The Trek That Almost Was

Alright, folks! Gather ’round as we dive into the wild and wacky universe of Star Trek – a show that’s been warping through space on our TV screens for nearly 60 years! With so many forgotten tales and behind-the-scenes nuggets, it’s like an endless treasure chest that fans just can’t resist rummaging through!

Kirk’s Return? Not Quite!

Picture this: It’s been over a decade since we last saw the legendary James T. Kirk strutting his stuff on screen in Star Trek Generations. But hold onto your phasers! There was a moment when the man himself, William Shatner, was nearly beamed aboard the spinoff Star Trek: Enterprise. However, there’s a twist in this warp factor 9 tale. Since Enterprise is set long before Kirk’s time, he wouldn’t be reprising his iconic captain role. Nope, instead, Shatner would take on the role of his less-than-charming Mirror Universe alter ego, Tiberius Kirk. Talk about a dark doppelgänger!

Did We Just Open a Can of Wormholes?

Now, why exactly did they want Shatner back? Well, the showrunner Manny Coto thought it might give the rather limp season 4 ratings a much-needed super boost! And if you ask me, how could you resist the allure of the original Captain Kirk? Long story short, thanks to a fun-filled chat with former Enterprise writer Mike Sussman, we got the juicy scoop on how the whole scene played out.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

According to Sussman, Coto had this brilliant idea for a two-part Mirror Universe extravaganza, and they were itching to get Shatner involved. But there was just one small hiccup—the network bigwigs decided not to meet Shatner’s quote, which is a real buzzkill.

The Tale That Could Have Been

What’s even more of a bummer is the storyline that Shatner, along with the writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, crafted. Imagine this: Kirk’s evil twin, Tiberius, zooms back in time all because of the dubious Tantalus Device (you know, that mysterious weapon we’ve heard whispers about?). He bumps into Captain Archer, and despite starting as bitter baddies, they realize they need to team up to create the Mirror Universe. Sounds like a blast, right? Talk about a cosmic buddy-cop situation!

The Bumpy Road to Cancellation

Unfortunately, while this story was positively dripping with potential plot twists worthy of a Doctor Who episode, what we ended up getting was the rather underwhelming “In a Mirror, Darkly.” Yikes! That two-parter was intended as both a prequel and a sequel but fell flat like a photon torpedo. And while having Shatner back may not have single-handedly saved Enterprise from cancellation (rumor had it that decision was already made), this close encounter with evil Kirk is yet another intriguing ‘what if’ in the Star Trek universe.

Conclusion: The Final Frontier of Friendship?

In the end, imagining Kirk going toe-to-toe with Archer or perhaps even becoming frenemies is just too fun to ignore. After all, it’s Star Trek; anything can happen in the great unknown of space travel! So here’s to the lost opportunity that could have brought us evil Kirk and more intergalactic shenanigans!