Star Trek: Enterprise: How Future Guy’s identity changes the series

Star Trek: Enterprise kept us all guessing when it introduced a humanoid hidden in the shadows who controlled the Cabal

Although only appearing in five episodes, Future Guy” as he was labeled by the fans was a source of great curiosity on Star Trek: Enterprise. He controlled the Cabal and gave the Sulibans their technology and abilities. He also warned Captain Archer of the coming threat from the Xindi. But his identity was never made clear during the run of the series. But viewers finding the show on streaming channels will have that knowledge, and it just might change how they see the captain of the Enterprise as, according to Brannon Braga, (In Conversation: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga, a 70-minute behind-the-scenes documentary shown on the Season 1 Blu-ray)Future Guy was Jonathan Archer.

Supposedly, Archer was from a really bad future which he, in some way, influenced. So he figured out a way to go back in time to make some changes and hopefully create a better future. But Braga’s explanation doesn’t clarify why the future Jonathan Archer gave the Suliban enhanced abilities and advanced technology. Coming from the future, he would have known what the Suliban were capable of. It just doesn’t seem feasible that the Captain Archer we knew in the 22nd century would work with these aliens.

But more than that, if Future Archer knew about the initial attack on Earth which killed seven million people, why wouldn’t he have tried to prevent that as well as the second attack? It doesn’t make sense that Captain Archer, in any time period, would allow the destruction of innocent people.

This isn’t the Captain Archer viewers came to know for four seasons on Star Trek: Enterprise. While he did step across the line on occasion, he wasn’t a monster, and naming him as Future Guy changes his entire character. While it’s certainly possible he could have made a bad decision in the future, it’s difficult to believe the Jonathan Archer who was devastated when he thought Enterprise was responsible for the destruction of Paraagan II and when the first attack on Earth happened could be the same one who could come back from the future and not do everything within his power to prevent senseless deaths. In essence, it doesn’t make sense.

What do you think? Does knowing Jonathan Archer was Future Guy affect how you see Captain Archer on the series?