Why do people hate Berman & Braga?

[Forbin]

Let's say "disappointed with" rather than hated. Braga wrote an occasional good episode - I think he was cowriter on Best of Both Worlds (i'm sure he contributed the time travelish elements, he seemed to have a fetish). Berman was a good producer, but a terrible writer (imho) and should have kept his nose out of the creative end. Decisions like his "musical wallpaper" decree were to the detriment of the show(s). Whenever I saw Berman's name in a writing credit, especially in later years, I knew not to expect anything very good.

Nothing emphasized this so well as These Are the Voyages. After a stellar season of good-to-great stories under Coto, that insulting travesty was like a wet fish to the face, bringing back bad memories of the Berman "style" I'd hoped had been left behind.

 

[BillJ]

Braga wrote an occasional good episode - I think he was cowriter on Best of Both Worlds (i'm sure he contributed the time travelish elements, he seemed to have a fetish). Berman was a good producer, but a terrible writer (imho)

First Contact? I don't think Braga was on staff yet for "The Best of Both Worlds".

 

[shapeshifter]

Hate is bad, m'kay?

My disappointment was with hearing Berman continually warn about 'going to the well too often' yet apparently he didn't speak up to tptb about his well running dry.

I mean, I understand that tptb were pushing for more but Berman was keeper of the flame. Did he tell them he was drying up, needed help to continue or just keep taking checks to the bank, franchise be damned?

If he did try and the studios just ignored him then perhaps the right thing to have done is to threaten stepping down. That would have at least forced them to think a little harder about what they should do next.

So I am disappointed about how it all went down but I think blame belongs with all involved.

 

[BillJ]

So I am disappointed about how it all went down but I think blame belongs with all involved.

I don't think anyone is absolving Berman of blame. Just recognizing that there were other factors at play as well. And I'm not sure I'd give up a super well paying job because of burn out.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't think anyone is absolving Berman of blame. Just recognizing that there were other factors at play as well. And I'm not sure I'd give up a super well paying job because of burn out.

I'm inclined to agree on this point. Regardless of my personal feelings on the show, there is rarely one person or factor that causes success or failure. Film and TV production involves a lot of moving parts and that blaming all the failings on one misses the point.

But, scapegoating can be easier.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Many fans are too lazy to find out exactly who did what in terms of Star Trek's production, or use them as a scapegoat to take the blame for things they personally think "went wrong".

In about 90% of cases, they had nothing to do with what happened or the opinion is highly subjective and biased against them and not worth wasting time on.

This comment just shows you have no clue what a Showrunner is or their responsibilities are.

The person who has overall creative authority and management responsibility for a television program.
The vision of the show as a whole does not come from the freelance or even the staff writer, but from the showrunner aka The Executive Producer.

 

[Christopher]

This comment just shows you have no clue what a Showrunner is or their responsibilities are.

The person who has overall creative authority and management responsibility for a television program.
The vision of the show as a whole does not come from the freelance or even the staff writer, but from the showrunner aka The Executive Producer.

We've already discussed a number of ways in which that's an overly simplistic assessment. Yes, the showrunner's in charge of the writing staff, but must still answer to the production company, the studio, and the network. So showrunners don't always get to do what they want.

 

[Kemaiku]

The network Voyager and Enterprise aired on passed down a lot of "ideas" they expected to be carried out without argument during those years.

Had the showrunners not given in or bargined as little as they could, they would have been fired, and who knows what would have ended up happening.

 

[eyeresist]

The answer to the thread question is "alliteration".

 

[ichab]

I don't think the two are single-handedly responsible for the mediocritization of Star Trek. Both deserve a decent chunk of credit for what happened to TNG in season 3. They had ideas for Voyager they weren't allowed to act on because of the network. But, plenty of other writers produced much fresher ideas under the same restrictions, and managed their characters better. Berman preferred simple storylines with simple takeaways over more complex ones and didn't do much to escape his nice comfortable groove. He doesn't deserve to be the one scapegoat for the creative decline of 90s Trek, and it doesn't take away his role in making TNG a great show, but he didn't make much of an effort not to become mediocre either.

The season Braga joined the 24 production team is the season they started treating their core cast as completely expendable. Braga's best episodes are 'Anomaly of the week' episodes mostly, he doesn't have much of a good track record of managing characters in any of his projects. Braga is great at thinking of cool things to happen to the characters but terrible at making them likable and meaningfully evolving them over time.

I think a lot of hate for Braga also stems from him choosing to write the final episode of Enterprise after giving creative control to Manny Coto. The fourth season was in many fans opinion a huge step in the right direction for the show and then Braga steps in to write a finale that is really a TNG episode and relegates the main cast as guests. He meant it as a "Valentine" to the fans but instead it came off as a slap in the face.

I also don't buy into this argument that they don't deserve any blame for the decline of the franchise nor quality of the episodes. Manny Coto was able to deliver fresh and interesting storylines within the same constraints for the brief season he was involved.

 

[SPCTRE]

As the wise Yoda said in Star Trek V, "Jealousy leads to Saltiness" (very powerful scene)

 

[Christopher]

I think a lot of hate for Braga also stems from him choosing to write the final episode of Enterprise after giving creative control to Manny Coto.

"Him?" As I've been pointing out, Braga has consistently been a collaborator throughout his career, not a solo creator. On Enterprise, he and Rick Berman were writing and producing partners. They both showran the first three seasons, they both stepped back for Coto in season four, and they both wrote the finale.

I also don't buy into this argument that they don't deserve any blame for the decline of the franchise nor quality of the episodes. Manny Coto was able to deliver fresh and interesting storylines within the same constraints for the brief season he was involved.

I do think that Berman & Braga were not among the franchise's best writers, and that they were both somewhat burned out on Trek by this point. But I don't think that warrants "hate." They were sincerely trying to do their best work, and that should never be condemned. They just weren't able to do it as well as others. I can understand being disappointed in their work, but "hate" is a petty and unhealthy response.

 

[The Wormhole]

I think a lot of hate for Braga also stems from him choosing to write the final episode of Enterprise after giving creative control to Manny Coto.

1) People hated Braga long before he wrote TATV.
2) That's a pretty silly reason to hate him given it is pretty common for a former head writer to return to write the series finale. For example, Larry David wrote Seinfeld's final episode despite the fact he left that show's writing staff years earlier.

I also don't buy into this argument that they don't deserve any blame for the decline of the franchise nor quality of the episodes. Manny Coto was able to deliver fresh and interesting storylines within the same constraints for the brief season he was involved.

There is a belief Enterprise's fourth season didn't get the same oversight the show got previously. Since the main reason the show got a fourth season was to meet syndication requirements, UPN were likely of the opinion "it's just one more season, let them do their thing." Which would help explain why that season was such pure, unadulterated fanwank. Had Manny Coto been in charge of the first season he would have been under the same constraints. Maybe he could have done a better job, but he still would have had to do the TCW and its associated baggage.

 

[Hadrian]

As the wise Yoda said in Star Trek V, "Jealousy leads to Saltiness" (very powerful scene)

Yoda in Star Trek? I've got check it out......Also who is the guy on the picture?

 

[The Wormhole]

Also who is the guy on the picture?

That is Brannon Braga.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Braga dated Jeri Ryan for a while during the run of VOY, in case you didn't know, Hadrian.

 

[Kor]

They were artistic criminals.

But that doesn't merit hatred, IMO. If you don't like their shows, just watch something else.

Kor

 

[CorporalClegg]

I generally find any Star Trek that came between 1990 and 2009 to be pretty "meh." None of it was particularly exceptional television, but none of it was nearly as bad as some often claim. And there certainly isn't an episode or film I'd ever refuse to watch. (Hell, I even sat through Insurrection last week.)

I've also always been one to defend the both of them, if only because I don't believe they're at all deserving of the rancor and malicious rhetoric thrown at them.

 

[Greg Cox]

1) People hated Braga long before he wrote TATV.
2) That's a pretty silly reason to hate him given it is pretty common for a former head writer to return to write the series finale. For example, Larry David wrote Seinfeld's final episode despite the fact he left that show's writing staff years earlier..

Ditto for Kevin Williamson and the DAWSON'S CREEK finale.

(Yes, I watched DAWSON'S CREEK for its entire run. Don't judge me.)

 

[2takesfrakes]

Braga's mullet is impressive ...
.... most impressive.