Observations: Matter of Life and Death

The Computer text is different from the dialogue: the text reads "Resources capable of sustaining human life", the dialogue heard is "Resources to sustain human life unlimited."

Eagle 1 (Parks and Bannion) lands on the launch pad with portside to the docking tube. The subsequent shot shows it docking to the starboard side. Note also in this shot (close by the front of the Eagle) that the ship is very far from the tube and has in fact landed way off the cross markings. The shot is repeated later in the episode, representing Eagle 2.

Wouldn't an experienced astronaut like Koenig recognise a member of an important space mission, even if he didn't know them personally? (Subsequent episodes suggest whole missions were not widely known, so this may not be surprising).

There are several close-ups of monitor screens. The reflection of Helena is deliberate; the camera on the left side isn't.

In some scenes, Koenig's commlock is missing button 1. This prop was in use until Collision Course. This shot is a rehearsal: in the final episode, Helena doesn't wear her lab coat.

Koenig and Bergman look at the thermographic prints. At the end of the scene, they return to the board- where the first image has disappeared from the lightboard. Later, when Koenig and Bergman rush out after Mathias is knocked down by Lee, the first picture is back up but the second one is missing.

In this scene we see Koenig's desk is centered in the path of the Main Mission doors. In the next camera angle, showing Koenig, he is able to close the doors behind him.

In the autopsy room, Mathias and his assistant are thrown to the floor. As they fall, they knock over a medicine rack. The next shot shows the empty bed- but the medicine rack is upright and all the bottles are back in place.

The Phase 2 Eagle is shown from a high view as the docking tube retreats from the starboard. It launches with the portside to the tube.
In the countdown to Phase 2 Eagle launch, there is an eight second interval between Alan saying "Seven seconds" and when he says "Five seconds."

Koenig briefs the crew before they leave the Eagle. Paul Morrow is trying to swing a strap over his shoulder but it keeps getting caught on his elbow. Thanks to George Eichler

There are many shots of the commlock screen. One close up shot, of Alan in the smoke filled Eagle, is shot on a special mockup with a much larger screen, probably because the actual 1.5"/35mm screen was too small to show the action.

Production Guide Observations: Matter of Life and Death

Production Guide
Observations: Matter of Life and Death