I think 'Generations' Bridge was the BEST
Posted by TNG1701D-eck10@reddit | TNG | View on Reddit | 102 comments
Generations Enterprise-D Bridge was my absolutely fav bridge. It's a shame we only saw it during that particular film. Stunning in every aspect.
Tramagust@reddit
What exactly did the other stations do?
keimenna83@reddit
Explode. :)
Tramagust@reddit
Well with those chairs next to the edges you don't even need it to explode. Just step off and get a broken ankle. Space OSHA isn't very thorough.
Darmok47@reddit
Sitting on a backless bar stool for an 8 hour shift sounds like a literal pain in the ass, too. Did Morn design the new bridge stations?
Also, the minute the ship starts rocking, those guys are falling backwards onto the floor.
Undecieved22@reddit
Were they on 8 hour shifts? I was thinking it was 6 hour or something because of jellico
Sasquatch1729@reddit
Not just onto the floor. They might hit their head on the wooden ring around the command chairs. Or they might fall down and crack their lower back on the raised platform then smash their head on the lower ramp portion. It looks like it's designed to really mess up anyone who falls off their flimsy chair.
Darmok47@reddit
So, all those bridge extras in Generations definitely all probably ended up mangled when the ship crashed into Veridian 3, right?
Sasquatch1729@reddit
Well, we didn't see any of them any more in any of the movies or TV shows, so yeah they must have got massively messed up, career endingly messed up.
Darmok47@reddit
"Our casualties were light."
Every bridge background extra got put in Pike-style beep chairs after being paralyzed.
ccaccus@reddit
Eh, nothing a quick pass of the osteoregenerator won’t fix.
valco6@reddit
SPOSHA
TalksInMaths@reddit
All I see in this picture are a bunch of trip hazards.
Although it's still not as bad as the DS9 doorways.
Twisked@reddit
And release rocks.
charlieglide@reddit
Also the main stations were mounted on rails so in case of crash landing on a planet it would throw the stations towards the main viewscreen.
keimenna83@reddit
Who doesn't love the Cordry rocks?
cptho@reddit
And they filled them with rocks.
jjreinem@reddit
The port side stations are labeled "Science I, Science II, and Science III." We never got a good look at the ones on Starboard but reportedly there was a dedicated Communications station and a few more Mission Ops ones.
One theory for the additions was that the Enterprise-D was being prepped for a long duration scientific expedition akin to Kirk's five year mission, so Starfleet was adding a lot more specialists to the roster and wanted their department heads to have dedicated workstations to manage them from.
tk1178@reddit
Looking it up the stations on the left were extra Science stations, the ones on the right were for Communications.
Probably figured that as the flagship the extra Science stations would be used to monitor the different sensor bandwidths of the local and nearby space. I'd guess the additional Comms stations were probably used to monitor all comms traffic in the sector, or surrounding sectors, to take the extra workload away from the Tactical station?
Reasonable-Editor903@reddit
If I recall they were command stations for fleet operations. The movie was during the cold war with the Dominion and the Enterprise was in the middle of a retrofit to be more combat oriented.
goodtime71832@reddit
On the starboard side you has science stations 1,2 and 3 followed by a science 4 located where science 1 used to be on the back wall. The port side had communication 1-3.
UESPA_Sputnik@reddit
Yep. If anyone's interested, you can check out the stations here: https://roddenberry.x.io/2371-uss-enterprise-ncc-1701-d-GEN/
(doesn't work on mobile)
hmnahmna1@reddit
Fill out the screen, since it was letterbox and not 4:3 CRT.
I noticed how empty the bridge looked in >!ST:P!< and realized that the original set had been optimized for the TVs of the era.
dancepartyusofa@reddit
Exactly, you want a bridge where you can get all the stations in frame and all your leads in one wide shot. From every angle, you know where a character is on the bridge. The series -D bridge is nearly perfect for the aspect ratio. STP should have had the courage to go for a 4:3 aspect ratio the moment the turbolift doors opened again
Danloeser@reddit
Same reason everyone stands so close when they talk, especially on Voyager for some reason..
YT-Deliveries@reddit
This is common and super exaggerated pre-HD police procedurals.
Own-Ratio9989@reddit
Ops. It's all ops
Tramagust@reddit
What even is ops?
Own-Ratio9989@reddit
Operations. They operate things.
almostcyclops@reddit
Cetacean Ops.
Johnsendall@reddit
https://i.redd.it/zeklncfwk6sg1.gif
Electronic-Country63@reddit
That’s where they keep the red alert rocks.
TNG1701D-eck10@reddit (OP)
They never said, but I imagine science stations of different sorts. Maybe there was a proper engineering stations for Geordi.
Unusual_Entity@reddit
It was a sad moment seeing it trashed at the end. But all the more fulfilling when it came back to life in ST:P.
"USS Enterprise now under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard."
Kakairo@reddit
I started bawling when I heard Majel Barrett Roddenberry's voice!
NazcaKhan@reddit
“I’ll gladly take the demotion” 🤩
Unusual_Entity@reddit
He heeded Captain Kirk's advice!
wmyork@reddit
I think you would enjoy reading and watching everything you can find about Dave Blass and crew re-creating the Enterprise D for Picard season 3.
Like this: https://trekmovie.com/2023/11/08/interview-dave-blass-on-rebuilding-the-enterprise-d-and-what-you-didnt-see-in-star-trek-picard-season-3/
Or this: https://youtu.be/xAd6fyGn090?si=kiVaxO_aJBDVvQ_M
Or this: https://youtu.be/VP67woZ7xis?si=GT7WT3pzezMIJqqt
myexpressaccount@reddit
One of the last bridges where you didn't need a flashlight to walk around...
CreativeUsername20@reddit
Oh no this bridge was much darker than its TNG relative.
myexpressaccount@reddit
Maybe, but not so dark that you need a flashlight.
Regular_Jim081@reddit
The most frustrating thing about Picard was realizing that cinematographers still actually know how to light up a set, they just choose not to.
neonmystery@reddit
It feels so well balanced to me.
opusrif@reddit
No. Just no.
It was a complete pile of doo from a functional point of view. The captain has to get up out of a chair that's fixed in place and walk up a ramp to see half the stations. Then there's that ridiculous tactical station where someone has to stand at whike the ship is being shaken like a dogs rope toy.
Give me the Constitution Clas bridge any day.
angry-software-dev@reddit
It was pretty interesting how TNG boils it down to three stations on the bridge:
Communications seems to be "whoever isn't busy"
Science and Engineering were all optional as we see many occasions where Ops handles those aspects during many phases of a mission.
Science behind tactical is often used only during specific science missions, or for collaborative work.
Engineering behind tactical seems to be entirely optional and for the convenience of the chief engineer when they are on the bridge.
I think a part of the reason the ship required so few officers on the bridge was automation. You had whoever was in command plus three others. Everyone else was essentially advisory or backup.
The side stations almost certainly represented some sort of backups -- after all, why not have some sort of backup for your three primary functions? You have a backup officer at the controls who maintains complete situational awareness and is available to take over at a moments notice without having to look over a shoulder or stand several feet away from the controls.
Unusual_Entity@reddit
I guess depending on what you're doing, it might be useful to have someone on the bridge rather than wherever they normally are. If you're surveying an asteroid field, you may want some of the science team in the same place as the guy driving. Extra stations also means the Chief Engineer can be up there if required and remote desktop into Engineering. Presumably you can reconfigure everything and drive the ship from Main Engineering should the need arise.
Delicious-Window-277@reddit
Backups in case the console blows up and takes one of the first 3 officers down.
Free_Elevator_63360@reddit
All the stations were touch screen. So they could do any job from any station.
No_Replacement8321@reddit
It is indeed
Bman4k1@reddit
I have said this is in so many subs. If the D survived in Generations and was in First Contact it would have A) been amazing and B) made so much more sense to destroy it then both from an emotional standpoint and story standpoint “in order to defeat the Borg Picard needed to sacrifice his ship” there was no emotional connection when they evacuated the E.
Darmok47@reddit
The only problem is you'd have to destroy it and get the crew back to the 24th century.
YYZYYC@reddit
Gross. Way too many consoles and raising things for no reason. TNG tv bridge is the best , minimalist and futuristic
HistoryAndScience@reddit
Was the layout due to it being a redressed version of Voyagers bridge? It looks very voyager like with the stations on the side
aflyingsquanch@reddit
No, its the TNG set just fancied up a little bit to make it look better on the big screen.
And then they lowered the lighting to hide some of the let's flaws as much as possible.
WithASackOfAlmonds@reddit
I always think about the poor souls in science and mission ops living in the danger zone for vicious Klingon farts
Constant-Box-7898@reddit
Worf got a seat. Unacceptable.
SamuraiGoblin@reddit
Agreed. The entire course of TNG showed such amazing evolution in all aspects, from the writing and characters to the uniforms and set designs.
610Mike@reddit
1000% agreed. The GalaxyX bridge was pretty awesome, but still not as good as “Generations”.
NazcaKhan@reddit
I love it too. But I’m partial to the “Yesterday’s Enterprise” bridge from the alternate timeline.
JamieTheDinosaur@reddit
The additional stations on either side were also seen in “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”
Torlek1@reddit
In that episode, there was only one station on each side.
This one has two.
OinkyConfidence@reddit
My fav too, up until Sovereign. My head canon is that all Galaxy classes still in service have this bridge now.
BIG_SCIENCE@reddit
Season 3 of Picard reminded me how much I missed Star Trek.
Professional Astronauts going on adventures in space. Sometimes is action packed sometimes there is character development.
SirStocksAlott@reddit
I was really hoping this would have been the bridge that was restored for continuity purposes, and because I liked it a lot.
ajgp56@reddit
The handrailless height change is so clunky looking to me. Is it a beautiful landscape from the screen in, yes. Is it functional…no. Is it safe, also no. If you need the XO to come check the screen can they see it, only if they’re 2’ taller than you half sitting on a bar height stool lol.
LCARSgfx@reddit
Agreed
Mysterious-Alps-5186@reddit
This is how the galaxy class bridge was set up as a fleet command ship. Either for a combat operation or large scientific operation
Valuable_Ad9554@reddit
Was it actually different? My memory is that the sets were pretty much unchanged from the show but just shot differently with way different lighting, could be wrong though
BetterVantage@reddit
The bridge was redressed extensively for Generations. The biggest alteration were the brand new stations on either side.
Valuable_Ad9554@reddit
Checked out a clip just now, lol I've seen it like 15 times and never noticed that before
CaleanKnight@reddit
It definitely looked more like a Starship Bridge instead of a Luxury Liner Bridge.
Saltire_Blue@reddit
You’re confusing the Enterprise with the QE2
Frymanstbf@reddit
It's Bouquet!
lifegoodis@reddit
Data, identify. What is a QE2?
firemansam51@reddit
Now that is a well run operation.
Darmok47@reddit
You can't really see it here, but Worf also finally gets a chair with this upgrade too.
Either_Umpire9411@reddit
I loved the way they lit Picards ready room in the scene where he's talking to Troi and the Armagosa star blows up. It's like the only light is coming from the star itself. I's very surreal.
Darmok47@reddit
That was his quarters, but yeah. The scene in Ten Forward has that wonderful orange glow too.
guygizmo@reddit
I'm not as into it as the TV version for the simple, petty reason of "I don't like it when things are different." They changed so much because it was a movie and therefore had to be different by some hand wavy logic. Like, sure, light it and frame it a bit differently, but don't make it different just for the sake of being different, like whatever that's put into a movie is automatically "better" than television because "movies are better so there".
They senselessly blew up the Enterprise D for the same reason, without stopping to consider whether it was in its own right a character we all really cared about that was inextricably connected to the show.
Mindblade0@reddit
These pictures are so good: https://tadeodoria.com/projects/AZeR3W?album_id=8654111
valco6@reddit
I really like this version, I was bummed that Geordi didn't restore it to this iteration in Season 3 of Picard. But it does make more sense he'd make it the way it was for the majority of their time on it
qubedView@reddit
For all the plot issues, I think Generations made a really strong transition to film. They lit the bridge beautifully. It's amazing how well the D set could be upgraded for film with just lighting and subtle changes.
Hmitp1@reddit
Unless my memory is failing (a strong chance) it was still the peachy colour scheme no?
AustinFan4Life@reddit
There's steps too, in front of the captain's chair and the carpet had changed as well.
AustinFan4Life@reddit
Indeed, I love that bridge, with those side consoles removed it makes you realize how much unused space is on the Galaxy class bridge module.
Torlek1@reddit
For the Generations refit, I would have preferred a mix of D and E on the side consoles.
The Enterprise-E had FIVE side consoles on each side.
Johnsendall@reddit
tnetennba77@reddit
I don't think a brdige is a place you want steps but otherwise I do like the look.
CantankerousOrder@reddit
Why were there chairs on the port and starboard consoles???
drvondoctor@reddit
So people could sit for a spell and rest their weary bones.
OhNoIBoffedIt@reddit
The rear stations had pull-out chairs built under the consoles. The port and starboard consoles appear to be based on the same design so, again...why the immobile stools?
Hugo48151623@reddit
How many episodes did the ship get attacked, and everyone on the bridge gets shaken and thrown around like ice in a tumbler? The last thing you want is something like a stool getting thrown around in that situation.
TBH they should have had chairs with seatbelts. Would have led to less bridge crew deaths.
drvondoctor@reddit
Because loose stools are a medical condition.
OhNoIBoffedIt@reddit
I'd be more concerned about stools that don't move.
__nohope@reddit
The stools are fixed to the ground because there is a ledge behind them. Movable chairs would be a bad idea without a railing.
drvondoctor@reddit
In an intense situation, id actually prefer that over having to deal with uncontrolable loose stools.
27803@reddit
They were for additional stations you had mission ops expanded engineering and expanded science and communication stations
f700es@reddit
I'm Enterprise-E forever and the Enterprise refit is 2nd.
RogendoodleZero@reddit
Too dark
buffalo_0220@reddit
From a layout perspective, I never thought that the bridge stations behind the captain made a lot of sense. So have the station off to the side makes the most sense. But I do understand why the set was designed this way, it made for better TV, being able to see more characters in frame at once.
spaghettibolegdeh@reddit
Hmm I do like the cleaner look of TNG. Not a fan of the ceiling in this bridge.
But I also hate the film so maybe I'm biased lol
NoDiggity8888@reddit
I don’t think it was grey in Generations?
Dividebynegativezero@reddit
Fixed it - "I think 'Generations' was the BEST"