Observations in TNG: "Hide and Q"
A joint project with TrekCore, by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider
Here are some observations about sets, props and visual effects in TNG: "Hide and Q" without a specific theme, and a comparison of the original TV release (TNG) with the remastered episode (TNG-R).
"Hide and Q" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore
| Description TNG | Other caps | Comparison TNG to TNG-R | Description TNG-R | |
| The shot of the three crew members leaving the lounge (a redress of the sickbay office) was originally filmed for and seen in "Encounter at Farpoint". |  |
No changes | ||
| This is the first good look at the senior officers' quarters corridor. At one end of the corridor we can make out a small niche with a turbolift. When this set was modified between seasons 1 and 2 to include Ten Forward, the niche at the end of the corridor was enlarged and the turbolift door was moved. Also note the removal of the diagonally striped pattern from some walls in later episodes, in favor of plain beige. Changes to the TNG Sets Between Seasons 1 and 2 |
 "Suspicions" |
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The set in HD. Note the bluish color of the wall pattern and the carpet. | |
 "The Defector" |
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| Q's "chain-link fence" is re-used from "Encounter at Farpoint". |   |
TNG-R: "Hide and Q" naturally re-uses the updated effect from TNG-R: "Encounter at Farpoint". | ||
| The graphics of a planetary system and a planet seen behind Worf were originally seen in "The Naked Now". The graphic of the planetary system reappeared in "The Last Outpost" and "Conspiracy", the graphic of the planet showed up in "Datalore" in addition to the previously listed episodes. Re-Used Graphics |
 "The Naked Now" |
 "The Naked Now" |
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A better look at the display in HD. |
| Q appears as an Aldebaran serpent. |   |
The Aldebaran serpent was faithfully recreated for TNG-R. | ||
| This is the first appearance of a Starfleet Admiral dress uniform. A uniform like Q's did not appear again. |   |
The uniform in HD. | ||
| A flash of light as Q abducts part of the bridge crew to his war scenario. |  |
No changes | ||
In order to extend the set, two different elements of filmed footage were combined here. The actors were filmed separately from the rocks in the foreground. Mike Okuda: "Those shots were, indeed set extensions. For the original versions, Rob Legato and Gary Hutzel, took images of the rocks on Stage 16 and used video compositing to create more planetscape. They also stretched the sky in at least one shot." |
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In the remastered episode, the rocks in the foreground have been replaced by better defined CG rocks. Mike Okuda: "For the remastered version, CBS-D used simple matte paintings to re-create the extensions." |
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| The twin moons. |   |
The twin moons look a little less defined in this shot in TNG-R. They are likely beyond the depth of field as the camera is focused on Data and not on the sky in this shot. | ||
The blue table cloth behind Riker features the letter "Q". Also, it is curious that someone posing as Napoleon (or at least, as a French marshal of the Napoleonic era) has a French royal banner with the fleur-de-lis (lily) in his quarters. |
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A better look in HD. | ||
| The ceiling of the set is visible in this shot. |   |
The set border is no longer visible, apparently because the scan area of TNG-R was smaller in that direction. Thanks to the much better quality of the footage, it can be seen now that Yar, Data, Geordi and Worf are holding blue, yellow, green and red drinks, respectively. |
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| In this whole sequence, Data's rank insignia are wrong. The rightmost rank pin should be golden as well, of course. |   |
A better look at the wrong pip in HD. | ||
| Q is wearing the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece, which was awarded to Napoleon Bonaparte. |   |
A better look at the order in HD. | ||
| The only good look at the cover of Picard's first Shakespeare book,
The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare. Picard's Shakespeare Books |
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A better look at the book cover in HD. | ||
| Swine soldiers attack with what turns out to be beam weapons despite the ancient look. Riker returns fire. Beside him: Q in his "Data" guise. |  |
No changes | ||
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| Q as "Data". |   |
The make-up in HD. | ||
| The Enterprise is unlit and powered down when Q removes his forcefield. |   |
This state was reconstructed in TNG-R. | ||
| Another look at the twin moons of Q's planet. |   |
A better look in TNG-R. | ||
| Here is the second shot that was extended with additional footage of the rocks in the foreground. |   |
Those rocks were replaced with a CG matte painting in the remastered episodes. | ||
| Both in "Hide and Q" and "Encounter at Farpoint", Q's net is not only seen in space, catching the USS Enterprise-D, but also holds back humans and "vicious animal things". |  "Encounter at Farpoint" |
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The reconstructed net and the animal soldiers in TNG-R. | |
| The silver Constitution class model makes its second appearance in the ready room after "The Battle". |   |
A close-up of the model in HD. | ||
| The Enterprise arrives at Quadra Sigma III. Unlike other planets, this cloudy world does not seem to reappear later on TNG. |   |
The planet with its interesting combination of colors was reconstructed for TNG-R. | ||
The wall in the background on Sigma III got re-used in several later episodes, including "Too Short a Season", where it was seen on Mordan IV. A very similar wall appeared in several Star Trek films, including "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock".Some of the tubes in the wall were built from US Navy sonobuoy containers. The Starfleet Medical logo is visible on Crusher's medical case, in the very same style on a blue shield that was designed for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". |
 "Star Trek II" |
 "Too Short a Season" |
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A better look at the wall and the pictogram in HD. |
 "Star Trek III" |
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| An early appearance of a 47 is seen behind Crusher. |   |
A close look at the 47. | ||
| The dark side of a planet is seen in this shot, which is a rare occasion in any Star Trek episode. |   |
Like in the original episode, the dark side of the planet is seen in this shot. | ||
| The turbolift is only partially lit when Riker enters the bridge. A few moments later, it is fully lit when he laves the bridge. |   |
The same small blooper in TNG-R. | ||
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| A black cardboard square is clearly visible behind Picard. |   |
Clearly visible cardboard in TNG-R too. | ||
| When Riker gives him back his eyesight, it is the first time we can see Geordi with real eyes. We also see Geordi with LeVar Burton's natural dark eyes in "Future Imperfect", "Interface" and "Star Trek: Insurrection". Geordi's VISOR and Eyes |
 "Future Imperfect" |
 "Star Trek: Insurrection" |
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A better look at Geordi's eyes in TNG-R. |
| The Klingon woman that Riker creates for Worf appears to have cranial ridges unlike other members of her species. But this may be just a matter of the unusual hairline. The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads |
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The make-up in HD. | ||
| The Klingon warrioress is attacking Worf with a 24th century version of a kligat, originally seen on Capella IV in "Friday's Child". According to the script, the kligat is a Klingon, not a Capellan weapon: "Her other arm holds a Klingon weapon - a kligat. |  TOS: "Friday's Child" |
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A better look at the weapon. | |
