Would "Shattered" have made for a better finale?

[CorporalClegg]

I've never been a big "Endgame" hater, but I have always felt it wasn't the strongest finale. But really, my biggest complaint is I've always felt the crew shouldn't have reached home. I think doing so conflicted and strayed from the show's main theme.

Anyway, I just watched "Shattered" and started thinking it would have made for a good finale. Things would have had to be amended, of course (like some of the plot holes), but I think it would have made for a much more fun adventure.

They way I see it is have Chakotay run through the ship with Janeway seeing all the "bad" stuff as is, but then at the end of the first hour, just as Janeways really starts to doubt herself as to what she's done (or will do) and everything else that has happened, Seska, who's already figured out what's going on (she it quite cleaver), makes a preemptive strike, captures Chakotay, and starts undoing things for herself.

So at the start of part two, Janeway is now alone as she travels through other parts of the ship and sees all the positive things that have happened: teenage Miral, the Doctor embracing his humanity, the not-so-green Harry Kim, maybe Seven in full Anika mode, and others, and has a change of heart. So then she goes around rallying the temporal troops, stops Seska, and all is good.

Then, along with the Janeway/Chakotay dinner scene, have a collage scenes that reflect what she saw: Tom and B'Elanna putting together an antique crib, the Doctor painting a picture, Seven helping Icheb and Naomi with the puzzle, Harry sitting comfortable in the Captain's chair during the night shift, etc. Then the obligatory pan out to the exterior as Voyger is flying into the unknown.

 

[Evil_Kirkneivel]

I am a big Endgame hater, and your idea sounds much better.

Now all you have to do is travel back in time and convince B&B to change it. While you are traveling, we could film a sort of 'making of' with you as the star. Your journey would mirror the journey that Janeway makes in your version of Shattered.

 

[CoriM]

I'm a BIG Endgame hater too, but i do understand why Shattered was not ther end of the series.

Star Trek is about moving forward, and they had already done the time finale with Next Generation. That said, however they could have done it, again, and did with Endgame to some extent.

here was one one significant difference between the focus of Shattered and Endgame. Endgame changes the status quo in a tangible way and. from a plot and franchise perspective, moves the series forward. If they had had done Shattered as the end of the series, the critique would have been that it got lost in trappingS of TNG and didn't move the universe forward.

Picard's understanding of his possible future would undoubtedly change the future of the Alpha Quadrant, but Shattered would only change the future on the ship and IN ways would volate the Temporal Prime Directive, something Picard was able to avoid.

This aside, I wish they had gotten the right relationsips straight in Shattered as much as you do, and had them to the end indstead of the incompatability we got.

CoriM- who has never before defended Endgame

 

[ChristopherPike]

I may get flamed for saying this, but at the time I thought a downbeat ending would suit Voyager. Yes, everybody's emotions were invested in seeing them get home. But the alternative future shown, with Admiral Janeway losing people looked far more dramatic - that is, if you actually show it happening.

Since we're talking about previous episodes replacing Endgame, then I'd have held Timeless back. Maybe given all the characters something important to do before they hit the ice, by padding it out with an extra episode. Introduce a sub plot, with Earth aware of them transwarping home and loved ones lined up on the finish line, expecting their arrival. There's something ironic about the show's least served characters - Chakotay and Kim surviving and having all that guilt to deal with.

Shattered is too reminiscent of TNG's All Good Things but then so is what they went with.

 

[Praetor]

I may get flamed for saying this, but at the time I thought a downbeat ending would suit Voyager. Yes, everybody's emotions were invested in seeing them get home. But the alternative future shown, with Admiral Janeway losing people looked far more dramatic - that is, if you actually show it happening.

Since we're talking about previous episodes replacing Endgame, then I'd have held Timeless back. Maybe given all the characters something important to do before they hit the ice, by padding it out with an extra episode. Introduce a sub plot, with Earth aware of them transwarping home and loved ones lined up on the finish line, expecting their arrival. There's something ironic about the show's least served characters - Chakotay and Kim surviving and having all that guilt to deal with.

Shattered is too reminiscent of TNG's All Good Things but then so is what they went with.

Agreed. 'Shattered' was good but not as a finale, nor was 'Endgame.'

As a more upbeat alternative, use 'Timeless' but have the crew survive somehow (emergency last minute beamout?) though the ship is wrecked, and so they have to make a life for themselves on this planet thinking all hope is lost. Flash forward and a few months down the line a Starfleet ship wanders upon their distress beacon and arrives to bring them home, guided by Chakotay and Kim from the Flyer, each group having thought in the meantime that the other was dead.

 

[MilitantJaneway]

I may get flamed for saying this, but at the time I thought a downbeat ending would suit Voyager. Yes, everybody's emotions were invested in seeing them get home. But the alternative future shown, with Admiral Janeway losing people looked far more dramatic - that is, if you actually show it happening.

Since we're talking about previous episodes replacing Endgame, then I'd have held Timeless back. Maybe given all the characters something important to do before they hit the ice, by padding it out with an extra episode. Introduce a sub plot, with Earth aware of them transwarping home and loved ones lined up on the finish line, expecting their arrival. There's something ironic about the show's least served characters - Chakotay and Kim surviving and having all that guilt to deal with.

Shattered is too reminiscent of TNG's All Good Things but then so is what they went with.

Agreed. 'Shattered' was good but not as a finale, nor was 'Endgame.'

As a more upbeat alternative, use 'Timeless' but have the crew survive somehow (emergency last minute beamout?) though the ship is wrecked, and so they have to make a life for themselves on this planet thinking all hope is lost. Flash forward and a few months down the line a Starfleet ship wanders upon their distress beacon and arrives to bring them home, guided by Chakotay and Kim from the Flyer, each group having thought in the meantime that the other was dead.

I like this idea-much better than endgame.

 

[Tay]

I agree with you. Timeless would be an interesting episode to replace Endgame with. The belief that the crew is gone and a look into the survivor guilt would have been interesting to see on screen. We would still have had our crew by the end and they would have continued to the Alpha Quadrant.

I think them getting home restricted what could have been done with the Voyager's crew.

 

[Praetor]

I think perhaps the more interesting side to portray is from the stranded crew's perspective, not Harry and Chak, leaving their fate a mystery until the episode's end. Ditch the time travel component altogether.

Sure, they've been stranded before and faced destruction on the ship, but in this scenario the ship is actually gone, destroyed and two of their closest friends are (apparently) dead. They're stuck on this hellhole planet in the middle of nowhere with absolutely NO chance of getting home again, save a miracle. Imagine the emotional reactions. Imagine them desperately searching debris for a transmitter, a comm link, anything. Who would start to crack? Who would stay strong? Imagine them actually starting to build themselves a life on this planet and move on, only to be miraculously rescued.

Kinda like 'Gilligan's Island' meets 'Lost' the more I think about it.

 

[Tachyon]

Shattered is one of the highlights on Season 7, but I am not sure if it would have been a good finale. I'm not a huge fan of Endshame either.