How would you fix the series finale?

[Dukhat]

Hey, nobody outright pointed the ship out as being the NX-01. We only ever saw it at an extreme distance. Who says that's the NX-01 and not some other NX Class ship that was built years after the launch of the Enterprise? Hell, Strange New Worlds implied they had more than one "in mothballs." There's absolutely nothing stopping that ship we saw from being the Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavor, or Columbia.

In the context of “Frontier Day” as ultimately depicted in PIC, that would make sense. Because why have this huge celebration in Earth orbit for the launch of the NX-01 when said ship was currently in some museum in some other part of the galaxy, not even being visited?

(Because Frontier Day as originally envisioned was obviously changed at some point during production.)

I suppose it’s more a matter of if one wants to take background material provided by Dave Blass as official/canon, or go solely by what we saw on screen, and ignore that material. I for one already do that with the depiction of the Leondegrance.

 

[HotRod]

or go solely by what we saw on screen, and ignore that material.

This is the way.

Going back to the idea that the NX-01 wasn't the ship seen in Picard, I like to think the actual NX-01 is deeper inside the museum, maybe even sealed away in a pressurized viewing area. I like the idea of being able to walk around the exterior of the ship in plain clothes, similar to that U-Boat in a Museum in Chicago.

It being sealed away and no longer space worthy would also help explain why the hell it wasn't present at Frontier Day, a celebration of its own damn launch!

 

[Snowdrop82]

The ending of the series finale would be very simple for me. It would have no callbacks to TNG. It would really show the future of the cast of characters. Trip wouldn't be killed off, and it'd show how each character is proceeding with their careers after the end of the NX-01 mission. Archer would become an Admiral, and later becoming an Ambassador to Andoria, then Federation President.

The ending of the series Finale would show the NX-01 being refitted to include the Engineering section, although, it wouldn't be crewed by most of the characters.

The Captain of the refitted Enterprise would be Mayweather, with the rest of the cast assuming other roles in the newly formed Federation.

 

[HotRod]

The ending of the series finale would be very simple for me. It would have no callbacks to TNG. It would really show the future of the cast of characters. Trip wouldn't be killed off, and it'd show how each character is proceeding with their careers after the end of the NX-01 mission. Archer would become an Admiral, and later becoming an Ambassador to Andoria, then Federation President.

The ending of the series Finale would show the NX-01 being refitted to include the Engineering section, although, it wouldn't be crewed by most of the characters.

The Captain of the refitted Enterprise would be Mayweather, with the rest of the cast assuming other roles in the newly formed Federation.

The NX-01 can't really be a Federation ship. It kinda has to be decommissioned by 2161. I'm not a person who demands canon be 100% adhered to at all times, but the 1701 being the first Federation Starship named Enterprise is definitely a thing.

 

[Snowdrop82]

The NX-01 can't really be a Federation ship. It kinda has to be decommissioned by 2161. I'm not a person who demands canon be 100% adhered to at all times, but the 1701 being the first Federation Starship named Enterprise is definitely a thing.

Hmm. Could maybe extend the birth of the Federation out by another couple of years and have it be a non-federation ship that gets decommissioned as a thing before the founding of the Federation?

 

[HotRod]

Hmm. Could maybe extend the birth of the Federation out by another couple of years and have it be a non-federation ship that gets decommissioned as a thing before the founding of the Federation?

I'm not sure where exactly it was stated, but I recall 2161 being fairly well cemented in as the year the Federation was founded.

 

[Dukhat]

The NX-01 can't really be a Federation ship. It kinda has to be decommissioned by 2161. I'm not a person who demands canon be 100% adhered to at all times, but the 1701 being the first Federation Starship named Enterprise is definitely a thing.

My headcanon has the ship decommissioned by 2161 but then recommissioned for UESPA or some other civilian agency, given a secondary hull, and then continued in service for another few years, then one or more UESPA Enterprises were built between the NX-01 and the NCC-1701. That way there’s no discrepancy with the ‘Federation Starship’ thing, and also gives a fix to the issue of no ship named Enterprise for 80 years between the NX-01 and the TOS Enterprise.

 

[FederationHistorian]

The NX-01 can't really be a Federation ship. It kinda has to be decommissioned by 2161. I'm not a person who demands canon be 100% adhered to at all times, but the 1701 being the first Federation Starship named Enterprise is definitely a thing.

Says who?

Rechristen it as the Dauntless NX-01 and keep it in service.

Rechristening ships is all the rage in the 24th (Sao Paulo to Defiant) and 25 centuries (Titan-A to Enterprise-G)

 

[HotRod]

Says who?

Rechristen it as the Dauntless NX-01 and keep it in service.

Rechristening ships is all the rage in the 24th (Sao Paulo to Defiant) and 25 centuries (Titan-A to Enterprise-G)

Well for one, what reason would there be to rechristen the Enterprise, the ship that pretty much single handedly saved Earth? Plus, did they not outright say the ship was being retired in TATV?

 

[Dukhat]

Says who?

Well, says Riker’s holoprogram where it’s explicitly stated that the ship was being decommissioned in 2161.

Rechristen it as the Dauntless NX-01 and keep it in service.

Rechristening ships is all the rage in the 24th (Sao Paulo to Defiant) and 25 centuries (Titan-A to Enterprise-G)

Archer does mention that the ship is being put into mothballs, so that leaves open the possibility that it was reused again at some point, possibly as a testbed for installing the secondary hull onto newer NX class ships.

 

[Weyoun 251]

My headcanon has the ship decommissioned by 2161 but then recommissioned for UESPA or some other civilian agency, given a secondary hull, and then continued in service for another few years, then one or more UESPA Enterprises were built between the NX-01 and the NCC-1701. That way there’s no discrepancy with the ‘Federation Starship’ thing, and also gives a fix to the issue of no ship named Enterprise for 80 years between the NX-01 and the TOS Enterprise.

I'd be quite happy if the NX-01 refit was part of it being recommissioned for ceremonial duties (becoming UESPA's Air Force One in essence) - as you say it would neatly resolve the issue around the "original" Enterprise being the first Federation one

 

[FederationHistorian]

Well for one, what reason would there be to rechristen the Enterprise, the ship that pretty much single handedly saved Earth? Plus, did they not outright say the ship was being retired in TATV?

Well, says Riker’s holoprogram where it’s explicitly stated that the ship was being decommissioned in 2161.



Archer does mention that the ship is being put into mothballs, so that leaves open the possibility that it was reused again at some point, possibly as a testbed for installing the secondary hull onto newer NX class ships.

Maybe the ship is not being put into mothballs. It just the name Enterprise that being put into mothballs. As the name is more valuable than the ship itself.

 

[Dukhat]

Maybe the ship is not being put into mothballs. It just the name Enterprise that being put into mothballs. As the name is more valuable than the ship itself.

T'POL: Captain, Admiral Douglas is asking you to approve the decommission protocols.

ARCHER: One thing at a time. After the charter's signed, I'll give him whatever he needs to put Enterprise in mothballs.


They are clearly referring to the ship.

 

[somebuddyX]

Please let CBS/Paramount know that.



Then it doesn't make much sense to have added a secondary hull to it post-decommission. But I get that that was a PIC retcon.

I thought the intention of the secondary hull addition was that it happened somewhere after 2155 but before 2161. I've read about it talked as a possible Season 5 addition and Picard is just paying homage to that.

 

[FederationHistorian]

T'POL: Captain, Admiral Douglas is asking you to approve the decommission protocols.

What does decommissioning even mean in a 22nd century Starfleet context though? Remember they did not have half pips to recognize the ranks of lieutenant junior grade, and lieutenant commander. And it took awhile for anyone to get promoted. And no one got demoted, even if placed in the brig or they screwed up a vital first contact. Why should decommission be taken so literal?

ARCHER: One thing at a time. After the charter's signed, I'll give him whatever he needs to put Enterprise in mothballs.


They are clearly referring to the ship.

So, you think Archer did not use his pull as an admiral to keep the NX-01 in service, even if it was under another name?

If we are taking things at face value, then Starfleet refit the NX-01 with a secondary hull after the founding of the Federation so that it could go engage in more exploring. And rechristened it under a new name the USS Dauntless, to preserve the name Enterprise for a more worthy Federation ship .

If no one believed that Starfleet could keep Archer behind a desk, then why would anyone believe that NX-01 would stay in mothballs forever and never see service again?

 

[HotRod]

So, you think Archer did not use his pull as an admiral to keep the NX-01 in service, even if it was under another name?

If no one believed that Starfleet could keep Archer behind a desk, then why would anyone believe that NX-01 would stay in mothballs forever and never see service again?

Why is it so difficult to accept that Enterprise was simply decommissioned, as was clearly stated on screen?

The ship was 10 years old and had basically survived 2 wars and had the absolute tar kicked out of it on multiple occasions. All during an age of what was surely rapid technological advancement. It seems perfectly reasonable that the NX-01 was simply rendered obsolete.

 

[Dukhat]

I thought the intention of the secondary hull addition was that it happened somewhere after 2155 but before 2161. I've read about it talked as a possible Season 5 addition and Picard is just paying homage to that.

We see display screens of the NX-01 in Riker's holoprogram, which took place in 2161, and the ship did not have a secondary hull. Since we have to consider what we saw on screen to be an accurate representation of the year 2161 aboard the NX-01, then the ship did not have that secondary hull yet.

What does decommissioning even mean in a 22nd century Starfleet context though? Remember they did not have half pips to recognize the ranks of lieutenant junior grade, and lieutenant commander. And it took awhile for anyone to get promoted. And no one got demoted, even if placed in the brig or they screwed up a vital first contact. Why should decommission be taken so literal?

You're comparing apples to oranges. Ranks have nothing to do with a ship getting decommissioned. And the dialogue I quoted couldn't be more literal in its interpretation.

So, you think Archer did not use his pull as an admiral to keep the NX-01 in service, even if it was under another name?

Unless you have some evidence to back that theory up, no. Archer as seen in TATV seemed like he was perfectly fine with the ship's decommissioning.

If we are taking things at face value, then Starfleet refit the NX-01 with a secondary hull after the founding of the Federation so that it could go engage in more exploring.

There's no evidence of that at all. For all we know, the ship was just taken out of mothballs as a test subject for a refit for other ships, and then put right back in mothballs.

And rechristened it under a new name the USS Dauntless, to preserve the name Enterprise for a more worthy Federation ship.

There's no correlation between that fake NX-01-A Dauntless we saw in VOY, and the Earth ship Enterprise NX-01.

If no one believed that Starfleet could keep Archer behind a desk, then why would anyone believe that NX-01 would stay in mothballs forever and never see service again?

Again, supposition on your part that isn't backed up by on-screen evidence.

 

[Riley]

If I don't have to use TNG characters, I do a three-part finale that includes a time jump. We see where everyone is headed after the Enterprise is decommissioned and the signing of the UFP charter. The characters are older and some are promoted, including Archer. It's mentioned in dialogue that Trip is going to be captaining one of the new Daedalus Class ships with Reed as his XO. Trip and T'Pol also marry.

If I must use TNG characters, the episode is set six years later. Two crewmen are aboard the Enterprise as the crew prepares for going their separate ways and the ship for decommissioning. One of those crewmen is Jean-Luc Picard, the other is Wes Crusher. To thank Picard for all he's done for him, Wes used his Traveler powers to take them back to the final days of the first Enterprise and the signing of the UFP charter. Because of some technobabble/timey-wimey stuff, they can watch and even participate to a degree but can't affect their surroundings in any way. They only have a few lines here and there, filling in expository blanks to help with the time jump. The character bits mentioned above are also used but now commented on at times by Picard and Wesley.

No time-traveling villains threatening something or someone, no stupid holodeck simulation. Stewart does it as a favor to Berman and Braga and Wheaton does it because, at the time, he didn't have anything else going on.

 

[Tenacity]

What does decommissioning even mean in a 22nd century Starfleet context though?

Placing "de" before a word means the opposite of that word, so decommission is not commission. The Enterprise would be no longer commissioned and not in active service. Modern day it would be stripped for parts and eventually scrapped. Rarely it might be recommissioned if it had a unique ability, turned into a civilian museum, used for target practice or sunk.

The Enterprise was probably just obsolete.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

A ship as famous as the Enterprise wouldn't just get dumped into the Starfleet surplus store/auction.