Object

Captain's Dining Room Serving Plates

A matched set of formal dining plates used at the captain’s table: shallow, fine-grain ceramic with a subtle Starfleet rim motif, polished to a soft sheen and sized to present single-course portions. They arrive with carefully plated replicated turkey and caviar, catching glints of overhead light as guests push, pick at, or recoil from the food. Characters use the plates as tactile anchors in the argument—sliding portions forward, tapping them in rebuttal, or leaving them untouched in silent refusal.

2 appearances

Purpose

To hold and present individual formal-course servings at the captain’s dinner service.

Significance

Plates operate as instruments of cultural exchange and provocation: the food they carry becomes the focal point of Kurn’s contempt and Picard’s hospitality, exposing fractures in Klingon vs. Starfleet values and intensifying Worf’s isolation and divided loyalties.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S3E17 · Sins of the Father

Dinner of Dishonor: Cultural Rift at the Captain's Table

Serving plates are used by Picard and the senior officers to receive the replicated turkey and caviar, acting as tactile signifiers of Starfleet civility contrasted with Kurn's rough handling and eventual refusal to fully engage.

Before: Polished and arranged at settings along the buffet, ready to be filled.

After: Filled with portions of replicated food; some pushed aside or left uneaten by Kurn and Worf as tension mounts.

View full event

S3E17 · Sins of the Father

Dinner Provocation — Kurn Tests Worf and Starfleet Tolerance

Serving plates are used by Picard to present replicated turkey and other foods; they catch the glances and manipulation of hands that mark social ritual—characters slide portions, avoid close proximity with Kurn, and use plates as subtle distance markers.

Before: Polished and filled with plated portions awaiting diners.

After: In use by diners; some portions touched or left untouched where cultural disgust or discomfort occurred.

View full event