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So the final episode of Enterprise is pretty much universally reviled, even by some of the actors who were in it. Turning Shran into a pirate, Trip's sudden meaningless death, making the whole thing about Riker and Troi, you name it, the whole thing just sucks.

So... how would you have done it? Assume Season 4 played out as it had to that point. You're now going to make the last Enterprise episode. What would you do with it? Where/when would you set it? What would the plot be?

Sadly, the best ending to Enterprise would have been a fifth season. With the Romulans getting testy Enterprise has to try and unite the local races to form a Federation for mutual defense. Have most of the season be about the Romulans being threatening, Earth and the other powers not being able to handle them, and Archer having to rebuild the bridges he burned and then pissed on the ashes between Earth, Vulcan, and Andoria. End the season with the Federation being founded.

If you have to contain it in a single episode at the end of Season 4? I dunno, have Trip finally manage to blow the ship up when he pours moonshine into the injectors to "enrich the mixture."

Tyyr wrote:Sadly, the best ending to Enterprise would have been a fifth season. With the Romulans getting testy Enterprise has to try and unite the local races to form a Federation for mutual defense. Have most of the season be about the Romulans being threatening, Earth and the other powers not being able to handle them, and Archer having to rebuild the bridges he burned and then pissed on the ashes between Earth, Vulcan, and Andoria. End the season with the Federation being founded.

If you have to contain it in a single episode at the end of Season 4? I dunno, have Trip finally manage to blow the ship up when he pours moonshine into the injectors to "enrich the mixture."

I agree. There was a lead up with Terra Nova but really I cannot see a series finale in the fourth season. It would give writers time to build up to a finale if there was a fifth season.

But since we are talking about the fourth season, first off I would try to get it to two hours. It's the only way you can do a decent finale for Star Trek.

The finale has to end with strong hints of the Federation.

On idea someone awhile back suggested was a time travel finale going forward to the early 23rd century in time to see the E-nil herself get launched. The ENT crew was sent there by accident and is forced to prevent the E-nil being destroyed on her launch from spacedock. I kinda like the idea, but not fond of a time travel episode for Star Trek since you we have had two so far with TNG and VOY. That and it reeks of that Voyager episode where 7 of 9 was trying to get rid of a bomb on Voyager.

I'd have them do a mission that leads to their deaths, have it be to save Vulcan or Andoria or both, but have their role in it hushed up for what ever reason, explains why they are not so famous in latter generations, their proudest moment was covered up for the greater good of unity, with only the goverments of the time knowing their role in the bringing together of these species.

That would suck as a finale, it would be a slap in the face to many fans. But it would incredibly original for Star Trek. Maybe have everyone but T'pol die? Maybe have her convince everyone to cover up their deaths and have her lead Vulcans down a more TNG era style of society.

The Federation is founded and everyone is celebrating on a space station orbiting Earth of course. Then we see a boy, he runs to a window, and as he peers out the window, snow begins to fall. Then the screen fades out to a snow globe, and that same child holding the globe. His Grampa is in a rocking chair waiting. His dad enters the apartment, visibly tired from his day cleaning jet plane engines. The two men chat about the boy's day today. Grampa tells Dad how he's just been staring at that globe all day. Dad laments that he doesn't quite understand this autism thing, and is unsure if his boy ever hears him, but his boy seems happy to just sit there staring at this globe all day. He then calls the boys name, "C'mon Johnny Archer. Time to go to bed." And Little Johnny Archer sets the globe down on top of the fireplace as he, Dad, and Grampa all head off for the night. Then the camera slowly zooms in on the globe, revealing the starship Enterpise. _{TM @ NUTSO Enterprises}

GrahamKennedy wrote:So... how would you have done it? Assume Season 4 played out as it had to that point. You're now going to make the last Enterprise episode. What would you do with it? Where/when would you set it? What would the plot be?

Easy - we've already got one. The Demons/Terra Prime two-parter works pretty well as a series finale as it stands, and jumping forward to the founding of the Federation itself after the Romulan war is too big a jump because it needs too much development that isn't really there.

Seventh season, Archer gives that damned speech, cut to him seeing the NCC-1701 being commissioned and launched.

Captain Seafort wrote:

GrahamKennedy wrote:So... how would you have done it? Assume Season 4 played out as it had to that point. You're now going to make the last Enterprise episode. What would you do with it? Where/when would you set it? What would the plot be?

Easy - we've already got one. The Demons/Terra Prime two-parter works pretty well as a series finale as it stands, and jumping forward to the founding of the Federation itself after the Romulan war is too big a jump because it needs too much development that isn't really there.

I agree. Though if they knew it to be over, then I would have it tweaked maybe make it into a three parter. Shift the original two parter ahead one episode and have a buildup episode prior to that. Maybe leave about five to ten minutes left to wrap Enterprise and Star Trek in general by fast forwarding to perhaps the formation of the UFP with Archer and crew in the background. Or maybe seeing an old Archer or T'Pol watching the NCC-1701 launch.

I kind of like the idea of the series ending with the whole crew going out in a heroic sacrifice. Maybe jump to the formation of the Federation for the last episode... have a Khittomer style conference writing the constitution, and a last force of Romulan fanatics attacks to try and derail the whole thing. Archer takes on four warbirds (shades of the Enterprise-C) and manages to take out three of them whilst the NX-01 is reduced to a burning wreck. With the last warbird targeting the conference and most of the bridge crew dead, he personally takes the helm and rams the Warbird to take both ships out.

Cut to somebody in front of the conference suggesting a new addendum to the constitution "...that amongst the bodies created by the Federation government shall be a fleet of Starships dedicated to protecting the peace, furthering diplomacy, and above all to exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life forms and new civilisations... boldly going where no man has gone before. Do the delegates approve?" And the entire audience rises up and applauds. *sniff*

Cool. So that ending takes up maybe fifteen or twenty minutes. What about the first half? T'Pol jumping up and down?

I could go with that...

But the first half would be uncovering the plot in the first place. Similar basic structure to ST VI, actually.

Dr. Sam Beckett wakes up in bed next to Al Calavicci, a hologram that only Sam can see and hear, and he memorably says to Al, "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had..."

GrahamKennedy wrote:I could go with that...

But the first half would be uncovering the plot in the first place. Similar basic structure to ST VI, actually.

You know that if that was actually done, people would be bitching how it is a rip off off of STVI. But then they would never know about the horror.

Black Jesus wrote:Dr. Sam Beckett wakes up in bed next to Al Calavicci, a hologram that only Sam can see and hear, and he memorably says to Al, "Honey, you won't believe the dream I just had..."

You win... 76% of the internet for that one.