The fourth and final Star Trek: The Next Generation movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, put a nail in the coffin of what was—at the time—a dying Star Trek franchise. Star Trek: Nemesis saw Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) confront a younger clone of himself, Shinzon (Tom Hardy), who had been created by Romulans to secretly replace Picard. Shinzon had been discarded to the mines of Remus before becoming the new Romulan Praetor to exact his revenge. Star Trek: Nemesis' subplot featured the discovery of B-4 (Brent Spiner), an inferior Soong-type android built before Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner).
In theory, Star Trek: Nemesis' high-stakes cinematic action, with a screenplay and story by Academy Award-nominated John Logan with Brent Spiner, was designed to draw casual moviegoers. Further, Star Trek: Nemesis' themes of identity and duality in its Picard and Data storylines were supposed to create that cerebral Star Trek touch. In practice, Star Trek: Nemesis fell apart by packing its 1 hour and 57 minute runtime with more style than substance. Star Trek: Insurrection's lukewarm reception soured suits on Jonathan Frakes taking the helm again, but franchise newcomer Stuart Baird directed Nemesis like a Star Trek movie that was afraid to be Star Trek, leaving Star Trek: The Next Generation's beloved ensemble rudderless and inconsistent.
Star Trek: Nemesis’ Ending Explained
Captain Picard And Lt. Commander Data Team Up To Destroy Shinzon
Star Trek: Nemesis ends with a face-off between the USS Enterprise-E and Shinzon's massive starship, the Scimitar. Shinzon vowed to take revenge by using deadly thalaron radiation to wipe out all life on Earth, which the Enterprise must prevent at all costs. Romulan Commander Donatra (Dina Meyer) arrives to help the Enterprise, not Shinzon, citing "internal security". While the Scimitar is distracted by Donatra's Warbirds, Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) empathically locates Shinzon's cloaked ship, and opens fire. The Enterprise is outgunned, however, and Remans board the ship to seize what Shinzon truly wants: Captain Picard.
Shinzon's determination to find and unleash the darkness in Picard's heart is his own downfall,
Why Data Died In Star Trek: Nemesis
Data's Death In Star Trek: Nemesis Was Brent Spiner's Decision
At the end of Star Trek: Nemesis, Lieutenant Commander Data heroically sacrifices himself to destroy Shinzon's thalaron emitter and save all life on Earth. Data's act of bravery ensures the Federation's survival, but ultimately contributes to Star Trek: Nemesis' reputation as a franchise-killer. Compared to Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Data's death rings hollow. Unlike The Wrath of Khan building to Spock's sacrifice, Nemesis doesn't have a narrative throughline that supports Data's decision, and his replacement is already lined up in B-4.
Brent Spiner co-wrote Star Trek: Nemesis' story with John Logan, creating his own graceful exit from Star Trek by killing off Data. As an android, Data wasn't supposed to age, and Spiner's advancing years were becoming more difficult to mask with Data's makeup. Star Trek: Nemesis ended with B-4 in possession of Data's memories on the USS Enterprise-E, however, leaving the door open for Spiner's return in a future Star Trek: The Next Generation movie.
Star Trek: Nemesis Set Up A 5th TNG Movie That Never Happened
Nemesis' Follow-Up Would Have Set Up DS9 And Voyager Movies![Avery Brooks' Captain Sisko, Kate Mulgrew's Captain Janeway, and Patrick Stewart's Admiral Picard from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Picard respectively stand side-by-side.]()
Star Trek: Nemesis set up a potential fifth Star Trek: The Next Generation movie that never happened. Conceptualized by Nemesis screenwriter John Logan and Brent Spiner, the final TNG movie would have been a crossover between Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. Characters from all three TNG-era Star Trek series were slated to join forces against a massive threat that only a team-up between Star Trek's finest could thwart. Just as Star Trek Generations passed the franchise to the TNG cast, the Nemesis follow-up would have led to DS9 or Voyager movies.
Why Star Trek: Nemesis’ Failure Killed TNG’s Movie Franchise
Star Trek Changed Direction After Star Trek: Nemesis
Waning interest in Star Trek as a franchise, low box-office returns, and poor fan reception led to Star Trek: Nemesis ultimately killing future Star Trek: The Next Generation movies. As Star Trek: Enterprise's pivot to earlier in the Star Trek timeline suggested Star Trek might be done with the 24th century, Star Trek: Nemesis opened to a disappointing US$18.5 million box office. Ticket sales dropped 76% for Nemesis' second weekend, indicating fans were dissatisfied with the latest TNG movie. Star Trek: Nemesis closed three months later, after grossing a woeful $43.25 million domestically.
Seven years passed before Star Trek returned to cinemas with J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot. The Kelvin Timeline Star Trek movies were a change of pace that combined Abrams' fresh take with nostalgia for Star Trek: The Original Series. Although Star Trek Into Darkness received mixed reviews, and Star Trek Beyond was an underrated gem, Abrams' Star Trek movies renewed interest in the franchise. The Kelvin Timeline paved the way for Star Trek's return to television—and a chance to fix the mistakes made by Star Trek: Nemesis.
Star Trek: Picard Fixed Nemesis’ Mistakes
Star Trek: Picard Gave Star Trek: The Next Generation A Proper Send-Off
Star Trek: Picard fixed Star Trek: Nemesis' mistakes by returning to themes that Nemesis botched in its delivery. Backed up as a positronic ghost, Lieutenant Commander Data asked Admiral Picard to grant Data's ultimate wish: the universal human experience of death. By reframing death as the final step in becoming human, Star Trek: Picard gave Data's death the meaning it lacked in Star Trek: Nemesis. Data's legacy lived on in the highly advanced synth, Soji Asha (Isa Briones), instead of B-4, while Picard's new mirror was Jean-Luc and Beverly Crusher's son, Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), instead of Shinzon.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 reunited the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast for the proper send-off that Star Trek: Nemesis failed to give them. Picard gave each member of the former USS Enterprise-E crew a spotlight, especially the characters that Nemesis sidelined, like Captain Worf and Beverly Crusher. Deanna Troi had more agency in her few Star Trek: Picard appearances than ever before. Even Data's return was an evolution of his quest for humanity. Star Trek: Picard allowed Star Trek: The Next Generation to end with the dignity it deserved instead of being killed by Star Trek: Nemesis.
