Jonathan Frakes *the_abomination* Q&A: "Unpleasant Memory"

[Elessar]

I just ran across this very interesting article in which someone at a ComiCon in Canada asked Frakes about the finale and he opened up in some detail about it. It's probably obvious to anyone that he and Marina didn't seek out Berman, so the fact that he sort of highlights the fact that Berman called him seems to imply he's trying to get out from under culpability for it. It's still rather unbelievable he didn't mention that THE FANS hated it too, all he says is that Bakula's feelings were hurt - and I don't blame him. But the real crux of the hindsight here for ALL OF THEM involved should be their gross misjudgment of the concept.

http://blastr.com/2011/11/jonathan-frakes-calls-ent.php

[Silverbullet]

Thanks for the article.

Strange though, there is no mention of Bragga. He was a moving force on Enterrprise. I seem to remember an interview with him where he said he didn't know why he killed off Trip because he really liked the character. That would seem to say that Bragga had a lot to do with "these are the voyages."

I wonder if Frakes is being entirely candid in this.

I have an idea that even if he didn't like the idea he took the role for the money as did Sirtis.

I also believe I read an interview with Berman where he said Bragga bullied him. implication being that it was Bragga who was to blame for all of the mistakes. That would be a way of getting out from under the blame and the wrath of the fans.

I imagin that Bakkula would be unhappy. Anyone hates to see a series end before its time and he was the Hero of Enterprise.

Nothing at all said about Conner (Trip) of Jolene (T'Pol.) I am certain they must have some comments on their treatment in the ending. Or Park, Keating and the guy who played Travis. They were all given short shrift in this interview.

Too much missing here. I wonder if Frakes was saying "It wasn't me it was Berman.")

We will never know just as we will never know who was responsible for the miserable series and all of the mistakes made in the episodes.

SB

[putaro]

Well, in all fairness to Frakes, he probably didn't see the script before he signed the contract to do the episode. Star Trek has been his bread and butter for a long time, and Berman and Bragga have been good to him and his career. I'm sure he trusted them going into this. He may not even have read the whole script or it may have changed after he read it. Was he in the scenes where Trip died for example? He doesn't have any lines but I can't remember if he was shown to be present.

We will never know just as we will never know who was responsible for the miserable series and all of the mistakes made in the episodes.

Success has many fathers, failure is an orphan.

[WarpGirl]

I wouldn't say that ST was Mr. Frakes bread and butter NOW, he is quite a successful director. Many ST alumni are. Most people just ignore the credits of their favorite TV shows. That said yes I doubt he read it, and according to several trek actors the B's didn't like when the mere "talent" objected to their scripts.

[Pennjazz]

I feel like that ending was B & B's way of "flipping the bird" to anyone involved with or that liked the Star Trek franchise.

"How dare any of you tell us that our "vision" isn't incredible. you all."

There seems to be great takes on where things should have gone out there in fan fiction.

Maybe some of those should have been made into episodes...

[Cogito]

I feel like that ending was B & B's way of "flipping the bird" to anyone involved with or that liked the Star Trek franchise.

I can't believe that anyone would have deliberately written a plot with the intention of p!ssing off their audience, even though it was clearly the last show.

And yet, I can't understand how anyone seeing that plot could ever have imagined that it was going to be well received.

So it leaves me baffled, and sad. Thankfully we have plenty of fanfiction authors, 'putting things right, that once went wrong'.

[Kotik]

I can't believe that anyone would have deliberately written a plot with the intention of p!ssing off their audience, even though it was clearly the last show.

I think they did exactly that. The deliberately took a crap all over the show. B&B where ousted after season 3 in favour of Manny Coto and his episodes harvested more praise than all the three seasons before. B&B took revenge by wrecking the franchise with what can only be described as utter shit. I think they did it deliberately.

[Snorpenbass]

I can't believe that anyone would have deliberately written a plot with the intention of p!ssing off their audience, even though it was clearly the last show.

I think they did exactly that. The deliberately took a crap all over the show. B&B where ousted after season 3 in favour of Manny Coto and his episodes harvested more praise than all the three seasons before. B&B took revenge by wrecking the franchise with what can only be described as utter shit. I think they did it deliberately.

I'd love to be able to say you're wrong or that the TV system doesn't work like that and that there are tons of people out there defending them...

...and while there *are* people defending them, I can't but help remembering how several very good shows, genre and other, got killed by producers because of power politics, agendas or simple pettiness, regardless of ratings or cash flow. So...it wouldn't surprise me if this *was* true. I know John Billingsley would probably agree with you, and Connor Trineer (in slightly less polite terms about B&B). I also know Blalock has a tendency of dodging the issue these days, but were overheard making bitter remarks about the "Killer Bees" back then (doesn't hurt that she was according to stories probably the most devout Trekkie of the crew).

[putaro]

I can't but help remembering how several very good shows, genre and other, got killed by producers because of power politics, agendas or simple pettiness, regardless of ratings or cash flow

Yep. I'm still mad about how they whacked Deadwood prematurely. It is funny how much emotion *the_abomination* still stirs up after quite a few years.

[Pennjazz]

I'm still a bit torqued ( ) about Serenity ( ) getting axed. That show had TONS of potential....

[Cogito]

I'm still a bit torqued ( ) about Serenity ( ) getting axed. That show had TONS of potential....

Yup.

They came up with a brilliant set of characters, each interesting in their own right. Didn't hurt at all the the female actresses were extraordinarily good looking, either. Curiously, I haven't seen any of them in anything subsequently where they looked quite as good.

And then, killing off Wash and Book in the movie added injury to insult ... or something.

[ginamr]

Alas, science fiction is a niche genre and has few true fans. One thing I've found out over the years is that there aren't many Trekkies or a sci-fi nerds...though there are plenty of geeks. And so you know the difference...

Difference Between A Nerd, A Geek and A Dork

[Kevin Thomas Riley]