Fabula
Object
Object

Riker's Two Glasses of Wine

Two stemmed wine glasses rest on Riker's small quarters table, filled to differing levels with a dark, shimmering liquid. The glassware is ordinary but carefully arranged—polished stems, thin rims—catching the soft glow of the room. William Riker pours and extends them as part of a rehearsed romantic tableau; Brenna stares, confused, and the glasses hang between them as props that falter when Riker abandons artifice and responds honestly.
5 appearances

Purpose

To hold and present wine for consumption and to serve as tactile props in a planned romantic/seduction ritual.

Significance

The pair functions as a manufactured invitation to intimacy that misreads Brenna's direct cultural cue; their presence sharpens the scene's comic awkwardness and then marks a turning point when Riker discards performance and the interaction turns genuine.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

5 moments
S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
The Foot-Washing Misread — Seduction Through Two Languages

Two glasses filled from the carafe serve as physical tokens of courtship. They momentarily hang between Riker and Brenna as ritual props that misalign with Brenna's direct request, emphasizing comedic cultural friction before intimacy supersedes the props.

Before: Not in active use (presumed on shelf or table).
After: Filled and brought out by Riker; remain present but effectively sidelined once the tactile ritual begins.
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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
Learning Their Language of Touch

Two glasses of wine are poured and offered as part of Riker's romantic set‑piece; Brenna stares in confusion, revealing the mismatch of cues and showing that the wine is a conventional prop that fails to translate across cultures.

Before: Empty or placed ready on the quarters table.
After: Filled and held/placed as the characters shift focus from the beverage to physical intimacy.
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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
Replicative Fading and the Demand for DNA

Two glasses — each participant holds a glass — function as minor props that punctuate the meeting: they humanize the parties, mark ritualized civility, and visually emphasize the shared yet contested space where Granger's plea is made and refused.

Before: Held by participants (they are each holding a glass) during the initial exchange.
After: Glasses are raised as the Enterprise people rise to comply with Picard's orders; they remain personal props rather than instruments of negotiation.
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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
Replicative Fading and the Demand for DNA

Individual glasses are held by participants during the meeting, acting as small protective props—Riker's glass punctuates his personal refusal and helps stage his emotional reaction to the cloning request.

Before: Glasses filled with dark liquid on the table or in participants' hands at the start of the meeting.
After: Remain in participants' hands or on the desk as the meeting concludes; they function as passive props rather than being consumed.
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S2E18 · STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION — Up the Long Ladder
Consent Denied — Repairs Promised

Two drinking glasses function as handheld props: characters hold them during the exchange, providing small physical gestures that punctuate dialogue and humanize the negotiation—serving as a reminder of civil ritual amid an uncomfortable moral request.

Before: On the table or carried by participants; filled with a dark liquid (per canonical note).
After: Still held or set down as participants rise to execute orders; remain in the room as silent witnesses to the verdict.
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