Archer helps them find the Kir’Shara, which contains the full, true teachings of Surak. Over the three-episode arc we learn that they are innocent. The Enterprise arrives to investigate and learn that a Vulcan fringe group called the Syrannites may be responsible. With a giant wink to the audience, he muses that it may take “several generations.”Įarth’s embassy on Vulcan is bombed, killing dozens, including Admiral Forrest. Soong has to deal with the loss of his “children.” We end with Soong back in his prison cell, wondering about creating cybernetic life instead. They naturally try to gain power, betray Soong, and meet their demise. Arik Soong, ancestor of Data’s creator Noonien Soong, finds the embryos for a group of Augments, the genetically enhanced superhumans created by villain Khan Noonien Singh. Speaking of actors playing their character’s ancestors, it’s Brent Spiner! He’s most of the reason I love this trio of episodes. We get to see Vulcans do things like wash dishes and watch “I Love Lucy.” This also carries on the proud Star Trek tradition of actors playing their character’s ancestors.ģ. Vulcans get stranded in the United States in the 20 th century and have to try to adapt and blend in. I liked this episode for the same reason I liked “Bride of Chaotica” from Voyager. I honestly just thought this arc was a lot of fun, and set up the foundations of the Federation. Tellarites, Andorians, Vulcans, Romulans, oh my! The Enterprise is ferrying diplomats to Babel One to negotiate a peace, but it’s threatened by those darn, scheming Romulans. It has some very Star Trek-y moral ambiguity and questioning. This episode reminded me a lot of the Voyager episode ‘Tuvix,” actually. Archer agonizes over whether or not it’s moral to cause Sim’s death to save Trip. We get to watch the clone, Sim, grow up rapidly and develop relationships with the crew. Phlox creates a fast-growing clone of Trip to harvest organs needed after the original Trip is severely injured. It sets up the time period, state of human exploration. We get an introduction to all of our main characters, a handful of alien species, and our main antagonist for the season in the Suliban. The Prime Directive episode before there was a Prime Directive.Įnterprise’s pilot episode, which I thought was pretty strong. This is one of the first instances in which human explorers have to hash out their policy on interference in other worlds. Phlox and Archer wrangle over whether or not to help an alien species cure a genetic disease, or to let the natural evolution of the world take its course, which would result in an oppressed species becoming dominant. We see that the Vulcans aren’t as trustworthy or as honest as we believe they are, and get back story on two founding worlds of the Federation. Hijinks ensue, and we learn that the Vulcans have a listening post at the sanctuary that they use to spy on the Andorians, who they’ve recently been at war with. The Enterprise visits the Vulcan sanctuary at P’Jem to find that a group of Andorians has taken the monks hostage. We’re introduced to my favorite character, Shran. A pretty solid season 1 episode where we learn more about our characters and an alien species. Archer and Travis decide that they have been wrongfully imprisoned and help them escape. The Suliban in the camp are innocent civilians, and not part of the cabal or genetically enhanced. We learn a bit about the Suliban, that their homeworld is uninhabitable and that they are a mostly nomadic people.
But I really do love Shran.)Ĭaptain Archer and Travis Mayweather find themselves at an internment camp full of Suliban, run by the Tandarans.
Two and three part story arcs are combined, else those would be my entire list.ġ-10: Every episode with Shran. Here are my top ten favorite Star Trek: Enterprise episodes.
I did find myself groaning aloud on occasion at the heavy-handed winks and nods to the other series and fan service, and shouting criticism at my television when Captain Archer made terrible decisions (which he does frequently.) My biggest criticism, in short, is that sometimes it seemed to be trying too hard to set up the other shows, particularly The Original Series, that it never got time to be its own show.īasically, I didn’t hate it, but I definitely still like at least 3 other series more. There were some truly awful episodes, true, but every Trek series has a handful of them. Sure, it didn’t reach some of the heights of the other shows, but overall it wasn’t awful. All I have left is the Animated Series.Įnterprise wasn’t nearly as bad as fan opinion led me to believe it would be. I finished Star Trek: Enterprise, which completes all of the live action series. My journey through all of Star Trek is one series nearer to completion.