Object

Captain Picard's Cup of Coffee

A plain restaurant cup—likely ceramic—on a small saucer at the Starbase 173 restaurant, containing a dark warm beverage. Shows light use (a faint ring on the saucer and a half-consumed level of liquid). Positioned before Jean‑Luc Picard during a solitary meal; Picard cradles or rests his hand near it and the cup functions as an intimate prop during Philippa Louvois' confrontation in the episode "The Measure of a Man."

3 appearances

Purpose

To serve as a gesture of hospitality and create an informal, private setting that fosters candid communication between Captain Picard and Commander Riker.

Significance

Functions as a prop that embodies Picard’s solitude and the ordinary domesticity of the meal; Louvois’ unexpected arrival reframes the cup into a symbol of interrupted privacy, raising the encounter’s personal stakes and underscoring the tension between private emotion and public legal conflict.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments

S1E1 · Encounter at Farpoint: Part One

Riker’s Command Resolve and Picard’s Vulnerable Trust

Captain Picard pours himself a cup of coffee and offers it to Riker, who declines. The cup acts as a symbolic prop that softens the formal tone of the meeting, providing a moment of everyday normalcy amid a serious, strategic conversation about loyalty and command.

Before: Steaming, full cup resting on the table in Picard's cabin.

After: Still in Picard's possession, partially consumed during the dialogue.

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S1E1 · Encounter at Farpoint: Part One

Picard’s Candid Admission and Riker’s Resolute Support

The steaming cup of coffee plays a subtle but important role in setting the informal and relaxed tone of the meeting. Picard pours himself a cup and offers it to Riker, who declines. This small gesture softens the tension, symbolizing a desire for warmth and openness in their candid conversation about command responsibility and personal vulnerabilities.

Before: Cup of coffee is on the table, freshly brewed and steaming, awaiting use.

After: Picard has poured and is drinking from the cup; Riker declines the coffee, leaving it untouched.

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S2E9 · The Measure of a Man

Louvois' Return — Old Wounds Reopened

Picard's cup anchors the scene's intimacy and solitude; it visually marks his private moment and the abruptness of its rupture when Louvois arrives, underscoring the shift from quiet reflection to charged exchange.

Before: On the table before Picard, half-consumed, signifying a solitary, leisurely meal.

After: Remains on the table, unattended as Picard rises to approach Phillipa; its role shifts from prop of comfort to emblem of interrupted solitude.

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