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Edited on Wed Jul-23-03 05:34 PM by RememberJohn
...as in all discussions relating to a TV show, music, or movie, plenty of generalizations are made but there are seldom any hard examples of the generalization. In this case, we're talking about supposed continuity issues with Enterprise.
I think the real problem isn't continuity issues but the POTENTIAL for them OR percieved violations. Remember, Trek fans are a loud bunch and were even known to tell Roddenberry himself things he was doing wrong.
If we want to mention supposed Trek continuity issues, we have to start with the original series. Early on, the military branch of the Federation was called "Space Command" or something along those lines. It was then, and without explanation, redubbed "StarFleet Command."
Originally, only the Enterprise crew had the now famous StarTrek symbol. All other vessels and crews had other designs for their insignias. By the time the movies rolled around, this, too, was changed without explantion. Now ALL of StarFleet shared the same insignia.
As we moved into the movies, suddenly the Klingons looked different. Fans have attempted to explain this change with various tall tales but the only explanation given was by Roddenberry - who said during the TOS, advanced makeup techniques were not in the budget. Fine. But that still doesn't explain it in terms of the StarTrek universe.
Why doesn't TNG ever mention the Klingon moon incident in ST VI? Or the "God" incident in ST V? Easy! Roddenberry declared those movies weren't canon. But if not, how else do we explain the peace between the Federation and the Klingons in TNG's time? Well, it was never fully explained.
How about Kirk suddenly having a son in ST II? Whaaaa? This isn't a continuity violation because even though TOS never established Kirk had a son, it never established he didn't.
The big "continuity" issue Trek fans have with Enterprise was the Borg episode "Regeneration." Trek fans mistakenly say that the TNG episode "Q Who?" was the Federation's first encounter with the Borg so the Enterprise episode is in clear continuity violation. However, the Enterprise-D's Borg encounter in "Q Who?" was NOT the Federation's initial contact with the Borg. It's made quite clear in 'Q, Who' that the Borg wiped out several Federation and Romulan outposts along the Neutral Zone in the TNG season one finale (appropriately titled 'The Neutral Zone'). This fact seems to have been generally ignored in future episodes, but it is definitively established in 'Q Who?'
Even if that were not the case (which it is) we know the events of "ST: First Contact" altered the time line significantly.
Of course, Enterprise has had minor continuity infractions, but so did all the other series - even the first few seasons of TNG when Roddenberry himself was at the helm. They're kind of hard to avoid.
Several episodes of TNG have Data using contractions. Later, (when he meets his brother Lore)it is established that he can't (or cannot.) A huge supposed continuity error occurs in the final episdoe "All Good Things..." where the Enterprise-D is still active in the future. In the movie, "Generations" Enterprise D is destroyed. This is rightly explained by pointing out the events in "All Good Things..." happenned in an alternate timeline. Just as the events of "First Contact" altered the timeline where the Borg were concerned, making the Enterprise episode fit continuity.
What makes Enterprise dangerous isn't it playing loose with continuity (which ALL series have done - even TOS)but it's POTENTIAL to violate continuity.
We're talking events that happened before Kirk's time that could not have possibly been covered in TOS. Here is a supposed continuity issue I've heard: The Andorians didn't have ground forces in Kirk's time like the did on an Enterprise episode. My reply? Really, how do you know? Just because it was never established in the TOS? How could TOS explain all things about all races in three seasons? See, not a real continuity violation.
The REAL problem with Enterprise (the same with Voyager though not as apparent in DS9) is the writing. It isn't the quality of writing (it's as good as any around) but the TYPE of writing.
In the 80s, episodic "stand alone" episodes were the norm. TNG tied up all the events of the day into one neat hour. DS9, however, introduced the story arc to Trek ( a continous storyline like the Dominion War, the alternate evil universe, etc.) If you haven't noticed, most TV shows - even comedys - do that now. Voyager returned Trek to episodics. Enterprise, while having a story arc, hasn't exploited it much. Most episodes get wrapped up by hour's end.
What needs to happen, and it looks as though it will, is the fine writers Enterprise has need to not be lazy and develope continous storylines - not stories wrapped up and forgotten by next week's episode.
They need to write Archer's character better, (The other characters outshine him.)
And please, change the music. Though I like it and don't see how it detracts at all from anything, I'm tired of the fanboys bitching about it.
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