“These Are the Voyages…” is episode twenty-two of season four of Star Trek: Enterprise and the season and series finale.
Travis and Hoshi are chatting on the bridge about what they are going to do after ten years on Enterprise – there’s been a substantial time skip – and Reed asks if the captain needs to give a speech. T’Pol says he’s working on it now. The captain joins them from the ready room to discuss the speech and is told that the admiral wants approval for the decommissioning protocols. The captain says he will give the admiral whatever he needs to mothball Enterprise after the charter is signed. And there’s an announcement for all senior staff to report to the bridge, Commander Riker turns around at one of the stations, pauses and saves the program and exists the holodeck.
It’s the TNG episode “The Pegasus” and Counsellor Troi has recommended Riker call up this historic holodeck program to help with some things. Riker talks to Troi in Ten Forward and she asks if he’s learnt anything yet about breaking orders. He hasn’t. Troi recommends he fast forward to when the Andorian hails them, as that’s when things really start to happen, and consider taking over the galley. Ships had no counsellors, but the chef of the first Enterprise came close. Almost everyone confided in him.
Enterprise is hailed by Shran, who’s supposed to have been dead for three years. Shran says it was necessary some believe that. And Archer still owes him a favour. Shran may no longer be in the Imperial Guard, but he’s aware that Enterprise is heading to Earth for the signing of the charter. The ceremony isn’t for three days. Plenty of time. Shran’s child has been kidnapped; he had a daughter with Jhamel five years ago. She’s been taken by former associates. A long story. Shran wants to come aboard.
Riker advances things by an hour. Shran is in the captain’s ready room. After leaving the Imperial Guard, Shran made some poor choices and end up associating with the wrong kind of people. These people think Shran took something that belongs to them. He didn’t, they don’t believe it and they found him. And took his daughter. They want the item back or she dies. And Shran doesn’t have it and never did. Shran has discovered she’s on Rigel X, but he needs at least seven men.
The captain talks to T’Pol, who isn’t enthusiastic. Archer does owe Shran, though; if not for him, the captain would never have got onto the Xindi weapon. This alliance is based on friendship and loyalty and that’s what Shran is looking for. T’Pol doesn’t trust him. The captain points out she doesn’t trust any Andorians. And when he met her ten years ago, Archer didn’t trust T’Pol or any other Vulcan. He listened to her, and now she should listen to him.
Riker is taking the place of Chef – finally the mysterious chef is fully seen and it’s not the real one! – and T’Pol is talking to him. She’s concerned they will miss the ceremony. He talks about Trip and T’Pol’s relationship; it’s been over for six years. T’Pol talks about orders and how sometimes humans follow their instincts instead. An illogical view she’s come to embrace.
Riker freezes the program and Troi finds him in the observation lounge looking at the Pegasus crew files. They talk and Riker ends up inviting her to the holodeck with him. On Enterprise, the head to engineering where Trip is still doing ordinary maintenance. Reed namedrops the TNG finale. Troi comments that it’s sad. Commander Tucker won’t make it back. The captain is with Shran and T’Pol; T’Pol has forged the item Shran’s associates want. Trip doesn’t want the captain to come down with them. The captain says Rigel X was the first place they visited, in “Broken Bow”, and now it will be the last.
They head down in shuttlepods, with Riker taking the place of a Maco. Despite problems, the exchange goes through okay. However, Shran’s former associates take issue and this causes problems. Riker also talks to various people about Trip.
So, the series finale of Enterprise has been hijacked by TNG and the stars of the show play decidedly second fiddles to Troi and Riker, both clearly older than they are supposed to be. This did not go down well. “Demons” and “Terra Prime” were considered by the producers to be the true finale.