Yesterday's Enterprise
- Thread starter Thanos007
- Start date
Why did they make one of the best episodes ever? Because it was a great idea for one thing, but I think it did start with wanting to engineer a comeback for Denise Crosby. I think it's amazing that it turned out so well, if that contrived idea was the start of it.
It was written in chunks (commercial-to-commercial segments) that were assigned to different writers. It's amazing that worked. It sounds like a disastrous way to write.
It was written in chunks (commercial-to-commercial segments) that were assigned to different writers. It's amazing that worked. It sounds like a disastrous way to write.
Seem to recall reading somewhere they while that were filming it, they were thinking it was going to end up being one of the worst episodes, ironically. Sounded like it was a challenge to film, too.
One of my favorite bloopers is at the very end of this one: Guinan asks Geordi about Tasha Yar in Ten Forward - he is still wearing the alternative universe uniform with the high collar.
One of my favorite bloopers is at the very end of this one: Guinan asks Geordi about Tasha Yar in Ten Forward - he is still wearing the alternative universe uniform with the high collar.
Last edited:
Seeing "Yesterday's Enterprise" only as a "Tasha episode" totally defeats the purpose of the episode.
I always wondered if this episode was originally conceived as a crossover with the Enterprise A rather than the Enterprise C. Or if the idea was ever reimagined like that in a fan fic.
I think you do that, and you have an incredible tie in to Star Trek VI.
It would have to be reimagined, because they wouldn't kill anyone on the E-A that we care about, and the story couldn't be about a brave sacrifice of their lives.
Perhaps instead, Kirk and crew on the way to Khitomer, somehow encounter a wormhole that sends them to the future where they encounter Picard's ship. We learn that without Kirk and crew, the assassination that Kirk prevented happens, leading to the war that Picard and crew are fighting in the 24th century.
Now you have some interaction between Kirk and crew and Picard and crew, including the Enterprise A and D fighting side by side and whooping a little Klingon ass.
The Guinan and Yar stuff can play out the same, as perhaps Lt. Redshirt gets killed in the 24th century, where Yar volunteers to go to the 23rd century. Or perhaps Yar dies saving Kirk's or Spock's life, giving her death meaning.
After their adventure, Picard confesses the war isn't going well, and Kirk and Picard conclude that the only way to restore the timeline, as Guinan would confirm, is for Kirk and crew to go back, which they do, and the events of STVI play out.
I think you do that, and you have an incredible tie in to Star Trek VI.
It would have to be reimagined, because they wouldn't kill anyone on the E-A that we care about, and the story couldn't be about a brave sacrifice of their lives.
Perhaps instead, Kirk and crew on the way to Khitomer, somehow encounter a wormhole that sends them to the future where they encounter Picard's ship. We learn that without Kirk and crew, the assassination that Kirk prevented happens, leading to the war that Picard and crew are fighting in the 24th century.
Now you have some interaction between Kirk and crew and Picard and crew, including the Enterprise A and D fighting side by side and whooping a little Klingon ass.
The Guinan and Yar stuff can play out the same, as perhaps Lt. Redshirt gets killed in the 24th century, where Yar volunteers to go to the 23rd century. Or perhaps Yar dies saving Kirk's or Spock's life, giving her death meaning.
After their adventure, Picard confesses the war isn't going well, and Kirk and Picard conclude that the only way to restore the timeline, as Guinan would confirm, is for Kirk and crew to go back, which they do, and the events of STVI play out.
The final version that became the episode we know was basically a combination of two separate ideas by different writers. One script would have had a prior Enterprise emerge into the future (but without radically affecting the present as in the final episode) and Picard having to decide how to deal with the prospect of sending them back.
The second concept would have had a Vulcan team using the Guardian of Forever to study history when Surak helped the Vulcans embrace logic, and unintentionally causing Surak's death at the pivotal time. This would have resulted in an altered present where the Vulcans never lost their primal violence and evolved into a state more like the Romulans, and were now at war with the Federation. This timeline would have included an alternate Tasha who was still alive, and Sarek (who was on board to help the Vulcan team) volunteering to to back and take Surak's place in history, restoring it properly. Guinan was a very late addition to the final version, and in this pitch the crew would have learned details of the "proper" timeline from an alien probe. Her sense that things were wrong was explained in one of the novels as being a result of her "echo" existing in the Nexus and perceiving things that Guinan couldn't perceive on a normal level.
The two concepts ultimately wound up being combined, although adding Guinan meant the production crew had to work through the Thanksgiving holiday to get everything done. There was a lot of concern that the time elements wouldn't come across well as written, but I think many Trek fans would say otherwise. Jonathan Frakes says he doesn't understand those elements of the script.
Pretty much everyone felt the episode gave Tasha's character a better treatment than her "normal" counterpart received and also a worthy death, and Denise Crosby considers it her favorite episode.
That was the initial plan, I seem to recall. But Braga and Moore didn't want to remake that episode. Riding on the high of All Good Things, they thought they would knock GEN out of the park. They've since admitted their reach exceeded their grasp with GEN.
Funny enough, Orci and Kurtzman used YE when they were crafting ST 2009.
What was it's purpose besides giving a better death?
That it was the Enterprise-C’s sacrifice that allowed the Federation and the Klingon Empire to make peace, instead of going to war with each other as the alternate timeline in the episode showed. That, and Picard’s moral dilemma in allowing the Ent-C crew to return to the battle with the Romulans knowing that they will all die.
So, no, it’s far more than a ‘Tasha’ episode.
Actually, they were writing BOTH the "Generations" and "All Good Things" scripts AT THE SAME TIME - and admitted sometimes they'd write a whole scene and then realize it was for the WRONG script.
Personally, I think "All Good Things" would have worked much better as a full TNG film; but the film 'hook' for "Generations" was William Shatner reprising Captain Kirk for one last time.
Both of our statements are true.
Reusing the time travel mechanic and the crossplay between Picard and Kirk was the plan for GEN initially. Then things changed to an energy ribbon and Kirk and Picard making eggs in the mountains. Like a romantic getaway for the captains. While the ENT-D meets it's end against a BoP. The same way the ENT-D died in YE. Only YE dialed up the action by making it 3 on 1. While for the big budget movie, it was one on one, with the BoP having a pointless handicap.
Some movies are about hour and a half. 'All Good Things...' is an our and a half "double episode".
Basically you could see AGT as a movie. A better movie than 'Generations' ever was.
I wonder, how would AGT be different if it was a movie? Better effects, better.. something?
I think AGT is absolutely great as it is.
The ST novel Federation was a Kirk era-Picard era crossover of sorts. No interaction between the two crews, but still a most memorable story.
It was a hell of a lot better than ST: First Contact, as far as Cochrane was concerned.
There's four things I liked about YE.
1. Crosby's performance as Yar is polished. She isn't clumsily parachuted in here. She fits among the regulars like a hand in glove. This is season 3 Yar who has grown with the crew and has seemingly never left the show. I like that.
2. Guinan's forceful manner with Picard, Picard's initial dismay. The Guinan Picard exchanges are very good here as Guinan tests their friendship with an extraordinary appeal. Picard giving the table a good belt. Excellent acting.
3. I enjoyed the way it links with Redemption and Unification and then back again to TUC. You get a genuine sense of history for the first time involving TNG. It's a fan thing perhaps but I do like that kind of attention to detail.
4. A pet hate of mine in war films and alot of sci-fi are alot of them are overweight with excessive "wise crack" exchanges and the like. I never think that's plausible really.
There's a sadness among the crew and a jadedness. The black absence of warmth between Picard and Riker. It's not necessarily so they are hostile to each other per say but there's no joy in anything anymore. It's quite a relief when things merge back where Picard is returned to being an upbeat figure. I like that.
1. Crosby's performance as Yar is polished. She isn't clumsily parachuted in here. She fits among the regulars like a hand in glove. This is season 3 Yar who has grown with the crew and has seemingly never left the show. I like that.
2. Guinan's forceful manner with Picard, Picard's initial dismay. The Guinan Picard exchanges are very good here as Guinan tests their friendship with an extraordinary appeal. Picard giving the table a good belt. Excellent acting.
3. I enjoyed the way it links with Redemption and Unification and then back again to TUC. You get a genuine sense of history for the first time involving TNG. It's a fan thing perhaps but I do like that kind of attention to detail.
4. A pet hate of mine in war films and alot of sci-fi are alot of them are overweight with excessive "wise crack" exchanges and the like. I never think that's plausible really.
There's a sadness among the crew and a jadedness. The black absence of warmth between Picard and Riker. It's not necessarily so they are hostile to each other per say but there's no joy in anything anymore. It's quite a relief when things merge back where Picard is returned to being an upbeat figure. I like that.
Similar threads
