Scott Bakula’s Star Trek Comeback Would Be The Pivotal Change Archer Needs
Star Trek: Enterprise writer-producer Michael Sussman hatched an idea with Scott Bakula for a new
Star Trek: United is only an idea and isn't a real series, but ever since the news broke in August that Scott Bakula's Star Trek comeback was a possibility, interest and excitement have only grown. Even legendary concept artist Andrew Probert worked with Mike Sussman on designing President Archer's new starship after the NX-01 Enterprise.
Michael Sussman appeared on Virtual Trek Con's Star Trek and Chill podcast to talk about Star Trek: United, and his explanation for how President Archer would be different from Captain Archer is intriguing and posits a necessary change to Jonathan. Check out the podcast below:
Star Trek: United Would Make Archer More Like Scott Bakula
He had quite a fair amount of input. So my initial idea was to take Archer in a direction [and] make him more like Scott, and the Scott that I knew. Part of it was, Scott made very clear [that] he played Archer for four years across 98 episodes. That’s a lot. He definitely didn’t want to come back and just do the same show…
In Star Trek: United, President Archer has four adult children working in different places throughout the galaxy. One of Archer's kids works for Federation Intelligence, another works in diplomacy, and Archer has a son in Starfleet, but who uses the surname of his mother, "Hernandez," instead of Archer.
Michael Sussman previously revealed that the mother of one of President Archer's sons is Captain Erika Hernandez (Ada Maris). Erika was introduced in Star Trek: Enterprise season 4 as a former flame of Archer's who became Captain of the NX-02 Columbia. It's unclear if Archer and Hernandez ever married, however, or if Erika is the mother of more of Jonathan's children.
President Archer having four children would reflect Scott Bakula in real life. Bakula also has four children; two with his first wife, Krista Neumann, and two with his second wife, Chelsea Field. While there's no confirmation on whether Archer married, his offspring, at least, bring him closer to Scott Bakula as a family man.
Archer Changed A Lot In Star Trek: Enterprise's 4 Seasons
As Michael Sussman pointed out, Captain Archer in Star Trek: Enterprise was a character Scott Bakula played for 98 episodes, and Archer was very different from the real Scott Bakula. Meanwhile, Captain Archer underwent an evolution of his character throughout
When Enterprise began, Captain Archer was an idealistic, if naive, explorer, who was a little entitled and resentful of the Vulcans. When the Xindi attacked Earth, which changed
In Star Trek: Enterprise season 4, Captain Archer felt the toll the campaign against the Xindi took on him, but he was still hotheaded.
Star Trek’s Greatest Captains Became More And More Like The Actors Who Played Them
It was certainly true at the time, and I think became more true over time, that Archer was very different from Scott. Which is interesting, because I’ve certainly seen interviews with Bill Shatner and Kate Mulgrew, and they talk about their characters, and how they’ve sort of like mind-melded with them. They think they and their characters have very similar mindsets, and would probably take similar actions.
This is the case with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), and Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). All three of those legendary Star Trek Captains gradually morphed from characters those actors played into closer reflections of the actors themselves, especially as they got older.
In the Star Trek movies, Captain Kirk took on more of William Shatner's personality and flourishes, such as Mr. Shatner's love for horses. Kirk passing the torch to Picard as Captain of the Enterprise in
When Patrick Stewart returned as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in
Star Trek: United, if it happens, plans to go even further by making President Archer much closer to the real life Scott Bakula. Archer would, of course, still be a character, but one whose private life would be a dramatic reflection set in the
Scott Bakula is universally praised as a gentleman, a leader, and a wonderful human being, especially by his former cast and crew of
Talamasca Showrunners Address Whether Zombies Exist In New Spinoff After Subtle Walking Dead Joke
Guy jokes about whether the Talamasca deals with zombies too, with Helen responding that they aren't real and he "[watches] too much telly.
Speaking with TVLine about the funny moment, Talamasca: The Secret Order showrunners John Lee Hancock and Mark Laffery explained it was, in fact, a subtle nod to The Walking Dead. The pair also confirmed zombies do not exist in the Immortal Universe, but that there are supernatural creatures resembling the shambling undead which "seem zombie-like" in appearance and behavior:
John Lee Hancock: That was just a fun little rib at AMC that we thought would give them a chuckle and they wouldn't be offended by.
Mark Laffery: Our meticulous Anne Rice fact checkers at Gran Via [Productions] and AMC didn't flag that one, so as far as we understand, there are no zombies in the Anne Rice Universe. If there are, let us know. We could probably make some use of them.
[T]here are definitely beings that sort of seem zombie-like. We have hybrid creatures and things where you go, 'I don't know quite what that is.' But yeah, for now I think 'The Walking Dead' has has grabbed that zip code and taken it fully from us.
As Laffery states, there are no zombies in Anne Rice's original work. However, zombie-like creatures are present, even within the cast of Talamasca: The Secret Order. Jasper, a vampire who has a hold over the group's London branch, appears to be amassing feral vampires underground, their mindless hunger reminiscent of zombies despite not actually meeting the criteria.
Instead, it seems like the franchise will be keeping its focus on vampires and witches for now. This not only includes Talamasca: The Secret Order's story, but also those of Interview with the Vampire season 3 and Mayfair Witches season 3. The showrunners' vision aligns with the Immortal Universe, making zombies impossible in any of their shows.
Even so, the small reference to The Walking Dead was fitting, especially since Guy is still new to the world of immortals. While he's not going to encounter zombies in the future, the feral vampires will be a close second. It's possible this not only passes for a reference to another show, but also foreshadows events to come.
Whether there will be more references to other horror properties in future Talamasca: The Secret Order episodes remains unclear. But, with this fun joke aimed at The Walking Dead, it seems like the series isn't afraid to shy away from it. Depending on what's next, perhaps the show will offer some hints as to where its story is heading next.
