These Are the Voyages... (Enterprise episode)
Encyclopedia
"These Are the Voyages..." is the series finale
of the UPN
television show Star Trek: Enterprise
. The 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 98th of the series overall, it first aired on May 13, 2005, in the United States. The story takes place concurrently with the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "The Pegasus", set in the year 2370, in which Commander William Riker
grapples with making a difficult admission to his commanding officer about a cover-up. Riker visits the holodeck
and turns to the events of the 22nd century for guidance, where the crew of Star Trek: Enterprise travels home to Earth for the signing of the Articles of Federation and formation of the United Federation of Planets
.
After a strong premiere, Enterprise had grappled with declining ratings throughout its run. By the fourth season, fewer than three million viewers tuned in each week despite what some fans and critics considered an increase in episode quality. After selling the syndication rights, UPN and Paramount
announced in February 2005 that the fourth season would be the show's last. Series creators Rick Berman
and Brannon Braga
, who co-wrote the episode, conceived "These Are the Voyages..." as a valentine to Star Trek fans
. The episode features guest stars Jonathan Frakes
, Marina Sirtis
, and Jeffrey Combs
, as well as a vocal cameo from Brent Spiner
. With no new Star Trek episodes in the fall of 2005, the 2005–2006 season was the first year without a first-run Star Trek in 18 years.
Reaction to "These Are the Voyages..." was negative. Critics and cast alike believed The Next Generation frame robbed the characters and their fans closure, and that the death of Trip Tucker
felt forced and unnecessary. The final episode attracted 3.8 million viewers, the highest number since the previous season. Despite the cancellation, Paramount hoped to revive the series, and Berman began work on a possible new Star Trek film, which was ultimately rejected in favor of the J. J. Abrams
-directed Star Trek.
. The 22nd century events of the Star Trek: Enterprise are shown through a holodeck
re-creation during the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode "The Pegasus". In the 24th century, Commander William Riker
observes a recreation of the events surrounding the formation of the United Federation of Planets
, hoping the events of the past will help him make some important decisions. Chronologically, the 22nd century events of "These Are the Voyages..." take place six years after the previous episode, "Terra Prime".
In 2161, the starship Enterprise
and its crew return to Earth on the eve of the signing of the Federation charter. After ten years of service, the Enterprise is due to be decommissioned. Captain Jonathan Archer
frets over the speech he will give to the assembled delegates. The Enterprise is contacted by Shran, an Andorian
whom Archer had believed dead. Shran's daughter has been kidnapped by shady business partners, and Shran asks for Archer's help in rescuing her. Archer decides to assist Shran, despite T'Pol
's warning that they may be late returning for the signing.
While the Enterprise crew surprises Shran's enemies and brings his daughter safely to the ship, the business associates track and board the Enterprise on the return trip. To save Archer's life, engineer Trip Tucker
offers to help the intruders but instead overloads two conduits. The result is an explosion that allows the Enterprise to escape but mortally wounds Tucker. Archer is troubled that he must write a speech about how worthwhile their explorations have been, despite his friend's death, but T'Pol assures him that Tucker would have considered it worthwhile. On Earth, Archer enters a grand hall to give his speech as Riker ends the simulation, now sure of what course he should take. The final shot is a montage of the ships named Enterprise as Captains Picard
, Kirk
, and Archer recite the "Where no man has gone before
" monologue.
"Broken Bow", Enterprises 2001 premiere episode, attracted 12.5 million viewers in its first broadcast, but ratings quickly dropped to a low of 5.9 million viewers. Enterprise was threatened with cancellation by the third season. The show survived by slashing its budget amid broadcaster UPN
's schedule revamp. The show was moved to Fridays in 2004, while the rest of UPN's programming became more female-friendly, in part due to the success of America's Next Top Model
. The third season introduced a season-long story arc, to some of the best reviews of the entire series. In the fourth season, Manny Coto
became executive producer after writing and co-producing the show since 2003. While Coto's episodes were hailed by critics and fans as equaling the quality of previous Star Trek television series, the average viewership dropped to 2.9 million, with a series-low showing of 2.5 million in January 2005.
On February 3, 2005 UPN and Paramount announced that the fourth season of the show would be its last. The network waited until the series had been sold to syndication before making the announcement. The cancellation marked the first time new Star Trek episodes would not appear on television in eighteen years, since Star Trek: The Next Generation
premiered. The fourth season continued production so that Paramount could sell an attractive 98 episodes to syndicates.
Actress Jolene Blalock
(T'Pol) criticized the early stories as boring and lacking intriguing content. She felt that early Enterprise scripts ignored basic tenets of Star Trek chronology, and offered "revealing costumes instead of character development". UPN executives stated that the male-oriented episodes of Enterprise did not mesh with the viewership of its other top shows, such as Top Model and Veronica Mars
. Brannon Braga
suggested that the reason for the cancellation was viewer fatigue, noting that "after 18 years and 624 hours of Star Trek, the audience began to have a little bit of overkill." Fans, meanwhile, criticized Berman and Braga for ignoring Star Trek canon and refusing to fix their shows. Michael Hinman, news coordinator for SyFy Portal
, stated that in addition to the oversaturation of Star Trek, there "also is an oversaturation of Braga and Berman. [...] They couldn't sit back and say, 'You know, we just can't keep this fresh.' No, it was more about their stupid egos, and their nonsensical 'Even if it's broke, don't fix it' attitude." Braga defended the series, noting that The Next Generation faced little competition from other science fiction shows, while Enterprise had to contend with a plethora of shows such as Battlestar Galactica
.
"These Are the Voyages..." was written by Braga and Berman, the pair's only script of the fourth season. Enterprise writer Mike Sussman
told TrekNation
in May 2005 that Braga had considered the idea of an episode crossover featuring characters from other Star Trek series prior to the finale. Sussman's original idea for the episode was to have The Doctor
of Star Trek: Voyager
treating an ill patient who may or may not have been Archer trapped in the future. Due to the subject matter, Sussman said his version would not have been suitable for the final episode. Berman said that the episode had always been intended as the season finale regardless of cancellation, and that Trip would still have been killed if the show was to continue. In other interviews Berman said that if the show had been renewed for a fifth season, there would likely have been changes made to the episode.
Allan Kroeker
directed the episode, his third series finale following Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
s "What You Leave Behind" and Star Trek: Voyager
s "Endgame". "These Are the Voyages..." featured guest appearances by Jonathan Frakes
and Marina Sirtis
as their Next Generation characters William Riker
and Deanna Troi
. Brent Spiner
, another Next Generation veteran who had guest-starred earlier in the fourth season of Enterprise, had an off-screen speaking role as the android Data
. Jeffrey Combs
appeared as the Andorian
Shran, whom Coto had wanted to be a permanent addition to the cast in the event of another season.
Filming of the final episode began on Friday, February 25, after the first half of the day was spent completing "Terra Prime". Principal photography took eight days to complete, one day longer than usual. The snowy complex set of Rigel X, first seen in the pilot episode, was used, as was the rarely-seen Enterprises galley. Enterprise-D locations such as hallways and the observation lounge were re-created. Frakes and Sirtis arrived at the lot at the same time that a "Save Enterprise" rally was being held outside the gates. Similar to "What You Leave Behind", many of the production staff cameoed for a large crowd scene at the end of the episode, as Archer prepares to give his speech. Fifteen "VIPs" including writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
, André Bormanis
, and Manny Coto joined two dozen extras in forming part of the audience. The rest of the digital set was filled by a computer-generated crowd. After their parts were finished, the final dismissal of each cast member was met with applause. Blalock and Bakula were the last actors to be released, and Bakula gave a speech thanking the production crew for making the cast feel welcome. Filming ended on Tuesday, March 8, and the sets were struck. Frakes and Sirtis returned on March 9 to complete green screen shots, which would be used when their characters entered or exited the holodeck.
A series-ending wrap party was held for the cast and crew at the Roosevelt Hotel in April. Cast members spoke about their feelings about the end of the series. John Billingsley
said the show "was a great ride, and it changed my life. It's something that will last forever for me." He was happy to say goodbye to the two-hour makeup sessions to create his character, Phlox
. Many of the cast were taking a break and going on vacation before seeking new acting jobs. Among the notable guests were Star Trek Nemesis screenwriter John Logan
, who was not affiliated with Enterprise, and Peter Weller
, who appeared as a villain in "Terra Prime". Before the episode's release, Berman would not elaborate on the final episode's content, saying "It's going to have some surprising twists and turns. It's somewhat of a valentine."
Connor Trinneer
, who played Trip Tucker, felt that the finale should have had a memorable farewell that he described as a "M*A*S*H moment", but that the producers did not want to focus on such an element. Anthony Montgomery
(Travis Mayweather
) was similarly displeased with the finale and said "I feel there could have been a more effective way to wrap things up for our show as well as the franchise as a whole. It just seemed to take a little bit away from what the Enterprise cast and crew worked so diligently to achieve over the past four years." While Frakes enjoyed working with Sirtis again, he said that "the reality is it was a bit of a stretch to have us shut down [the Enterprise cast's] show," and that in hindsight it was a disservice to them. The early criticism forced the show's producers to hold a conference and address the issue. Braga admitted there was cast unrest, but defended the episode as a way to close not just Enterprise but Star Trek as a whole.
Reviewers were also critical of the Next Generation tie-in. Sci Fi Weekly's Patrick Lee said the framing story "reduces [the Enterprise cast] to the status of lab rats." Lee further noted that even without the guest appearances, the episode did not live up to the best offerings of the season, including "In a Mirror, Darkly". National Post
s Alex Strachan called the Next Generation cameos reminders of better Star Trek, compared to the "bad make-up effects, bad acting, bad music" of the latest show. Rob Salem of the Toronto Star
said the cameos served no narrative purpose, and that the episode "robs [the] characters (and their fans) of any significant long-term development or satisfying sense of closure." Reviewers also criticized the episode's ending, where viewers never got to see Archer's rousing speech. IGN
said that the episode was "Berman and Braga's parting shot, making sure that everyone knew who was in charge," and that the sharp contrast between "These Are the Voyages..." and "Terra Prime" brought into relief the reason why both should not be allowed to produce Star Trek ever again.
The death of Trip Tucker was another object of controversy. Salem described the development as "a major character is pointlessly killed off in service of a pointless plot device," a complaint echoed by IGN. Actor Connor Trinneer
, who played Trip, said during a convention appearance that the character had "gotten out of much worse scrapes than that," and the death seemed forced. The writers, Trinneer contended, wanted to kill off a character to "get the fans talking," and so Trip was killed off simply to manipulate viewers. Several critics ended their reviews by saying that whether fans would be disappointed or pleased by the episode, the majority of casual viewers would not care one way or another.
In response to some of these criticisms, Coto stated that he personally considered the two-part story "Demons" and "Terra Prime" that preceded "These Are the Voyages..." the actual finale of the Enterprise storyline. Berman said "I've read a lot of the criticisms and I understand how some people feel, but [Braga] and I spent a lot of time coming up with the idea and a somewhat, I would say, unique ending to a series, especially when you’re ending it prematurely. [...] You never like to disappoint people, but I think its [sic] nonsense to say that it was more a Next Generation episode than an Enterprise episode. The only elements of [The Next Generation] that were present were there as a sounding board to allow us to look at a mission that took place six years after ["Terra Prime"]."
According to TrekNation, Enterprises final episode attracted 3.8 million viewers, an increase of 69% over the previous season's finale. Newspapers covering Enterprises cancellation and its final episode often said that the failure of Enterprise was evidence that the franchise had moved too far from its roots and grown too dark. Andy Dehnhart of MSNBC
said that "while the writers and production designers deserve credit for offering worlds that were perhaps slightly more believable, they lost the fantastic, wondrous approach to space travel that The Next Generation borrowed from the original Star Trek and then perfected." USA Today
s Michael Peck said that without the "dreams" of earlier series, "Star Trek becomes just another television drama." Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
, meanwhile, said the show "never found the sense of uniqueness within the Trek universe that every version that came before it possessed." Despite the cancellation, Paramount remained optimistic. Studio head David Stapf looked "forward to a new chapter of this enduring franchise in the future." Berman and screenwriter Erik Jendrensen developed a concept for a new film taking place after Enterprise but before the 1960s television show. Meanwhile Paramount asked Roberto Orci
for ideas to revive the franchise, resulting in the production of a prequel to the original series simply titled Star Trek, released in May 2009.
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
of the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
television show Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
. The 22nd episode of the fourth season and the 98th of the series overall, it first aired on May 13, 2005, in the United States. The story takes place concurrently with the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "The Pegasus", set in the year 2370, in which Commander William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
grapples with making a difficult admission to his commanding officer about a cover-up. Riker visits the holodeck
Holodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
and turns to the events of the 22nd century for guidance, where the crew of Star Trek: Enterprise travels home to Earth for the signing of the Articles of Federation and formation of the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
.
After a strong premiere, Enterprise had grappled with declining ratings throughout its run. By the fourth season, fewer than three million viewers tuned in each week despite what some fans and critics considered an increase in episode quality. After selling the syndication rights, UPN and Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
announced in February 2005 that the fourth season would be the show's last. Series creators Rick Berman
Rick Berman
Richard Keith “Rick” Berman is an American television producer. He is most famous for his work as the executive producer of several of the Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager; and, several of the Star Trek theatrical productions, and...
and Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
, who co-wrote the episode, conceived "These Are the Voyages..." as a valentine to Star Trek fans
Trekkie
A Trekkie or Trekker is a fan of the Star Trek franchise, or of specific television series or films within that franchise.-History:In 1967, science fiction editor Arthur W...
. The episode features guest stars Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
, Marina Sirtis
Marina Sirtis
Marina Sirtis is a British-American actress of Greek descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid Commander Deanna Troi, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Life:...
, and Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Alan Combs is an American actor known for his horror film roles and his appearances playing a number of characters in the Star Trek franchise.-Early life:...
, as well as a vocal cameo from Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
. With no new Star Trek episodes in the fall of 2005, the 2005–2006 season was the first year without a first-run Star Trek in 18 years.
Reaction to "These Are the Voyages..." was negative. Critics and cast alike believed The Next Generation frame robbed the characters and their fans closure, and that the death of Trip Tucker
Charles Tucker III
Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...
felt forced and unnecessary. The final episode attracted 3.8 million viewers, the highest number since the previous season. Despite the cancellation, Paramount hoped to revive the series, and Berman began work on a possible new Star Trek film, which was ultimately rejected in favor of the J. J. Abrams
J. J. Abrams
Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity...
-directed Star Trek.
Plot
"These Are the Voyages..." is a frame storyFrame story
A frame story is a literary technique that sometimes serves as a companion piece to a story within a story, whereby an introductory or main narrative is presented, at least in part, for the purpose of setting the stage either for a more emphasized second narrative or for a set of shorter stories...
. The 22nd century events of the Star Trek: Enterprise are shown through a holodeck
Holodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
re-creation during the Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "The Pegasus". In the 24th century, Commander William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
observes a recreation of the events surrounding the formation of the United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
, hoping the events of the past will help him make some important decisions. Chronologically, the 22nd century events of "These Are the Voyages..." take place six years after the previous episode, "Terra Prime".
In 2161, the starship Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
and its crew return to Earth on the eve of the signing of the Federation charter. After ten years of service, the Enterprise is due to be decommissioned. Captain Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...
frets over the speech he will give to the assembled delegates. The Enterprise is contacted by Shran, an Andorian
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...
whom Archer had believed dead. Shran's daughter has been kidnapped by shady business partners, and Shran asks for Archer's help in rescuing her. Archer decides to assist Shran, despite T'Pol
T'Pol
Commander T'Pol is a fictional character played by Jolene Blalock in Star Trek: Enterprise. She is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Concept and creation:...
's warning that they may be late returning for the signing.
While the Enterprise crew surprises Shran's enemies and brings his daughter safely to the ship, the business associates track and board the Enterprise on the return trip. To save Archer's life, engineer Trip Tucker
Charles Tucker III
Charles "Trip" Tucker III , played by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, which is the last generation of the Star Trek seriesTucker was the chief engineer on the Enterprise, and also briefly served as chief engineer aboard...
offers to help the intruders but instead overloads two conduits. The result is an explosion that allows the Enterprise to escape but mortally wounds Tucker. Archer is troubled that he must write a speech about how worthwhile their explorations have been, despite his friend's death, but T'Pol assures him that Tucker would have considered it worthwhile. On Earth, Archer enters a grand hall to give his speech as Riker ends the simulation, now sure of what course he should take. The final shot is a montage of the ships named Enterprise as Captains Picard
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
, Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
, and Archer recite the "Where no man has gone before
Where no man has gone before
"Where no man has gone before" is a phrase originally made popular through its use in the title sequence of most episodes of the original Star Trek science fiction television series. It refers to the mission of the original starship Enterprise...
" monologue.
Background and cancellation
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
's schedule revamp. The show was moved to Fridays in 2004, while the rest of UPN's programming became more female-friendly, in part due to the success of America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
. The third season introduced a season-long story arc, to some of the best reviews of the entire series. In the fourth season, Manny Coto
Manny Coto
Manny Coto is an American writer, director and producer of films and television programs.Coto was the executive producer and showrunner of Star Trek: Enterprise in its final season, and executive producer of four seasons of 24...
became executive producer after writing and co-producing the show since 2003. While Coto's episodes were hailed by critics and fans as equaling the quality of previous Star Trek television series, the average viewership dropped to 2.9 million, with a series-low showing of 2.5 million in January 2005.
On February 3, 2005 UPN and Paramount announced that the fourth season of the show would be its last. The network waited until the series had been sold to syndication before making the announcement. The cancellation marked the first time new Star Trek episodes would not appear on television in eighteen years, since Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
premiered. The fourth season continued production so that Paramount could sell an attractive 98 episodes to syndicates.
Actress Jolene Blalock
Jolene Blalock
Jolene K. Blalock is an American film and television actress and model, perhaps best known for playing the Vulcan T'Pol on the UPN science fiction series Star Trek: Enterprise. The star of several feature films, she is a regular guest star in television films and series.- Early career :A popular...
(T'Pol) criticized the early stories as boring and lacking intriguing content. She felt that early Enterprise scripts ignored basic tenets of Star Trek chronology, and offered "revealing costumes instead of character development". UPN executives stated that the male-oriented episodes of Enterprise did not mesh with the viewership of its other top shows, such as Top Model and Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
. Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga
Brannon Braga is an American television producer and screenwriter, currently working as showrunner and executive producer on Terra Nova...
suggested that the reason for the cancellation was viewer fatigue, noting that "after 18 years and 624 hours of Star Trek, the audience began to have a little bit of overkill." Fans, meanwhile, criticized Berman and Braga for ignoring Star Trek canon and refusing to fix their shows. Michael Hinman, news coordinator for SyFy Portal
Airlock Alpha
Airlock Alpha, formerly SyFy Portal, is an entertainment news website focusing on science-fiction, fantasy and comic book television series and films.-History:...
, stated that in addition to the oversaturation of Star Trek, there "also is an oversaturation of Braga and Berman. [...] They couldn't sit back and say, 'You know, we just can't keep this fresh.' No, it was more about their stupid egos, and their nonsensical 'Even if it's broke, don't fix it' attitude." Braga defended the series, noting that The Next Generation faced little competition from other science fiction shows, while Enterprise had to contend with a plethora of shows such as Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)
Battlestar Galactica is an American military science fiction television series, and part of the Battlestar Galactica franchise. The show was developed by Ronald D. Moore as a re-imagining of the 1978 Battlestar Galactica television series created by Glen A. Larson...
.
Production
Mike Sussman (TV series writer/producer)
Mike Sussman is an American television writer and producer best known for his work on Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise and Threshold. He is currently a writer and Co-Executive Producer on Sam Raimi's syndicated adventure series, Legend of the Seeker.- External links :*...
told TrekNation
TrekNation
This article is about the website. For the 2006 film, see Trek Nation.TrekNation is a reference and community website for the Star Trek franchise...
in May 2005 that Braga had considered the idea of an episode crossover featuring characters from other Star Trek series prior to the finale. Sussman's original idea for the episode was to have The Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
of Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
treating an ill patient who may or may not have been Archer trapped in the future. Due to the subject matter, Sussman said his version would not have been suitable for the final episode. Berman said that the episode had always been intended as the season finale regardless of cancellation, and that Trip would still have been killed if the show was to continue. In other interviews Berman said that if the show had been renewed for a fifth season, there would likely have been changes made to the episode.
Allan Kroeker
Allan Kroeker
Allan Kroeker is a Canadian film and television director, cinematographer, screenwriter, film editor and film producer. He has the distinction of directing the series finales for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise...
directed the episode, his third series finale following Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
s "What You Leave Behind" and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
s "Endgame". "These Are the Voyages..." featured guest appearances by Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Frakes
Jonathan Scott Frakes is an American actor, author and director best known for his role as Commander William T. Riker in the Star Trek franchise, as well as for his tenure as host of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction ....
and Marina Sirtis
Marina Sirtis
Marina Sirtis is a British-American actress of Greek descent. She played the role of the human/Betazoid Commander Deanna Troi, ship's counselor, on the television and film series Star Trek: The Next Generation.-Life:...
as their Next Generation characters William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
and Deanna Troi
Deanna Troi
Commander Deanna Troi is a main character in the science-fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and related TV series and films, portrayed by actress Marina Sirtis. Troi is half-human, half-Betazoid and has the psionic ability to sense emotions. She serves as the ship's counselor...
. Brent Spiner
Brent Spiner
Brent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
, another Next Generation veteran who had guest-starred earlier in the fourth season of Enterprise, had an off-screen speaking role as the android Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
. Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Combs
Jeffrey Alan Combs is an American actor known for his horror film roles and his appearances playing a number of characters in the Star Trek franchise.-Early life:...
appeared as the Andorian
Andorian
Andorians are a fictional race of humanoid extraterrestrials created by D. C. Fontana for the Star Trek universe. They are native to the icy M-class moon Andoria , which orbits a blue, ringed gas giant. Definitive traits include their blue skin, a pair of cranial antennae, and white hair...
Shran, whom Coto had wanted to be a permanent addition to the cast in the event of another season.
Filming of the final episode began on Friday, February 25, after the first half of the day was spent completing "Terra Prime". Principal photography took eight days to complete, one day longer than usual. The snowy complex set of Rigel X, first seen in the pilot episode, was used, as was the rarely-seen Enterprises galley. Enterprise-D locations such as hallways and the observation lounge were re-created. Frakes and Sirtis arrived at the lot at the same time that a "Save Enterprise" rally was being held outside the gates. Similar to "What You Leave Behind", many of the production staff cameoed for a large crowd scene at the end of the episode, as Archer prepares to give his speech. Fifteen "VIPs" including writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens are a prolific husband and wife writing team, known mainly for their involvement with the Star Trek franchise. They have written several books both within and outside of Star Trek, and acted as executive story editors and co-producers on the fourth season of the...
, André Bormanis
André Bormanis
Andre Bormanis is an American television producer, screenwriter and author of the book Star Trek: Science Logs. Bormanis is most notable for his involvement in the long-running Star Trek franchise, and was the science consultant on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star...
, and Manny Coto joined two dozen extras in forming part of the audience. The rest of the digital set was filled by a computer-generated crowd. After their parts were finished, the final dismissal of each cast member was met with applause. Blalock and Bakula were the last actors to be released, and Bakula gave a speech thanking the production crew for making the cast feel welcome. Filming ended on Tuesday, March 8, and the sets were struck. Frakes and Sirtis returned on March 9 to complete green screen shots, which would be used when their characters entered or exited the holodeck.
A series-ending wrap party was held for the cast and crew at the Roosevelt Hotel in April. Cast members spoke about their feelings about the end of the series. John Billingsley
John Billingsley
John Billingsley is an American actor, known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.-Career:...
said the show "was a great ride, and it changed my life. It's something that will last forever for me." He was happy to say goodbye to the two-hour makeup sessions to create his character, Phlox
Phlox (Star Trek)
Phlox is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, played by John Billingsley.Dr. Phlox is the chief medical officer aboard the starship Enterprise.-Overview:...
. Many of the cast were taking a break and going on vacation before seeking new acting jobs. Among the notable guests were Star Trek Nemesis screenwriter John Logan
John Logan (writer)
John David Logan is an American screenwriter, playwright and film producer.-Personal life:Logan was born in San Diego on September 24, 1961. His parents emigrated to the US from Northern Ireland via Canada. The youngest of three children, he has an older brother and sister...
, who was not affiliated with Enterprise, and Peter Weller
Peter Weller
Peter Frederick Weller is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension...
, who appeared as a villain in "Terra Prime". Before the episode's release, Berman would not elaborate on the final episode's content, saying "It's going to have some surprising twists and turns. It's somewhat of a valentine."
Reception
"These Are the Voyages..." was negatively received by both critics and the show's cast. Before the episode aired, Blalock called the episode "appalling." She followed up her remarks by saying she was upset over the finale being a The Next Generation episode rather than an end for Enterprise.Connor Trinneer
Connor Trinneer
Connor Trinneer is an American film, stage and television actor. His highest profile role has been the role of Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise and Michael on Stargate Atlantis.-Biography:...
, who played Trip Tucker, felt that the finale should have had a memorable farewell that he described as a "M*A*S*H moment", but that the producers did not want to focus on such an element. Anthony Montgomery
Anthony Montgomery
Anthony T. Montgomery is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Ensign Travis Mayweather on the UPN science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise . Montgomery is the grandson of jazz musician Wes Montgomery...
(Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather
Travis Mayweather is a fictional character, played by Anthony Montgomery, in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, serving as a navigator and helm officer aboard the starship Enterprise. He holds the rank of Ensign, and is in the command division...
) was similarly displeased with the finale and said "I feel there could have been a more effective way to wrap things up for our show as well as the franchise as a whole. It just seemed to take a little bit away from what the Enterprise cast and crew worked so diligently to achieve over the past four years." While Frakes enjoyed working with Sirtis again, he said that "the reality is it was a bit of a stretch to have us shut down [the Enterprise cast's] show," and that in hindsight it was a disservice to them. The early criticism forced the show's producers to hold a conference and address the issue. Braga admitted there was cast unrest, but defended the episode as a way to close not just Enterprise but Star Trek as a whole.
Reviewers were also critical of the Next Generation tie-in. Sci Fi Weekly's Patrick Lee said the framing story "reduces [the Enterprise cast] to the status of lab rats." Lee further noted that even without the guest appearances, the episode did not live up to the best offerings of the season, including "In a Mirror, Darkly". National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
s Alex Strachan called the Next Generation cameos reminders of better Star Trek, compared to the "bad make-up effects, bad acting, bad music" of the latest show. Rob Salem of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
said the cameos served no narrative purpose, and that the episode "robs [the] characters (and their fans) of any significant long-term development or satisfying sense of closure." Reviewers also criticized the episode's ending, where viewers never got to see Archer's rousing speech. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
said that the episode was "Berman and Braga's parting shot, making sure that everyone knew who was in charge," and that the sharp contrast between "These Are the Voyages..." and "Terra Prime" brought into relief the reason why both should not be allowed to produce Star Trek ever again.
The death of Trip Tucker was another object of controversy. Salem described the development as "a major character is pointlessly killed off in service of a pointless plot device," a complaint echoed by IGN. Actor Connor Trinneer
Connor Trinneer
Connor Trinneer is an American film, stage and television actor. His highest profile role has been the role of Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise and Michael on Stargate Atlantis.-Biography:...
, who played Trip, said during a convention appearance that the character had "gotten out of much worse scrapes than that," and the death seemed forced. The writers, Trinneer contended, wanted to kill off a character to "get the fans talking," and so Trip was killed off simply to manipulate viewers. Several critics ended their reviews by saying that whether fans would be disappointed or pleased by the episode, the majority of casual viewers would not care one way or another.
In response to some of these criticisms, Coto stated that he personally considered the two-part story "Demons" and "Terra Prime" that preceded "These Are the Voyages..." the actual finale of the Enterprise storyline. Berman said "I've read a lot of the criticisms and I understand how some people feel, but [Braga] and I spent a lot of time coming up with the idea and a somewhat, I would say, unique ending to a series, especially when you’re ending it prematurely. [...] You never like to disappoint people, but I think its [sic] nonsense to say that it was more a Next Generation episode than an Enterprise episode. The only elements of [The Next Generation] that were present were there as a sounding board to allow us to look at a mission that took place six years after ["Terra Prime"]."
According to TrekNation, Enterprises final episode attracted 3.8 million viewers, an increase of 69% over the previous season's finale. Newspapers covering Enterprises cancellation and its final episode often said that the failure of Enterprise was evidence that the franchise had moved too far from its roots and grown too dark. Andy Dehnhart of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
said that "while the writers and production designers deserve credit for offering worlds that were perhaps slightly more believable, they lost the fantastic, wondrous approach to space travel that The Next Generation borrowed from the original Star Trek and then perfected." USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s Michael Peck said that without the "dreams" of earlier series, "Star Trek becomes just another television drama." Melanie McFarland of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an online newspaper and former print newspaper covering Seattle, Washington, United States, and the surrounding metropolitan area...
, meanwhile, said the show "never found the sense of uniqueness within the Trek universe that every version that came before it possessed." Despite the cancellation, Paramount remained optimistic. Studio head David Stapf looked "forward to a new chapter of this enduring franchise in the future." Berman and screenwriter Erik Jendrensen developed a concept for a new film taking place after Enterprise but before the 1960s television show. Meanwhile Paramount asked Roberto Orci
Roberto Orci
Roberto Gaston Orci is a Mexican-American film producer, television producer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Orci was born in Mexico City to a Mexican father and a Cuban mother. His mother had left Cuba for Mexico after Fidel Castro came to power. He is the older brother of screenwriter-producer J....
for ideas to revive the franchise, resulting in the production of a prequel to the original series simply titled Star Trek, released in May 2009.