Talk:Timescape (episode)

Moved from Nominations for featured articles

 * (self nomination) - I know that the summary has barely been here for a day but I feel that it is as detailed and as well written as the other featured TNG episode write-ups with an extensive use of references and appropriate use of pictures.--Scimitar 22:54, 31 May 2005 (UTC)
 * Support but the table needs to be wikified. AmdrBoltz 02:14, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Support, very well done!Jaz 02:17, 1 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Support. A fantastic summery. Ottens 11:41, 5 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Support what a great summary! It just goes to show how much of a difference a few pictures can make! zsingaya 21:20, 6 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Support, excellent! —  THOR 16:30, 7 Jun 2005 (UTC)
 * Strong support, the article is awesome, man. Keep up the good work.
 * This article was featured almost 2 years ago. This is merely an archive of that conversation, not a place to add more support. --OuroborosCobra talk 19:08, 26 May 2007 (UTC)

picard song

 * Added a "picard song tribute" link in the background section (regarding the vassbinder quote") Mobylon 21:05, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

Bad Physics
It seems to me that the epsisode suffers from a phenomenon similar to the Ghost-Paradox associated with the TNG episode. It makes no sense that Picard can move objects on the frozen enterprise. What would happen some object would be frozen in mid-air. Would Picard be able to grab it? What would happen if Picard would drop that very same object again? Would it hover in mid-air again or would it obey Picards laws of gravity?

As all the objects moved by Picard's team would appear as moving at extremly fast velocities for the frozen crew of the Enterprise, wouldn't the away team persumeably destroy every object they move because of the resuting, extreme G-Forces? Simply by walking around on the Enterprise, wouldn't the away team break the sound barrier as seen from the perspective of the Enterprise crew?

What about problems with light and heat distribution? Would Picard be able to burn himself on a frozen flame? If he took a photo, would he have to adjust the exposure to compensate the difference to the Enterprise because there are less photons hitting the film in the camera per second? Wouldn't that apply to his very eyes as well? Would be able to see anything at all?


 * There are tons more problems than those you bring up. If different parts of the runabout are moving in different timeframes, everyone should be dead. For example, if one of the nacelles has been running for 47 days, it should have ripped itself off the runabout and be somewhere 47 days ahead of the rest of the runabout, just like when troi slows down, everyone else moves freely and ends up 3 minutes ahead of her. Even if you take the episode's physics for granted, the Enterprise froze at the moment Riker was on the floor and the warp core was already breached. When time resumes later in the episode, the Romulan picks up Riker from the floor and the breach is still preventable almost a minute later. But this site is not a site for nitpickery, as has been decided by the website gods. TheHYPO


 * Actually, that was not decided by "the website gods", but by discussion of the community. I know, I was part of the discussion. That is how policies are set on wikis. --OuroborosCobra talk 21:22, 28 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Actually, actually, there are no such beings as "website gods". We do have a lot of "website believers", though. -- Harry  talk 22:02, 28 November 2006 (UTC)

Background Info Problem
In 'Face of the Enemy' Stefan DeSeve states that the Romulans use a 'forced quantum singularity' as a power source. Therefor, its first appearance is not in this episode. Keras 12:41, 22 October 2007 (UTC)
 * Indeed, you are correct, it was first mentioned in "Face of the Enemy". I have moved the note there. --OuroborosCobra talk 01:20, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Smiley face
Does Picard actually draw the smiley face into the cloud, as it says here, or does he just halloucinate there being a smiley face? There's no real proof either way, so I think I'm gonna edit the article... Marianne 16:16, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * The smiley is visible for everybody, not just Picard but also for Deanna, Data and the viewer. So, it's definitely not a hallucination but he actually draws the smiley into the cloud. --Jörg 16:20, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * It's in the script, as well:
 * ''INCLUDE PICARD (OPTICAL)
 * ''standing near the breach cloud. He has just TRACED two
 * ''eyes and a mouth in the gaseous cloud -- a big smiling
 * face.
 * -- Michael Warren | Talk 16:23, 30 January 2008 (UTC)
 * Thank you :) I still don't think it's actually all that clear that Deanna and Data are reacting to the smiley, rather than just Picard's sudden giggle fit, but seeing the script clarifies this. Marianne 21:49, 14 February 2008 (UTC)

Power Trasfer Beam
Capitan Picard mentions that the power transfer beam is coming from the Enterprise's deflector dish. However, the beam can be clearly seen shooting from what looks like a window on her port side. Is this an error, or did Picard simply mean that the beam had been generated in the deflector array.

Removed comments
Removed the following:

Uncited similarity- *"Timescape" bears some resemblance to a 1965 episode of The Outer Limits called "The Premonition," where a test pilot and his wife are flung into an alternate timeline (the near future) where people and objects appear to be immobilized, but are in fact moving at an imperceptibly slow speed. Additionally, in "The Premonition", one of the "frozen" people is in jeopardy, but is rescued, much like Dr. Crusher in "Timescape".

Nitpick- *As Picard enters the room where the bowl of fruit is, you can see he's holding his right hand clenched, hiding the prosthetic fingernails. When he works the console, you can see them briefly. These are revealed when he gets up and reaches for the bowl of fruit later in the scene.--31dot 23:57, 19 August 2008 (UTC)


 * I removed the following:


 * If the viewer watches closely, they will notice a scientific discrepancy: Data is unable to identify the power-transfer beam, but later in the episode, he points out that the warp-core breach in Engineering is expanding fast enough to register within his visual threshold. Given that light would travel much faster than the gaseous emissions from the breaching warp-core, Data should have been able to discern the beam's purpose (and the nature of the temporal disruptions) with ease from the moment he first saw it.


 * This is just nitpicking and speculation. We don't want those.– Cleanse 06:15, 18 May 2009 (UTC)
 * It's also untrue, as Data said he couldn't tell what it was only by looking at it. It had nothing to do with the temporal anomalies.--31dot 08:07, 18 May 2009 (UTC)


 * Removed the following, as unneccesary:


 * There is no mention of La Forge after Picard orders him beamed to sickbay but since he appears in later episodes it can be assumed he was successfully treated.--31dot 08:56, March 13, 2010 (UTC)

Removed quotes
Removed the following quotes:

"[...] hissing ball of fur [...]"


 * - Riker to Dr. Crusher, implying Spot

"Did you help him (Mizan) with his research, Counselor?"

"Absolutely not!"

"I thought it was a topic you were interested in."
 * - Data and Troi

"Troi to La Forge! Get us out of here, now!"
 * - Troi, while Picard is experiencing temporal narcosis

"I have been testing the aphorism, 'A watched pot never boils.' I have boiled the same amount of water in this kettle sixty-two times. In some cases, I have ignored the kettle. In others, I have watched it intently. In every instance, the water reaches its boiling point in precisely 51.7 seconds."
 * - Data, exploring the Human perception of time

I'm not sure what's particulary memorable about them- a memorable quote should do more than just point out something funny or interesting.--31dot 19:49, 12 April 2009 (UTC)

"They claim they have suffered a complete engine failure."
 * - Worf, about the Romulan distress call

Ditto for the above quote.--31dot 10:52, February 24, 2012 (UTC)

Continuity error?
I just noticed a rather glaring error in the continuity. At about 13:15, Geordi and Data are seated next to each other at the controls of the shuttle, maneuvering around the temporal fragments. The camera focuses on Geordi, who pages Picard (who is waiting in the crew lounge with Deanna) "Captain you better come take a look at this." Picard and Deanna get up and walk out of the lounge, followed by Data who was off camera until that moment. Data was at the helm of the shuttle, and then instantly became seated off-camera in the lounge in order to get up and follow Picard and Deanna.

This doesn't follow any of the mechanics of the temporal fragments within the episode; it's definitely a production error. I have no experience editing on MA, so could someone please determine whether this belongs in the article? 173.168.196.134 13:11, 23 August 2009 (UTC)
 * No. That would be a nitpick.– Cleanse 22:37, 23 August 2009 (UTC)

All right, that's why I posted here rather than editing since I was unaware of the policies. It's certainly not along the same lines as a crew member chewing gum in a corridor, and I thought it particularly relevant given that the episode dealt with temporal anomalies, but having watched the episode again there's no significant relevance to Data's unexplained teleportation. Maybe in Parallels it would be a noteworthy (but not readily apparent) discontinuity that the production staff might have inserted deliberately, but since it occurs in Timescape, it's not substantive enough.173.168.196.191 21:12, 31 August 2009 (UTC)
 * Um, Data was in the crew lounge with Deanna and Picard. He was able to plot a new course there, and him and La Forge communicated via the com system... 91.121.198.190 05:02, December 20, 2009 (UTC)


 * Removed the following nitpick: "When Picard, Data and Troi first beam onto the Enterprise bridge, the shot of frozen Riker shows he has both feet on the floor. However, when Picard and Troi crouch down next to him, he has his left foot against the wooden rail that forms the tactical station." --31dot 19:29, September 10, 2011 (UTC)


 * On reviewing the episode Data was not with Geordi. When Captain Picard asked for information about the  temporal fragments, Data moves to a console in the crew lounge.  Geordi then goes to the forward compartment to try to move the shuttle away from the fragments.  Data stayed in crew lounge with Picard and Deanna, and only returned to the forward compartment when Picard and Deanna did.