Star Trek: Enterprise

This series was underrated and under appreciated in it's time. It's was getting into a good stride toward the end but unfortunately wasn't renewed for the full 7 seasons many other shows in the franchise got.

I found the show to be a compelling prequel to the original Star Trek. It was interesting to see humans as the newcomer to deep space; they were more than often met with aliens with far superior technology, a lot of them not so friendly. They had to be resourceful to achieve their goals and defeat stronger enemies. It was a refreshing change from the previous shows where the Federation was virtually the dominant faction with the most advanced technology and huge fleet.

Enterprise was about humans being the underdogs and still besting their foes. It was fun to watch!

Enterprise is the most genuinely invigorating thing to happen to not only Trek, but television as well. But I don't really want to rehash everything that everybody else has said, want I want to do is express my disappointment in a majority of the fans.

Back Off!!! A lot of the comments on this site have been nothing more than whining and nit-picking about what Enterprise "isn't." The concept of this show has apparently flown past your heads at warp 4.5! This isn't Trek as we know it! That is the point, the traditional Trek was a tired dog that was on it's last leg. The idea here is to do something new, something different that we weren't ready for. Stop analyzing what it should be, what it could be, and what it has already done wrong.

For those of you who haven't yet seen it, I'm telling you that it is fantastic; it's thrilling, touching, funny, adventurous, and as interesting and curious as the original series. But, when you watch it, go in with ABSOLUTELY no preconceived notions of what Trek is or what it should be. Berman and Braga have done exactly what they have set out to do and that is to reinvent Trek.

And for those of you who apparently had to bite your lip through this, where the heck is YOUR sense of adventure. We are seeing the BEGINNING of Star Trek! This is a dream come true! I mean come on guys, we got to witness the FIRST time they ever see a Klingon!! How cool is that. If you would stop trying, endlessly to find something to complain about, you would find yourself enjoying little things like finding out where Kirk's famous speech "Space, the final frontier..." actually came from, or seeing how afraid they are of the transporters. How you can not be slightly giddy seeing Jonathan Archer pick up a "Phase Pistol" and ask, "What's this?" These are the nuggets that you are letting slip by because you have this notion that you know what is best for Star Trek. I have loved all the series'( though Voyager is by far my least favorite) but it was time for something new.

One last beef with the fans, lay off the theme song. I think its wonderful. This is another one of those preconceived notions we have of what Trek is supposed to be. Yes, it is different than what we are used to, but if you stop judging and actually watch the images being shown and actually LISTEN to the words, you may find it slightly inspiring. Not to mention the fact that it is actually a very pretty song, that is, when you haven't already canned it because of being close minded.

This series is not about the continuation of Star Trek, it is about the beginning of mankind's exploration into deep space; this is why it isn't called Star Trek: Enterprise, but instead it is just Enterprise. This is not the utopian society of past Trek shows. These people are flawed, curious, impulsive, and very far from perfect. They make many mistakes and that is their enduring charm. They want this so bad and are just learning how to swim. There are so many other things I loved, such as the grappler and the amazement of a pathetic warp 5, not to mention the fantastic cast and characters (Scott Bakula has always been a personal favorite of mine!,)but I just don't have room to go into detail.

So on that note, stop shooting them down before they get going; I have a feeling its going to be one Hell of a ride! Let's Go!

For the past year I've watched Enterprise hoping they would get better and quit being so doom and gloom. I was hoping for them to get back to basics and more of the original Star Trek. Well, finally after a so-so year, they get back more to the original and start getting good again. I get all pumped up about it, and what does UPN do; but, cancel it! Well, that settles it. I have no reason to watch UPN again. Too bad another network or syndication wouldn't pick up Enterprise. If it would continue as it's been this year alone, it could run many more years. The camaraderie's is back and it's getting more humorous. The stories are fantastic. And, we're seeing more of the beginning of the original Trek! The writers are getting imaginative again! Well, hopefully there will be a miracle and Enterprise will be saved, though I doubt it. Too bad! I really hope it's not the end of the Star trek series. I hope Enterprise makes a comeback, some how, some way! Someone please save this series!

ENTERPRISE came out at a lousy time. Coming in the wake of four other Trek series shows and all the movies, the public never seemed all that stuck on the show. Plus, while I was a huge fan, I must admit that the series started slowly---very, very slowly. As a result, the show was canceled prematurely--after the show had greatly improved but lost its audience. It's really a shame.

The series is supposedly a prequel to all the Star Trek shows and shows the earliest journeys of mankind to the stars. I really liked what the writers did with the Vulcans, as in previous Star Trek shows, this race was super-noble. Here, however, they were less angelic--doing their best to keep humans on Earth as well as showing a deviousness that you only slowly came to realize. But perhaps the most interesting race on the series were the Andorians (who were only briefly seen on the original STAR TREK). These arch-rivals of the Vulcans seemed hyper-aggressive and unreasonable through part of the series, but after a while you come to see that the Vulcans really were jerks and dishonest in this series. While the Andorians were not the nicest of people, despite initial appearances, they could be reasonable and even allies. This plot element that was woven throughout the series was particularly effective and I loved how these beings were far more complex than you first thought (much like the Narn were on BABYLON 5).

The major plot running through most episodes involved a doomsday weapon that obliterated Florida when first tested and was destined to be used to wipe out the entire planet and this was an excellent and interesting plot idea. The voyage across unknown space to stop this carnage was kept my interest. Additionally, most of the crew members were interesting and well-written, though since it was made in the 21sst century, they tended to be sex perverts compared to earlier and more chaste series (including one episode where a male crew member got pregnant after making it with another species)! Still, there was a lot to recommend here--too bad it came on the heels of all this other Trek, as it couldn't help but fail due to audience overload.

By the way, there are MANY inconsistencies on the show if you compare it to the original Star Trek, such as the Enterprise looking far more high tech in this series (though it was set in an earlier year). Unless you are a major geek with no life whatsoever, this shouldn't be a major problem. If it IS, then you need to join Star Trek Anonymous!

I have mixed feelings about this show. It probably has contained some of the best and definitely a lot of the worst Trek episodes ever. It was meant to re-invent Trek but all it did was re-use old plot devices. The best thing they ever did was replace Berman, because he had been working on the franchise too long. Trek needs new blood, and for the 4th season they finally got it. But of course it came too late and now the show has been cancelled after it just started to find its footing.

Contrary to some other comments I've seen, Enterprise did NOT use its cast to its fullest potential. Mayweather has been virtually ignored since the first and second seasons (he wasn't even in most of the 3rd season episodes) and when he has been around lately it has only been to lift heavy things or hit something. Reed was just starting to get some good stuff this season. Enterprise had a wonderful opportunity to connect every Trek series together and revitalize the franchise but all it did (and most people believe this) was bury it. Despite Enterprise's accomplishments, its failures reign supreme. As much as I love Trek, it needs a rest. Maybe after a few years it will be brought back by people who have new ideas to bring to it. Then, hopefully, we will truly go where no one has gone before.