If Star Trek: Generations had been a regular two-part episode of the series....

[Lance]

.... how would you restructure it? Where would you place the cliffhanger? What parts of the story would you keep, and what would you drop?

My feeling is I'd almost try to do a 'The Inner Light' on it, with Picard inside his nexus fantasy for longer and becoming much more settled within it. Maybe have him taken into the Nexus sooner, and run the storylines side-by-side, Picard in his Nexus life, and of the Enterprise crew coping with their loss, but gradually finding some evidende to suggest that Picard maybe crossed to another dimension rather than died, and following their leads to track where the Nexus goes next.

I'm not entirely sure if Captain Kirk is a part of this version. If we were going to include him, the obvious place would be at the cliffhanger, but what if.... the hint that the Nexus is a portal rather than a space storm is that Kirk emerges from it into the 24th century, and, having finally figured out the illusion wasn't real, had been trying to escape -- and did -- and is now keen to help the crew of the Enterprise-D rescue their captain?

When the Enterprise gets into an engagement with the Klingon sisters, Kirk assumes command and bluffs/distracts/engages them in battle while Data and Riker mount a mission to enter the Nexus and rescue Picard. *Or*, Kirk is on the mission, and the roles from the finished movie are flipped: Kirk attempting to convince Picard to leave his perfect fantasy life, rather than the other way around?

Thoughts?

 

[MakeshiftPython]

That all depends. There's different kind of two-parters. The feature length episode that works as one but can be edited to two episodes in reruns. The mid-season two-parter like "Gambit" and "Chain of Command", and the season finale/premiere where you really do a cliffhanger.

I do think we can rule out the Enterprise crashing. That was something pitched in the series and was always shot down due to not having the budget for television. This is why the film we got feels like a hodgepodge of ideas they couldn't do in the series but with a film budget ran with them. Kirk most likely wouldn't have been brought back because I don't think Shatner was interested in playing a guest role, and he went into GENERATIONS thinking his role was far more integral than it turned out to be. Worf's promotion ceremony would certainly have to be cut, as any version of that in TV would have been distilled to just being set in Ten Forward.

 

[Phoenix219]

I love the idea of Kirk emerging in the 24th and assuming command of the D, while Picard disappears and gets trapped in his fantasy life. Never seeing Kirk with the TNG cast and "D" and keeping everything separate was one of the biggest problems with the movie, IMO. With all of the loss Picard has suffered, it makes sense that he might hang onto his Nexus life. What works the most, though, would be to parallel Kirk's disappearance with Picard's disappearance, with the true nature of things being discovered only after Kirk emerges and they hear his story, and realize that Picard has disappeared in the same manner. I also like the idea of Riker and Data going into the Nexus to rescue Picard, armed with the knowledge it is fake, but still having to deny their fantasies on the way in - you could seed Riker's later rekindling of things with Troi by the nature of his fantasy world. You could skip the entire emotion chip, and just have Data experience being human/having emotions while in the Nexus, with the later realization being that he was capable the whole time.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

… it never would have become GEN because Berman’s “shopping list” would’ve been missing, Shatner probably wouldn‘t have returned, the VFX budget wouldn‘t have been there so you‘d have had to give up and write something better like “All Good Things…”

 

[saladdays]

… it never would have become GEN because Berman’s “shopping list” would’ve been missing, Shatner probably wouldn‘t have returned, the VFX budget wouldn‘t have been there so you‘d have had to give up and write something better like “All Good Things…”

The good thing about being a fan is that you can sometime think up stuff that doesn't necessarily have a chance to happen...or so I've heard

 

[Lord Garth]

What would've changed:

• No opening sequence in the 23rd Century.
• If there was a promotion ceremony for Worf, it would've been in 10 Forward.
• Picard's brother and nephew wouldn't have died.
• No fancy Astrometrics set.
• The Duras Sisters wouldn't have been killed off.
• The Enterprise-D wouldn't have been destroyed.
• No crossover between Kirk and Picard.

What would've changed partially:

• Data could still install the emotion chip, but it would be removed by the end of Part II.

What would've stayed the same:

• Soran would want to find a way into the Nexus.

For all of its faults, Generations is largely something that wouldn't have been done in Star Trek on TV at the time. Unlike Insurrection.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

The good thing about being a fan is that you can sometime think up stuff that doesn't necessarily have a chance to happen...or so I've heard

Like a brand-new category of fanfic called “feature film is cancelled and made for TV to recoup investment”?

 

[FreddyE]

I love the idea of Kirk emerging in the 24th and assuming command of the D, while Picard disappears and gets trapped in his fantasy life. Never seeing Kirk with the TNG cast and "D" and keeping everything separate was one of the biggest problems with the movie, IMO. With all of the loss Picard has suffered, it makes sense that he might hang onto his Nexus life. What works the most, though, would be to parallel Kirk's disappearance with Picard's disappearance, with the true nature of things being discovered only after Kirk emerges and they hear his story, and realize that Picard has disappeared in the same manner. I also like the idea of Riker and Data going into the Nexus to rescue Picard, armed with the knowledge it is fake, but still having to deny their fantasies on the way in - you could seed Riker's later rekindling of things with Troi by the nature of his fantasy world. You could skip the entire emotion chip, and just have Data experience being human/having emotions while in the Nexus, with the later realization being that he was capable the whole time.

I would love to read a fan novel version of this!!

 

[Armus]

As flawed as it is a movie, I think Generations may be my favorite Next Gen movie, simply because it's the closest to the series in look and tone. I think the Enterprise D looks great on screen and so do the TNG and DS9 uniforms.

 

[Takeru]

I'd drop Kirk and all 23rd century scenes, the cliffhanger would be the warp core breach and the saucer plunging into the atmosphere.

Part 2 starts with the saucer getting out of the atmosphere at the last moment but it's heavily damaged, Soran and Picard never enter the Nexus, that was just done as a way to get Picard and Kirk together, without Kirk there's no need for that. So Picard either successfully talks Soran into not blowing up the star or he successfully wiggles through the forcefield gap and punches him in the face. While that happens on the planet the B plot on the saucer would be about whatever is going on there, the search for Pivard, making their way through the ship with the turbolifts down, trying to get a shuttle ready for launch (assuming they got thrown around the shuttlebay like toys and were all damaged in the aftermath of the core breach)

The saucer is then towed to a starbase and gets a new stardrive, the show would only have to invest in new carpet for the engineering set and make some minor changes like new chairs for Geordie's office space (and maybe a differently curved plastic Window if want to splurge), new wall plugs to cover up the corridors or a redesigned table and *boom* brand new stardrive.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I think Kirk taking command of an advance Starship would be a major learning curve for him in such short notice; it would probably mirror TMP where Decker and him butt heads. Could the Nexus, with its magical themes, assist with Kirk's accelerated progression in new starship technical nuances? It would be fun to see Kirk get it; could be something similar to "The Matrix" where characters download information.

As for the 1701-B sequence where Kirk played engineer instead of replacing the Enterprise Captain, I would've liked to see Kirk noticing he was phasing in and out of time - - he was already debriefed by Scotty what was happening on Guinan's ship so he would be up to speed and he didn't have much time to accomplish his engineer duty. When Picard first sees Kirk I can see this as an ending to the first part of the episode. This would invite hope for our heroes.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Kirk might be confused by the technical nuances but he could use his ability to trick and influence people without that ability.

 

[Phoenix219]

Kirk might be confused by the technical nuances but he could use his ability to trick and influence people without that ability.

Right, ordering other people to make the ship do what it does, doesn't mean he needs to know all of those technical details. Its not like Scotty, needing to catch up on 80 years of technical advances. Most of the basics seem the same during TNG in terms of application, even if the technology behind it is more slick and advanced and efficient.

 

[Lance]

I'd drop Kirk and all 23rd century scenes, the cliffhanger would be the warp core breach and the saucer plunging into the atmosphere.

Part 2 starts with the saucer getting out of the atmosphere at the last moment but it's heavily damaged, Soran and Picard never enter the Nexus, that was just done as a way to get Picard and Kirk together, without Kirk there's no need for that. So Picard either successfully talks Soran into not blowing up the star or he successfully wiggles through the forcefield gap and punches him in the face. While that happens on the planet the B plot on the saucer would be about whatever is going on there, the search for Pivard, making their way through the ship with the turbolifts down, trying to get a shuttle ready for launch (assuming they got thrown around the shuttlebay like toys and were all damaged in the aftermath of the core breach)

The saucer is then towed to a starbase and gets a new stardrive, the show would only have to invest in new carpet for the engineering set and make some minor changes like new chairs for Geordie's office space (and maybe a differently curved plastic Window if want to splurge), new wall plugs to cover up the corridors or a redesigned table and *boom* brand new stardrive.

I really like this. Keeps some of the big set pieces, but brings them down to TV scale.

I'd maybe leave Picard and Soren on the planet while the heavily battle damaged Enterprise saucer has to go get a new stardrive and undergo repairs. So, it then becomes a battle of survival in the jungle, with the two possibly learning to work together and getting to know each other through their shared adversity. That rather sounds like The Next Generation at heart. (a TV show that seldom tried to have simple heroes and villains, when they could avoid it.)

 

[Phoenix219]

Right, ordering other people to make the ship do what it does, doesn't mean he needs to know all of those technical details. Its not like Scotty, needing to catch up on 80 years of technical advances. Most of the basics seem the same during TNG in terms of application, even if the technology behind it is more slick and advanced and efficient.

Come to think of it, Scotty had no problem taking a 24th century shuttle with no learning curve very soon after his awakening, so I'm sure Kirk would be find in the Captain's chair. Maybe he wouldn't know where the intraship intercom switch is anymore. He can still bark "Raise Shields! Red Alert! Open a Channel! Lock Phasers on Target! Fire!"

 

[Jayson1]

I would drop the Data story all together. The first hour would start with Worf's promotion. Picard finds out his family is dead via Starfleet message at the celebration. They get a distress call from the space station. They arrive and everyone is dead except Soran. Guinan recognizes Soran and tells Picard the story of the Enterprise B and the Nexus where we flashback and see's Kirk's "death." She warns Picard about him but also notices he is in pain and she tries to help him by talking where he then breaks down and cries. Meanwhile Soran has a scene on the holodeck with his "family" were he tells them he will be with them soon. The Duras sisters show up and start attacking the station. They are able to beam Soran off the Enterprise. Once they beam aboard they use a remote link on their ship to activate a missile from the space station that causes the star to go nova. That's the cliffhanger.

The second part has the ship barely escape danger. Picard asks Guinan were he thinks they are going. She tells him that he is searching for the Nexus. To find him you got to find the nexus. Picard orders Data to search for it. Picard now that he knows about the Nexus starts to sort of have fantasies of his Brother and nephew being alive and is pondering the idea of going into the Nexus as well but only as wish fulliment. He knows his Duty would prevent him from doing it. Guinan tells him it won't be that easy if he goes inside the Nexus. They find Soran.but it's to late. He has launched a missle that alters the Nexus Picard orders himself beamed into the Nexus before the ship is destroyed. He finds himself in Soran's home with his family at first but then he finds himself at the vineyard with his family. Guinan shows up and reminds him of his duty. He will need help and introduces him to Kirk who is living in 40 era Earth with Edith Keeler and has been for 20 or so years from his perspective. He talks Kirk into helping him. He comes back and they travel back to the Enterprise B were they help Soran go back into the Nexus from that time period while preventing Kirk's "death." The story ends with Kirk back in his time. Soran in the Nexus but without all the death involved to get inside it . Picard alone thinking about his family and how he could have been with them but he gets a call from Wesley. Which makes him sort of feel some happiness and realizes that in away he still does have family.

Jason

 

[Phoenix219]

We have always said it was stupid to only go back that amount of time upon exiting the Nexux - if you could exit any time, saving Kirk and stopping it from ever getting to that point is definitely the better option.

 

[Trek Survivor]

As a 'regular' two parter huge amounts would need to be changed, but here's a summary of what I'd keep:

* Worf's promotion
* Concept of the Nexus
* Soran as an adversary, and his desire to return
* Soran using the Duras sisters (I always loved these two as villains in the Trek universe)

What I definitely WOULDN'T keep:

* Robert and Rene's deaths
* Destruction of the Enterprise-D
* Return of Kirk

Data's emotion chip use... undecided on. In the TV series, his progress with it could be spread over numerous episodes; I'd certainly dial back the "humour" attempts in relation to the chip at least.

The truth is, for all its flaws, Generations is certainly NOT just a "two-part episode" as its sometimes criticised for. Its scope and ambition is significant - whether it succeeds or not is up to individual viewers.

 

[Qonundrum]

I like GEN, it's the best TNG film IMHO, but I would do a few things regardless as twenty five years and a couple weeks allows one to think of so much:

Keep the new interior lighting - this is so much classier than the floodlit bridge of seven years.

Subsequently, they could also title the movie "Fifty Shades of Beige" instead of just the one overly lit shade.

Keep the 23rd century out of it. Their presence added way too many questions, especially how long the Elaurians were traveling after fleeing the Borg, to make it that far into Federation space. Their inclusion sorta upended and ruined their coda in STVI too. That and going the depressive route of killing Kirk wasn't great.

Move the Duras sisters to DS9, or take the time with the time now available due to excising the 23rd century song and dance to re-cultivate their threat, especially for the moviegoers that knew of TNG but were casuals enough that they stopped watching after season 5 or so. Khan got adequate development in TWOK but GEN brings them in almost as an afterthought to connect the dots for Soran's plan.

Worf's promotion doesn't need to be this over the top escapade, which was done solely to spend more f/x money on a minor holodeck scene

Get rid of Guinan's flip-floppy lines of "There's no way to get in there, you have to accept it" and "Once you're in there you won't want to leave". And TNG has showed enough episodes where Picard sees right through the illusion anyway, and done far better (e.g. WNOHGB). Guinan still needs to be in the movie, but it could be better.

Dr Soran can still look for his ribbon gateway plot, but with so much more screen time now available the episode can breathe more and allow:
* Soran to be more visibly evil; the sympathetic villain trope is a Trek staple but he's crossed a few too many lines by torturing kidnapped crew. He even pulled a Troi and knew of Picard's family, hence his "fire" quote so that bit has to say as it's important to the plot and its themes
* Soran to use the Enterprise to help direct the ribbon's course (or uses means to infiltrate the ship to get it to crash (thus engineering section's blast causes ribbon to shift, saucer still impacted by the blast and they go down) - or, possibly, another villain just waltzing by the area that takes the 1701-D crew by surprise but that's still a tad convenient, hokey, and we saw the Ferengi do that in "Rascals". Would we want to see that again?)

They still have to crash the ship - this is a big event movie and the crash scene is sumptuous. Maybe have Soran plant a bomb that cannot be removed, as opposed to the passable-but-not-great warp core breach script standby, as taken from "Yesterday's Enterprise".

Show the 1701-E at the end. It's a gorgeous design, but viewers deserve two whole years to get out of their system that uncontrollable urge to nitpick and froth over all the new ship's design, thus allowing them more time to bask in the half-baked yet half-great star warsy pew-pew glory of "First Contact".

I liked Data's jokiness. And how the chip was fused so everyone had to cope with it. I'd change the remaining movies and the different excuses they give as to how he can turn it on and off willingly or it's gone now for no reason and so on... Or I'd live without it and nix the subplot entirely. It's easy to see why NEM has Data being his old self and I don't blame them for going that route.

 

[DostoyevskyClone]

I've been thinking about this idea quite a lot, and I think it's a really interesting idea. I wish they had gone with an eighth season instead of focusing on movies. I agree with those who said it would work but would require some changes. If this was to be a two-part opener for the eighth season, TV budget restraints would necessitate certain changes. Based on running time, certain story elements would have to be trimmed too, unless you wanted to make it a three-parter. I actually thought this might work for a while, but I think you'd end up with too much filler. I've summarized the big changes below:


1. No Kirk. Take the themes that Kirk expresses and have a much older Harriman express them (albeit slightly altered to fit his situation with the Enterprise B). There are a few reasons. First, a lot of people didn't like the idea of Kirk dying, so this solves that problem. Harriman could be around the age of Picard or slightly older and considering retirement. I think a lot of the themes would still work.

2. Start the movie with Worf's promotion and remove the movie's original opening 'prologue' set on the Enterprise B. These would be 'Next Generation' episodes, so there's no need to commit a lot of running time to the Enterprise B or her crew. We can get enough information when Picard meets Harriman in the Nexus or though another character (i.e. Crusher giving the history lesson she gives to Riker, etc.)

3. The Enterprise D wouldn't be completely destroyed. You could still have the saucer separation and destruction of the stardrive section for emotional weight, but the saucer section would survive and not crash land on the planet. The Enterprise D could be seen getting a new stardrive section at the end of the second episode. This is mainly for budget reasons. I couldn't see them creating whole new sets for the Enterprise E eight seasons into the series, and I don't think they could pull of a great crash scene on a limited budget.

4. As others have said, the location for Worf's promotion would likely have to be changed due to budget reasons. Ten Forward does seem like the likely first option

5. Again, as others have said, probably no stellar cartography, again, due to budget reasons. The Conference Room I guess?



I think this would have worked out pretty well. Could they still have got Malcolm McDowell on a TV budget? I thought he did a great job as a villain.