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Observations in TNG: "Starship Mine"

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

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

"Starship Mine" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
A shuttle drone is seen flying from Arkaria towards the USS Enterprise-D. The model of the shuttle drone was originally created for the Starbase 74 sequences in "11001001".		"11001001" HD		The sequence in HD. The planet is new or was retouched for TNG-R.

The USS Enterprise-D docked within the Remmler Array in orbit of Arkaria.

Picard walks past sickbay twice in this corridor sequence. First he is stopped by Counselor Troi, who approaches the captain from sickbay. Then, after a cut, he passes sickbay again and is stopped by Doctor Crusher this time, one door later. The PADD she is holding was originally created for the season 5 episode "The First Duty".		"The First Duty"		No changes

We get a good look at the graphic of the USS Enterprise-D displayed on the engineering station at the back of the bridge in this shot.				The display in HD.
This shot of the ready room monitor was originally created for "Where Silence Has Lease". It was re-used in several other episodes, always with different footage inserted into the screen.		"Where Silence Has Lease"		No changes
The choice of PADDs Picard puts into his carrying case (also used by the Captain when boarding Deep Space 9 in "Birthright II" and identified as a "L647X7" case by Neelix in the VOY episode "Fair Trade") is interesting. He takes a red engineering PADD (which is seen a lot better in "Lower Decks" next season) and a larger blue PADD, so far only associated with either medicine ("Ethics") or education ("Hero Worship"). The only other time Picard was seen using a blue PADD was when he was reading the orders from Admiral Nechayev to relinquish his command of the USS Enterprise-D in "Chain of Command I".	"Ethics" HD	"Birthright I" HD		A better look at the PADDs in HD.
	"Hero Worship"	"Lower Decks"
	"Chain of Command I"	VOY: "Fair Trade"
This is only the second time the emergency turbolift to the battle bridge is seen. Since "Encounter at Farpoint", the interior of the turbolift has changed, now featuring an LCARS display.	"Encounter at Farpoint"	"Encounter at Farpoint"		No changes
The surface shot of Arkaria is a re-use of the surface of Gagarin IV in "Unnatural Selection". The matte painting is the same, only the shuttle was removed. The matte painting appears once more in "Descent I" as the surface of Ohniaka III. For that re-use, the matte painting was modified slightly. Re-Used Planet Sets	"Unnatural Selection"	"Descent I"		The yellow hue was removed in HD, unlike in the remastered version of "Unnatural Selection".
The reception hall on Arkaria features several pieces of set decoration that have appeared in earlier and later Star Trek episodes. The bird statue behind Data was first seen during Worf's Rite of Ascension in "The Icarus Factor". After that, it appeared in Marla Aster's home in "The Bonding", in the Maquis colony on Ronara in "Preemptive Strike" and on Annorax's time ship in VOY: "Year of Hell I+II". The large circular window was first seen on Rekag-Seronia in "Man of the People" and was also re-used on Annorax's timeship.	"The Icarus Factor"	VOY: "Year of Hell I"		The window in HD.
	"The Bonding"	"Man of the People"
	"Preemptive Strike"
In preparation for the baryon sweep, the engines and most of the lights have been turned off on the USS Enterprise-D.				The ship in HD.
The door labels on the doors close to Picard's quarters are purple, as usual for residential areas aboard the ship. In order to imply that Picard is still in the same section of the ship in the next shot, which was filmed on a different set featuring the large corridor, sickbay and the transporter room, the door labels, which are normally brown, were changed to purple here as well. The doors Picard is seen passing in the second screenshot are the sickbay doors, seen at the beginning of the episode with brown labels.				We still can't read the door label in HD.

The open wall panel was previously seen in "Ship in a Bottle".		"Ship in a Bottle"		The opened wall in HD.
The laser welder, a new prop created for this episode, can be seen in action in this shot. The prop is seen again in the VOY episode "Investigations". In that episode, the laser beam is green, while it is purple here.		VOY: "Investigations"		A better look at the prop in HD.

The baryon sweep begins at the aft end of the USS Enterprise-D.				The baryon sweep in HD.
The metallic wall decoration ("wall clock") in the background, was originally seen in Neral's office in "Unification I". After that, it also appeared in the dining room in "Violations" and the barbershop in "Schisms". Re-Used Props - Decoration	"Unification I"	"Schisms" HD		The "wall clock" in HD.
	"Violations"
Tables similar to the one next to Troi were also seen in the Sikla Medical Facility in "First Contact".		"First Contact"		The table in HD.
Another nice new shot of the USS Enterprise-D during the baryon sweep.				The baryon sweep in HD.
The medical carts were introduced to the sickbay set in "The Child". This is one of the few times when somebody is actually seen using them and opening the various drawers.		"The Child"		The cart in HD.

The communicator used by the terrorists features a unique logo that resembles a horned dragon. The communicators appeared again twice on Voyager. They were used by the Mari in "Random Thoughts" and the Ledosians in "Natural Law".	VOY: "Random Thoughts"	VOY: "Natural Law"		The prop in HD.
The pistol held by the terrorist Kiros here was first used by the Rutian police force in "The High Ground". The prop was re-used numerous times in various Star Trek series. Earlier that season, it was seen in use on Rekag-Seronia in "Man of the People". Re-Used Props - Beam Weapons	"The High Ground"	"Man of the People"		The weapons in HD.
The Arkarian rifle was also originally seen in "The 'High Ground". It is most closely associated with the Romulans, who used it as a Romulan disruptor rifle since "Unification ", however.	"The High Ground"	"Unification II"
The baryon sweep has moved a little further.				The baryon sweep in HD.
Other episodes in which the ladder in main engineering is seen up close include "Heart of Glory" and "Brothers".	"Heart of Glory"	"Brothers"		No changes
The area behind the warp core in main engineering, both on the ground and upper levels, is rarely seen. Some episodes in which the upper level has been seen include "The Schizoid Man", "The Dauphin" and "The Best of Both Worlds II".	"The Schizoid Man"	"The Best of Both Worlds II"		No changes
	"The Dauphin"
The scanner used by Neil here is later repurposed as a medical Trill scanner in "Equilibrium".		"Equilibrium"		The tool in HD.
When the warp core is properly turned on, the large tube seen behind the warp core here normally glows red.		"The Next Phase"		No changes
According to the script, Picard is pointing the laser torch at a small engineering sensor and short circuiting in this shot. The sensor was especially added to the set for this episode, as it did not appear in any earlier episodes, like "Schisms". The engineering sensor was built from one of Wesley's nanite traps from "Evolution".		"Schisms"		The effect in HD.
		"Evolution"
When Picard kicks over Satler, the block of blue soft foam on which he lands can clearly be seen.				We can still see the foam block in HD.

Picard destroys the field diverter using his laser welder.				The effect in HD.
This is one of only a few times when the outer sealing doors are lowered in main engineering. The outer doors are also lowered in "The Best of Both Worlds I", "Disaster", "Violations" and "Star Trek Generations".	"The Best of Both Worlds I"	"Violations"		The door in HD.
	"Disaster"	"Generations"
We get a rare look at the lower level of main engineering through the glass floor surrounding the warp core in this shot.				The rare look in HD.
The text on the label on this Jefferies tube door mostly consists of random numbers.				The HD shot reveals that much of the label consists of simple strings of nubers (and not of in-jokes).
The baryon sweep is seen inside the Jefferies tube in these two screenshots.				The baryon sweep in HD.

Another new close-up of the hull featuring the baryon sweep is seen in this screenshot. The sweep is approaching the impulse engines here.
We can see that the person who gets a blow in the stomach is not Jonathan Frakes but a stunt double.				We can recognize the stunt double even better in HD.
A colorful beam of light is seen as Doctor Crusher prepares the VISOR so it can emit a hypersonic pulse.				The effect as it looks in TNG-R.
The baryon sweep passes through the Captain's yacht in this shot.				The baryon sweep in HD.
Another member of Pomet's species only appears once more, in "Star Trek Generations".		"Generations"		The alien in HD.
The baryon sweep is slowly nearing Ten Forward.				The baryon sweep in HD.
Behind Kelsey, the slightly misaligned Jefferies tube extension can be seen. This is only the second time the painting is seen, it first appeared in the season 5 episode "The Game".		"The Game" HD		We can see the inconsistent Jefferies tube extension even better in HD.
Kelsey is seen exiting a Jefferies tube access. This is one of the few times (another one being "Rascals"), when someone is seen entering or exiting a Jefferies tube that is not located in main engineering. In this scene, the main engineering set (featuring the Jefferies tube access) is redressed as a corridor lounge. To distinguish this Jefferies tube access from the one in main engineering seen earlier in the episode, the door labels were changed as well.				No changes


Kelsey's pistol is a re-use of the infamous Varon-T disruptor from "The Most Toys". The prop first appeared as a weapon used by the Ansata terrorists in "The High Ground" and was re-used several times after this. Re-Used Props - Beam Weapons	"The High Ground"	"The Most Toys" HD		The disruptor in HD.
The large Arkarian wall console was originally the transporter room back wall aboard the USS Enterprise-A in "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" and "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". It has previously appeared as a wall console aboard the USS Enterprise-D in several episodes, including "The Measure of a Man" and "Transfigurations". The Arkarian console features the same logo as the communicators of the terrorists, so it can be assumed this is the Arkarian logo.	"Star Trek V"	"The Measure of a Man"		The console in HD.
	"Star Trek VI"	"Transfigurations"
The baryon sweep is moving ever closer towards Ten Forward.				The baryon sweep in HD.
The door opener used by Picard here only appears in this episode. A different kind of door opener is seen in "Chain of Command I". Aboard the USS Voyager, an entirely different door opener is used in several episodes, like "Twisted".	"Chain of Command I"	VOY: "Twisted"		A better look at the prop in HD.
The baryon sweep is now seen within Ten Forward.				The effect as it was recreated for TNG-R.



The small terrorist ship is a re-use of the Lysian sentry pods seen in "Conundrum", turned upside down. The model appears once more as the Ekina in the DS9 episode "Invasive Procedures".		"Conundrum" HD		We can make out more details of the ship in HD.
		DS9: "Invasive Procedures"
The USS Enterprise-D after it has finished the baryon sweeps. The engines and window lights are turned on again.				The ship in HD.
The medical scanner Doctor Crusher uses on Captain Picard here was originally a Zibalian forcefield generator in "The Most Toys". It appeared as a medical device in several other TNG episodes, including "Conundrum".	"The Most Toys"	"Conundrum" HD		The scanner in HD.
Picard's saddle was seen several years earlier in the season 2 episode "Pen Pals".		"Pen Pals"		The saddle in HD.

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