Closing the book on a long-running iteration of a franchise is hard. You have to make sure to create a story that's not only compelling but gives the characters a worthy sendoff. Sometimes the work pays off, and you get Avengers: Endgame and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. Other times... you get Star Trek: Nemesis. Directed by Stuart Baird, the film was meant to close the book on the story of Star Trek: The Next Generation, but 20 years later, it's a glaring example of how not to end a franchise.

Stuart Baird Didn't Seem to Brush Up on His 'Star Trek' Lore

The biggest problem came from Baird, who was unfamiliar with the Star Trek franchise. Nemesis sprung into being when Brent Spiner contacted his friend and lifelong Trek fan, screenwriter John Logan. Spiner had a story in mind that would give the Next Generation cast a proper sendoff and Logan, fresh off the success of Gladiator, jumped at the opportunity. In contrast, Baird apparently couldn't be bothered to brush up on the basics of the franchise. He refused to watch previous episodes of The Next Generation and even referred to LeVar Burton as "Laverne." Jonathan Frakes, who helmed Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection in addition to playing Commander William Riker, apparently regretted not taking on the director's hat for Nemesis. Granted, Frakes was preoccupied with directing Clockstoppers, but it's still a resource Baird could have used.

Baird's approach to the material was more in line with his previous directorial efforts, U.S. Marshalls and Executive Decision. He hits the ground running in the film's opening sequence, which begins with an attack on the Romulan Senate, and doesn't let up. While this makes sense for an action film, the Trek franchise has always been more cerebral, and Nemesis suffers heavily from its fast pace. Plot points that could have propelled the film are often resolved within a single scene or two, and the space battles lack the tension of previous Trek films. The Wrath of Khan, this isn't.

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Deanna Troi Is Reduced to a Damsel in Distress

Marina Sirtis as Deanna Troi in Star Trek-Nemesis
Image via Paramount

However, the greatest letdown was in how the Next Generation cast was handled. This was meant to be their grand sendoff, and yet they were handed storylines that were either beneath them or completely out of character. Take Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) for example. After years of "will they, won't they" between her and Commander Riker, Nemesis finally saw the two getting married, but Troi is soon subjected to an invasion of the mind by the Reman Viceroy (Ron Perlman). What's worse, this psychic invasion happens when she and Riker are in the throes of passion — which more or less amounts to a psychic and sexual assault. Given how Troi had grown over the course of Next Generation, to once again be subjected to a storyline where she's the damsel in distress felt extremely insulting. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Sirtis has less than fond feelings for the film.

Shinzon Is Not a Compelling Villain

Captain Picard's (Patrick Stewart) storyline doesn't fare any better. In Nemesis, Picard learns that the Romulan Empire created a younger clone of himself named Shinzon (Tom Hardy), who is slowly dying and plans to take the Federation with him by destroying his experimental warship Scimitar and flooding the Earth with poisonous radiation.

The idea of Picard facing a younger and darker version of himself is a rather interesting one — but Shinzon is not particularly menacing or compelling. Compared to previous foes like the Borg Queen in First Contact, he doesn't push Picard's mental or even physical limits. And to make matters worse, previous episodes of The Next Generation, as well as the feature films Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: Insurrection, already featured Picard grappling with his morality.

Data Is Wasted in 'Nemesis'

Tom Hardy and Patrick Stewart in Star Trek- Nemesis
Image Via Paramount

Picard isn't the only person dealing with a doppelganger, or confronting the ghosts of plot points past. Data has his own twin, named B-4, who ends up taking Data's place when the android sacrifices himself to stop the Scimitar. Again, Data's sacrifice could have been an extremely profound moment, and a perfect way to cap off the franchise. But that sacrifice is undercut when B-4 reveals that Data's memories more or less live within his body. On top of that, this is yet another plot point that was already tackled within Next Generation, namely with Data's "evil twin" Lore.

In the years following Nemesis' release, it was revealed that Baird had left a great deal of footage on the cutting room floor that would have fleshed out the bonds between characters. Among those moments are a brief interaction between Picard and Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) at Riker and Troi's wedding, and a heartwarming moment where Worf (Michael Dorn) bonds with Data's cat Spot after the android's death. Those scenes are a great reminder of the bond the Next Generation crew shared, and leaving them out is essentially stripping out the heart of the series.

Without 'Nemesis', There Would Have Been No 'Picard'

With Nemesis flopping at the box office, a planned sequel which Spiner likened to the "Justice League of Star Trek" never manifested. However, the first season of Star Trek: Picard would rectify many of Nemesis' mistakes. Like Nemesis, it focuses on Data — particularly his daughters, Dahj and Soji (Isa Briones), and their own connection to humanity. Picard was once again grappling with his mortality, but this time, it was given the appropriate heft as he was growing old and disillusioned with what Starfleet had become. And Data did ultimately receive a final sendoff, but not before he and Picard have a final meeting within Data's mind. Data even saves his former captain from death by transferring his mind into an android body. Even Riker and Troi reappear, having been happily married with children.

Though Nemesis failed the cast of the Next Generation, that failure made Picard possible. Hopefully, the third and final season, which reunites the Next Generation crew, is a fitting send-off.

Star Trek Nemesis is available to stream on HBO Max. Seasons 1 and 2 of Star Trek: Picard are available to stream on Paramount+.