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Observations in TNG: "Coming of Age"

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

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

"Coming of Age" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
Relva VII was previously seen as Mordan IV in "Too Short a Season" and will appear again in "Up the Long Ladder" as the planet housing Starbase 73. Re-Used Planets in TNG				The planet in TNG-R is new and features nice cloud patterns. It is apparently the same new planet as in TNG-R: "Too Short a Season".
An interesting shot: The camera follows Picard, Quinn and Remmick from the turbolift to the bridge and then straight into the adjacent ready room in one continuous shot.				No changes




The matte painting of Relva VII was originally created for the Buck Rogers episode "The Plot to Kill a City" where it represented planet Aldebaran II. The painting was modified in a couple of details. A dish antenna left of the main dome was replaced with a ball-shaped structure, instead of the red palm symbol on the dome there is now something like writing, there are additional blue lights around the landing platform and new details on the rearmost buildings, including a small dome and some sort of garden around them. The apparent mesa at the middle distance was reshaped to a hill chain, and the otherwise unchanged mountains in the background are partially covered by a layer of mist. The sky looks somewhat different too.		"Buck Rogers"		A couple of lights were added to the shot of the matte painting, and the Starfleet arrowhead on the dome is recognizable now.
The console behind Wesley was also seen in "Datalore". Consoles by Modern Props in Star Trek		"Datalore"		No changes
The console behind Oliana Mirren previously appeared in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in the Regula I laboratory.		"Star Trek II"		No changes
The console behind Wesley was also first seen in the Regula I laboratory in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and then reappeared in Dr. Soong's lab in "Datalore".	"Star Trek II"	"Datalore"		No changes
The console with the red lights in the background was also seen in "Datalore" and "11001001".	"Datalore"	"11001001"		No changes
A good look at the Benzite make-up and the breathing apparatus. It incorporates yellow and red lights inside, matching the colors of the two tubes.				The make-up and device in HD.
The windows and the ribbed wall panels seen in this shot were re-used from previous episodes. They appeared on the planet Angel I in "Angel One" and on Aldea in "When the Bough Breaks". They will reappear, in horizontal orientation, on Gravesworld.	"Angel One"	"When the Bough Breaks"		A better look at the set decoration in TNG-R.
	"When the Bough Breaks"	"The Schizoid Man"		A better look at the set decoration in TNG-R.
Picard plays with an item that looks just like a 20th century snap-off blade knife. A similar device, with an extension looking like a spoon (or a mirror) was visible in previous season 1 episodes. Maybe that extension had broken off prior to "Coming of Age".		"Datalore" HD		The HD shot confirms that it is an X-Acto knife, without the blade.
The device to the right on Picard's desk (as already the two ones on Data's desk in "Datalore") is a 20th century desoldering pump.		"Datalore" HD		We can recognize the desoldering pump even better in HD.
This shot of the Relva VII matte painting is incredibly blurry in the original episode.				The shot looks much better in the remastered episode.
				Close inspection of the shuttle drone reveals that the original footage of the model, showing it from behind, wasn't used. Instead, the same footage of the shuttle as in "11001001" is used here, only mirrored.
The console behind Wesley previously appeared on Starbase 74 in "11001001".		"11001001"		No changes
This should be a subspace physics test, not a "hyperspace physics test". The text on the display was created to match with the (wrong) verbal mention of "hyperspace".				No changes
The shot of T'Shanik finishing the hyperspace physics test comes from later in the episode, as Wesley can be seen doing the later dynamics relationship test in the background.				A better look in HD.
In the original SD version of the episode, we may wonder what the right-aligned text in Picard's log is about.				The HD close-up of the Captain's log reveals that it solely consists of strings of numbers.
After "Code of Honor" the yellow and black holodeck grid is seen again. This time, the floor is also covered with the yellow lines on a black surface. In "Code of Honor", the floor was still partially covered with carpet. The holodeck control devices that were later used as PADDs are seen for the last time, attached to the arch.		"Code of Honor"		A good look at the set in HD.
This LCARS display, showing a "Cargo Management Module" features the aft view of a workbee, first seen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". Federation Shuttlecraft		"Star Trek I"		The schematic can be seen better in HD. The labels, however, seem to consist of mere numbers.
This shot showing the aft part of the stardrive section with the two nacelles and the leaving Type-7 shuttlecraft (making its first appearance apart from a graphic in "The Naked Now" here) was re-used several times over the course of the series. It also appeared in "Unnatural Selection", "Samaritan Snare" and "Déjà Q" (mirror-inverted). Variations of the Type-7 Shuttle				A better look at the shuttle in HD.
The interior of the Type-7 shuttle also appears for the first time in this episode. Over the course of the series, the interior was enlarged and modified with each later appearance.				No changes
Jake Kurland's stolen shuttle almost breaks up in the atmosphere. This sequence is rather blurry.				The scene looks considerably better in HD.
This rare shot features three officers wearing skants in all three department colors.				In this shot even the motion blur is reduced in HD.
The painted corridor extension is pretty obvious in this shot.				It is clearly visible in HD too that the corridor is painted.
Throughout the episode, Dexter Remmick uses a new red PADD to make recordings and take notes. Beginning in "The Schizoid Man", Geordi is seen using the same PADD. Until the end of the series, he would usually be seen using this red PADD (and a later different red PADD) in main engineering. In "The Drumhead", Admiral Norah Satie's assistance Nellen Tore uses a similar PADD to take notes when interrogating people.	"The Drumhead"	"Clues"		A close-up of the device in HD.
The large desk with an inbuilt LCARS display which originally appeared in "Too Short a Season" where it was used by another admiral, Mark Jameson, appears again in this episode.		"Too Short a Season"		A close-up of the display in HD.
A model of an aircraft carrier can be seen in Admiral Quinn's guest quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-D. We'd expect it to be either a model of the USS Enterprise (CV-6) or of the newer USS Enterprise (CVN-65).				The tall island as visible in HD indicates it is most likely the USS Enterprise CVN-65.
Wesley is taking the dynamics relationship test.				The close-up footage was recreated for the remastered version of the episode. It looks much cleaner now.
Wesley is taking the dynamics relationship test.				In the over-the-shoulder shots, however, the old footage, displayed live on the monitor screens, was retained.
As can be seen in this screenshot, Benzites possess two opposing thumbs and three regular fingers. In Alien Hands				A close-up of the hands in HD.
The four consoles displaying "DANGER", seen in the background, have appeared in one way or another in the first four Star Trek feature films. They were seen on the aft section of the bridge of the Klingon battlecruiser Amar in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". Then they showed up in main engineering in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". In "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock", only the small octagonal displays were used and seen on the bridge of Kruge's Klingon Bird of Prey. In "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" the whole console walls finally appear on the Klingon Bird of Prey. The consoles would appear in several later TNG episodes. Re-Used Props - Stationary Consoles	"Star Trek I"	"Star Trek III"		A better look at the display in HD.
	"Star Trek II"	"Star Trek IV"		A better look at the display in HD.
This is the first time Picard's ready room is seen through the window from outside. Similar shots appear in "The Best of Both Worlds II", "Darmok" and "Conundrum". The straight external wall is an inaccuracy, because the outer surface of deck 1 should be a lot more curved.		"Darmok"		No changes
		"The Best of Both Worlds II"
		"Conundrum"
Riker's reflection can be seen in the ready room window behind Picard.				In HD, it becomes obvious that Riker's lips are not moving as he says "You'll be able to shape the minds of the future leaders of Starfleet."
The matte painting in SD is again very blurry.		"Buck Rogers"		In HD, many details can be seen. While the familiar Starfleet arrowhead replaced the symbol seen on the central dome in the Buck Rogers episode, the alien symbols from that TV show are still visible on some smaller buildings.
The school room on Relva VII features four large computer consoles like the one seen behind Mordock. These consoles were created for the previous episode, "When the Bough Breaks" where they appeared in a classroom aboard the USS Enterprise-D. The consoles were modified for this episode, as they needed to house monitors displaying the different tests Wesley and the other four Starfleet Academy hopefuls take. The top part of the console was also modified. The small display is no longer slanted to the front but to the aft now, decreasing the height of the console a little.		"When the Bough Breaks"		A better look at the monitors in HD.
This is the second and last appearance of the original dress uniform. Picard is the only person seen wearing this uniform twice (after "Lonely Among Us"). When Picard is next seen wearing a dress uniform in "Manhunt", the uniform has changed. The gold trimming, for example, looks different.		"Lonely Among Us"		No changes
		"Manhunt"		No changes
This episode, again, offers a good view of the wall-mounted models in the observation lounge.				A somewhat better look at the models in HD.

Credits

Thanks to Michael Minnick for some corrections and to LogicDeLuxe who spotted the desoldering pump.

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