Things they changed after the first episode

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm watching Encounter at Farpoint now and I'm noticing a lot of things they established in the first episode that they changed or ignored later.

1) Holodeck rear wall

They never really explained by holodecks can reproduce seemingly infinitely large environment. Many have imagined it's a series of light illusions and treadmills, which makes sense given that in literally any other episode being in the holodeck pretty much means an infinitely large completely convincing fake world. Also Data remarks that much of the material in the holodeck is actually real much like it was created via the transporter, whereas in the future it's all forcefields and light.

2) Riker can hear Troi's thoughts

The writers either didn't like this and handwaved it or they forgot about it, much like Vorta telekinesis.

3) Starfleet = Humans

Troi "My mother was betazoid. My father was in Starfleet." A crewmember from later in TNG or any of DS9 or Voyager hears this and still probably thinks her father is betazoid. Starfleet was mostly a strictly human organization at this point, and alien presence was an exception. It was not just the military of a truly interstellar alliance.

4) Q is weaker

Q is not quite the same level of omnipotent here. He is concerned about getting stunned by Torres on the bridge. He must chase the ship in order to use his powers on them.

5) Geordi could perhaps restore his sight, through an operation that he is nervous about.

He does not want this operation because he is an advanced human and the blindness is who he is. I suppose this is realistic, a lot of deaf people refuse cochlear implants for fear of losing their identity. But I don't see later series Geordi refusing the operation.

6) Ferengi eat people.

Uh huh. I suppose this isn't necessarily a contradiction, maybe the Federation really believed this because they are evil capitalists and stuff. And at this point all the Ferengi they ever met had horrible spinal disorders and speech impediments.

7) The Enterprise D is exploring deep space.

They are out in unexplored space, far away from local Federation politics.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Troi's empathis abilities.

In EaF, she experienced the emotions she was sensing, but this was cringeworthy for Marina Sirtis to play and us to watch, so they dropped it.

 

[robau]

They got rid of those damn mini skirts on men right quick.

 

[InklingStar]

2) Riker can hear Troi's thoughts

The writers either didn't like this and handwaved it or they forgot about it, much like Vorta telekinesis.

I assumed that Troi was specifically directing her thoughts to Riker in that scene, not that he could read her mind at any given time.

4) Q is weaker

Q is not quite the same level of omnipotent here. He is concerned about getting stunned by Torres on the bridge. He must chase the ship in order to use his powers on them.

Q was toying with the crew.

6) Ferengi eat people.

I took Picard's phrase figuratively.

One thing that I always notice is that Conn and Ops switched. It works in-universe, since the consoles can be configured for any purpose, but it is noticeable.

 

[Starborn Dragon]

The hair styles on Troi were changed a few times.

The clothes Wesley wore several times.

The Starfleet Cadet uniforms.

 

[Orphalesion]

8) Troi is allowed to do shit.
This is what frustrates me the most about EaF and the rest of the Series. Troi, in the pilot, is portrayed as a competent bridge officer; she mans communications on the Battle Bridge, goes on away missions, has a hand in solving the mystery of the week and in the climax she chews out Q!
Now fast forward to "Disaster" where Troi, in command of the ship, just sat there in her lilac body-hugger, looking at Ro and O'Brien as if they where talking some crazy moon language she had never heard of. Seriously!

When it started out TNG seemed to have really high hopes for its three female leads, hopes that were largely forgotten after the pilot, disappearing under re-write after re-write.

 

[Starborn Dragon]

The change of Picard being a bench warmer in TNG to an action Captain in the movies.

 

[Lance]

I like what people have mentioned already.

A few set details: the engineering set in "Encounter At Farpoint" has got two extra corridor exits either side of the middle control table (these were usually plugged up with wall flats from the second episode onwards), as well as extra door supports around the 'engineers office' area (which were actually seen one more time in "The Naked Now", but then dropped in subsequent episodes).

It's also, of course, the only time we ever saw Tasha Yar in a skant. We saw Deanna Troi wear the skant again in "All Good Things...", but Tasha's one and only skant-'n'-go-go-boots moment was in the final scene of "Encounter At Farpoint".

 

[Timo]

But I don't see later series Geordi refusing the operation.

But he did. When Pulaski in "Loud as a Whisper" told him "Oh, your previous doctor was a hack and a quack, I can replace your eyes any day", he again said "I don't know - I'd be giving up a lot", and ultimately refused. The VISOR is simply so much better than eyes.

They are out in unexplored space, far away from local Federation politics.

In "Farpoint"? Not really - when they arrive, there's another starship there, providing a joyride for an elderly and possibly retired Admiral who wants to conduct an "inspection" and perhaps play doctor in other ways, too.

The mission of the hero ship appears to be administrative: to check out Farpoint, so that other ships can use it as a base camp for exploration into the unknown. No suggestion is made that the E-D herself would do any exploring.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[shivkala]

5) Geordi could perhaps restore his sight, through an operation that he is nervous about.

In "Encounter at Farpoint," no one talks about surgery that could restore Geordi's sight. All Crusher offers is a way to help Geordi with the pain he feels because of the VISOR.

CRUSHER: Naturally I've heard of your case. The visor implants you wear
LAFORGE: Is a remarkable piece of bio-electronic engineering by which I quote see much of the EM spectrum ranging from simple heat and infrared through radio waves et cetera, et cetera, and forgive me if I've said and listened to this a thousand times before.
(Without the Visor, Geordi La Forge's eyes are white sightless orbs, and he has flashing red lights at his temples)
CRUSHER: You've been blind all your life?
LAFORGE: I was born this way.
CRUSHER: And you've felt pain all the years that you've used this?
LAFORGE: They say it's because I use my natural sensors in different ways.
CRUSHER: Well, I see two choices. The first is painkillers.
LAFORGE: Which would affect how this works. No. Choice number two?
CRUSHER: Exploratory surgery. Desensitise the brain areas troubling you.
LAFORGE: Same difference. No, thank you, Doctor.
CRUSHER: I understand.
LAFORGE: See you.

Source,"Chrissie's Transcripts Site

In the very next episode, "The Naked Now," Geordi does express a desire to see normally, though there's no talk of surgery. I always inferred this to be because of the effects of the altered water molecule. Similar to how alcohol can reveal deep-seated desires that one would not normally express, the same thing happened here to Geordi. Sober, he'd developed a usual response to questions about his VISOR, which indicate to me he accepts it and is worried about change, but this masks his true desire to see "normally."

(Geordi is staring out at the stars)
TASHA: Geordi? Geordi? Lieutenant Yar in the Observation lounge. Send a team here now. Medical's been worried about you.
LAFORGE: Help me. Help me to not to give in to the wild things coming into my mind,
TASHA: Geordi, my job is security,
LAFORGE: Tasha, please.
TASHA: Alright. Alright, helping is more important. Geordi, how can I help you?
LAFORGE: Help me to see. Like you do.
TASHA: But you already see better than I can.
LAFORGE: I see more. But more isn't better.
(He takes off his Visor)
TASHA: Geordi, please put
LAFORGE: I want to see in shallow, dim, beautiful human ways.
(He strokes her face)
TASHA: We'll talk about it, Geordi. Right now I'm going to take you to Sickbay. All right?
LAFORGE: Yeah.
TASHA: Okay. Good

Source,"Chrissie's Transcripts Site

It's, not until season 2's "Loud as a Whisper," as Timo said that an operation is discussed.

(Geordi is having a check-up on his implants)
PULASKI: It's possible to install optical devices which look like normal eyes, and would still give you about the same visual range as the visor.
LAFORGE: Done? You say almost. How much reduction?
PULASKI: Twenty percent. There is another option. I can attempt to regenerate your optic nerve, and, with the help of the replicator, fashion normal eyes. You would see like everyone else.
LAFORGE: Wait a minute. I was told that was impossible.
PULASKI: I've done it twice, in situations somewhat similar to yours. Geordi, it would eliminate the constant pain you are under. Why are you hesitating?
LAFORGE: Well, when I came to see you, it was to talk about modifying this. And now you're saying it could be possible for me to have normal vision?
PULASKI: Yes.
LAFORGE: I don't know. I'd be giving up a lot.
PULASKI: There's something else you must know. This is a one shot. If you decide to change your mind, there's no going back. And there are risks. I can offer choices, not guarantees.
LAFORGE: Well, this is a lot to think about. I'll get back to you, Doctor. Thank you.

Source,"Chrissie's Transcripts Site

The pain thing seemed to only come up here and "Encounter at Farpoint," though I don't know that it's something that changed or rather, something they didn't feel they needed to keep mentioning, as they established that Geordi had been living with it.

I've long figured that they were able to improve the ocular implants to eliminate the 20% reduction, and maybe even improve them over the VISOR. In my head canon, Soren's hijacking of his VISOR pushed Geordi to get over his hesitation with switching over to the implants. Perhaps they would not have been as easy for Soren to use and the guilt forced Geordi to go ahead with the surgery between Generations and First Contact.

For those wondering, I think either the Romulan's brainwashing technique in "Mind's Eye" would have worked the same on the implants or the surgery wasn't quite there, yet, for Geordi to risk at that point.

Either way, I think this is less something that was changed after the first episode and more something that was a part of his character's evolution on the show.

 

[Christopher]

They never really explained by holodecks can reproduce seemingly infinitely large environment. Many have imagined it's a series of light illusions and treadmills, which makes sense given that in literally any other episode being in the holodeck pretty much means an infinitely large completely convincing fake world. Also Data remarks that much of the material in the holodeck is actually real much like it was created via the transporter, whereas in the future it's all forcefields and light.

Not entirely. Remember, in "Elementary, Dear Data," they were able to take a piece of paper out of the holodeck intact. This was meant in the script to be evidence that Picard was lying to Moriarty about the impermanence of "holodeck matter," but it's just as well they left that out, since it's easier to assume the paper was simply replicated.

2) Riker can hear Troi's thoughts

The writers either didn't like this and handwaved it or they forgot about it, much like Vorta telekinesis.

I think their ability to communicate telepathically was touched on rarely thereafter.

3) Starfleet = Humans

Troi "My mother was betazoid. My father was in Starfleet." A crewmember from later in TNG or any of DS9 or Voyager hears this and still probably thinks her father is betazoid. Starfleet was mostly a strictly human organization at this point, and alien presence was an exception. It was not just the military of a truly interstellar alliance.

You can't read that much into a single awkward line, especially when there are clearly a number of nonhuman Starfleet officers in the crew such as Worf, Deanna, and Data. The TNG bible clearly states that "The Federation is not a human-only alliance... Starfleet vessels serve all the worlds of the Federation, not simply Earth." (It also claims that the Klingons have joined the Federation, something that was implied by "Heart of Glory" but later disregarded.) So that line did not represent the creators' intention; it was just a poor choice of words.

4) Q is weaker

Q is not quite the same level of omnipotent here. He is concerned about getting stunned by Torres on the bridge. He must chase the ship in order to use his powers on them.

That's true. "Farpoint" makes it pretty clear that the Q are localized to that particular region of space that Starfleet is now expanding into, which is why they haven't contacted humanity before then. It was later on that the Q were subjected to the kind of power amplification that's common to advanced fictional beings, elevated to an essentially godlike level.

5) Geordi could perhaps restore his sight, through an operation that he is nervous about.

He does not want this operation because he is an advanced human and the blindness is who he is. I suppose this is realistic, a lot of deaf people refuse cochlear implants for fear of losing their identity. But I don't see later series Geordi refusing the operation.

Except he did. He switched to a new kind of implants in the movies, but they're still bionic eyes, not the cloned implants that Pulaski suggested to him at the start of season 2.

6) Ferengi eat people.

Uh huh. I suppose this isn't necessarily a contradiction, maybe the Federation really believed this because they are evil capitalists and stuff. And at this point all the Ferengi they ever met had horrible spinal disorders and speech impediments.

Actually, as of "Farpoint," they had never met any Ferengi. That didn't happen until three episodes later. All they had were rumors and stories -- rumors the Ferengi probably spread themselves. Remember, in "The Last Outpost," they deliberately tried to make themselves appear bigger and scarier than they really turned out to be. First we saw the DaiMon looming huge on the viewscreen, and we were meant to think the Ferengi were this terrible, threatening race; then we saw them on the planet and discovered they were really small, rodentlike, and little more than a joke. So the rumor that the Ferengi ate people was probably supposed to be part of their own disinformation/intimidation campaign. (Much the same trick Balok used in "The Corbomite Maneuver.")

7) The Enterprise D is exploring deep space.

They are out in unexplored space, far away from local Federation politics.

Yes, this was unfortunately dropped as early as the next two episodes -- in "The Naked Now," they came to the aid of another Starfleet ship (even though they were supposed to be going where none had gone before); in "Code of Honor," they were delivering a vaccine to a Federation world; and so on.


One detail that was made a big deal of in the series bible and "Farpoint" and then quickly dropped was the computer interface protocol. You were supposed to phrase your instructions to the computer starting with "Tell me" or "Show me" -- as we saw the junior officer stress to Riker when she was giving him that tutorial. And the black panels along the walls were supposed to be computer interfaces, interactive screens stretching the entire length of the corridors, but we infrequently saw them used that way after "Farpoint." Also, the computer in "Farpoint" was friendlier and seemingly more intelligent than it later became.

Another major one was Riker's xenophobia toward artificial intelligence. The bible asserted that this would be an ongoing thread between Riker and Data, but it was dealt with by the end of "Farpoint" and then never mentioned again. Indeed, it was only half a season later that Riker was falling for Minuet on the holodeck.

Speaking of which, "Farpoint" portrayed holodecks as a brand-new technology, something Riker had never experienced before. But later Trek ignored this, and we found out in Voyager that Janeway (who's the same age as Riker) played Flotter and Trevis holoprograms as a child.

 

[shivkala]

They never really explained by holodecks can reproduce seemingly infinitely large environment. Many have imagined it's a series of light illusions and treadmills, which makes sense given that in literally any other episode being in the holodeck pretty much means an infinitely large completely convincing fake world. Also Data remarks that much of the material in the holodeck is actually real much like it was created via the transporter, whereas in the future it's all forcefields and light.

Not entirely. Remember, in "Elementary, Dear Data," they were able to take a piece of paper out of the holodeck intact. This was meant in the script to be evidence that Picard was lying to Moriarty about the impermanence of "holodeck matter," but it's just as well they left that out, since it's easier to assume the paper was simply replicated.

Not to mention, they can synthesize food and drink in the Holodeck. I think the synthesizers are a part of the Holodeck, replicating food or anything that they may want outside the Holodeck.

Except he did. He switched to a new kind of implants in the movies, but they're still bionic eyes, not the cloned implants that Pulaski suggested to him at the start of season 2.

She does say they were similar, but not exact cases. Either she was exaggerating her capabilities, or Geordi didn't want to give up what he'd known for 30 odd years in favor of "normal" vision. Hopefully the implants did not cause him the pain the VISOR did, making it the optimal choice for him.

One detail that was made a big deal of in the series bible and "Farpoint" and then quickly dropped was the computer interface protocol. You were supposed to phrase your instructions to the computer starting with "Tell me" or "Show me" -- as we saw the junior officer stress to Riker when she was giving him that tutorial. And the black panels along the walls were supposed to be computer interfaces, interactive screens stretching the entire length of the corridors, but we infrequently saw them used that way after "Farpoint." Also, the computer in "Farpoint" was friendlier and seemingly more intelligent than it later became.

I seem to remember the interfaces lighting up, helping Riker find his way. I can see why they would think that was a good idea, but, ultimately, I'm not sure of the practicality of them, other than to help those unfamiliar with the ship find their way.

Another major one was Riker's xenophobia toward artificial intelligence. The bible asserted that this would be an ongoing thread between Riker and Data, but it was dealt with by the end of "Farpoint" and then never mentioned again. Indeed, it was only half a season later that Riker was falling for Minuet on the holodeck.

In fact, by "Measure of a Man," Riker is uncomfortable taking Maddox' side in the trial to decide Data's fate.

PHILLIPA: And the unenviable task of prosecuting this case would fall on you, Commander, as the next most senior officer of the defendant's ship.
RIKER: I can't. I won't. Data's my comrade. We have served together. I not only respect him, I consider him my friend.
PHILLIPA: When people of good conscience have an honest dispute, we must still sometimes resort to this kind of adversarial system.
RIKER: You just want me to prove that Data is a mere machine. I can't do that because I don't believe it. I happen to know better. So I'm neither qualified nor willing. You're going to have to find someone else.

I wonder what "Measure of a Man" would have been if they kept Riker's fphobia of AI. Would it have given him a chance to voice the concerns he's had? Presumably, it would have been the point in which he started to move past his phobia.

 

[hux]

They never really explained by holodecks can reproduce seemingly infinitely large environment. Many have imagined it's a series of light illusions and treadmills, which makes sense given that in literally any other episode being in the holodeck pretty much means an infinitely large completely convincing fake world. Also Data remarks that much of the material in the holodeck is actually real much like it was created via the transporter, whereas in the future it's all forcefields and light

The initial concept for the holodeck made some sense (lights, mirrors, science) but then they basically turned into magic where you can eat, screw, fly, you name it. Two people can go in, run in opposite directions down a road then shout to each other but not hear one another. It all became a bit too much if you ask me. I would have preferred they kept a certain amount of realism for the technology (perhaps then, they wouldn't have relied on so many holodeck episodes)

Not entirely. Remember, in "Elementary, Dear Data," they were able to take a piece of paper out of the holodeck intact. This was meant in the script to be evidence that Picard was lying to Moriarty about the impermanence of "holodeck matter," but it's just as well they left that out, since it's easier to assume the paper was simply replicated.

I thought that was just a goof?

 

[shivkala]

They never really explained by holodecks can reproduce seemingly infinitely large environment. Many have imagined it's a series of light illusions and treadmills, which makes sense given that in literally any other episode being in the holodeck pretty much means an infinitely large completely convincing fake world. Also Data remarks that much of the material in the holodeck is actually real much like it was created via the transporter, whereas in the future it's all forcefields and light

The initial concept for the holodeck made some sense (lights, mirrors, science) but then they basically turned into magic where you can eat, screw, fly, you name it. Two people can go in, run in opposite directions down a road then shout to each other but not hear one another. It all became a bit too much if you ask me. I would have preferred they kept a certain amount of realism for the technology (perhaps then, they wouldn't have relied on so many holodeck episodes)

I remember one TNG book explained it really well. As Christoper said, it involved treadmills, but also a kind of forced perspective so that it made it seem they were further apart. I can't remember the book.

Of course, it's possible that the walls between the separate Holodecks could be removed, allowing for a larger area when more people are using the Holodeck.

 

[Christopher]

I seem to remember the interfaces lighting up, helping Riker find his way. I can see why they would think that was a good idea, but, ultimately, I'm not sure of the practicality of them, other than to help those unfamiliar with the ship find their way.

Well, that was supposed to be just one of their many uses -- in the same way that GPS maps are just one of the things you can use your smartphone for. But instead of a pocket-sized touchscreen interface, it was a touchscreen stretching along every wall of every corridor, always at arm's reach.

Ultimately, though, it must've proven cheaper just to rely on voice interface and avoid creating Okudagrams and animations for the wall panels.

I remember one TNG book explained it really well. As Christoper said, it involved treadmills, but also a kind of forced perspective so that it made it seem they were further apart. I can't remember the book.

It was JirinPanthosa who mentioned treadmills, not me. But yes, the idea explained in the tech manuals was that forcefield-created "treadmills" in the floor could let you walk any distance, and holograms would be used to make other people look like they were farther away than they really were.

And I think the book you're referring to must be Reunion by Michael Jan Friedman. There was a scene of Worf explaining the holodecks to some of Picard's old Stargazer shipmates who'd never seen any before -- which fits the "Farpoint" idea that holodecks were a new technology, but is problematical in the context of the later shows that assumed they were older. (Not to mention the animated series' "The Practical Joker" including a proto-holodeck in the 23rd century.)

 

[shivkala]

It was JirinPanthosa who mentioned treadmills, not me. But yes, the idea explained in the tech manuals was that forcefield-created "treadmills" in the floor could let you walk any distance, and holograms would be used to make other people look like they were farther away than they really were.

Sorry, thanks for clearing up that, I meant JirinPanthosa, but it's a credit to you, since I always associate you with your depth of knowledge on these things!

And I think the book you're referring to must be Reunion by Michael Jan Friedman. There was a scene of Worf explaining the holodecks to some of Picard's old Stargazer shipmates who'd never seen any before -- which fits the "Farpoint" idea that holodecks were a new technology, but is problematical in the context of the later shows that assumed they were older. (Not to mention the animated series' "The Practical Joker" including a proto-holodeck in the 23rd century.)

Yes, it was Reunion, thanks! A Google Books search brought up the pages. It's described as using treadmills, diodes (to affect the way you see things), and special field theory.

As far as the discussion of how new holodeck technology is, there's also the Enterprise episode, "Unexpected" (also known as "The one where Trip gets pregnant") which had the crew meet a race with a holodeck-like technology. The alien race with the technology, the Xyrillians, installed it on a Klingon battle cruiser in 2151.

 

[Timo]

Well, no technology is new in the Star Trek universe: sapients have had at least four billion years to invent everything, and there's no reason to think they would have failed...

Why the member species of the Federation would wait until the early 24th century to perfect three-dimensional, immersive and tactile simulations, we don't know. But while Flotter might have been the first-ever holofriend for UFP children, well-traveled individuals could have enjoyed access to non-UFP technologies of similar sort for millions of years already.

It's just that if a civilization grows advanced enough to stop talking to its neighbors, it's unlikely to leave behind working holodecks. Or is it? We seldom see ancient starships, but we often see ancient three-dimensional avatars interacting with our heroes. Why wasn't such technology extensively reverse-engineered back in TOS already, when it appears it shouldn't be "copyguarded" as strongly as ancient weaponry or ancient propulsion systems and need not be all that advanced or complex to start with?

Then again, good holotech appears to require replicators and other precision applications of transporter tech. And it very much seems as if the Feds only got replicators in the 24th century - and that inventing them is hellishly difficult even if you have warp and phasers and whatnot (see the many Delta Quadrant natives struggling with the tech).

Timo Saloniemi

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Also I believe EaF mentioned a 'Zero gravity gym' which we never see.

On #5 I think I was confusing Geordi's conversation with Beverly in EaF with Pulaski's suggestion in Loud As A Whisper.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

There's also a clear discrepancy in EaF and Last Outpost and later in the series for how much humans and Ferengi have previously interacted. Even forgetting that humans met Ferengi two hundred years earlier in Enterprise, Ferengi seem pretty actively engaged in very nearby planets for a very long time and have an untrustworthy reputation among everybody.

 

[Christopher]

There's also a clear discrepancy in EaF and Last Outpost and later in the series for how much humans and Ferengi have previously interacted. Even forgetting that humans met Ferengi two hundred years earlier in Enterprise, Ferengi seem pretty actively engaged in very nearby planets for a very long time and have an untrustworthy reputation among everybody.

But reputation isn't interaction. Hearsay can spread from culture to culture like a game of telephone. The Federation had interacted with others who had knowledge of the Ferengi, but they'd never interacted directly with the Ferengi themselves.

Here's "Farpoint" on the Ferengi:

ZORN: If Starfleet cannot accept that small weakness, then we will be forced, unhappily, to seek an alliance with someone like the Ferengi... Captain, the Ferengi would be very interested in a base like this.
PICARD: Fine. I hope they find you as tasty as they did their past associates.
​

Later:

PICARD: I asked if you knew who it is. You mentioned the Ferengi Alliance to me.
ZORN: But we have had no dealings with them. It was only a, a thought.
PICARD: Are you certain?
ZORN: I promise you, Captain. We were making an empty threat. I wanted your cooperation. Forgive me.
​

All any of that shows is that the Federation has heard of the Ferengi and their reputation. Beyond that, it's extremely vague.

Here's "The Last Outpost":

PICARD: We are in pursuit of a starship of Ferengi design. Our mission is to intercept and recover a T9 energy converter which the Ferengi stole from an unmanned monitor post on Gamma Tauri IV -- a theft which automatic scanners recorded, providing us with the long-awaited opportunity to make close contact with a Ferengi vessel. If we succeed in this chase, it will be Starfleet's first look at a life form which, discounting rumour, we know almost nothing about.
​

I don't see any discrepancy at all. After all, these were only three episodes apart. I once read that it took about 11 weeks to get a TNG episode from initial story proposal to finished episode. And with the early episodes of the season. So "The Last Outpost" would've probably been written while "Farpoint" was still in pre-production and subject to revision. Whatever ideas the producers had about the Ferengi would've been developed in both scripts pretty much simultaneously. So they both reflect the same same set of ideas: Namely, that the UFP was aware of the Ferengi by reputation, but had not directly met them, and that the reality was less intimidating than their reputation suggested.