It was a bold decision.

“Enterprise” first aired in 2001, and up to that point, the creators had been putting out a steady stream of Star Trek spin-offs for 14 years straight. There were three separate series that took place during the same general time period: “The Next Generation,” “Deep Space Nine” and “Voyager”. By the time “Voyager” was nearing its end everything started to seem a little stale. When UPN approached Rick Berman and Brannon Braga to make yet another Star Trek series, Berman and Braga knew this had to be something different.

Rather than set the show even further into the future, Berman and Braga decided to explore the beginnings of the Star Trek universe with a prequel series. This new series would be different in a number of ways. First, set in the year 2151, it would be the closest Star Trek series to our own time. This would give it a more contemporary feel. Second, it would focus on the very first Starfleet vessel to explore deep space. Instead of all the distant worlds and species being familiar to crew, everything would be new and awe-inspiring. We the viewers would also get to see how Starfleet and the Federation came to be what we know of them in the original Star Trek series. Rick Berman said in the October 2001 issue of Star Trek Monthly, “we'll be seeing humanity when they truly are going where no man has gone before. We are seeing people who don't take meeting aliens as just another part of the job. It's not routine. Nothing is routine. Also, by bringing it back 200 years from Voyager, we're making the characters closer to the present, and by doing that they can be a little bit more accessible and a little bit more flawed and a little bit more familiar to you and me.”

Personally, I applaud the show's creators for going in the direction they did. They didn't just go with the same formula that had worked up to that point, opting instead for something new and innovative that would tell a new kind of story. As a Star Trek fan, I find the premise of “Enterprise” to be inspiring. It is the story of mankind taking the first big step into the unknown, and with very few of the precious resources from other Trek series having been invented yet. Everyone loves learning about their roots, and it is wonderful seeing how Jonathan Archer and his crew paved the way for the birth of the United Federation of Planets.

It has great characters.

“Well, we had something similar [to movies] a few hundred years ago, but they lost their appeal when people discovered their real lives were more interesting.” - Phlox, from the episode “Dear Doctor”

“Enterprise” boasts a terrific cast, and some very well-written characters. I would go so far as to say some of the most memorable in the entire Star Trek canon.

Captain Jonathan Archer (played by Scott Bakula) commands the USS Enterprise (registry number NX-01), the first ship capable of Warp 5. Archer is the son of Henry Archer who was the primary developer of the first Warp 5 engine. Jonathan Archer's backstory is really interesting to me. He grew up watching his dad develop the engine with hopes of seeing it run some day. However, the Vulcans (who had been guiding humankind since first contact) were very cautious in the help they offered, which seems to have held back Starfleet's progress. Because of this, Henry Archer died before he saw his engine complete and ready for use. This has been a source of anger and prejudice against the Vulcans for Jonathan. I love watching Archer go from being almost mean-spirited toward to Vulcans, to gaining respect (and even admiration) for them. It's also really neat to be meeting all these new experiences right there with him. When he makes first contact with other aliens and cultures, we are right there with him not knowing what is going to happen. He goes out into the unknown, and he does it like a champ! Scott Bakula was the perfect choice for the role. You believe all these new things are really happening to him, and yet you don't ever lose respect for him. On the contrary, Bakula's performance commands respect.

Sub-commander T'Pol (played by Jolene Blalock) is the Vulcan science officer/second-in-command. Initially appointed to Enterprise by the Vulcan High Command, T'Pol goes from having a low tolerance of humans to preferring their company. T'Pol is what you might expect of a Vulcan. Very to-the-point with no time for idle chit-chat, yet like Spock in the original series, you start to warm up to her in spite of her lack of humanity. Though, for a Vulcan, she is considered young, she exhibits great wisdom and strength which she has used to help her fellow crew mates through many situations. Jolene Blalock plays this role well, refusing to let T'Pol just be the “eye candy.” You might not think so, but it's challenging to play someone so emotionally challenged. Yet, Blalock comes through and makes this character one that you fall in love with and root for in every episode.

Charles “Trip” Tucker III (played by Connor Trinneer) is the ship's chief engineer and is a long-time friend of Captain Archer. On the surface, you could say that this character is comparable to Leonard “Bones” McCoy of the original series, but Trip is not a rip-off of another character. Trip is easily the most “human” member of the crew. He is dedicated to his ship and his duties, yet he is very fun-loving. While T'Pol will offer logic and reason to her captain when asked for advice, Trip is the polar opposite in that he always goes by his heart and his morals. One of the best episodes for Trip is the first season episode “Unexpected.” Trip agrees to board an alien ship to help them repair their engine. While there he is charmed by a certain female officer, but insists on remaining “a perfect gentleman.” I also love that Trip has a child-like nature at times. You can see this in his love for movie monsters, particularly Frankenstein's monster. Connor Trinneer gives us one of the most memorable characters in all Trek here (and my personal favorite character in this series).

Malcolm Reed (played by Dominic Keating) is the ship's tactical officer. Malcolm is very different from the rest of the crew in that he keeps to himself a lot, but he is someone who truly cares for other people. As tactical officer, he gives the impression of being over-protective of his crewmates and his ship, but isn't that a quality you'd look for in a good tactical officer? It's kind of funny because sometimes he's a little overly noble and jumps right to being willing to sacrifice himself. A lot of the time Archer or someone else has to remind him that there's another way out before death is to be considered. Malcolm also has very strong morals, which we see in the episode “Affliction” when Reed is asked to do some questionable things by Section 31 (a secret black-ops division of Starfleet). At the end of the day, Malcolm Reed is a loyal friend and crewman who any captain would love to have on his ship. Dominic Keating played the role with excellence throughout the show's four seasons, really fleshing him out and making him a character we can identify with. Though he seems to prefer a solitary life, in the episode “E²” he sees what might happen to his life if he stays alone, thus motivating him to try to form a lasting relationship of some sort.

Hoshi Sato (played by Linda Park) is the ship's communications officer. Hoshi is an exceptional linguist able to speak over 40 languages. She has helped the crew out of many a tight spot by helping to decipher the language of an unfamiliar race, sometimes with the aid of the universal translator and sometimes by ear. In many episodes, Hoshi is the character through whom we can identify most with. At the beginning of Enterprise's mission, she isn't sure if she can handle everything. We see all the struggles she goes through, struggles we're all familiar with (fear of the unknown, self-doubt especially in a high-pressure situation, etc.). She is often our eyes and ears. Linda Park brings such warmth and genuineness to the character and really does a good job of portraying someone who knows the seemingly infinite world of alien languages.

Travis Mayweather (played by Anthony Montgomery) is the ship's navigator and helmsman. I think more than anything, Travis plays the eager youth ready to show what he's got. It's pretty ironic that the “inexperienced youth” in this series is the one with the most actual time spent in space, having grown up most of his life on his parents' cargo ship. Because of this, some of his knowledge is invaluable to the captain and crew during certain missions. Mayweather is really the only character, I believe, who doesn't see much growth in the series, but that doesn't make him any less likable.

Dr. Phlox (played by John Billingsley) is the ship's chief medical officer. He is a Denobulan, which really makes him the outsider of the group. Unlike the Vulcan T'Pol who pretty much looks human (apart from the ears), Phlox's features are very different. While he is an excellent physician, it takes the whole crew some time to warm up to an alien doctor. As an outsider, he is fascinated by human behavior. He is always interested in people's habits, regularly questioning them about things like food and intimacy (much to the embarrassment of the crew member in question). Phlox is very morally grounded, and coming from a culture very different from earth (he has three wives, who each have three husbands) he always has insight into whatever situations the Enterprise crew comes across. Billingsley really takes this character and runs with it, making Phlox his own. He is original and unique, and a great addition to Star Trek.

I could go on and on about great characters and great interactions between them, but this would go on way too long. Incidentally, two other really great characters to keep an eye on are the Vulcan ambassador Soval and the Andorian Shran. The characters in “Enterprise” are such fun to watch because it's easy to identify with them. As far as Star Trek series go, this one is the closest to our own time, and we can understand how these people would act in new situations. I also think that “Enterprise” did a good job of filling out most of the characters. After we're introduced to them, we see them advance and go through life changes. By the end of this short series, we see a crew that has become a bit more seasoned from their various experiences in space.


Why all the hate?

I really just do not understand why there are so many Trek fans that have a problem with this series. Some downright hate it. I think that's the TV equivalent of hating ice cream and cookies, but that's just me. One of the criticisms I see a lot have to do with people saying that the first two seasons weren't very good. I completely disagree. With any new show, there is a time period where they attempt to fall into a groove that fits with both the viewers and the creators. While you could say that is true of “Enterprise,” I think it is covered well. In the series, Enterprise and her crew are on the very first deep space exploration mission. Just as the mission itself would have kind of a rocky start in the real world, we see that in the first handful of episodes. They are by no means bad, though. In fact, some of the very first episodes are my favorites.

Another criticism is that the three main characters (Archer, T'Pol and Tucker) are basically a rip-off of the original series “trinity” which comprised of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. I disagree with that, too. Though we do have a core three-person group on the show, the characters are very different from those in the original series in many respects. Their attitudes, experience and even gender in one case are all different. You could never swap the two groups and put them in the others' show and expect it to play out the same.

A lot of people also seem to have a problem with the opening credits sequence, particularly because the main song is a lyrical song (“Faith of the Heart”) instead of the traditional instrumental theme. While I personally like the instrumentals better (doesn't get much better than the DS9 theme for me), I must say I do like the intro for “Enterprise.” The song suited what the show was trying to portray, which is the strong determination of mankind. I particularly like that we see man's humble beginnings with early sea-faring ships to Zefram Cochrane's Pheonix to the NX-01 Enterprise. I thought it was a beautful and inspiring montage, and you really see why Archer and his crew do what they do.

This series has a lot to offer. For die-hard Trek fans, it is a real treat to be able to go back this far and see how Starfleet started and eventually formed the United Federation of Planets. There are little touches in a lot of the episodes that give a nod to other series, and there are some moments that actually go so far as to tie up loose ends. For example, the Klingons started out in the original series looking very much like humans but with brown skin and very hairy eyebrows. When the movies and “The Next Generation” roll around the Klingons' look has changed to include cranial ridges and longer hair. How does an entire species' skull change so drastically? Well, “Enterprise” answers that question in the episodes “Affliction” and “Divergence.”

One of my favorite things about this series is how bare Starfleet's technology is. Instead of phasers, there are primitive phase pistols which pack less of a wallop. There is a transporter, but it is not as reliable as it is in the original series, and most of the crew is afraid to use it for fear that they won't rematerialize correctly. One of the big drawbacks is the absence of shields on the ship. Instead, the Enterprise NX-01 had hull plating which could be polarized in the event of an emergency. This provided some protection, but not as much as shields. As you might imagine, Enterprise NX-01 is at quite a disadvantage compared to the ships that would come. This put me on edge every time the ship was in danger because I knew they had to fight harder to stay alive.

“Enterprise,” though it was a prequel show, gave us some new aliens, most notably the Suliban and the Xindi. I thought the third season of the show was phenomenal as it gave us one long story arc involving the Xindi and their attack on earth. I think this is one of the best new species Star Trek creators ever came up with. There are five different sub-species of Xindi that all evolved on the planet Xindus, and we see them all working together in a plan against earth. I thought the whole concept was brilliant because too often we meet other species who look like humans but with one random, subtle difference in their looks (Bajorans, Vulcans, Betazoids, etc.). I also like the season-long arc. It wasn't a throw-away story, but one that was important and would resonate. When we see how it begins in the season two cliffhanger, we know stuff just got serious.

I think “Enterprise” was dealt a cruel injustice with its cancellation. The stories were getting so good in the fourth season. Even a lot of the shows haters agree with that. Because of the premature cancellation, we received the worst series finale ever. The finale entitled “These Are The Voyages...” is the only thing I dislike about “Enterprise,” and feel I can't complain too much because, let's face it, by the time the show's makers found out the show wouldn't be renewed, there wasn't much you could do to tie EVERYTHING up nicely.

At the end of the day, it is this writer's opinion that the good qualities of “Star Trek: Enterprise” far out way the bad. Does this show have its drawbacks? Sure. Is it the best thing ever? Probably not, but it is pretty darn cool, and it is an excellent addition to the Star Trek canon!