Season THREE OFFICIAL TNG Blu-Ray Discussion Thread

[Tosk]

That's the "junior officer" look, which basically everybody outside the senior staff (and O'Brien) wears post-Season 4.

It's funny, I don't know why it didn't occur to me that I saw them many times...probably only because they would still put "senior staff" versions on guest stars from time to time. (Like how Sito got one, but Lavelle and Taurik didn't.) I need to pay better attention.

 

[Hober Mallow]

That's the "junior officer" look, which basically everybody outside the senior staff (and O'Brien) wears post-Season 4.

It's funny, I don't know why it didn't occur to me that I saw them many times...probably only because they would still put "senior staff" versions on guest stars from time to time. (Like how Sito got one, but Lavelle and Taurik didn't.) I need to pay better attention.

Don't feel bad. When I was a kid watching TNG in first-run syndication, I didn't even notice the uniform change from season2 to 3.

 

[Scotty]

Must admit, I'm loving the VAM on these sets. As if the vastly improved PQ and AQ wasn't reason enough to buy, these extras are superb.

Production design folks next isn't it? Can't wait to see what will be coming on the Seasons 5-7 sets.

I watched parts I and II of Assimilating The Next Generation yesterday and I actually feel that the extras on season 3 focus too much on the writers and the turmoil in the writers room. You've got the writer's room reunion, the Michael Piller tribute, multiple audio commentaries featuring writers.... Where are the actors? I hope that in future seasons the actors take center stage again or at the very least there'll be more of a balance between interviews with production staff and actors.

 

[FrontierTrek]

I watched parts I and II of Assimilating The Next Generation yesterday .... Where are the actors?

In Part 3!!!

 

[Scotty]

I watched parts I and II of Assimilating The Next Generation yesterday .... Where are the actors?

In Part 3!!!

I know, I read your review.

Still, my point stands. You've got hours of VAM featuring writers and a 30 minute doc with actor interviews.

 

[Michael]

Personally, I appreciate the change of focus from the actors to the writers. The actors always seem to be in the center of those extras, even to the point where it feels like I've already heard all the stories they have tell for multiple times. So it's nice for a change to hear from the writers. I like their stories, because those are the people who actually created the universe I love so much, whereas the actors are "merely" the ones portraying what others have written.

 

[FrontierTrek]

Still, my point stands. You've got hours of VAM featuring writers and a 30 minute doc with actor interviews.

Yeah, but that's a perfect focus for me. The actors have been interviewed to death, and - with all due respect to them - have rather hazy memories of things that happened 25 years ago.

The writers on the other hand, have barely been touched with this sort of material, and have SO many fascinating stories to tell. (More interesting in a lot of ways).

 

[Jaro Stun]

Must admit, I'm loving the VAM on these sets. As if the vastly improved PQ and AQ wasn't reason enough to buy, these extras are superb.

Production design folks next isn't it? Can't wait to see what will be coming on the Seasons 5-7 sets.

I watched parts I and II of Assimilating The Next Generation yesterday and I actually feel that the extras on season 3 focus too much on the writers and the turmoil in the writers room. You've got the writer's room reunion, the Michael Piller tribute, multiple audio commentaries featuring writers.... Where are the actors? I hope that in future seasons the actors take center stage again or at the very least there'll be more of a balance between interviews with production staff and actors.

+1

If there is one /only one thing I do not like about S3 set is that the VAM is basically a single shoutbox for the writers. Don't get me wrong, good writers are the flesh and blood of a good show and its good, important, interesting and fair to showcase also this aspect of production.

But sometimes too much seems to be too much.

I would have prefered a little variety, maybe splitting the writers stuff scross multiple seasons and bringing in actors, makeup artists, VFX artists etc., especially focusing on the stuff of this season as there are was a major production values increase in S3 as it seems.

 

[Aatrek]

I really enjoy that they've been giving each season a theme - S1 was the creation of the show; S2 was the cast shakeups and character development, S3 is the writing staff, S4 looks to be the creative/production staff... I'd rather have each department get a full spotlight then flashes of everybody mixed together.

 

[RAMA]

I always wanted to see a long doc on the production of STNG, or interviews of the FX, editing, sound, music, people. I'm sick of the actors who usually have little to contribute to the informational side of STNG.

 

[Cap.T]

Personally, I appreciate the change of focus from the actors to the writers. The actors always seem to be in the center of those extras, even to the point where it feels like I've already heard all the stories they have tell for multiple times. So it's nice for a change to hear from the writers. I like their stories, because those are the people who actually created the universe I love so much, whereas the actors are "merely" the ones portraying what others have written.

I agree. I was pleasently surprised that more of the production team was interviewed this time around. What can actors still say about the seasons, that they haven't yet? "Yes, that was a really good episode" or "Yeah, that one didn't work". Who can blame them? They did those episodes a long time ago. The writers and creative people on the other hand have a lot more backround information about why an episode or season worked or didn't work. I could have listend to an hour more of Ira Behr remembering the problematic production of season 3.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

All the CGI in that Best Buy feature are based on the Enterprise-refit in Star Trek III. There was no Enterprise-D design even established at the point the digital effects in the feature were produced.

Yup, definitely glad they decided to go with models. TNG already had enough going against it in that first season. The last thing it needed was a cheesy CG Enterprise flying around.

I was told by someone in the art department at TNG in 1990 that expense was a big factor at the time. These renders weren't being done on Amigas.

 

[Mott the barber]

I agree, the remaster work on The Enemy was really well done. I agree you could finally really see what was going on on the planet. I also really like the Defector. The shots of the scout being chased by the warbird are even better now. I also really liked seeing all the detail on the scout ship and on the Enterprise particularly the shot of the scout drifting over the Enterprise.


-Chris

That post opening credit scene with the enterprise and the scout is the first on screen shot of the 4 footer.

 

[I am not Spock]

I found the focus on the writers in the special features to be interesting. I am usually more interested in the creative side of what goes into writing a show, moreso than the technical side, the directing side.

Particularly the interviews with Ira Steven Behr and the chaos his pitch for Captain's Holiday went through, before it ended up on screen in a completely different form.

 

[davejames]

That post opening credit scene with the enterprise and the scout is the first on screen shot of the 4 footer.

Yup, and it looks frickin amazing. As much as people don't like the beefier look of that model, I think it was MORE than worth it for the great new shots we got of the Enterprise afterwards.

 

[Tomalak]

Chances are that uniform is a test version made by the costume department while coming up with the new uniforms, and it got reused for extra because hey, who's ever going to be able to see it in any detail? You'd need some kind of super high-definition TV and VHS tape to see that.

Yeah, from season four the old season 1-2 uniforms were adapted to look like the new ones, with collars added and the piping removed. This one must have been a half-way stage that was rushed on screen for an extra. You can always tell which redshirt is going to have plenty of lines, because they get a proper two-piece uniform!

 

[jimbotron]

Shelby looked like she wore the old one-piece with updated shoulders/collar.

 

[GameOn]

Shelby looked like she wore the old one-piece with updated shoulders/collar.

Didn't the women always wear a one-piece even when they switched to the new material in season 3?

 

[Mott the barber]

Anyone else love Booby Trap? I've seen it a million times but it has wonderful character moments and the music is great, especially when they realize they're caught in the trap and it goes from a small power drain to being totally stuck.

One of the best comedic lines in the series that's often overlooked is the part where Picard talks about ships in bottles. Worf says he didn't play with toys. Data said he was never a boy. O'brien says he played with ships in bottles, and Riker gives him a look like he's sucking up to the captain. O'brien goes "I did. Ships in bottles....great fun"


Awesome sequence.

 

[RAMA]

I love Booby Trap backwards and forwards, and now I can see details in the Promelian battlecruiser. Its like Xmas.