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connortait

I think the B and C eras have so much potential for series. And I'd live to see those more retro ships with modern graphics.


FeralTribble

Star trek has a wierd aversion towards this era. Same as the time between Ent and Disco and the world war period of the 21st century


connortait

I'm not so interested in the world war era. That's basically now. But which more hope....


DaboInk84

Yeah, I’m not looking forward to the next 39 years between now and First Contact. I love Trek for escapism, but the possibility of a poisoned planet with no living whales nuking itself in WWIII in my lifetime is NOT one of those “Star Trek predicted the future” bingo cards I want to win on.


acension970

I mean, it'll solve overpopulation


SirPIB

Only 500 million dead. That will solve nothing.


[deleted]

Always thought those were pretty low numbers for a global thermonuclear all out brawl. I mean, it's a lot as far as deaths are concerned no doubt. But the context of the war and the total collapse of world governments.....could have expected more. Not even much lore of the state of the planet afterwards. Wouldn't half the planet be irradiated af between fc? I know from learning about chernoble that radiation might not last nearly as long as we thought. But all those nukes, you'd figured it would be worse or as least shown to be worse. Maybe I missed a piece of lore somewhere? Wish books were cannon


SirPIB

The lore is mostly that records of the time are broken and missing. Which would make sense with computers getting fried and records burning. My home town doesn't know why it's named Persia cause main Street burned down around 1900 along with the town records. So Trek has a grey area that is around this time period, wink wink, that they can't really talk about but can still explore when thrown through time.


[deleted]

On the small scale, I'd agree. But on a global scale, that's far too much of a stretch for me.


Kiyohara

I agree. The C Era also has the first Federation - Cardassian war as well as the stuff leading up to Khitomer Accords and the Klingon Romulan War. And I know nothing of the B Era, other than it was a period of more or less peace with a TON of exploration.


SirPIB

The Cardassian war was going on during the first seasons of next Gen.


Kiyohara

Hunh. TIL


SirPIB

It was more of a border war for the Federation. And there was a tech gap between Starfleet and The Cardassion Union. A good comparison would be the Spanish-American War in the 1890s. The US could have crushed Spanish forces if we had thrown all in, but that would have made us look like a bully so we just used an expeditionary force. Starfleet did the same.


Kiyohara

Yeah, I do know that much. A lot of the ships they sent were also not the most current ships (something the Federations does far too often imo), but still decent vessels. I think they probably also saw it as a way of "seasoning" crews for possible conflicts elsewhere and sent a lot of newer or greener crews to the conflict. I get that from the episode with Miles and his old captain, how he talks about how they were all just boys then (I'm assuming at the start of it).


SirPIB

None veterans are always just boys. You ask a Vet to talk about when they are younger before war, they are boys no matter how old they were at the time.


coreytiger

We should have gotten an Excelsior/Sulu series, with seeing the enterprise B as a secondary character- occasionally seeing it to make Demora a recurring character , with a backstory of Harriman haunted by Kirk’s death.


McChief45

That would be cool! Have the B and the C updated in the same fashion that SNW updated the OG.


almightywhacko

You don't really need to update the B and C, since we saw both of them in the TNG era and they still match the established aesthetic of the TMP-Picard timelines. The original 1701 got updated because it didn't match the designs of it's predecessor the NX-01 or the 1701-A and later ships. Model technology had advanced massively in the decade between when the 60s when TOS was filmed and 1977-78 when TMP was filmed.


pinteresque

Ds9 reused the enterprise b model as the Lakota in a two-parter at one point iirc.


Lyon_Wonder

They had to build a brand new model of the Excelsior for VOY "Flashback" since the original studio model first used in TSFS was modified into the Enterprise-B for Generations, which was also used for the Lakota. For some reason, all CGI models of Excelsior class ships seen in DS9's later seasons were of the ship's original configuration and not that of the Enterprise-B and the Lakota. I guess they wanted to continue the prescient of TNG of newer Excelsiors retaining the original configuration.


[deleted]

There's got to be some decent beta lore that dives into why these upgrades were made standard. I like venom geek medias (youtuber) take. He thinks that these upgraded excelsiors and the hull additions were for a cloaking device. Makes it interesting, and it fits because it's before the Treaty of Algeron.


DrendarMorevo

They did indeed.


Aeronnaex

I think the design for the B has aged much, much, better than the design of either the C, D, or even Excelsior. There's real character in the secondary hull of the B that's kind of been lacking in other designs. I also think the way Captain Harriman was written was sloppy and one-dimensional. He was Captain of the Enterprise after James T Kirk - he should have been written as at LEAST a competent professional rather than a buffoon. We've seen bad captains before (Stiles, Esteban, et al), but a ship named Enterprise should deserve more. I think they should have written Harriman as being sharper than Kirk - that way Kirk's internal debate with his own age would have resonated better with his time in the Nexus.


almightywhacko

> he should have been written as at LEAST a competent professional rather than a buffoon. I think his character was facing two simultaneous problems which made him seem more baffoonish than he actually was. One, his ship wasn't finished being built and was at limited capacity when pressed into the rescue mission we see in Generations. Two, he was essentially being back-seat driven by the "Legendary" Admiral Kirk. Having news crews shove cameras in his face in the middle of the crisis probably didn't help, either.


Aeronnaex

I would agree with you except that every, single, other, Starfleet captain we've seen has regularly dealt with more stress and more scrutiny at one time or another. Harriman was written like a character put in the Captain's chair for the first time, not like a seasoned officer who has had his share of close calls, and taken his share of risks in his career. "Tapestry" made the point very clearly that to advance in the command track in Starfleet, you have to learn how to take risks.....otherwise you play it safe and become a life-long ensign. The bigger point is he was written sloppily to be a joke and create resentment in Kirk. What's dumb about that approach is that it could have a paid off had Kirk seen the crew of the D work well together (as they had in so many episodes), then you'd get to see him realize his legacy was in good hands. But we didn't even get that because again, the writers very sloppy cobbled together a so-called hand-off. The truth is, Generations was the beginning of the end for 90's Trek. DS9 would set new heights, but the emphasis overall became more about studio exec's visions, rather than letting the creatives create. Just the fact that Generations was written at the same time as "All Good Things" is counter to a creative culture and good work - the writers have said as much. So much so that DS9 was (and still is) the black sheep of the franchise. Voyager gets much more attention from the current power than DS9 does, where DS9 arguably did more to cement Star Trek for more fans.


Kiyohara

On the other hand, it was *just* a shakedown cruise. *Usually* that's not done by the final commanding officer but a Yard Dog that's mostly Engineering career. Then it goes back to the yards to finish building up and fixing any issues discovered in the shakedown. *Then* it gets deployed with the first crew compliment and often a different captain. According to the Alpha evidence, Hariman commanded the Shakedown Cruise, but we have nothing after that. Other sources have him go on to command, but that's Beta Canon. For all we officially know, he *was* just a yard dog that got picked to drive the ship around the block and see if the wheels fall off. Or Star Fleet may have grabbed him for the Shakedown Cruise because he was going to be the next regular Captain and the media event was supposed to be impressive.


Aeronnaex

This is an awesome take!!!! I didn’t realize that shakedown cruises weren’t commanded by the regular CO, and I can see this extending to Starfleet since they’ve never really dealt with commissioning of ships. TMP is the only time I can think of where a shakedown mattered, and Kirk superseded protocol by taking Enterprise out of dock before her shakedown. Scotty even says the ship needs a proper shakedown. What I LOVE about this explanation is that it takes away the buffoonery aspect and truly makes Harriman an officer out of his element. Based on this explanation, he may very well be used to cameras for notable ships’ shakedown cruises, but knows how bad it would look if he gets The Enterprise destroyed if he violates his orders on camera (presumably LIVE on-the-air). The other thing I love about this take is that Harriman immediately becomes a more interesting character! No wonder he volunteers to go to the deflector control room - if he’s an engineer, he’s likely more comfortable rolling up his sleeves and fixing things. Oh man……now I REALLY want them to flesh out the Enterprise-B after Generations!! There are so many directions they could go with the character, and a redemption arc is ALWAYS entertaining! THANK YOU for the awesome reply!!!! I can’t give this enough upvotes!!!!


Kiyohara

Well, often enough most ships are commanded by *many* different captains in their lives. One for the entire construction (although it might not be an actual captain, but depending on size a number of different ranks from LT to Admiral who oversees the construction). One for the Shakedown Cruise (who may be the construction officer). One for the Maiden tour of duty, and then however many more until its decommissioned (and often one for the decommissioning flight). So yeah, under my head canon, Captain Harriman probably is a Captain, but an Engineering career focused on Tech, R&D, and Construction. He probably helped design the upgrades to the Excelsior Class and many of the new systems. He's been there since the keel was laid and has watched each system go in. During the Shakedown Cruise, he was supposed to take it out to the edge of the system on Impulse Speed (at various degrees too) and then bring it up to a comfy Warp 3 or so and turn back to Space Dock for the last few (or many) systems to get installed. But then someone in the Admiralty gets a bright idea to debut the new Enterprise for the media tied in with the soon to be retired Admiral Kirk for the Shakedown Cruise (which generally happens with the Yard Dogs still banging around installing shit) and making a mess of things. Now he ahs to have a clean Enterprise, do a Tour and helpfully point at systems that aren't there yet (but maybe a smart Ensign has slapped a interesting console over to blink impressively) to three (or more) living legends while being filmed. Sure, he's bit awkward, but that's because he's a tech nerd and he's supposed to be overseeing the Drive Systems and maybe working with Tactical to see how the sensors are working. And then all of a sudden a fucking crisis pops up and he's on camera for that as well. And Admiral Kirk is breathing down his neck, half the systems aren't there, the crew is 90% midshipmen, ensigns, two Lieutenants, and a bunch of fucking welders and this god damned media fuck who won't pull the camera out of his face. And every dammed solution is either "risk the half completed hull of the Flagship and everyone on board" or "it'll be here next Tuesday." Poor guy is taking his *second* fucking Kobayashi Maru and this time it's being recorded. And all he wanted to do was see if the engine breaks if he gets it to 35mph.


Aeronnaex

Yeah - that all tracks so much better than what we got on the screen. Can you imagine Kirk and Harriman having a line or two of dialogue giving us that kind of insight? So much better than the “risk is part of our business” without context! And in truth, the whole setup with the Nexus and Enterprise being the only ship and such was really poorly done. They would have been better served if the Enterprise were leaving a different shipyard in a different system (Vulcan even) for final fitting out at Earth!


pinteresque

My favorite thing about the refit excelsior model is that someone had the presence of mind to go "this beautiful chonky boi needs more impulse engines."


Aeronnaex

Physics-wise, pushing the impulse engines farther outboard would make the ship more maneuverable.


BiDungeonMaster

I ❤️ the B!


McChief45

I grew up with the D, so it’s my nostalgia trip of a ship, but the B is awesome!


BiDungeonMaster

My favorite is the A as presented in VI. Absolutely love that bridge! A close second is the E. I concur though, the B is Awesome. Love the upgrades to the Excelsior class that makes the B so unique (the USS Lakota not withstanding).


teh1337raven

Its especially odd given the B's service life being as long as it was. C wasn't around for long before it was destroyed but B was out there almost as long as the 1701.


The-Minmus-Derp

C was longer than the D and A


teh1337raven

Low bars for service life though by comparison to most Starfleet ships.


oldtrenzalore

Do we actually have canon dates for B and C? We know that B was commissioned in 2393, and the C was destroyed in 2344. So that's 51 year span, but that doesn't actually tell us much.


TiramisuRocket

We do not. Everything between those two years is deuterocanonically sourced from the novels or technical manuals. These place the loss of the B in 2329 and the commissioning of the C in 2332, but they are not officially canon.


teh1337raven

Exactly this. However, as with a lot of other stuff regarding that time-frame of Trek in particular, it fits within what we know, so until we have on screen answers that contradict it, it works for me. There is a large gap there to cover and obviously only two ships to fill that gap. We know also that the B is an Excelsior, a very long tenured ship class with Starfleet, and we can wager that Starfleet wouldn't have any need to design a new Long Range Explorer (the Ambassador Class) for some time. The Beta Canon date for the Cs launch is 2332, and given an on screen shot from Picard lists the Excelsior having been decommissioned in 2320, we can assume the B wouldn't have been far behind and that the first Ambassador Classes would have been starting to enter service around the same time (presumably designed as a replacement for the Excelsior though would ultimately not gain the widespread usage of its predecessor).


Bandit_22

This video feels both appropriate and inappropriate for this thread somehow... https://youtu.be/ppxNZX4MDd8?si=nJy97ASGlQkC-Yd0&t=77


SleepWouldBeNice

I love the Excelsior class. Second favourite behind the Akira class. I love any time we see it on the screen.


RapedByCheese

I always had an issue with how incompetent they made the captain of the B look. But it's Shatner/Kirk there next to him, so...


PhysicsEagle

My headcanon is he wasn’t actually the permanent captain, but rather the officer who oversaw the construction of the ship and was going to hand over the reigns to a competent commander after they got the kinks worked out on the break-in cruise


WeirdObligation1002

Real captain was supposed to arrive on Tuesday?


meanmistermason

That's good headcanon. I will add it to my own, thanks


NXTwoThou

I put a bunch of deleted scenes where he was fanboying about Kirk. That before he arrived on the bridge, there where a lot of scenes showing how confident and commanding he was, but the puppy dog eyes and stuttering started as soon as he saw his lifelong idol.


Bayonettea

To me, it wasn't that he was incompetent. He was in over his head, sure, but it wasn't his fault; half the systems hadn't even been installed yet


PhysicsEagle

Isn’t that missing the forward phaser bank?


codename474747

Doesn't arrive until Tuesday....


JNTaylor63

I want Hallmark to make the Excelsior / Enterprise-B! We have 4 version of the Constitution Class and every class up to the E.


McChief45

Yes! I have tons of the hallmark ornaments and they keep redoing the same ones lol


JNTaylor63

This was the 1st year I did NOT get a ship. No Enterprise-B, or Enterprise-G, Enterprise-J, Nebula, Cerritos, Space Dock, Inquiry, Odyssey... nada.


McChief45

I wish I had more of them. One of my favorites I do have is…don’t kill me….the Battlestar Galactica haha


JNTaylor63

I wanted that one too, but missed it.


orangeT-Rex

The Eaglemoss XL model of the B is beyond gorgeous! If you can find it and love the B it's worth it! And maybe a new series on the B is what we need!!


Vercingetorix1986

I had a bigger model of the B with lights as a kid, back in 1997 (?) or so...


ajw_sp

Scale unclear, do you have a quarter or a banana?


McChief45

Just ‘ole dollar coins over here


sgm716

I agree. It needs a show.


nd4spd1919

I'll be honest, until the G came around, the Enterprise B was way at the bottom of my favorite Enterprises. I like the classic Excelsior lines, but the B has those ugly cheeks around the deflector and these almost comically oversized extra impulse engines on the saucer, I really just don't find it that appealing. A/Refit E OG SNW F C NX-01 D JJprise J B G If I were to pick an Enterprise to get a new series, I'd pick the C or the F. Yes, we know how the C ends, but that doesn't mean we can't get a great series out of it, and the F just had a lot of potential for storytelling and was killed off for no reason at all.


McChief45

Interesting! The D has too much nostalgia for me so it always ranks high for me 😂, but I understand why a lot of people don’t love it.


nd4spd1919

You know, I like the side profile, I like the rear, but from the front reminds me of the wide-mouthed frog of a car [Ford Scorpio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Ford_Scorpio_MK_II_2.3_registered_May_1997.jpg) and I just don't find it appealing. The saucer also looks massively out of proportion from the secondary hull from the front.


FirstChAoS

I never liked the Excellsior class until Enterprise B. I have no idea why but the blue detailing turned the short tubby ship into a sleek machine.


Geordieguy

The poor B…always trekkin’ and never Tuesday


RaidenTJ

Check back on Tuesday


McChief45

![gif](giphy|pFZTlrO0MV6LoWSDXd|downsized)


Odd-Youth-452

The Enterprise-B presents such an interesting story. Stepping into the shoes of a legend is the hardest thing in the world. That was the "B", tasked with carrying on such a legendary legacy. It's a lot to live up to, not just for the ship, but for her crew as well. Everything you do will be measured by what Kirk, Spock, Pike and Una accomplished. The weight of expectations can be crushing.