Who was the being from the Future?
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On screen that was never addressed. He's just an unnamed character from the future. He obviously has his own agenda and that's never really addressed in the show.
A Star Trek novel did pursue that further. The novel Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock by Christopher Bennett does provide the identity of 'future guy' and brings that part of the Enterprise story to a close.
I'll put it under a spoiler code in the event you or someone ever wants to read the novel. Be cautioned, novels are not considered canon so some future show could address this in a different way---though I think that's probably unlikely.
In the novel his name is Jamran Harnoth, and he is part Romulan, Suliban, Tandaran and some other races probably. We already knew he was manipulating history, partly to benefit himself. Eventually he was caught and tried for his crimes in the 31st century. He agreed to go to that century because he felt he would get a better sentence than in his own time period of the 28th century, when crimes involving time travel had harsher punishments.
According to Braga/Berman (who’s accounts differ even amongst their own quotes) he was either a Romulan or Archer manipulating his own timeline for some reason.
Thanks, thought that there had to be something out there. I will check out the book.
Ha-ha. I wonder if some of that is tongue in cheek, esp. the Archer part.
I recall someone with TWOK, maybe Nicholas Meyer--or maybe even Montalban, saying Khan remembered Chekov because he had to wait for him to finish up in the bathroom
Yeah, there were a couple DTI stories. Two full length novels and shorter 3 e-book novellas (though I believe all 5 are available as e-books). Watching the Clock was the first then there was Forgotten History, The Collectors, Time Lock and Shield of the Gods. They are based on DTI from the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" and feature Lucsly and Dulmur who were debriefing Sisko about what happened (and of course expanded from there). So it's based in the 24th century but being about a temporal agency there is time travelling involved.
They were all written by Christopher Bennett.
Did Star Trek Online ever give an identity in their time agent stories?
Good question. I'm not a gamer so I don't know. Memory Beta didn't list anything for Online but I'm not sure how in deep they go for gaming (though I have seen Online referenced there for some things).
If nobody picks up on it here, though, you could always ask the same question on the gaming forum. If there is a reference there I'm sure someone will let you know.
I believe Walter Koenig gets credit for that story. I saw him tell it on stage, at a Star Trek II seminar I think? It was a big hit with the audience, so I'm not surprised if someone else picked up the story and told it too.I recall someone with TWOK, maybe Nicholas Meyer--or maybe even Montalban, saying Khan remembered Chekov because he had to wait for him to finish up in the bathroom
p.s. I love your sig about Sarek and his alter ego Urko - I loved what Lenard did with Urko.
And DH's fave Trek movies are TMP and... STV, there I said it 
I saw him perform it at a FedCon years ago, it was quite funny cause he was frail and weak, then stood up and performed Chekov and Khan in a very strong and powerful way... "Your faaaaceee, I will never forget!!" ...and then slunk back into his chair and was an old man again. XD
I believe Walter Koenig gets credit for that story. I saw him tell it on stage, at a Star Trek II seminar I think? It was a big hit with the audience, so I'm not surprised if someone else picked up the story and told it too.
p.s. I love your sig about Sarek and his alter ego Urko - I loved what Lenard did with Urko.
Yeah, that must have been it. Personally for how much I get hung up on continuity sometimes I actually didn't get too hung up about that one. Part of it may have been I saw the Star Trek films first, than the TV series, so I didn't even realize Chekov wasn't in "Space Seed" until sometime later (also why I had the same reaction as O'Brien and Bashir to TV series Klingons in "Trials & Tribble-ations"--my first Klingons were the 80's hair band version too--my first TV series Klingon was the one in "Friday's Child"--'that's a Klingon?!?!'
). Well, anyway, at first I hadn't thought about Chekov not being in "Space Seed" when I finally saw it. Then later when I realized it I just figured in story he was just assigned to a different part of the ship (which is how Greg Cox acknowledged it in his novel To Reign in Hell - he had Chekov as a security officer--probably also to tie him to his later roll as security chief in the movies). That's actually a continuity 'gaffe' that's pretty easy to explain away.Lenard was great as Urko. Lenard really was a great actor. Since you couldn't see his face as Urko he did a good job using his voice and even his eyes to convey emotion. I always wonders if that line was a bit of a humorous nod to his Sarek role. I also always get a good laugh when one of his lieutenants said he didn't see the fugitives in a suspected horse cart and Urko yells at him saying "what did you expect them to do? Get up and wave at you?!"
(a lot of the time it was the way he would say the line and not even just the line itself).Oh, and I always say I'm one of the 10 people that liked Nemesis.
I have to admit I was actually surprised when I learned it's not, um, well regarded among Trekkies. But I do agree with the masses about TATV. On that one we are in agreement
totally not canon but Star trek Timelines chose to make the art for future guy be Archer. If you look closely at the full size pic you can see Archer's face https://stt.wiki/wiki/Humanoid_Figure
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We TOS diehards were instantly -- HEY! Waitaminute!! ...So I thought it was pretty clever of Koenig to make an entertaining story out of it. As noted, it gets such a great reaction that he did it with gusto at many venues. One of the more fun ways to reconcile retconning.
Hahaha. "Klingon makeup? We don't need no stinkin' Klingon makeup! Just give him a uniform and a growl!" Kor was the perfect-looking Klingon, that oily villain thing. My second favorite Klingon look was Michael Ansara in "Day of the Dove."(also why I had the same reaction as O'Brien and Bashir to TV series Klingons in "Trials & Tribble-ations"--my first Klingons were the 80's hair band version too--my first TV series Klingon was the one in "Friday's Child"--'that's a Klingon?!?!'
Exactly! Mark Lenard was brilliant. That episode when Urko and Burke were trapped in the BART station, that was so great.Lenard was great as Urko. Lenard really was a great actor. Since you couldn't see his face as Urko he did a good job using his voice and even his eyes to convey emotion. I always wonders if that line was a bit of a humorous nod to his Sarek role. I also always get a good laugh when one of his lieutenants said he didn't see the fugitives in a suspected horse cart and Urko yells at him saying "what did you expect them to do? Get up and wave at you?!"
Indeed. I suggested that barf smiley for the board...I was probably thinking of TATV.But I do agree with the masses about TATV. On that one we are in agreement
ROFL, I love their boldness. "No canon answer to this question? Wheeeee, we get to do what we want!"
And thank you for dragging your humble moderator back on topic! Much appreciated
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Yeah, I probably would have been the same way had I watched the original series first. Somehow, watching it in reverse order made it something that ended up not bothering me.
I liked the 'big 3' Klingons in the original series, Kor, Kang and don't forget Koloth
. The first one I saw from the original series in "Friday's Child" (I forget his name off hand) is probably not their Empire's best representative . You know, considering it in retrospect, he could be proof of some of the side effects of the Augment virus. A selfish Klingon who is also basically a coward. Obviously in the 'big 3's' case they don't seem to have that problem, mostly. ROFL, I love their boldness. "No canon answer to this question? Wheeeee, we get to do what we want!"
And thank you for dragging your humble moderator back on topic! Much appreciated
Ha-ha, already on page 1 and we already drifted off topic. Nobody every said Trekkies were focused
But yeah, I agree. I liked the version of events portrayed in the DTI novels and that Christopher provided closure to the Temporal Cold War (TCW) and to 'future guy.'
While I wasn't a huge fan of the TCW, I didn't outright hate it either. There were some good episodes there. It was kind of left hanging after the start of the 4th season (I get that it wasn't really popular and Coto probably just wanted to drop it). But I was happy at least the novels brought some closure to it all, even if it's not 'officially' canon.
But I seriously doubt any future shows will tackle any of that so people are basically free to follow whatever continuity makes them happy or even imagine their own.
It was the Romulan guy in this.
It's a pretty big sign that the producers and writers of Enterprise were out of fucks to give when they couldn't be bothered to figure out who their big baddie actually was. Or put any thought or preplanning at all into the Temporal Cold War.
It's a pretty big sign that the producers and writers of Enterprise were out of fucks to give when they couldn't be bothered to figure out who their big baddie actually was. Or put any thought or preplanning at all into the Temporal Cold War.
I've mellowed over the years about retconning. Looking at it from a writer's perspective, when you see a better thing from a writing standpoint, you want to change the old thing that was cheap or inefficient or whatever. So okay. When they go to some trouble to explain the retconning, rather than just act like the old thing didn't exist, I respect that.
About Future Guy... he's intriguing, because he wanted Archer to win the war and change the future. I keep thinking he's the 29th century version of whoever was sending Sam Beckett out on his missions to set things right in Quantum Leap.
The reason could have been as simple as, we don't want our universe taken over by the Sphere-Builders. A common enemy for the whole galaxy.
I've mellowed over the years about retconning. Looking at it from a writer's perspective, when you see a better thing from a writing standpoint, you want to change the old thing that was cheap or inefficient or whatever. So okay. When they go to some trouble to explain the retconning, rather than just act like the old thing didn't exist, I respect that.
About Future Guy... he's intriguing, because he wanted Archer to win the war and change the future. I keep thinking he's the 29th century version of whoever was sending Sam Beckett out on his missions to set things right in Quantum Leap.
Kind of a shame they never really resolved that in the show. It was kind of a big hanging thread they just left dangling.
Though I guess it sounds like many fans didn't care for the whole TCW to begin with (and from what I've read it doesn't even sound like Braga cared for it either, that it had something to do with Paramount interference) and when Coto became the show runner he just pretty much bagged it.
But then I guess it leaves it up to the fans imagination. I love Hitchcock movies and he was never above leaving things ambiguous.
Future Guy was Rick Berman trying to add an interesting subplot to the show and keep it from being cancelled.
Future Guy was there from the start, long before any hint cancellation. Though he was probably added because the suits wanted a time travel element in the show.
