Star Trek is scouring for ideas, and hopefully, they can find some that are better than Section 31 or live-action comedies that no one wants. While going through the endless amount of research for the latest trailer for Star Trek: Section 31, I found an interesting tweet.
It's from a Star Trek fan named Lucas, and he lists five ideas he'd rather see than Section 31. Now, he may have posted these in jest, as every idea is just "Old Man___". The ideas are bad, however. One idea has George Takei reprise his role as Sulu to hunt down people who abducted his daughter. Another one has Miles O'Brien teaching "morons" at the Starfleet Academy, while one is just about Harry Kim.
So maybe these are tongue-in-cheek ideas, maybe they're not, but I saw the Archer concept and it made me think; what would an Old Man Archer series look like?
Five Shows I would watch that take place in the #StarTrek universe more than section 31
— lucas 🎺 (@theLUCASTDS) June 11, 2024
1) Old Man Archer: a show about Captain Archer set 50 years before TOS where we see him in the first generation of this uniform (but not in the mirror universe) pic.twitter.com/HvA9bDERw8
Personally, I think Archer would be a bit colder. Driven to this less optimistic version of himself after the death of Charles "Trip" Tucker. His dismay over his death may be the reason he seeks to become the Future Man. While never confirmed in canon, those who worked on the show did always envision Archer as his own main villain. Maybe this is how he comes to pass.
You could have him through a movie or a mini-series, seek out the technology needed to fix the timeline and bring back Trip. The only person who can stop him? T'Pol, his former first officer, and his current wife (cue dramatic music).
The series would be a redemption arc for Enterprise's show, as every main character would be able to reprise their role to some degree. It could act as a way to undo some less-than-quality additions to the Star Trek lore, all while bringing Trip back to life and giving fans of the Enterprise series some much-deserved closer.
And if not Old Man Archer, how about, "Finally Promoted Kim"? Where after 30 years, Harry Kim finally gets promoted from ensign to lieutenant but during the ceremony, the individual who's carrying his promotional pips and such trips, dropping them down a drainage system.
It could be a Short Trek called "Forever Ensign".