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Observations in TNG: "Final Mission"

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

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

"Final Mission" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
A shot of the USS Enterprise-D at warp. Enterprise Flybys in TNG and TNG-R				This shot appears unusually blurry in the remastered version of the episode. It is a shot of the Enterprise flying into the opposite direction that was mirror-inverted, as the shot from the original episode was missing.
Chairman Songi's species is not the only one with flaps of skin directly in front of the mouth. Other aliens with this feature are Fallit Kot in DS9: "Melora" and the Tak Tak in VOY: "Macrocosm".	DS9: "Melora"	DS9: "Melora"		The unusual make-up in HD.
	VOY: "Macrocosm"	VOY: "Macrocosm"
This small PADD was previously seen on a sickbay cart in "Brothers".		"Brothers"		An HD close-up of the PADD.
The front section of the Nenebek is a re-use of the Zibalian escape pod ("The Most Toys"), also seen as the Zalkonian escape pod ("Transfigurations") and the Arcos escape pod ("Legacy"). The aft section was created for this episode and remained largely unchanged on Jaglom Shrek's shuttle in "Birthright I+II". Redresses of the Nenebek The usual set for shuttlebays 2/3 is used in this shot, although a later LCARS display reveals that this is supposed to be the main shuttlebay (shuttlebay 1). Its interior was only seen once more, as a model in "Cause and Effect".	"Legacy"	"Birthright II"		A good look at the ship in HD. We can faintly see the name "Nenebek".
	"Transfigurations"	"Cause and Effect"
The shuttlebay operations display with the shuttle list in the control booth is briefly visible in this shot. It also appeared in "Evolution" and "Transfigurations".	"Transfigurations"	Shuttlebay list
The number "21166" can be seen on the back of the Nenebek hull in this shot. This is the registry of the ship as it also appears in the shuttlebay graphic a little later. Close examination of the yellow number on the floor right in front of the shuttlebay door reveals that the set is still labeled "2", as in "Shuttlebay 2".				No changes
The PADD Picard is holding here was first seen on Dr. Ira Graves's desk in "The Schizoid Man".		"The Schizoid Man"		A close-up of the device in HD.
As mentioned before, both the text and the graphic in this LCARS display establish that the Nenebek is launched from the main shuttlebay.				The display was recreated for TNG-R, including the now discernible registry NAR-21166 of the Nenebek. One small glitch only occurs in the remastered version of the episode. The distance of the Nenebek from the USS Enterprise-D is shown on the LCARS display with three digits, with the exception of 37 meters, when the leading "0" is missing.


The cockpit of the Nenebek can be seen in this shot. The comparison shot of the Zibalian escape pod from "The Most Toys" reveals that this is the same set. Redresses of TNG's Alien Shuttle Cockpit		"The Most Toys"		A good impression of the shuttle interior in HD.
Pentarus III and Lambda Paz can be nicely seen through the cockpit windows of the Nenebek.
The Nenebek hurls towards Pentarus III and two of its moons. This is the first appearance of the shuttle miniature.				The planetary bodies remain the same in TNG-R.



The old-fashioned LCARS displays of the Nenebek can be seen here. In SD, not all of the text is fully legible.				The graphics were newly created for TNG-R. The previously nonsensical numbers in the bars below the diagrams were replaced with useful lettering, such as "Propulsion System Monitor Mode" or "FWD Optical Scanner Display". The inaccurate image of Pentarus III B was replaced by an actual shot of the moon.





Another shot of the Nenebek flying towards Pentarus III and Lambda Paz.				Another look at the planet and the moons. It is possible that Lambda Paz was slightly retouched to exhibit more contrast.



The aft section and shuttle door can be seen through the open door in this screenshot.				No changes
The surface of Lambda Paz can be seen through the cockpit windows shortly before the shuttle crash lands on the moon.				No changes
The barren surface of Lambda Paz. The location footage was filmed at the El Mirage Dry Lake Bed. The same location (and nearly the same shot) was used four years later for the surface of the Ocampa homeworld in VOY: "Caretaker". Re-Used Planet Sets		VOY: "Caretaker"		The great location in HD.
The Nenebek mock-up was taken to the location filming for this shot.
The USS Enterprise-D and the alien garbage scow in orbit of Gamelan V. The 4-foot model of the Enterprise was used for this footage. A shot of the 6-foot model, shown from a similar angle, shows the differences between the models. The garbage scow is a re-use of the Batris from "Heart of Glory", returned to its original configuration for the most part after it had been modified to appear as the Sanction in "Symbiosis" and the Erstwhile in "The Outrageous Okona". Redresses of the Batris		"Encounter at Farpoint"		The original planet was replaced by a new one for the remastering of the episode. The new planet has darker blue oceans and a realistic cloud cover. The existing footage of the freighter was used for the HD release. It appears very blurry compared to the crystal clear new planet. Considering that this was already the case in the original release, this "depth of field" effect seems appropriate though.


		"Heart of Glory"


A futuristic building on the surface of Gamelan V is seen behind Chairman Songi in this shot. This matte painting was originally created for the film "Logan's Run" and also appeared in "Tapestry" as a building on Starbase Earhart. This shot also simulates that the Enterprise-D viewscreen shows 3D images. We see the right side of Chairman Songi, who is probably looking straight at the camera, as at the beginning of the episode.	"Logan's Run"	"Tapestry"		An HD close-up of the building in the background.
Dirgo uses old-fashioned 23rd century phasers, originally created for "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock".		"Star Trek III"		HD close-ups of the old phaser.

More impressions of the dry surface of Lambda Paz, filmed at the El Mirage Dry Lake bed.				Although the scene is meant to be yellow anyway, the typical pale yellow hue and seeming overexposure of location shoots of TNG was successfully corrected in TNG-R. The registry of the Nenebek (21166) can clearly be seen in this shot, as can the tire tracks made by the vehicles used to transport the shuttle mock-up and the cast and crew to the outdoor set...

This cave set is re-used again in "Silicon Avatar", as a cave on Melona IV.		"Silicon Avatar"		It looks like the wall and the steps were digitally retouched to exhibit more of a surface structure in HD.
Another shot of the USS Enterprise-D and the garbage scow in orbit of Gamelan V.				The shot in with the ships and the planet in TNG-R.

A wire-frame graphic of the garbage scow.				This 3D display too was reconstructed for TNG-R. The model is just as crude as in the original but appropriately less blurred.

The model of the garbage scow and the attached thruster modules are really seen up close in these screenshots.				The close-ups of the freighter hull are comparably noisy in HD.





This footage of the USS Enterprise-D, towing the garbage scow with its tractor beam, was newly filmed for this episode. A shot from "The Neutral Zone" shows what the 6-foot model looks like from this angle.		"The Neutral Zone"		The towing sequence in HD.



Dirgo fires his phaser towards the forcefield around the water fountain.				The yellow hue of this scene is gone in TNG-R.

This shot of the USS Enterprise-D was originally filmed for "The Best of Both Worlds II", using the 4-foot model. The tractor beam and the garbage scow were added for this episode.		"The Best of Both Worlds II"		The remastered release shows a CG shot of the Enterprise. This is the first of several appearances of this recreated shot in the fourth season. The original footage of the physical model could not be found so it had to be recreated using a CG model.



More footage of the garbage scow.


The tractor beam is malfunctioning in this shot, as indicated by a colorful interference pattern. The same footage, without the tractor beam, will be used for the Akritirian freighter in VOY: "The Chute".		VOY: "The Chute"		The malfunction of the beam was faithfully reconstructed for TNG-R.

The sentry on Lambda Paz enveloping Dirgo's phaser.				An HD close-up of the effect, which is still rather blurry.
The USS Enterprise-D flies toward the Gamelan sun. This shot of the 4-foot model was also originally created for "The Best of Both Worlds II". The tractor beam, sun and garbage scow were added for this episode. When the shot appeared in the first episode of the season, the USS Enterprise-D was flying past Saturn.		"The Best of Both Worlds II" SD		As this footage of the USS Enterprise-D could not be located for the remastering, it also needed to be recreated using a CG model - and a different one than for the otherwise identical shot in "The Best of Both Worlds II".

		"The Best of Both Worlds II" HD

This is another new shot of the 4-foot model of the USS Enterprise-D.


The footage of the asteroids in the Gamelan system was most likely originally filmed for "Booby Trap", as several identical asteroids can be seen in these two shots. The rock on the left in the second screen cap is simply flipped and also appears on the right side of the same image. Note how far apart the OPS and CONN consoles are, in order to allow Riker to stand comfortably between them. This is not the case in the reverse angle shot from the scene.	"Booby Trap"	Same scene, reverse angle		The asteroids are still the same for the most part. A few more were added.

A beautiful shot of the USS Enterprise-D (filmed using the 4-foot model) and the garbage scow flying towards the Gamelan sun. Shots showing the 6-foot model from similar angles highlight the differences between the two models.		"Booby Trap"		The impressive sequence in HD. It is 100% the same footage as in the original episode. Even the starfield is identical.



		"Booby Trap"


Wesley fires his phaser at some rocks to create a heat source for him and Picard. Sulu was the first to use this strategy to create some heat in the TOS episode "The Enemy Within". Similar scenes were seen in "A Private Little War", "Spock's Brain", VOY: "Parturition", DS9: "Rocks and Shoals" and also in LOW: "Mining the Mind's Mines".	TOS: "The Enemy Within"	LOW: "Mining the Mind's Mines"		The shot as it looks in TNG-R.
The Enterprise rushes to the rescue of Picard and Wesley.				This shot too was recreated using a CG model for TNG-R.
In SD, it is not clearly visible what small device Wesley is working in this shot.		"Brothers"		In HD, it can be seen he has opened his communicator and is tampering with it. This open communicator is most likely the one created for "Brothers".
The person firing the phaser in this shot clearly is not Wil Wheaton.				Note how dark this shot is in TNG-R. Perhaps to conceal that otherwise the double would be even better recognizable in HD?
Two shots of the sentry of Lambda Paz.				The faithfully reconstructed effect in TNG-R.

A close look at the season 4 tricorder. The characteristic display screen will be in use for about two seasons.				A good look at the tricorder in HD.
The sentry passes through Wesley Crusher.				The reconstructed effects in TNG-R.
The forcefield surrounding the sentry disappears.
The same case, without the logo and with a new green paint scheme, also appears in "The Host" in the possession of Odan.		"The Host"		No changes
The triangular logo, consisting of smaller triangles, appears on the outside and the inside of this case. It might be a logo from Pentara V, Dirgo's homeworld.		Earlier in this episode
The same number of triangles had to be arranged differently in the Discovery series finale "Life, Itself", to form "the one between the many".	DIS: "Life, Itself"	DIS: "Life, Itself"
The USS Enterprise-D flies towards Pentarus III and Lambda Paz. One prominent earlier use of this footage (originally created for "Allegiance") was in "The Best of Both Worlds II" when the ship approaches the starship graveyard at Wolf 359.		"The Best of Both Worlds II"		The shot in HD. Here it doesn't look like Lambda Paz has been retouched.

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