High-concept mini-arcs, huh? Well, we'll see. It sounds pretty strange.
There's also a description of the season premiere at Trektoday, though not at this particular link, since those spoilers aren't all that vague.
Posted by Bond, James Bond (Member # 1127) on :
Whenever I hear Rick Berman using the term "high concept", I get nervous.
"We've got a couple of them that I think are going to have some big surprises and things that will hearken back to perhaps The Original Series. We'll bring in some actors, and possibly some characters, that are very familiar to our audience."
Besides the Shatner rumors persistently floating around, I wonder what characters this may refer to? Trelane perhaps?
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
That's sort of an odd choice. Any particular reason that character came to mind?
(Though: Trelane had pretty obviously never actually met humans in person prior to "Squire of Gothos," to be a huge nerd about it.)
I've been thinking about that particular passage, and I think that's probably exactly the wrong direction for Enterprise to go. If I want to watch TOS I can buy it. If I want to do nothing with my TV drama time other than wallow in nostalgia I can watch TV Land. I mean, would this work for any other show? "On our new Law & Order, Special Investigators of Wire Fraud, we're going to go back and capture what made Dragnet so successful?" I guess the sad answer is yes, since they remade Dragnet. And it failed miserably. (Actually, I guess it got a whole season and maybe a little extra, which is not too bad these days. Hmm.)
But, what I am getting at is this, I think: You can't go partially retro in a science fiction show. Either it's an attempt to look at the present via the conceit of the future, or it isn't. And Star Trek, despite presenting a future thought up back when the microprocessor was still a gleam in Marcian Hoff's eye, has never been intentionally retro.
Basically, I read that as an attempt to get back into the "mainstream," which is just a laughable goal, because it hardly exists anymore. Paramount, I suspect, is, like any organization, expert at doing what worked twenty years ago, and less skilled at doing what works today, or will tomorrow.
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
Well, some if the refrences to the Original Series might be simple things like planets we've not really heard from since then (we've already had Corridan, haven't we?)
Also, they seperate familiar acters and familiar characters. Perhaps we'll see a former regular's ancestor(s)
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
No, that isn't quite what I meant. There's a difference between playing off the events of the show and trying to copy its "feel," for lack of a better word.
(Confession: I had to look up the inventor of the microprocessor, of course.)
Posted by Bond, James Bond (Member # 1127) on :
quote:Originally posted by Sol System: That's sort of an odd choice. Any particular reason that character came to mind?
(Though: Trelane had pretty obviously never actually met humans in person prior to "Squire of Gothos," to be a huge nerd about it.)
I just picked Trelane because I was trying to think of some characters which could be portrayed on Enterprise being that's it's over 100 years earlier. RedJac and Sarek or T'Pau could also be used as well as others, but Trelane just sprung to mind as an example off the top of my head because he's a sort of Q-like figure (and no, I'm not basing that off the Peter David novel) that could mess with the crew. As I understood that passage they said they may use some characters from TOS, not ancestors of characters, which would lead me to believe that would require either time travel to the future or some long-lived people / aliens / entities from TOS.
As for Trelane never having met Humans, I haven't seen the episode in at least 20 years, so I don't recall, but I'll take your word for it and therefore withdraw him as a possibility.
Your point about not trying to copy the feel of TOS is a valid one, and I think trying to bring on recognizable characters is simply trying to pander to the audience because that's what Berman (It's going to feel weird not being able to blame B & B anymore ) thinks people want. I would be perfectly content for Enterprise to not feature any characters from the future shows and just do it's own thing.
Posted by Capped in Mike (Member # 709) on :
he should pay me to come up with "high concepts."
because that's when i spend a lot of time conceptualizing
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I am king nerd or something: As I recall, Sarek isn't born until a few years after 2161. (Vague and yet pompous!) ((He is just a little over 100 in "Journey to Babel," I think.))
Enterprise, of course, has certain built-in excuses for time-travel hijinks not present in most of its predecessors.
(I would lose all of my carefully constructed ironic detachment if Enterprise came across, say, a time-displaced Constitution class gleaming with 21st century digital shine.)
Posted by Bond, James Bond (Member # 1127) on :
Dammit! I've got to get the TOS DVD's I guess. Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
Yeah, I checked into Sarek's age to see if we'd be able to see him or not. I'm a nerd who just doesn't remember things.
Oh, and though not a TOS reference, Guinan would be alive at this point in time.
Posted by Bond, James Bond (Member # 1127) on :
True, she's got to hitch a ride back to El Aurian at some point before 2293 just to see it get obliterated by the Borg.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Which actually begs the question: How did Guinan get to Earth in the first place? Not that 19th century Earth would be that difficult a place to land a starship without being detected...
Posted by Capped in Mike (Member # 709) on :
i did it all the time
maybe she caught Gary Sevens longrange transporter
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
The only TOS character that I can think of that could show up on ENT without time travel would be Flint. And I don't know that people would find him "very familiar".
Posted by Ultra 2 Legit 2 Magnus (Member # 239) on :
OMG u guys
THINK ABOUT IT
HE MEANS "TOS'S NAZIS" WILL BE "ON" ENTERPRISE!
THINK ABOUT IT, Sergeant Politeness!
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Dramatic pause to:
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
Lets see...
They could have a tribble episode.
They could go as far as introducing Sareks parents - Skon or Solkar, but that would be even more obscure than Flint.
They could have more stories on the Andorians or Tellerites, especially if they want to establish a motive to for them to all allie with Earth and Vulcan to form the Federation. So far we haven't seen anything with the Tellerites that would even make them appear anything more than neutral.
They could have more Tholians (or Gorn, but far less likely).
Otherwise they could just drag in a bunch of other, moreless random 'human-like' aliens, but taht would be rather pointless. Personally, I think if they could pull something out with the aliens already established...even if they were to get some Cardassians into the mix, that would be able to carry the series for a while. I mean the Dominion (//Klingons) carried DS9 for 4 years.
Posted by Spike (Member # 322) on :
quote:From a B&B interview "There are going to be some major interstellar events and conflicts happening that could involve the forming of the federation. We're going to see more of what's going on back at Earth. We might see something dealing with the Eugenics Wars."
WTF??
Posted by Futurama Guy (Member # 968) on :
I guess that would depend on what year they are in at the time. Maybe they will pull some temporal strings that say that Hitler was influced by some sort of temporal cold warrior, hence the current dilemma, but the same could be said with someone behind Khan as well (it might help account for all of the "200 years ago" references that were always misspoken about Khan).
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
According to AICN:
quote:There�s much talk from franchise ubershowrunner Rick Berman about William Shatner possibly somehow making a return to the �Star Trek� franchise this season. I'm not saying it won't happen, but Kirk's face is way busy with Priceline and �Boston Legal� (aka �The Practice II� aka �Fleet Street� aka �The Practice: Fleet Street�). The real news is that Brent Spiner will likely play Dr. Noonien Soong�s grandpa for three episodes. Well, how cool is that? Let me answer my own question: very, very cool.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
WEIRD.
(Have they really renamed whatever it is The Practice is supposed to be? That was one melodramatic show. Anyway, I thought it was canceled again.)
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
There's also a rumour out there now about Brent Spiner playing Noonian Soong's grandfather, which sound like bullshit really (but how many times have I been proved wrong whenever I rubbish these rubbish rumours?). . .
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Yeah, there is a rumour out "there" ... if "there" is two posts above yours!
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
Grandfather? If that's true, I must wonder whether anyone who works on "Enterprise" has the slightest conception of how long a typical human generation is.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
People live longer in the future.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
Though, with Star Trek technology, the average human should be living much longer than usually seen, if you ask me. Or at the very least be healthier in their old age. Why is McCoy a stumbling relic at 120+? Shore up those bones, Bones; peel off that withered face and replace it with freshly invigorated skin.
Edit: Snaked!
Posted by J (Member # 608) on :
Not that I'm ready to give into the idea that it will happen but:
Soong was an old man in 2360's, and probably was born in 2270 or 2260, I would even venture as far back as 2240. Depending on how old they make the grandfather character in 2150's, it's possible.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I can buy that it's possible chronologically. I'm just wondering what the story will be. Sure, we know nothing about Soong's ancestors, so it could be anything they want, but I'm just hoping they don't stretch things too far just to make a connection with TNG.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
I also find it odd that everyone looks exactly like their own ancestors.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Yah, that is wierd. Picard. Janeway. Soong. Kinda odd. At least Riker's Civil War ancestor didn't look like him.
Posted by The Mighty Monkey of Mim (Member # 646) on :
Jeez guys, it's just a dramatic convenience, and one not limited to Trek by any stretch, I might add...
Posted by Captain Boh (Member # 1282) on :
I think there are only so many people you can look/sound like in the Star Trek universe. I mean, every race has a Jeffrey Combs.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
That's an exageration. He's done Andorian, Ferengi, Vorta, some alien from the episode "Meridian", and some Delta Quad alien. Marc Alaimo and Vaughn Armstrong has done more.
Posted by Capped in Mike (Member # 709) on :
playing a shitty french speaking human doesnt count towards his total does it?
Posted by Futurama IV 8.24.04 (Member # 968) on :
quote:Originally posted by Aban Rune: Yah, that is wierd. Picard. Janeway. Soong. Kinda odd. At least Riker's Civil War ancestor didn't look like him.
T'pol and Worf
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Of course it's possible that Archer's and Soong's ancestors both had a predilection for fathering children well into their geriatric years. But why? All other clues throughout Trek imply that it's still normal for people to have families at the same age as they do today. Don't these writers ever look at their own families and say "oh, hey, my grandfather is not, in fact, 150 years older than I am"?
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Worf's grandfather had an entirely different ridgeline!
Posted by Fleet-Admiral Michael T. Colorge (Member # 144) on :
And I'm still waiting for a Worf ancestor to show up on NX-01.
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Who will probably go after Archer because he killed Duras. Ironic isn't it.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Something tells me that the Klingons won't be showing up too much more in Enterprise. At least not this season. I don't know why I say that, but I just don't see it happening.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Or at least, that's what we'd LIKE to see happen.
Which means we'll see lots of Klingons. Beurk.
Mark
Posted by HerbShrump (Member # 1230) on :
Possible TOS connections on ENT...
A time-travel episode wherein the USS Excelsior is thrown BACK in time. Captain Hikaru Sulu, Cmdr Janice Rand, Tuvok...
Or one involving the Enterprise under Capt. Pike. With a younger Spock
A "Naked Time" episode
Androids... I Mudd, What are Little Girls Made Of?
The USS Archon... Daedalus Class from the episode "Return of the Archons"
A "Mirror Mirror" episode
Rejack from "Wolf in the Fold"
Gary 7
Flint
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
Ah, a fanboy's dreams.
Posted by Futurama IV Shizzle (Member # 968) on :
Most certainly...and he even forgot a few....
not very die-hard if you ask me... Posted by Capped in Mike (Member # 709) on :
guest star William Shatner as Kirk's grandfather
T'Pol fucking Skon and giving birth to Sarek
Posted by Futurama IV Shizzle (Member # 968) on :
DeForest Kelley as Colonel Stephen Richey
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
You do know he's dead right? Unless you want to exhume his body just so that he can play a dead and partially decomposed body.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I'm thinking that might have been the humor he was going for...
Posted by Futurama IV Shizzle (Member # 968) on :
Hey, interesting concept. I think they would need a reason to bring the story up other than to bring it up out of the blue (Nazi alien). I see the first episode of next season is called "Storm Front".
I could give a fuck less what they do this season, pull out all of the stops, I say! May the fanboys revel! If this is the last season they might as well pull out all of the stops...
Picardo, Spiner and Shatner, oh my!
Posted by Dat (Member # 302) on :
I really think Braga stole the idea from Picardo and the only other person who could do it would be Spiner. Let's see if Picardo even gets credited for the story.
Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :
I would bet a billion dollars on that being what happened, for sure.
Posted by Futurama IV Shizzle (Member # 968) on :
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
) thinks people want. I would be perfectly content for Enterprise to not feature any characters from the future shows and just do it's own thing.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)