Rewatching Enterprise

[Hopeful Romantic]

The Forgotten is in my Top Five list for ENT. Such an emotional wallop. No amnesia-jump from the last episode where the ship and crew are back to normal, like TV typically does-- everything's still a mess, a quarter of the crew dead, Trip and T'Pol strung out. Archer basically forcing Trip to go to Hell and face his demons with that order to write the letter. Such uncomfortable scenes with Trip and Degra. The surreality of Trip's nightmare. Trip's breakdown is heartbreaking, something that we've been building toward since The Expanse, but a relief that he can finally grieve and begin to heal. Another great Season 3 episode.

 

[Delta Vega]

Ironically, I had forgotten how good this episode was.
I can't believe the flak that Enterprise gets from some on here, the last 3 episodes can stand up to any version of Trek for storytelling and tension.

 

[Delta Vega]

"E2 (E Squared)"

A bamboozling timey wimey episode.
We start with an ancient version of T'Pol demanding from her as yet unknown colleague that they find Archer.
Then cut back to present day Trip and T'Pol who is still a bit of a mess. They have a conversation about their liason days previously, awkward indeed. The crew risk asseses the sub space corridor which Degra alerted them to, as elsewhere, sloth and primates discuss the risks of Archer coming to greet the Council, and intriguingly mention another unconfirmed Earth vessel.
Enterprise now encounters said vessel, it's a future version of themselves, commanded by Lorien, the colleague mentioned earlier, of old T'Pol.
He boards Enterprise with a descendant of Archer and they warn that he can't go into the corridor, or he and his crew will be thrown back in time, because that's what has already happened to Lorien's ship.
There was no way back out of the corridor nor could the crew go back to Earth because they went over 100 years into the past.
Archer's ship then became the generational ship that leads to the existence of Lorien and friends.
He declares that T'Pol is his mother and Tucker is his father.
Lorien wants to help stop the Xindi weapon destroying Earth, with the help of enhanced technology garnered from other as yet unknown species, to make Archer's Enterprise faster (Lorien's ship's warp drive is kaput).
Phlox, on Archer's instruction, confirms the identity of the visitors through DNA tests, so Archer agrees to the plan, all the while being cautious about the Caballans, a hostile species who prey on ships in the corridor. He visits the future ship and meets old T'Pol, who gives him information to give to present day T'Pol, because she knows that Lorien's plans are flawed, and they would lead to the ship being trapped all over again.
A small scene of the crew discussing their future partners and offspring is light relief in the headfuck, and it seems that Malcolm remains unattached.
Archer confronts Lorien about his flawed plan, and of course, this leads to conflict between the two commanders.
Lorien decides to steal warp injectors from Archer's ship,to replenish his warp drive, and get to the Council to meet Degra instead of Archer.
Meanwhile Trip and T'Pol discuss their future wedding, T'Pol remains unconvinced to say the least.
In engineering, Lorien and some crew have started the theft of the injectors, Trip intervenes and Lorien stuns him, making good their escape.
Archer pursues and a firefight between the two ship's ensues, Archer instructs his crew to transport vital systems from E2 to E1, he then offers to trade what they've stolen from each other to broker a peace.
After discovering that Lorien has a torpedo trained on Archer's ship, he's persuaded to stand down.
Next scene we have Lorien in the brig lamenting his failure in stopping the weapon, but both Captains agree to work together. We then see present T'Pol visit her older self, and I really can't get my head round scenes like this, they make no sense to me, so maybe I'm dumb. They have a tete a tete re Trip.
Archer goes ahead and enters the corridor, to be attacked by the Caballans, but E2 has been hiding underneath E1, and veers off to help in the battle.
Archer's ship is disabled but Lorien tows them through the corridor, but sacrifices his own ship as a decoy.
Enterprise emerges through the corridor where they wait for Lorien, and they wait . . . . .
They are where they should be, and effect repairs while waiting in vain on E2, which never appears.
Archer speculates that Lorien and crew never existed due to them succeeding in getting through the corridor.
"Then how can we remember them ?" says T'Pol, the previously sceptical Vulcan re the subject of time travel.
Timey wimey.
Degra appears, "Captain, you're early"
Onwards to the showdown at the Council now for Archer, the fate of humanity in his hands.
I'm not feeling the love for this episode, and never took to the Lorien character, although many did, but I found it a disappointment after the previous three episodes, and a timey wimey excursion we didn't need.
My review probably makes little sense because I honestly didn't fully understand the story.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I loved E2. I adored Lorian (big fan of David Andrews). I loved the way Trip took to the alternate timeline with gusto while it messed with T'Pol's head. I was a Trip/T'Pol shipper and I was hoping all this ground was being laid for a decent, mature exploration in Season 4 of a human-Vulcan relationship, and T'Pol struggling to come to terms with her emotions, like Spock before her. But nope. When the writing staff realized S4 would be the last, they clearly abandoned the T/T romance and turned it into an angst-ridden soap opera.

But I digress. Perhaps I loved the potential of this episode, and what could have followed, more than the actual execution. I wanted more. I mean, there was hardly any interaction between T'Pol and Lorian after the big reveal ("You've hardly changed, Mother"). After Lorian betrayed Trip and stole his warp injectors, no followup scene between them? The last scenes, with Archer and T'pol anxiously wondering about the fate of E2 and Lorian, where's Trip? Yeah, this is all T/T stuff, sue me, but easy fixes. And I would have loved it if E2 had shown up in S4.

But hey, there was that lovely scene between Trip and Lorian, where Lorian revealed he lost his dad as a child. Trip cheerfully needling T'Pol about their marriage in the other timeline. Old T'Pol having long since made peace with her emotions, and her love for Trip. Priceless moments. And I was really intrigued, and saddened, by the revelation that Archer passed on his obsession to succeed at The Mission to Lorian, who was totally screwed up by that same obsession, which has driven him for a century, making him guilt-ridden and conflicted, another casualty of the war.

I could gush about this ep forever, lol. I'll spare everyone. One of my absolute faves.

 

[Delta Vega]

Amazing how people see episodes from a different angle, yours is a better and simpler review than mine, I think I may have focussed on the wrong things.
I enjoyed your summary HR

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

Thank you! But hey, lots of folks don't care for E2. I do like it. I also like A Night in Sickbay, I don't think Archer is a moron, I don't believe Archer and Phlox doomed the Valakians to certain extinction in Dear Doctor, and I think Trip was wrong in Cogenitor. But I still hate TATV.

I agree with you that it's fascinating that we can all see the same episode, and there can be as many different opinions about it as there are viewers. IDIC is a wonderful thing.

 

[Delta Vega]

100%

 

[Delta Vega]

Apologies once again, tooooo long
"The Council"
The transdimensional females begin the episode like the witches in Macbeth, equally menacing, equally sinister.
T'Pol gets a better prognosis from the doctor while Trip voices his concerns to Phlox regarding the date with destiny at the Council. Degra and Archer plan to download a memory core from a sphere in order to show to the other species the true intent of the Sphere Builders. One of said builders visits Degra to try and talk him out of his actions, she tells him of a positive timeline where he gains fame and honour as a hero, but instead accuses him of betrayal. He shuns her.
He explains to Archer that the SBs are revered by the Xindi and known as The Guardians, but Degra assures Archer he will not be alone while addressing the Council, he will support him.
They reach the co ordinates of the Council, and a flotilla of allies Xindi vessels appear to accompany Enterprise.
Enterprise launches a shuttle to head for a nearby sphere to retrieve the core data. Meanwhile, the reptilians discover the ship that Degra destroyed and head to intercept the flotilla immediately.
There is more tension between the factions and Degra fires on the reptilians to stress their intent to take Archer to the Council, the reptilians cede because they are outnumbered.
Archer proceeds to the Council chamber taking Hoshi as linguist and interpreter, the chamber is situated on a high cave complex, once the domain of the 6th species, the avians.
On entering the chamber Archer is given the floor, and informs the room of the lie perpetrated by the SBs which led to the Xindi attacking Earth, and also informs them of the true intentions of the "Guardians".
Predictably, the insectoids and reptilians are hostile and tensions run high between the species, Archer tells them if they destroy mankind, they destroy themselves in time.
Dolim storms out and strikes Degra, Archer gets a smack from an insectoid.
Cut to the Enterprise crew who've entered a sphere to get the required data, so Reed, T'Pol and a convenient MACO redshirt suit up.
Degra drafts Phlox to help provide more proof for the Council, while Dolim talks with a SB female, who promises favour for reptilians if they launch the weapon at all costs, but even some lizard dudes are having doubts re the SBs.
Trip and Degra work together to get the data that Phlox requires from the SB escape pod, while in the sphere the crewmembers encounter auto sentinels while approaching the data core.
Archer and Hoshi return to the Council and they beam a holograph of the SB escape pod with alien inside it, thanks to the work of Phlox, Trip and Degra, but some of the hostile members are sceptical until Degra tells them that Enterprise could not fake the being, because they needed his help to recreate it.
The reptilians and subsequently the insectoids claim to be open to more information, or are they ?
No matter, the weapon launch is delayed.
Back at the sphere, the MACO is killed by the sentinel but Reed and T'Pol successfully escape with the memory core.
On Enterprise, Trip predictably has engine trouble Degra visits the ship to tell of progress in the Council, and finally Trip asks Degra for his technical help to repair the engines.
When Degra returns to the Council chamber later that night, he gets a visit from Dolim, he wants to talk things over and laments the stench of failure and the demise of the avians, hinting at a desire for unification. But he's full of murderous intent, and when he sees Enterprise's schematics on Degra's viewer, (Degra is assisting in repairs) he accuses Degra of not being so helpful with reptilian ships.
He now knows that it was Degra's ship who destroyed the reptilian ship, and for his sins, Dolim gratuitously murders him by means of multiple thrusts of the blade, and tells him he will wipe out his bloodline.
Archer now gets word that Degra is dead and gets warned his ship is in danger. The reptilians call an emergency meeting of the Council.
In the returning shuttle, Reed mourns the death of Hopkins and 22 others previously. Finally someone seemed bothered.
Dolim declares to the chamber that he killed Degra, and along with the insectoids has taken control of the weapon but they need three launch codes, further confirming the aquatics' unwillingness to commit one way or the other.
Five insectoid ships take the weapon and make their escape, while sloth and primate factions attempt to intercept.
A fierce battle begins, and in mid conflict, Hoshi is transferred from the Bridge of Enterprise to Dolim's ship before they escape through a vortex.
A shock end to an episode that was a slow burner, full of danger, tension, horror and subterfuge.
The reptilians capture of Hoshi obviously meant as a way of cracking the launch codes, using her powers as a linguist, someone who could crack algorithms.
The divisions in the Xindi factions are now an open sore, and after things looking promising, they now look dire and the Zero Hour now looms.
Brilliant.

 

[Delta Vega]

After brushing the tumbleweed from this thread, I may look at the next episode later.

 

[sekundant]

After brushing the tumbleweed from this thread, I may look at the next episode later.

You should keep writing. Even if I am not agree with you always (which is logical ) ,your reviews are very refreshing and good written.

 

[Delta Vega]

You should keep writing. Even if I am not agree with you always (which is logical ) ,your reviews are very refreshing and good written.

Thank you sekundant
Next up for me tonight was "Countdown"
Hoshi awakens on the reptilian ship, they plan to extract the means to retrieve encrypted data from her, to help with the weapon activation. The shuttlepod crew also return to Enterprise minus Hawkins, Hayes is informed of his death.
Archer returns to the Council chamber and is told that the weapon can't be fired without a third code (I thought he knew that), and now they know why Hoshi was abducted.
On Enterprise, Tucker and T'Pol attempt to decipher the stolen memory core and discover there are 4 control spheres, one of which they name Sphere 41, was within striking distance, and its destruction could start a chain reaction through the rest.
On the lizard ship, Hoshi resists and spits on the face of her tormentor, a very graphic scene.
Archer plots with the sloths and primates but they have to persuade the aquatics to intervene, so Archer is afforded a meeting with them.
They are, as usual, indecisive, but they meet him face to face and communicate in English. These fish guys are a pain in the arse, there is a civil war brewing and they stall.
Archer alerts them to the true nature of the Guardians, and the Spheres, and the subsequent plan to use the spheres to prepare the space for the transdimensional Sphere Builders, he asks if the SBs had shown evidence to the Xindi of providing a new home world, and even if they did, how could they do it for them in transdimensional space ?
They start to take notice, and Archer tells them he can destroy the spheres, subsequently resetting the Expanse rendering the Guardians hold on the Xindi as impotent.
They reconsider.
Meanwhile Hoshi, rather than co operate, tries to kill herself but not before she adds a layer of encryption to the codes.
After Archers promise to the aquatics about disabling the spheres, T and T are now under pressure to really find a way, (Archer was a bit economical with the truth), as the sexual tension between them rises.
The SB female now talks with Dolim, he asks for her help, to extract the third code, she refuses and even he begins to doubt her power.
Some timelines start to favour the humans (apparently) and he's told he has to launch the weapon to ensure a favourable timeline.
Archer asks the lead primate how can they be sure the Xindi wouldn't build another one if they destroy this one and he's given assurances based on Degra's promises, then the aquatics offer their help to avert the weapon launch, in exchange for Archer destroying the spheres.
Hoshi has now been compromised as the SBs now threaten to intervene. As the Enterprise crew prepare for the final battle, Reed and Hayes have a tete a tete regarding Hawkins, but Hayes declares they are part of the family now, and vows to bring Sato home.
Time for dinner with the Captain for Trip and T'pol, why the fuck would they have time for this ?
The reptilians attempt to start the launch sequence as Enterprise and her allies now appear, the aquatics release Enterprise from their hold and Archer and Dolim proceed the battle, the aquatics acting as a shield for Enterprise.
Hoshi is traced and Hayes' team is sent onto the lizard ship to rescue her, they find her and take her to the beaming point.
The SBs instigate a huge anomaly around the weapon which forms a protective barrier and also destroys many allied ships.
As Hayes attempts to get Hoshi back to the ship they can only beam in pairs, the first two pairs go safely, including Sato, but when Hayes beams he's blasted through the chest while in the particle beam.
The weapon arming sequence is now started and a vortex is opened, a course is plotted for Earth, they escape.
Hayes, now in sickbay, has been mortally wounded, and after a few last words to Reed, dies on the table.
They now have 10 hours to intercept the weapon and need to use Degra's ship, the fastest, to catch up.
The plan is to beam people onboard the weapon to sabotage it, from Degra's ship. At the same time, Enterprise under T'Pol has to head for Sphere 41 to destroy it, thus killing the rest of the network of spheres.
Reed asks for MACO volunteers to go on the mission, all offer, he picks three.
Hoshi, in a bad way, is in sickbay but Archer needs her with him, in order to disable the weapon, as she has first hand knowledge of the codes, even though she could die.
In another twist, some insectoid ships appear to confront Dolim's ships, they tell him they no longer believe Degra was a traitor,and they know the Guardians true intentions and the origins of the spheres.
Dolim destroys them.
Archer takes Hoshi to Degra's ship, with T'Pol and Trip left with the task of destroying the sphere network.
The tension now builds to a fantastic season finale.
This episode was intriguing, tension filled, brutal in places, but a great set up for the bitter end.
Apologies once again for getting carried away.

 

[Roundabout]

T'Pol's white jumpsuit was already at "Marauders" breathtaking.

I think T'Pol wore that white jumpsuit in another episode as well. I can't remember which one.

That jumpsuit reminded me of the white jumpsuit that the Erin Gray character wore in "Buck Rogers in the 25th century." She looked amazing in that outfit, when I saw it as a kid.

I guess you can say that T'Pol was ahead of her time, fashion-wise. T'Pol wore that white jumpsuit in the 22nd century, and the white jumpsuit was still fashionable in the 25th century.

My favorite T'Pol outfit was the brownish one that she wore during the first two seasons. Even though it was a form fitting suit, it still managed to make T'Pol look relatively dignified. When I first saw her in the new outfit for season 3, I thought it made her look like a floozy.

 

[sekundant]

I think T'Pol wore that white jumpsuit in another episode as well. I can't remember which one.

I remember only "Marauders" and " Extinction" , well at the Vulcan trilogy she has another kind of "white" desert uniform.

I didn't find her brownish jumpsuit very stylish. It always remembered me the bus seat fabric from our school bus.
For me, dignify of a female (or male) person has nothing to do her/his clothes or fashion style. I always like to see beautiful things even Sufism says, "you should enjoy the beauty without considering of gender/kind/race/age.., because beauty is reflection of God and proof of his endless ability"

What I concern about T'Pol's look was her skinniness, especially at the 4th season.

 

[Delta Vega]

Jolene looked very thin indeed in Season 4

 

[Roundabout]

I remember only "Marauders" and " Extinction" , well at the Vulcan trilogy she has another kind of "white" desert uniform.

I didn't find her brownish jumpsuit very stylish. It always remembered me the bus seat fabric from our school bus.
For me, dignify of a female (or male) person has nothing to do her/his clothes or fashion style. I always like to see beautiful things even Sufism says, "you should enjoy the beauty without considering of gender/kind/race/age.., because beauty is reflection of God and proof of his endless ability"

What I concern about T'Pol's look was her skinniness, especially at the 4th season.

Now that you mention it, I think those two episodes were the only ones where she wore that particular whitey tighty jumpsuit. Btw, the men, Archer and Trip, also wore desert uniforms in "Marauders". It wasn't white though, it was a desert beige color, which actually made more sense, as a camouflage uniform.


T'Pol did look thin. I am sure Blalock worked out. When she was in the decon chamber, you can see that she has six pack looking abs. Whether she did anything else to get that thin figure, I don't know.

In-universe, T'Pol also worked out. I recall she was running on the treadmill in the ship's gym in "A Night in Sickbay". Maybe one can chalk up her thinness to her exercise routine and her non-meat diet.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

A terrible intestinal flu was going around during filming of the first several eps of Season 4, and Jolene lost a lot of weight because of it. She didn't have any spare weight to lose, obviously, so it took a real toll on her appearance.

Delta Vega, these reviews are like novels! Don't get me wrong, I'm loving them. Degra's death was so shocking, since I had gotten to know and respect him. Hoshi getting tortured, trying to kill herself - Dolim killing anybody in his way - the breathtaking special effects of Countdown - Hayes dying to save Hoshi - damn, these episodes were soooo great.

Favorite lines of your last reviews:

These fish guys are a pain in the arse

Time for dinner with the Captain for Trip and T'pol, why the fuck would they have time for this?

I didn't find her brownish jumpsuit very stylish. It always remembered me the bus seat fabric from our school bus.

I actually loved T'pol's makeover in Season 3 (finally, Vulcan eyebrows), especially the new jumpsuits. Each one was a little bit different design, with beautiful detailing that you couldn't usually see except in closeups. The white away-mission jumpsuit turned up earlier, in Marauders, but it was a preview of things to come. Great look for her, I thought.

 

[Delta Vega]

HR, thanks for the feedback and the kind words
The reviews are like novels, and I'm going to have to reign them in
At the start of my review rewatch, I was watching the episode then summarising my thoughts.
As the season has progressed I made the mistake of watching and taking notes at the same time, hence the paragraphs of gibberish.
I'm almost tempted to just write "Fucking brilliant" for "Zero Hour" and then simply sit and enjoy the episode properly.
I read other posters thoughts on Enterprise intermittently on here, and there's a real piss poor attitude to the show in general which I believe is totally unwarranted, it's almost like a pack or herd mentality with some, who seem to be trying to achieve levels of kudos for how much they hate it.
These last few episodes stand up to any franchise of Trek, and are a damn sight better than some.

 

[Phoenix219]

I'm doing a legitimate watch through for the first time, and even just in season 1 I am more than pleasantly surprised. I definitely plan on finishing the show, which is more than I can say for Voyager. (I stopped watching in real time with a combo of real life beginning, and my interest in ds9/voy waning). A number of things have turned me off to TNG. I got back into Trek with fanfilms, and the tv resurgence plus Orville. It's been a nice surprise to find that I have four seasons of stuff more in the vein of TOS. I will probably never revisit the 24th, and am iffy on Picard.

I'm convinced that without FC time travel, the NX would/should have been the first Discovery (which would be great getting it's namesake in the next show.)

 

[Delta Vega]

I'm doing a legitimate watch through for the first time, and even just in season 1 I am more than pleasantly surprised. I definitely plan on finishing the show, which is more than I can say for Voyager. (I stopped watching in real time with a combo of real life beginning, and my interest in ds9/voy waning). A number of things have turned me off to TNG. I got back into Trek with fanfilms, and the tv resurgence plus Orville. It's been a nice surprise to find that I have four seasons of stuff more in the vein of TOS. I will probably never revisit the 24th, and am iffy on Picard.

I'm convinced that without FC time travel, the NX would/should have been the first Discovery (which would be great getting it's namesake in the next show.)

Stick with it, it's well worth the watch

 

[gakelly]

I have to give you all credit, I have tried to watch the pilot yet again and just find myself not caring about it. And the shower scene? It was almost like the writers just went for the sex angle instead of actually trying to develop a good story/character.