Coto: Trying To Save Star Trek: Enterprise

[TrekToday]

Star Trek: Enterprise Writer/Co-Executive Producer Manny Coto gave his best effort to try to save the show, and even though Enterprise ended prematurely, Coto is proud of his work. Coto shared memories of his first impression of Brannon Braga, his favorite show, trying to make a William Shatner guest appearance happen, and the controversial Enterprise […]

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[M.A.C.O.]

Give ENT a 12 episode 5th season. Bring some genuine closure to that series.

 

[Alrik]

I found his remarks on TATV interesting. Makes it that much easier for me to see it as a stand alone that doesn't need to be considered.

 

[Sigokat]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode, almost like "oh damn this bombed...yeah we never expected it to be the real finale".

Oh well, ENT was far better than I expected going into it and there were only a few minor issues, so if TATV is my biggest complaint, then I'm still happy. Just wish there was more of course.

 

[trekker670]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode

I disagree, that's always how I have always viewed the episode.

I wasn't big into ENT when it was first on the air (I was in middle school and we didn't have cable), but I watched the occasional episode when I could. I made sure to watch TATV, because I knew it was the end of the era.

Could the episode have been better? Absolutely, but it was never the finale to Enterprise, it was the finale to that generation of Star Trek.

 

[Sigokat]

That may be, but it was horribly done.

I don't know about when it aired, I was stationed overseas and probably in Iraq at the time and this was my first run of it. But if that was the plan from the beginning it sounds like it was a pretty lame plan...why would we need a finale to that generation of Star Trek? Just all around dumb IMO.

Perhaps it would have been done better if the script wasn't so bad, the acting so cheesy, and Frakes/Riker so creepy (did he really need to kiss hologram Hoshi on the cheek?) but I doubt it.

 

[Noname Given]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode, almost like "oh damn this bombed...yeah we never expected it to be the real finale".

Oh well, ENT was far better than I expected going into it and there were only a few minor issues, so if TATV is my biggest complaint, then I'm still happy. Just wish there was more of course.

He still works in Hollywood, so he doesn't want to burn bridges as you never know who might be part of another show you get to work on, etc.; so he's just being diplomatic.

It was stated the Demons/Terra Prime story was conceived as a 3 episode arc; and paired down to two so that B&B could do TATV. (Basically Coto was scripting Demons/Terra Prime when Braga told him they wanted to write the final ENT episode; so Coto condensed it to the two episode story we ultimately saw.)

 

[gblews]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode

I disagree, that's always how I have always viewed the episode.

I wasn't big into ENT when it was first on the air (I was in middle school and we didn't have cable), but I watched the occasional episode when I could. I made sure to watch TATV, because I knew it was the end of the era.

Could the episode have been better? Absolutely, but it was never the finale to Enterprise, it was the finale to that generation of Star Trek.

Regardless of how it is spun by the perpetrators, TaTV as a "Star Trek" finale also fell flat.

Exactly 3 of the 5 shows were given representation in the episode. They completly ignored Voy and DS9.

No, it started out as the Ent finale and sometime after the uh, ahem, "reviews" for TaTV started rolling in, the Beebs cooked up this "finale to 18 years of Trek" malarky.

There was no mention of this in the run up to the episode or in the immediate aftermath. From what I recall, Mike Sussman came up with the idea for the "boldy go" speech at the end, otherwise we'd never have seen it.

Manny was great for the show and I will ALWAYS be greatful for his participation, but this is some major league spinning.

 

[Alrik]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode, almost like "oh damn this bombed...yeah we never expected it to be the real finale".

Oh well, ENT was far better than I expected going into it and there were only a few minor issues, so if TATV is my biggest complaint, then I'm still happy. Just wish there was more of course.

He still works in Hollywood, so he doesn't want to burn bridges as you never know who might be part of another show you get to work on, etc.; so he's just being diplomatic.

It was stated the Demons/Terra Prime story was conceived as a 3 episode arc; and paired down to two so that B&B could do TATV. (Basically Coto was scripting Demons/Terra Prime when Braga told him they wanted to write the final ENT episode; so Coto condensed it to the two episode story we ultimately saw.)

Spot on. It was interesting how he danced around TATV without throwing anyone under the bus. I like how he pointed out that Demons/Terra Prime were the end to ENT and TATV was the bookend for (then) current Trek. Reading between the lines, I took it as, when it comes to TATV, you can choose to take it or leave it, its up to you, without actually saying the words.

 

[Cyke101]

Interesting read. What he said about TATV though...seems more of an excuse or a cop-out for a very poorly done episode

I disagree, that's always how I have always viewed the episode.

I wasn't big into ENT when it was first on the air (I was in middle school and we didn't have cable), but I watched the occasional episode when I could. I made sure to watch TATV, because I knew it was the end of the era.

Could the episode have been better? Absolutely, but it was never the finale to Enterprise, it was the finale to that generation of Star Trek.

Regardless of how it is spun by the perpetrators, TaTV as a "Star Trek" finale also fell flat.

Exactly 3 of the 5 shows were given representation in the episode. They completly ignored Voy and DS9.

No, it started out as the Ent finale and sometime after the uh, ahem, "reviews" for TaTV started rolling in, the Beebs cooked up this "finale to 18 years of Trek" malarky.

There was no mention of this in the run up to the episode or in the immediate aftermath. From what I recall, Mike Sussman came up with the idea for the "boldy go" speech at the end, otherwise we'd never have seen it.

Manny was great for the show and I will ALWAYS be greatful for his participation, but this is some major league spinning.

I agree entirely. I'm a big fan of Coto and will continue to watch his stuff, nor do I blame him for touting the party line, but yeah, the defense just doesn't seem honest. If it really was a celebration of Trek more than Enterprise, why would TNG need to be the framing device? Why ignore other shows? If it's for the 18 years, why even put in the original Enterprise anyway?

Hindsight is always 20/20, especially nine years after the fact. But imo, if they really wanted to celebrate Trek through Enterprise, then they should've *really* done it through Enterprise, not Enterprise as a TNG episode. The "legacy" of all the other shows being filtered with Enterprise as the start (after all, that's what the premise asks us to accept as viewers) would have honored both the show and the franchise.

 

[trekker670]

I disagree, that's always how I have always viewed the episode....

Regardless of how it is spun by the perpetrators, TaTV as a "Star Trek" finale also fell flat.

Exactly 3 of the 5 shows were given representation in the episode. They completly ignored Voy and DS9.

No, it started out as the Ent finale and sometime after the uh, ahem, "reviews" for TaTV started rolling in, the Beebs cooked up this "finale to 18 years of Trek" malarky.

As I stated, this is how I have always viewed the episode, whether that's how TPTB presented it at-the-time or after-the-fact, doesn't change how I viewed it personally.

And I agree, it wasn't great, but I, for one, enjoyed seeing old sets and faces again, despite it not being all that it could have been.

 

[Commishsleer]

Exactly 3 of the 5 shows were given representation in the episode. They completly ignored Voy and DS9.

No, it started out as the Ent finale and sometime after the uh, ahem, "reviews" for TaTV started rolling in, the Beebs cooked up this "finale to 18 years of Trek" malarky.

There was no mention of this in the run up to the episode or in the immediate aftermath.

Perhaps TPTB weren't willing to pay for actors from VOY and DS9. And then they gave up on the all series finale idea.

They weren't willing to pay for Shatner when it could have made a difference.

Or you could be right and Coto sort of remembers it differently. You'd think there would be a big promotion of the 'end of Star Trek' if that was their intention.

 

[trekker670]

Or you could be right and Coto sort of remembers it differently. You'd think there would be a big promotion of the 'end of Star Trek' if that was their intention.

There was, the episode was called a "Valentine" to the fans who had watched the shows over the past 18 years. They even had an issue of TV Guide that stated it was a final goodbye to the fans.

Whether they succeeded in doing so or not is debatable (most believe they didn't). But whether it succeeded as a "Valentine" or not, I think at the time it was very much intended to be a goodbye for the "end of Star Trek."

 

[Dukhat]

Give ENT a 12 episode 5th season. Bring some genuine closure to that series.

It is far, far too late for that.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Give ENT a 12 episode 5th season. Bring some genuine closure to that series.

It is far, far too late for that.

TOS came back after a 10 year hiatus (1969-1979). However Star Wars had a lot to do with that. Maybe Abrams' Episode VII can inspire more Trek material. Yeah right.

 

[Commishsleer]

Or you could be right and Coto sort of remembers it differently. You'd think there would be a big promotion of the 'end of Star Trek' if that was their intention.

There was, the episode was called a "Valentine" to the fans who had watched the shows over the past 18 years. They even had an issue of TV Guide that stated it was a final goodbye to the fans.

Whether they succeeded in doing so or not is debatable (most believe they didn't). But whether it succeeded as a "Valentine" or not, I think at the time it was very much intended to be a goodbye for the "end of Star Trek."

I'm in a different country and had to watch ENT at 2am so there was obviously no big promo here.

I haven't seen TATV in years but do you thing it was a tribute to TNG? Wasn't it all about Riker saying how good Archer was or was there some aspect of saying good how TNG was. In a tribute show I would have Archer saying his speech and talking about the future of the Federation with short episode clips from the other shows going on in the background, showing all the brave characters in TOS, TNG, DS9 and VOY.
I would have a tribute show be more obvious for dummies like me. Then I think I would have liked it better.
And not killed off Trip (someone had to say it)

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Like it doesn't also absolutely suck as a final for "all eighteen years of Star Trek".

 

[Commishsleer]

Like it doesn't also absolutely suck as a final for "all eighteen years of Star Trek".

Well 18 years of 'real' Star Trek.
Just joking. Well mostly.

 

[Dukhat]

Give ENT a 12 episode 5th season. Bring some genuine closure to that series.

It is far, far too late for that.

TOS came back after a 10 year hiatus (1969-1979). However Star Wars had a lot to do with that. Maybe Abrams' Episode VII can inspire more Trek material. Yeah right.

It's been almost 10 years since ENT went off the air, and there's no sign whatsoever that it's coming back. And comparing the circumstances behind TOS returning as TMP to ENT isn't any kind of valid comparison at all

I haven't seen TATV in years but do you thing it was a tribute to TNG? Wasn't it all about Riker saying how good Archer was or was there some aspect of saying good how TNG was. In a tribute show I would have Archer saying his speech and talking about the future of the Federation with short episode clips from the other shows going on in the background, showing all the brave characters in TOS, TNG, DS9 and VOY.

No. The main theme of the episode is Riker wasting time during a critical mission to fuck around in the holodeck so that he can decide whether to tell Picard about the cloaking device on his previous ship. Which doesn't even equate to the context of the actual TNG episode it was based on. The ENT characters were just secondary to whatever guilty conscience Riker was trying to absolve.

 

[Takeru]

Am I the only one who didn't like the fourth season that much? I though it was annoying that almost every episode was either a TOS or TNG reference, the klingon forehead episode, the Brent Spiner episode, the mirror universe/what happened to the Defiant episode, the transporter episode, the make vulcans more like spock (although he was only half vulcan and every other TOS vulcan was more similar to the assholish Enterprise vulcans) episode, the "The Pegasus" cut scenes pretending to be the Enterprise finale etc., it was no longer Enterprise, it was the this isn't good enough so lets reference the popular Trek showcase.