I was surfing Memory Alpha just now, when I came across this phrase: Seriously, what the hell? They came up with this elabourate idea about the Temporal Cold War being manipulated by a shadowy figure from the future and never actually considered his identity or motivations?
I know, it's terrible. I knew they didn't have any sort of plan by the contradictory nonsense Daniels kept coming out with - like hinting that there's no Earth in the 31st century, then freaking out when Earth, his base of operations, is destroyed in "Shockwave". It could have been great had TPTB worked from a blueprint of the future, so that all the 31st century tidbits dropped added up to something. As it was they went with whatever sounded good at the time, and we never found out why Daniels needed Archer to do everything for him when he had such powers (like transporting the entire Enterprise to an alternate WWII) himself or who Future Guy was, or why he sometimes helped the crew and sometimes tried to kill them.
The TCW was not Berman or Braga's idea. It was UPN's. (Or rather, UPN didn't think ENT would stand on its own as a prequel, so they asked B&B to come up with something futury-time-travelly. Of course they didn't develop it, as they didn't want to do it in the first place. They rightly gave it all the development it deserved: nothing.) Really, UPN ruined what could have been a good show.
^ I heard that Monves interfered on a lot of things, including to sex up the show (dumb), but hadn't heard they were responsible for Future Guy. The folks before Monves (Hart) seemed very hands-off and gung ho about Star Trek, part of the reason I think the series was launched.
Whether it was their original idea or not, they were in charge of executing it. And as much as I like the show, I think that the way they did leaves much to be desired.
No surprise here. Future Guy starts out screwing with Archer in Broken Bow and later sends his Suliban henchmen to abduct Archer in Shockwave I. They fail to capture him (because Daniels turns up and "rescues" Archer by bringing to the distant (albeit totally destroyed) future). Next thing we know, FG has Silik bring Archer to the helix so he can warn Earth about the threat from the Xindi. The most fundamental problem was that Bermaga was reportedly told by the suits that they wanted a PREQUEL set 100 years before Kirk and Co. to have a far future feel to it. Idiots.
Bermaga should have contacted the Vulcan Science Council. They would have told them that Time Travel is impossible.
Wrong. Berman and Braga had both stated that they were toying with several possibilities for the identity of FG.
No doubt but B&B could of held there ground because at the time UPN needed a show like ST still due to the ratings of their other shows. Also paramount didn't have the willingness to kick them out so they would of gone with B&B in the end if they really stuck to there guns and said no TCW, its a prequel get over it. They were weak producers when many others would of stood there ground even if it meant they were sacked.
Uh, no. UPN were B&B's bosses, and they did what their bosses told them to do, just like you would do if your boss asked you to do something. Unless you're independently wealthy, you seem to be underestimating the importance of having a job and getting a steady paycheck in a time of not having a job equals you being totally screwed. Whether you like the job or not, whether you think the boss is an idiot or not, doesn't matter. And really, do you think B&B getting sacked would have done anything to improve the quality of the show? It probably would have made things worse, as UPN would have just hired some sycophantic yes-man to take their place.
Or you keep your options open, in case a writer comes up with a better idea. It makes the story more organic and less Babylon 5.
but enterprise wasn't organic, one of its main problems was lack of focus on the TWC that made it feel awkward at times