Looking Back On: These Are The Voyages…

[TMC]

https://dekkareviews.wordpress.com/2...e-the-voyages/

February 5, 2020
Dave Cameron



Looking Back On, is a new series of posts where I talk about any episode of a TV show on the anniversary of it’s airing, and how I’d make a better version of the episode. I originally intended to start this last year, talking about the finale of “How I Met Your Mother”, but again my computer conked out on me, and honestly I had trouble figuring out how to write a better finale, so I thought I’d start with something easier, the finale to Star Trek Enterprise.

On May 13, 2005, UPN aired the final episodes of Star Trek Enterprise, Terra Prime, which fans consider the best episode of the show. Sadly the episode it was double-billed with, lives in infamy as one of the worst episodes of Enterprise, and Star Trek as a whole: “These Are The Voyages…”

To make a long story short, the episode is set six years after Terra Prime, the NX-01 and her crew, were heading to Earth for the NX-01’s decommissioning and the signing of the Federation Charter, but a call from their pseudo-ally Shran to help him rescue his daughter. Then some pirates invade the ship, and Trip Tucker makes a “heroic” sacrifice to stop the invades and save the ship, despite the setbacks the crew made it to the signing, and everyone lived happily ever after. Oh, and the entire story was actually a holographic simulation that a (slightly aged) Commander Will Riker was running during The Pegasus Situation on the Enterprise-D.

Now, everyone that talks about Star Trek, have already talked about why “Voyages…”, wasn’t very good, myself included. The idea of setting in an episode from 11 years ago, the nonsensical way they killed off Trip, having Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis (the latter of whom wasn’t even in The Pegasus) reprise their roles despite the fact that they’re just a smidge older than when they filmed that episode. They had to know people were going to be just a little pissed when they saw this. Even the cast was disappointed with how this turned out. Connor Trinneer (Trip Tucker) and Anthony Montgomery (Travis Mayweather) both felt the writers could’ve come up with a better way to end the show, but Jolene Blalock (T’Pol) was extremely critical of the finale, and for that matter Enterprise as a whole, as she felt it didn’t follow the chronology of Star Trek lore.

Since I came up with the idea of these posts, I had an idea for how the finale should’ve gone down, if you’ll indulge me: The episode, which I would’ve titled either: “Preamble” or “The End of The Beginning”.

It would’ve picked up where “Terra Prime” left off. The NX-01 is still in orbit on Earth. The crew are talking about some kind of special upgrade for all future NX-Class vessels, including theirs. Malcolm and Travis also bring up what Archer was planning on doing, and as this is happening, we see Archer in his ready room, he seemed preoccupied about something, he was about to contact someone, when suddenly, Hoshi calls him to the bridge. He arrives, Hoshi tells him they’re receiving a distress call from the Columbia.

After the title sequence, the NX-01, heads warps off to assist the sister ship, and arrive to see it heavily damaged. Archer sends out a shuttlepod, to help the crew and get their ship back on-line. The surviving Columbia crew (Including Captain Hernandez, and a few members of the senior staff, including Seth MacFarlane) are safely aboard the NX-01, they prepare to tow the NX-02, but two ships de-cloak, Romulan Birds of Prey. A thrilling space battle ensues, Trip manages to get the Columbia back on-line and assists in the battle against the Romulans. Hernandez orders Trip and the remaining Columbia crew to abandon ship, while she tries to provide cover fire for the NX-01. As she sees the escape pods flee the ship, she takes over the tactical station, firing at one of the Birds of Prey and destroying it, while the other one, fires directly at the bridge. Hernandez is killed, as the NX-01 crew watch from the bridge, the Columbia gets destroyed. The NX-01 warps out of the area, and arrive at the Alpha Quadrant, when suddenly the Bird of Prey de-cloaks and attacks the Enterprise, the damage to the ship was light but, luckily two Intrepid-Type vessels arrive to assist and, with Enterprise’s help, overwhelm the Bird of Prey. Before it retreats, the Romulans hail the NX-01 and tells them to make no mistake, for this is only the beginning.

We cut back to Earth, while the NX-01 is continuing its refit, we see Archer talking to the Admiralty, he tells them they should prepare for what’s to come, and recommends they build more ships in addition to the NX-03 and NX-04. As Archer leaves, the Admiralty, asks Archer if he thought about the offer for promotion to Rear Admiral. Archer turns down the offer, feeling he’ll be better needed on the NX-01. They understand, and tell them the offer is still on the table.

Out in space, in a nice mirror to the first episode, we see Archer and Trip on an inspection pod talking. Trip wonders what’s to come, Archer tells him he’s not sure, but that’s why we should be prepared for anything, the camera zooms in on Trip’s face his eyes widen, he asks him what is that, the camera cuts to Archer and he says to Trip, “The future”.

We’re then treated to a birds-eye view of the NX-01, the camera pans down to reveal a secondary hull, and three struts connecting the secondary hull and the NX-01 it’s self, and we see the front of the ship, it’s no longer the NX-01, it is now, the SS Enterprise NCC-01. as we see that we hear the familiar eight notes of Alexander Courage’s Star Trek theme play.

So, there you have it, hopefully you enjoyed this, hopefully I’ll do more posts like these in the future. Until then so long for now.