Scott Bakula’s proposed comeback, Star Trek: United, tells a new kind of story about the first Captain of the Enterprise decades after Star Trek: Enterprise ended. Writer-producer Michael Sussman and Bakula are developing Star Trek: United as a political thriller and family drama about President Jonathan Archer.
Michael Sussman created Captain Archer’s canonical story after Star Trek: Enterprise, confirming Jonathan’s diplomatic and political career after Archer’s historic voyages leading the NX-01 Enterprise. Archer was instrumental in the founding of the United Federation of Planets and became its first President.
Star Trek: United‘s crackerjack story involves President Archer trying to hold together and save the Federation he helped build, during the precarious late 22nd century era when the galactic alliance is on the verge of collapsing.
Although Star Trek: United is only an idea that has caught fire with Star Trek fans, and it’s not a real show (although hopefully, this will change), Mike Sussman and Scott Bakula have proposed a Star Trek story that’s never been told before.
However, Star Trek: United also has another element that makes it a story unique to Archer as a former Captain of the Enterprise.
Scott Bakula’s Star Trek Comeback Would Be A New Kind Of Star Trek Captain Story
Star Trek: United isn’t just a political thriller set in the Star Trek universe, but it will also be a family drama about President Archer and his four adult children. This is a Star Trek story never told before, because Captains of the Enterprise rarely have families after leaving Starfleet.
In Star Trek: United, President Archer’s grown children are scattered throughout the galaxy. One son serves in Starfleet, but doesn’t use his father’s “Archer” surname. Another offspring followed Jonathan’s path into galactic diplomacy, while a third works for Federaton Intelligence. Archer’s fourth child, meanwhile, is a mystery.
Michael Sussman has also confirmed that Captain Archer’s former flame, Captain Erika Hernandez (Ada Maris) from Star Trek: Enterprise, is the mother of one of Archer’s sons. This would be the Starfleet Officer who uses “Hernandez” as his surname instead of “Archer.” It also implies Jonathan had other romances that spawned offspring.
President Archer’s post-Enterprise life is complicated, but also full.
From the limited but intriguing information known about Star Trek: United, President Archer’s post-Enterprise life is complicated, but also full, in ways that his successors as Captain of the Enterprise haven’t enjoyed. Archer has a large family that offers the potential for rich, personal drama.
Why Star Trek Usually Has Lonely Captains Of The Enterprise
Before Michael Sussman and Scott Bakula’s revolutionary rethinking of President Archer, Captain Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise followed the mold of the lonely Captain of the Enterprise that began with Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) in Star Trek‘s original pilot, “The Cage.”
Captain Pike, and his replacement, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), came from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and the 1960s trope of a military man who was ‘married to his ship.’ As a TV action hero, Kirk would always get the girl, but would then move on to his next adventure, with no romance becoming permanent.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: The Next Generation was also conceived in Kirk’s mold as a lonely Captain of the Enterprise. It wasn’t until Star Trek: Picard season 3 that Jean-Luc learned of his son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), and enjoyed a family unit with Jack and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden).
Of course, Kirk also had an adult son in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but Jim barely got to know his offspring, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick), before Klingons murdered him in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
What Happened To Every Other Captain Of The Enterprise In Star Trek
Anson Mount as Captain Pike in Strange New Worlds
Captains of the Enterprise in Star Trek usually don’t enjoy a second act where they live happily ever after, surrounded by their children. Kirk and Picard only had one son each. Star Trek: United bucks this by giving Jonathan Archer a full house, with four children from possibly more than one mother.
Captain Kirk’s successor, Captain John Harriman (Alan Ruck) of the USS Enterprise-B, only appeared briefly in Star Trek Generations, and nothing is canonically known about what happened after. The USS Enterprise-C’s Captain Rachel Garrett (Tricia O’Neil) was doomed to die, and it’s unknown if she had children.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds will deliver Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) to his canonical destiny of being horribly disfigured and spending the remainder of his life in an illusion created by the psychic denizens of Talos IV.
However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3’s finale gave Captain Pike an alternate life where he was married to Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano), with who he shared a daughter. This was Strange New Worlds‘ boon to Pike before he’s condemned to his ultimate fate.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 established that Worf (Michael Dorn) was Captain of the Enterprise after Picard, but the Klingon has never been a good father to his son, Alexander. Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) of the USS Enterprise-G may or may not become a parent.
Compared to his peers as Captain of the Enterprise, President Archer thankfully defies Star Trek convention with his sprawling family. Star Trek: United would put all of the Archers front and center, detailing the complicated family dynamics between Jonathan and his children.
Star Trek: United’s concept to give President Archer a full family after Star Trek: Enterprise that loves, challenges, learns from, and occasionally defies Jonathan is phenomenal. This alone is an important reason why Star Trek: United deserves to be made.
Release Date
2005 – 2004
Showrunner
Brannon Braga
Directors
Brannon Braga
Writers
Brannon Braga
