Observations in PIC: "Maps and Legends"
by Jörg Hillebrand and Bernd Schneider
Here are some observations about sets, props, make-ups and visual effects in PIC: "Maps and Legends", with special attention to continuity with previous Star Trek series and movies.
Chronological List
Observation 01
This is the first time one of the Martian moons (either Phobos or Deimos) is seen up close on Star Trek. Both have been mentioned in some way or another in previous episodes and films.
Observation 02
The rescue fleet features a new type of tug that has never appeared before. The shuttlecraft in this shot are later seen a lot better on the surface of Mars. Similar footage of transport ships appeared in the first episode of the series, "Remembrance", then in a news-holo in Picard's kitchen. The word "TUG" and a registry can be seen on the hull of one of the ships. The orbiting structures of the Utopia Planitia shipyards were previously seen in the Voyager episode "Relativity", in the year 2371.
Observation 03
The structures on the Martian surface are not quite the same that Picard looks at through the Ten Forward windows in his dream in "Remembrance". The ground-based structures of the Utopia Planitia shipyards were also seen in the TNG episode "Parallels". They are visible in the footage on the bottom right-hand corner depicted on the viewscreen here.
Observation 04
The hovering drone briefly appearing at Utopia Planitia in the year 2385 is similar to the drones from the previous episode, during the Picard interview, in the Starfleet Archives Museum and on the Borg ship in the year 2399.
Observation 05
While the androids (later identified as A-500 type Synths) look different in the first screen cap (the android in the far background seems to be much more "rotund" than the ones in the foreground), the next shot reveals that the androids are actually all identical. The Names "F8", "F7" and "F5" can clearly be made out.
Observation 06
Man-made structures on the surface of Mars also appeared on Voyager in "Lifesigns" and on Enterprise in "Terra Prime". Androids can be seen walking around in the foreground in this scene.
The new shuttles seen here are based on a design John Eaves originally developed for the Ships of the Line calendar. They share a design lineage with the Argo-type shuttlecraft from "Star Trek Nemesis".
Observation 07
This LCARS display looks very similar to displays from earlier Star Trek episodes as can be seen in the comparison screen cap of displays in the transporter room of the USS Enterprise-D, taken from "Realm of Fear".
Observation 08
Compare these caution signs and signage with similar signs most noticeably from "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country".
Observation 09
The Utopia Planitia workers (called "fuelies") in the credits of the episode wear a unique metal pin in this episode. Depending on the angle at which the light hits the pins, they look slightly different. Careful inspection reveals, however, that all four workers wear the same pin.
Observation 10
The structures on the Martian surface and the new shuttle are better recognizable in these screen caps.
Observation 11
This replicator was (quite fittingly) built from a FlashForge Dreamer 3D printer.
Observation 12
Like with the hologram called "Index" in "Remembrance", the android F8 accessing new information is shown by having his eyes light up.
Observation 13
The Martian orbital defense system was last seen in action in "The Best of Both Worlds II". Here, it did not consist of stationary satellites but of mobile sentry pods, however. We got a nice shot of Mars in the 21st century in the Voyager episode "One Small Step".
Observation 14
This footage of the ships used by the Synthetics to attack Mars has also appeared in "Children of Mars" and "Remembrance". It seems the Starfleet logo on the ventral side of the ships was added for this third appearance of the footage in "Maps and Legends". It was not there in the two earlier appearances.
Observation 15
The large PADD on the table (and other PADDs seen earlier in this scene) is clearly inspired by the PADDs used in all seven seasons of Star Trek Voyager. The new PADD is much larger, however. PADDs this size often appeared in the early seasons of TNG.
Observation 16
We get our first look at the Starfleet uniform worn in the year 2385 in this shot. It will appear much more prominently in the teaser of "The End is the Beginning".
Observation 17
Two old-fashioned black-and-white photos are placed on Picard's desk. One photo shows a young boy that looks remarkably like a young Patrick Stewart.
Observation 17a
The sketch between Picard and Laris is "Greenwich Pensioner", created by the American artist James McNeill Whistler. It can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Arts.
Observation 18
The painting on the left in Picard's study is "Foreigners Riding Along the Coast at Takanawa in the Eastern Capital" by Utagawa Hiroshige II.
The upper picture on the right is a sketch by Cherubino Alberti called "Two Draped Figures". A similar sketch is seen a little later in the episode on the opposite wall of Picard's study.
Observation 19
Dahj's Greater Boston apartment building seen during the day. A similar aircar like the one flying past the camera here was already seen in Boston in "Remembrance" when Dahj is walking through the rain and sees FNN interview with Picard.
Observation 20
A late 24th century transporter effect.
Observation 21
This shot of Dahj's apartment corresponds nicely with a similar one from "Remembrance", showing the room at night. It also illustrates how everything in her apartment was put back into order by the undercover Romulans. One thing is noticeably different, however. The photo on the sideboard in the background features three people in the screenshot from "Remembrance" but only two people in the shot from "Maps and Legends". On closer inspection of "Remembrance", one can see that the photo already changed in that episode as the photo with only two people is seen after Dahj's boyfriend has been killed by the Romulans.
Also notice how there is one wine glass on the table in the establishing shot of Dahj's apartment. This will change a little later in the scene.
Observation 22
Dahj has a red commercially available 21st century "multi-function breakfast machine" in her apartment.
Observation 23
A good look at a Romulan interface featuring the new Romulan written language. Though the letters were changed, the writing is easily still recognizable as Romulan. Comparison screenshots from "The Die Is Cast" and "The Aenar" show what Romulan interfaces looked like in previous Star Trek shows. Like in previous appearances, the Romulan language seems to be oriented vertically.
Observation 24
There is still one wine glass on the table. Also: the room behind the door to the left of the window must be really small based on the outdoor shot of the apartment building seen earlier in the episode.
Observation 25
Laris uses illegal Romulan technology to scan the crime scene. The yellow and pink orchid (possibly Orchidaceae Dahj oncidium) is much less active than it was in "Remembrance".
Observation 26
Notice how the wine glass has suddenly disappeared from the table as Dahj and her boyfriend are reconstructed (holographically?). Both are each holding a wine glass in their hands in this reconstruction.
Observation 27
Both holographic Dahj and her boyfriend put down their wine glasses on the table (out of shot) and all of a sudden, there are two real wine glasses on the table in the shot showing the whole apartment. It seems it was forgotten to add the holographic sparkle to the glasses. They even stay on the table once the holoprojection suddenly stops.
Observation 28
A better look at the photo (different from an earlier shot in "Remembrance") and a futuristic chess board on the sideboard in Dahj's apartment.
Observation 29
Like on his desk in the ready room aboard the USS Enterprise-D, Picard keeps a handy crystal (or a dog toy?) on the desk in his study in the Picard family home. In "Where Silence Has Lease", the captain even had two crystals on his ready room desk.
Observation 30
Now only one wine glass is left on the table, like in the beginning of the scene set in Dahj's apartment. A photo of a young Dahj with her mother and a golden crown (referencing the queen of hearts from Data's poker cards in "Remembrance"?) can also be seen on her desk.
Observation 31
There's a painting of a dream catcher on Dahj's desk. Fitting, as that is how she first appeared to Picard: in an unfinished painting in a dream. The folder (labeled folder EDIT_01) is commercially available.
Observation 32
The computer interface is similar to the one of Dahj's handheld device she uses in Paris to call her mother in "Remembrance". The photo of young Dahj and her mother and the golden crown on her desk can also be seen a little better in these screenshots. One call that is prominently displayed is call #1865.1. Seven of Nine once crash-landed on a planet with the Borg designation 1865-Alpha in the year 2368, as seen in the episode "Survival Instinct", but this is just coincidence. Or is it?
The image Dahj's digital assistant took of her when she introduced herself to the device is actually an image of Soji from the very end of "Nepenthe"!
Observation 33
We see a different angle of the Borg cube in this shot revealing more missing sections protected by forcefields.
Observation 34
Both Borg and Romulan forcefields previously appeared blue on TNG, as can be seen in the screenshots from "Descent II" and "Future Imperfect". A similar shot of the Borg cube as in "Remembrance", but from the Picard NYCC trailer, shows blue forcefields too.
Observation 35
As the camera zooms into the Borg cube, the new Romulan logo (without the twin planets Romulus and Remus) appears again above the hangar door. The logo looks much more weathered in this shot.
Observation 36
Romulan interfaces showing Borg alcoves are briefly seen in this shot. The updated alcoves appear a little later in this scene. Compare this to how Borg alcoves looked on Star Trek Voyager as in the screen cap from "Retrospect".
Observation 37
A new type of hovering drone appears in this shot. In "Remembrance", the same type of drone was used that was also seen in the Starfleet Archives and at Utopia Planitia. It seems the distinct Romulan type was not finished until the second episode.
Observation 38
Another member of this new alien species is later seen on Earth at Starfleet Command. The character on Earth was played by McKenzie Westmore and was called Rhomsew (Westmore spelled backwards, almost).
Observation 39
Soji keeps an interesting plush toy in her quarters aboard the Borg cube. It looks like a lion with a blue mane. More decoration in her room include colorful drawings, numerous plants (a reference to her father being an exobotanist?) and a wooden mannequin used by artists.
Observation 40
It is unclear at this time what the device in Narek's left ear is, maybe it is simply jewelry. It looks like there's a face depicted on the triangular metal piece. We will learn in later episodes that it's an earphone.
Observation 41
The flower Picard tends to in this scene is pink and yellow, like the orchid Dahj's father named after her.
Observation 42
The comparison screenshot from the Discovery season episode "Such Sweet Sorrow II" shows what Starfleet Headquarters looked like more than 100 years earlier. As can be seen, several buildings from the 23rd century are still standing but some new buildings were erected over the course of 140 years. See also Locating Starfleet Buildings in San Francisco.
Observation 43
Several aliens are seen using the transporter stations in this sequence. At least two Andorians can be seen, as well as the aforementioned alien called Rhomsew, played by McKenzie Westmore.
Observation 44
The scenes set at Starfleet Headquarters were filmed at Anaheim Convention Center, just like the scenes set at the Starfleet Archives Museum in the previous episode. Banners clearly identifying the location as Starfleet Headquarters can be seen in the screenshots.
Observation 45
The "reimagination" of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) from Discovery and a largely faithfully rebuilt USS Enterprise-D can be seen as holograms in this sequence. One major difference between the holographic recreation and the filming miniatures used on TNG is the size of shuttlebays 2 and 3. On TNG, the shuttlebay doors were different in size but on the recreation, they are the same size.
Observation 46
Admiral Clancy's office features a large LCARS display with a map of Federation space and the regions around it. In the first screen cap, the 21st century interface used to control the displays in real life is briefly seen and then quickly disappears. A similar blooper happened in the TNG episode "Identity Crisis" and the Voyager episode "Good Shepherd". See also Visual Bloopers.
It seems the Federation is represented by the Federation logo seen since the beginning of TNG and not by the "new" one introduced in Discovery. The Short Treks episode "Children of Mars" showed both the reboot version on the news screen and the traditional one on the worker helmet. (On another shot from "Children of Mars", we can see the Blue demarks Federation space in the map, while Romulan space is green and Klingon space is red. Yellow could stand for the Tzenkethi Coalition or (more likely) the Cardassian Union. The general layout of the Alpha/Beta Quadrant maps was originally established in the Star Trek Star Charts (based on preliminary work at Star Trek Dimension).
Observation 47
Escalators, like the ones seen here at Starfleet Headquarters, have appeared on Star Trek before. They were used at Starfleet Headquarters in the 23rd century and in the underground habitat on the Ocampa homeworld in VOY: "Caretaker". Note there is yet another Discovery Class C shuttle outside the window. We can also see Picard's visitor badge with the punched out Starfleet delta very well.
Observation 48
The Romulan transports and workbees already seen in the previous episode are seen again in this impressive shot featuring several Romulan landing bays aboard the Borg cube.
Observation 49
Many of the aliens seen on the Borg cube were previously also present at Starfleet Headquarters, including the bald alien in this screen cap.
Observation 50
A different version of the new Romulan logo, already known from "Remembrance" and seen much better later in this episode appears here on the railing. We get another look at the new vertical Romulan language. As can be seen in the screenshots from "Future Imperfect" and "Breaking the Ice", both Romulan and Vulcan had previously been established as languages that are written vertically. "5843 days" corresponds to exactly 16 Earth years minus one day (with 2384, 2388, 2392 and 2396 being leap years).
Observation 51
More alien workers can be seen in these shots, including two female Andorians (with pre-Discovery make-up). The two Romulans in the foreground of the section screenshot sport very noticeable forehead ridges, like the Romulans seen since the beginning of TNG.
Observation 52
Another callback to TNG are the uniform and the hairstyle worn by the Romulan security guard here. The uniform features a sash very similar to the one worn by Romulans on TNG. The new Romulan logo in the form of a badge is also attached to the sash at the same place as in previous episodes.
The Romulan disruptor rifle seen here is identical to the weapon used by the Romulans that killed Dahj in "Remembrance".
Observation 53
The two female Andorians can be seen again in this cap. Michael Chabon also posted a photo of himself with the two actresses on his Instagram account. The Andorian make-up is more in line with the Andorians previously seen on Enterprise and does not look like the "re-imagined" Andorian make-up seen on Discovery. Background Andorians seen in the episode "The Wolf Inside" (where the new Andorian make-up is established) do look a lot more like traditional Andorians, though. The antennae of Andorians on Discovery and Picard look different.
Observation 54
Large buildings are visible again in the background of scenes set in La Barre, France. Similar buildings appeared on Earth in the first Kelvin universe Star Trek film.
Observation 55
Dr. Agnes Jurati is seen browsing Isaac Asimov's The Complete Robot. Asimov was a the creator of the "Three Laws of Robotics" and a personal friend of Gene Roddenberry's. He received credit as a scientific adviser on the first Star Trek film.
Observation 56
One of the paintings seen in the background is a sketch by the Italian artist Cherubino Alberti called "Saints Peter and Paul". Another of his paintings ("Two Draped Figures") appeared earlier in the episode.
Observation 57
Dr. Jurati uses a small hand-held device to transfer all the data about Dahj to Picard.
Observation 58
One of the choices of tea Picard offers to Dr. Jurati is green tea by the 21st century company Twining's of London, as can be seen on the teabag.
Observation 59
A large assortment of Romulan medical tools appears in this shot. Romulan tools and scanners were also seen in the Deep Space 9 episode "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges".
Observation 60
The operating room set is a redress of the changing rooms seen earlier in the episode. The coat hooks in the background are called Sticks Multi Hook and are available at Umbra.
Observation 61
The wall panels in the background look like a highly stylized version of the Romulan logo. The beak and the wings of the bird of prey are clearly visible. Another episode in which stylized Romulan wall panels were seen was in "United" aboard the Romulan drone ship. See also The Evolution of the Romulan Emblem.
Observation 62
The Romulan doctor has very noticeable forehead ridges, similar to Romulans seen on the previous Trek series. She also has uniquely styled (flashy) eyebrows.
Observation 63
Here we get a really good look at the new red Romulan logo, which is slightly different from the logo seen above the landing bay doors in this and in the previous episode.
Observation 64
Romulan wall displays and consoles are seen very well in these caps. The comaprison with TNG: "Timescape" shows what Romulan consoles and interfaces looked like 30 years earlier.
Observation 65
Earlier in the episode, when the gradient badges were handed out, they appeared like really thin plaques, no more than half a centimeter in thickness. Now, the badges are much thicker, almost 1.5 centimeters.
Observation 66
In Star Trek Generations, Dr. Soran said "Time is the fire in which we burn". This quote is beautifully mirrored by this shot. The clock on the mantelpiece is a Russian clock manufactured by Lantaz.
Observation 67
The small metal box features the laurel or olive leaves of the Federation logo seen since the very beginning of TNG.
Observation 68
This is the Starfleet communicator in use since the year 2371. Picard was last seen wearing it in the tenth Star Trek film, "Star Trek: Nemesis".
Observation 69
The shot of Picard looking at the stars mirrors a similar scene of his nephew Réne looking at the stars at the end of "Family". Both members of the Picard family were looking at the night sky above La Barre in these scenes.
Observation 70
Another new beautiful shot of Starfleet Headquarters and the Golden Gate Bridge, now covered with solar collectors.
Observation 71
Commodore Oh's office features several Vulcan artifacts from various earlier Star Trek series and films. It seems she is trying really hard to make herself appear 100% Vulcan. ;-)
An IDIC, very much like the one worn by Spock in "Is There in Truth No beauty?" appears on a small box. Oh also keeps a set of Vulcan dice on her desk. The dice are similar in shape and appearance to the ones shown to Spock in "Unification II" on Romulus. He says the dice feature "the syllabic nucleus of the Vulcan language". A replica of the Vulcan kir'shara, which appeared on Enterprise in the eponymous season 4 episode, is also seen on her desk.
Observation 72
We get our first good look at the new Starfleet communicator and the uniform in this shot. The communicator has some similarities with the late 24th century communicator introduced in "All Good Things". The gap formed by the two vertical elements, on the other hand, corresponds to the kink in all Discovery-style Starfleet logo variations. The uniform features tiny versions of the Starfleet delta.
Observation 73
Old-fashioned 21st century binoculars are amongst the antiques in Picard's study. We can also see an Egyptian senet game.
Observation 74
Another piece of typical Vulcan decoration are the Vulcan bells in the background in these two shots. The bells were first seen on Vulcan in "Amok Time" during Spock's koon-ut-kal-if-fee. The prop later appeared in Spock's quarters in "The Paradise Syndrome" and "The Way to Eden". A replica of the original prop was also seen in Spock's quarters in the Discovery episode "Brother".
Observation 75
In the past, Romulan disruptor fire was usually green, not red, as seen here and in "Remembrance". Blue disruptor fire appeared in "Unification II".
Observation 75
We can briefly see the Federation emblem on a window that Commodore enlarges.
Observation 76
A better look at the delta pattern on the new Starfleet uniforms.
Observation 77
Raffi makes her home at Vasquez Rocks, a location famously used on previous Star Trek episodes and films to portray the surface of many alien planets. The shots used in this episode resemble some of the shots of the location seen in "Arena".
Observation 78
The yellow taxi shuttle Picard uses here is another re-use of the Class C shuttle from Discovery.
Observation 79
The rifle Raffi uses in this scene very much looks like previous Starfleet phaser rifles from Star Trek shows and films.
Observation 80
We get our first good look at a Château Picard wine bottle here. The bottle will be seen much better in "The end is the Beginning", however.
Observation 81
Narek uses an old-fashioned pen and a leather-bound notebook to take notes in his quarters in this scene. This might have something to do with the Romulan penchant for secretiveness. An interesting star-shaped board game is also seen on his desk. Finally, we can see the EVEDAL table lamp by IKEA.
Observation 82
Rizzo's rank pips must be attached magnetically to a strip of metal on the inside of her uniform. During her holographic call with her brother, the left pip attaches itself sideways to the right pip. A moment later, both pips are perfectly aligned again.
Credits
Most screen caps from TrekCore and Trek Caps. Thanks to Alexandre Oliveira for the hint about the helmet with the "old" logo and to Andreas Reitz who identified the IKEA lamp.
