The Little Stuff

[T'Girl]

There are occasionally little things in episodes that you wonder about, sometimes stuff going on in the background, other time right up front. You find yourself thinking of explanations.

The Voyager pilot, there a scene with Tom Paris attempting to order tomato soup from the replicator, but he was having an unusually hard time of it. Now, I assume that Paris had use a Starfleet replicator before, so he should be able to form a request that the replicator would recognize.

The ship's original first officer (and others) didn't like Paris owing to his background, and I was wondering if maybe Paris's problem was that a member of the ship's company programmed the replicator to give Paris a hard time?

What'ch think? And do you have any?

 

[Melakon]

I don't think anyone was playing a trick on him. Considering that replicators are customizable, and apparently capable of being manufactured or replicated everywhere, at least on Earth, and he'd just left a penal colony. Paris might have had trouble remembering Starfleet replicator protocols of use after prison food.

It's never exactly clear what's the power source, since civilian versions and portable replicators seem to exist.

 

[MrEscape]

Those are both interesting theories about that replicator, I'd not really thought about that in much detail but reading it has got me started now.

I think the scene where they talk about Voyager's features like what it's maximum warp is, and making a big deal about the bio-neural gel packs and stuff was before that part. Perhaps as the replicator is part of what was a modern ship at that point, it was capable of more advanced replication, so needed more specific input?


Adding another one from Encounter At Farpoint: When Data says he graduated in the class of '78. I always wondered what he meant by that. I know it's probably just a continuity error as the time frame is not fully in yet. But what if he was referring to a stardate, or perhaps the 78th year something was run?

 

[JirinPanthosa]

They hadn't decided what year it was yet.

There's little things all the time, like when Troi reading somebody's mind would break the story she suddenly isn't drawn attention to or she has only vague readings of deception that end up getting ignored like in Matter of Time.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

How about, why Voyager's original XO (Cavit) was so clinically stupid that he figured it'd be a good idea to go running across the bridge right when the ship was being attacked?

 

[Melakon]

Adding another one from Encounter At Farpoint: When Data says he graduated in the class of '78. I always wondered what he meant by that. I know it's probably just a continuity error as the time frame is not fully in yet. But what if he was referring to a stardate, or perhaps the 78th year something was run?

It is a continuity error, because they didn't nail down the year of 2364 until "The Neutral Zone". Maybe they originally intended for Data to be much older. If we disregard the script, and just go by spoken word, he might have meant he was in a class of 78 graduates. Perhaps the "Class of 78" had a significant history, perhaps even part of a disaster and he was one of the few survivors.

How about, why Voyager's original XO (Cavit) was so clinically stupid that he figured it'd be a good idea to go running across the bridge right when the ship was being attacked?

"Now I'm going to run toward the camera, so that I get a good closeup for my death scene!" I liked Scott Jaeck in that, I don't why he didn't get billing for it when he'd done a TNG.

 

[stardream]

How about, why Voyager's original XO (Cavit) was so clinically stupid that he figured it'd be a good idea to go running across the bridge right when the ship was being attacked?

What was he doing? Was he running toward the helm? Why?

And why do the consoles explode? Don't they have the futuristic version of surge protectors? Why would anyone ever get in front of one seeing as they can randomly kill you?

 

[trekshark]

Speaking of encounter at far point, Riker saying he had read Data's record then asking if his rank was honorary. Guess reading comprehension wasn't one of Riker's skills

 

[Unionized Elf]

I always assumed Tom Paris's problem with the replicator in Caretaker was related to the fact that Voyager was a new ship and the replicator computers hadn't yet been personalized by the crew yet. Tom's likely used to replicators on ships or facilities that have been around for a while and know what to do when someone requests tomato soup. Voyage, being new, the computer still has to adjust to the crew's preferences. Kind of similar to All Good Things where Picard had trouble in the pre-Farpoint era trying to get Earl Grey out of the replicator in his ready room.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Adding another one from Encounter At Farpoint: When Data says he graduated in the class of '78. I always wondered what he meant by that. I know it's probably just a continuity error as the time frame is not fully in yet. But what if he was referring to a stardate, or perhaps the 78th year something was run?

This reminds me of how they established the Romulans disappeared for fifty plus years, then several episodes later established that Worf was adopted by a human family after Kitomer was destroyed by Romulans. (I assumed Worf was supposed to be sixty something until his parents appeared in "Family." ) Then it turned out the Romulans destroyed the Enterprise C twenty or so years before TNG.

 

[Unionized Elf]

Adding another one from Encounter At Farpoint: When Data says he graduated in the class of '78. I always wondered what he meant by that. I know it's probably just a continuity error as the time frame is not fully in yet. But what if he was referring to a stardate, or perhaps the 78th year something was run?

This reminds me of how they established the Romulans disappeared for fifty plus years, then several episodes later established that Worf was adopted by a human family after Kitomer was destroyed by Romulans. (I assumed Worf was supposed to be sixty something until his parents appeared in "Family." ) Then it turned out the Romulans destroyed the Enterprise C twenty or so years before TNG.

That thing with the Romulans was already messed up when they established it in The Neutral Zone, considering Angel One mentions mounting tensions with the Romulans which were on the verge of flaring up into all-out war.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Yeah, I remember thinking that when TNZ aired.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Adding another one from Encounter At Farpoint: When Data says he graduated in the class of '78. I always wondered what he meant by that. I know it's probably just a continuity error as the time frame is not fully in yet. But what if he was referring to a stardate, or perhaps the 78th year something was run?

Speaking of encounter at far point, Riker saying he had read Data's record then asking if his rank was honorary. Guess reading comprehension wasn't one of Riker's skills

Neither one of these bothers me, as it was a pilot and they were trying to establish the characters for the audience. It does bug me that Data's "Class of '78" line was completely disregarded, but we're still stuck with the age of 137 for Dr. McCoy, even though it shaves a good 5-10 years off his age in TOS. If they threw out one chronological reference from EAF, they really should throw them both out.

 

[Captain Rob]

One of the very unusual background devices from TOS was the antigravs. Basically snap on handles that made things weightless. There's got to be alot of tech in such a bland little device. And then we never see them again in any other series or movie. Except for maybe floating platforms for moving things or flashing lights under shuttlecraft (STV).

 

[at Quark's]

I was wondering if maybe Paris's problem was that a member of the ship's company programmed the replicator to give Paris a hard time?

What'ch think? And do you have any?

Well, let's see....

PARIS: Tomato soup.
COMPUTER: There are fourteen varieties of tomato soup available from this replicator. With rice, with vegetables, Bolian style, with pasta, with
PARIS: Plain.
COMPUTER: Specify hot or chilled.
PARIS: Hot. Hot, plain, tomato soup.
(Paris takes the bowl and goes to sit by Kim. The doctor and Cavit get up and walk away.)
PARIS: There, you see? I told you it wouldn't take long.
KIM: Is it true?
PARIS: Was the accident my fault? Yes. Pilot error. But it took me a while to admit it. Oh, fourteen varieties and they can't even get plain tomato soup right.

Nope, I don't see any more in this than Paris having to provide some extra input because the replicator didn't have personal preference profiles yet (for example Picard, when ordering earl grey didn't have to specify amount of sugar or strength of the tea).

Perhaps they should've shown long queues before the replicator, since the same should have happened to about everybody on that first day Then again, maybe most of them would have taken their preference profiles from their previous posting (or even SF academy).

How about, why Voyager's original XO (Cavit) was so clinically stupid that he figured it'd be a good idea to go running across the bridge right when the ship was being attacked?

Not attacked, impacted by the displacement wave. But yeah, I thought that was pretty stupid, especially since they were counting down for that impact. I'd think that he would be scrambling for the spot least likely to receive serious injuries, but why wait till it's too late?

 

[MacLeod]

I doubt personal preferences have anything to do with it, after all Picard still has to specifiy Tea, Earl Grey Hot. Surely the computer would know that was his preference and all he had to to was order Tea.

 

[at Quark's]

I doubt personal preferences have anything to do with it, after all Picard still has to specifiy Tea, Earl Grey Hot. Surely the computer would know that was his preference and all he had to to was order Tea.

If you think about it that way, it would be even stranger that he would have to specify 'hot' every time but _not_ how strong the tea should be, or the amount of sweetener in it. (assuming they still use that in the 24th century), or specify any other additives (or the omission thereof).

So I tend to think of it as an unnecessary addition from Picard. Unless chilled Earl grey were also a standard recipe in that replicator. But since we see in AGT that hot earl grey was not in the standard data banks and Picard probably imported it himself, I very much doubt chilled would be part of it. Unless Picard would like to have that choice occasionally, too. Though we never see him drink it any other way than hot on screen AFAIK.

 

[MrEscape]

It is a continuity error, because they didn't nail down the year of 2364 until "The Neutral Zone". Maybe they originally intended for Data to be much older. If we disregard the script, and just go by spoken word, he might have meant he was in a class of 78 graduates. Perhaps the "Class of 78" had a significant history, perhaps even part of a disaster and he was one of the few survivors.

Probably just me I think, I like finding ways to make continuity errors fit in somehow, mine was a bit of a stretch I guess . As he's an android I can see that they might try to age him a bit, in a similar way to a Vulcan life span being longer I guess? Really wish that last part was true that the class of 78 was significant in some way, that'd be some cool back-story for him if they developed that further.

If you think about it that way, it would be even stranger that he would have to specify 'hot' every time but _not_ how strong the tea should be, or the amount of sweetener in it. (assuming they still use that in the 24th century), or specify any other additives (or the omission thereof).

Maybe Picard did have a personal replicator profile so it makes his Earl Grey the way he likes it. Maybe it is just force of habit after ordering it so often? Could be he got so used to being specific on the temperature he just kept with it. Or he really hates chilled Earl Grey...

 

[MacLeod]

^I wouldn't blame him if he hates chilled Tea, Tea like Coffee should only be served hot.

 

[at Quark's]

Reminds me of this other instance within the same episode (at data's place, in the future):

PICARD: Tea? Earl Grey. Hot.
JESSEL: Course it's hot. What do you want in it?
PICARD: Nothing.

So from that it would seem that 'hot' would be fairly standard, and it would not be unusual to want some additive, too (though Picard doesn't). Yet, at the replicator he specifies hot, but not 'nothing in it'.