21 Years Ago, Star Trek’s Greatest Insult Ruined the Cancelled Series That’s Only Got Better With Age

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Twenty-one years ago, Star Trek: Enterprise demonstrated how not to end a TV series. It was intended as a prequel to the original Star Trek, similar to the Star Wars prequels, and aimed to establish the context for the adventures of Captain Kirk, Captain Picard, and others. A key appeal for viewers was piecing together how the established Star Trek universe came to be – witnessing the Federation’s beginnings, the first discoveries of familiar technology, and the challenges of early space exploration when resources and information were limited.

When Star Trek: Enterprise first aired, it didn’t immediately find its audience. It’s understandable, though, considering the long stretch of Star Trek on television – from 1987 to 2005. Fans may have been experiencing Star Trek fatigue. This could be why Enterprise has gained a dedicated following in recent years, as it’s been reappraised by new viewers. However, almost everyone agrees on one thing: the series finale was a disappointing end to an otherwise great show.

Enterprise’s Finale Was an Episode of Another Show

The core issue was with the show’s design. Ending Enterprise meant closing a chapter on the entire history of Star Trek. Instead of focusing on a grand finale for their own series, creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga decided to pay tribute to that legacy. They conceived an unusual episode – a self-contained story set far in the future, where Will Riker observes a holodeck simulation of the original Enterprise crew during a crucial mission. As Berman later told SlashFilm, the unexpected cancellation of Enterprise left the writers in a difficult position.

We were stuck creatively, unable to bridge the gap between episodes 97 and 98. The solution was a flashback, showing events from the future using a holodeck to reveal the story’s conclusion involving Jonathan Archer and the formation of the United Federation of Planets. A flashback was the only way to tell this story, and our holodeck technology allowed for incredibly realistic depictions. We needed characters to observe the flashback, so we simply chose Marina Sirtis and Jonathan Frakes’ characters from The Next Generation because it was convenient.

The episode “These Are The Voyages…” actually unfolds during the seventh season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, specifically within the episode “The Pegasus.” Even Rick Berman, one of the show’s creators, later admitted this wasn’t the best choice, as fans were disappointed. He explained that after nearly two decades with the Star Trek universe, he and co-creator Rick wanted to create a personal tribute to the entire franchise. Essentially, this wasn’t a true finale for Enterprise; it was more of a nostalgic farewell to Star Trek as a whole, a way for the creators to say goodbye.

Even Character Deaths Were Added Simply for Shock Value

Another particularly debated choice was the unexpected death of Trip Tucker, played by Connor Trineer. He was killed off seemingly just for dramatic effect, and this became something Rick Berman and Brannon Braga later regretted. They admitted they added the death to the finale, “These Are the Voyages…”, hoping to create emotional impact. While Trineer was initially okay with how his character’s story ended, he later felt differently. The rest of the Enterprise cast generally disliked the experience, though some appreciated working with Jonathan Frakes.

As a longtime fan, the decision to kill Trip always felt like a shortcut. It kind of pointed out a bigger issue with the storytelling – if you need to kill someone to make things interesting, then the story itself isn’t strong enough. And it really stung that it happened in the series finale! That final episode should have been a huge, emotional send-off for all the characters and everyone who worked on the show. Honestly, Berman and Braga should have gone back to the drawing board when they realized the show wasn’t connecting emotionally, instead of relying on a death to try and force some feelings. It just didn’t feel earned.

“These Are the Voyages…” is widely considered one of the worst episodes in Star Trek history. While Enterprise has gained a loyal following over time, this episode hasn’t. It feels disconnected from the rest of the series, almost like a typical episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which undermines Enterprise as a whole. Most notably, the entire plot leads to a speech by Captain Archer that is never shown, a strange and ultimately ineffective storytelling choice.

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2026-05-13 19:18