After reading what was written in that link by screenrant; it's hard for me to believe these showrunners would do all of that. If so, sadly these guys just didn't know what they had in that very talented cast. Piling on more gimmicks would not have been the answer but telling stories those characters and actors could explore would be something I'd wished to see. I don't care about more Mirror Universe jargon or Romulan Wars or T'Pol revealed to being a fake or the origin of the Borg Queen because it doesn't help propel the characters of ENT.
Why would the showrunners want this and why would the fans who claimed to love ENT would want to see more stories about things which would only turns avenues for the viewer to watch other Trek projects, TOS, ST: First Contact, & DS9 other than ENT??? Seeing the Xindi along with Future Guy seem to be an avenue where the showrunners should go because it's their creation
That’s the issue isn’t it? The cast is good, but the writers didn’t know what to do with them. And then they were further hamstrung as:
- They were given a very small window to build to the Romulan War & the founding of the Federation (5-10 years), and to flesh out the early days of exploration too. Even the Star Wars prequels were set 30-40 years before the original trilogy to explain the rise of the Galactic Empire and the fall of the Jedi.
- Archer’s future was preordained due to the TCW. Therefore, taking away any drama surrounding him. The same thing ended up happening to Sato due to the mirror universe episodes.
- The TCW was rejected by fans, even though - arguably - the series might have been better off leaning in that direction more, as the origins of the first Starfleet timeship.
Granted, both Montgomery and Park caught on that
they would not be prominent characters on ENT. But if they aren’t going to be prominent, then why not make them redshirts or not a part of the main cast anymore?
The real answer as to what ENT’s S5 should really have been like is in the middle; between the mirror universe and the building to/ the events of the Romulan War. With each of the main characters having their own arcs, and them showing a bit of their mirror universe counterparts over the season:
- Archer growing paranoid about his position as captain due to regular clashes with Admiral Gardner and the rest of Starfleet brass over the militant direction Starfleet is taking, contemplates replacing Porthos with a meaner dog, all while a past life in Terra Prime comes to light.
- Trip becomes less friendly after an injury in engineering disfigures him, and actually considers at one point to build an agony booth on the ship.
- T’Pol adopts the Starfleet uniform and grows her hair out longer to look more human, all while starting to see emotion as a weakness. She actively works to grow the Coalition of Planets with Andorian liaison Shran, and considers a munity against Archer as she sides with Starfleet brass, even though the teachings of the Kir’Shara suggests she avoids violence altogether.
- Reed takes interest in leading the MACOs after not being satisfied with Major Hayes’ replacement
- Phlox leans more into a mad scientist, starting with Frankenstein type projects, but eventually going beyond that
- Sato becomes slightly aggressive, more promiscuous, and becomes remarkably adept at dealing with United Earth politics and Starfleet politics over the season
- Mayweather wants to move on being a helmsman and either becomes a MACO or becomes a tactical officer, and engages in political intrigue more from a space boomer perspective.
- Even Enterprise itself should have just dropped the phase cannons and gone with lasers and EM plasma cannons as a part of the NX-refit, and start bringing it in line with the technology of “The Cage”.
And the build to the Romulan War is a factor in these changes in behaviour. As this is the second time within five years that Earth’s mission of peaceful exploration is being challenged and threatened by interstellar conflict, and its starting to break them and threaten their values.
Now, if we are forced to choose a direction, then a season in the mirror universe would be the better direction. As it would have fit the climate of the ‘00s more, and Star Trek already did a war story with the Dominion War. Unless the writers find a way to may the Romulan War feel different from the Dominion War.
another aspect I would touch is whether or not Riker's holodeck episode was actually true and did Trip die?
Or Admiral Janeway travels back in time and erases Trip’s death from history and then we can all forget the whole thing.
