10 Reasons To Greenlight Star Trek: United NOW
6. And The Children Shall Lead
Mike Sussman has been liberal with the details that would help build Star Trek: United, with the focus on Archer's children being among them. Starfleet Academy received unfair criticism for focusing on its younger cast in marketing, which, while frustrating, should still be a lesson if United receives the greenlight.
Camilla, Gus, and T'Var are described as extensions of, as well as variations of, Archer himself.
When The Next Generation was announced in the late 80s (how's that lower back treating you? Mine's acting up again), it was met with waves of derision from some long-time Star Trek fans. Think of all the critiques recently aired about Academy, swap the show title, and you're nearly there.
So, why greenlight a show that would quite deliberately focus on Archer's next generation?
The first word that comes to mind is ensemble. Star Trek has always been at its strongest when it has successfully utilised the extended cast. Deep Space Nine may be the greatest example of this, yet the entire bridge crew of The Next Generation remains one of the most popular collectives in the franchise.
Archer may be the centre of gravity in United, but Sussman promises that much of the drama would come from the ensemble around him, primarily his three adult children. Archer's daughter Camilla experiences a calling to public service, while her twin Gus would take a different path, electing to serve in Starfleet.
Their brother is T'Var, rescued as an infant during the Romulan War, now working in Federation intelligence. A Vulcan raised by humans, he ends up in the crosshairs of Talok, that deep-cover Romulan operative first introduced in Enterprise, played again by Todd Stashwick. Stashwick, these days, is perhaps better known to Picard fans as the irascible Captain Shaw of the USS Titan-A, and has made no secret of his interest in returning to the role.
With a cast of characters who are as compelling as the returning Archer himself, there lies the groundwork for a show that deserves to stand on its own, rather than falling into any fan service pitfalls.