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One Enterprise finale had a deranged Captain Archer

By Rachel Carrington

Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.Pictured: Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer in STAR TREK: ENTERPRISEPhoto: Ron Tom/CBS©2005 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Nov. 2, 2015 – CBS Television Studios announced today it will launch a totally new “Star Trek” television series in January 2017. The brand-new “Star Trek” will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966. The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast on the CBS Television Network. The premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access, the Network’s digital subscription video on demand and live streaming service.Pictured: Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer in STAR TREK: ENTERPRISEPhoto: Ron Tom/CBS©2005 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. /
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How different the Enterprise finale could have been

It would be difficult to find any fan who was really in love with “These are the Voyages…” the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise. Even writer Brannon Braga has admitted the story stinks. Mike Sussman, who was a writer and producer during season four, had a much different idea for the series finale. While he thinks his idea wouldn’t have worked, it doesn’t seem like it would have been any worse than the one we ended up with. Plus, Sussman’s story brought back a fan favorite character from Star Trek: Voyager, and it really focused on Captain Archer, which would have been a plus.

In an interview with TrekToday, Sussman explained the premise of his story that would have brought back The Doctor from Voyager. In his idea for a finale, Robert Picardo’s EMH would have returned to treat someone (of course played by Scott Bakula) who was convinced he was Captain Jonathan Archer, and he needed the doctor to help him get back to his century. The finale would have taken place in the holodeck version of the NX-01 with Archer being treated as a deranged patient with grand delusions.

This Enterprise finale had a stronger premise

Trapping Archer into thinking he was mentally unstable and bringing in the EMH would have been an interesting take on the finale. Sussman said the story would have the doctor falling for his patient’s delusions, but for every piece of evidence used in an effort to convince the doctor, there would have been a contradictory piece of evidence that was basically saying, “Nope, this didn’t happen.”

Sussman’s idea to leave the story open-ended with the audience never really knowing whether the Doctor’s patient was really Captain Jonathan Archer from the future or a man lost in his own mind definitely wouldn’t have worked. However, having the Doctor trying to sort out Archer’s thoughts and help him prove his existence would have been a lot more exciting than taking a tour through the Enterprise’s holodeck from the 24th century with Commander Riker and Counselor Troi.

Similar stories like this have been done in the past, and I think, using either an alien as an adversary or some type of infection, Captain Archer’s journey to sanity and back to his crew could have been a strong series ender.

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