Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is one of my favorite Trek films. It’s a great finale for the original crew and it’s both well done and also not at the same time (I could do a whole thread on the numerous continuity errors within the film, but I digress). One thing I’ve always wondered is why the galley in the Enterprise is so beat up in the scene where the senior crew debates the use of a phaser as part of the crime against the Klingon Chancellor.
So…. Why is the galley so beat up?
One of the plot points in “Undiscovered Country” is that the crew were coasting out the last three months until their retirement, when the Klingon crisis happens.
So it makes sense to me that the set team tried to make the ship look worn in and ready for some time off.
You and others have suggested similar theories. Other commenters mention tight production budgets or reusing set pieces.
I don’t get it though. The worn out effect is so over-dramatic and visibly noticeable on this one set/scene but not on any of the others. It’s like they played into making the galley look like a complete wreck but didn’t for the other Enterprise sets. Also the worn effect is not just one part of the galley - it’s the entire thing.
Edit: also they refit the Enterprise in The Final Frontier. How does the galley get that wrecked so quickly but everything else is tip top?
The galley is the only place that sees every crew member every day probably twice a day, it gets worn out much faster.
It’s probably one of those things unnoticeable in real life but stand out on screen.