The Braga Speaks

[Eric R.]

Posted on Trektoday:

By Caillan
July 9, 2004 - 2:18 AM

The Romulan Wars are tipped to be the subject of the next Star Trek feature film.

Enterprise executive producer Brannon Braga reportedly told the Star Trek Communicator that the series may not be able to feature the Romulan Wars because of a possible clash with the upcoming movie.

"It's certainly one of the things that we've been discussing," Braga reportedly said. "But there's also a prequel feature in development regarding the Romulan Wars, so we might have to stay away from that." In the same magazine, franchise head honcho Rick Berman said Trek XI would be set before the time of Kirk, but would not be connected with Enterprise.

The first sighting of the Romulans came in the second-season episode, "Minefield", in which the NX-01 inadvertantly strayed into Romulan territory. According to established Star Trek lore, the Romulan Neutral Zone was established in 2160 after a long war between Earth and the Romulans. With "Zero Hour" taking place in 2154, the Romulan Wars could conceivably take place during Enterprise's run.

Braga also discussed the storylines in development for Enterprise's fourth season, including the return of the Temporal Cold War. "One thing we're discussing is possibly blowing the lid off the Temporal Cold War once and for all," he reportedly said. "That's probably something we'll do in this first storyline. I can't say that for sure, because we're just getting into it. But I'd really like to resolve that and put a cap on it. It would be a nice thing to do after three seasons of teasing it along."

The foundation of the Federation could also start to figure heavily in the series. "There are going to be some major interstellar events and conflicts happening that could involve the forming of the federation. We're going to see more of what's going on back at Earth. We might see something dealing with the Eugenics Wars."

To read the complete interviews with Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, pick up the latest issue of the Star Trek Communicator. Thanks to 'guyute03' for providing these excerpts!

Telling, very telling for one, "But there's also a prequel feature in development regarding the Romulan Wars, so we might have to stay away from that." In what regards? Does that mean a total ban from using it till the movie comes out or a complete ban suggesting a possible turf war developing between Braga and Berman. Both TNG and DS9 did a wonderful job of setting up Gnerations with 2 or 3 episodes before the movie why wouldn't that be an option for Enterprise especialy for something which has such a presitgaes position in Trek lore as the Romulan War

Secondly "One thing we're discussing is possibly blowing the lid off the Temporal Cold War once and for all," Ok what does that mean? it seesm later in the articles Braga is saying hes ready to end the one and only continueing storyline since the premire of the show, probabaly in a 3 or 4 epsiode arc which will seem to end everything in a general sorry state of affairs only to be resurected at the end of the series yet again. besides it took three seasons to realize that this story arc was in the end a poor choice?

Thirdly, "There are going to be some major interstellar events and conflicts happening that could involve the forming of the federation. We're going to see more of what's going on back at Earth." Ok good since it is kinda important that the show do this as it was more or less promised by its very existence since it began production over three years ago! Frankly this should have been the shows focus from the start even the temproal cold war would have fit very nicely with this basic premis but alas they wanted something totally new in a time period they failed to see was totally locked by trek lore i.e. the Romulan War and the founding of the Federation.

Fourthly, "We might see something dealing with the Eugenics Wars." What is he talking about here? unless it deals with the outlawing of Genetic enhancement there better not be any stray sleeper ship floating about so Archer can have his own Kahn or I firmly believe the fans will storm the offices and hang the little intern by his proveribial "toes". The Eugenics Wars are a thing best left in the TOS era and not delt with at all considering the obvious fact we are now living past there "real" timeframe and well nothing happen here on Earth.

[Phantom]

As usual, Braga speaks...and nothing is said.

[strict31]

Originally posted by Eric R.
The Eugenics Wars are a thing best left in the TOS era and not delt with at all considering the obvious fact we are now living past there "real" timeframe and well nothing happen here on Earth.

Aside from the fact that we're living IRL and the Trek universe is not, there may be a number of reasons why we haven't seen the effects of the Eugenics Wars in various episodes (like that Voyager time travel one). The one I hold to is the one that smacks too much of trek time-paradoxes; alternate timelines. It has always seemed to me at least possible that someone went back and altered the past. Made certain the Eugenics Wars occured in order to allow the Federation or some other entity in canon to exist as we've known it in the various shows. maybe the Eugenics Wars were never supposed to occur. unfortunately for my theory, logic is an obstacle. if there are alternate timelines, they would remain unaffected by adaptations to the past. And conversely, if they are vulnerable to adaptaions in the past, Voyager would not have existed to go back to the 20th century in the first place. Or perhaps my own logic is flawed. The more I think about it, the more I get confused!!!

But it is sci-fi temporal mechanics, after all, and trek has not been exactly consistent with them in the past. As with most of Trek, science takes a back seat to story.

This is made more complex by the introduction of the TCW. If you have a lot of future factions stirring up trouble in the past, the timelines could be so screwed up and stressed that common logic no longer applies to their functioning. it's a mess that the future good guys (whomever they may ultimately be) might be constantly trying to clean up.

Anyways, if they are going to deal with both the Eugenics wars and the TCW, the two may be related, possibly in the way I have suggested above. But so many people have already gone back in time and screwed with things ("how d'ye know he didn't invent the thing?") that it's hard to say what did and did not affect Trek's history. or its future...


Strictly Speaking

[Sea Tyger]

Originally posted by strict31
But so many people have already gone back in time and screwed with things ("how d'ye know he didn't invent the thing?") that it's hard to say what did and did not affect Trek's history. or its future...

Just to hijack the thread a bit...I much preferred the line from the book version of TVH, where Scotty knew this was the guy who invented Transparent Aluminum (tm). It sounds better than the throw-away line that Doohan used in the movie.

[REG]

[C5]

So... basically, Braga said they might do a movie about the Romulan war, that we'll see more of the founding of the Federation, and that we might see the resolution of the TCW, and everybody keeps being unhappy about it ???

[Captain Novaes]

Originally posted by C5
So... basically, Braga said they might do a movie about the Romulan war, that we'll see more of the founding of the Federation, and that we might see the resolution of the TCW, and everybody keeps being unhappy about it ???

Hmmm. Basically most people are unhappy because they ceased to believe Braga can do anything good!

Which is completely justifiable, IMNSHO.

[REG]

Originally posted by Captain Novaes

because they ceased to believe Braga can do anything good!

For Star Trek... Word!