I read on another board that the two executive producers don't have an idea on the direction that the new series will take in the second season. If true, then one of my fears about the series will come true: an ambitious story arc, the Temporal Cold War, will become 'Enterprise's' "Going-home-with-conflict-between-Maquis-and-Starfleet".
This series is seriously turning into a real disappointment.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
IF that is true, then I agree...If they were going for this whole ambitious story arc thing and just set it up with no idea how it would work itself out...then they deserve public flogging.
However, I for one will hold out hope that the Temporal Cold War arc has been somewhat thought out. Even if it wraps up by the end of the first season, it could work as long as it is well thought out.
Posted by MIB (Member # 426) on :
I agree with Mr. Rune here.
Posted by Ryan McReynolds (Member # 28) on :
While I naturally want to see them follow up on the Temporal Cold War for the sake of good storytelling, I would be most thrilled if they tied it up relatively soon and then never mentioned time travel again for the rest of the series. Come up with another long-term arc and ditch the time travel aspect altogether.
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Well, episode 12 of the first season of Enterprise is going in front of the cameras this week. At minimum, there's about another ten episodes to be written and filmed. The executive producers may not have any idea what direction to go in at this minute, but there are several months left before any season two scripts are going to be written. Not everything can be like Babylon 5 and have the entire premise and direction of the series set in stone prior to the production of the series.
Posted by targetemployee (Member # 217) on :
Then, why have this big story arc at the very beginning of the series?
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
Huh? Who are addressing, me or Ryan?
If you're talking to me, then this is my explanation. "Broken Bow" introduced the theme of the arcing plot and the series. Voyager did much the same thing. In its premiere episode, they got shuffled off to the Delta Quadrant and then spent years trying to get home. That was Voyager's theme, and all of that was explained in the pilot "Caretaker." "Broken Bow" introduced us to Enterprise's arch-villian and how they figure into the series. It sets up the story yet leaves enough breathing room for the producers to shift balances and change directions if need be.
Posted by David Templar (Member # 580) on :
Must... see... Klingons... royally... totally... pissed off at... humans... soon...
Posted by targetemployee (Member # 217) on :
I was referring to your response, Siegfried.
I think for myself that I am cautious with the production staff after the unpleasant, hollow experiment known as 'Voyager'. In that series, which you mentioned, there was that story arc. The story arc was not developed and, by show's end, we, the fans, asked, "That's it?".
If you notice the episode listings for the first ten episodes of 'Enterprise', there existed only one episode devoted to the story arc. The other episodes are stand alones that don't expand upon the story arc and can be viewed in non-chronological order.
[ October 21, 2001: Message edited by: targetemployee ]
Posted by Siegfried (Member # 29) on :
The thing with these stand-alone episodes is that they are being used to introduce the audience to the time period because it is so radically different from the modern era Trek series. Voyager and Deep Space Nine didn't need to do all that much since TNG nicely set up the 24th century and that level of technology. All they needed to do was introduce and build up the characters. Enterprise has to explain the 22nd Century and show how it fits into the Star Trek mythos. At the same time, it has to introduce its cast of characters and start building them. Besides, these stand-alone episodes are building on Enterprise's other arc storyline: humans going deep-space for the first time to explore.
Posted by Ryan McReynolds (Member # 28) on :
quote:Originally posted by Siegfried: Besides, these stand-alone episodes are building on Enterprise's other arc storyline: humans going deep-space for the first time to explore.
Right, the arc storyline they should have stuck with from the beginning.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 138) on :
Besides, most of B5's first season episodes were stand-alone. It wasn't until the second season that the arc kicked off.
Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :
quote: Besides, most of B5's first season episodes were stand-alone. It wasn't until the second season that the arc kicked off.
There were many stories in the first season that didn't finish untill later seasons. Lots of set up for the main arc. Some of it changed when they changed commanders, and again when Talia left, but they were prepared for it, so it worked out ok.
Posted by Malnurtured Snay (Member # 411) on :
Actually, although JMS denies it rabidly, the original storyline he concieved had nothing to do with an Earth Civil War and would've ended with Sinclair being revealed as the Mimbari's religious founder (or however it worked out). When he was forced to let go of Sinclair by TPTB funding B5, he reworked the arc to incorporate the new dude.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
"There were many stories in the first season that didn't finish untill later seasons."
There were SOME, but by and large, it was extrememly stand-alone compared with other seasons.
Jeff: You're half-right, I believe. I think the Earth Civil war was set up from the beginning, as there are hints in season 1 (and the final episode is pretty blatent in that respect). However, the series would have ended with an episode that would have had several points from War Without End in, yeah. As it stands, it still works really well, with only a few annoyances (like the fact that the Great Machine becomes useless after season 3).
"If they were going for this whole ambitious story arc thing and just set it up with no idea how it would work itself out...then they deserve public flogging."
