The second ENT jumpsuit variant was that seen in the show's finale, "These Are The Voyages."
Like the mirror universe's Terran Empire uniforms, these were basically the same as the ENT jumpsuits, but with a few minor modifications and additions.
The TATV jumpsuits were actually stylistically closer to the ENT jumpsuits than the TE uniforms.
This is probably because the Terran Empire uniforms were probably supposed to be as different as possible (within reason) while still being recognizable (similarly to the approach taken by the TOS costume department in "Mirror, Mirror"), visually representing the twisted, distorted, darker, and edgier alternate reality/timeline.
However, the TATV jumpsuits were simply supposed to visually convey the passage of time between the show's penultimate episode and finale - approximately six years - so adding a little bit of stuff onto the uniforms and sets seemed an appropriate way to accomplish that.
The TATV jumpsuits really only deviated from the ENT jumpsuits in three notable ways: the addition of epaulets, the addition of an embroidered name badge, and the addition of a patch on the right arm.
Unlike the Terran Empire epaulets, which were "backwards" and appeared to be made of black twill, the TATV epaulets were made of blue denim (just like the ENT jumpsuits) and positioned "correctly" (that is, traditionally).
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
Note that these epaulets also closed via snaps at the open ends.
Interestingly, the TATV epaulets appear to have been made with the blue denim "right side out," unlike the remainder of the jumpsuit.
 |
| Hoshi ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
 |
| ENT jumpsuit (female) auction photo |
Another addition to the ENT jumpsuits for the finale was an embroidered name badge attached to the upper left chest, above the division stripe.
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
Even T'Pol got an embroidered name badge ...
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
(With Starfleet becoming increasingly aggressive over the years in its efforts to slap a label onto anything and everything possible and then doing the same with name tags, one wonders if Starfleet's higher-ups were all Adrian Monks and Sheldon Coopers ... next they'll be slapping the patches and name tags on their label makers!)
Curiously, the TATV name tags, like the TATV epaulets, were made with the denim "right side out":
 |
| Trip (stunt) ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
 |
| Hoshi ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
Either the TATV epaulets and name tags were deliberately made with the denim "right side out," or this was simply an oversight during the production rush to "upgrade" as many uniforms as they needed to in a short time frame.
The third addition to the ENT jumpsuits for the finale was the aforementioned patch added to the right sleeve.
|
|
 |
| ENT, 4x22 "These Are the Voyages" |
Oddly, this was the same "Ad Astra Per Aspera" patch from the second season episode, "First Flight," during which it was being used as an assignment patch on the left sleeve.
 |
| Trip (stunt) ENT jumpsuit auction photo |
 |
| ENT, 2x24 "First Flight" |
In-universe, this means that Starfleet would have had to use the patch as an assignment patch (perhaps even as a universal "Starfleet patch," since the NX program didn't exist yet and who knows how many actual space assignments there were), ditch it in favor of the assignment-specific patches, and then bring the patches back (apparently as an addition to all Starfleet uniforms) - nostalgia, maybe? Another case of obsessive branding and/or labeling?!?
Behind-the-scenes, though, it was probably just done because they needed to make the ENT jumpsuits look different somehow and slapping another patch on the other sleeve was a quick-and-easy way to accomplish this (especially when they probably had some of these still sitting around, or even already attached to some previous uniforms from the late second season).
PREVIOUS: Uniform Variation 1: Terran Empire
No comments:
Post a Comment