Star Trek: Enterprise‘s hated finale made one final mistake of failing to deliver one of the most pivotal moments of Captain Jonathan Archer’s (Scott Bakula) Starfleet career. Enterprise ended after 4 seasons in 2005 with a maligned hour-long finale titled “These Are The Voyages…” written by series creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.
In an effort to say goodbye to Rick Berman’s 18-year tenure as Star Trek executive producer, Enterprise‘s ending was really about guest star Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes). “These Are The Voyages…” took place during Star Trek: The Next Generation season 7’s “The Pegasus,” with Captain Archer and the NX-01 crew reduced to holograms in Riker’s holodeck program.
“These Are The Voyages…” is also infamous for killing off the popular Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), whose death has canonically held since Star Trek: Enterprise ended. While the many issues fans have with Enterprise‘s finale have been thoroughly documented and don’t need to be litigated again, “These Are The Voyages…” also missed the mark with an important moment in Star Trek history.
Enterprise’s Finale Never Showed Captain Archer’s Speech Founding The Federation
Star Trek: Enterprise‘s series finale built up to its final scene where Captain Archer gives a speech that formally begins the coalition of worlds which evolves into the United Federation of Planets. Unfortunately, audiences never get to hear Archer’s epic words. Instead, Commander Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) exit the holodeck and end the program.
Captain Archer spends the entirety of “These Are The Voyages…” worrying about his important speech and decides to write it the night before. Archer’s speech is so important that Trip literally dies for it; Commander Tucker trades his life for his best friend’s because he knows Archer’s speech could usher in the future of the galaxy. After everything it cost Jonathan and his crew, it’s a robbery that Enterprise never delivers Archer’s greatest moment.
Riker and Troi calling quits on their holodeck program instead of letting Captain Archer’s speech is also insultingly dismissive. Even if they’re familiar with that historic moment, why wouldn’t they let the program play out and witness the moment that birthed the Federation? Instead, they just bailed on it, leaving everyone at home hanging and compounding the overwhelming dissatisfaction at Enterprise‘s finale.
Instead of Captain Archer’s galaxy-changing speech, Scott Bakula got to say Star Trek‘s famous mission statement. Yet Bakula had to share the narration with William Shatner’s Captain James T. Kirk and Patrick Stewart’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Archer only gets to utter, “To boldly go where no one has gone before.”
Meanwhile, what did Archer say that unified a handful of distrustful species to ultimately become the Federation? We still don’t know, and may never know.
After 21 Years, Enterprise Still Hasn’t Been Forgiven For Its Series Finale
Star Trek: Enterprise is now more popular and respected, over 20 years after “These Are The Voyages…”, than the prequel ever was during its first run on UPN. Audiences gradually discovered Enterprise on streaming over the last decade and realized the many qualities of Captain Archer and the NX-01. Enterprise holds up nicely when binged, and its production values look great decades later.
Most fans still haven’t forgiven the sins of Star Trek: Enterprise’s finale, and it may never happen.
However, even as Enterprise has enjoyed a 180 in esteem among Trekkers, this hasn’t translated to “These Are The Voyages…” being reassessed. Most fans still haven’t forgiven the sins of Star Trek: Enterprise‘s finale, and it may never happen. “These Are The Voyages…” continues to be seen as an affront to the heroes of the NX-01, and hardcore fans consider the two-parter “Demons” and “Terra Prime” as Enterprise‘s true ending.
Even if Star Trek: Enterprise producer Michael Sussman’s proposed spinoff, Star Trek: United, gets made, it still may not wash away fans’ distaste of “These Are The Voyages…” Enterprise fans certainly would love to see Scott Bakula return as President Jonathan Archer and see him and his family defend the young and vulnerable Federation from insidious threats in the late 22nd century.
If Star Trek: United gets made, however, that could be the big chance decades later to hear the speech Captain Archer gave that birthed the Federation at the end of Star Trek: Enterprise. At the very least, audiences could find out what, specifically, Archer said that created the next thousand years of the Alpha Quadrant’s future.
Star Trek: Enterprise is streaming on Paramount+
Star Trek: Enterprise
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