Rant here: The end of Enterprise! (spoilers...as if it matters anymore)

[Captain Blake]

Brilliant?

Not only this this season (sans the series finale) surpassed the previous 3 seasons of ENT combined, it also surpassed the last 4 seasons of VOY.

Pardon the language, but it was fuckin' impressive.

But then Berman had to ruin it with this TNG lost episode. It's fuckin' obvious, he wants to relive his glory days.

P.S. Sorry, I have exceeded my naughty quota this year.

I concur, with slight changes. Better than all but a few episodes of Voyager, and change the word Berman to Braga. I believe he wrote most of this.

I find it amusing, in a gallows humor kind of way, that the two worst episodes of this season were the first and the last, and both were written by Bermaga.

Just makes you think, doesn't it.

Alex

[Capt. Anderson]

Worst episode ever.

[prophetsteve]

But then Berman had to ruin it with this TNG lost episode. It's fuckin' obvious, he wants to relive his glory days.

I think it is telling that Braga and company would drag TNG into it. I don't think it has much to do with reliving glory as it does with B&B having no clue what the fans want.

Instead of accepting that they had made poor decisions regarding the direction and writing of Enterprise, its seems that they have convinced themselves that Trek fans simple have no interest in a series that isn't Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Saying that Trek fandom only like TNG is a great way for B&B to deflect criticism about Enterprise. After all, they did the best they could but it was the fickle Star Trek fanbase they tanked the series. Not their fault at all

In the end I am glad Trek is getting a rest. I would have preferred to have Manny continue Enterprise or helm a new season but I honestly don't think he would have gotten the chance.... as soon as Enterprise ratings would start to rise I am sure that Braga would want to get his claws into the action again...

...and I'll say it again... I'd rather have no Trek than BragaTrek...

[Balok]

It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't a great story, either.

Bad things:

• Troi and Riker, and the entire 24th century segment were unnecessary to this tale, although it was well fit into TNG continuity.
• Shran devolves from a man trusted with command of an advanced starship to a man with dodgy associates and a dodgy career. While this can occur, it's jarring when it happens to an important character sans explanation -- and there wasn't time for an explanation.
• Where did these aliens get a ship fast enough to catch Enterprise? The prevailing tech has been around the same level, with a few exceptions -- all the sudden these guys somehow pull an advanced drive ship out of ... somewhere?
• The MACOs couldn't handle this situation? The entire sequence of events that led to Trip's death seemed contrived to lead to Trip's death.

Good things:

• The 22nd century part of the story stood on its own; while not series finale material, it was a solid episode that could have been better had the 24th century bits been omitted.
• Nice to see Shran, an important character, and Jeffrey Combs, a prolific Trek actor, have a chance to be there for the final curtain.
• The bits with Riker as Chef were good, although I'd have rather seen someone else (the real person) take on the role; it would have been good to finally see Chef after all this time.

[Tricky]

I know i started this rant-fest, and something else just occured to me.

The crooks caught up to Ent., and there was know warning? Just haviing a drink and wham! Attacked (maybe Reed was drinking elswhere....)

Then they board, or beam over and NO ONE shows up except the Archer and Tripp. Any other time the ship was forcilby boarded, at least a couple of Crewmen or Macos showed up to investigate. Maybe all the security stuff was already decomissioned and sent home, but you'd think a ship would have some security?

[Sea Tyger]

Personally, I was waiting for the MACOs to show up and Trip getting caught in the crossfire. Considering there were at least two MACOs left on the Enterprise (since Riker was playing one of them in the sim during the rescue op), they should've responded a little faster.

[REG]

It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't a great story, either.

Bad things:

• Troi and Riker, and the entire 24th century segment were unnecessary to this tale, although it was well fit into TNG continuity.
• Shran devolves from a man trusted with command of an advanced starship to a man with dodgy associates and a dodgy career. While this can occur, it's jarring when it happens to an important character sans explanation -- and there wasn't time for an explanation.
• Where did these aliens get a ship fast enough to catch Enterprise? The prevailing tech has been around the same level, with a few exceptions -- all the sudden these guys somehow pull an advanced drive ship out of ... somewhere?
• The MACOs couldn't handle this situation? The entire sequence of events that led to Trip's death seemed contrived to lead to Trip's death.

Good things:

• The 22nd century part of the story stood on its own; while not series finale material, it was a solid episode that could have been better had the 24th century bits been omitted.

Honestly, it coudn't stand on its own. The story look cut-n-paste, with Riker frequently stopping and advancing the holo-program. As you said, if you ommitted the 24th century bits, the story could have a more fluid pacing.

IOW, this should have been in the Bad Thing list.

This would have been a fairly decent TNG episode, but I mean to watch the last Enterprise episode. It's like going to an Eminem concert ... but it was Vanilla Ice who performed.

[Mac417]

Okay, here's my take on it.

The Enterprise-D holodeck program likely had only the bare bones of the accounts of the events shown during 2161 from historical records available at the time. The rest was likely extrapolated by some hack holoprogrammers (Ensign Berman and Cadet Braga, perhaps? ) who slapped something together to give the whole thing some semblance of narrative connectivity for the purposes of those using the program.

I consider it possible, nay, probable, that the events as depicted for the sake of Riker and Troi's holodeck amusement were largely historically inaccurate and should not reflect the events as they actually took place.

Which means, at least in my world, Trip's death frickin' meant something, all the questions about the characters lives between "Terra Prime" and "These are the Voyages" were amply answered, and Archer's speech was something inspired, moving, and worthy of the moment.

Don't get me wrong, guys, I still thought the episode sucked sour frog, but this take on things makes it a little less bitter a pill to swallow.

[Tricky]

I had a friend of mine call me, practically livid about how they killed Tripp off. It seems he and i aren't the only ones who couldn't figure out why he was killed. It served no purpose to the story, except if the point of the story was to show how Disobeying orders can hurt you.
Archer disobeyed orders; saved Shran's lil girl.
Tripp did the same (Archer told him to not help the 'Thugiens', and he got himself killed.

But then, other than a booby trap gone wrong, there was no reprecussions for Archer. He didn't have to face a Board of Inquiry (which probably would have been held) to answer for his actions. He didn't have to tell whatever family survivors Tripp had that he died saving his life on a little side mission. He didn't even agonize over the senseless death, like he has in so many other episodes.

He just moved on with the Treaty signing as if nothing had happened.

But i did like the fact that Riker "replayed" Tripp's visit to the galley after he was dead. And how, for a split second, it was like HE knew about Riker's problems.

[Jem'hadar]

I thought These Are the Voyages was a good episode as ENT episodes go. I don't think it was a great series finale, certainly not as good as the season finales of TNG, DS9 and VOY.

Terra Prime would have made a better series finale.

[Evan van Eyk]

This episode was already planned when it was not yet clear that 4th season would be the last season - and you see it. They artifically try to connect two story-arcs which have absolutely nothing in common. But lets begin at the beginning.

Why start with "The Pegasus"? It was one of the best TNG episodes and evolved Riker's character alot, but it was finished. There was no need to add something. I owuld have been more please if Riker tries to learn something about his relationship with Troi by watching T'Pol and Trip. The "scale" of the stories does not match. Archer taking Enterprise on a slight detour and Riker deciding to violate Federation treaty or not and by that risking an interstellar war with Romulus. The tie was ridiculous.
What I did not like was Trip's death. He is my favourite character and I could have liked it, if it had been done properly. But that way?
First it is given away by Troi in an earlier scene, robbing it of its impact. Then he dies in such a stupid way! First why did no one see the ships coming? Why were they able to just get onboard Enterprise in an instant? Where was Security, MACO? And Trip cannot think of something better, like in so many episodes before? And I think he had deserved something better than just some angry gangsters. Romulans, Klingons, something that makes a difference about the UFP or not. But no he gets killed by some robbers, a footnote in Enterprise' story. Something like "Oh, yeah and Trip got killed, too". And it was too fast paced. They story was to quick which took its opportunity to evolve and emotionally influence the viewer and the characters, since no one is sorry about Trip's death. Just moments later, Reed makes jokes about their seats and Archer does not feel guilty for one second, although Trip died for him, died because he had to help Shran... Very unsatisfying.
Then there were many plotholes. As mentioned by so many before, why would none of the officers be promoted after ten years of service on Earth's number one ship? Why does Enterprise suddenly have a "Columbia" bridge and why change the uniforms in a complete useless way. Why add shoulder padds if there is nothing on it?
Why the #*!$!* are they putting Enterprise out of service after just ten years? That is almost funny. After around 20 years of research and construction they put it into mothballs after just one decade. ENT had to be in service at least 30 years to make it economical productive. It is simply unrealistic.
And sorry but Troi and riker just don't look like 15 years ago, it does not match. Why could they not come up with something on Titan or what do I know, why ruin two episodes with one ( ENT final episode and Pegasus )?
Unsatisfying and it could have been better. I think they tried to put too much into it, like the crossover, Trip's death and the Founding of the Federation. However as a real end to Enterprise, I would have wished they had left out the speach in TP and had put it at the end of "These are the Voyages".

[Mac417]

I guess we should consider ourselves thankful of the announcement that Pocket Books is giving the series the "relaunch" treatment so we have something to fall back on. DS9 didn't necessarily NEED it, but I'd be happy with a few more "seasons" of Enterprise, if only in prose form.

[REG]

Why the #*!$!* are they putting Enterprise out of service after just ten years? That is almost funny. After around 20 years of research and construction they put it into mothballs after just one decade. ENT had to be in service at least 30 years to make it economical productive. It is simply unrealistic.

Just speculating, but that ship must have taken a lot of pounding during their time in the Delphic Expanse. It probably have gone into more dangerous situations than any of the other ships in her class. That and technology is rapidly advancing now that the Vulcans are more open to sharing and Earth making frequent friendly contact (and trade) with other advanced cultures.

[BouncyCaitian]

plus, as a prototype vessel, and the first outof the slot, it probably wasn't really all that perfected for warp travel compared to it's later sister vessels. the stress on the space frame can't have been all that good for it

[REG]

So when her sister vessel Columbia was finally built, it incorporated and corrected some of the glitches and flaws that NX-01 have encountered during her voyage. That's the only way military hardware can improve and adapt.