Generations' error

[Dark Reality 0]

I've just realized, they made a mistake introducing the Enterprise-E in Star Trek 8: First Contact. It should have been at the end of Generations. Here's why:

 

1. ST1:TMP introduced the refitted original Enterprise (and took its sweet time doing so). When that was destroyed in ST3:TSFS, we see the "next movie's" ship, the Bird of Prey. At the end of ST4:TVH, we see the Enterprise-A, though it doesn't actually get used until ST5:TFF.

 

2. ST7 is shows the Enterprise-B and the Enterprise-D... the Enterprise-E should have been shown at the end as it's the next generation of Enterprise, especially as the movie's title is "Generations". We saw two generations, why not three, especially when coupled with reason #1.

 

3. Despite having Kirk, Scotty, and... Was it Chekov? Despite having three members of the original cast, the Enterprise-B, Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg), Malcolm McDowell as a villain, scenes with Kirk and Picard, "Generations" seemed a little weak in comparison with the other movies. Whereas "First Contact" had a lot going for it. Did "First Contact" *need* to debut the Enterprise-E? No, and it really didn't... it was just there.

 

All those considered, Picard's "there's plenty of letters left in the alphabet" line should have been stricken, Picard should have just winked or something, then a shot of the TNG command crew in a shuttle approaching the Enterprise-E. It would have made for a lot better ending, and made Trek fans anticipate a sequel. As it was, they could have simply stopped after "Generations"; why continue? The Enterprise is destroyed and Picard can only *speculate* about a new Enterprise.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I think the reason that the Enterprise E wasn't introduced was because Starfleet didn't "expect" the Enterprise D to be destroyed.

 

By the time of ST III the Enterprise 1701 was quite old and was ready to be retired even though it had just recently gone through a refit so it's logical that they would have had the 1701-A in construction already and since the 1701 was destroyed at the Genesis planet the crew needed a way to get Spock to Vulcan so they had the BoP for the end of ST III and all of ST IV.

 

It's also logical to introduce the 1701-A at the end of IV because Admiral Kirl had just been demoted and needed a ship, what better ending would there be then to introduce the new ship and play the first few seconds of the old Star Trek theme? I can remember sitting in the movies and when they played that music I got a chill up my spine, and still do every time I see it. Then Kirk saying "Let's see what she's got!"... great ending.

 

With Generations the 1701-D is the flagship of the fleet and still a very "young" ship, it wouldn't make sense for starfleet to have it's replacement already built and ready to go into service as soon as the 1701-D is unexpectedly destroyed. Plus I think they wanted to leave room for themselves to either go in a new direction or to not make a new movie if Generations had been a complete box office flop. If they introduce a new 1701 then they are almost locked into that format for a next movie. If they leave it open then they can develope a whole new direction if they wish to.

 

That's how I see it anyway.

[Dark Reality 0]

I agree with what you said about Paramount wanting to leave their options open, but I can't help but wonder how stupid they'd look making one TNG movie and then dropping the ball.

 

They wouldn't have had to build the Enterprise-E *as* the Enterprise-E... for all we know, it was just a Sovereign-class ship that was renamed, like what happened with the Sao Paul/Defiant. Enterprise as a ship family has a lot more honor and tradition than Defiant, so it wouldn't be surprising for them to take a ship and rename it Enterprise, to keep the name alive.

 

I agree, the ending of IV with Kirk getting the new ship was indeed cool. I didn't realize it was the original theme music, but I knew there was something special about that little jingle versus the other Trek themes they've played which evolved from that. I just think they could have paid tribute to that scene, have Picard and his crew looking upon a new ship in awe.

 

I wish I had seen ST4 in the theater...

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I agree, the ending of IV with Kirk getting the new ship was indeed cool. I didn't realize it was the original theme music, but I knew there was something special about that little jingle versus the other Trek themes they've played which evolved from that. I just think they could have paid tribute to that scene, have Picard and his crew looking upon a new ship in awe.

 

I wish I had seen ST4 in the theater...

Yeah, it's not the exact beginning of the theme but it's the point of the original theme where Kirk begins saying "Space, The final frontier..." and in ST IV when the new ship shows on screen for the first time and we know that Captain Kirk and crew will be at the helm and then that music plays it's like saying "The adventures are are about to begin... again!" It's like a new beginning and it's the first time in any of the SStar Trek movies that any of the original music was played so for avid Trek fans at the time it was a special moment and was enough to bring a tear to the eye... Captain Kirk was back in command of the Enterprise, Spock was alive and the original theme was playing... all was well in the universe. :angry:

 

Here's the original theme:

 

Star_Trek_Original_Series_24.mp3

[Dark Reality 0]

Thanks for that. :angry:

 

Someone on Amazon made a good point about Generations: The Enterprise-D just wasn't cut out for the silver screen. I suppose the same is true for the original Enterprise, refitted for the original movie. I did see Generations in the theater (I saw all of them from 'Undiscovered Country' on in theaters - I envy all you who saw II - V in theaters) and loved to see that ship blown up that big on screen, but it's not exactly movie material. So maybe Paramount, if not Starfleet, wanted the NCC-1701-D gone to pave way for a more audience-awing vessel.