I just watched the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Let me just come right out and say that I am so angry and disgusted that I don’t know where to begin. A while back Jolene Blalock (who plays T’Pol on the show) was quoted as saying that the final episode of Enterprise was “appalling”… Jolene, how right you were. What a sad, sad ending to a series that was just starting to find it’s voice. What a slap in the face to the cast and the fans of Enterprise. I can’t stop shaking my head in disbelief and the only conclusion I can come to is that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga have truly come to hate Star Trek and it’s fans.
There, I’ve said it.
Up until the last couple of weeks I’ve given the benefit of the doubt to B&B, but no more. The awfulness of “These are the voyages…” (title of the series ender) was even more evident in that it was broadcast immediately after the “Terra Prime” episode, written by Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, authors of countless Star Trek novels and finally brought in this season as writers for the show. Sure, “Terra Prime” had some stuff in it that bugged the heck out of me, but overall it felt like Star Trek. It seemed like finally, with that episode characters that had been marginalized for 4 seasons came alive at last.
But then came the final episode…
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I had read bits here and there about the finale and the fact that it involved Riker, Troi, and a holodeck recreation of the Enterprise crew, but I didn’t want to spoil the episode for myself so I left it at that. I had read a lot of the reaction to the episode as well, but my thought was “Hey, go easy, you haven’t even seen it yet.” I had also read that the cast was (to put it mildly) unhappy with the episode and they didn’t feel it was about Enterprise.
I’m here to tell you those voices of outrage where on the money.
The difference between the Coto-helmed “Terra Prime” and Berman and Braga written “These are the voyages…” is absolutely jarring. In no uncertain terms it showed on the one hand why the show had finally become worthwhile and on the other why fans left it in droves and led to it’s cancellation.
And still Berman refuses to take responsibility in any way shape or form. He actually had the gall to refer to the episode as a “valentine for the fans”. What a load of crap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t recall anyone clamouring for the return of Will Riker, Deanna Troi or the Enterprise D.
I suppose I should get around to the specifics of the episode. It opens on the bridge of Enterprise 6 years after “Terra Prime”, and 10 years after the start of the show. The ship is going to be mothballed after 10 years of service, and is heading back to Earth for the signing of the declaration that is basically the founding of the Federation. Suddenly we see Will Riker on the ship and soon after that we realize that what we’ve been watching is a re-creation of events on a holodeck on the Enterprise D.
The episode ties in with something that happened during Star Trek: The Next Generation, where Riker had a crisis of conscience and was struggling with a decision. Apparently he felt the need to visit Archer’s Enterprise during a pivotal sequence of events in order to help him make the right decision. Immediately this marginalizes everything going on with Archer’s crew and makes the show about Riker. Seeing him pop up here and there on Enterprise is positively jarring and just feels COMPLETELY wrong.
As things progress we discover that Shran (the ever-excellent Jeffrey Combs) was thought dead for three years but has actually been in hiding with a wife and daughter. His daughter has been kidnapped and he demands Archer’s help in getting her back.
While we are watching this, they keep intercutting Riker and Troi on the Enterprise-D with what’s happening, and then when returning to Archer’s crew, skipping ahead to the parts that are relevant to Riker.
This leaves the story feeling rushed, choppy and disconnected. To add insult to injury, the cook aboard ship, who has been talked about over four seasons but never shown, and is all of a sudden is referred to as the crew’s confidant, is portrayed by… Riker.
I can just imagine the actors grinding their teeth during these scenes in the ship’s kitchen.
Here and there cute little comments are thrown out like Archer toasting and saying “Here’s to the next generation.” Ooooh, did that give you chills? Yeah, me neither.
But wait, there’s more… how about the death of Tripp just because, well, you know… killing someone will make the episode more interesting. You remember that is the same deep thought process that went into the death of Captain Kirk on some backwater planet.
By the end of this episode I was so thoroughly pissed that I could just spit. 
I can only hope to God that when the next iteration of Star Trek surfaces neither Berman nor Braga are let within 100 miles of the show. How Paramount continues to entrust this franchise to this pair defies logic to an extreme degree.
Oh well, I’ll always have classic Trek on DVD…
28 Comments
I really have to agree with you on all points, especially since (what really bugged me) was
1) if you’re on a starship, are you going to be spending your spare time hanging out making meals with a chef?
2) I’m sure that if you timed the TNG/Enterprise bits, there was more TNG material than Enterprise (and yes, I found the “jumping around” distracting and insulting as well)
3) Tripp’s death could have been easily avoided - even as written, you could tell it was more due to sloppy writing than any dramatic purpose (and why, 15 minutes later, did Tripp “reappear” in the hologram?)
Bad writing, a tacked on coda to keep the hard-core fans happy…this is an excellent lesson in how to kill a long-standing franchise.
Oh, how I agree with you! I was so ANGERED by this final episode! Now, understand, I am a latent fan of ENTERPRISE having just started watching it in the last few months. I borrowed the entire series on videotape from a friend and watched the whole thing successively over a very short amount of time … you could say I was wired for “story.”
What I got was CRAP! Uggh! You just can’t jump 6 years in the future like that and expect an audience to buy in. I mean, literally 15 minutes earlier in the night Tripp was a blubbering mess over the death of their child … now they haven’t been a relationship for 6 years?! Come on, this was one story/character arc that actually intrigued me.
And Tripp’s death … arrgh! There was more apparent pain to the crew over losing Tripp’s clone than losing Tripp himself.
If the episode didn’t feel sterile enough with these sweeping changes in character story, the real clincher was doing it from the holodeck perspective. I felt like I was watching the show through a veiled curtain. It wasn’t an Enterprise story at all, it was a TNG story … and a bad one at that. I was lost in what Riker was seeking out (he had a stronger mind than that and didn’t need “you’ll do the right thing” to convince him to talk to Picard!) Come on B&B, do you really expect us to accept this “Valentine?”
It was more like a stab in the heart.
For me, there are 97 episodes of Enterprise. The last one doesn’t fit in my universe.
Another thing that comes to me in retrospect is the Voyager-like syndrome where in 10 years no one has been promoted and everything basically stays the same.
They should have left “Terra Prime” as the finale with some minor tweaks for closure. It would have been much more powerful.
Vic
I’m a huge fan of the star trek franchies.So when this star trek series “entreprise” came to an end the way that it did,I was left scratching my head.
I was looking forward to seeing were they were going with the rawhmulanies,I thought that it was just getting interresting,then a couple weeks and a whole lot of repeats later its over.What was that!!,and you have to be kidding me.I thought the series ended to fast that it left alot of blanks and questions.I think the series “entreprise” was a great series,much to great for the ending that was written.And was it realy neasasary to kill tripp off at the very end,I mean realy,who would do something like that.At least they did something rigth and made tripp a hero.Gene Roddenberry must be rolling over in his grave. NP
I’m a treky that was VERY SHOCKED & DISAPPIONTED the way the series came to an end. Just when it was getting intrestting with a couple of the charactors, mainly T-Pal and Tripp they skipping six years into the future and leaving out their entire relateship in between. In one episode tripp is talking with T-Pal telling her that it’s still possible for their two speacies to have a child, then in the next episode, bam it’s six years later and their no longer together. It’s like watching a movie from the start and just when it’s getting interresting you fast foward to the end and watch the ending. I found no reason to kill tripp. Here’s an ending, Artchor gives his speak that we never even got to hear then he calls his crew to join him incluing Tripp because as he said this isn’t about me. TNG ended with the main charactors playing poker. This series was meant to answer questions but did the total opposit thier are so many dead end. I wish Gene Roddenberry was still alive he knew how to write.
Joe
I have to agree with everyone else here, I just finished watching the series finale, and I truly feel for the actors on this show. I cant imagine how they could pull off some of the scenes and lines in this episode, as it completely slaps them in the face and disrespects their accomplishments throughout this series. Jolene Blalock was correct. Absolutely APPALLING. Completely disrespectful. If I wanted a TNG episode, I would pop in a damn DVD.
Oh, and by the way, the last line of the show “I think we’re done here… end program,” as Archer is about to deliver the biggest speech of their time… come on! How disrespectful is that? Might as well said “Oh well, who gives a crap what he’s about to say, Diana, lets go screw.”
Was the appearance of Tripp after his death deliberate, or an editing error? I was so damn confused by it, I thought that it must have been a deliberate mistake. But yes, an ugly stupid last episode–I understand why the cast so hated it.
Vic
Hey Vic;
Not for nothing, but shouldn’t you be on line already waiting for Star Wars???!!!
Although I did buy my tickets for this Thursday a week ago.
Vic
I pretty much agree on all points. What could you have said in your review that I won’t say here?
Terrible, limp, lame ending. I don’t give a flip about Riker and Troi; the Enterprise characters were shortchanged and I couldn’t help but feel ill thinking that this series could have ended with the superior Terra Prime and most everybody would be saying that it went out a winner.
Trip out of character? Yes, I’d say so. Consider the fact that he pulled a Houdini in Terra Prime while his daughter was under duress and managed to sabotage the verteron array’s targeting system while remaining cool and calm–then think of how he panicked in TATV. Jarring. Add to that the fact that Berman and Braga felt the need to invalidate the touching resolution of Trip and T’Pol’s relationship in Terra Prime and it’s just all too shabby. When I heard Malcolm complaining about the seating arrangement with nary an unhappy look, I just about fell out of my chair. Then, of course, Riker interrupted the speech. Terrible episode.
Dorian
Is it too late for me to throw in some peanut gallery comments? I actually watched both hours of the finale, surprisingly enough. I liked the first hour, but I hated the second hour. What a terrible way to end the series… no wonder it was cancelled.
Brian
Second hour = All Berman and Braga.
Total and complete coincidence, I’m sure.
Vic
I think the all time low point in Star Trek was when Archer is just about to give his speech which would be just what Riker needs in his time of moral crisis. Archer walks to crowd ready to give the speech that defines Starfleet and the Fredation. It will define ideas such as peace and harmony for people of all races. He’s just about to give it and Riker say, “Computer. End program.” I think that the wirters realized that it was way over their heads.
I was so happy this season when they finally managed to eliminate most traces of the hideous B&B odor from the previous seasons. Is it surprising that the decline of Trek has followed the growth in involvement of the B&B team. Why make a finale with a forgotten and unimportant TNG episode? The fact is the Reeves-Stevens’ have gotten it right all season. Screw B&B let’s do the Reeves-Stevens’/Shatner Kirk novels. By the way has anyone read the articles about the new Trek movie next year? They say its a “reimagining” (think Battlestar Galactica’s ressurection as pure crap). They also claim its going to predate Enterprise by another 100 years. Is anyone else concerned?
Concerned? No, because it will obviously have nothing to do with Star Trek as we know it. They obviously want to make something that will bring in the loyal, or once-loyal trek fans to the theaters, since the last few movies completely flopped. But if the fans didnt want to see Trek movies with the actors and characters they liked, I dont see how making a movie with none of them in it is any better of an idea than using the known characters/ships/timeline. It may be different, and that may attract some people, but it will also make a lot of the fans say “oh, well, who cares, and why should I bother seeing it?” You’d think that they would put some serious time and effort into finding decent writers and coming up with a story that’ll just blow everyone away. It’s not as if they are rushed in any way to put out a new Trek movie. I think they should just sit on it for a few years and spend the time developing an amazing story.
That’s a really good point. I know I tried three times to like the new Battlestar Galactica, but it had nothing even slightly in common with the original. That combined with the silent space battles backed with horrible drum music. If that is the future of Trek, I probably won’t be returning.
Vic
Just saw the last ep of Enterprise - so bad its surreal - words cannot describe how depressed it has made me. Am I taking crazy pills ??
Sad, ain’t it?
Vic
Just watched the last ep last night. I’ve spent three months watching the series, getting it from Netflix. I was a huge TNG fan as a kid. I had heard Enterprise was okay, but had some time-travel/continuity issues. I enjoyed the hell out of the series, with some small exceptions, until I hit the last one. Holy God, what a mess. It has compelled me to pick up The Good That Men Do, so I can pretend the whole “Trip was killed” thing didn’t happen. I hope that in the future, when someone else is in charge of this franchise, they do the right thing and announce publicly that Terra Prime is the last episode of Enterprise that is considered canon. I know I don’t consider this stinker canon.
Who but B & B could manage to weaken two series with one episode?
Oh flipping hell, i am Soooooo ANGRY!!!!!!!! I agree with everything thats been said on this site!!! Why kill Trip? Why turn him into such a WIMP!I could have chucked the tv out the window. The crew hardly seemed to notice Trip was dead!! After the last touching episode (Terra Prime), how could they have write that trash?? And why include Riker and Diana? Was it supposed to be a heartwarming episode tie?? - Far from it! it most certinaly did not work, completly intrusive, the worst bit of writing i ve even seen. It stank, and someday i hope somebody rewrites that final episode and does justice to the series. ABSOLUTE RUBBISH !!!!!!!
WOW is Riker FAT! They must have used five rolls of duct tape to get him in his uniform. And why was Troi needing to get back to Regg? Wasn’t she hot for Riker? Holodeck therapy? Lame.
Yes, the impressive speech Archer was to give would have required a ‘writer’ so it was chopped off. Lame.
Announcing Trip would never make it back to earth ahead of time and then actually have him die (not a plot twist like living on Vulcan or something). Lame.
Six years from previous episode and nothing has changed? Lame.
If they had left this episode out they could at least have made a movie if fans were vocal enough (like with Firefly/Serenity). Things had really started working well in Enterprise before this vomit inducing ‘valentine’.
I’m really hoping the new movie won’t be a disappointment. After all Sylar is Spock!
I have been too busy traveling internationally that I missed viewing any of the ST:E shows until the past year of reruns on SciFi and HDNET. I love it! . . . and I followed the original ST since the 60’s and then SNG as well. I actually liked ST:E the best! Why did it “fail?” In my opinion, it did not as so many are still watching in the reruns.
The only weak link was perhaps the Captain in about half the shows, but that was minor. I’ll continue to enjoy the show and hope to see a rebirth sans Berman and Braga. Trek on!
The serie started off so well. I watched the first two seasons with interest. Then came the Xindi saga… at first I found it interesting butit quickly started to drag on and to become very predictable, like the written were so out of ideas that they stretched that episode to its furthest limits. So much of ideas that they found nothing better than to “surprize” us with two episodes of an evil Enterprise (not even an original idea… see DS9 and evil Empress Kira). hat should have been a warning sign for what was to come with the final episode. Enough has been said about it here and I agree 100% (a suicidal Trip, later “reincarnated” and going God knows where), it was so disrespectful to all the characters, as if they were mere holographic material, even so they should have deserved more respect according to the Star Trek tradition (ask Robert Picardo what he’d have thought of that treatment). I didn’t find Terra Prime to original either, it was like a rerun of the Xindi thread, only the poignant Trip/T’pol relationship was worth watching. For once emotion ran high.
What a waste, that serie had so much potential. These writers should reimburse all the money they made and never be hired again…
I can’t believe I watched 97 episodes to get to that finale.
ugh.
Agreed, I wasn’t able to watch the original airing of Enterprise, and just finished them all in a couple of weeks. I was very disappointed with the finale.
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