I am trying to create a list of the best and core episodes of Enterprise so I can try to lighten the load on my brother when I show him Enterpise. What episodes am I missing and what episodes do I not need?
Bold titles (essential, in my opinion) ** Good episodes (in my opinion) ** Broken Bow I ** Broken Bow II Fight or Flight Strange New World Unexpected Terra Nova **The Andorian Incident Breaking the Ice Civilization Fortunate Son *Cold Front Silent Enemy Dear Doctor Sleeping Dogs ** Shadows of P'Jem ** Shuttlepod One Fusion Rogue Planet Acquisition Oasis Detained ** Vox Sola Fallen Hero Desert Crossing Two Days and Two Nights Shockwave I Shockwave II Carbon Creek Minefield Dead Stop A Night In Sickbay Marauders The Seventh The Communicator Singularity Vanishing Point Precious Cargo The Catwalk Dawn Stigma Cease Fire Future Tense Canamar The Crossing Judgement Horizon The Breach ** Cogenitor Regeneration ** First Flight Bounty ** The Expanse The Xindi Anomaly Extinction Rajiin Impulse Exile The Shipment ** Twilight ** North Star ** Similitude Carpenter Street Chosen Realm Proving Ground Stratagem Harbinger Doctor's Orders Hatchery Azati Prime Damage The Forgotten E2 The Council Countdown Zero Hour Stormfront I Stormfront II Home Borderland Cold Station 12 The Augments The Forge Awakening Kir'Shara Daedalus Observer Effect Babel One United The Aenar Affliction Divergence Bound ** In a Mirror Darkly I ** In a Mirror Darkly II ** Demons ** Terra Prime This Ain't The Valentine
You will encounter pressure from some among these parts to omit "A Night in Sickbay". On no account must you give in.
Riker LARPs in the middle of a political and personal crisis. It's not essential to Enterprise, whether you like it or not.
JiNX-01, out of interest what is so essential about Vox Sola? I don't think I've even seen it since it first aired to be honest so can hardly remember it, is it something about the use of force fields? I also find it off how you've included TCW eps like Cold Front, but not Shockwave 1&2, Future Tense and Storm Front 1&2 Also Borderland but not Cold Station 12/Augments, and United but not Babel One or The Aenar?? And The Forgotten left out of the final Season 3 arc; all the eps from Azati Prime onwards are important to follow the ongoing story I'd say. And Bound but not Affliction/Divergence? Just seems like some odd choices tbh
I agree. These choices are very weird. Stormfront may not have been very good, but it is essential as it ties up loose ends from Season3 and TCW.
I would probably uprate "Shuttlepod One" to a must see. It's one of the best episodes of the first season and it's the start of the Malcom and Trip friendship. I would also downgrade "Vox Sola" from must to see, to recommended. I find it a decent enough episode, but hardly a must see.
About the only thing I can think of that would make Vox Sola at all essential was the attempt to communicate with the entity. And that may be the first time (chronologically) in Trek where something that is that foreign (it's some sort of colony, it's not bipedal, etc.) is appealed to via communication versus just being shot at.
I didn't list Vox Sola as essential. two ** mean I like the episode. I realize some of my entries were inconsistent. It was late at night and I was tired. Essential episodes were in bold face. I suppose I should clarify my choices.
My list of the most essential, entertaining AND least awful episodes would be: Season 1 Broken Bow 1-2 The Andorian Incident Breaking the Ice Cold Front Silent Enemy Sleeping Dogs Shadows of P'Jem Shuttlepod One Fusion Acquisition Detained Fallen Hero Shockwave Season 2 Shockwave, Part II Minefield The Seventh The Communicator The Catwalk Stigma Cease Fire Future Tense Judgment Regeneration First Flight Bounty The Expanse Season 3 The Xindi Anomaly Extinction Rajiin Impulse Exile The Shipment Twilight Similitude Carpenter Street Chosen Realm Priving Ground Stratagem Harbinger Hatchery Azati Prime Damage The Forgotten E² The Council Countdown Zero Hour Season 4 Storm Front 1-2 Home Borderland Cold Station 12 The Augments The Forge Awakening Kir'Shara Babel One United The Aenar Affliction Divergence Bound In a Mirror, Darkly 1-2 Demons Terra Prime
The best episode of Enterprise is E2. It is one of the best 3 episodes in all of Star Trek. BOW BEFORE IT.. and include it in your lists full of drab pineapple cakes!
Stormfront I and II are like the eighth night of Chanukah. It's the perfunctory ending to something that already given you all the joy it can. Moreover, whatever present you get from it is almost instantly forgettable. IMO, it's not essential. You don't need to know how the TCW ends, only that it does.
I really enjoyed watching Enterprise Proving Ground S03E13 again. http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Proving_Ground_%28episode%29 Seeing the military tradition of the Andorians was what made it seem very realistic. The end result was plausible. There would be too much temptation to take the Xindi weapon. Sure the Enterprise is on a mission of exploration, but they shouldn't be nervous about the military aspects of the crew or other crews. Post-Vietnam a good portion of Hollywood has been reticent to fairly treat military drama. That's a mistake. Not the unabashed patriotic flavor, but a measured response in which we see the warts and honor of military life. I'd like to see more of that. More duty and dealing with military intrigue and captains working out the ethics of that.
Wise words. My personal favorite is "Observer Effect," but "E2" is in my top 5, along with "The Forgotten" and "Twilight." All essential viewing, IMHO. As well as anything with Jeffrey Combs.
Two observations about E2: 1) One could watch this episode apart from the series and it would be as poignant as anything I've seen before. 2) Ms. Blaylock had the great challenge of portraying two very different characters within the same episode, and likely did this to empty space each time and still conveying realistic emotions. Try doing that sometime when reading a part aloud. It's difficult enough to act with another person and find a rhythm and timing and connection. To do it all alone is fantastic and artful.