As a die-hard Trekkie with memories of the good old days etched deep into my Vulcan-like memory banks, I must say that the finale of Star Trek: Enterprise left me feeling as cold and empty as space itself. Dominic Keating’s raw reaction to the Kovich reveal in The Discovery is a testament to the emotional rollercoaster we all went through back then.
Since discovering the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “The 37s” on Spike TV (now Paramount Network) in 2007, I’ve been an avid fan of the sci-fi franchise, with shows like “The Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, “Picard”, and “Strange New Worlds” being among my favorites. However, as we move into 2024, I’ve never watched an episode of “Star Trek: Enterprise”. It wasn’t a conscious decision to ignore the series featuring Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer on the USS “Enterprise” NX-01. Instead, I simply didn’t encounter reruns during my initial years as a “Trek” fan, and in recent times, I’ve been too engrossed in watching “Deep Space Nine” for the first time and keeping up with the current generation of “Star Trek” shows.
A while ago, I chose to activate my Paramount+ membership to tackle this issue. Generally speaking, my Enterprise viewing experience was pleasant, yet, like any other Star Trek series, not every episode was a hit. However, the journey ended on a controversial note with the problematic series finale, “These Are The Voyages…”, an episode often criticized as one of the worst in the franchise’s history. Upon watching it myself, I concur with this viewpoint, and many aspects contribute to my agreement, particularly the way they handled Connor Trinneer’s character’s demise.
Trip’s Death Felt Convoluted And Forced
Back in February 3, 2005, Paramount Television announced that Star Trek: Enterprise would conclude after four seasons, and production on “These Are The Voyages…” started on February 25. Given this, it’s not surprising that the writers were limited in their ability to significantly alter the storyline originally designed as a season finale into a series finale, considering the short time frame they had for reworking it.
It seems as though Trip’s death appeared more for dramatic effect rather than a plot point that made sense. He bravely detonated an explosion to save Shran’s daughter by overloading two conduits on the Enterprise. However, during his 2005 DragonCon talk (as reported by TrekToday), Connor Trinneer mentioned that Trip had survived situations even more perilous than this. In other words, while it’s possible that Trip could have been written out of the series, the manner in which it was executed here didn’t do justice to his character.
10 years after the events of “Broken Bow” and six years following the incident at “Terra Prime”, I find it hard to believe that the USS Enterprise wouldn’t have undergone significant upgrades and fortification. It seems implausible that Shran’s adversaries could so easily infiltrate the ship, especially given its enhanced security measures. And as a fan, I can’t help but question if there were no other options for Trip to fend off these invaders without having to sacrifice his life for the sake of plot convenience and ensuring he was written out of the episode by the end.
The Crew Hardly Expresses Any Grief Over Trip’s Passing
Reflecting on my earlier points, by the time “These Are The Voyages…” rolled around, the crew of Star Trek: Enterprise had been united for a decade, and considering the six years that elapsed since “Terra Firma,” it was only natural to anticipate their bond growing stronger. However, when Trip met his end, I found myself taken aback by the seemingly muted response from his comrades. It wasn’t as though they were unaffected by his demise and simply went on with their duties without a care; it was just that I felt a more profound outpouring of sadness and sorrow would have been fitting, given their longstanding friendship.
‘Dominic Keating from Star Trek: Enterprise Expresses Straightforward Feelings Over the Stunning Kovich Revelation in Star Trek: Discovery’s Final Episode’
In an exciting turn of events, Scott Bakula, famously known from Star Trek, attended the latest award ceremony for the franchise. Here are a couple of reasons why this development has me thrilled:
Throughout its space-exploring journey, Trip served as the chief engineer, except during the brief spell when he temporarily transferred to the USS Columbia. Prior to joining the Enterprise, he was acquainted with Archer, and their bond deepened throughout the series’ four seasons. He forged a strong friendship with Malcolm, albeit one that occasionally led to friction. Trip shared many pleasant moments with Travis, Hoshi, and Dr. Phlox. However, on-screen at least, his demise didn’t appear to affect them deeply, except for Archer who found it challenging to deliver a speech during the signing of the Federation Charter shortly after.
Later on, it’s important to mention T’Pol, who held a significant romantic connection with Trip throughout the series. Given their strong bond and T’Pol’s struggle to suppress her emotions compared to other Vulcans, I would expect to see her express more emotion over Trip’s demise. After all, she has shown signs of crying in the past. Isn’t it reasonable to assume that losing the person she was most attached to on the ship would have triggered a few additional emotional responses?
Riker And Deanna’s Appearances Largely Overshadow This Plot Twist
Man, it’s like everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. The whole “These Are The Voyages…” ordeal in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Pegasus” felt like a virtual reality game, with Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis stepping back into their roles as William Riker and Deanna Troi, respectively. Riker was using this simulation to sort out his dilemma over the USS Pegasus recovery, but honestly, seeing Enterprise characters on that holodeck was just extra baggage.
As a dedicated gamer of Star Trek: Enterprise, I found the last episode to be a bittersweet blend of bidding farewell to my beloved characters while satisfying long-awaiting fan demands from an era that had ended over a decade ago. It brought back memories of Arrow’s final season, where the ninth episode, “Green Arrow and the Canaries,” served as a potential introduction to a spin-off series that unfortunately never materialized.
Although it’s highly improbable that Star Trek: Enterprise will receive a fitting conclusion, I fervently wish that the cast members may have opportunities to revisit their characters in future series or films. This way, “These Are The Voyages…” won’t be the last time we witness their on-screen appearances. As for Trip Tucker, though, he truly deserved a better ending. I can only fantasize about an alternate universe where Enterprise concluded more positively for him.
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2024-08-31 16:07