enterprise d star trek picard

USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)

• View history

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was a Federation Galaxy -class starship operated by Starfleet , and the fifth Federation vessel to bear the name . The Enterprise served from 2363 to 2371 as the Federation flagship , under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard . Following the ship's destruction at Veridian III , it was rebuilt as a museum ship , and was briefly brought back into service to counter a Borg threat in 2401 .

• 1.1 Construction and launch
• 1.2 Picard's eight-year mission
• 1.3 Destruction
• 1.4 Reconstruction
• 1.5 Emergency return to action
• 1.6 Final retirement
• 3 List of first contacts
• 4.1 Physical arrangement
• 4.2 Weaponry
• 4.3 Operations
• 4.4 Shipboard life
• 4.5 Ship's directory
• 5.1 Commanding officers
• 5.2 Command crew
• 6.1 Encounter with an energy vortex
• 6.2 Encounter with the Enterprise -C
• 6.3 Crusher's static warp bubble
• 6.4 Barash’s simulation – Captain Riker
• 6.5 Quantum fissure encounter
• 6.6 Anti-time eruption
• 6.7 Destruction at Veridian III
• 7.1 Appearances
• 7.2 Background information
• 7.3.1 Reference manuals
• 7.3.2 Games
• 7.3.3 Attractions
• 7.4 External links

Service history [ ]

Construction and launch [ ].

Enterprise at Earth Station McKinley

The Enterprise was built at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards orbiting Mars in the Sol system . The construction was a massive undertaking, involving thousands of people across disciplines. ( TNG : " Booby Trap ", " Eye of the Beholder ") Construction was supervised by Commander Quinteros . ( TNG : " 11001001 ") Dr. Leah Brahms was responsible for much of the Enterprise 's warp propulsion system design. ( TNG : " Booby Trap ", " Galaxy's Child ") Some of the Enterprise 's components were derived from technology originally developed on the USS Pegasus . ( TNG : " The Pegasus ") In an alternate timeline , the Enterprise was the first Galaxy -class warship constructed. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ")

One of the ship's nacelle tubes was the site of a multiple murder - suicide while it was still under construction at Utopia Planitia. A member of the construction team, Walter Pierce , became jealous of a former lover's new relationship. He killed the two officers, Marla Finn and William Hodges , then disposed of their bodies in the plasma stream . Pierce committed suicide in the same manner, leaving a telepathic imprint in a bulkhead that was not discovered until 2370 . ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")

On stardate 40759.5, in the year 2363 , the Enterprise was launched from Mars. ( Enterprise -D dedication plaque, second version ) On stardate 41025.5, the Enterprise was commissioned. ( Enterprise -D dedication plaque, first version )

Final systems completion and shakedown was conducted at Earth Station McKinley . Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the ship on stardate 41148 at the order of Rear Admiral Norah Satie . ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Picard's eight-year mission [ ]

In orbit of a red giant star

The Enterprise -D made first official contact with a number of species ( see below ).

While fleeing from the entity known as Q ; the Enterprise conducted the first high-warp (warp 9.6) saucer separation . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ") The Traveler used the energy of his thoughts to move the Enterprise to a galaxy known as M-33 at a speed greater than warp 10 . A subsequent use of the warp drive by the Traveler propelled the Enterprise to the end of the universe at a speed that, according to the ship's instruments, never exceeded warp 1.5. ( TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ")

The Enterprise received a computer refit in 2364 . ( TNG : " Datalore ")

Arriving at the end of the universe

Later in 2364, the Enterprise was hijacked from Starbase 74 by the Bynars . They intended to use the ship to repair the damaged computer on their homeworld . The Enterprise was returned to Captain Picard's control following the incident, and the Bynars freely accepted the consequences of their actions. ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

During its first encounter with the Borg , Sections 27, 28, and 29 on Decks 4, 5, and 6 were removed for analysis by the Borg. Eighteen people were killed. ( TNG : " Q Who ")

In 2366 , the Enterprise had traveled about ten thousand light years . ( TNG : " Booby Trap ")

During the Borg incursion of 2366 and 2367 , the Enterprise suffered heavy damage. Deck 36, including main engineering, was decompressed after a cutting beam damaged the engineering hull , killing at least eleven, and possibly eight more. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ")

Undergoing repairs at Earth

The main deflector dish was transformed into a last-ditch energy weapon, which failed due to the assimilated knowledge of Captain Picard. In the attempt, the deflector and warp core were overloaded, while several decks were flooded with radiation .

Later, the saucer module sustained damage to its impulse drive and Decks 23 through 25 were sliced open by the enemy during the final battle over Earth . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ") The extent of the damage required a full refit at Earth Station McKinley, which lasted five to six weeks. ( TNG : " Family ")

During that refit, the starship received a phaser upgrade as well as full damage repair and a new dilithium chamber hatch . The hatch malfunctioned later that year, causing extensive damage to the warp core. Although Romulan sabotage was initially suspected, it was later learned that undetected flaws in the hatch were responsible. ( TNG : " The Drumhead ")

The Enterprise was the command ship in Captain Picard's ad hoc armada which blockaded Romulan assistance to the House of Duras during the Klingon Civil War . It coordinated a tachyon detection grid which was used to detect cloaked Romulan ships from crossing the border. ( TNG : " Redemption II ")

The ship struck a quantum filament in early 2368 , causing a loss of all power aboard ship and severe damage to most systems. Antimatter containment was nearly compromised; fortunately, repairs were made before the ship was destroyed. ( TNG : " Disaster ")

Also in 2368, the Enterprise was trapped in a temporal causality loop near the Typhon Expanse . Each cycle ended in a catastrophic collision with the USS Bozeman , destroying both ships. Feelings of déjà vu allowed the Enterprise crew to gather clues which allowed them to send a message into the next loop and avoid the collision. The ship spent a total of 17.4 days repeating the same interval of time. ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

On a mission to Ligos VII , the Enterprise was attacked by two Klingon Bird-of-Prey starships under the command of the Ferengi DaiMon Lurin . The surprise attack allowed Lurin and his men to successfully hijack the Enterprise. Forcing its crew to transport to the surface of Ligos VII for slave labor , Lurin had planned to sell the Enterprise to the Romulans, however, his plans were thwarted by a group of crewmembers who had temporarily been transformed into children due to a transporter malfunction. ( TNG : " Rascals ")

The Enterprise at Deep Space 9

The Enterprise was one of the first Starfleet vessels to dock at the newly-commissioned Deep Space 9 , where it offloaded most of the station's Starfleet contingent, and its first complement of Danube -class runabouts . The Enterprise departed the station and heading to the Lapolis system . ( DS9 : " Emissary ") Several weeks later, the Enterprise returned to Deep Space 9 to help repair the Bajoran aqueduct systems that had been damaged during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor . ( TNG : " Birthright, Part I ", " Birthright, Part II ")

The Enterprise underwent its first baryon sweep at the Remmler Array in 2369 . A stronger field was needed due to the Enterprise 's heavy use of warp drive. During the sweep, a mercenary group nearly stole dangerous trilithium resin from the warp core, but was thwarted by the Enterprise senior staff . ( TNG : " Starship Mine ")

One of the most important discoveries in the history of the Federation was made aboard the Enterprise -D. Its crew pieced together Dr. Galen 's final research to decipher a message from the ancient humanoids , the first humanoid species in the Milky Way Galaxy . ( TNG : " The Chase ")

Late in 2369 , the Enterprise was damaged while rescuing the crew of a Romulan warbird , whose artificial quantum singularity warp core had been colonized by lifeforms which mistook it for a genuine quantum singularity, causing severe disruptions in space - time .

The Enterprise was destroyed due to feedback from a power transfer beam , which was killing the lifeforms' young. Fortunately, four Enterprise crewmembers were returning to the ship at the time and were able to avert the Enterprise 's destruction and save the Romulan crew. ( TNG : " Timescape ")

The Enterprise at Qualor II

A new warp core was tested aboard the Enterprise in early 2370 . The core was installed at Starbase 84 ; several points of the power transfer conduits were replaced as well.

The core and the conduits had been manufactured on Thanatos VII using interphase technology, attracting interphasic organisms which attached themselves to the crew and began to digest their cellular structures . An interphasic pulse was successful in destroying the creatures. ( TNG : " Phantasms ")

Also during 2370, Commander La Forge engaged in a friendly contest with Donald Kaplan , chief engineer of the USS Intrepid . They competed to have the best power conversion rates in the fleet, with the Enterprise frequently beating out the Intrepid . ( TNG : " Force of Nature ")

The Enterprise became one of the few Federation ships to use a cloaking device in 2370, and perhaps the first to successfully use a phasing cloak . It had been retrieved from the wreckage of the USS Pegasus and was installed aboard the Enterprise to allow it to pass through an asteroid after a Romulan vessel sealed the ship inside. ( TNG : " The Pegasus ")

Investigating the asteroid field in 2370

While investigating a rogue comet in 2370, the Enterprise stumbled upon an archive of the lost D'Arsay civilization. The archive trapped the ship and used matter and DNA aboard to create artifacts from the D'Arsay culture. The Enterprise was later returned to normal. ( TNG : " Masks ")

Lieutenant Worf supervised an upgrade of the Enterprise 's weapons systems in late 2370. The tests were interrupted after the ship was ravaged by Barclay's Protomorphosis Syndrome . ( TNG : " Genesis ")

At some unspecified point in 2370, the Enterprise -D docked at Deep Space 9, where some of the crew went on shore leave , and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax staked Commander Riker three strips of gold-pressed latinum when Riker's winning-streak ran dry at Quark's . Riker would later contact Quark and trade his unclaimed winnings for information on the Duras sisters. ( TNG : " Firstborn "; DS9 : " Defiant ")

The Enterprise temporarily became sentient in 2370 when an emergent lifeform used the ship's systems to reproduce. ( TNG : " Emergence ")

When Miles O'Brien , one of the ship's former transporter chiefs , was captured by the Cardassians in late 2370, the Enterprise along with Prokofiev , and Valdemar were sent to patrol the Demilitarized Zone as a warning to the Cardassian government . ( DS9 : " Tribunal ")

The Enterprise in 2371

In early 2371 , the Enterprise received a number of refits to its internal spaces. Color and lighting schemes were slightly altered, and the bridge inherited a number of new consoles on the port and starboard sides. There were now four science stations , three along the starboard wall and one at the starboard side of the aft stations. Mission Ops was now the second station, followed by environmental control . Two engineering stations rounded out the aft area, while three communications stations were present along the port wall.

The Enterprise -D arrives at Amargosa

In addition, the main floor (where the captain's, executive officer's, and guest's chairs were) was slightly raised, and a chair was placed at the tactical station for the chief of security to sit while manning that console.

Later that year, the Enterprise picked up a distress call from the observatory in the Amargosa system . An away team led by Commander Riker found that the station had been attacked by Romulans, they also found an injured Doctor Tolian Soran buried among the wreckage. After analyzing the Romulan tricorder , they discovered the Romulans were looking for trilithium . Back on the station, Data and La Forge discovered a secret lab filled with solar probes when they are attacked by Soran. Soran then launched a solar probe that destroyed the Amargosa star, producing a level-12 shock wave , after rescuing Data, the Enterprise left the system as the observatory was destroyed.

The Enterprise in orbit of Veridian III

After talking with Guinan about Soran and the Nexus , Picard met with Data in Stellar cartography , where they discovered that Soran was altering the course of the energy ribbon. Picard determined Soran was heading for the Veridian system and ordered Worf to set course at maximum warp. The Enterprise arrived at Veridian III and intercepted a renegade Klingon Bird-of-Prey commanded by the Duras sisters. The Klingons agreed to a "prisoner exchange" for La Forge, taking Picard in his place and allowing him to beam to Soran's location somewhere on the planet's surface. ( Star Trek Generations )

Destruction [ ]

However, an subsequent engagement with the Bird-of-Prey resulted in extensive damage to the Enterprise . The ship's magnetic interlocks were ruptured, and before efforts could be made to repair them, a coolant leak began, leading to an unavoidable warp core breach .

The Enterprise 's stardrive section is destroyed

Faced with this scenario, Commander Riker ordered the evacuation of the crew from the secondary hull to the saucer section . Once the evacuation had been completed, the saucer could separate and get to a safe distance before the stardrive section was destroyed by the core breach. La Forge and Dr. Crusher oversaw the evacuations of their respective departments and completed it with a minute to spare. The saucer's impulse engines were engaged as soon as it cleared the secondary hull, but the saucer was unable to get to a safe distance before the core breached. The explosion produced a ion shock wave that disabled the entire saucer section and propelled it into a degrading orbit of Veridian III, forcing the saucer section into the planet's atmosphere .

The saucer section of the Enterprise grinds to a halt on Veridian III

With the saucer hurtling towards the surface of the planet, Data managed to reroute the auxiliary systems to the lateral thrusters and thereby restore thruster control to level out their descent. Moments later, the saucer crash-landed into a jungle on the planet's surface, flattening many trees as it came to rest. Owing to the relatively safe landing, casualties on the Enterprise were minimal. Unfortunately, the severe damage sustained by the primary hull in the battle and subsequent crash landing apparently rendered the ship unsalvageable. The ship's crew was rescued by three Starfleet vessels, including the Nebula -class USS Farragut , an Oberth -class ship , and a Miranda -class ship . ( Star Trek Generations )

Reconstruction [ ]

Due to Prime Directive concerns, the crashed saucer section was recovered and transported to the Fleet Museum . Upon taking stewardship of the Museum, Commodore Geordi La Forge spent twenty years restoring the ship to its original condition in Hangar Bay 12, forgoing her last refits from 2371, and using parts from the USS Syracuse to rebuild the secondary hull . He also repaired the extensive damage to the saucer section from the crash, with only cosmetic damage to the outer hull remaining. By Frontier Day in 2401 , the Enterprise -D was an operational starship once again, aside from some lingering issues that La Forge had yet to address. ( PIC : " The Star Gazer " commemorative plaque ; PIC : " Võx ")

Emergency return to action [ ]

In 2401 , when Picard came to the Fleet Museum in search of Geordi La Forge 's help with rescuing an away team from Daystrom Station , La Forge's daughter Alandra discreetly suggested using the Enterprise for the mission, but he instantly shot the idea down. Instead, Picard's son Jack Crusher and La Forge's other daughter Sidney stole the cloaking device from the HMS Bounty . ( PIC : " The Bounty ")

The crew standing on the restored bridge of the Enterprise -D

The Enterprise -D returns to service

On Frontier Day , La Forge revealed the Enterprise to the rest of its old command crew when they needed a ship not linked to the Starfleet mainframe , which had been used by the Borg to take over the Federation fleet. The ship was functional, barring some lingering issues. With the ship's computer identifying him as Captain Picard due to the long-outdated crew manifest , Picard jokingly accepted a field demotion to command the Enterprise again. ( PIC : " Võx ")

Picking up a distress call from President Anton Chekov , it was quickly determined that the Enterprise was the only help that was coming for Earth. Deducing that the Borg had to be close, the Enterprise located a Borg cube hiding in Jupiter 's Great Red Spot broadcasting the Borg Collective 's command signal - Jack Crusher. Data quickly determined the cube to only be 36% operational as most of its resources were being used to broadcast the signal. After detecting the Enterprise , the cube lowered its shields and redirected its weapons in an invitation. Deducing that there was a beacon transmitting the signal across the solar system, Picard, Riker and Worf beamed aboard to find Jack and the coordinates for the beacon so that the Enterprise could target it while La Forge, Doctor Crusher, Counselor Troi and Data remained on the ship to help guide them.

As Riker and Worf located the beacon, the cube opened fire on the Enterprise , but Crusher, displaying the accumulated skill of the past twenty years, was able to manually target the ship's weapons to take out the cube's defensive turrets. The information recovered by the away team revealed the beacon to be at the very heart of the cube, a location statistically impossible for even the best computer or pilot to reach.

The USS Enterprise -D escaping Jupiter with Jack Crusher following the destruction of the Borg Collective and the Borg Queen.

However, at Data's insistence, La Forge allowed him to fly the Enterprise through the cube's superstructure, with Crusher firing at any targets of opportunity that emerged along the ship's flight path. The ship eventually reached the beacon, which was discovered to be interfaced into the very substructure of the ship; its destruction would trigger a cataclysmic chain reaction that would destroy the Borg cube, and everyone on it.

The USS Enterprise -D and the USS Titan -A returning to Earth following their victory over the Borg.

The Enterprise hit the beacon with multiple phaser blasts and photon torpedos , destroying it and causing the cube to be consumed by a series of explosions. After Troi telepathically sensed her husband's farewell, she was able to fly the Enterprise over the away team's position and beam them out just in time. The Borg cube was destroyed, ending the Borg threat forever and breaking the Borg's control over Starfleet. As everyone celebrated, Picard welcomed his son to the Enterprise . ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Final retirement [ ]

The USS Enterprise -D was officially restored and took her place in the Fleet Museum.

After the battle at Jupiter, the Enterprise was returned to the Fleet Museum and her restoration continued (along with repairs). By 2402 the work was completed and she was put on display in a place of honor between the USS Enterprise -A and the USS Stargazer . Picard, La Forge and Riker reminisced on her bridge about the old ship, the number of times that she had managed to save the world and how it was difficult to imagine what they might've been without her. La Forge ordered the computer to initiate the shutdown procedure and promised to take good care of the Enterprise as "after all, she's always taken good care of us."

Soon afterwards, the USS Titan -A was rechristened the USS Enterprise -G in honor of the Enterprise -D and the heroic actions of her command crew. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")

Commander Riker was upset over the loss of the Enterprise . Having hoped he would one day command the ship, he was disappointed that he never got that opportunity. However, Picard expressed doubt that the Enterprise -D would be the last vessel to carry the name. ( Star Trek Generations )

The Enterprise was so dear to Worf that, shortly after being reassigned to Deep Space 9 in 2372 , he briefly considered resigning from Starfleet . Station commander Captain Benjamin Sisko expressed regret on the loss of the Enterprise and offered his condolences over the destruction of the ship to Worf, saying the Enterprise "was a good ship." ( DS9 : " The Way of the Warrior ")

Picard dreams of the Enterprise -D in flight

Captain Picard's belief that the Enterprise -D would not be the final ship to bear the name was borne out with the christening of the Sovereign -class USS Enterprise -E in 2372. In that instance, the legacy of the Enterprise continued with Picard reprising his role as CO and selecting most of the former crew from the Enterprise -D, with the notable exception of Worf due to his recent assignment to DS9.

A gold model of the Enterprise -D was kept in a display case in the observation lounge of the Enterprise -E. Picard later destroyed it with a phaser rife in the fit of rage while discussing the Borg assimilation of the Enterprise -E with Lily Sloane . It was the image of the broken Enterprise -D model that helped convince Picard to set the auto-destruct sequence and abandon ship rather than be destroyed by his need for revenge against the Borg. ( Star Trek: First Contact )

Following a mission on Karzill IV in 2381 , Riker commented to Lieutenant Brad Boimler on how much he missed the exploration and scientific exploits of the Enterprise -D compared to the "non-stop fighting" he experienced as captain of the USS Titan . He advised Boimler to enjoy his reassignment to the USS Cerritos similarly to his time on the Enterprise. ( LD : , " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ")

The Enterprise -D served as the setting for a late-24th century version of the Kobayashi Maru scenario among the USS Protostar 's training programs. In 2383 , Dal R'El attempted the scenario numerous times before learning its lesson. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

In 2383 , Hologram Janeway showed the young crew of the USS Protostar an image of the Enterprise -D while explaining the history of the Federation and Starfleet to them. ( PRO : " Starstruck ")

Picard's dream of the Enterprise -D

In 2399 , Picard, sleeping at Château Picard in France , had a dream that he was in Ten Forward with Data on the Enterprise -D, playing a game of Poker . Nearing the end of the game, he stalled Data as best he could because he did not want the game to be over. They were seated at a table directly next to a window , which allowed Picard to notice Mars outside. He didn't realize that the Enterprise was on course for Mars, so this surprised him. He then watched as the entire planet exploded , engulfing the Enterprise as well, causing Picard to awaken from his dream. ( PIC : " Remembrance ")

Later that same year, a hologram of the Enterprise was displayed in the atrium of the CNC's office at Starfleet Headquarters . ( PIC : " Maps and Legends ")

By 2401 , the Enterprise -D was depicted on a commemorative plaque alongside other historic ships at Starfleet Academy . ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")

Later that year, in preparation for Frontier Day , Guinan began selling models of the various starship Enterprise s, including the Enterprise -D at 10 Forward Avenue . However, much to Riker's chagrin, the Enterprise -D models proved to be unpopular, being seen as "the fat one". ( PIC : " The Next Generation ")

List of first contacts [ ]

In most cases, the date indicated is the first time open communication was initiated with at least one member of the species. Otherwise, it is the first known contact with the species.

• The Aldeans ( TNG : " When The Bough Breaks ")
• Armus ( TNG : " Skin Of Evil ")
• The Beta Renner cloud ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ")
• The Crystalline Entity ( TNG : " Datalore ", " Silicon Avatar ")
• The Edo ( TNG : " Justice ")
• The Farpoint Station entities ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")
• The Ferengi ( TNG : " The Last Outpost ")
• Microbrain ( TNG : " Home Soil ")
• The parasitic beings ( TNG : " Conspiracy ")
• The Q Continuum ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")
• The Borg ( TNG : " Q Who ")
• Nagilum ( TNG : " Where Silence Has Lease ")
• Ian Andrew Troi, Jr. ( TNG : " The Child ")
• The nanite civilization ( TNG : " Evolution ")
• The Douwd ( TNG : " The Survivors ")
• The Mintakans ( TNG : " Who Watches The Watchers ")
• Gomtuu ( TNG : " Tin Man ")
• Koinonian energy being ( TNG : " The Bonding ")
• The Zalkonians ( TNG : " Transfigurations ")
• The Cytherians ( TNG : " The Nth Degree ")
• The Malcorians ( TNG : " First Contact ")
• The Enterprise -D also encountered the Paxans in 2367, but all recollection of that encounter was erased from the memories of the entire crew except for Data as well as from the ship's logs. ( TNG : " Clues ")
• First successful establishment of two-way communication. Actual first contact had occurred at least one century earlier.
• FGC 47 lifeforms ( TNG : " Imaginary Friend ")
• Criminals from Ux-Mal composed of anionic energy ( TNG : " Power Play ")
• The exocomps ( TNG : " The Quality of Life ")
• The quantum singularity lifeforms ( TNG : " Timescape ")
• The Solanogen-based lifeforms ( TNG : " Schisms ")
• The Boraalans ( TNG : " Homeward ")
• Emergent lifeform ( TNG : " Emergence ")

Technical data [ ]

Physical arrangement [ ].

The Enterprise -D at warp

With a total of 42 decks, the USS Enterprise -D was twice the length and had eight times the interior space of the Constitution -class ships of over a century earlier ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ") it carried a combined crew and passenger load of 1,014. ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " Rascals ", " Genesis ")

The bridge , captain's ready room , and conference lounge were on Deck 1, and were protected by redundant safety interlocks to prevent environmental systems failure. ( TNG : " Brothers ")

The main shuttlebay was on Deck 4, supported by several cargo bays on Deck 4 and Deck 18. ( TNG : " Power Play ", " Schisms ") Two additional shuttlebays were found on Deck 13. ( TNG : " The Next Phase ")

The secondary hull or stardrive section following a saucer separation

Deck 8 of the ship was an unfinished multipurpose deck. Additional workspaces were set there when needed. ( TNG : " Liaisons ") It also contained the officers' quarters, some guest quarters, and the battle bridge . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Reunion ")

Deck 12 contained sickbay and the gymnasium , ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " The Icarus Factor ") while main engineering was located on Deck 36. ( TNG : " The Hunted ", " The Game ") Engineering took up twelve decks of the secondary hull , with the antimatter storage pods housed on Deck 42. ( TNG : " Liaisons ") There was a science section on deck 15. ( TNG : " In Theory ")

The primary docking ports were located on either side of the torpedo launcher on Deck 25; ( TNG : " 11001001 ") the nacelle control room was also on that deck. ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ") According to Lieutenant Commander Nella Daren , the most acoustically perfect spot on the ship was the fourth intersect of Jefferies tube 25. The intersection formed a resonance chamber for the sound compression waves. ( TNG : " Lessons ")

The ventral aft section

The aft section

The Enterprise had a maximum sustainable speed of warp 9.6 for twelve hours . ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")

The warp core could generate a tremendous amount of energy at once if needed; the only device on the ship capable of channeling such energy all at once, at controlled frequencies, was the main deflector dish. ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ") There were some four thousand power systems in all on board the ship. It also had twenty transporter rooms, with at least one on deck 6. ( TNG : " 11001001 ", " Hollow Pursuits ", " Ménage à Troi ")

Weaponry [ ]

The armaments of the Enterprise -D included twelve phaser arrays , two torpedo launchers , a supply of 250 photon torpedoes , and hundreds of antimatter mines . The ship was protected by a high-capacity shield grid that could operate on multiple frequencies. When the ship was destroyed in 2371, the shield frequency was at 257.4 MHz. ( TNG : " Half a Life ", " Conundrum ", " Chain Of Command, Part II "; Star Trek Generations )

While on the rebuilt Enterprise in 2401, then-Captain Worf noted how he preferred the weaponry aboard its successor ship. ( PIC : " Võx ")

Operations [ ]

The bulk of the people on board the Enterprise could be evacuated within four minutes. This was executed at Starbase 74 during 2364 . ( TNG : " 11001001 ")

During emergency situations, certain large but protected areas of the ship were designated emergency shelters , including Ten Forward . Collectively, they could hold all the ship's crew and were designed so that the crew could reach one of the areas quickly. In 2367, while caught in a Tyken's Rift , the crew were ordered to these areas in order to get extra power from life support in non-shelter areas. ( TNG : " Night Terrors ")

Shipboard life [ ]

In 2367, an average day aboard ship recorded by Lieutenant Commander Data included four birthdays, two personnel transfers, two chess tournaments, a secondary school play, four promotions, and at least one birth. ( TNG : " Data's Day ")

The Enterprise normally ran on three duty shifts . ( TNG : " Lower Decks ") Increasing to four duty shifts caused many personnel scheduling problems, as observed when Captain Jellico ordered a change during his tenure in 2369 . ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ")

Crewmembers of ensign rank were required to share crew quarters but were allowed their own quarters upon promotion to lieutenant junior grade . ( TNG : " Lower Decks ") Families often shared quarters. ( TNG : " Lonely Among Us ", " When The Bough Breaks ", " Imaginary Friend ", " A Fistful of Datas ", " Journey's End ")

The Enterprise had five day care centers and at least seven classrooms . ( LD : " Kayshon, His Eyes Open ", TNG : " Rascals ")

Ten Forward , located at the extreme forward of Deck 10 in the saucer section, was the center of the ship's social activity; nearly everyone on board passed through the lounge at one time or another. ( TNG : " The Child ", " The Offspring ") Holodecks located on Deck 10 and Deck 12 also provided entertainment for the crew. ( TNG : " The Big Goodbye ", " Homeward ")

Ship's directory [ ]

• Room 2713: Lieutenant Worf 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Parallels ")
• Room 3653: Lieutenant Commander Data 's quarters , 2370 ( TNG : " Masks ")
• Section 19, Room 1947: Lieutenant Edward Hagler 's quarters ( TNG : " Schisms ")
• Section 25 Baker, Room: Lieutenant Worf's quarters, 2369 ( TNG : " Rightful Heir ")
• Room 0910: Commander Deanna Troi 's quarters, 2368 - 2370 ( TNG : " Violations ", " Genesis ")
• Room 0912: Commander William T. Riker 's quarters ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds ", " Chain Of Command, Part II ")
• Room 2133: Commander Beverly Crusher 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Sub Rosa ")
• Room 3402: Counselor Deanna Troi's office ( TNG : " The Price ")
• Section 4, Room 4711: Lieutenant Ro Laren 's quarters, 2370 ( TNG : " Preemptive Strike ")
• Marla Aster and Jeremy Aster 's quarters, 2366 ( TNG : " The Bonding ")
• Room 0910: Counselor Deanna Troi's quarters, 2366 ( TNG : " The Price ")
• Room 0929: Ensign Maddy Calloway 's quarters ( TNG : " Eye of the Beholder ")
• Room 3601: Captain Jean-Luc Picard 's quarters ( TNG : " Allegiance ")
• Section 28: Commander Beverly Crusher's quarters, 2368 ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

As of 2366, some thirteen species were represented among the 1,014 members of the ship's complement , at that time including Betazoid , Klingon, El-Aurian , Vulcan , and Human . ( TNG : " Remember Me ", " Reunion ") Over the course of its mission, crew species included Bolian , Benzite , Bajoran , Napean , and an android . When Lal was considering an Andorian form, Troi told her that she would be alone, meaning there were no Andorians or at least no Andorian females on the ship then. ( TNG : " The Offspring ") As of 2369, there were seventeen crew members from non-Federation worlds. ( TNG : " The Chase ") The ship also carried dolphins . ( TNG : " The Perfect Mate ")

Beverly Crusher said there were supposed to be at least four people on duty in sickbay at all times. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Although Starfleet crewmembers staffed the vital positions on board the Enterprise , civilian crewmembers were allowed to hold important jobs in the ship's science and medical departments, as well as support areas like Ten Forward and the ship's school or the arboretum. ( TNG : " Night Terrors ", " Hero Worship ", " Ethics ") The Enterprise included children among the civilians on board, a concept which was not initially embraced by Captain Picard. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " The Bonding ")

Crew evaluations were conducted every three months, and were usually supervised by Executive Officer William Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi. ( TNG : " Man Of The People ", " Lower Decks ", " Eye of the Beholder ")

Commanding officers [ ]

Although Captain Jean-Luc Picard commanded the Enterprise for most of the starship's life, his first officer , William Riker, was field promoted to captain in 2367 following Picard's capture by the Borg and assimilation as Locutus . ( TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ") In early 2369, the Enterprise was briefly commanded by Captain Edward Jellico, as Captain Picard was assigned to a covert mission on the Cardassian planet of Celtris III . ( TNG : " Chain Of Command, Part I ", " Chain Of Command, Part II ")

Command crew [ ]

The Enterprise -D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard

The Enterprise -D under the command of Captain William T. Riker in 2367

The Enterprise -D under the command of Captain Edward Jellico in 2369

The Enterprise -D under the command of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in 2401

• Jean-Luc Picard ( 2363 – 2371 , 2401 )
• William T. Riker ( 2367 )
• Edward Jellico ( 2369 )
• Beverly Crusher (2370, temporary)
• Geordi La Forge (2401, temporary)
• William T. Riker (2364–2371)
• Kurn ( 2366 ) (temporary)
• Elizabeth Shelby (2367)
• Data (2369) (temporary)
• Data (2364–2371)
• Daystrom Android M-5-10 (2401)
• MacDougal (2364)
• Argyle (2364)
• Logan (2364)
• Leland T. Lynch (2364)
• Geordi La Forge ( 2365 –2371, 2401)
• Natasha Yar (2364)
• Worf (2364 – 2371)
• Worf (2364 – 2371, 2401)
• Burke (2365)
• Taitt ( 2370 )
• Beverly Crusher (2401)
• Beverly Crusher (2364, 2366)
• Katherine Pulaski (2365)
• Deanna Troi (2364–2371)
• Geordi La Forge (2364)
• Worf (2364)
• Miles O'Brien (2364)
• Wesley Crusher (2364–2367)
• Ro Laren ( 2368 –2369, 2370)
• Graham (2367)
• Sariel Rager (2367–2369)
• Gates (2368–2370)
• McKnight (2367–2369)
• Sam Lavelle (2370)
• Deanna Troi (2371, 2401) (temporary)
• Swenson (2364)
• Taitt (2370)
• Miles O'Brien (2365–2369)
• Maggie Hubbell (2367–2369)

Alternate Enterprise s [ ]

Numerous alternate timeline and illusory versions of the Enterprise have been encountered.

Encounter with an energy vortex [ ]

One alternate version of the Enterprise was observed in 2365 . A ship from several hours in the future was destroyed following an encounter with an energy vortex , which was later determined to be a sentient presence. There was a single survivor, Captain Picard, who was thrown back in time and picked up by the Enterprise . The "present" Picard was able to determine that the Enterprise needed to fly through the anomaly rather than attempt to escape it via the entrance, and the timeline was averted. ( TNG : " Time Squared ")

Encounter with the Enterprise -C [ ]

Two Enterprise s meet

In another alternate timeline, following the disappearance of the USS Enterprise -C , and the destruction of the Klingon outpost at Narendra III , relations between the Federation and the Klingon Empire deteriorated into war .

The Enterprise -D in this alternate timeline was the first of the Galaxy -class warships constructed by the Federation, capable of carrying over 6,000 troops. The vessel was entirely militarized, with no civilians or counselor . The bridge contained multiple redundant consoles, computer panels along the side walls, and a single command chair for the captain. The observation lounge was a war room instead, with the table at waist height so that the crew stood. Replicators throughout the ship were restricted to minimal power, lighting was generally darker, and all available power was routed to the defensive systems. In addition to crew performing their normal duties, there were additional security officers standing at attention at all times.

In 2366, on combat date 43625.2, the Enterprise -D investigated a radiation anomaly near Starbase 105 , where it encountered the Enterprise -C, transported through time by an anomaly called a temporal rift . As the Enterprise -D assisted in repairs, it was made clear that the Enterprise -C had to return through the rift, in order to prevent the chain of events that would lead to war. Enterprise -D's El-Aurian bartender Guinan was aware of the change to the timeline, and convinced Captain Picard to send the Enterprise -C back through the rift.

As three Klingon K'vort -class battle cruisers attacked, the Enterprise -D laid down cover fire in order for the Enterprise -C to return through the rift. Heavy casualties were suffered, and the vessel was on the verge of a warp core breach when the timeline was restored. However, the Enterprise -C crew retained memories of their encounter, and one Enterprise -D crewmember, Tasha Yar , went back in time with the Enterprise -C. ( TNG : " Yesterday's Enterprise ", " Redemption II ")

Crusher's static warp bubble [ ]

In 2367, the thoughts of Dr. Beverly Crusher after she was trapped in a warp bubble created a completely separate universe, in which people and objects began disappearing. At various points, the crew of the Enterprise was reduced to a normal operating contingent of about three hundred, then one hundred, then simply two. All crew eventually disappeared, as the bubble began to collapse and the universe destroyed. This Enterprise was gradually erased from existence as the bubble collapsed. ( TNG : " Remember Me ")

Barash’s simulation – Captain Riker [ ]

USS Enterprise in Riker's service record

In 2367, while exploring a cavern on Alpha Onias III , Commander William Riker was rendered unconscious by gases . While unconscious, neural scanners scanned Commander Riker's brain . The scanners used elements of Riker's reality and constructed a simulation with those elements interspersed throughout so that it felt real to him. What Riker wanted, the scanners made possible.

In the first simulation, set in 2383 , Riker was the captain of the Enterprise and was in the final stages of securing a peace treaty with the Romulans.

In 2374 , on stardate 51253, after serving for many years as the captain of the USS Titan , Riker succeeded Picard as the captain of the Enterprise . The ship's first assignment under his command was a deep space exploration mission. Under his command, the ship surveyed the space beyond the Sargon Region , was a participant in the joint Excalbian Campaign , and captured a Romulan warship. These events were mentioned in his service record that was on display in his quarters on the Enterprise -D.

A few years before 2383, a Romulan battle cruiser had drifted into Federation space. The ship's warp coils had collapsed and life support was failing. The Enterprise rescued the crew. Riker was the key spokesman in securing an alliance with the Romulans, who were impressed with his efforts at saving one of their ships. In the sixteen years between 2367 and 2383, the Enterprise saved all the colonists in the Fornax Disaster .

Riker was a widower with a son, Jean-Luc . His wife had been the ship's counselor after Troi had accepted a position at Starfleet Command. His wife died in 2381 in a shuttlecraft accident.

In 2383, Data served as the first officer while La Forge was using cloned eye implants instead of his VISOR . There were Klingons and Ferengi serving aboard the Enterprise . The interior of the ship was also slightly altered and the bridge had several more science stations. The Enterprise had been assigned an escort mission for the Romulan ambassador Tomalak , whereupon he would be delivered to the final session for a peace treaty between the Federation and the Romulans. At this session, Riker would be a signatory to the treaty.

However, a number of flaws convinced Riker that what he was experiencing was a charade and he challenged the program. This resulted in a new simulation where Riker was a prisoner of the Romulans. ( TNG : " Future Imperfect " okudagram )

Quantum fissure encounter [ ]

The bridge of an alternate Enterprise -D

Several thousand Enterprise s from many different quantum realities were encountered – later spilling into a single universe – in early 2370 , as a result of Lieutenant Worf's encounter with a quantum fissure .

Worf observed numerous realities, with variations in personnel and positions widespread. In one quantum reality, Captain Picard was lost in the Borg encounter in 2367 and Riker was captain of the Enterprise , Wesley Crusher was still (or again) part of the crew, having risen to the rank of full lieutenant with the positions of security chief and tactical officer . In at least one reality, Alyssa Ogawa, who was a long-time nurse in the primary reality, was a full doctor and the chief medical officer with the rank of commander. In that reality, La Forge was killed in an attack by the Cardassians.

On occasion, races that were adversarial to the Federation of the original universe, such as the Cardassians, were part of the crew. Specifically, a Cardassian ensign served as the Enterprise -D's conn officer . Conversely, in the same quantum reality, the Bajorans were a hostile faction, having overthrown the Cardassian Union prior to 2370 . They became increasingly aggressive towards the Federation. A Bajoran ship destroyed the Argus Array on Stardate 47391.2 as they thought that Starfleet was using it to spy on them. In the same reality, La Forge had likewise been killed shortly beforehand, though the cause of his death was not stated.

In a reality where the Borg had emerged victorious after the Battle of Wolf 359 and successfully conquered the Federation, the Enterprise was one of the few remaining Starfleet vessels by 2370. Riker was in command of that ship as well and was desperate not to return to his universe once all of the Enterprise s began spilling into a single universe. After attempting to get the attention of the present-reality Enterprise by firing lightly upon them, the heavily damaged ship was destroyed by Captain Riker with the alternate Riker on board to prevent further damage to his ship.

The fissure was eventually sealed and the remaining ships were returned to their proper universes. When Worf returned to his normal universe, time was reversed and these events no longer occurred. ( TNG : " Parallels ")

Anti-time eruption [ ]

The Enterprise -D in an alternate future

Several alternate versions of the Enterprise -D were seen by Captain Picard after encountering an anti-time eruption in the Devron system . All were part of separate closed timelines.

In the anti-time past of 2363 and 2364 , the Enterprise was not sent to Farpoint Station , but instead was diverted to investigate the anomaly, which was feared to be a new Romulan presence. In this time period, Picard did not inform his crew of his time shifts, worrying that it may influence the future.

He initially ignored Starfleet's orders and proceeded to Farpoint, but then diverted the ship to the Devron system and began scanning the anomaly with an inverse tachyon pulse . When it was discovered that the beam actually caused the anomaly and that the ship would need to create a static warp shell to contain the eruption, the crew was hesitant to accept the orders of their commander, who seemed to be making arbitrary decisions.

After a quick reassurance from Picard, the crew cooperated and the ship joined two other Enterprise s in order to seal the breach. It was the first to be destroyed after the stress from the static warp shell caused a warp core breach.

The second ship existed in the anti-time present of 2370 and 2371. Its history was identical to the real ship up until that point. It was also sent to the Devron system and began to scan the anomaly with the inverse tachyon beam. Picard did tell this crew about his time shifts, and this ship was most drastically affected by the anomaly's effects.

This Enterprise joined the two other ships inside the anomaly, but was also destroyed trying to maintain a static warp shell.

In the anti-time future , the Enterprise was not destroyed at Veridian III, but remained in service for a number of years, Admiral Riker saving the vessel from being decommissioned by making it his personal flagship based out of Starbase 247 .

Firing phasers

In this future, the Enterprise had undergone several significant modifications, including the addition of a third nacelle, a cloaking device, and a powerful phaser mounted underneath the saucer section. Riker took the Enterprise to intercept the USS Pasteur when he realized that Picard would investigate the anomaly without permission. It intercepted two Klingon battleships which were attacking the Pasteur , single-handedly destroying one with eight shots from the new phaser weapon. This forced the other vessel to retreat. The Enterprise then rescued the crew of the badly-damaged Pasteur before it was destroyed due to a warp core breach.

Riker ordered the Enterprise back to Federation space, but Picard later convinced him to return to the Devron system and the ship arrived in time to watch the initial formation of the anomaly. It was the last ship to be destroyed when the anomaly was sealed, preventing any of these ships from coming into existence. ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")

Destruction at Veridian III [ ]

The Enterprise destroyed by a shock wave

In yet another alternate timeline, the saucer section of the Enterprise -D was destroyed with the loss of all hands shortly after its crash-landing on the surface of Veridian III. In this version of events, Doctor Tolian Soran successfully launched his trili thium missile into the Veridian star; the resulting shock wave destroyed all planets in the system. Fortunately, before the wave reached the planet, both Soran and Captain Picard were swept into the Nexus, until the Enterprise -D's saucer section and all aboard were wiped out when the shock wave reached Veridian III.

Acquiring the assistance of James T. Kirk , Picard was able to return to a point before Soran launched his weapon and prevent the destruction of the Veridian star, sparing the lives aboard the saucer section of the Enterprise -D at the same time. ( Star Trek Generations )

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Encounter at Farpoint "
• " The Naked Now "
• " Code of Honor "
• " The Last Outpost "
• " Where No One Has Gone Before "
• " Lonely Among Us "
• " Justice "
• " The Battle "
• " Hide And Q "
• " The Big Goodbye "
• " Datalore "
• " Angel One "
• " 11001001 "
• " Too Short A Season "
• " When The Bough Breaks "
• " Home Soil "
• " Coming of Age "
• " Heart of Glory "
• " The Arsenal of Freedom "
• " Symbiosis "
• " Skin Of Evil "
• " We'll Always Have Paris "
• " Conspiracy "
• " The Neutral Zone "
• " The Child "
• " Where Silence Has Lease "
• " Elementary, Dear Data "
• " The Outrageous Okona "
• " Loud As A Whisper "
• " The Schizoid Man "
• " Unnatural Selection "
• " A Matter Of Honor "
• " The Measure Of A Man "
• " The Dauphin "
• " Contagion "
• " The Royale "
• " Time Squared "
• " The Icarus Factor "
• " Pen Pals "
• " Samaritan Snare "
• " Up The Long Ladder "
• " Manhunt "
• " The Emissary "
• " Peak Performance "
• " Shades of Gray "
• " Evolution "
• " The Ensigns of Command "
• " The Survivors "
• " Who Watches The Watchers "
• " The Bonding "
• " Booby Trap "
• " The Enemy "
• " The Price "
• " The Vengeance Factor "
• " The Defector "
• " The Hunted "
• " The High Ground "
• " A Matter of Perspective "
• " Yesterday's Enterprise "
• " The Offspring "
• " Sins of The Father "
• " Allegiance "
• " Captain's Holiday "
• " Tin Man "
• " Hollow Pursuits "
• " The Most Toys "
• " Ménage à Troi "
• " Transfigurations "
• " The Best of Both Worlds "
• " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II "
• " Brothers "
• " Suddenly Human "
• " Remember Me "
• " Reunion "
• " Future Imperfect "
• " Final Mission "
• " The Loss "
• " Data's Day "
• " The Wounded "
• " Devil's Due "
• " First Contact "
• " Galaxy's Child "
• " Night Terrors "
• " Identity Crisis "
• " The Nth Degree "
• " The Drumhead "
• " Half a Life "
• " The Host "
• " The Mind's Eye "
• " In Theory "
• " Redemption "
• " Redemption II "
• " Ensign Ro "
• " Silicon Avatar "
• " Disaster "
• " The Game "
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " A Matter Of Time "
• " New Ground "
• " Hero Worship "
• " Violations "
• " The Masterpiece Society "
• " Conundrum "
• " Power Play "
• " The Outcast "
• " Cause And Effect "
• " The First Duty "
• " Cost Of Living "
• " The Perfect Mate "
• " Imaginary Friend "
• " The Next Phase "
• " The Inner Light "
• " Time's Arrow "
• " Time's Arrow, Part II "
• " Realm Of Fear "
• " Man Of The People "
• " Schisms "
• " Rascals "
• " A Fistful of Datas "
• " The Quality of Life "
• " Chain Of Command, Part I "
• " Chain Of Command, Part II "
• " Ship In A Bottle "
• " Face Of The Enemy "
• " Tapestry "
• " Birthright, Part I "
• " Birthright, Part II "
• " Starship Mine "
• " Lessons "
• " The Chase "
• " Frame of Mind "
• " Suspicions "
• " Rightful Heir "
• " Second Chances "
• " Timescape "
• " Descent "
• " Descent, Part II "
• " Liaisons "
• " Interface "
• " Gambit, Part I "
• " Gambit, Part II "
• " Phantasms "
• " Dark Page "
• " Attached "
• " Force of Nature "
• " Inheritance "
• " Parallels "
• " The Pegasus "
• " Homeward "
• " Sub Rosa "
• " Lower Decks "
• " Thine Own Self "
• " Eye of the Beholder "
• " Genesis "
• " Journey's End "
• " Firstborn "
• " Bloodlines "
• " Emergence "
• " Preemptive Strike "
• " All Good Things... "
• DS9 : " Emissary "
• Star Trek Generations
• ENT : " These Are the Voyages... "
• " Remembrance " (dream only)
• " Maps and Legends " (hologram only)
• " The Next Generation " (model)
• " The Last Generation "
• LD : " Trusted Sources " (display graphic, mural)
• " Starstruck " (digital image)
• " Kobayashi " (hologram)
• VST : " Worst Contact "

Background information [ ]

The Enterprise -D model was designed by Andrew Probert . The basic layout of the ship was derived from a painting Probert had done following Star Trek: The Motion Picture of how he would redesign the Enterprise had he been allowed to break with the basic plan Matt Jefferies and Joe Jennings created for Star Trek: Phase II . When he was hired to work in the Star Trek: The Next Generation art department, he brought the painting with him and hung it in his office, then set to work on the design of the bridge. Out of pure luck, David Gerrold saw the painting and brought it to Gene Roddenberry 's attention. Roddenberry immediately approved the general direction. Probert further refined the design into the familiar shape; however, he originally conceived the battle section as a smaller vessel shaped like a "D" which detached from an area on the saucer. Later, the producers informed him that they wanted the ship to split in two and have the engineering hull serve as the battle section. This presented an additional problem for Probert, as he needed to figure out some way to fulfill the producers' requests while keeping the original lines of the design. Eventually, he found a way to incorporate a separation using the approved design, and after several more minor changes, the design reached its final form. Roddenberry's only requests were to lengthen the ends of the warp nacelles and to keep the bridge on the top of the saucer section rather than within the ship. Roddenberry felt that having the bridge on the exterior gave a sense of scale to the vessel.

Two versions of the filming miniature were built by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for the first season : a large six-foot model and a smaller less-detailed two-foot model, both constructed under the supervision of Ease Owyeung . Both were capable of saucer separation. The cost to construct the original models was US$75,000. For the third season , Greg Jein built a new four-foot miniature. It was not built to separate, but for the first time it accurately depicted the Ten Forward windows. It first appeared in TNG : " The Defector " and completely replaced the previous two models, although stock footage of the original models was still used. The six-foot model was briefly reused for the saucer separation in " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ". It was completely refurbished and overhauled for Star Trek Generations , where it represented the Enterprise alongside a computer-generated version and a special twelve-foot-wide saucer, created for the crash sequence. ILM crewmember Bill George relabeled the registry on the saucer to "NCC-1701-E" before the model was returned to the Paramount archives. The four-foot model was modified into the three-nacelled Enterprise from " All Good Things... " and later partially restored to become the USS Odyssey in " The Jem'Hadar " and the USS Venture in " The Way of the Warrior ".

The original six-foot filming model of the Enterprise -D (Lot #712) was sold at the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction on 7 October 2006 for US$576,000, including the buyer's premium (the winning bid was US$500,000), by far the highest price for any item in the auction.

The Star Trek Generations CGI model was utilized as various Galaxy -class ships during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . This same CGI model was overhauled by Gabriel Koerner for the ship's appearance in " These Are the Voyages... ".

During the early planning stages of TNG, it was intended for the series to be set in the late 25th century . The Enterprise -D would have been the seventh starship to bear the name, with a registry of NCC-1701-7. After the release of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home featuring the USS Enterprise -A , the designation was changed to NCC-1701-G before the producers finally moved the series to eighty years after Star Trek: The Original Series and settled on NCC-1701-D. There was also talk of eliminating the starship from the TNG series altogether and merely boosting the abilities of the transporter, but this idea was quickly dropped.

Conceptual sketch for the Enterprise bridge by Andrew Probert

Interior sets were supervised by Herman Zimmerman during the first season and Star Trek Generations . Andrew Probert also contributed design sketches, most importantly for the bridge. Richard James took over the role from the second season until the end of the series. Many sets were recycled from those created by Harold Michelson for Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the aborted Star Trek: Phase II . In turn, many of the Enterprise -D sets were transformed into those of the USS Voyager for Star Trek: Voyager .

Parts of the Enterprise -D sets, including the bridge tactical station, command chairs, and main engineering master systems display were displayed at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum [4] until they shut down in 2007, at which time the items were returned to Paramount. Other smaller set pieces and walls have been kept in the Paramount archives and used in other Star Trek productions, even becoming parts of the recreated TNG sets in "These Are the Voyages...".

A design patent was issued in 1990 for the "ornamental design" of the Enterprise -D. Andrew Probert was recognized in that patent as the sole "inventor" of the design.

The Enterprise -D had a captain's yacht named the Calypso . It was never actually seen, due to budget restrictions, but it can be seen on the underside of the saucer section. ( Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual )

In a scene description from the final draft script of ENT : " These Are the Voyages... ", the Enterprise -D was referred to as a "great ship".

Apocrypha [ ]

Reference manuals [ ].

The Enterprise -D was the subject of the highly detailed Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual by Rick Sternbach and Michael Okuda , and had its sets rendered in QuickTime VR for the interactive version of the book.

Sternbach later produced a set of blueprints depicting every single deck of the Enterprise .

The Enterprise -D was seen in several officially-licensed games , including Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity , Star Trek: The Next Generation - Echoes from the Past , and Star Trek Generations . It also made a brief appearance at the end of the Star Trek: Armada strategy game, and in a Star Trek: Legacy mission with the USS Defiant .

Attractions [ ]

The Enterprise -D met the science vessel Antares at the conclusion of Star Trek: Orion Rendezvous , a Star Trek -themed planetarium show produced in 1992 in conjunction with the Star Trek: Federation Science exhibit. That exhibit featured displays and interactive learning games modeled after the Enterprise -D bridge, engineering, sickbay, science lab, and transporter room.

Until September 1st, 2008, fans could visit the Enterprise -D via Star Trek: The Experience , which took guests through the transporter room, corridors, bridge, and shuttle deck while attempting to escape into a temporal rift aboard a shuttle motion simulator ride. Similar recreations of certain sets were included in the European Star Trek World Tour . [5]

External links [ ]

• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at StarTrek.com
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) at Wikipedia

• April 25, 2024 | Recap/Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Reflects On Its Choices In “Mirrors”
• April 24, 2024 | Coffee Table Book On The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Makeup Artistry Of Glenn Hetrick Coming In September
• April 24, 2024 | ‘William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill’ Documentary Arrives On VOD On Friday
• April 23, 2024 | THEORY: Did ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Finally Resolve The “Calypso” Mystery?
• April 23, 2024 | The Fight Against The Space Parasites Isn’t Going Well For B’Elanna In Preview Of ‘Star Trek: Defiant’ #14

Interview: Dave Blass On Rebuilding The Enterprise-D And What You Didn’t See In ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Season 3

| November 8, 2023 | By: Anthony Pascale 84 comments so far

Due to this week’s release of the Picard Legacy  Blu-ray box set , the TrekMovie All Access Podcast   team had a chance to speak to production designer Dave Blass about his work on the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard . We talked about what it took to recreate the bridge of the USS Enterprise-D and got the inside details about how the team got creative when it came to building all the different sets needed for season 3, even if viewers didn’t always see the amount of detail that went into them on TV.

Let’s start with the Enterprise-D which was painstakingly recreated. Even though it was for the end of the season, worked started on that first?

No. Actually, the challenge is that we did season 2 and season 3 back-to-back. So about halfway through season 2, [showrunner] Terry [Matalas] and his team kind of formed up and started working on season 3. And then we started getting hints and ideas of what we were going to do. But in season 3 we start the season with Picard and Laris in his study and he gets the signal from Beverly, that happens on the same stage where the Enterprise D was. So we literally ended up, you know: “Okay, shoot the scene because I got to build a spaceship here.” But two days before we shot that we were still in season 2. We finished season 2 on a Friday and we started season 3 on a Monday. I remember Terry coming to me saying, “Yeah, we want to do the D.” Then it was like, how do we do that and how do we afford it, and what version of it we were going to do? That was an evolving process. There was a scene in season 2 where Picard was being interviewed by a psychiatrist played by James Callis, who was his father. Initially, that was written for Picard’s ready room on the Enterprise-D. So we had gone down that route and it was too expensive to build a whole new set so we reworked something on the La Sirena set. But it was in our mind that we knew the D was possibly going to be there, but how and why was still to be figured out. It did take us three months to build it, so it was something that we ran into really quickly.

LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge, Brent Spiner as Data, Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher, Michael Dorn as Worf, Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi, Jonathan Frakes as Will Riker and Patrick Stewart as Picard in “The Last Generation” (Paramount+)

You brought in a lot of veteran experts like Doug Drexler, John Eaves, and the Okudas. That’s all exciting but was there ever anything that you disagreed about and if so, how did you deal with it?

I don’t think we ever disagreed about anything. But it’s terrifying, as someone who is such a fanboy for these people. I had John Eaves’ book, I had three copies of the Enterprise Tech Manual [written by Rick Sternbach and Mike Okuda]. I had Mike sign mine in Vegas, the one that I got as a Christmas present when I was in college. So to just give notes—it’s like, “Okay, here I don’t think this is…” But you will never meet a more cordial group. They just want to do good stuff. So I’d be working with them and they’d get frustrated because we couldn’t do this and ideally, it was a situation where we would all be around a conference table, all sketching on pads and coming up with something, but everyone was working from home because of COVID, so we never really had the camaraderie that they had back in the old days with everyone together. But we really went deep. Like bringing Dan Curry in to design Worf’s new weapon. There was no, “Hey, why don’t we do it?” I was like, “Why don’t we let Dan do it?” Because if Dan does it, it’s going to be right. We don’t have to compare it to what we would do. So I get the credit because he designed it.

TNG production designer Herman Zimmerman visits TNG vets Doug Drexler (L) and Dan Curry (R) on the recreated Enterprise-D set (Photo: Dave Blass)

On the DVD commentaries for season 3 of Picard, Terry was talking about Matalas Prime, saying there’s so much detail viewers couldn’t even see. Was that on purpose? Were there conversations with the DPs about lighting all those things to see more of it?

When I design something, I create a sandbox for them to go play in. It’s one of those things, especially for something like Matalas Prime which played over the course of six episodes, you don’t know what is going to be seen and where things will play out. We had [director] Dan Liu, who came in for the final episode [using that set], and when we were doing the first episode when we first saw Raffi, Dan’s not even in the mix, he’s not there. So he’s going to come in with his own vision and his own idea of how to shoot things. So my thing is to make everything as shootable as possible from every single angle. So no matter where they put the camera, it’s going to be a good shot. That is one of the things Jonathan Frakes kindly said, there was not a bad angle and there was so much depth. If you don’t see it, you don’t see it, but it was all there. That’s why I make it a habit of taking a lot of nice photos and I will share them on Twitter to let people see things that they may have not seen. But yeah, we just did layers and Shauna Aronson, our set decorator, and her team did a phenomenal job there. It was the same thing with the Borg ship at the end, it’s just layers upon layers of the entire history of the Borg race that are in there. And if you don’t see it, it happens, but it’s all there so that they can see if they want to.

Behind the scenes on “The Last Generation” (Paramount+)

Are there certain things you guys spent a lot of time on that never ended up on screen that you really wish fans had seen?

It happens. Film production is a collaborative effort and everyone’s just screaming to get through it and a lot of times what the focus is doesn’t end up being—and again, I design it for every possibility of what you possibly could want to do. One of the things that made me pull my hair out was in Picard’s library, it was a two-story set with a whole walkway up above with all this detail and bookshelves and history knickknacks, and you never saw it. Initially, Picard was looking for a book in the first scene, and my idea is we see him up top and he’s walking around trying to find the book and then he comes down the spiral staircase and we reveal the whole room. And then it was like “too much shoe leather.” It takes too much time out of the episode to shoot all that so he’s just on the ground floor and does the thing. And so in the end, I think there was just one shot where you could kind of see there was a second floor. But that’s on every single show and everything you’ve ever done.

Dave Blass on the USS Titan set (Photo: Dave Blass)

Well, at least LeVar Burton kissed you after seeing Geordi’s office, even though they cropped out all the cool stuff for the final shot.

Yeah, that was such a thing because we put all this stuff on his desk. And then the cinematographer came in and the reason I was there for LeVar Burton to kiss me was that they took all the stuff off the desk, because “it’s way too cluttered, way too cluttered.” And the onset dresser called me and said, “Dave, you need to come down here” and I walked in and said, “No, you need to put all that stuff back on the desk.” The only reason anyone is ever going to remember this scene is all that stuff that’s on the desk. Every single thing means something and it’s going to be a whole thing. I was like, “Just do it, just do it.” And then LeVar comes in and sees the Zefram Cochrane statue and he’s like, “Oh, my God” and they’re like, “Yeah, Dave did that.” I was like, “There’s that scene where you have your hand up [in Star Trek: First Contact ]” and he saw that and he’s like “You get it.” And that was the day I met LeVar Burton, but in that instance Geordi La Forge. It was such a wonderful thing.

But yeah, there are levels to fans. There are fans that will sit there and freeze-frame things and look for the good, the bad. They look at the Easter egg-y things, but we didn’t look them at as Easter eggs. We were world-building for Geordi. It’s the history of Starfleet. He was at a museum. Why wouldn’t there be pieces of history? And what is the history of Star Trek? As I told my team, Star Trek is not a sci-fi fantasy, it’s a historical drama that takes place in the future with 55 years of history. Knowing the history is really what you have to do. You don’t have to follow it. You don’t have to make this thing look exactly like that. But you have to know iconography. It’s the same way if you were designing a World War II movie, you don’t just put a typewriter in that’s not period-appropriate. It’s the same thing with Star Trek. You have to have a period-appropriate thing. If you are going to put a chair in there you have to know, “Oh, that chair was used in The Original Series so that’s a 100-year-old chair.”

Publicity still with LeVar Burton as Geordi La Forge for “The Bounty” shows items on his desk that weren’t seen in the final episode (Paramount+)

In the case of the Enterprise-D bridge, you went out of your way to match the set, but there is the reality that you are shooting with modern cameras and lighting. Did you have to accommodate modern technology and the way the DPs [directors of photography] wanted to light that set?

Not so much for the DPs because, again we give them the sandbox, and how they’re going to light it will be whatever they want. But we did [make some changes], because on the original Next Generation bridge, all of the Okudagrams, the LCARS, were backlit by either neon or fluorescent lighting. Then on screen, there is a falloff because you have a bulb, a bulb, and a bulb and then up along the edge it gets darker because there’s no even way to light that. But now we’re lighting with LED lights and you can have a nice flat, perfect color. Also fluorescent light tints everything kind of greenish. So Mike Okuda had some of the actual original LCARS, the physical pieces of gels and things when we knew exactly what color they were. But that’s not the color that they were because that color was changed by the lighting. So then we ended up changing all the colors and then adding little vignette kind of shading to the LCARS so the edges looked like that. So we had to redo everything so it didn’t look like what it was, but it looked like what it looked like on screen. And that was a big challenge.

Initials for Blass and other members of the Picard art department were included on the LCARS for the rebuilt Enterprise-D set (Photo: Dave Blass)

On Picard season 3, you guys reused the 10 Forward set a lot. You mentioned how doing Picard’s Enterprise-D ready room in season 2 didn’t work out for practical reasons, so was that the case with reusing 10 Forward?

I think that was the brilliance of Terry Matalas. He was just like, “I’m going to own it.” Like we are not going to redesign the Stargazer bridge for the Titan, we are going to own it. We are going to own that the holodeck happens to be the 10 Forward bar and we are just going to say, “Here it is, deal with it.” Because without that, you’re not standing on the Enterprise-D. He actually comes to me and says, “Okay, I need the Shrike bridge for Amanda Plummer” and I’m like, “Dude, there’s no room. We don’t have the space and we don’t have any money.” And he was like, “If we don’t do a budget cost-effective Shrike version that’s cool and looks awesome and you do you thing that you can do because that’s why I hired you, if you don’t do that, we don’t get to be on the Enterprise-D.” So you sit there and go “Here’s what we are going to do” and it’s going to creatively work and it’s going to make sense and do all those things. So that’s why the 10 Forward bar worked. Would it have been great to have a real bar on the ship? Awesome. But if you go back to watch The Next Generation, they didn’t even do sickbay in season 1. For sickbay, they redressed the observation lounge. We did so much in season 3. In the first episode, we had the Shrike, we had the Eleos, we had Matalas Prime. So every time it’s like, “Oh, there’s a transporter room.” Go back and watch the Star Trek: The Original Series movies. They reuse the transporter room from The Next Generation on The Undiscovered Country .

Michelle Forbes as Ro Laren and Patrick Stewart as Picard in “Imposters” (Paramount+)

Where did you build the Eleos sets?

So the evolution of that was in season 2, you hand Soong’s lab and and Kore’s little bedroom. So that square room became the Eleos, which then became Daystrom Station, which then became the Borg. It was literally like, “What can we turn this into next week?” In hindsight for me, had I known that when I was designing Soong’s lab, I would have done something monumentally different. But when you’re doing your first episode of designing Star Trek, you’re trying to do something cool. Had I known these four walls are never going to move for the next two years, we’re going to have to turn them into all these different things, I would build different walls.

Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher in “The Next Generation” (Paramount+)

Picard Legacy box set out now

The Star Trek: The Picard Legacy Collection arrived on Tuesday, November 7. It is described as “the definitive release for Next Generation  fans.” The limited edition set includes 54 individually numbered Blu-ray discs and unique packaging that houses every TV series and film featuring Jean-Luc Picard. That includes 7 seasons of  Star Trek: The Next Generation , 3 seasons of  Picard,  and the 4 TNG feature films along with over 35 hours of special features. This limited set also includes an exclusive edition of  The Wisdom of Picard  featuring brand new artwork and quotes, along with a one-of-a-kind deck of playing cards, a magnet sheet featuring all of Captain Picard’s badges and four custom Chateau Picard drink coasters.

It is available now at Amazon for $199.95 .

Picard Legacy Collection

Here is what’s included…

• Star Trek: The Next Generation  – Seasons 1-7
• Star Trek: Picard  – Seasons 1-3
• Star Trek: Generations
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek: Insurrection
• Star Trek: Nemesis
• 35 hours of bonus features
• Premium Packaging Containing 54 Blu-ray Discs, 154 Episodes and Exclusive Collectables
• Magnetic Captain Picard Badges
• 4 Custom Chateau Picard Drink Coasters
• Custom Deck of Playing Cards
• Featuring New Cover Art
• Including quotes from the latest seasons of Star Trek: Picard

Here is the launch trailer…

More from Dave Blass

See our earlier article for Blass talking about Star Trek: Legacy . The full audio interview with Dave Blass will be available on the next episode of TrekMovie’s All Access Star Trek p odcast .

Keep up with news about the  Star Trek Universe at TrekMovie.com

Related Articles

DVD/Blu-ray/Streaming , Lower Decks

Review: ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Season 4 On Blu-ray Brings It All Together

Collectibles , Star Trek: Picard , TOS

Star Trek Coffees Launching In May With Several Blends

Books , Review , Star Trek: Picard , VOY

Review: Action-Packed ‘Star Trek: Picard: Firewall’ Reveals Seven’s Compelling Quest For Identity

All Access Star Trek Podcast , Discovery , Lower Decks , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Prodigy , Starfleet Academy , Strange New Worlds

Podcast: All Access Goes To SXSW For The ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Season 5 Premiere

I honestly did not watch season 3 to the end, I think I gave up after episode 9

Picard is without doubt, along with Discovery the absolute dregs of “Star Trek” and SNW seems to be going the same way.

I will admit there were moments in Season 3 I thought FINALLY, they are making quality Star Trek again, but I ran out of patience with the whole thing

Jack Crusher story – boring The main villain I cannot even remember her name (Varek?) stupid The Borg again – lazy The Borg working with the changelings – insane Killing such a great character as Ro Laren – unforgivable

Then there is the whole awful writing – all the Starfleet in the same place at the same time?, recycling previous Trek (fan service), gratuitous violence and profanity etc etc

I will admit the music was good!!

I have said it before and I will say it again, Star Trek Nemesis was/is far superior than this garbage. They should not have dragged those elderly actors back on screen for this

In retrospect, I have to agree that S3 was a lot of fanservice wish-fulfilment and deus-ex-machinations, hung on some rather bare bones of story. Plot holes so big you could drive the Enterprise-D through them (see what I did there?)

I really liked season 1 because that had a genuinely interesting science-fiction story at the heart of it – alien AIs leave a message for synthetics that becomes misinterpreted by organics due to bio-incompatibility, and this creates a homicidal cult within an already secretive organization, who destroy Mars to foster distrust of synthetics, even though this hobbles the Federation’s ability to help their own species evacuate from a looming disaster.

And it followed up the story of Picard and Data in a hopeful way, showing us the Coppelius androids and a somewhat saner Soong, and showing how they could choose not to be ‘The Destroyer.’

The metaphysical question of “is Picard still Picard” after being uploaded into a synthetic body is also fascinating, but I wish they hadn’t dropped it after S1. It’s something that was better explored in the last season of Agents of SHIELD when the late Coulson’s recorded self, from the Framework virtual reality, is put into a Life Model Decoy, and he has an existential crisis.

S2 could have jumped off into exploring more things like this but fell into the trope of “the entire timeline revolves around the Picard family” – and yet we didn’t really get to know Renée Picard at all; she was really just a MacGuffin to crowbar the plot along.

Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing an Expanse- like series with Renée, about the early days of Earth exploring the solar system, with more of a hard sci-fi setting, set against the background of the growing tension that would become WWIII. But keep Star Trek continuity distant so it becomes its own thing, and it doesn’t contradict canon.

Nice to see that at least one fellow traveler feels about this as I do. In spite of many issues including a finale so anticlimactic that I cancelled my All Access membership within moments of watching it, overall I’ll take S1 over S3 any day. For all of its missteps, at least not until Picard was reborn as a cyborg did I feel that I was being pandered to — which is about *all* I felt watching S3.

Nice to see that at least one fellow traveler feels about this as I do. In spite of many issues including a finale so anticlimactic that I cancelled my All Access membership within moments of watching it, overall I’ll take S1 over S3 any day.

Agreed. Season 1 was at least half-decent science fiction versus the Season 3 star-wars-like fantasy space opera with the Picardenstein and zombies BS.

I rewatched the first seven episodes of season 3 on a long-haul flight three days ago — not all, partly because Lufthansa inexplicably omitted the final two, and in any event I began fading around the middle of episode 6. (Thanks, incipient jet lag.)

With those caveats, I continued to enjoy it. It reinforced my view that, like many of TNG’s two-partners, the first half of the season was better than the second. The villains were indeed mustache-twirlers, as I thought before. We never got an adequate explanation of what Vadic’s motivations were. The nostalgia overdose began around episode 6.

But on the positive side of the ledger, there was truly excellent character work; we saw real conflict among the TNG crew, reminiscent of the best of DS9; we saw leaders making mistakes and taking flawed command decisions, a la Kirk in TWOK; we saw Picard with a true Kobayashi Maru moment; and we saw the beloved crew as a family, where each had a moment to shine.

We got career-best acting from all of them, too. It’s amazing to see how Frakes evolved from one of the weaker performers back in season one of TNG to today, when he held his own against Stewart. We also got a poignant sci-fi moment in the nebula actually being a nest for the cosmozoan jellyfish beings — “to seek out new life,” as Beverly mused.

So again, I ultimately enjoyed it, which isn’t something I say often in this era of NuTrek, with its kids’ shows, Tawny Awesome, Space Hitler, and other mediocrities. I need to find some time to re-watch the back end properly, of course. I’d be unsurprised if binge-watching the back end, without the front, negatively colors my assessment.

I agree that season one was much more thought-provoking, and I tend to think of it as the best. Season two was dreadful; it should have followed up on PIcard’s new status as an android.

In fairness, I thought they made the motivation for Vadic’s hatred of the Federation and the Titan’s crew pretty clear. The problem was that that revelation was never followed-up on, which told the audience everything it needed to know about its importance to the overall story.

I appreciate someone with a strong opinion! I agree it was not perfect, but after all these years of horrible cringe trek that I would never recommend anyone watch, season 3 was the closest I’ve felt to watching real star trek since enterprise went off the air, and I lapped up every minute. Am I a sucker for falling for the cheap tricks they played on us? Maybe, but it felt good to actually enjoy my favorite show once again. And I think strange new worlds is garbage too, so really after 5 new shows and 11 seasons, I was glad I finally got something that truly appealed to me. But I definitely acknowledge that it could’ve been a lot better for so many reasons you pointed out.

Some TOS EPs are garbage, some TNG were, some DS9 were, lots of Voyagers Eps were, few of ENTs were. ENT was something, but still cringy storylines. SNW is not that bad.Thats just television. but with fewer eps, it seems the overall crafting per episode improved even if the direction might be all wrong. But dont overidolize the past.

I thought S3 was space opera and not real Star Trek. It wasn’t TNG-style Star Trek at all where we have a problem solving crew, creative thinking, science fiction instead of fantasy, and characters who put their service above their personal needs. I think it was the least Star Trek-like season of all three seasons of Picard.

Even the shitty S2 was more like a long TNG episode for sure.

I thought S3 was space opera and not real Star Trek. It wasn’t TNG-style Star Trek at all where we have a problem solving crew, creative thinking, science fiction instead of fantasy, and characters who put their service above their personal needs.

1. What’s the criteria for distinguishing “space opera” from “real Star Trek” (or at least non-space opera)? How do you apply those criteria here?

2. We certainly had a “problem-solving crew” and “creative thinking” in “17 Seconds” and “Kobayashi Maru” and “Imposters.” Beverly scienced their way out of a no-win scenario by figuring out the nebula was alive (or at least was a birthing ward). Granted, as I said above, the first half of the season was better than what followed.

3. What was the fantasy element in season 3?

4. On characters who put their service above their personal needs, you’re not entirely wrong, but a lot of great Star Trek also involves situations where a character that is otherwise service-minded does just that: Sisko in “For the Uniform,” for instance, or Picard in FIRST CONTACT, or Janeway in “Equinox II,” or Kirk in “Obsession” or TUC. I don’t see characters with flaws, at least in moderation, to be a bad thing.

Characters with flaws are fine, they just can’t be swept aside when they become inconvenient. Janeway was the worst victim of inconsistent characterization. She was always shown to be obsessive and single-minded, but extreme characterizations like her depression in Night and vengeful bent in Equinox Part 2 never sat well with me because they came out of nowhere and don’t get any follow through until the next time Janeway goes rogue.

Sisko’s darker turns always made more sense to me, pretty much from the moment he punched Q. Eddington’s betrayal was better set up than Ransom’s. His embrace of Bajoran lore and the Prophets was gradual. Starfleet tended to reward his reckless decisions as they bore fruit.

I don’t quite see how season 3 doesn’t mix devotion to Starfleet with understandable human impulses and instincts. Riker, Troi, Geordi and Beverly had kids to protect, Worf needed to work on himself. Shaw was complicated and a little inconsistent but not a brick wall. Picard, Raffi, Seven and Ro were pretty dogged about trying to expose the conspiracy, which became the entire cast’s mission in the face of a manipulated Starfleet’s resistance. Felt more Star Trek to me than the version of Starfleet Picard faced off with in season 1.

“ I think I gave up after episode 9″

That’s *wild*

Yeah, he missed the Return of the Jedi remake which was Ep 10.

I’d pay someone not more than two dollars if you never posted here again.

That’s rather uncalled for; are we supposed to have cheerleading only?

I think Matalas brilliantly did great under the reduced budget, huge pressure, and time limitation. Not to mention Stewart very specific conditions for the plot, that are usually not satisfactory for the fans.

I have mixed feelings about Jack. He is a good actor. However, we needed more weight to become Picard’s son. More time for fans to learn from him. Too new, too sudden to like him. I think it was very unfortunate not bringing Wellesley back for the final season. It was a missed opportunity. That actually would it have added the required intensity and dramatic moment that was lacking, for Jack. Wellesley not as the Hero, but being part of saving the Galaxy, rescuing his new brother, all together, with/for Beverly and Jean Luc. A complete family reunion. If he is a Time Traveler, fine, maybe having him as “The Watcher” pulling strings!? Watching Mom and Picard and his new brother!?

McFadden did a great performance during this season, it was very appropriate giving Beverly the opening of the season, putting her back in place with Picard. I am not saying Laris is a mistake. Laris is amazing as well…great addition to the show…but for me as a fan since the beginning, the conflict and the love between the two, is a major pillar of STNG.

Of course, the season could be better, always. Nevertheless, Season 3 was my favorite season. True, no location filming like season 1 and 2, no serious Guinan plot, original new enemies, no spot, all filmed in the studio, and many other factors due to many factors…but under these circumstances, I think you will have a different opinion if you watch again the entire season all at once. For me, was exactly what I have been waiting to see way before Discovery Episode 1. A current update of my beloved crew.

I don’t mind them killing Ro off – (to steal a phrase) they pulled out the chair Forbes twice to be a lead regular in Trek and she never sta down and took it. As much as I enjoy DS9 and Kira – it would have been fascinating to see Ro as the Barjoran rep on DS9. And Voyage could have been drastically different if Ro had been there instead of Torres.

If my memory doesn’t fail, which is more frequent at my current age….I think Forbes declined a long commitment with the franchise, twice.

About killing her, true, but it’s Star Trek. They can bring her back at anytime. Maybe she was transported by the Changelings before the explosion, or something else. :D

Malala’s said that originally, they were were later going to show that Ro had survived, but, they ran out of time.

Definitely agree about Ro. Always loved her and it was great to see her back! Another big reason I loved the season so much.

And while I love Kira to death I still would’ve been curious to see Ro on that show too.

It was a big missed opportunity not to have shown Kira and Ro meeting at some point. I imagine Kira would have *hated* Ro, since the latter spent the occupation (or at least her adult life, once she escaped the refugee camp) in the relatively safety of the Federation.

And potentially Ro would have thought that Kira was too open to working with the Cardassians.

Diaspora groups are often more hawkish than locals when it comes to civil conflicts, as we see to some extent in the recent Gaza and Armenia crises. Bajor was an allegory for the Palestine conflict; this would have been an interesting angle to explore.

 I think it was very unfortunate not bringing Wellesley back for the final season.

That’s OK, Harvard has admitted guys for a long time now.

(Sorry, Wellesley alumnae; I kid.)

LOL! Wesley!!! :P

“Fan service” is what it is all about. I loved season 3, but hated the first 2 seasons.

Completely agree.

By not watching Ep 10 you deprived yourself of the Trek remake of Return of the Jedi.

Perhaps Lufthansa agrees with you!

IMO I would give it another shot. I felt the same way about Disco and Picard until Se. 3. It’s basically a standalone season that could have been a long movie. Yes there’s various cringe moments but overall it was an entertaining watch and I’m even going back for a second round.

I don’t get the progression on the bridges.. TOS bridge with all the information displays and ability for everyone to communicate so its super functional.. … 30 years later…. Let’s make it where everyone has to look forward, no displays on entire walls, carpet to lite on fire and make a guy stand when he isn’t blocking someones view. …. 30 years later … Let’s have even less displays even on the back wall, throw some stairs for everyone to fall down and make it so big everyone needs to shout at each other.

Ugh. They had some magic with the SNW 1701 bridge and even then were like ” those colorful displays are super awesome, would get to use color to communicate information and attract the eye on DIS, let’s monochrome that!”

That being said, they did a great job with what they had on S3. The ENT-D bridge looked like it was 1990. And I did love all the stuff Geordi had in his office.

Yeah, the stairs on both the Stargazer and Titan/Ent-G bridges are a design fail – what a tripping hazard. And not every surface needs to have embedded LED lighting.

To the degree that there’s more usable information visible everywhere, the Kelvin 1701 bridge is actually really good – there’s large status displays visible from across the room atop the individual stations, which have more detailed displays for seated operators viewing close-up. There’s also the implication that operators use some sort of minimal AR headsets as we see Scotty and other crew members use them.

I didn’t like the clutter of the standing transparent “whiteboards”, but maybe that was a reference to those kind of submarine plotting boards as seen in many military dramas (and also referenced in Star Wars, as you can see them all over the rebel base). On Discovery, they translated these into actual transparent OLED displays, which is a boon for VFX people as you don’t have to insert graphics over the top.

The MCU also uses the annoying transparent screens, which a character has commented about.

HA! That was funny about the rug and the stairs.

No mention of Andrew Probert in this article? John Eaves did not design the Enterprise-D bridge. That’s Andrew Probert’s work. Credits due!

Wait – TNG season 1 didn’t include a dedicated Sickbay set? That thing looks identical to what they used in later seasons.

Look again. He’s correct — S1’s Sickbay is clearly a redress of the observation lounge with the windows covered-over. (Paramount was evidently hedging its bets on the show’s success.) A dedicated Sickbay set was not built until S2.

It is actually the other way around – During TNG season 1, the observation lounge is a redress of sickbay – the same sickbay set that was built for The Motion Picture.

For season 2, a dedicated observation lounge set was built and the sickbay set was improved, removing the wall that doubled as the observation lounge wall and replacing it with biobed alcoves. But sickbay never moved – the observation lounge did.

https://forgottentrek.com/the-motion-picture/evolution-of-the-sickbay-set/

You’re entirely right; thanks for the correction.

But sickbay had already been transformed into the bar in TSFS (the klingon sickbay looks like it is the biobed room from TMP), so there wasn’t a sickbay to transform or modify for TNG. I don’t see how this tracks.

They did a pretty great job with the redress.

TUC’s reuses of TNG sets were blatant. Totally understandable, but man the Enterprise D engine room feels so wrong there.

-D engine room (along with Defiant’s and the E-E’s all look ‘wrong’ to me, like a large scale version of a home video effect with the flashing. The TMP/Voyager looking engine room seem real rather than some electrician taking shortcuts.

Unfortunately, that engine room always looked wrong to my eyes — lots of empty, wasted space (horizontal and vertical) to house a skinny, fragile-looking warp core running down the center of it all. Given that it all doesn’t even work as advertised until Spock comes along to fine-tune it, it just lends to the impression that the whole thing was an inefficient downgrade from TOS.

In truth, much as it pains me to say it, I’ve just never cared for much of the TMP’s production design.

I find most of the cosmetic and functionality aspects of TMP design to be horrendous (on the interiors), from consoles to colors, but the engine room has a kind of Ken Adam spectacle to it (except for those clumsy X shapes holding up the horizontal parts) that I find appealing.

I’ve probably mentioned this here previously, but the part of the ship that seems to get the most screen time is the front of the helm/nav station — which is blank as a fart to quote from TWIN PEAKS. They needed something to break that up — grilles, plant-ons, whatever — I mean, the ship they had on BLAKE’S SEVEN for the last season had things that looked like sunglass racks mounted on the front side of the stations. It was almost frilly, but it looked like something rather than the nothing that is there through most of TMP.

And remember, I’m a TMP devotee, despite being able to write hundreds of pages just on its faults!

I remember when MOONRAKER came out and wishing that they’d gotten Ken Adam to do the designs for Trek, as for all its silliness I thought the space station sets in that film were way cooler to look at than just about anything in TMP.

(And yes, I found those X-shaped structures supporting the warp core so inelegant as to be distracting.)

For me, there is a real ‘wood barn’ effect in the designs for space movies coming out dec 79, as both THE BLACK HOLE and TMP conjure that up for me despite my efforts to ignore same. I think it is all those crossbeams (mostly diagonal) that look like wood 2x4s.

There’s a lack of continuity on the Trek designs, possibly growing out of changing art dept leads. The feature production designer kept wanting to go for a floating nograv look to architecture by minimizing supports from beneath, limiting them to a single member when possible, like the sickbay beds. And yet … Engineering, with those X forms!

Not that MR gets a free pass for design either; the handguns sure do look like auto timing light guns to me. And as presented, the station’s core (the part that wouldn’t have gravity) appears to be the place where everybody gathers to his Drax’s Hitler-esque speech. At least we never see anything that suggests that area is in a smaller pod on the station, or that it would fit anywhere else on the station. But at least MR, as you say was way cooler looking.

Many years ago someone did a cutaway poster of the TOS Enterprise that placed Engineering just forward of the shuttlebay, with that glowing tunnel being the conduits (or whatever) trailing down from those slim pylons holding up the warp nacelles. Made a lot of sense to me at the time, even if it was after the fact — a more efficient and logical use of the available space than any engine room seen in the franchise since (and don’t get me started on SNW’s virtual abomination).

Somebody actually laminated that David Kimble poster onto hardboard and gave it to me back in the 80s, and I had it till the girlfriend from hell carved it up around 1990. I just came across a signed book of Kimble’s sportscar cutaways and it is awesome stuff, even for somebody like me who is not into cars that way.

If you look closely during the movie, there are small angled tubes shooting upward at the far end of the horizontal tube (down where the little kids and/or short people are in the forced perspective set) that I think correspond with the struts going to the nacelles, so there was some attempt to realize that concept on the live-action.

I should probably see if there is a blow-upable version of the Kimble refit online … would love to see how he shrunk the rec deck into the too-limited space assigned it.

I always really loved the TOS engine room with those things behind the grille. Though there is an awful lot of wasted space, especially after they took out all that stuff on what I think of as the right side if you’re looking backwards.

i’ve always felt part of the charm of ST is that it deals with budget restrictions. which i feel DSC doesn’t balance well they swing so far from one extreme of too much cgi and effects to nothing at all and boring stories. PIC and SNW i feel balance the budget better to get more consistent episodes from a production standpoint

“saying there’s so much detail viewers couldn’t even see” –

yeah….because they have all the lights turned off in these shows….

“Star Trek is not a sci-fi fantasy, it’s a historical drama that takes place in the future with 55 years of history.”

Yeah no. It’s just a tv show. Get real.

But from his production perspective, he’s right. He’s meaning this is the mindset that props and set dressers need to have when making Star Trek.

Yeah, I think it’s a brilliant thing to tell his people to get their minds in the right place. It showed on screen to any Trekkie, so I’d say it’s a pretty “real” sentiment.

Here, here! I found this so heartening to read. It’s fidelity to the universe, and its reality, that makes the whole thing feel believable, connected, real . It’s exactly the kind of production mindset I want to have from someone designing Star Trek.

Whereas I for one think the sense of “a history of the future” is one of the things that makes Star Trek, or at least Star Trek though 2002 or so, special.

TNG already feels outdated to me. It’s like watching an old sci-fi movie from the 1930’s. Just one of the reasons I don’t watch TNG anymore.

I take slight issue with the quote. In terms of TNG, it’s a historical drama that takes place in the future with roughly 120 years of history. The 55 years is how long Star Trek has been a thing. I think he mixed the two up.

I loved Picard season 3. The gang were back together and it felt like my Star Trek again.

Thank you Dave Blass. Thanks to everyone involved. It was fun.

Season 3 was the worst.

Wow. It’s clear this guy GETS what makes Star Trek productions work. Excellent!

He certainly does! 👍

Thank you Tony for this excellent interview. I’m currently watching Legacy on Bluray and I’m having a blast watching it. The commentary and special features are amazing. I would definitely reactivate P+ if they greenlight Legacy S2 and bring back these amazing creative people.

lol I love how you’re treating Picard Season 3 as “Legacy” Season 1. It’s such a different show compared to Season 2 of Picard. It’s really true in a way.

Agreed! When I rank the shows, I separate it from Picard. I rank it with the movies too. It’s so different from S1/2 of Picard it has to be treated as a show on its own.

It reminded me of the silver age of Star Trek and what I want from modern trek. I hope some day a show will get back to this era.

I am more than happy to not be a cynic about this. Blass did some beautiful work which showed off his love for the franchise and these characters. I certainly appreciated his efforts and can imagine how much fun he must have been having even amidst the tough reality that is production.

Picard season 3 is what finally brought me back to the Star Trek I fell in love with back in the 90s. What I was hoping first season would’ve done.

It helped redeemed my faith that NuTrek could finally get to the level of Trek many fans like me missed after lackluster stuff like JJ verse, Discovery and the first two awful seasons of Picard. Love the animated shows and really like SNW but this would be my most ideal Trek in the future.

And it was totally awesome to see the Enterprise D in all her glory. Just warmed this old cynical Trekkie’s heart.

Still hoping for more Terry Trek.

The fan service in season 3 was absolutely blatant – usually it would pain me but in this case, I LOVED IT!! Maybe I’m old and don’t look too much into these kinda things anymore, or it was just great seeing characters I grew up with all in the same room again, but I really did not care of the fan service – season 3 TO ME was the best out of the three. And seeing the D again was totally unexpected, I still get goosebumps and chills every single time those bay doors start to open.

I still remember watching the end of episode 9 and saw the Enterprise D appear and how much I choked up seeing her again. I was so overcome with emotion and the crazy thing is I KNEW we were going to see her lol. That was leaked before the season started she was going to show up but still to see her in action…one last time, was very overwhelming when Picard sat down and said engaged.

And then the next week when I saw the final episode on IMAX, I choked up again because it hit me the last time we saw her was in Generations back at the Chinese theater with my best friend watching her swan song with a sold out crowd. And now here I am, 29 years later, watching her soar again in a movie theater with my fellow Trekkies and many of them overcome with the same emotions. For me, that experience will always be part of my special Star Trek memories as someone who has been a fan since the 70s.

And I truly have to thank people like Terry Matalas, Dave Blass, the Okudas, John Eaves, Doug Drexler, Liz Kloczkowski and everyone who had a hand of bringing the ship and bridge back into existence. It will forever be one of my most memorable seasons of Star Trek because of that one decision alone.

Well deserved!

Yes indeed, well said. Pic S3 gave me a little faith in the franchise again, along with PRO and SNW S1. The rest I haven’t been too thrilled about from these showrunners, so hopefully the crew responsible for P3 will provide us with more memorable Trek in the years to come.

“ The only reason anyone is ever going to remember this scene is all that stuff that’s on the desk.”

 Star Trek Picard Season 3 summed up in one sentence.

Picard S3, ironically, is criticised for being to fan-servicy. Seasons 1 and 2 were criticised for being not fan-servicy enough. It’s a show about a legacy character, fan service to a degree is what I expect. The thing that drives me crazy with this show is the amount of missed opportunities, sloppy writing and directionless meandering. The show had nothing to say in the most convoluted way for two entire seasons and then switched gears and deliverd some kind of action-adventure Next Gen movie. I’m not sure anyone wanted that (me included), but if there’s one season I’m going to watch again, it’s season 3.

Picard S3, ironically, is criticised for being to fan-servicy. Seasons 1 and 2 were criticised for being not fan-servicy enough.

Not necessarily by the same people.

Naw; with respect, that’s a strawman. S1 was criticized for many things, but in a continuity sense mostly for the AWOL crew members and creative choices (e.g. the cursing and excessive violence) that kept it from feeling like an extension or continuation of TNG. S3 was criticized not so much for its legitimate connections to TNG — the presence of all those beloved actors was enough to ensure that — but that enormous mound of Easter eggs dumped on fandom like that load of furballs that had inundated Bill Shatner decades before. And for all that, it really didn’t feel much like TNG either.

Agreed, I’ll most certainly never watch PIC Seasons 1 or 2 ever again. Most slipshod writing ever, and did the old and new characters no justice. S3 was another animal entirely, with enough rewatch value for me that I purchased the discs.

“Star Trek is not a sci-fi fantasy, it’s a historical drama that takes place in the future with 55 years of history.”

Star Wars is sci-fi fantasy. Star Trek is sci-fi.

Well, yeah, but it has become more and more fantasy-like has time goes on. It has become more and more like Star Wars.

I thought season 3 on the whole was Good. The things I didn’t like, I hated with passion. Most of them had to do with the insane darkness, the overuse of Ten Forward and Mtalas Prime, the lack of outdoors stuff, the writing and Terry M.

I ate up every TNG thing they put in and shed tears several times in the last couple of episodes. Data’s new version worked incredibly (and surprisingly well). Was the end satisfying? No, it wasn’t, not for me. They effed it up in the last few minutes. Still bitter about the renaming of the Titan. The lead up to that, with the writing and all, called for the ship to be called USS Picard. So when it ended, I slow double blinked, and went on with my day.

Picard as a series certainly had a lot of highs, but also enough questionable lows. The killing off of Picard in the first season, the use of the Borg in all (!) 3 seasons, but mostly the drag that became season 2 after the first 2 or 3 episodes. But hey, this is what is it. It’s done and I’m happy with 3 new years of Trek. I’ll give it a few years, and then rewatch it probably.

I’m looking forward to any Legacy show that might be coming, but I’d appreciate if some egos of the people involved could be deflated a bit. It’s going to ruin things (like Chibnal did with Doctor Who during his run).

I don’t know that ego was really the problem with Doctor Who. A showrunner needs some level of self-confidence and the creative freedom to do what they want with a series. The studio funding them can veto it, but I don’t really think even the most controversial parts of the last three seasons of DW were borne out of Chibnall being a massive egotist. The show thrives on change, it just happened that so many of the changes he made weren’t excitingly written. He had a decent cast, great production crews, some solid story ideas and good intentions, but those scripts often just had no life or personality to them.

With Trek, if they do a Legacy show they would be paying any returning actors for their insights into their characters as well as for their acting talents and fandom appeal. Inevitably that will mean some would resist some character decisions, but friction can create great results in the end. With Stewart it’s been a mixed bag – his notes improved First Contact but not Insurrection, and Picard has been a mixed bag. But the highlight of season 3 wa show it handled the legacy characters (including Seven, whose voice felt far more balanced with her Voyager persona than what we got in seasons 1 and 2). That took some real skill to be able to navigate when considering the actors involved, so I wouldn’t be that worried about egos being a problem for a new show starring Trek veterans.

Regarding the egos I mentioned on Picard I was referring to some of the behind the scenes people specifically, not the actors actually. I agree with your remark of how Seven was handled in season 3 btw. She was amazing.

A bit off topic, but Regarding Doctor Who, I do feel Chibnal’s ego was the problem. First of all he decided that everything had to be different, resulting in no classic aliens in season 11 whatsoever. They remedied that quick when the response was luke warm. The writing was most definitely the biggest problem, but again, it was mostly Chibnal again. Him having written most of them. He’s just not a very good writer. All of his episodes would start out strong and interesting, but would come to a near stand still after about 15 minutes. That’s when I would start checking my phone again haha. But his biggest faux pas truely is his addition of the Timeless Child (or whatever it was called). No writer should even break open the canon that much, where it basically destroys the basics of a series. Add onto it all you want, but not in reverse so te speak. But anyway, in the end it’s down to preference and let’s say I’m glad Russell is back for now. His ‘Tales of the Tardis’ is just a dream.

I agree no writer should have upended canon so much, but mostly because it’s not something the fans were really craving. We’d survived off of scraps and hints and the mystery of the First Doctor’s life on Gallifrey until he left was always fine to poke and prod but never totally reveal. It’s all unexpectedly rendered small potatoes by the sprawling and unnecessarily complicated new backstory created by the Timeless Child. The biggest sin though is just that it’s all been laid out so badly – in bad monologues and lifeless flashbacks with forgettable new characters beyond the Fugitive Doctor. I agree Chibnall isn’t a good writer for DW, but he’s an accomplished showrunner who needed confidence to be able to steer the show, plus he needed convincing to even take the job. It’s a lot to put the show’s flaws all down to ego when the argument is basically that Chibnall should have accepted he was doing so many things wrong. He needed creative freedom and while some things he did would appear to repudiate previous showrunners, particularly Moffat, I’m not ready to say his heart wasn’t in the right place. It was his show for 5 years, that came with a lot of creative license.

RTD is wise to bring out the big guns to get viewers back, and hopefully he doesn’t lean into mythology more than he used to. The show has lasted as long as it has because the mythology is expansive yet not so bogged down in details as the Timeless Child suddenly made it. But at the end of the day they just need to be engaging stories.

The reuse of sets throughout Trek never bothered me. I always thought it added continuity. Even going back to The Final Frontier (ST:V) – they blatantly reuse (barely) redressed corridors and the transporter room from TNG to cut costs. But in my mind that just ties that world to the future of the federation and its designs. Honestly it even makes it a bit more realistic. I’ve worked on corporate offices throughout the US and honestly they all look exactly the same once you get inside.

“As I told my team, Star Trek is not a sci-fi fantasy, it’s a historical drama that takes place in the future with 55 years of history.” That one sentence tells you he gets it!

Yes, season 3 was really inferior to most of TNG, but better than the rest of Picard. Science fiction overall has been really dumbed down, and Picard is a prime (pun intended) example. I was moved when they were on the 1701-D bridge, but simultaneously thought, why? They are just walking onto the bridge. It’s because we have not seen anything close to real Star Trek for decades. The franchise has been badly handled (not unique, Star Wars was also, and by some of the same people), Picard has, mostly, been disappointing. Patrick Stewart, bless him, he is awesome playing Picard. But if the story we have seen was based on his wishes, not so great at writing Picard. And who thought it was a good idea to make him a synth? Sounds like a writer who couldn’t write themselves out of a corner. But it was good to see the bridge again. Glad TPTB had the forethought to bring the right people in to do it. At least some of them realize that viewers WILL notice when things are different visually. >;>}

A 'Tantrum' Saved Star Trek: Picard's Enterprise-D Set From Destruction

The third season of "Star Trek: Picard" reunited the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for one final adventure that gave fans a satisfying conclusion to the beloved TV series, and part of that meant returning to the bridge of one of the franchise's most well-known ships. In the penultimate episode, engineer Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) reveals that he's been restoring the Enterprise-D himself. The ship's former crew need a vessel that's not hooked up to Starfleet systems, and the D is perfect because of its retro technology. Even those who found the farewell to "Next Gen" a little too full of fan-service had to be somewhat excited to see the old gang back on the bridge of a ship not seen since "Star Trek Generations." For many sci-fi nerds of a certain age, the Enterprise-D feels like a second home, and it's joyous to see that some things don't ever change, even with the ravages of time.

The bridge of the Enterprise-D was a brightly lit , beige-and-brown return to the aesthetics of a different time, and the set was immaculately re-created. That's a whole lot of work for just two episodes, but production designer Dave Blass made sure that the set was saved so that it might be used again in future "Star Trek" series. It just took a little tantrum, apparently!

Saving the D

In an interview with Screen Rant , Blass revealed that the set is stored in Archives, which is probably something like the warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" but with old TV and movie sets. The hardest part for Blass, however, was waiting for the world to see his hard work:

"The set is stored in Archives. They decided that they were going to hold on to this. What they're going to do with it and whatever? And again, it's important to know that we did seasons 2 and 3 back to back. So when everyone's watching, Jurati and the Borg Queen running around with Soong in the lab, we're already done shooting for season 2. So no one's sitting there going, 'Oh my God, we have this great set piece!'  We had this idea that we had something amazing sitting in the can. And it wasn't until almost a year later that audiences got to see it. And then everyone's like, 'We better have saved the set.' And I'm like, 'Yes, yes. I threw a tantrum and they saved the set.'"

Blass didn't say what they might do with the set, though there's always potential to return to it if "Picard" season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas gets to make his "Star Trek: Legacy" spin-off series. Then again, they could always make a new "Star Trek Experience" complete with a trip aboard the Enterprise-D. People would drop serious platinum to sit in the captain's chair and say, "engage," so never say never!

'Star Trek: Picard' Season 3 Showrunner Explains How They Brought Back THAT Iconic Set

He also spoke about bringing back the voice of Majel Barrett for that key moment.

[Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Episode 9, "Võx."] The penultimate episode of Star Trek: Picard amped up the nostalgia to warp nine, with the stunning reveal in the last fifteen minutes that Geordi La Forge ( LeVar Burton ) had spent the last 20 years restoring the Enterprise D . When it's revealed that all the ships in Starfleet are now interconnected through a technology that incidentally makes them vulnerable to the Borg, our heroes need a ship that can operate outside that mainframe. For any Next Generation fan, what happens next is bound to bring tears to your eyes as the crew of this USS Enterprise walks back out onto its bridge for the first time in over 20 years.

Collider's own Maggie Lovitt recently sat down to discuss this emotional moment, and the rest of Episode 9 , with Star Trek: Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas . During their conversation, Matalas revealed that not only did they rebuild the entire bridge, but they had to film the scenes on it very quickly. He told Collider: "Because this season was really ambitious, we didn't have a lot of time and money. So, to build that Enterprise bridge, and we did, every square inch of it, as exact as it was, meant that we had to build it from the second we pulled the trigger on Season 3. But it also meant we only had two days to shoot on it."

With the tight time crunch, it made Matalas' job as the director of this episode that much harder. He said, "The second we walked on the bridge, we didn't have a lot of time to look around and smell the roses. So, it was, 'Alright, everybody, let's have our quick moment.'" With a cast who've been friends for over 30 years walking onto a replica of the set that they spent more than a decade working on, getting things to move quickly was never going to be a simple task.

"Me as a director had to wrangle these cats who, wonderfully, wanted to lament about the time somebody fell and ran into the wall, and broke this and that, and they want to sing and dance and tell jokes, and all the things that you've heard about as fans throughout the years when you yell cut. And you think it's delightful as a fan, but as a director, it's hard, especially when you only have two hours... But it was undeniably incredible, this legendary moment to have them on."

RELATED: 'Picard' Showrunner on Killing [SPOILER] and the Character's Legacy [Exclusive]

Matalas explained that at the time he was "mostly terrified" because this is one moment the fans would certainly revolt over if he didn't nail it, but thankfully, it all worked out in the end. The showrunner revealed that "it didn't really hit me until we cut it all together and added the music and everything that we had accomplished, what we had set out to do." He continued saying, "So, you know, it's a hell of a thing. And I wanted to do it for them too. I mean, they all had an emotional response walking out of that turbo lift and seeing it again."

Bringing Back the Voice of Majel Barrett

When you bring back the Enterprise D , which as Matalas points out, was " the right Enterprise to be on ," you also have to bring back the voice of the computer. For the entire duration of The Next Generation , the computer aboard the Enterprise was voiced by the late Majel Barrett —she was the wife of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry and is often referred to as the First Lady of Star Trek for her innumerable contributions to the series over the years both on and off camera. Matalas revealed that they did indeed use "archival clips of Majel," for this key moment. As he explained:

"It had to be her. And then we went back and forth as to whether or not we use AI, but at the time we were doing it, it wasn't quite there. So we used clips from [ Star Trek: The New Generation ] to make it even more authentic, but it had to be her on that ship or else it wasn't right."

The series finale for Star Trek: Picard arrives on Paramount+ on April 19. Make sure you check out our full conversation with Matalas when it goes up, and in the meantime, you can watch our conversation with Gates McFadden and Patrick Stewart down below.

29 Years Later, Star Trek Just Solved A Massive Starship Mystery

Here's how Terry Matalas brought back [SPOILERS] for Picard Season 3.

Of all the versions of the Starship Enterprise , the one that has appeared the most times in Star Trek canon, is, by far, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D. After 178 episodes of The Next Generation , half of the ship got blown up in the 1994 film Generations .

The other half crashed into the planet Veridian III, but what happened to it after that? In Star Trek: Picard Season 3, we finally have a (very shocking) answer. And within that answer is perhaps the biggest nostalgia play for any science fiction franchise in recent memory.

Here’s how Picard Season 3 pulled off this massive starship comeback, complete with specific details from showrunner Terry Matalas.

Spoilers ahead!

The Enterprise-D , reborn

The Enterprise-D leaves the Fleet Museum in “Vox.”

In Episode 6 of Picard Season 3, Alandra La Forge (Mica Burton) hinted that her father Geordi (LeVar Burton) was hiding something in docking bay 12 of the Fleet Museum. In Episode 9, Geordi reveals that it’s a fully restored version of the Enterprise-D !

Picard asks, pointedly, “But how?” And Geordi reveals that Starfleet removed the crashed saucer section of the Enterprise-D from the surface of Verdian III in accordance with the Prime Directive (that famous Star Trek rule that says Starfleet can’t unduly influence cultures who haven’t yet developed interstellar travel on their own).

So, basically, even though Verdian III was uninhabited , the crashed ship was removed so as to “not influence the system.” In Generations , Data said the neighboring planet, Verdian IV, had a “pre-industrial society.” Meaning that just the presence of advanced technology from Starfleet in a burgeoning star system was enough to yank the ship, which actually makes a lot of sense. (It’s sort of like if an advanced alien race crashed a ship on the Moon during the Stone Age and then decided to yank it to prevent humans from finding it in the future.)

The crashed saucer of the Enterprise-D in Generations .

Since the saucer was only half of the Enterprise-D , Geordi tells the crew he’s been restoring the ship bit-by-bit for the past twenty years. This means that roughly since the end of Nemesis in 2379, Geordi has been, secretly, putting the pieces of the Enterprise-D back together. He reveals that this includes getting the “engines and nacelles from the USS Syracuse. This detail means the entire drive section (or engineering section) of this restored Enterprise-D actually came from a different Galaxy-class ship from which Geordi salvaged for parts.

But it’s not just the outside of the Enterprise-D that looks so familiar. The command bridge of this famous Star Trek ship also looks nearly identical to how the same set looked back in the heyday of The Next Generation from 1987 to 1994.

TNG Bridge For Picard is a real set

The crew of the USS Enterprise-D , back on the bridge.

While some fans might assume aspects of the Enterprise-D bridge in Picard were created by CGI or AR wall technology, the truth is, everything you see here exists in the real world. “Nothing is CGI,” Terry Matalas tells Inverse . “It’s all real.” While both Discovery and Strange New Worlds utilize an AR wall for aspects of filming, the production of Picard does not.

Matalas points out that because nothing was left of the Enterprise-D set from the ‘90s, what you see in Picard Season 3 “was totally rebuilt from scratch.”

This means that Picard production designer Dave Blass , along with Michael Okuda had to utterly remake the entirety of a set that hasn’t existed since 1994. On top of that, even though the lighting of the bridge will remind fans of the brightness of the ‘90s show, Matalas points out that newer camera technology had to be taken into account to recreate the mood we all remember.

“It's a kind of hybrid actually,” Matalas explains. “It's a bit of our Titan lighting mixed with TNG old school. It had to feel authentically the old show but look right with these new cameras.”

Picard’s roundabout connection to Battlestar

In Picard Season 3, the Enterprise-D is a lot like the Battlestar Galactica.

The return to the restored Enterprise-D isn’t just a nostalgia play though. In the context of Episode 9 and the finale, the crew needs a ship that isn’t connected to the new network of Starfleet ships. As Geordi says in the episode they need “...something older, analog, offline from the others...” This specific detail — that the Enterprise-D can survive the new Borg threat because it’s not hooked up to a larger network — might remind sci-fi fans of the basic premise of the rebooted Battlestar Galactica way back in 2003 . Spearheaded by TNG and DS9 veteran Ron Moore, the very beginning of Battlestar makes a point that the titular ship, Galactica , is not networked with other ships in the fleet because it’s much older, which, allows it to be free from the Cylon attack. Because of the writing connections between BSG and Star Trek, and Terry Matalas’ admiration for Ron Moore, was this a specific homage?

“It’s less of a nod, but impossible not to acknowledge Ron's influence on me as a writer and storyteller. No doubt those aspects of BSG are certainly burned into my brain and would be subconsciously part of the recipe,” Matalas explains. And then he goes deep into his history with the Trek franchise. Roughly twenty years ago, Matalas was a production assistant on Star Trek: Voyager , and then Star Trek: Enterprise , and around that time, something interesting happened.

“Funny story: when I was working as an assistant to Bryan Fuller, we went to lunch with Ron as BSG was just in its early stages,” Matalas recalls. “Ron enthusiastically pitched us his take for the [ BSG] miniseries — all the way to Adama's final bluff about Earth. I remember getting goosebumps and just hoping that show got made because if it did, it was like he was writing it just for me. That show would go on to inspire how I approached serialized science fiction in 12 Monkeys and then again here in this final season of Picard. So that's a long way of saying, yes, probably!”

Picard Season 3 was always headed here

Geordi (LeVar Burton) and Riker (Jonathan Frakes) on the bridge of their first Enterprise.

Because the Enterprise-D only appears in the final two episodes of Picard creating this set — in secret — was certainly one of the more costly aspects of Season 3. So, was there ever a backup plan in the writers’ room? Could the crew have ended up on a different retro starship? Was the nostalgia-filled season always going to end up this way?

In various sci-fi shows, it’s common for there to be alternate ways to tell a specific story. But, just like the inclusion of Ro Laren in Episode 5 , Matalas insists this specific reveal; that the Enterprise-D would be back for the final two episodes was one of the first ideas for this season.

“This always felt like the right way to end,” he says. “From the very beginning.”

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 streams on Paramount+ .

This article was originally published on April 15, 2023

• Science Fiction

Picard's Latest The Next Generation Vessel Makes the Reunion Complete

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 has been an unapologetic The Next Generation reunion, and the return of a beloved Galaxy-class starship makes it complete.

The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Episode 9, "Vox," now streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 was always sold as a reunion of The Next Generation cast , but the penultimate episode of the series brought back another important "character." After being destroyed in the first film for this cast, the USS Enterprise-D returns in all her Galaxy-class glory. Insofar as a setting can be a character in a series, bringing back this vessel makes the reunion complete.

Thankfully, the storytellers set up very clever reasons the heroes would use this ship beyond it being something every TNG fan watching wanted to see. Against Geordi La Forge's objections, Starfleet employed a kind of "Bluetooth for Ships" that allows them all to be linked and controlled by a single crew. A stealth Borg invasion caused by Jack Crusher and his big secret means that all Starfleet ships are now compromised. So, Picard and the gang need an "analog" ship, as Geordi puts it, that can't be taken over by the Borg without old-fashioned tactile assimilation. As the curator of the Starfleet Museum and a master engineer, Geordi was in a unique position to be able to restore this ship over the past couple of decades. He also made sure the Enterprise-D was fully weapons capable, and even as a classic, the vessel still packs a powerful punch.

RELATED: Who Is Picard's Top Starfleet Admiral Elizabeth Shelby?

For The Next Generation, Home Is a Place as Much as Its People

Countless stories impart the message that "home" doesn't have to be a building, a city or even a country. It's people. If that's true, then once Worf and Deanna joined the crew of the USS Titan-A , Picard was home. However, places can have important meanings, too. And the return of the signature vessel on The Next Generation reminds these characters of the best time in their lives. Even with the world ending outside that museum, it's fitting that returning to the bridge still filled them with joy and levity. In trying times, people are always a little more comfortable when they are home.

The trick for Picard during its entire run is fans want a return of The Next Generation 's glory days instead of new stories about a man at a different point in his life. Throughout Picard 's run, Jean-Luc hasn't done all that much captaining. He usually finds himself in a chair in the latter episodes, but never on his ship. Season 3 is the most time any of these characters have spent on a ship (at least on-screen) since Star Trek: Nemesis fizzled at the box office. The Titan-A is a great ship. The moment Picard took the chair to guide them out of the nebula was satisfying but, in hindsight, now feels like a half-measure. Picard belongs in command of a ship, and that ship better be called "Enterprise."

From the retro-futuristic late-1980s and early-1990s design of the bridge to Andrew Probert's reimagining of the classic saucer and nacelle shape, the Enterprise-D is a special ship. It was the flagship of second-wave Star Trek , as recognizable as the original Enterprise. Putting Picard back in the chair of that particular ship on that specific bridge is unquestionably fan service. Still, that doesn't mean it's extraneous, forced or not emotionally resonant to the characters involved. If anyone has a chance to beat this particular "no-win scenario" it's that crew on that ship.

RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Honors Every Version of Data

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 Has Been Building Up to the Enterprise-D

In the Picard Season 3 premiere , Picard's favorite bar, Ten Forward, gave out model starships to celebrate Frontier Day. Riker noted that the Enterprise-D models were not a popular choice. No one wanted "the fat ones" he said. Yet, to these characters, this ship is the most beautiful thing in the universe. From Riker talking about the USS Titan being where his children were born to Seven of Nine reminiscing about being reborn on Voyager , ships being "home" is a recurring theme this season.

Riker and Troi fell in love on that ship. Data lived most of his conscious life on it. Beverly Crusher let one son go and left the ship before it could take another. The Enterprise-D was a huge part of their lives. To the audience, it's the only place they've ever truly belonged. At a time when humanity is threatened by its worst enemy, being home is a comfort, albeit a small one. Yet, as Beverly said earlier in the season, facing down impossible problems together is what this crew does. On the bridge of this ship is when they were at their best, and Earth needs them at their best.

After the ship was all but destroyed in Star Trek: Generations it makes sense the ship would end up where it was. Starfleet should know better than to leave its tech lying around, and Geordi is the type to restore it. Yet, this moment also gives The Next Generation fans the equivalent of the "Chewie, we're home" moment in Star Wars: The Force Awakens . It's not just the audience who will get closure from the return of the Enterprise-D. If these characters have to face certain death, there is no better place to be than with their friends back home.

Star Trek: Picard debuts its series finale Thursday, April 20, on Paramount+ .

‘Star Trek: Picard’ Team Built a ‘Museum Quality’ Enterprise D to Make Things as ‘Cinematic as Possible’

By Scott Mantz

Scott Mantz

• ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Team Built a ‘Museum Quality’ Enterprise D to Make Things as ‘Cinematic as Possible’ 11 months ago
• How ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Resurrected an Iconic Set 1 year ago
• How ‘Star Trek: Picard’ Created the High-Tech Bridge of Its Newest Starship 1 year ago

Producing a TV series as ambitious as “Star Trek: Picard ” would have been challenging enough under normal circumstances, but the conditions with which seasons two and three were produced were anything but normal, as they were shot back-to-back and during the worst of the pandemic.

But director Jonathan Frakes and production designer Dave Blass were not only up to the task but as collaborators were encouraged by the powers that be to boldly go where no “Star Trek” series had gone before by making the third season as cinematic as possible.

How did you first approach your collaboration on Season 2 of “Star Trek: Picard” (with the episode “Fly Me to the Moon”), and how did that evolve into Season 3 (with “Seventeen Seconds”)?

Popular on variety.

Frakes: As Dave mentioned, we were in the middle of a pandemic, so nobody could see each other, and you couldn’t express yourself. We all wore a mask, and then to talk to the actors, we had to put a shield over the mask. It was nuts, and it took a lot of the joy out of the process. Season 2 was meant to be much bigger than it was. It was supposed to be a callback to [the 1986 feature film] “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” where they go to San Francisco, and you can feel the city with thousands of people all around us. All that was taken away, and we had a limited number of people, but Dave was unfazed by that, and we powered forward.

Jonathan, after working with production designer Herman Zimmerman on “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” as well as many other designers in TV and film over the years, what made your experience with Dave so unique?

Frakes: A boundary had been established when 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis” didn’t make money. After that, “Star Trek” as a franchise shut down for five or six years, until J.J. Abrams took over and made those wonderful movies between 2009 and 2016. But part of the marching order at that time was that no one who had worked on the previous regime – either in front of or behind the camera – was invited back to work on those movies. That mandate was lifted by Dave. He had the very good taste to hire veterans from Herman Zimmerman’s original production design team, like Mike Okuda and Doug Drexler. And I thought that was not only wise, but it also created good karma for the show. It was an impressive group of artists.

Blass: These are the people who literally wrote the book on how to design “Star Trek.” Mike Okuda is legendary. I wanted to work with them as much as I wanted to work with Jonathan and Patrick Stewart and all these other people.

Back in 1987 when “The Next Generation” premiered, I remember thinking how the production design was leaps and bounds above what the original “Star Trek” series was able to accomplish in 1966. And now in 2023, I’m watching “Picard,” thinking again how the production design is leaps and bounds above “The Next Generation.”

Frakes: The entire “Star Trek” new wave after the J.J. movies was encouraged to be more cinematic in every aspect of filmmaking, and that influence came from executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Akiva Goldsman, the people at Secret Hideout and also from CBS Studios and Paramount Plus. They all encouraged us to shoot to thrill. We still had to get our close-ups, and we still had to get traditional coverage. But when you have a massive, gorgeous set, you want to see that set. When you have a gorgeous costume, you want to see that costume. And even when they repurposed sets, they didn’t look like they were repurposed; they looked like brand new sets.

Blass: I’ve heard people refer to Season 3 as being kind of like a bottle season and how it’s very self-contained. And I agree that it is a bottle season. But you still had to build the bottle! We didn’t have a warehouse full of stuff that we could dive into, like they did when they repurposed sets, props and costumes on the earlier “Star Trek” shows.

Frakes: You’re burying the lead, Dave. What about rebuilding the bridge for the Enterprise-D?

Frakes: You fought the good fight with the color, with the fabrics, with the dimensions, with the angle on the arch, with the horseshoe, with the Okudagrams and so on. And I remember, most of the cast hadn’t been on your bridge – our old bridge – until we were called into rehearsals on the first day. I was around, because I had been directing other episodes, so I came in with Marina Sirtis and LeVar Burton. And both of their jaws dropped in exactly the same way that our characters did. To see art imitating life with these friends you’ve had for 36 years on Dave’s new version of the exact room that we made those 176 episodes, it was really something. It was very emotional.

More From Our Brands

For anycia, rap stardom is as simple as being herself, queen elizabeth ii drove this daimler majestic. now it’s up for auction., nfl stadium naming rights help brands half the time, study says, be tough on dirt but gentle on your body with the best soaps for sensitive skin, matt’s inside line: scoop on supernatural, once, smash, grimm, grey’s, ncis: la and more, verify it's you, please log in.

Star Trek: Picard's Enterprise-D Had To Be Built From Scratch

Since the final season of "Star Trek: Picard" has continued to delight fans with its parade of familiar faces and characters, it only makes sense that one last character would decide to stop by. In the series' penultimate episode, a brand new Enterprise-D  joined the fight and promised a series finale full of nostalgic adventuring. Of course, Geordi ( LeVar Burton ) had to revamp the Enterprise-D a little after its demise in "Star Trek Generations," but that was to be expected.

The real surprise, as Variety revealed in an article about the ship, is that the Enterprise-D had to be built entirely from scratch for "Picard." "Everyone tried to talk us out of doing this, because financially it's a nightmare," explained executive producer Terry Matalas. Still, Matalas and his team assembled a group of around 50 people to physically recreate the bridge, which eventually boasted the same measurements as the original from "Star Trek: Next Generation." However, that didn't make the production designers' jobs any easier.

The production crew didn't have much to go on

Rebuilding an entire set from scratch is probably not your average production designer's first idea, but "Picard" production designer Dave Blass and art director Liz Klockzowski had to do just that for the new Enterprise-D. "There's the ongoing rumor that there's a warehouse somewhere that has all this 'Star Trek' stuff, but what exists is not a lot," Blass told Variety . "We went into the deep dive of looking at every photo ever taken and every screencap, and we had a giant wall of inspiration at the back of the soundstage with photos of every single detail, so that everyone could see that we had thought this through."

However, everything began to click after Blass got the idea to hire Mike and Denise Okuda, who had previously worked on the "Next Generation" production team. Still, some of the biggest challenges for Blass and his crew were the deck's chairs and wood archway, the latter of which required a gargantuan paper plan and multiple subsequent templates to complete.

And yet, with the Okudas and tow and his team of around 50 people, Blass eventually achieved the impossible and completed work on the Enterprise-D, despite having built sets for "Picard" Seasons 2 and 3 almost concurrently. And just in case another production designer ever had to revisit the Enterprise-D, Blass made sure to save it for posterity. "There were lots of interested parties who wanted to save the set," he said. "Luckily it has a home in the Star Trek archives."

• Lower Decks
• Short Treks
• Strange New Worlds
• Deep Space Nine
• Star Trek: Picard
• The Next Generation
• The Original Series

UPDATED: Star Trek Books 2024

Star trek’s lost original enterprise model returned, classic star trek alien in star trek: section 31, star trek renewal news – cast & creatives respond, new: strange new worlds – scotty is on board for season 3, review – star trek: discovery season 5 episode 5 “mirrors”, review – star trek: defiant #14, review – star trek: discovery season 5 episode 4 “face the strange”, review – star trek #19, review – star trek: discovery season 5 episode 3 “jinaal”.

Yes, The ENTERPRISE-D Is Back For Picard Season 3!

Alright, we may have seen this one coming. Yes, The ENTERPRISE-D Is Back For Picard Season 3 ! The upcoming Star Trek Picard season is looking ever so exciting. We’ve had hints that Captain Riker’s USS Titan may show up. Additionally, Sir Patrick Stewart has teased multiple Enterprises. However, we’ve now got confirmation that the legendary Galaxy-class Enterprise-D is back in style!

But you might be wondering, how can a destroyed starship return? First, this is Star Trek ; second, this is Sci-Fi. But in all seriousness, there has been a clue in the second season of Star Trek: Picard . Right under our noses was a hint at the legacy of Jean-Luc Picard’s former starship. The Enterprise-D is arguably a main The Next Generation Character. She should have a place in the proper send-off for the crew.

Previously On The Crashed Enterprise-D

We all remember Star Trek: Generations . It’s the movie that killed off both Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the USS Enterprise-D. Seeing the Enterprise destroyed due to a warp core breach brought a tear to many fans’ eyes. However, part of the ship did survive. William T. Riker and the crew managed to navigate a successful crash landing of the saucer section on the nearby planet.

The Enterprise-D’s fate was up in the air following the movie’s end. However, with the successor movie introducing the new USS Enterprise-E, it was made clear the Galaxy-class days were over. While many of us love to see the Sovereign class taking the spotlight, many still remember the Galaxy class. Thankfully, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine kept the Galaxy around, though they did blow a few up.

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 included an easter egg about the USS Enterprise-D. While many presumed the saucer section was scrapped, thanks to beta-canon material, this was not the case. As confirmed by a ship plaque in the background of Starfleet Academy, the saucer section was recovered. It’s now being stored in the Starfleet Museum. So, was this our first clue towards the Enterprise-D returning?

Galaxy-Class Confirmation

So yes, The ENTERPRISE-D Is Back For Picard Season 3 . But how do we know this? Well, we’ve had some clues for a while now. But we’ve not had enough concrete material to build off of. We’ll explore these other clues later. However, as of May 2022, actor LeVar Burton let slip a few details. He was speaking at Megacon 2022 , and his comments have gone unnoticed until now.

We spent three days on a bridge that they build that was a replica of the Enterprise that we had during the series (TNG) – because we moved off of that ship, as soon as we got into the features…. when Marina crashed it was all over! (crowd laugh) LeVar Burton @ Megacon 2022

So there we have it! LeVar Burton, who himself returns to Star Trek: Picard Season 3 as Geordi LaForge, has confirmed it. The ENTERPRISE-D Is Back For Picard Season 3 , which is super exciting. However, it does beg the question. How is the Enterprise-D back, as it was destroyed? There are a couple of ways this could work. LeVar might have added further clarification.

We went back to our bridge, and it wasn’t exactly, the ramp was a little steep, but the feeling it evoked in us, that sense of coming home was real. It was like being in a time machine, we were trasnported back to the 19, to the late 80’s.

The Saucer’s Return!

Thanks to Star Trek: Picard Season 2 , we know the Enterprise-D’s saucer section has been recovered. However, why would The Next Generation crew visit it? Sure, if the ship is stored in the Starfleet Musem, it would be a great trip down memory lane. But surely this could be done via a holodeck? We’ll touch on that in a moment.

If you look closely in the first episode of Season 2, you’ll spot a nod to the Enterprise-D. During Jean-Luc Picard’s trip to Starfleet Academy, he is seen talking to Elnor (Evan Evagora). Behind them are plaques about former starships, including the USS Voyager. One shows the Enterprise-D, given it’s the Federation’s former flagship.

This plaque, which you can see below, updates what happened to the saucer section of the galaxy-class starship. According to this information, it has been relocated to the Starfleet Musem. Therefore the Enterprise-D lives on in some capacity. It is possible for the bridge section to be visited, as it only sustained minimal damage during the crash landing.

A Holodeck Construction?

What if the Enterprise-D bridge is a holodeck recreation? It would not be the first time Star Trek has recreated an Enterprise bridge to take a trip down memory lane. James Doohan’s famous cameo in The Next Generation saw the original Enterprise bridge reconstructed for the episode. However, does this mean we’re seeing the same done for Star Trek: Picard ?

It could be the case. Art Director Kit Stolen shared a picture of the iconic Enterprise-D holodeck arch in bubble wrap. However, does this mean we’re getting some holodeck time on the Enterprise-D or perhaps another Galaxy-class vessel with a similar design? Perhaps! When asked about it being the Enterprise’s specific arch, he replied, “No & yes”.

The date on the tweet is March 25th, a few weeks after Star Trek: Picard Season 3 wrapped filming. Therefore most of the sets for the production would have started being broken down and packed away, as is the case with fast-moving productions like Star Trek .

#StarTrekPicardBTS ‘Computer! Bubblewrap Arch!” pic.twitter.com/mdtCf6Mj0h — Kit_Stølen (@KITST7LEN) March 25, 2022

I’m super excited that The ENTERPRISE-D Is Back For Picard Season 3! It would seem like Showrunner Terry Matalas has done everything he can to give The Next Generation crew the send-off they deserve. Hearing LeVar talk about being back on the Galaxy-class bridge has me excited for the feeling of when it reaches our screens in 2023. Let’s make sure history never forgets the name, Enterprise.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is the finale season of the Paramont+ series. It is expected to air in 2023. However, no specific date has been released. Sir Patrick Stewart will be joined by his Star Trek: The Next Generation castmates in what looks to be the final grand send-off for Picard and the crew.

Thumbnail Enterprise-D image credit to “TheFirstFleet” on DeviantArt

More from Trek Central

? – Ed Speleers To Appear In Star Trek: Picard Season 3!

? – Star Trek Should Take A Gamble And Leave Khan In The Past

? – End Of The Line For Star Trek Starships Eaglemoss?

Join the Star Trek conversation via our social media platforms:

• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TrekCentral
• Instagram – https://instagram.com/TrekCentral
• Twitter – https://twitter.com/TheTrekCentral
• YouTube – https://youtube.com/TheTrekCentral
• Discord – https://discord.gg/f62Gbcu
• Star Trek Picard
• Star Trek The Next Generation
• USS Enterprise-D

more star trek 🖖

the latest 🚀

REVIEW – Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 “Face the...

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy

Trek Central is not endorsed, sponsored, or affiliated with ViacomCBS / CBS Studios Inc or the STAR TREK Franchise. All STAR TREK trademarks, logos and images © CBS Studios Inc.

© 2019–2023 Redwood Media LTD

Hi, what are you looking for?

TREKNEWS.NET | Your daily dose of Star Trek news and opinion

New photos from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 4 “Face the Strange”

Star Trek: Discovery “Under the Twin Moons” Review: Clues among the moons

New photos from the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5

First Photo from Star Trek: Section 31 revealed, legacy character confirmed

New Star Trek: Discovery posters revealed ahead of final season premiere

Star Trek: Discovery “Mirrors” Review: Navigating Reflections

Star Trek: Discovery “Face the Strange” Review: Embarking on a Temporal Odyssey

Star Trek: Discovery “Jinaal” Review: One step forward, two steps back

Star Trek: Picard — Firewall Review: The Renaissance of Seven of Nine

Strange New Worlds director Jordan Canning talks “Charades,” the versatility of the series & Star Trek fandom

‘Star Trek Online’ lead designer talks the game’s longevity, honoring the franchise, and seeing his work come to life in ‘Picard’

Gates McFadden talks Star Trek: Picard, reuniting with her TNG castmates, InvestiGates, and the Human Condition

Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating talk ‘Enterprise’, their relationship with Star Trek in 2023 and their first live ‘Shuttlepod Show’

John Billingsley discusses what he’d want in a fifth season of Enterprise, playing Phlox and this weekend’s Trek Talks 2 event

57-Year Mission set to beam 160+ Star Trek guests down to Las Vegas

Veteran Star Trek director David Livingston looks back on his legendary career ahead of Trek Talks 2 event

ReedPop’s Star Trek: Mission Seattle convention has been cancelled

56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention

New photos + video preview from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors”

2023: A banner year for Star Trek — here’s why [Op-Ed]

‘Making It So’ Review: Patrick Stewart’s journey from stage to starship

54-Disc Picard Legacy Collection, Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Complete Series Blu-ray box sets announced

Star Trek: Picard series finale “The Last Generation” Review: A perfect sendoff to an unforgettable crew

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD this December

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Hegemony” Review: An underwhelming end to the series’ sophomore season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finale “Hegemony” preview + new photos

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 “Subspace Rhapsody” Review: All systems stable… but why are we singing?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” preview + new photos

Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals

Paramount+ Launches with 1-Month Free Trial, Streaming Every Star Trek Episode

Paramount+ to Officially Launch March 4, Taking Place of CBS All Access

STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Season 2 Now Streaming For Free (in the U.S.)

[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations

‘U.S.S. Cerritos Crew Handbook’ Review: A must-read Star Trek: Lower Decks fans

New photos from this week’s Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 finale

Star Trek: Lower Decks “The Inner Fight” Review: Lost stars and hidden battles

New photos from this week’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy begins streaming December 25th on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy lands at Netflix, season 2 coming in 2024

Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 sneak peek reveals the surprise return of a Voyager castmember

Star Trek: Prodigy canceled, first season to be removed from Paramount+

Revisiting “Star Trek: Legacies – Captain to Captain” Retro Review

The Wrath of Khan – The Making of the Classic Film Review: A gem for your Star Trek reference collection

The events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to continue in new IDW miniseries “Echoes”

Star Trek: The Original Series “Harm’s Way” Book Review

William Shatner’s New Book ‘Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder’ Review: More of a good thing

Star Trek: Infinite release date + details on Lower Decks­-themed pre-order bonuses

‘Star Trek: Infinite’ strategy game revealed, set to be released this fall

‘The Next Generation’ cast is back on the bridge of the Enterprise-D in new ‘Star Trek: Picard’ photo gallery

Hero Collector Revisits The Classics in New Starfleet Starships Essentials Collection

New Star Trek Docuseries ‘The Center Seat’ Announced, Coming This Fall

Star Trek Designing Starships: Deep Space Nine & Beyond Review: a Deep Dive Into Shuttlecraft of the Gamma Quadrant

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Illustrated Handbook Review: Terok Nor Deconstructed in Amazing Detail

Robert Beltran Is Officially Returning to Star Trek as Chakotay on ‘Prodigy’ + More Casting News

Robert Beltran Says He’s Returning to Star Trek in ‘Prodigy’

John Billingsley Talks Life Since Star Trek: Enterprise, Going to Space and Turning Down Lunch with Shatner and Nimoy

Star Trek: Enterprise Star John Billingsley Talks Charity Work, Upcoming TREK*Talks Event

Preview: Star Trek: Discovery 505 “Mirrors”

The fifth episode of Star Trek: Discovery’s fifth and final season “Mirrors” premieres this Thursday, April 25 . The episode is written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan .

Today, we have a video preview, a clip, and a few new photos from the episode — featuring Sonequa Martin-Green as Burnham, David Ajala as Book, Mary Wiseman as Tilly, Blu del Barrio as Adira, Anthony Rapp as Stamets, and Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner

You can check out the new photos below. Please be aware of some minor spoilers.

Official description:

Captain Burnham and Book journey into extradimensional space in search of the next clue to the location of the Progenitors’ power. Meanwhile, Rayner navigates his first mission in command of the  U.S.S. Discovery , and Culber opens up to Tilly.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5 castmembers include Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Picard , Star Trek: Lower Decks, and more.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending Articles

Review: Star Trek: Picard – Firewall Seven of Nine, a heroine who has resurged in popularity thanks to Jeri Ryan’s return to the franchise...

An article celebrating the longevity of the Star Trek franchise has given us our first look at Michelle Yeoh’s upcoming Star Trek: Section 31...

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 stumbles with “Jinaal” Discovery’s voyage to the ultimate treasure brings Captain Michael Burnham and her crew to Trill, where...

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 trailer teases Burnham & crew’s final mission

With the launch of the final season of Star Trek: Discovery right around the corner, Paramount+ has released an official trailer for the series’...

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Coming Home: Touring the Enterprise-D - Star Trek: Picard

Get an inside look at the reconstructed starship bridge!

SPOILER WARNING: Discussions for Star Trek: Picard Season 3's Episode 9, "Võx"!

Legendary Star Trek graphic designer Mike Okuda welcomes host Wil Wheaton for a homecoming tour of the U.S.S. Enterprise -D bridge set, reconstructed for Star Trek: Picard , in this clip from the most recent segment of The Ready Room .

In addition to streaming on Paramount+ , Star Trek: Picard also streams on Prime Video outside of the U.S. and Canada, and in Canada can be seen on Bell Media's CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave. Star Trek: Picard is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Michael Dorn Would Only Join The Star Trek Picard Series On One Condition

We’re all hyped for the  return of Patrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard , but the one thing on fans’ minds is whether or not the upcoming  Star Trek   series might also explore the fates of the rest of the Enterprise-D gang. One character in particular that fans would like to see more of is everyone’s favorite Klingon, Lieutenant Worf, played by Michael Dorn. However, the actor doesn’t seem terribly interested in returning.

That being said, he isn’t ruling it out completely. Speaking in a recent interview, Dorn stated that he’d be open to showing up on the Picard series if he was going to have a big role or play an important part in the story, as he doesn’t want to return if it’s just for a quick cameo or bit of fan service.

“I’m only interested in if it’s something really interesting; if the character was a major part of the franchise or whatever the show is,” the actor said. “He’s not just going to show up, beat somebody up, and then go home.”

That’s fair enough. After all, Klingon make-up takes time to put on and Dorn clearly has too much respect for his character to waste him on something insignificant. Thankfully, then, there’s a way to have Worf return in a meaningful manner.

While it’d be a bit lame for the show to simply ‘get the band back together’ and bring the old TNG team back in their former positions, perhaps an older and more experienced Worf could play a substantial role. With Picard set to be quite a bit older, having a Klingon around who’s a dab hand with a bat’leth would certainly be helpful if any conflicts arise, right?

Then again, maybe Dorn would rather hold out for that  Worf Chronicles project he’s been pitching ? With CBS apparently eager to greenlight any and all new Star Trek shows, why not give us a chance to explore exactly where the TNG and Deep Space Nine veteran eventually ended up?

ncG1vNJzZmivlZy8tcDHoqqcp6aav6awjZympmekq3yutcKhmJ6kXZm8s7qMo6aipl2owaK%2BjK2pnqNdpbakrdGdZKydop6ytHnOp5xmm5%2BjsarAyKilaA%3D%3D

• ← Previous Post
• Next Post →

• The Original Series
• The Animated Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Strange New Worlds
• Lower Decks
• Star Trek Movies
• TrekCore on Twitter
• TrekCore on Facebook

The model first came through the offices of Heritage Auctions, who worked to confirm its authenticity before it docked at the Roddenberry home. From today’s Associated Press report:

Heritage’s executive vice president, Joe Maddalena, said the auction house was contacted by people who said they’d discovered it a storage unit, and when it was brought into their Beverly Hills office, he and a colleague “instantly knew that it was the real thing.”   They reached out to Roddenberry, who said he appreciates that everyone involved agreed returning the model was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t go into details on the agreement reached but said “I felt it important to reward that and show appreciation for that.”   Maddalena said the model vanished in the 1970s after Gene Roddenberry loaned it to makers of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture,” which was released in 1979.   “No one knew what happened to it,” Rod Roddenberry said.   This USS Enterprise model would easily sell for more than $1 million at auction, but really “it’s priceless,” Maddalena said. “It could sell for any amount and I wouldn’t be surprised because of what it is,” he said. “It is truly a cultural icon.”

Notable  Star Trek production experts have also been up close and personal with the recovered  Enterprise , including Doug Drexler, Mike Okuda, and modelmaker Gary Kerr, all key members of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum’s conservation efforts on the full-sized Enterprise model back in 2016.

  It’s not yet known where or when the model may make its way into public view — after nearly 60 years, it’s quite fragile and in need of some repair work (as Kerr notes above) — but when we know more, you’ll certainly learn about it here at TrekCore.

Come back to TrekCore for the latest in Star Trek franchise news!

• rod roddenberry
• Star Trek: The Original Series
• USS Enterprise NCC-1701

Related Stories

New star trek: discovery photos — “mirrors”, interview — sonequa martin-green on burnham’s “face the strange” encounter, weeklytrek podcast #246 — star trek: lower decks cancelled and strange new worlds renewed, search news archives, new & upcoming releases, featured stories, star trek: lower decks cancelled; strange new worlds renewed for season 4, our star trek: discovery season 5 spoiler-free review, star trek: discovery’s final adventure begins in april 2024.

TrekCore.com is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with Paramount, CBS Studios, or the Star Trek franchise. All Star Trek images, trademarks and logos are owned by CBS Studios Inc. and/or Paramount. All original TrekCore.com content and the WeeklyTrek podcast (c) 2024 Trapezoid Media, LLC. · Terms & Conditions

Giant Freakin Robot

Forgotten Star Trek: TNG Episode Filled With Original Series Easter Eggs

Posted: April 24, 2024 | Last updated: April 25, 2024

If most Star Trek: The Next Generation fans are being honest, they’d rather take a phaser blast to the face than watch the majority of the first season. However, depending on what you are looking for from the franchise, there are some real gems hiding inside some otherwise forgettable episodes. For example, “The Battle” isn’t really a great episode of The Next Generation, but it contains some great Easter eggs (including special effects and a different ship model in Picard’s Ready Room) referencing The Original Series.

Has it been a while since you watched this Star Trek episode, or maybe you’ve never had the dubious pleasure of seeing “The Battle?” Here’s a quick breakdown: in this episode, a Ferengi commander brings Captain Picard the derelict Stargazer, which Picard is happy to receive because this is the first ship he ever captained. It all turns out to be a ploy on the part of the Ferengi, who uses a strange orb to affect Picard’s mind and make him think he’s living in the past and that he must use his famous Picard Maneuver to defeat the Enterprise. 

Shut Up, Wesley

Much of this early Star Trek episode is painful to watch, and it even includes some particularly cringeworthy Wesley Crusher dialogue that Wil Wheaton is convinced turned the fandom against him. However, the episode is notable for giving us plenty of fascinating insights into Captain Picard’s early Starfleet career. If you know where to look, the episode also includes some great homages to The Original Series, something that was a real rarity in the early days of TNG.

What Kind Of Ship?

For example, Picard’s earlier ship Stargazer is a new design, and it is listed as a Constellation-class vessel. Originally, though, it was going to be a Constitution II-class vessel, allowing the show to re-use the Enterprise model from the early Star Trek films. The decision to change what class of ship this was came late in the production of “The Battle”, and the class name “Constellation” was chosen because it roughly matched the lips of LeVar Burton and Wil Wheaton, who are clearly saying “Constitution-class” in some of their scenes.

The Star Trek: The Next Generation producers were very committed at one point to making the Stargazer a Constitution-class vessel, and this was going to retroactively explain why Picard has what appears to be a silver model of a Constitution-class vessel in his Ready Room in “The Battle” and earlier episodes. After the decision was made to turn Picard’s original command into a Constellation-class vessel, however, that model was swapped out for the more familiar golden Stargazer model we see in future episodes.

Old School Warp

There is one more Original Series Easter egg hidden in this Star Trek episode, and it involves the famous Picard Maneuver. In “The Battle,” we find out this is a kind of slick warp speed tactic invented by Picard to win a showdown with an attacking Ferengi vessel. At one point, Picard takes the Stargazer into warp, and if you look closely, this vintage ship has the same warp speed effect from movies like The Wrath of Khan rather than the newer TNG warp effect.

We Never Said It Was A Good Story

Again, if you go into this Star Trek episode expecting great storytelling, you’re likely to be disappointed. However, if you approach “The Battle” as a chance to learn more about Picard’s career and to see some sly nods to the days of Captain Kirk, you’ll find plenty to love. 

By the way, if you love the episode enough to repeatedly watch it, can someone please explain how the heck the Picard Maneuver foils enemy ships’ sensors? I tried to get a former boy genius to explain it to me like I was 12, but Wil Wheaton never picks up the communicator when I call.

More for You

Add these 20 unusual U.S. destinations to your travel bucket list

I’m a Bank Teller: 3 Times You Should Never Ask For $100 Bills at the Bank

25 famous rock song lyrics everyone gets wrong

Tabloid publisher testifies he canceled deal for Trump to buy story of alleged affair

Scientists finally confirm what lies inside the Moon

Symptoms of Too Much Vitamin D and Supplement Side Effects

Age at which you're officially old has changed

How Mortal Kombat 1 Tackles LGBT Representation Right

Remove A Tree Stump With One Common Household Ingredient

Barber Coins Are Worth Thousands: Here’s How To Spot Them in Your Spare Change

Ghosts of the USA: The Most Haunted Places in America

Lost Planet Theia Is Hidden Inside the Earth, New Study Says

These 10 Mountain Towns Are as Affordable as They Are Beautiful

I’m A Single Mother With A Ph.D., And ‘I Literally Worked Seven Days A Week’ To Make Ends Meet

Trump campaign accused of breaking federal law by hiding millions in legal payments

The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim – Release Date, Cast, Plot, And More Info

Baking Soda Makes a Great DIY Weed Killer—Here's How to Use It

Remembering Glen Campbell: A Tribute to a Country Legend

The 10 happiest places to live in the US

Ford Drops Limited Edition 60th Anniversary Mustang for 2025

Screen Rant

Star trek: tng has a surprising fleetwood mac connection.

A member of Fleetwood Mac made a surprising appearance on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

• Mick Fleetwood, drummer of Fleetwood Mac, made a cameo in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.
• Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and requested to be part of the show, shaving his beard for the role and beaming on board the USS Enterprise-D.
• Many musicians have made surprise appearances in Star Trek, including Michelle Phillips, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello, showcasing the franchise's appeal to diverse celebrities.

Classic 1970s rock band Fleetwood Mac has a surprising connection to Star Trek: The Next Generation . Beginning with its two-episode premiere in 1987, TNG brought live-action Star Trek back to television for the first time since the cancelation of Star Trek: The Original Series . While many fans of TOS were initially nervous about a Star Trek series that didn't feature Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) or Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Star Trek: The Next Generation went on to become a massive hit and one of the greatest science fiction series of all time.

Thanks to reruns and syndication, Star Trek: The Original Series developed a significant fanbase in the years following its cancelation. Many celebrities have talked about their love of Star Trek over the years, but some went even further, requesting a role in a Trek project. For example, Whoopi Goldberg reached out to TNG's producers and eventually took on the role of Ten Forward bartender Guinan, who appeared in 29 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation , as well as the movies Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis . Mick Fleetwood, the drummer and leader of Fleetwood Mac, was also a huge Star Trek fan. After requesting a role in Trek , Fleetwood appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2, episode 19, "Manhunt" as an alien ambassador.

10 Star Trek Guest Star Actors You Forgot About

Mick fleetwood was in an episode of star trek: tng, fleetwood was unrecognizable in a cameo in tng season 2, episode 19, "manhunt.".

Mick Fleetwood plays an Antedian dignitary in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 episode, "Manhunt." Both of whom spend most of the episode in a catatonic state. Fleetwood was a big Star Trek fan and wanted to be a part of the show in whatever way he could, although he did have one request. In a 2015 interview with the Vancouver Sun , Fleetwood spoke about his TNG role, saying he told producers that he would shave his beard " if you promise me that I get to beam down or beam up." Due to the extensive prosthetics required to play the fish-like Antedian, Fleetwood did shave his beard, and the Antedians were beamed onto the USS Enterprise-D at the beginning of the episode. Despite being unrecognizable, Mick Fleetwood got his wish to be part of the Star Trek universe.

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 2 's "Manhunt," the USS Enterprise-D picks up two Antedian dignitaries, including Mick Fleetwood who need transportation to a conference on Pacifica. Soon after the Antedians arrive, the USS Enterprise-D receives a message that Lwaxana Troi (Majel Barrett) will also be traveling to the conference. The mother of Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Lwaxana has entered a part of a Betazoid woman's life known as The Phase, and she is determined to find a husband. She initially sets her sights on Captain Picard, but ultimately leaves the Enterprise without a partner. Before she departs, however, Lwaxana reveals that the Antedian dignitaries are actually assassins who were planning to set off a bomb at the conference.

Lwaxana Troi had previously been introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 1, episode 11, "Haven," and, in total, she appeared in six episodes of TNG and 3 of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek Has Other Surprising Musician Cameos

Star trek has a long history of celebrity cameos, including multiple rock stars and singers..

Mick Fleetwood was not the only musician who popped up in Star Trek over the years. Before Fleetwood's appearance on Star Trek: The Next Generation , Michelle Phillips of the pop group The Mamas & the Papas portrayed Picard's former flame, Jenice Manheim, in TNG season 1, episode 24, "We'll Always Have Paris." The "Godfather of Punk," Iggy Pop appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 6, episode 10, "The Magnificent Ferengi," as a Vorta named Yelgrun. DS9's executive producer Ira Steven Behr was responsible for casting Iggy Pop, as he was a big fan of the musician.

Tom Morello, former guitarist for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, was such a big Star Trek fan that he reportedly contacted producer Rick Berman to request a role in Star Trek: Insurrection . Although Morello briefly appeared as a member of the Son'a species, his character was uncredited and barely seen. Because of this, he was asked to return for Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 20, "Good Shepherd," in which he portrayed Starfleet Crewman Mitchell. With its massive and dedicated fanbase, the Star Trek franchise has had quite a few memorable celebrity cameos, including several famous musicians.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Star trek: deep space nine, star trek voyager.