Episode Behind the Scenes

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This episode was the one that finally gave Gates McFadden her long awaited shot at the director's chair.
   
Two days of shooting were lost during the filming of this episode due to the Earthquake of 1994. Only minimal damage to the set was realised - a sprinkler system wet down a Jefferies tube set and a few broken items on the shelves in the officers' quarters.
   
Braga had conceived the idea of de-evolving the crew back in early Season 4, but Rick Berman had put the brakes on the idea until a feasible scientific reason could be thought up.
   
Brannon Braga finished his teleplay two weeks early to give the makeup team more lead time for the huge amount of research and design needed.
   
Brannon Braga on "Genesis" - "Makeup was going to make or break this show. Fortunately, Gates has worked with Jim Henson on the Muppets, so that was good - she did some interesting things."
   
A scene where Data gave away Spot's kittens was dropped from the final act.
   
Michael Westmore noted that all the actors wore their own makeup barring Worf's stunt double Rusty McLennon.
   
Barclay's initial shocking appearance as a spider was originally to have been a drop down but was cut for time. McFadden had wanted this to be included, and Dwight Shultz had even agreed to do the stunt himself.
   
Another cut scene had Troi climbing in to the bath tub fully clothed with waterproof makeup and all. Richard James recalls - "I wondered about that bathtub; we've always seen a shower, but the writers wanted it."
   
Baja the Iguana was voiced with the reptilian sounding monitor lizard.
   
Wendy Neuss on the sound of "Genesis" - "I knew we'd scored the show well. When the Barclay spider appears and my boss Peter Lauritson jumped out of his seat at the screening, even though he knew it was coming"
   
Apparently the actors had all volunteered to make their own creature's sound effects. Wendy Neuss recalls - "We tried them on the dubbing stage but there was too much extended laughter!"
   
Both FX supervisor Ronald B Moore and Director Gates McFadden were disappointed that the shot of the shuttlebay doors opening wasn't exterior in nature.

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