Lots of great comments here. I haven’t given it a huge amount of thought myself, but here’s how I’d probably have approached things had the studio given Rick Berman the heave ho and made my own good self the executive producer of these films.
GENERATIONS had potential but, in my opinion, needed lot of work. I know part of the problem was executive meddling and the writers were very much constrained by what they could and couldn’t do, but the plot could have been significantly improved. I shared my idea in another thread, but here goes again. Soren is basically manipulating temporal laws in a desperate bid to reopen the Nexus. As a result, he is inadvertently creating time distortions and shattering the fabric of space and time. Things from different time periods are emerging through dimensional tears—including the Enterprise A, which finds itself thrust into the 24th century and face to face with the Enterprise D. I’d have tried to get as many of the original cast back as possible because this would have been less a quick cameo and more of an Avengers style team up for the TOS and TNG crews.
The Enterprise A isn’t the only ship to be displaced in time and end up on the scene—Soren’s experiments unleash some nasty aliens from subspace which end up on a rampage of destruction. Both Enterprises have to team up to stop them while also finding Soren and putting an end to his temporal manipulations. I’d have had it end with an epic space battle to end all space battles with Kirk seemingly sacrificing himself to ensure victory. We’d intercut with the Nexus, which is gradually threatening to engulf reality and we’re not quite sure where reality and the fantasy of the Nexus begins and ends.
I’d kind of have an INCEPTION style ending where we’re not entirely sure what was real and what wasn’t all along. Nevertheless, the subspace aliens are defeated and sent back where they came, Soren is stopped and reality appears to restructure itself back to normal, with the Enterprise A returning to its own time. I’d leave Kirk’s death ambiguous and strongly hint that he wasn’t perhaps killed but simply pulled into the Nexus where he’s still alive and may one day return. He deserves a mythic, ambiguous fate.
FIRST CONTACT is a solid movie and was fairly well received by most, including critics if I recall. There are a number of plot holes I’d try to patch up, but it’s been a while since I’ve watched it so I’m not quite sure where I’d start. The only thing I’d definitely change would be the Borg Queen. I’d have made her FAR less camp and sexualised and much more alien, creepy and aloof. I’d really want her to chill your soul rather than strut about like a stereotypical femme fatale in a catsuit.
INSURRECTION…h’oh boy. I think I’d completely redo this one from scratch. I don’t really know if there’s much I could salvage with that story.
I’d probably make it hinge around the Dominion war, with the Enterprise on the front lines and coming across a Starfleet conspiracy to harvest some unique natural mineral or substance on the Baku planet (which is populated by billions of Baku rather than just a piddly little village). This substance, unavailable on any other known planet, could somehow turn the tide of the war by, I don’t know, making a new grade of weapon or starship propulsion. The war is at a crucial juncture and Starfleet really needs to gain the upper hand or risk extinction.
The Baku are intrinsically connected to their planet, perhaps as a result of its unique property, and can’t be relocated elsewhere. Picard uncovers a conspiracy within an increasingly desperate Starfleet to strip mine the planet regardless, and this may result in the widespread destruction of the Baku. Picard can’t accept this, resigns his commission and ends up taking a stand on the planet. That’s just as the Dominion arrive, also eager to acquire its resources and a ferocious battle takes place for the future of the world, both on land and in space. I haven’t thought about this much, but that would be my approach. Most of the humour in Insurrection was embarrassingly forced and naff, so I’d strip that shit right out and make this a tense and taut war movie with an unflinching exploration of ethics, morality and ideology.
By this point, by the way, I’d have split up the Enterprise crew. It strained credulity that the crew stayed together so long both in the TOS and TNG films. Realistically, the senior crew would have been promoted and assigned to different ships or roles rather than remaining in the same positions they’d had for decades on the Enterprise. In Insurrection, I’d have Picard deliberately recall his old bridge officers and the people he most trusted so we get a reunion. I’d also maybe include more connection to DS9 with Worf appearing again on the Defiant along with another DS9 crew member, perhaps O’Brien or Kira, both of whom have past experience defending planets in time of war.
NEMESIS…again, I’d pretty much gut this one. There’s some potential with the Picard clone idea, so I might explore that, only I’d probably have Patrick Stewart play a dual role. It’s great to see Tom Hardy in before he became a major star but he really doesn’t look, sound or act much like Patrick Stewart.
I’m not exactly sure how, but probably make this film more of a political conspiracy drama, and draw some inspiration from the Bourne franchise. I’d have Shinzon replace Picard, who is being kept prisoner on Romulus. I think it would be cool to spend some time on Earth as Riker and Data start uncovering evidence of a plot to compromise Starfleet at its heart, which leads them to uncover Shinzon posing as Jean-Luc.
After some cool chase scenes on 24th century Earth, Shinzon manages to escape after being discovered but not before Riker learns that the real Picard is being held on Romulus. With potential war looming with the Romulans, Starfleet decides it is too risky to mount a rescue mission, so Riker disobeys orders, assembles the old crew and, taking a leaf out of Kirk’s book, they steal the soon-to-be-decommissioned Enterprise E and head to Romulus. They end up having a huge showdown with Shinzon in space, while Picard finds allies willing to help him on Romulus, including an old pointy-eared ambassador he once met several years previously. I’d have made the studio give Leonard Nimoy whatever he wanted to reappear as Ambassador Spock!
Needless to say, I’d cut the entire B4 plot and Brent Spiner would just have to suck it up. Of course, I know from reading Michael Piller’s behind the scenes take on Insurrection just how much the actors and studio interfere with the story process, often much to its detriment. But that’s how I’d have tried to approach things. I’d include a number of cameos from DS9 and VOY characters in this one and had some fun exploring the inner workings of Starfleet command and making it a galaxy hopping romp with a race against time to prevent an interstellar war. Data wouldn’t die—nobody needed to see a third rate knock off of TWOK. I’d have it end on a far more triumphant and uplifting note.
