Fabula
Object
Object

Table Laden with Food

A large table occupying Dr. Crusher's sickbay office, its surface cluttered and battered from Beverly's restless movements, slamming and bumping into it in emotional turmoil. The table bears marks of disarray amid medical instruments, reflecting the tension and agitation permeating the room. Though originally intended as a clean and orderly workspace, it becomes a physical outlet for Beverly's mounting frustration and conflicted feelings as she grapples with professional composure and personal pain.
6 appearances

Purpose

Serves as a central work surface for medical activities and consultations within the sickbay, providing space for medical instruments, data pads, and patient documentation during critical care and diagnostic procedures.

Significance

The table acts as a tactile symbol of Beverly's inner turmoil and emotional restraint, its disruption mirroring her struggle to maintain composure under the weight of jealousy, helplessness, and personal doubts about her place in Captain Picard's emotional life. It anchors the scene’s emotional gravity, embodying the intersection of professional duty and private anguish.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

6 moments
S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Radue Reveals Aldea’s Sterility and Proposes a Dark Trade

The table laden with food serves as the physical and symbolic centerpiece of the negotiation, offering a veneer of hospitality amidst grim discussions. It anchors the participants around a formal setting that contrasts with the tension and moral gravity of the conversation.

Before: Set with an abundant array of food dishes, ready for the parley.
After: Remains in place as the officers vanish, highlighting the sudden rupture in civility.
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S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Radue’s Grim Bargain: Children for Knowledge

The table laden with food provides the setting for this fraught diplomatic parley, its abundant spread contrasting starkly with the grim discussion of Aldea’s extinction and harrowing demands, underscoring the tension between hospitality and desperation.

Before: Set with an abundant array of food dishes, centered in the First Unit Chamber.
After: Remains set as the negotiation collapses, underscoring the abrupt end to civility.
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S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Parental Fury and Fragile Trust in the Shadow of Loss

The large table laden with food in the Observation Lounge serves as the physical and symbolic focal point around which the parents and Starfleet personnel gather, underscoring the tension and uneasy hospitality in this diplomatic yet emotionally charged confrontation.

Before: Set and laden with an abundant array of food dishes, prepared for the meeting of parents and crew.
After: Remains set as the meeting continues, embodying the uncomfortable juxtaposition of nourishment and emotional distress.
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S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Picard’s Steely Promise amid Parental Desperation

The large table laden with food serves as the physical and symbolic centerpiece around which the tense negotiation takes place. It anchors the parental group and Enterprise officers in a shared space that paradoxically offers a semblance of hospitality amid emotional turmoil and diplomatic tension, grounding the scene’s exchanges.

Before: Fully set with an abundant array of food dishes, positioned centrally in the Observation Lounge.
After: Remains set and undisturbed, continuing as a gathering point for discussion and emotional confrontation.
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S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Dr. Bernard’s Heartfelt Plea Amidst Parental Desperation

A large table laden with food serves as the physical boundary between Picard and the parents, anchoring the tense gathering. It visually contrasts the warmth of hospitality with the cold emotional reality of the crisis, underscoring the uneasy truce and formality of the confrontation.

Before: Set up in the Observation Lounge, laden with abundant dishes, untouched but observed by the assembled group.
After: Remains in place as the parents and crew continue dialogue, symbolically underscoring the uneasy negotiation.
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S1E18 · When the Bough Breaks
Parental Desperation and Picard's Steely Resolve

The large table laden with food serves as the physical barrier and focal point around which the parents and officers gather. It symbolizes the fragile hospitality and uneasy truce amid the crisis, contrasting the warmth of sustenance with the cold tension between the parties.

Before: Set and laden with food in the Observation Lounge, awaiting the meeting.
After: Remains in place as the parents and officers continue their tense deliberations.
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