Season 1 of “Star Trek: Enterprise” boasts some impressive moments, but the following five episodes aren’t necessarily the best for Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the NX-01 Enterprise crew. This initial series in the “Star Trek” franchise was designed to portray Starfleet’s early ventures into space exploration during the 22nd century. Unlike the Starfleet heroes in shows like “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Captain Archer and his team were meant to be more relatable to contemporary viewers, as their understanding of outer space was still developing.
Star Trek: Enterprise kicked off impressively with “Broken Bow,” an extended debut episode that ranks among the most powerful series openers in the Star Trek era overseen by Rick Berman. Enterprise‘s standout moments during its first season include “The Andorian Incident,” where we were introduced to the well-liked Commander Shran (Jeffrey Combs), “Dear Doctor,” a tale of ethical dilemma revolving around Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley), and “Shuttlepod One,” which deepened the bond between Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) and Lt. Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating).
While Star Trek: Enterprise was produced during a distinct period, receiving a 26-episode season 1 order from United Paramount Network (UPN). Producing episodes at this pace was challenging for executive producer Brannon Braga and his team. As a result, Enterprise faced difficulties in establishing its unique identity, often emulating the successes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: The Original Series. Therefore, some less compelling episodes from season 1 of Star Trek: Enterprise might be worth skipping during a rewatch.
5. “Strange New World”
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1, Episode 4
As a film enthusiast, I must confess that Star Trek: Enterprise’s first season started off with a bang with its series opener, “Broken Bow.” However, the excitement seemed to wane slightly as we moved into episode 4, titled “Strange New World.” In this episode, an exploration team spearheaded by Subcommander T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) and Commander Trip Tucker found themselves stranded on a previously uncharted planet, which would later be known as Archer IV. The air in this new world carried spores that acted as a hallucinogen, causing the crew members to experience paranoid delusions and distrust, before they were eventually rescued.
In my humble opinion, as a seasoned movie critic, the enthusiasm of the Enterprise crew for pitching camp on the alien planet in “Strange New World” was rather disconcertingly reminiscent of greenhorns. Despite their fresh foray into space exploration, they seemed more like an eager Cub Scout troop than a team of professionals and scholars. The stark contrast between these novices and the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation served to diminish their allure, and unfortunately, left long-time Star Trek aficionados with a waning interest in the prequel from the get-go.
4. “Unexpected”
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1, Episode 5
In the opening season of Star Trek: Enterprise, the episode titled “Unexpected” came after “Strange New World,” marking another challenging start to the prequel series. The NX-01 Enterprise, under Commander Trip Tucker’s command, encountered the Xyrillians who invited him aboard their ship. After a strange, hallucinatory visit, Trip discovered he had become pregnant. In a state of panic, Trip was mocked until the Xyrillians performed a safe embryo transplant.
An episode titled “Unexpected” from Star Trek: The Original Series was rather questionable in the 1960s, but it’s become a laughably implausible scene in today’s world. Star Trek: Enterprise, being a relatively new series at the time, seemed to stretch credibility by putting the character Trip Tucker into such a silly predicament. It’s challenging to comprehend what the show’s creators were intending with this plotline. One notable aspect of “Unexpected” is the early introduction of holodeck technology, which was depicted as being available on Enterprise, 200 years before it was commonly used in the era of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
3. “Terra Nova”
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1, Episode 6
Finishing off the initial trio of weak episodes in Star Trek: Enterprise‘s season 1 is “Terra Nova.” Captain Archer’s NX-01 ship takes them to the first human deep space colony, only to find that their civilization has been annihilated. A foreseeable turn of events uncovers that the people living underground are the descendants of the original colonists and have fallen ill due to radiation sickness.
The episode titled “Terra Nova” from “Star Trek: Enterprise” was a rather dull and unengaging installment. It lacked intrigue in its central plot, and the portrayal of the Terra Novans fell short of expectations. Even the executive producer of “Star Trek: Enterprise,” Brannon Braga, labeled it as “boring,” admitting to StarTrek.com that it was his least favorite episode of the series. However, the one positive aspect of “Terra Nova” is that it served as a low point from which “Enterprise” recovered, and the following episode, “The Andorian Incident,” turned out to be significantly better.
2. “Fortunate Son”
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1, Episode 10
In ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’, season 1 endeavored to portray human space travel prior to Starfleet’s Warp 5 engine, but unfortunately, this episode falls short of expectations. When the NX-01 Enterprise meets the freighter Fortunate Son, they discover that Commander Matthew Ryan (Lawrence Monoson) is deceiving them and keeping a Nausicaan captive in secret. A positive aspect is that the series introduces the Nausicaans, who were previously seen in ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’.
The episode titled “Star Trek: Enterprise‘s ‘Fortunate Son'” provided Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) with a background, which was significant since his character was often overlooked in the prequel. However, the episode itself doesn’t offer much excitement or surprises, and even the Nausicaans seem less menacing in this instance. “Fortunate Son” is a typical “Enterprise” episode that doesn’t quite live up to the exceptional standards of the best “Star Trek” series.
1. “Rogue Planet”
Star Trek: Enterprise Season 1, Episode 18
When the starship NX-01 Enterprise encounters an uncharted planet, they come across a species known as the Eska who have been pursuing their native wildlife for nine successive generations. At the same time, Captain Archer experiences recurring dreams of a captivating woman, leading him on a quest to locate her. Archer subsequently learns that Stephanie Niznik’s character, the Wraith, is an extraterrestrial shape-shifter, and the Eska chase her kind for the thrill. Eventually, Captain Archer and his crew devise a method for the Wraiths to conceal their energy signatures, thereby making them harder for the Eska to track.
The title “Rogue Planet” brings to mind classic Star Trek: The Original Series-style episodes, including a captivating alien female tempting Captain Archer. Yet, the storyline and resolution in this particular episode seem rather ordinary. Diehard Star Trek enthusiasts who aim to watch every episode of Star Trek: Enterprise might feel compelled to do so. But for those pressed for time, it’s perfectly fine to bypass such episodes and concentrate on the top-tier offerings from season 1 of Star Trek: Enterprise instead.
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2025-05-25 02:19