Summary
- Star Trek: Enterprise's third season introduced MACOs to the ship for a darker storyline in the wake of 9/11.
- MACOs comprised specially trained high ranking officers and provided advanced combat skills and weaponry to Starfleet.
- American actor Steven Culp played Major J. Hayes in 5 episodes during Enterprise's third season.
Star Trek: Enterprise season 3 introduced the military organization MACOs (unofficially, space marines). First airing in 2001, Star Trek: Enterprise documented Earth's initial first s and voyages into deep space. Echoing significant societal events of the time, Enterprise season 3 took on a noticeably darker tone. Transitioning from standalone episodes to a complex and weighty season-long serial arc, a devastating attack on Earth by the mysterious Xindi landed Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) with a heavy responsibility for establishing and preventing (or intercepting) further attacks. Anticipating a need for the presence of a conflict-trained unit, Archer requested a military assignment to the NX-01 Enterprise.
By the nature of its premise as a prequel to other franchise shows (and the United Federation of Planets itself), Star Trek: Enterprise wielded significant license for shaping the early period of Star Trek's multiverse timeline. With its later core ideals of peace and cooperation and aversion to being perceived as in any way military, the introduction of Marine-style troops in Star Trek: Enterprise season 3 allowed for an intriguing development of pre-Federation Starfleet and insight into humanity's approach to the significant external threats of the era. The severity of the destruction caused by the Xindi attack on Earth led to the Enterprise crew's third season mission and allocation of Star Trek's MACOS.
Star Trek: Enterprise Cast & Character Guide
Star Trek: Enterprise introduced new faces to the prequel series set a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series.
Star Trek’s MACO Space Marines On Enterprise Explained
The MACOS were a different military organization from Starfleet
An acronym for Military Assault Command Operations, the MACOs were a pre-Federation military organization associated with United Earth and tasked with combatting major threats. Separately managed, but operating in tandem with Starfleet, the MACOs provided advanced weaponry and tactical and combat skills to Starfleet’s generally exploration-focused personnel. improved the franchise in numerous ways, retconning many of the events that occurred later in the timeline, and the inclusion of these high-ranking military officers in Enterprise season 3 allows a fascinating and raw insight into humanity’s early processes pre-Federation. The MACO organization was disbanded following the foundation of the United Federation of Planets.
Initially tasked with integrating with Enterprise’s crew, the MACOs were active in combat and rescue missions.
The Star Trek: Enterprise season 2 finale, “The Expanse,” saw a devastating attack on Earth from a Xindi probe that resulted in the death of millions. An obvious allegory to 9/11, Enterprise season 3's significant modification to the show’s previous episodic format led to the assignment of the NX-01 Enterprise crew to the Delphic Expanse in the wake of the Xindi attack. Given the nature and severity of their mission, MACO troops were assigned to the Enterprise under the command of Major J. Hayes (Steven Culp) at the request of Captain Archer. Initially tasked with integrating with Enterprise’s crew, the MACOs were active in combat and rescue missions.
Star Trek: Beyond (2016) subtly developed the MACOs' role as one of several references to Star Trek: Enterprise.
1 Star Trek MACO Almost Replaced Riker As Picard’s Number One
Steven Culp Played Commander Martin Madden & Major J. Hayes
A deleted Star Trek: Nemesis scene reveals a surprising alternate ending to the poorly received 2002 movie. Partially restored for the film's DVD release and initially cut due to the movie's length, the scene introduces a new character, Commander Martin Madden (Steven Culp). Madden succeeds Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), following the former USS Enterprise-E First Officer's promotion to Captain of the USS Titan, but the scene’s deleted status renders this alternate ending not Star Trek canon. Instead, Lieutenant Commander Worf (Michael Dorn) takes over as First Officer until Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) receives a promotion to iral.
Movie/Series |
Format |
Character |
Year |
Appeared In |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Star Trek: Nemesis |
Movie |
Commander Martin Madden |
2002 |
DVD Special Features, Deleted Scene |
Star Trek: Enterprise (season 3) |
TV series |
Major J. Hayes |
2003-2004 |
5 episodes |
Steven Culp later appeared as Major J. Hayes in five episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise's third season (2003-2004). Assigned to the NX-01 Enterprise, Hayes led a MACO detachment when Captain Archer was sent to the Delphic Expanse and tasked with combatting the Xindi threat against Earth. Unfortunately, Hayes was later shot and killed in action rescuing Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) from the Xindi. Although Culp’s casting as Commander Madden in Star Trek: Nemesis didn’t come to a real fruition, his role in Star Trek: Enterprise secured him a place in pre-Federation history and earned the character a legacy as a hero of the Xindi Crisis.
Star Trek: Nemesis is available to stream on Max.
Star Trek: Enterprise
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2005-00-00
- Showrunner
- Brannon Braga
- Directors
- Brannon Braga
Cast
John Billingsley
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 4
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount Plus
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