Enterprise WAS a Prequel!!!

[fireproof78]

They started out as you say. I didn't care for the pilot, but it wasn't because it didn't place itself in the timeframe it was supposed to be in. The problem was that their process for episode scripting was pretty much exactly the same as Voyager, and they inherited the same apparent lack of care that that show had, too - which now extended to whether or not things made sense in canon in the time period they were supposed to be in. Phase pistols became phasers, holodecks showed up, and suddenly the Romulans were themselves more or less exactly as they were from the 24th century instead of the cool mysterious foe for the later seasons that they should have been. And they could have excused a lot of it by making a lot more of the Temporal Cold War that they established was going on - but they really just didn't, preferring an episode style with what still amounted to a reset switch at the end of each one. Which worked fine for TNG, but TV had moved on, and DS9 had already had more and better story arcs than Enterprise, so they should have known better.

I agree with most of these points. Even if it's a prequel, then really didn't take advantage of exploring some really interesting facets of Trek lore in the prequel setting. Phase pistols and holodecks are just annoying call backs to TNG, rather than to TOS.

Also, I find most of the characters rather annoying, so they don't endear themselves to me in a meaningful way that makes it enjoyable.

 

[Saul]

It showed the disastrous first contact with the Klingons

In my mind disastrous was something like a complete cluster f**k of events on both sides leading to the loss of crews and ships on both sides and leading to mistrust among both species forever more. Not Aliens from the future that we never saw before trying to kill one klingon to start a civil war and Archer saving the Empire from it.

 

[Dukhat]

Sorry, I didn't mean to state the obvious, but to say that it didn't show the beginnings of things and was just 24th Century Trek dumbed down wasn't true.

[Edit: Some people in a different forum many years ago said that Enterprise was not really a prequel and too much like TNG, DS9, or VOY, but they just look at it through the wrong lenses, which is what I am saying.]

Ah, now I understand your point. However, I would have to go on record that IMHO, it was TNG/VOY dumbed down, or at best, TNG Jr.

We got storylines, technology and characters that really weren't all that different from the 24th century shows that came before it. The production design, while trying to make things look more "primitive," ended up not being very convincing. It still took no time at all to get to other planets, there were still phasers, transporters, holodecks, Ferengi, Borg, Romulans with 24th century clothes, and Klingons with Birds of Prey, ships named Bortas and jerks named Duras. Hell, Archer even went to Risa.

The problem was that both the writers and producers were still in Voyager mode. The first two seasons of ENT could have been episodes written for Voyager and no one would have been the wiser.

So yes, while ENT is in fact a prequel to TOS, it had far more in common with the 24th century shows that preceded it. Which in my eyes, makes it fail as a true prequel to TOS. But my opinion doesn't matter, because CBS still considers it a prequel and canon because they have DVDs and Blurays to sell.

I do believe that Enterprise could have benefited from waiting several or many years before making them. It did get stale in some episodes, but to say that it was too much like TNG, like some people are saying is wrong. It's just that we were used to it in the 24th Century and going onward.

See above.

 

[Anna Yolei]

As mentioned, Enterprise failed mostly because it didn't take advantage of its premise an relied so much on the status quo. There was no need to do an episode on Ferengi, two featuring Klingons within the first month on the air and certainly not a Borg episode, even one there they were more fearsome than they'd been in years. Even outside of that, the stories they did were flat, as was most of the cast. Archer was flat out despised by a number of viewers. When you don't care about the characters, everything else falls short.

 

[JeffinOakland]

Another "Why ENT failed" thread? Hang on, let me get my notes.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It was a "prequel" to the Abrams movies.

Seriously, in the previous four series occasional details were given about the Trek past, ENT doesn't agree with with many of the them. Particularly ENT's basic idea that Eath didn't really start getting out into the galaxy until a mere century before the time of TOS.

Wasn't that established by TNG? First Contact sets the date we met the Vulcans and we're still busy lobbing missiles at each other then.
A lot of the time TOS doesn't agree with the first three spinoffs. Hell, sometimes it doesn't agree with it's self!
So agreement with the other shows is hardly a litmus test. ,

 

[TwoJakes]

Nah. Far too slow paced and boring.

As opposed to fast paced and boring.

 

[Mudd]

Well, I enjoyed it more than DS9 or Voyager.

 

[eyeresist]

I don't understand why people drop into the ENT forum just to scream "It was shit!!!" The intellectual equivalent of flinging one's faeces about.

 

[Dukhat]

^Because people like to complain about things.

 

[tomswift2002]

As mentioned, Enterprise failed mostly because it didn't take advantage of its premise an relied so much on the status quo. There was no need to do an episode on Ferengi, two featuring Klingons within the first month on the air and certainly not a Borg episode, even one there they were more fearsome than they'd been in years. Even outside of that, the stories they did were flat, as was most of the cast. Archer was flat out despised by a number of viewers. When you don't care about the characters, everything else falls short.

Not to mention that with the Borg episode, a 22nd century Earth starship managed to destroy 24th century Borg. That doesn't even make sense (sure they took over a 22nd century ship, but the Borg managed to upgrade it quite a bit). And a Denobulan managed to fight off Borg nanoprobes, and yet in the 24th century, apparently no one had even heard of this unique feature of Denobulan physiology.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Not to mention that with the Borg episode, a 22nd century Earth starship managed to destroy 24th century Borg. That doesn't even make sense (sure they took over a 22nd century ship, but the Borg managed to upgrade it quite a bit). And a Denobulan managed to fight off Borg nanoprobes, and yet in the 24th century, apparently no one had even heard of this unique feature of Denobulan physiology.

So you're saying it was an episode of Star Trek?

 

[eyeresist]

Not to mention that with the Borg episode, a 22nd century Earth starship managed to destroy 24th century Borg. That doesn't even make sense (sure they took over a 22nd century ship, but the Borg managed to upgrade it quite a bit).

Not sure what you mean by this - the Borg ship got away. They didn't kill any Borg but they flushed a few out into space.

 

[fireproof78]

I don't understand why people drop into the ENT forum just to scream "It was shit!!!" The intellectual equivalent of flinging one's faeces about.

When you figure out the answer, please let the Abrams' forum know.

So you're saying it was an episode of Star Trek?

In order to preserve the timeline, we must never speak of this incident again

 

[VulcanMindBlown]

I am going to leave the Borg episode "Regeneration" alone. That'll be for another time. It was my favorite episode that was not Season 4.


People have said that Star Trek: Enterprise had precursors to holodecks... I don't think that's true!!!

 

[T'Arwen]

It's interesting that a lot of people said they didn't like the characters. I actually liked them but found some stories in the inconsistent seasons 1-2 boring. One person (not of this forum) even said she loved the characters but hated the show.

The problem was that both the writers and producers were still in Voyager mode. The first two seasons of ENT could have been episodes written for Voyager and no one would have been the wiser.

So yes, while ENT is in fact a prequel to TOS, it had far more in common with the 24th century shows that preceded it. Which in my eyes, makes it fail as a true prequel to TOS. But my opinion doesn't matter, because CBS still considers it a prequel and canon because they have DVDs and Blurays to sell.

Ironically, UPN wanted to downplay the prequel aspect. That's how we got the TCW and no writer is going to do a good job with an idea imposed on them. Other than telling them to shake things up in season 3, UPN finally decided to stop meddling but at that point, it was too late. While some people see Manny Coto as the savior of the show's quality, it's important to remember that he had a lot more creative freedom than Bermaga.

While many of the posts here say that ENT is too much like the 24th century shows, some complained that the crew wasn't as seasoned as people from TNG, etc. Guess you can't please everyone.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Not sure what you mean by this - the Borg ship got away. They didn't kill any Borg but they flushed a few out into space.

Actually, they did destroy the Borg ship in this episode.

And, Borg though it may have been, it was based on an assimilated 22nd-century Earth ship. So they only had so much to go on.

 

[fireproof78]

I am going to leave the Borg episode "Regeneration" alone. That'll be for another time. It was my favorite episode that was not Season 4.


People have said that Star Trek: Enterprise had precursors to holodecks... I don't think that's true!!!

Please see the episode "Expecting."

It's interesting that a lot of people said they didn't like the characters. I actually liked them but found some stories in the inconsistent seasons 1-2 boring. One person (not of this forum) even said she loved the characters but hated the show.



Ironically, UPN wanted to downplay the prequel aspect. That's how we got the TCW and no writer is going to do a good job with an idea imposed on them. Other than telling them to shake things up in season 3, UPN finally decided to stop meddling but at that point, it was too late. While some people see Manny Coto as the savior of the show's quality, it's important to remember that he had a lot more creative freedom than Bermaga.

While many of the posts here say that ENT is too much like the 24th century shows, some complained that the crew wasn't as seasoned as people from TNG, etc. Guess you can't please everyone.

Most of the characters I kind of enjoy, even Archer, who gets slammed a lot. But, the problem for me, was a lack of chemistry. Watching the show, especially "Broken Bow" it all felt very stilted, like the writers felt like they had to be in conflict with one another, but over petty reasons (the dinner scene with Archer, Tucker and T'Pol) being my biggest highlight.

Also, the characters that I felt were the best developed were also the ones who got the least amount of time. Reed and Sato felt far more like 3 dimensional people rather than the one note caricatures.

To be fair, I think Terra Prime worked the best for each of the characters, largely because I think they finally hit their stride. It felt like they had a goal to work towards as a team. This is why I think Enterprise had a lot of potential but, that the lack of chemistry early on, and the lackluster Temporal Clone War left much to be desired.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

People have said that Star Trek: Enterprise had precursors to holodecks... I don't think that's true!!!

It did, but only used by aliens who had technology far beyond anything Earth possessed.

 

[eyeresist]

People have said that Star Trek: Enterprise had precursors to holodecks... I don't think that's true!!!

In the first season ep "Unexpected" they encountered aliens who had a holodeck. That's it. But apparently it's impossible that anyone had holo tech before TNG...

Actually, they did destroy the Borg ship in this episode.

You're right - they sent a signal to the Delta quad, and in my vague memory I confused it with the ship getting away.