Should the writers of Star Trek: Enterprise have added the contact with the Borg?

No

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by Jinianne Lutz

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My initial thought was to say that Yes, the writers made a sound decision in contact with the Borg in the Star Trek: Enterprise series. However, after giving it some thought, I must say No.

Star Trek: Enterprise is a prequel to the original series, taking place about one-hundred years before Captain Kirk and his crew. Therefore, the existence of the Borg might have been unknown to them. This doesn't preclude the ST:E crew from meeting the Borg, but it does create a question of whether it should have happened. If so, why didn't Captain Kirk meet up with them and befriend them a mere one-hundred years later?

The crew of Star Trek: Enterprise first ran into some Klingons during this series, which is okay, even though it was pre-Captain Kirk and crew. The Borg had been around for a long time, but it wasn't until Star Trek: Voyager that humans actually had contact with them. With the reluctant arrival of Seven-of-Nine on the Voyager, we were able to see and interact with the Borgs in a unique way. Captain Janeway portrayed a good mentor for Seven-of-Nine, reintroducing her to human existence (after all, she was around seven when assimilated by the Borgs).

It is my opinion that this contact with the Borg should not have happened pre-Captain Kirk and the original series.

I grew up watching Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and the entire crew of the Enterprise to "seek out new life, new civilizations to boldly go where no man has gone before." Over the years, I watched the other Star Trek series and found that I liked the original the best, followed closely by Voyager. The latest series, Star Trek: Enterprise is my least favorite, for, in my opinion, there are several things that seem to be discrepancies.

In the original Star Trek series, Mr. Spock (the Vulcan) didn't speak in contractions. In Star Trek: Enterprise, the Vulcans speak in contractions. I have been unable to find an explanation for this, but it seemed to mar the uniqueness of the Star Trek series and the Vulcans in particular.

Star Trek: Enterprise brought in several milestones for the series, including widescreen production and HDTV broadcasting. Interestingly, the Sojourner rover's film on Mars was used in the opening credits of the series. However, the props used in the original series were well done. Technology advances used for production are fine, but the series should have been consistent with the timeline of the original versus the prequel.

In 1997, the Great Lakes Science Center (in Cleveland, Ohio) featured a hands-on Star Trek exhibit. It was a fun event and included lots of previously unknown information combined with interactive exhibits. It was enjoyable and I actually learned a lot about science fiction, some of which is now science fact.

In conclusion, I feel that Star Trek: Enterprise overstepped the bounds set down by the original series, introducing people and things that were not yet known. It did not remain true to the original series. Star Trek: Enterprise fell short of being a great science fiction series.

Sources:

http: //www.startrek.com

ht tp://en.wikipedia.or g/wiki/Star_Trek_Ent erprise

http://memory -alpha.org/en/wiki/S tar_Trek_exhibitions

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