Clearly, Mike Sussman excited Star Trek: Enterprise fans when he revealed his and Scott Bakula’s idea for a streaming series they’d like to make, which would be titled Star Trek: United. Bakula’s Jonathan Archer would return as the lead, and he would be the President of the United Federation of Planets. Sussman, who served as both a producer and writer on Enterprise, is excited about the prospect of United becoming a part of creator Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi universe. And he teases something that would happen in United that Trekkies have been waiting years for.
While appearing on the All Access Star Trek podcast, Sussman teased that fans would finally see The Romulan War! The writer and producer said (via TrekMovie.com): "I’d want to open this show by showing a scene that we never got from an Enterprise season 7. It would be during the height of the Romulan War."
Sussman continued by saying:
"Something that has become clear to me from feedback since we first started talking about this, is fans saying they never got to see The Romulan War. ‘We were waiting for it, and you guys just kind of skipped over it.’ And I share their frustration. So, I would want to show that, and a particular pivotal moment that’s not just pure fan service. The scene would actually introduce a very important character for the show moving forward.”
Sussman even hearkened all the way back to the first season of Star Trek: The Original Series, specifically the must-see episode “Balance of Terror.” In that landmark installment of TOS, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the USS Enterprise became the first to see the Romulans because visual communication didn’t exist in the historic war with the war-like extraterrestrial race. Sussman expressed his commitment to “maintaining that consistency with The Original Series,” and the revelation in “Balance of Terror” that Vulcans and Romulans are related.
“It almost seems like the Federation, or the people of Earth as well as the Romulans, don’t want the Vulcans to know who they are," Sussman said. "And why would that be? I think that’s a very intriguing question. I’ve certainly got my ideas. You could establish [in Star Trek: United] that certain people in the government or the spy agencies have their strong suspicions."
"In fact, that even plays into ‘Balance of Terror.’ I don’t think it’s out of order to suggest that there had already been rumors to that effect, [something] that maybe just sounded crazy to people," Sussman continued. "But when Lieutenant Stiles sees Mark Lenard with his pointed ears on the viewscreen, and he looks at Spock, like ‘Dude, that’s your dad.’ I would want to maintain consistency, for sure, but that’s the challenge.”
For those newcomers to the fandom who may not be aware of what Sussman is referring to, Mark Lenard portrayed a brilliant Romulan Commander in “Balance of Terror,” who was tired and fed up with war. Lenard’s character dies at the end of the episode by destroying his own vessel rather than face the grim alternative of being taken prisoner. This is a heartbreaking scene because it becomes clear that Captain Kirk and the Romulan Commander are two of a kind.
Now, fast forward to the Star Trek: TOS season 2 episode “Journey to Babel.” Lenard returned as a guest star, but this time he portrayed Mr. Spock’s (Leonard Nimoy) father, the beloved Vulcan, Sarek. Lenard went on to become a fan-favorite actor among Trekkies, and he reprised the role of Sarek several times, including appearances in the OG Star Trek films, The Next Generation and even in The Animated Series.”
Should Scott Bakula and Mike Sussman’s Star Trek: United finally happen, would you enjoy seeing The Romulan War play out on-screen, even if it is not the focal point of the potential streaming series? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!