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Observations in TNG: "Time Squared"

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

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

"Time Squared" HD Screencaps @ TrekCore

Description TNG		Other caps	Comparison TNG to TNG-R	Description TNG-R
The owon egg Riker uses to make his omelette.				The owon egg can be seen a bit better in HD.
Geordi is seen holding a hotplate, called a "homemade Bunsen burner" in the script of the episode. Riker uses this hotplate to prepare his omelette. The hotplate was seen in several later Deep Space Nine episodes, where Sisko uses it to prepare several meals. It appears in "Family Business", "Waltz" and "The Changing Face of Evil", for example.		"The Changing Face of Evil"		No changes
After it was first seen in "Lonely Among Us", Riker's quarters appear again in this episode. Several set pieces that are often seen in Riker's quarters in later episodes and thus help to distinguish his quarters from other officers' quarters are first seen in this episode. The painting seen in the background of this shot is usually seen in Riker's quarters. The glass sculpture of a female torso on the table is also only seen in Riker's quarters. It also appears in "Cause and Effect", "Conundrum", "Future Imperfect", "Gambit I", "The Enemy", "The Icarus Factor" and "The Outcast". This is only one of three female torso sculptures Riker keeps in his quarters...				No changes
The metallic vase was also seen on Aldea in "When the Bough Breaks".		"When the Bough Breaks"		A close-up of the vase in HD.
The bottle of Ennan VI Ale is similar in design to the bottle of Romulan Ale McCoy gives as a gift to Kirk in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Riker's trombone, from now on always seen in his quarters, can also be seen in the background.		"Star Trek II"		A better look at the bottle in TNG-R.
The Type-15 shuttlepod makes its debut in this episode. The filming miniature is seen on the viewscreen in this shot, the life-size mock-up appears a little later in the episode. Variations of the Type-15 Shuttle				A close-up of the model in HD.
After shuttlebay 3 was seen in "The Child" and "Unnatural Selection", shuttlebay 2 is seen for the first time in this episode. Like in "The Child" (and unlike in "Unnatural Selection"), the large yellow number on the shuttlebay floor is oriented in a way that makes it easy for somebody outside the shuttlebay to read it.	"The Child"	"Unnatural Selection"		The shuttlebay in HD.
Where is this tractor beam emanating from? An exterior shot of shuttlebay 3 from "Unnatural Selection" shows that it is impossible for a tractor beam to emerge at that angle.		"Unnatural Selection"
The secondary tractor beam emitter in shuttlebay 2 only appears in this one episode.
A better look at the tractor beam emitter. The main shuttlebay entrance still looks much the same as it did in season 1.		"Symbiosis"		A better look at the projector in HD.
A nice look at the life-size mock-up of the Type-15 shuttlepod. It closely matches the miniature previously seen in the episode. But only the mock-up has a burn mark.				A better look at the shuttle in HD.
The wall behind the side door to shuttlebay 2 is different from the normal corridor walls. The sliding door is also different from the normal shuttlebay/holodeck/cargo bay doors. Later in the episode, when we see Picard entering shuttlebay 2 alone in a wide shot, the corridor wall will look different. It will not have a full-height panel on the bottom, and it will run into the shuttlebay wall at an angle of 45 degrees. The corner in the wall should have been visible through the open door in the earlier close shot.		Later in the episode		No changes
The anti-grav lift, a futuristic stretcher, is seen for the first time in this episode. It appears in several more TNG episodes before it is permanently used as a cargo lift on DS9. In this episode, it doesn't have the characteristic blue glow yet.	"The Enemy"	"Tribunal"		No changes
The shuttlebay console is different from the consoles seen in "The Child" and "Unnatural Selection". It originally appeared on the battle bridge of the USS Enterprise-D.	"The Child"	"Unnatural Selection"		No changes
This blurry shot of Geordi and Data in the shuttlepod is a dead giveaway that a visual effect will follow, the sparks in this case.				In HD the whole scene is crystal clear.

Doctor Pulaski activates a restraining field for the first time on the series.				No changes
The large medical monitor can be fully seen in this shot. The graphic was exchanged between the first and second season.		"We'll Always Have Paris"		We can recognize some more details, although most labels are still not legible.
This is the first time Geordi is seen using this scanner originally created for "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock". It was previously seen in "Datalore" in the re-assembling of Lore. From now on, Geordi will use this scanner in countless episodes.	"Star Trek III"	"Datalore"		No changes
The comparison shot from season 1 shows that the sickbay doors were not rounded in the first season. The blue and red pots seen here were already present in "We'll Always Have Paris", though.		"We'll Always Have Paris"		No changes
The beginning of the shuttlepod video with the Federation logo was re-used from the USS Yamato logs seen in "Contagion". If one watches closely, the words "Access File = Captain's Log * USS Yamato * NCC 71807" can be made out.		"Contagion"		The logs are now correctly labeled with "USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D".
Due to the fact that the footage recovered from the shuttlepod had to be added in post production (and was not displayed on the monitor live) the image quality of this shot is subpar.				The quality of the footage is much better now.
The wrinkles of the bald cap the Patrick Stewart double wears in this shot are very noticeable.				The wrinkles were smoothed out digitally.
A nice wide shot of sickbay as it appears in season 2. A small patch of carpet hides the power cable of the biobed again. A stack of medical cases, as first seen in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", is seen under the table in the right half of the shot.		"Star Trek II"		The carpet patch was digitally retouched at the beginning of this scene, but reappears in a later shot.

The special sickbay biobed monitor with animated life-sign indicators is seen behind Troi. It is different from the other, more static biobed monitors and was seen up close in "We'll Always Have Paris".	"The Naked Now"	"We'll Always Have Paris"		No changes
Another good look at dimly lit shuttlebay 2 and the shuttlepod mock-up.				A better look at the set in HD.
A good side view of Shuttlepod 05 - El-Baz. The full-scale mock-up was composed of separate portions that were just laid out next to each other and not solidly joined: the fuselage, the nacelles and a wedge under the shuttle's nose. The latter may have been added to conceal the casters on which the fuselage was mounted. As the mock-up was repeatedly assembled and disassembled in "Time Squared", two errors occurred. The wedge was turned upside down from one shot to another and remained in this wrong orientation for the rest of the episode. Also, the left and the right nacelle were switched at one time. This and other close-ups of the shuttle in front of the port wall of the shuttlebay were actually filmed against the starboard wall, with the door that is recognizable in the various wide shots. The shuttlebay set did not actually have a filmable port wall.		Earlier in the episode
The energy vortex on the main viewer of the USS Enterprise-D.				The recreated vortex looks much more brilliant and not so flat any longer.
The USS Enterprise-D trying to escape from the energy vortex. The 2-foot model of the ship was most likely used to film this sequence.				The recreated effect in HD.
The graphic of the energy vortex, including a 47 reference.				The text can be made out much better in HD. The 47 reference can be seen much clearer as well.


When Geordi turns on the engineering console at the back of the bridge, the graphics come online in a particular fashion characteristic of neon tubes.				No changes
The USS Enterprise-D tries to avoid being pulled into the energy vortex.				The new effect shots in HD. The blooper was fixed for TNG-R.
The USS Enterprise-D inside the vortex. In the left half of the screen, at the very end of the port nacelle a blooper can be seen. It seems the footage of the ship ends abruptly while the footage of the engine glow continues to the edge of the screen.
The class-1 probe in this shot doesn't look like the one fired in "Where Silence Has Lease". It looks just like a blue energy ball in this scene. Federation Probes		"Where Silence Has Lease"		The probe effect in TNG-R.
Picard is hit by an energy beam twice.				No changes

We get a rare look at the never used bridge replicator in this shot. When Picard is being pushed towards the wall, he puts his right hand into the replicator slot, which is not covered by a sliding door, like the similar replicator seen in his ready room.				No changes
The text on the large sickbay monitor.				We can almost make out some of the labels.
Another very grainy shot, due to the fact that the second Picard had to be added in in post production.				The image quality is much better in TNG-R.
This corridor seems to be a preferred location to have a lengthy discussion with your doppelganger, as similar shots appeared in "Datalore".		"Datalore"		The same sequence in TNG-R.
		"Datalore"
A weapons locker appears for the first time on TNG.				No changes
The energy vortex as seen through the open shuttlebay doors. The swirls of the vortex seem to pass through the opened shuttlepod door in this shot. Also, the inverted wedge underneath the shuttle is very noticeable in this shot.				No changes
The footage of the USS Enterprise-D flying deeper into the vortex was filmed using the 2-foot model.				In HD it is even more obvious that the model is lacking certain details. There are no recognizable windows, for instance.


This footage of the ship inside the vortex is new.				The newly composed sequence in HD.

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