Question about the ending of "Zero Hour"

[Gingerbread Demon]

Episode should be "Zero Hour" I was typing too quickly and didn't notice my error.

Just finished the Xindi arc, well the majority part of it. They destroyed the Xindi murder ball of death.

OK my question is this knowing what comes next. The Enterprise was inside the Aquatic ship when they got close to earth, the aquatics open the hatch and she flies out.

But it's Earth of an alternate past. How did that happen?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Daniels did it. He could beam people through time without them even realising it immediately, makes sense he could have beamed the Enterprise into the past the same way.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Daniels did it. He could beam people through time without them even realising it immediately, makes sense he could have beamed the Enterprise into the past the same way.

If Daniels could do that why didn't he take the Enterprise J with him and do it himself, if he's that powerful?

 

[eyeresist]

Because he's only a guest character, not a featured player.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Because he's only a guest character, not a featured player.

I like that ....... Plus plot forcefields prevent him doing that. Only the main characters can do that.

 

[eyeresist]

I'm picturing Daniels effortfully reaching for the plot-button: "Must ... make ... significant ... contribution ... to ... story!"

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

the Xindi murder ball of death

This should totally be the official name of the Xindi weapon. I'm calling CBS.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I prefer "Clockwork Death Star" myself

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I prefer "Clockwork Death Star" myself

I like this one myself. Clockwork Death Star seems quite fitting

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I prefer "Clockwork Death Star" myself

That does it. We should have a contest.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

That does it. We should have a contest.

That's a terrific idea. Let's do this

 

[Dukhat]

But it's Earth of an alternate past. How did that happen?

It was the writers and producers going "we really don't give a shit whether this makes any kind of sense or not, we're going to do it anyway because we think that throwing in space Nazis right at the end of an episode that had nothing whatsoever to do with that is really kewl."

 

[ChristopherPike]

And yet, without the Nazis the show wouldn't have got a fourth season...

...or was that the American Space Program? I forget which!

I love the idea it was Rick and Brannon giving UPN the middle-finger.

 

[Dukhat]

And yet, without the Nazis the show wouldn't gotten picked up for a fourth season...

Space Nazis had nothing to do with that. The show got picked up for a fourth season so that there would be enough episodes to sell ENT to syndication markets.

I like the idea it was Rick and Brannon giving UPN the middle-finger.

I'm pretty sure that wasn't their intent.

 

[ChristopherPike]

Space Nazis had nothing to do with that. The show got picked up for a fourth season so that there would be enough episodes to sell ENT to syndication markets.

Really? I'm certain there was something to the contrary said in one of those Blu ray documentaries. Manny Coto talking about being left to wrap things up having to write Storm Front by himself possibly. It was on the bubble right up until Network Executives saw it, with them all set to pull the plug. B&B deliberately wrote it to end on "Space Nazis? WTF!", rather than a heroes welcome on Earth, knowing UPN would fear a backlash if Enterprise ended permanently on a cliffhanger.

I'm also pretty sure at 97 episodes (98 if you split Broken Bow), ENT is under the 100 required for syndication. Although, close enough I suppose. I'd have to question whether such an arbitrary figure even exists anyway. Lots of shows don't reach three figure episode counts, and get reruns all the time.

 

[Dukhat]

Really? I'm certain there was something to the contrary said in one of those Blu ray documentaries. Manny Coto talking about being left to wrap things up having to write Storm Front by himself possibly. It was on the bubble right up until Network Executives saw it, with them all set to pull the plug. B&B deliberately wrote it to end on "Space Nazis? WTF!", rather than a heroes welcome on Earth, knowing UPN would fear a backlash if Enterprise ended permanently on a cliffhanger.

By the end of the 3rd season, UPN didn't gave a rat's ass about ENT. It could have ended on a cliffhanger and Les Moonves & Dawn Ostroff wouldn't have given a shit. That's why UPN stopped meddling with the show and allowed Coto to be more flexible with whatever stories he wanted to tell; they simply stopped caring about it.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

It was the writers and producers going "we really don't give a shit whether this makes any kind of sense or not, we're going to do it anyway because we think that throwing in space Nazis right at the end of an episode that had nothing whatsoever to do with that is really kewl."

Sounds like a Rick Berman thing

 

[somebuddyX]

$#%$%$ Daniels, what an idiot. I like Season 3 a whole bunch but I think Daniels shouldn't have been apart of it at all, especially in Azati Prime.

 

[Richard Baker]

I really didn't care for the entire 'Temporal Cold War' arc (or the side episodes) at all. It sort of cheapened the start of the new series, which was supposed to be about Earth's initial exploration of the now larger neighborhood.

The Space Nazis was a weird unexpected twist- unexpected because it came so far from left field. I must admit I was interested in seeing how that got resolved so it did work as a cliff hanger.

 

[eyeresist]

As an end to season 3 it was unsatisfying, but the two follow-up eps were good.