Star Trek - Enterprise

[BrandonS]

I caught the two back to back episodes last night. In the first one, it was fun to see some of Archer's background, as well as the early history of Starfleet and it's attempt to perfect warp capable ships.

Making the show a prequel of TOS instead of even further into the future than TNG was a pretty good idea. A lot of adventure is connected with the early development of space flight, and sending people between the neighboring stars with very limited resources, to work out the basics of interstellar travel.

In the second show, it was fun to see T'Pol lose her normal icy, controlled demeanor and go after every male in sight.

[TJL]

I must admit, even for this die hard Trek fan, I've been a little disappointed with "Enterprise."
It was a good idea for them to do a "prequel," but things really aren't that exciting. Plus, and please forgive the nitpicking, I really hate when they mess with the established timeline of the Star Trek universe, like they did last week with the Borg episode.

Don't get me wrong, they have done some great stuff on "Enterprise," but for the most part, it is the weakest of the Star Trek franchise.

[BrandonS]

I can only say that that's not my reaction. I would put DS9 as the weakest and Voyager as 2nd weakest. I don't know how to say easily why, but I enjoy the show and the characters. I don't think Jolene Blalock plays a Vulcan very well, although I guess she does it passably, but I do like looking at her. My complaint is that she started out playing a Vulcan as crabby rather than as emotionless, but she seems to have eased off that a bit. I think they've had some good stories, and even Next Generation took awhile to find it's way. If you look at the first year of TNG episodes, they weren't that good.

[DarleneIllyria]

Hey guys, this was in the Smallville tv guide for the week of May 10th-16th. Oh yeah, my family keeps around tv guides even after they expire. lol Anyway, thought I would type the article out for anybody interested. Quite a few spoilers, so that's why the article is so low down the page. If you want to read the article, you can. If you don't, you don't have to.















































A Whole New Enterprise

An Earth-shattering season finale sends Captain Archer and crew on a desperate mission to save humanity, a rocking plot twist that sets up Season 3. Here's our behind-the-scenes preview. By Michael Logan


The execs at Enterprise want our attention-and, to get it, they will kill more than seven million Earthlings in the opening moments of the show's second season finale. The two year old UPN series, the fifth in the Star Trek oeuvre, has floundered in the ratings and been roundly criticized by both fans and media for being cautious, predictable and dramatically limp. But it's about to get a shot of intergalactic Viagra.

In the season ender, airing May 21, a mysterious probe from space will blast a swath of destruction across North and Central America, causing epic explosions and annihilating everything between Florida and Venezuela. As viewers will learn, this is a preemptive strike by an alien race known as the Xindi (that's Zin-dee), who have obtained knowledge that Earth will destory their home world 400 years in the future. The hour ends on a chilling threat of more devastation to come, but this is no mere summer cliff hange. In fact, it marks a whold new direction for the series.

"What we are about to do is a first for Star Trek" says Enterprise writer and executive producer Rick Berman. "In the past, our captains have had the general mission to explore outer space and, in the case of Voyager, a mission to find a way back home. But there has never been a Trek series built around a specific mission and specific stakes-in this case, the very future of mankind."

The once shake Enterprise NX-O1 will be retrofitted for war (we'll see the use of photo torpedoes for the first time in Starfleet history) and sent to a creepy corner of the Alpha Quadrant known as the Delphic Expanse, where even Klingons fear to tread. And good reason: Those who enter this Bermuda Triangle-like zone meet a shocking and grisly fate. Their bodies become anatomically inverted (skin on the inside, organs on the outside), yet they somehow remain alive. "We find out that Xindi space probe was merely a test and that they are creating an even more powerful weapon," Berman says. "It's up to Captain Archer to go there and stop them from destroying us altogether."

Of course, this will require Archer-played by Scott Bakula-to finally buck up. "Archer is going to become tougher and more focused," says Berman's writing and producing partner, Brannon Braga. "He will be forced to be a more decisive captain."

That's already in play over on Paramount's Soundstage 18, where Bakula is filming the final moments of the finale-a scene in which the Enterprise is about to enter the dreaded Expanse. After delivering a command with quiet but steely determination- "Straight and steady, Mr. Mayweather. Let's see what's in there"-Bakula sits down for a chat and admits that he, too, is ready to get serious.

"For two seaons, we've been this naive, open-eyed, awestruck crew, and while I don't think we've been bumbling, we have been unprepared and ill-equipped at times," Bakula notes. "Now there is urgency and purpose and desperation-all the things that make for really good storytelling-and we have to rise to the occasion. In a way, this feels like a second chance."

While Berman doesn't yet know if the Xindi plot will last 10 episodes or become the basis of the entire third season, he wants it known that "we are not turning Enterprise into 24. It'll be more along the lones of The Fugitive, where the overriding story arc was Dr. Kimble finding the one armed man, but each episode was a stand alone story."

The producers hope the Xindi, like the Borg, have endless plot potential. "They are very complex," Braga says. "Next season we will not only see Xindi humanoids but maybe Xindi species. Each will be intelligent and have its own form of technology. It's as if the evolution of Earth had been different and dinosaurs and amphibians and insects had developed into sentient beings right along with humans." Says Berman: "Some elements of the Xindi will be computer genterated. They will be a very high concept foe."

Other Developments
T'Pol (Jolene Blalock), the ship's science officer will be forced to resign her post with the Vulcan High Command when her superiors refuse to let her enter the Delphic Expanse. (Also, the Vulcan sexpot will sport a new cat suit and hairdo next season.)
Trip (Connor Trinneer), the chief engineer, will face personal tragedy when his sister dies during the attack on Earth (his Florida hometown is also destroyed). He will become, in the words of an Enterprise publicist, "a vengeance seeking s--t kicker."
A squad of young, arrogant commandos-think West Pointers crossed with Navy SEALs will join the crew next season to provide real muscle. These recurring, non Starfleet characters will be cast with star quality in mind. "The cream will come to the top," Berman says, "and we'll see who's worthy of getting more attention."

Despite all these high-octane changes, the Enterprise chiefs swear they're not acting out of panic or desperation. "This is just a little course correction," Berman says.

[TJL]

Cool!
Thanks for the heads up Jenny. Sounds like things are about to get interesting...

Oh, and I can't wait to see T'Pol's new hairstyle next season.

[BrandonS]

I just hope that it in trying to rescue it, they don't ruin it, which is usually the case when the producers of a show decide to spruce it up.

[pna42]

I have a sentimental spot in my heart for anything Star Trek but I'm starting to think that the franchise has run out of steam.

[TJL]

The season finale was pretty good. A little bleak perhaps, but sometimes you need to shake things up.

[treky]

so, who saw the premiere tonight, and what'd y'all think of it? I thought it was great!

[BrandonS]

Originally posted by treky
so, who saw the premiere tonight, and what'd y'all think of it? I thought it was great!

I didn't, but I'm glad to hear it was good. I'll catch up with it Saturday night. I like "Enterprise."

[TJL]

My review of the season premiere contains some "spoilers" for those who haven't watched the show yet, so look away now!

I liked the season premiere. It set the show off in a new direction which will keep things interesting.
Putting the ship into an unknown part of space will do to "Enterprise" what putting Voyager into the Delta Quadrant did for that series: new aliens, new conflicts and no danger of stepping on already established storylines. Running into the same baddies Kirk and Picard battled time and time again can get tiresome.
The Xindi look like an interesting villain. It was good that they established them as a collection of different alien races, which I'm sure will lead to intertior power struggles and some potential allies for Archer.

They really must have spent a ton of dough on the SFX for the premiere. Lots of CG and new alien makeup. Very cool.

Looks like we've got some sexual tension between Trip and T'Pol. Perhaps a mid season tryst is in order?

And speaking of a certain curvy Vulcan, love the new hairstyle and outfits T'Pol.
Although I would stay away from the pink jumpsuit. Makes you look like a Power Ranger.

[treky]

I agree 100% with everything you said!!
That being said, though, let's just hope they can keep it this good. But, I'm sure they will. Remember, "Next Gen." got off to a rocky start at first, too. In fact, it wasn't until the 3rd season cliffhanger ("The Best of Both Worlds") that trekys agreed that "Star Trek:The Next Generaction" had finally "arrived".

So, I'm sure they have all that in mind with "Enterprise", and it's going to stay this good. After all, Star Trek's stuck around for over 30 years! (although, the first movie was such a dissapointment, they almost didn't make a second one)

[ficlopri]

Brandon, Spock was rumored (by fans) to be making an extra effort to be hiding his emotions on TOS. Some fans don't think all Vulcans are so emotion-free as Spock was. Maybe that is why T'Pol is crABBY RATHER THAN EMOTION-FREE (EARLY ON).

[treky]

in one of the books, they also say that. They also say that not all Vulcans look like Spock, T'Pol, Sarek, Savick Tuvock, Igowa (or whatever her name is-the one on "Next Gen." that helps Dr. Crusher in the sickbay) and the others on "Enterprise"-ie; tall, dark hair, slanted eyes, pointed ears. Most of them do, but some don't.