Trek’s biggest missed opportunities
- Thread starter YetAnotherSubspaceAnomaly
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Jeffrey Combs told in an interview about one great missed opportunity. There was an episode of DS9 where he played two characters, Brunt and Weyoun, in the same show. He really wanted a brief scene where the two would pass each other in a hallway. They would walk past, pause a turn back a little, then sort of shrug and go about their way.
He tried to talk them into doing that scene but they never had the time...
He tried to talk them into doing that scene but they never had the time...
What about Kirk, Sisko or Janeway fans? Those captain's names aren't easily piratized...
We already just had (technically still had) a lead who's so young he's not even captain yet with Deep Space Nine, a captain on her first command seems a fine, better middle ground.
I don't know.....I really do like this idea. It's not a matter of her "inexperience"...it would be a matter of her legitimacy and the level of trust both the SF crew and the Maquis would have in her. If they created this dynamic, it would be great for some unique natural tension and drama.
Well, now I know what I’m watching today. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my favorite version of The Tempest
You encapsulated my thinking better than I did.
i'm one of those who pretend it doesn't even exist so please don't remind me
Nonsense, Terra Prime was a perfectly good ending 
It got plenty of screen time over the years. Gene's later opinion of it doesn't matter.
It got plenty of screen time over the years. Gene's later opinion of it doesn't matter.
exactlyNonsense, Terra Prime was a perfectly good ending
In a way, it's not really an episode of Enterprise, seeing as it's just Riker going through a holodeck program. Terrible idea.
I think the sad thing about These are the Voyages... is that there are as many good ideas in there as there are bad ones. The idea of making the last episode of Enterprise a Berman era finale instead of an Enterprise finale could've been fantastic if they'd told a much better story and made sure to sell it to people as a bonus special instead of an episode taken away from Enterprise. Like everyone says, Enterprise already had a pretty good finale with Terra Prime, so if they'd actually called that episode the finale there could've been a little less hate directed at These are the Voyages... (from both the fans and the actors).
Also every idea that These are the Voyages... did wrong, some other series has done right.
Also every idea that These are the Voyages... did wrong, some other series has done right.
- A certain other sci-fi series just interrupted its season with a surprise episode from an entirely different series and everyone thinks it's the best story yet!
- Justice League Unlimited (almost) ended with a fantastic Batman Beyond episode that wrapped up the entire DCAU.
- The Voyager episode Living Witness only ever features hologram recreations of the actual crew, and it's one of the best episodes of the series.
- A critically-acclaimed Joss Whedon series or two might have killed off a beloved character in its critically-acclaimed finale.
- Doctor Who ended a Doctor's run with an episode all about a main character from an earlier series going on an adventure with him in order to make a decision.
Though I can see how that situation would create bad optics. At the time, DS9 was already taking criticism over the fact that the first series to have a black CO had him ranked Commander rather than Captain, I doubt it would go over too well if the franchise's first female Captain wasn't an "official" Captain but rather just stepping up after the official Captain is killed.
And ultimately, the reason why those examples worked was because those episodes were about a character or characters of that show. "THESE ARE THE VOYAGES..." was basically about Cmdr. Will Riker, a character on a series that had been off the air for 11 YEARS, trying to make a decision during the events of an episode from said show.
THAT, and makimg it the series finale, is why it was such a failure.
That's the main reason. Setting it in the future without altering character appearance/rank/assignment to compensate was another. Killing Trip for no good reason was a third.
Just graft the last 30 seconds of this one onto Terra Prime and you've got a way better finale.
It's funny how they messed that up, after we already saw the Original Series, TNG, DS9 and Voyager crews changing appearance, getting promotions and having new assignments in various futures. In fact we even saw it in Enterprise as well, in Twilight.
I actually created a retcon for that issue... Riker's holodeck program was inaccurate. Like if you wanted to recreate a scene set in 1810, you might unintentionally add in details that were from 1805 or 1815.
Also, Riker might have deliberately put in characters who weren't on the Enterprise anymore in 2161, because they were famous or knew Archer best.
Also, Riker might have deliberately put in characters who weren't on the Enterprise anymore in 2161, because they were famous or knew Archer best.
That could definitely be the case, but that ambiguity only benefits the characters and not the episode.
Meh. It had a fantastic scene with him and 10, but the whole "Terry is Bruce's son" thing was complete trash.
You're not alone: the novels agree with you.
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