts was published, this logo was used by Geoff Mandel in a more colorful version for Risa. It has certain similarities to the logo in "Two Days and Two Nights", as a sunset over the sea can also be seen here. But the colors, as well as the classification as a "Risian beach logo", are non-canon.
See Also
Observations in TNG: "Captain's Holiday"
Alpha and Beta Quadrant Emblems L-Z
Credits
Some screen caps from TrekCore. Thanks to Lt. Washburn for the hint about the wall in "These Are The Voyages".
