TheGodBen Revisits Enterprise

[SRFX]

Carbon Creek, Similitude and Carpenter Street are all episodes I hugely enjoy. By this stage, I was so wrapped up in Enterprise as a series, so connected with the characters and enjoying them having some ongoing tension with the Xindi storyline that I felt I could overlook any shortcomings and enjoy each episode from week to week. There was no way the series could do hugely wrong from my perspective and I was definitely in the for the long haul (as short as it was).

Blech....listen to me....I sound like one of those Voyager fanboys....

[startrekwatcher]

When I first heard that ENT was going to have a time travel episode into Earth's past--my first thought was that the Xindi FG sent them back into the post apocalyptic period to further cement the idea that humans were a ruthless threat to them and would also be a perfect place to perform tests without anyone being suspicious.

It also would have been an interesting parallel for the Xindi given that they experienced their own internal strife leading to the destruction of their own homeworld.

[HopefulRomantic]

SRFX wrote:

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Carbon Creek, Similitude and Carpenter Street are all episodes I hugely enjoy. By this stage, I was so wrapped up in Enterprise as a series, so connected with the characters and enjoying them having some ongoing tension with the Xindi storyline that I felt I could overlook any shortcomings and enjoy each episode from week to week. There was no way the series could do hugely wrong from my perspective and I was definitely in the for the long haul (as short as it was).

Me too.

[TheGodBen]

HopefulRomantic wrote:

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Party pooper.

Then my job here is done.


Let That Be Your Last Chosen Realm (*½)

There are no men in this world like D'Jamat. Yes, there are men who are blinded by their religious faith. Yes, there are men who deny scientific evidence because it doesn't fit with their faith. Yes, there are men who are willing to kill innocents based on their faith. Yes, there are men who can brainwash other people into fighting religious wars based on nothing. But those men tend to be charismatic. I've seen all sorts of religious and political leaders who say and think wildly absurd and often dangerous things, and I've seen people flock to them as though they were wise men of great virtue, and in all of those cases I could understand why. With D'Jamat I see an uncharismatic individual, one who offers nothing to his people, and the only members of his group that get a significant number of lines both oppose his tactics.

The episode itself doesn't do much new; some aliens capture the ship, the good guys recapture the ship, there's a space-battle, Phlox injects a dumb alien with an off-button hypo... It's standard stuff, not all that badly written but so unoriginal that it quickly became boring. As for the Xindi arc, the episode references it and we get a few hints about what the spheres might be all about, but it is all based on the beliefs of some fanatical nutters so there's no point in taking it seriously.

Disappearing Aliens: 27
Transporter: 9

But this is it, this should be the last aimless episode in the season. I know there are episodes to come with filler plots, like Doctor's Orders and E², but they still fulfil a small purpose as the episodes that get us from point a to b. This season is currently scoring 5.25, only Voyager's first season is beating it, so if the show ups its game in the second half of this season (as I remember it doing) it has a strong possibility of setting a new benchmark for these review threads.

[apenpaap]

Chosen Realm wasn't that bad, though I agree about Dejá Matt. Archer's execution by transporter was pretty funny.
And next is my favourite Enterprise episode.

[startrekwatcher]

Chosen Realm was one of those episodes where the threads related to the arc were peripheral to the main story but were nonetheless infintely more compelling. The only thing I liked about this episode was hearing more about the spheres and the setback in the mission when the location of anomalies was erased making the journey into the Expanse without trellium all the more dangerous.

Other than that it was boring. The religious fanaticism was tiresome, the retaking of the ship was formulaic and well worn and the regular cast had the week off since this was an Archer piece. Thankfully next episode returns to the Xindi in a major way after 6 episodes without the council or much in the way of arc-heavy plot advancement episodes.

[Praetor]

"Let That Be Your Last Chosen Realm.'

Good stuff, Godfrey.

Also, I hated 'Carpenter Street.' I had started tuning in around 'Twilight' and 'Carpenter Street' ticked me off so much that I stopped for a while.

[SRFX]

Chosen Realm worked for me on the first viewing, simply because I unconsciously bought into the story emotionally. I really HATED these aliens - I mean, I am certain that was the writer's intention, but I dunno, I played right into it, more so than I thought I would have.

In hindsight, it's not a fantastic ep, but it's better than the likes of Extinction or Exile.

[TheGodBen]

Proving Ground (****)

It's about time. This episode starts with a recap of the events from The Shipment and seems to pretend that it is picking up from that point, despite that fact that that was six episodes ago (and six months according to MA). Nevertheless, this episode picks things up nicely by advancing the Xindi plot only slightly while the main focus is actually on Archer and Shran.

While I wasn't impressed with Shadows of P'Jem or Cease Fire, I do love the dynamic between Archer and Shran, two men that respect one another but have a hard time turning that respect into trust. This episode plays off that brilliantly; Archer wants to trust Shran but remains cautious, Shran wants to help Archer but has orders not to, and I in the audience really want the two of them to get along but know it's probably not going to work out. It's like a will they/wont they romantic situation, but involving two men, one of them blue, and a weapon that's going to destroy Earth. Ross and Rachel didn't have that last part, did they?

One problem; Shran only finds Archer now? Where has he been all this time? This sort of meeting would probably have worked better earlier in the season, because according to the chronology it has been nine months since Enterprise entered the expanse. Why couldn't he have found Enterprise last week and saved me from Chosen Realm? Another problem I had, if it can be called a problem, is that I would have loved to see the alliance with Shran played out over multiple episodes rather than just the one. It is such an interesting dynamic, and would have further developed relations between Earth and Andor once the show returns to normal next season.

[Mach5]

Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one!

A great episode!

[startrekwatcher]

Proving Ground was a good--not great--episode that did a really good job weaving together various threads that ENT had introduced. We had the Xindi coming back into the game after a long absence, the anomalies wisely woven into the plot and the Federation building with Shran and the Andorians.

While I enjoyed this episode, it did remind me of how good ENT could be as a prequel series when it chose to be and found myself wanting it to get back to those less high stakes roots. Thankfully we get more of this in season four.

It was nice seeing the Xindi again but by now I was frustrated with the lack of development or exploration of the players and their motivations and who their future benefactor was. I also would have liked a bit more curiosity from Shran regarding the reason the Xindi would attack them. Learning it might have to do with time travelers might have been of concern for the Andorians. Did they know of the TCW? Also I would think the Xindi might consider the need to worry about the Andorians and the Vulcans given how T'Pol is working with the human "threat" and now Shran.

The FX were outstanding--the test on the planetoid, the anomalies pummeling the ship. I also liked the reveal of Shran with our first glimpse of only his antennae.

The Talas/Reed stuff was passable but not that interesting. Trip and Shran's brief moment was nice bonding over a loss.

I'd give it 3 stars.

[Mach5]

startrekwatcher wrote:

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The Talas/Reed stuff was passable but not that interesting.

My inner Talas/Reed shipper is offended.

[SRFX]

Shran is always good value. Any episode with him in it is a winner in my view.

[TheGodBen]

Stratagem (***½)

I find myself torn about this episode because, on the one hand, I don't like the "3 days earlier" thing, but on the other hand, thinking that the situation is real might have been the key to me being sympathetic towards Degra. This device has been overused this season, we've already seen it used in Impulse and Similitude and it was sort of used in Twilight too, so it is about time that they put it to rest. But because this episode originally tricked me into thinking that they actually were in the "future" the first time I saw it I found it easier to buy into Degra being a normal guy than I might have otherwise.

Degra's backstory is the key to the success of this episode, he's not a moustachio-twirling mad man planning to commit genocide for fun and profit, he's a theoretical scientist with a family and he is doing what he is doing in order to protect the people he loves. And even though we learn he is disturbed about having killed 7 million humans, when he learns the truth about the deception he is still willing to kill Archer because he feels he has to. He is a man of great determination yet he still has a moral centre, which makes him a good antagonist.

However, the story is a little contrived, it is hard to believe that Enterprise could mock up such a convincing simulator and backstory within a single day, and the idea that they managed to wipe out the Xindi's memories so precisely is a stretch. As is the fact that they managed to do all this without leaving any trace of their presence. But hey, the episode humanises one of the bad guys and sends Enterprise off towards the Xindi weapon, so I'm not going to complain too much.

Archer Abuse: 24

[Jimmy Bob]

For me personally Stratagem marked the point when I became emotionally invested in season's 3 storyline. I was awed how the episode tricked me and I found it to be so inspired and refreshing. Also Degra and Archer have the best character moments of this season. In this episode you can still see disgust in Archer's eyes, struggle to swallow the hatred when deceived Degra is regretting his actions.

Mike Sussman has been one of the most deliveriest writers in this season. First Anomaly kept us going through Extinction and other mediocre episodes with it's awesomeness of Bakula Unleashed. Then when I was just right about to think that it's just season 2 again, then Twilight came and wham and bam - the show is inspired again. But then someone decided to shoot the show in the foot a couple of times and when all hope is seemingly lost - bam! Stratagem. The show grabbed inspiration by the balls and never let go. Okay, for a moment or two there... but it was a thrilling ride to the end. Well almost. Ironically Mike Sussman is involved in these "loose grip on inspirations balls" moments. Okay E2 was more or less good despite it's stalling effect... but Hatchery was an (fortunately failed) assassination attempt.

I just finished season 3 so I am kinda woozy-dazy by how badass Archer became, but for me season 3 is a battle between Enteprise and it's writers. Enterprise wants to be a good show with amazing stuff happening it, but the writers are untalented or unwilling to come out from their safety formulas... so they fight, and writers team up constantly to kill the poor show but in the end Enterprise wins victoriously. That's how I feel anyway right now. I was talking about Stratagem in the beginning. Oh well, rant is as rant does. I praise Stratagem for turning season 3 into goodness. And that was basically all I wanted to say. I'm needlessly wordy that way.