Production GuideObservations: Space Brain
Production Guide
Does everyone on Alpha do the same puzzle? (Helena's puzzle is different from Koenig's). Koenig's jigsaw shows a painting of the Visitation: the pregnant Virgin Mary places her hand on the stomach of Elizabeth - in her womb, the baby John the Baptist leaps for joy. The Late Gothic painting is one of eight depicting the life of the Virgin, painted around 1470 for the church of St Ursula in Cologne, Germany. It is now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. The anonymous artist is generally known as the Master of the Life of the Virgin (in German, Meister des Marienlebens). Thanks to Marcus Lindroos. The jigsaw omits much of the golden sky including the angels and the city top right.
Helena's picture is The Gallery of Archduke Leopold in Brussels painted by David Teniers the Younger around 1650. It is one of a series which depict the Archduke, regent of the Spanish Netherlands, with his collection of paintings (Teniers, in addition to being a court painter, was director of the collection). The canvas is now in the Schleißheim palace in Bavaria. The jigsaw is in fact only a detail; it omits the wooden roof and much of one painting in the top left.
The communications post where Koenig first sees the hieroglyphics shows a time of 15:09 (3:09 pm, a curious time for him to be exchanging "goodnight" wishes). The post in Kelly's quarters has a similar time. When Helena checks the screen in her quarters, the clock reads 17:45. As Victor meets Helena in the corridor, that post reads 6:00. Thanks to John Day.
The "S" symbol on the communications post has slipped down on the side (clearly seen as Koenig runs back to Main Mission).
In long view there is a strong shadow behind Lee. In close up, the shadow is gone. (Similar errors are seen throughout the series- these on-screen camera shots were filmed in front of a wall, not a full set. In the "reality" of the show, they were often in Main Mission far from a wall).
The shots of Kelly leaving the Eagle and Alan leaving are similar. When "Alan" flips over, you can see the number on his front pack: it is "4", Kelly's number, not "3".
In Technical, we can just see a whiteboard in the background. It was used in Collision Course and still has Bergman's plan for operation Shockwave drawn on it.
The close-ups of Kelly typing are similar to shots in Ring Around The Moon. Note that Kelly doesn't actually depress any of the buttons. The keys rows are quite irregular.
One of the computer displays lists a grid of words: Injection, Minimum, Intermittent, Decaying, Restorers, Retard, Accentuates, Unbalanced, Degrees, Regular, Low, Maximum, Intensity
Kelly uses a computer panel that is normally seen in Medical. The label says "Blood Transfusion Treatment And Recycle Unit "
The close up of the "Computer Master Switch" shows the panel with a completely different panel to the right, and apparently at a lower level judging by Koenig's arms. The side panel is close up has the "SM" logo of Space Models, who constructed all the panels.
Melita enters Medical to see Kelly: "Where is he? What has happened?". A close up shows Koenig turning off the communication with Helena. On the desk we can see a thermographic scan, upside down. The image is of Helena, showing the Triton ball of light in her brain, as seen in Ring Around The Moon
On the launch pad the robot Eagle has the starboard docked. It launches with the portside to the tube.
When John Koenig instructs Alan Carter to set the nuclear trigger to distruct at 18:45, he types in the number 1 - 8 - 7 - 4. "18:45, Commander" says Alan Carter (thanks to Alan Colosi). Joe Wagner pointed out he could be using decimal time. Alan Colosi responds that it doesn't correspond to any (Aristean) decimal time (which would be 22:30 or 18:22 depending on decimal point). Even if it's a decimal part of an hour, it's a 20 second error.
The two Eagles hurtle towards Alpha. All the views use a similar angle of the base.
Bergman talks to Koenig after the bomb Eagle has crashed. Note the detonation control mounted on the control panel (unexploded)- it should only be in the bomb Eagle, not Koenig's pursuit Eagle.
After the bomb Eagle has crashed, we see Koenig running down the corridor from the Travel Tube. Underneath the clock in the communications post are four "white" slots. As an Alphan passes behind the post, you can see him pass through the slots. The communications post only has two sides, and the lighted slots actually show the wall panel behind. Thanks to Craig Rohloff.
Helena tells Koenig "John. If we increase pressure too quickly, our people will be in trouble.". She hands him a paper- titled "Moonbase Alpha Autopsy Report".
Copyright Martin Willey