ENT Season 4 Blu-ray will have Writer’s Reunion feature

Brannon Braga gave Enterprise fans a little gift today when he posted a picture of the just filmed Writer’s Reunion for Star Trek: Enterprise to Twitter.

 

In the photo are: Andre Bormanis, Chris Black, Phyllis Strong, David A. Goodman, Brannon Braga, Mike Sussman, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

The previous reunions done for the TNG and ENT Blu-ray sets have all been great. Look forward to seeing this on the Enterprise Season 4 Blu-ray set, expected in mid-2014.

–Thanks to TrekCore for pointing out Braga’s tweet

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Yes, I can see why most of these people would have time in their schedule for a chat!

Enterprise was the greatest missed opportunity in the history of Star Trek. We could have got a series about humanity recovering from nuclear war, coming together, dealing with first contact, dealing with technical limitations, a bunch of races on the verge of being conquered coming together and over coming differences, etc and instead got boring bland TNG season 15. We should have seen landing parties trapped on the surface with no transporters to give them an easy out, the Captain way out there having to make the big calls without the easy hailing of Starfleet command to take the weight off, no phasers on stun and the use of machine guns and nuclear weapons that almost every mission ended up being an epic life and death adventure, first contacts gone wrong that would have consequences for generations, the entire human race learning from mistakes/successes, etc. It should have been the logical peaceful Vulcans learning that sometimes you have to stand up for yourself, the violent Andorians learning that picking a fight isn’t the way to go either, that I guess these illogical humans somewhere in the middle might have something to offer the galaxy. One day someone should try an Enterprise “reboot”.

@2

I like the way you think, Cmd.Bremmon!

Good to see you all together. Now get busy on writing season 5 of Enterprise!

#1: Kind of like you huh? Keep on keeping on keyboard warrior.

Are there actual “fans” of Enterprise? Or merely those that didn’t hate it?

Bremmon is right. Ironically, the main problem with “Enterprise” (aside from frequent bouts of dull writing) was that they removed the actual human “enterprise” from the proceedings and just left us with a ship named Enterprise.

To paraphrase Frank Drebin, watching this show with foreknowledge of its unfulfilled potential is “like eating a spoonful of Drano; sure, it’ll clean you out, but it’ll leave you hollow inside.”

ok guys, our first writers room project is seeing how badly we can ruin a profitable and popular franchise through terrible writing and cardboard characterizations.

let’s spitball some ideas…..

#8 – thanks Matt. Everybody else up there is pretty successful as well, who took time from very busy schedules to participate in this. We had a great time, but it was a warts-and-all discussion that I think will surprise a lot of people.

Um, where’s Manny Coto? Enterprise had its best season (4) once he came on board, and it was only the creativity of his writing that left Enterpriseon a high and the fans wanting more.

COTO!!! Very disappointed.

The forth season blu ray trailer is on startrek.com now, picture quality is amazing and its released in april 2014.

:) The old timers. Love it.

#10: Thanks for stopping in and please don’t mind people like poster #1. There’s certain folks here that just enjoy running others down to deflect from their own sad lives. Best of luck with your future writing and producing projects!

11 & 13. Manny had a last minute problem at “24” and couldn’t make it. Brannon and the writers who worked with him on Season 4 (Mike, Andre, Judy and Gar) spent a lot of time talking about his positive influence on the show.

16 – thanks – but people are entitled to their own opinions, and you have to be able to take a joke, which is how I read #1’s comment.

Enterprise writers reunion? Huh?

This is like bringing back the Carter administration or the Swamp Thing writers for a reunion. Why? So they can deconstruct how they made the worst Trek series ever?

I’m sick to death of people on this website ragging on the Carter Administration.

While I do like this show, it is far from being above criticism. Some of you people here need to remember that there is a thing called “free speech” which includes the right to dissent. Now I understand that you Berman butt-kissers have trouble wrapping your simple brains around such a concept, however, it does not give you the right to silence those who don’t agree with your opinion.

I’ve made a lot of money from Berman butt-kissing.

21.

You mean you personally paid Berman himself for the “privilage” of kissing his butt. ;-)

Yikes, this sounds so boring, it almost makes a Mulgrew or Picardo interview seem exciting by comparison. ;-)

#19: Well played David :)

#20: I have a hard time taking seriously anyone that uses the phrase “Berman butt-kissers”. That sounds so… childish.

David Goodman, you’re a good man for taking these comments with a sense of humor.

For the most part, I enjoyed Enterprise.
Thanks for your work in Trek.
And Happy Holidays!

I always pictured the writers memos for Enterprise going something like this:

MEMO: Enterprise spacecraft
WRITER: Let’s embrace the pre-TOS nature, have a primitive ship with short range communication, nuclear missiles, short range defence turrets. Maybe incorporate ring ship elements.
MANAGEMENT: People liked the Akira in Star Trek First Contact. Slap an old navigational deflector on the Akira.

MEMO: Pilot- Vulcan Rescue Episode
WRITER: Pilot is a distress signal is received from a Vulcan research ship in the hands of the last ship of the Vegan Tyranny (Orion Empire?). Vulcans believe it to be illogical to attempt a rescue given the advanced technology of the ship however naïve Earth, eager to prove itself, decides to send the crew on a rescue mission. Vulcan attaché sent to minimize the impact of what Vulcan command sees as an illogical suicide mission.
MANAGEMENT: Missions against all odds just seem too illogical for humans, plus we need technology for “Star Trek”. Add transporters, phasers, etc. Too much Earth as Kirk, Vulcan as Spock, Andoria as Dr McCoy, interspecies debate and compromise. Instead incorporate time travel arc that makes little sense, mysterious bad guy we never reveal.

MEMO: Klingon Prime Directive episode
WRITER: Human ship tries to make peace with primitive Klingon race by offering them advanced technology, instead Klingons take ship and are unleashed on the galaxy. Enterprise must rescue crew, after action report recommends Prime Directive after Klingons conquer world X.
MANAGEMENT: Too epic, humans make too big a mistake, makes sharing of technology an ethical grey area instead of black and white. Change to D7 Battlecrusiers showing up every so often, crew visiting Klingon council.

MEMO: Dilithium crisis episode
WRITER: Crippled Enterprise needs to mine dilithium (re: dilithium shortage arc from last episode), mining company can help but natives opposed to mining. Enterprise must broker a solution between the two parties made difficult as Klingons move in to secure resource, Enterprise must work out a solution.
MANAGEMENT: That’s just too complicated with no happy ever after, deals with modern day issues. Change to episode to Risa, maybe time travel to future. Too much drama, no technobabble. What is this – Avatar on TV?!? Add in holodecks, replicators to eliminate any energy shortage episodes and ensure the viewer doesn’t have to think too hard.

MEMO: Matriachial Society memo
WRITER: Earth is allying with matriarchial society where men are prohibited to leave the planet. When Enterprise crew member objects, diplomatic solution, etc. Turns out was due to nuclear war in the past, society rebuilding, etc.
MANAGEMENT: Aliens MUST act like humans but in strange costumes. Haven’t you seen TNG?!?

MEMO: Season finale (nuclear attack)
WRITER: Romulan drones nuke Earth colony on Wolf 359, Enterprise to counter attack? Do they nuke back as enemy moves closer to Sol system to send a message? The Andorians advocate for an all out nuclear reprisal, the Vulcans advocate for withdrawing all colonies.
MANAGEMENT: Too world war 2 dilemma with epic scale. Roll back to strange vessel cuts line into Florida with strange beam.

MEMO: Planet scene with landing party trapped?!?
MANAGEMENT: Read that last script, that landing party is trapped in that asteroid cave with no way out surrounded by enemies chasing them!??!? It was so much tension I couldn’t turn the page. Please add transporters so they can just beam out.
WRITER: Er.. you sure? Once we add them they are in and they really don’t fit into the timeline… our SFX have advanced enough where shuttles really aren’t a problem, we can even do atmospheric combat sometimes-
MANAGEMENT: Add them, ASAP!

MEMO: Hard decision for Captain
MANAGEMENT: Again reading that one script where there is that shape shifting hostage taker during the Vulcan-Andorian negotiations and the Captain is talking with the MACO team if they should take the shot/attempt a rescue – it just occurred to me that if they shoot it’s life and death. If they shoot the hostage taker they might not get information on who he/she is, if they don’t the hostage taker might kill the ambassador and precipitate interstellar war. Can’t we make this an easier choice and just stun the alien, add in some Phasers on stun? Better yet, can’t the Captain just contact Starfleet Command and find out what to do? Again, it’s just too much tension, I couldn’t turn the page I was so nervous to read on.
WRITER: At this point, whatever. Why don’t we provide unlimited ammunition for everyone, make dilithium crystals rechargeable, do a Borg episode and give the ship a holodeck?

6–Consider me a fan. Star Trek fans come in all colors. I have a friend that just likes the original series and Enterprise, and nothing else. I’ve loved Star Trek in all its forms. I’ve even read the continuing Enterprise novels that take place after the series.

Season 1 and 2 are a bit TNG-lite, I’ll admit. I loved TNG too, but it obviously doesn’t fit well in a prequel show. I still liked Enterprise, but it was missing something.

By Season 3, I think they had finally broken their TNG habit. Whatever your feelings on the Xindi arc, it really didn’t remind me at all of TNG. There were some elements similar to DS9’s Dominion War story, but in Enterprise it was more of a search. And we see a positive side to humanity when Archer is willing to work with some of the Xindi when he could have held a grudge. Unlike with the Dominion, the two sides actively worked together to stop the weapon.

Season 4 finally became what Enterprise was supposed to be all along, a prequel to the original series. Undoubtedly due to the influence of Manny Coto. TATV was the only blemish on season 4, IMHO.

Personally, I probably would have ended the last episode with the declaration of war by the Coalition on the Romulan Empire. They cut the show just when it found its legs and it would have served them right to end on that note.

So yes, I loved Enterprise too. I agree with RDR, it is not above criticism. Frankly no show or movie is. I loved the original series too, but even that is not above some criticism. The same with STID. Nothing in life is perfect, after all.

I’d like to hear what they have to say, “warts and all”, and season 4 was the best of that series so I’ll probably get this eventually. Right now “money’s too tight to mention”. Too bad Coto couldn’t participate.

@David A. Goodman
Sorry about your being kicked in the teeth here. Apologies.

David A Goodman……enterprise was my sister’s fave trek show…I also loved it too….thank you sir for all your hard work and loved Futurama and family guy as well…..futurama was so unique probably one of my favorite animated comedies of all time…..sad to see it go but what an awesome run..brilliant n sarcastic with best writing n voice actors ever…..u guys should be proud as hell…..we shall not see its like again I’m afraid…..

23 – I don’t know what you’re talking about, I can’t get enough of PIcardo and Mulgrew interviews
24 – thanks so much!
25-26 – yes, that’s exactly what they were like
27 – I’ve read a lot of similar things from other fans, it seems you’re not alone
28 – no apologies necessary – I can take a lot more than this – tell everybody to bring it on!
29 – thanks – I was very sad about Futurama too, I haven’t worked there in a while but it was one of my favorite jobs and my friends David Cohen and the rest of that writing staff continued to make a fantastic show.

I bet with the time they have had to consider how Enterprise ended that these writers sure have plenty of great ideas where Enterprise would go now.

In all these arguements, i just think back to what my brother had used to describe what he thought of the Zindi arc of ENT: “They are doing Fing Star Blazers!!! W.T.F? LOL they even got Space Marines!!!” My brother was typcially unkind in remarks to the production of ENT because of his view of unoriginality in many ways…

*warning* *SEMI_POLITICAL MINES DETECTED*

you know, something that is rarely mentioned, maybe ENT’s faults lie in what was happening in RL (the start of the Global War on Terror) at the time ENT was airing. It honestly was harder to watch some stuff because for one, a lot of folks didn’t have the same habits of watching TV time like they used to previously. American’s were pretty anxious back then and we just didnt have that feel for fantasy. A lot of us wanted justice (argueable, bloody revenge as well). I think it would do a lot of good to explore the ratings of several shows from that era to see if my comment holds water (I dont know. I’m a mechanic, not a Nelson Retard…) about how RL events adversially affected viewership…

~Nielson Retard… I got C’s in english. might explain why i detested writting and editing evals when i was in the Navy…

Excellent!

Cmd.Bremmon: FULL AGREEMENT

David A. Goodman: Glad you are here! …sorry about the dickish trolls ;-)

BTW: FUTURAMA RULES!! =D

David A. Goodman

I do apologize for being so harsh, I did love a lot of the writing on Enterprise (especially the 4th season) and I loved the characters. It’s just I really, really thought this was going to be the best Trek ever, surpassing even the original, and was disappointed when the Pilot episode took that opportunity away from you writers (in my opinion the Pilot episode ruined to the point even the awesome 4th season could not escape its limitations).

@ 20. Red Dead Ryan – December 18, 2013

“While I do like this show, it is far from being above criticism. Some of you people here need to remember that there is a thing called “free speech” which includes the right to dissent. Now I understand that you Berman butt-kissers have trouble wrapping your simple brains around such a concept, however, it does not give you the right to silence those who don’t agree with your opinion.”

What a hypocrite !

#38.

No hypocrisy here. Just some much needed objectivity. “Enterprise” put Star Trek into a coma, and the Abrams movies brought it all back to life. Sorry if the truth hurts!!!!

@ 39. Red Dead Ryan – December 19, 2013

“No hypocrisy here. Just some much needed objectivity. “Enterprise” put Star Trek into a coma, and the Abrams movies brought it all back to life. Sorry if the truth hurts!!!!”

I wasn’t talking about “Enterprise”. I agree that “Enterprise” wasn’t a good series.

But when you talk about free speech & the right to dissent & so on, you don’t follow your own advice when it come to STID. In fact, you acted like you have the right to “silence those who don’t agree with your opinion.”

Again, I agree with your view about the Enterprise.

My God, you don’t even realize the hypocrisy of YOU posting this message here, do you? :-( You calling others’ trolls…huh?

The dangers of Myopia are thus illustrated here….

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
35. I am not Herbert – December 19, 2013
Excellent!

Cmd.Bremmon: FULL AGREEMENT

David A. Goodman: Glad you are here! …sorry about the dickish trolls ;-)

33 – 9/11 definitely had an effect on both tv watchers and writers. It’s something we talk about in the round table.

37 – no apologies necessary, you weren’t the least bit harsh! It wasn’t what you wanted, I totally get it.

38-41 – please move on, I want to hear more insults.

#42

Interesting. I saw a doc on the history of horror movies a few years back and they cited the First World War as one of the main causes for the rise of horror cinema in the ’20s and ’30s. Do you think 9/11 has had a similar effect on pop culture in the past decade?

Everything does seem to have a darker tone now. I mean, look at Man of Steel… sinking in skulls… yikes!

43 – Absolutely, man of steel and transformers and even the new star trek rely on these cataclysmic destruction of cities that have a very dark, 9/11 quality. Galactica, which I loved, was almost a treatise on the post 9/11 world.

#44

Yep. And though some of them have been very good, I’m getting pretty tired of those particular commentaries—well, the darker, joyless tone anyway. Think it’s about time to take off the ‘black veil,’ yes?

Star Trek in particular.

#46

Agreed!

my favorite aspect of season 4: the certainty that it didn’t give rise to a season 5.

though i did enjoy the series finale, which dug up the corpses of much better characters from a much better series because you couldn’t rest a wasp’s turd on the shoulders of that “stellar” enterprise cast.

and, sorry to be a downer here, but didn’t coto’s arrival at Dexter roughly coincide with a precipitous decline in quality there? was he part of that Dexter finale, one of the most disappointing instances of wasted opportunity since, well, Enterprise?

nothing bad to say about goodman, though. i’ve seen good work by him elsewhere. my quibble is principally with rick berman and braga, who seems constitutionally incapable of overseeing a successful show.

@46. Matt Wright – December 19, 2013

“We need to try to learn from history, and move forward. Instead it seems that certain symbols/themes from that time period have become fetishized it into our popular culture, but it’s lost all context from the actual events.”

Yep. I don’t mind darker movies in general but it is just too much nowadays. The huge success of The Dark Knight didn’t help as well, what with everyone looking for the next edgy & darker movie. Unfortunately Star Trek followed in the same steps.

Let hope that the next Trek movie will be more positive & inspiring.

45, 46, 49 – I agree – I think the tragedies are “fetishized”- I do miss the hope.

48. Thanks for the compliment. Its amazing to me Rick is vilified all over the web but he hired every great writer on next gen, ds9 and voyager, as well as all the talented artisans who put it all together, and was the final say on thousands of important creative decisions on those shows. Say what you want, but he was the boss on all the sequel series, and created the atmosphere and infrastructure where incredibly memorable science fiction television was produced.

You can say I’m butt kissing, but he hasn’t paid me in twelve years.