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…
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53 Comments
Yes, this was the worst writing I have ever experienced in my life!!! We are actually suppposed to forget everything that happened over 4 years and believe this nonsense!!! It really is absolutely appalling. I am still in shock. I Netflixed these episodes after seeing TNG and was expecting a send off like that show received. I am definitely going to erase this ending in my memory and re-write my own. I feel for everyone involved. How can you take a dump in a box and then say’ “Merry Xmas, Trek fans!!!”
I avoided watching this show when it first came out because I didn’t like Scott Bakula as Capt. Archer. Then that fraking song in the intro had me shut off the tv immediately. Years later I was caught by the Xindi weapon being fired on Earth and watched the episode. I’ve been recording them ever since (so I can fast forward thru that intro). Thank God that Star Trek’s legacy lived on with awesome story telling. Tonight I saw what I thought may be the final epsidoe. I thought it was so poor by the end it couldn’t be the finale. My initial thoughts were bringing in Enterprise D was cool, but they could have made a better story line. Then; no speech at the end, kill off a main character and fumble thru a love story that took seasons to develop? – I don’t care what spin they put on it – this was disgraceful to the legacy and the industry. I ran to the computer to see if this was truly the final episode. I’ve never blogged before, but I just feel I have to do something – I am actually outraged by this. Why would you want piss off not only your colleauges, but the viewrs? Are these guys truly that inept or are they just lazy disrespectful jerks?! This must be one of the biggest disappointments in sci-fi history.
Well, I thought the last episode was wonderful, I am a huge fan of everything star trek and so should all be : ) I love when one show leads into the other and it brought a tear to my eye and made me proud to be a fan, sorry guys I guess i just feel differently .
Okay having completed this series much later (started watching when it was released, but never kept up with it until I borrowed the DVDs), I can say with confidence that “These Are The Voyages” is not Enterprise. I refuse to acknowledge an episode that is so inconsistent with the rest of the series (which was awesome!) and I totally agree with your analysis. ARGH… this makes me so angry too that it ended so poorly.
This was just bad writing of some flimsy ideas to attempt a dramatic ending. It felt like it was rushed and without a lot of thought towards a bigger story. Like it or not, this is part of Star Trek history now – I just wish this wasn’t also an example of poor story-telling.
I could never say I loved it just because it’s Star Trek, these guys have to be held accountable and critisized accordingly – otherwise it’ll just keep the same people circulating and producing more crap.
I’m glad to see the New Star Trek movie is picking up fans – all is not lost apparently.
B&B should have a restraining order placed on them, I was a late comer to the series, happened to catch it on HDNET, and loved it from episode 1. Not many TV series out there that I can say that about but, this was a rare gem. It captured my heart and mind both feeding me one dramatic episode after another. So when I read the information about the series finale episode, I to said nay…. how bad could it possibly be. Ughhh sadly it was pretty bad, it left a sinking feeling in my stomach the rest of the day. Viewers become emotianally invested with these characters, and when a series comes to halt the least the writers can do is send the series off with suitable “Bon Voyage”,noot a “Bon Voygood ridence”.
As a kid, I liked the original series. And when Star Trek TNG came out, I enjoyed it a lot more. But Enterprise was my favorite by far. I thought it was more like the way things really would be. And premiering right after 9/11 and right before I reported back to active duty, it had a special meaning for me.
I enjoyed watching it every night it was on – even with the stupid UPN moving it around. They really seemed to try and kill it off since it didn’t fit their overall image apparently. No wonder the ratings were not as good as they could be. There were never any TV ads for the show, never any consistency to when it would air.
I participated in doing all I could to keep it alive after the first cancellation and at least there was one more season to watch. And I kept hoping that the second cancellation decision would be changed and it would go on. But it was clear with the final episode that would not happen.
This episode did have potential. The concept could have been done quite well and left open further Enterprise episodes. But clearly, B&B decided to pay back the fans who had supported Enterprise with this horrible ending. And tying in TNG the way they did hurt both shows. They could have had the tie in with a different episode. Let Enterprise have its own ending.
But the real slap in the face is simply the way B&B treated the fans. Killing Trip, throwing away the relationship with Trip and T’Pol, belittling the show with TNG, all these and more were just attempts to show us how unimportant we were to them. They got angry that the fans kept the show alive for a whole extra season. So, they decided to exercise their creative control with a vengeance. And then they just quit. Just like ill behaved children on the playground, they took their toys and left. I even wonder if Paramount (UPN) gave them a bonus for killing the show.
The episode tonight on SyFy just brought the entire situation back to me. So, I thought I’d rant. And I am so happy B&B were not involved in the new movie. And who knows, maybe now there is a way to make up for the disaster that was the ending of Enterprise.
Like so many others, I did not watch the original showing of Enterprise. I grabbed the entire series on DVD and watched all 97 episodes in a weeks time.
To say I am disappointed is an understatement. After rushing through the story lines and seeing the evolving crew and ship, I was so discouraged by the ending that now, three day later, I am still depressed.
What shill to loyal fans of Star Trek as a whole, to have possibly the last Star Trek series end with so many holes without any way of recovering.
Maybe that was the B&B goal? Live long and Prosper Tripp….
Vic, I am soo disappointed in you! You know I’m a big Trekker and you didn’t tell me about this thread?! I place you in the quantum stinker reality as B&B!
Just kidding, bro. All I can say is that this episode was really in a different quantum reality, like the episode of TNG where Worf was jumping from one reality to the next. At least that’s my explanation. This episode was from the CRAP universe, with a quantum vibration of 666. I think it is obvious that B&B hate Star Trek, and should never be allowed near it again. Why not end it with an episode about the Romulan neutral zone or something? If they wanted to have a nod to TNG, have Daniels transport Archer to the 24th century to show him what his famous speech started? AND WHY NOT HAVE THE FRAKKING SPEECH????!!! Berman and Braga are at the top of the Access of Evil!
LOL, this post is over 4 years old, bud.
Feel free to bring the Star Trek review folks over here.
Vic
It may be four years old but it still hurts like heck..
Yay for Star Trek review folks!
I hate that last episode with a vengence. I don’t even watch it, I down right refuse to accept it as a finale. I agree with other people that ‘Terra Prime’ should have been the finale, although frankly I think the series ended way too soon. I mean come on, Voyager went for 7 seasons and I couldn’t stand that series, but Enterprise was great and was only four seasons! But I’ll shut up now or I’ll never stop venting.
I had a love hate relationship with the show. Mostly hate but I watched it. True by season 3 they had done a sprucing up of the quality and the episodes steadily improved and then cancellation. They knew they we canned going into the last year of production instead of making a kick butt ending the got to the Starfleet old folks home to bring back Riker and Troy and the holodeck! That was no episode, no ending, it was a dagger in the brain pan. Berman was a studio lackey from the beginning of TNG. With him at helm Enterprise was doomed. Good actors and set pieces wasted 60% of the time. He took an iconic franchise and wrapped it in cotton candy, no wonder we still ache from watching it.
@Katherine
Hey, I see my Ferengi college student has made it! Welcome!
Voyager really grew on me. And Jeri Ryan didn’t hurt the show either.
When I initially saw its finale, I didn’t like it but after watching it again, I think it was fine. Enterprise, on the other hand, was crap each time I saw it. I still can’t believe they killed off the best character in that series. And like someone else said, I thought Hoshi and Mayweather would have made a great couple.
@ Kahless
It was a tough journey, but I got here.
I never liked Voyager, it bored me to tears. Trip totally was the best character, he was great. Yeah I was the one who said that, I think they would be very suited to each other.
I just found this tread. My first thought was “I’m not the only one that was disgusted with that piece of trash ending!!” Trip was my 2nd favorite of the crew! And I haven’t liked Troy since I met Marina Sirtis and Jonathon Frakes at a convention in San Antonio, Tx, in 1992, sorry. But I liked Enterprise. More than Next Gen. 1st season of which almost KILLED ME! But to finnish up such a good show with that tripe!! Why didn’t they leave it open for movies? Why sew it up so tight?
I guess they could have a movie with trip and the hollow deck was not PROGRAMED RIGHT.
Haha, I like that idea Joe. It was such a crime to end like that, I mean really, can’t they just have a happy ending?! And it was so out of the blue and rushed and crap. It was such an anti-climatic ending. Especially with the two episodes that are before it, they could’ve just ended there but no they had to go kill one of the BEST characters.
hey guys, im new to the trek world and like some I watched the whole thing over a couple of weeks after getting the dvds and just 2minutes ago i finished the last episode…”lol..” And im soo effing pissssed offf!!!. i know im 4 years too late but hey!
Don’t worry about being late trekster, you share our opinion so we welcome you. It’s a disgrace and we all have the right to be annoyed about it.
I thought the ending to Enterprise was absolutely lame. I never really cared for the intro music either, but the story was very interesting. I would have loved to see T’Pol and Trip finally together because it looked like that was where it was leading up but instead they killed Trip off and was it just me but did the rest of his crewmates acted like they didn’t notice Trip was dead?
I agree bringing in the STNG characters was a slap on the face to the characters of Enterprise. As far as know, none of the other Star Trek titles had to have it’s characters reduced to holograms.
At any rate my condolences to the others that felt this was junk as well and also to the actors and actressses of Enterprise who worked their butts off only to get short changes in the end and yes i think they could have gone more than four seasons.
At the time I was angry, but upon a few years reflection, I quite like this episode. I just ignore the Trip dying part, and mourn the fact that Voyager was given seven years and Enterprise was just hitting its stride.
@JarJar
I don’t think Tripp and T’Pol getting together would have worked; I believe it would have gone against Trek canon as Sarek and Amanda were the first. But I get your point.
@trekster
Welcome to the Trek Continuum! Ingenue can help you with the Ferengi and I can help you with the Klingons.
And what do you know of Klingons, humaaan???!!!
That was Kahless. I would try to ignore him if I were you.
Yes, ignore the warrior and continue to be sheep!! Wonderful plan, petaQ!!!
See what I mean.
Well, Dr. Beckett, can’t you just go back in time and stop that travesty? Oh wait, that would be going forward in time, but you saw it which means it’s in the past but it wasn’t your past, so….oh, never mind, I’m getting a headache.
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