20 Things You Never Knew About Star Trek: Insurrection

2. The Original Ending

Star Trek Insurrection F Murray Abraham
CBS

Michael Piller had serious concerns about the first ending in the script, as he felt that it was too similar to the ending of Star Trek: Generations. Both films came to a close with Picard fighting the villain in hand-to-hand combat, along with both films featuring the villain dying at the controls of their own weapons. The original version of the Collector also saw a device shot into a star, rather than the rings.

Piller changed the weapon's target, and then switched the circumstances of Ru'afo's death. Most importantly, there is a moment before the character's death that sees Picard extend a hand to help him escape, only for them to realise a moment too late that there is too great a physical distance between them.

Ru'afo would then be on board the Injector as it harnesses the radiation from the rings, growing younger and younger until fading into nothing. This version was shot, only to be replaced with the more action-centric ending eventually featured in the film - something closer to the Generations ending after all.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"