25 Secrets You Didn't Know About Star Trek: Enterprise

[Richard Baker]

I liked Bakula as Archer. He made mistakes and had moments of uncertainty but that should be expected considering everyone had never done something like this before.
I loved the scene when he was taking a shower and the gravity failed for a moment. Not just for the funny situation but the way he handled it.

Most Treks have an awkward first season, everyone making speeches about how special they are as to develop their characters (TNG was weirdly painful). Enterprise started off much better and my only regret is the time wasted with the temporal cold war...

 

[plynch]

I gave up mid-seaseon 1. It was dull, I thought, Archer a putz, more in Bakula’s goofy demeanor than anything else.

Daughter and I finally watched through, and I think T’Pol might be one of the most interesting, developed characters in Trek.

 

[DonIago]

Regarding Archer as captain, I thought it was pretty clear in the pilot that there was some nepotism involved and that he wasn't necessarily considered the best choice. It's a shame that the series didn't do more with that aspect.

 

[Ssosmcin]

The Borg appearance in “Regenerations” made perfect sense to me. The Borg going back to First Contact changed the timeline. So events didn’t play out the same way after that. The Borg’s first appearance in season 2 of TNG was now something different (which we didn’t get to see because it’s an altered timeline). This also gives me a reason to accept why the tech in the Bad Robot films is so different even before Nero intervenes.

I love Enterprise. I’m revisiting it now and it’s great fun. It also has some of the best episodic music in the post TOS franchise.

 

[Summer Solstice]

The Borg appearance in “Regenerations” made perfect sense to me. The Borg going back to First Contact changed the timeline. So events didn’t play out the same way after that. The Borg’s first appearance in season 2 of TNG was now something different (which we didn’t get to see because it’s an altered timeline). This also gives me a reason to accept why the tech in the Bad Robot films is so different even before Nero intervenes.

I love Enterprise. I’m revisiting it now and it’s great fun. It also has some of the best episodic music in the post TOS franchise.

It's never bothered me that the Borg's appearance changed. I don't think that First Contact changed the timeline - the idea hadn't occurred to me until I heard other people talking about it. I'm fine with aliens appearances changing as it becomes possible to do more complex cgi.

I totally agree about the music! Where are you up to on your rewatch?

 

[Ssosmcin]

It's never bothered me that the Borg's appearance changed. I don't think that First Contact changed the timeline - the idea hadn't occurred to me until I heard other people talking about it. I'm fine with aliens appearances changing as it becomes possible to do more complex cgi.

I totally agree about the music! Where are you up to on your rewatch?

Well, they never explicitly said it and I admit it's my own head canon, but if you're so inclined, the clues are there. I mean, the Borg did do damage when they attacked the launch site, someone must have been killed (people were certainly hurt) and that darned Borg debris was found.... Anyways, everyone's mileage varies.

I'm almost to the end of the second season. I'm taking it kind of slow, an episode or two here and there. I usually focus on the final two years as they are my favorite, but this has been a fun ride. The start of year two was a little shaky, but it found some steam. I judged it too harshly at the time, but over the years, it's really grown on me. The legitimate feeling of pioneering space and the excitement of discovery. The cast was pretty great and knowing where it is going actually helps this show.

 

[Jedi Marso]

I'll repeat my main talking points vis-a-vis Enterprise.

1. The single biggest problem with this show is that it betrayed its own premise right from the very first episode. Instead of a prequel to the Federation and TOS, we essentially got more of the same, merely re-labeled. There should have been no 'phase-cannons', photon torpedoes, tricorders, transporters, time travel, or any of that stuff. We should not only have NEVER seen the Borg or the Ferengi, we should never have even seen the Klingons, either. In most of written canon prior to this show, first contact with the Klingon Empire wasn't until after the Federation was established. The logical bad guys for this series would have been either the Orions or perhaps the Tellarites or Andorians, initially. Eventually, it would be the Romulans. For whatever reason, the writers just couldn't stop themselves from running back to that 23rd/24th Century well.

2. We didn't need a Vulcan first officer. Just was a blatant rehash of TOS, again.

3. The series should have made space vast, empty, and scary. In that era, the first Warp-5 ship would have been like Columbus striking out for the New World- no starbases, no other ships, no help: just the Big Black, and here be dragons. They did touch on this element once or twice, but it should have been part of the ever-present flavor of the show.

4. If the ship had moved at its actual rated speed rather than the speed of plot, then by necessity there would have been large time-gaps built in between episodes. Terra Nova was supposed to be 20 LY away from Earth (Eta Cassiopeia A IIRC), it would have taken a ship rated for Warp 4.8 a little over two months just to get there- not this "4 days to Q'O'Nos and back" BS. (Warp 4.8 cubed coming to about 110.5c)

 

[Summer Solstice]

Well, they never explicitly said it and I admit it's my own head canon, but if you're so inclined, the clues are there. I mean, the Borg did do damage when they attacked the launch site, someone must have been killed (people were certainly hurt) and that darned Borg debris was found.... Anyways, everyone's mileage varies.

I'm almost to the end of the second season. I'm taking it kind of slow, an episode or two here and there. I usually focus on the final two years as they are my favorite, but this has been a fun ride. The start of year two was a little shaky, but it found some steam. I judged it too harshly at the time, but over the years, it's really grown on me. The legitimate feeling of pioneering space and the excitement of discovery. The cast was pretty great and knowing where it is going actually helps this show.

Fair enough - I think that's a perfectly valid and reasonable interpretation! As you say, everyone's mileage varies. My head canon is First Contact is like a predestination paradox in that Riker and the others were always present when the Vulcans made first contact.

Sounds good. Carbon Creek and Dead Stop are my favourites from season two. I judged it too harshly at the time too.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Carbon Creek was a great episode. I also really loved Future Tense and First Fight. Judgment was really fun on an acting standpoint. Usually I get a little weary of Klingons, but everyone behind the ridges was just top notch. J.D. Hertzler and John Vickery are always great.

 

[Summer Solstice]

Carbon Creek was a great episode. I also really loved Future Tense and First Fight. Judgment was really fun on an acting standpoint. Usually I get a little weary of Klingons, but everyone behind the ridges was just top notch. J.D. Hertzler and John Vickery are always great.

I completely forgot what happened in First Flight so it was totally new to me on my rewatch.

 

[at Quark's]

I'll repeat my main talking points vis-a-vis Enterprise.

1. The single biggest problem with this show is that it betrayed its own premise right from the very first episode. Instead of a prequel to the Federation and TOS, we essentially got more of the same, merely re-labeled. There should have been no 'phase-cannons', photon torpedoes, tricorders, transporters, time travel, or any of that stuff. We should not only have NEVER seen the Borg or the Ferengi, we should never have even seen the Klingons, either. In most of written canon prior to this show, first contact with the Klingon Empire wasn't until after the Federation was established. The logical bad guys for this series would have been either the Orions or perhaps the Tellarites or Andorians, initially. Eventually, it would be the Romulans. For whatever reason, the writers just couldn't stop themselves from running back to that 23rd/24th Century well.

Agreed. I suppose they simply used the 239th rule of acquisition (Never be afraid to mislabel a product).

2. We didn't need a Vulcan first officer. Just was a blatant rehash of TOS, again.

Perhaps it was a blatant rehash, but in-universe this one absolutely makes sense to me. The Vulcans see themselves as 'custodians' of the humans, and don't quite trust the humans to be mature enough to venture deeper out into space yet. They try to prevent, and stall the mission because they don't believe humanity to be ready. When they find out humans will no longer be held back they do the only thing they still can pull off with their influence: install an 'observer' onboard, to at least keep some degree of control. They know those stubborn humans will never agree to a Vulcan captain so they go for the second-highest position - first officer.

3. The series should have made space vast, empty, and scary. In that era, the first Warp-5 ship would have been like Columbus striking out for the New World- no starbases, no other ships, no help: just the Big Black, and here be dragons. They did touch on this element once or twice, but it should have been part of the ever-present flavor of the show.

Agreed, once again. They probably did not enough on the 'scary,vast, and empty' part, but I have to admit they did succeed in making the Alpha Quadrant feel a very different place with all those squabbling species from the quadrant we know in the 23rd and 24th century.

4. If the ship had moved at its actual rated speed rather than the speed of plot, then by necessity there would have been large time-gaps built in between episodes. Terra Nova was supposed to be 20 LY away from Earth (Eta Cassiopeia A IIRC), it would have taken a ship rated for Warp 4.8 a little over two months just to get there- not this "4 days to Q'O'Nos and back" BS. (Warp 4.8 cubed coming to about 110.5c)

Warp speeds never have made consistent sense, in any of the Trek series. Ships always move with the speed of plot, needed for the story they want to tell. Though I agree distances should have felt a lot 'longer' you run in trouble with a weekly show that way. You can't have every 3 out of 4 shows be a show taking place on the ship only as they're still in transit somewhere in deep space. For that reason, this show needed those vague stardates rather than actual time references more than the other shows, to obscure how much time actually has passed in-universe. Unfortunately, they supposedly haven't been introduced yet in the 22nd century.

 

[Trekker09]

https://www.thegamer.com/secrets-you-didnt-know-about-star-trek-enterprise/
I have to say that the original plans for Archer, the fleshed out ideas for S5 and the development of the Xindi are among the most interesting bits of info.

Hi, thanks for sharing the link. I haven’t rewatched ENT recently, though there was much to admire about it--I’ve probably seen “Carbon Creek” a dozen times.
Most interesting point to me in the article--
“Manny Coto ….decided to shift the focus of Enterprise to the founding of the Federation, hoping to bring the show closer to The Original Series. The list of stories imagined for the fifth season would certainly have made it the best yet. It would have revealed how Earth became a more utopian version of itself...."
That could have been fascinating – some actual filling in of the gap years. The whole premise of the superior Vulcans half encouraging, half limiting humanity - and whether earth finally attaining peace was based on learning to suppress/control emotion, or just more advanced technology as Roddenberry seemed to think, or something else.
I sympathized with Jolene Blalock strongly disliking the way her character was distorted –having her lose her cool in many non-Vulcan ways.
And I agree they should not have featured the Ferengi, the Borg, or Klingons.

 

[Richard Baker]

Totally agree about the mistake of bringing in the Ferengi.
I did like the way they introduced the Borg as a continuation of 'First Contact'
I also liked how a reason was finally put forth about how the Klingons looked different in TOS.

For me though a true highlight of the series was tbe Mirror universe two parter.
Even my mother laughed as we saw a twist on the Vulcan first contact scene.
Great alternate opening credits.
We FINALLY get to see Tholian in detail (although their asteroid base looked too "normal" for a race of beings so strange)
We FINALLY get to see a TOS Constitution class not only look great on screen but kick ass in battle.
Wasn't in love with the Gorn (too much of a departure) but nice they included that race finally in any of the Trek series or films

 

[Richard S. Ta]

^^^

I’ve got a lot to look forward to! I saw this series years ago but I had no idea Tholians or Gorn make an appearance…

 

[Jedi Marso]

I also liked how a reason was finally put forth about how the Klingons looked different in TOS.

I always liked the John M. Ford (Author of The Final Reflection) explanation for the various 'look' of TOS Klingons: the Klingons, in order to better infiltrate, conquer, and subjugate their enemies, bred genetic fusions of their own species with the humans and the Romulans (and maybe others who go unmentioned). The result is your 'Imperial Klngons' with ridges, and your TOS Klingons that could look so human they could pass as such, until they are outed by a Tribble. It was an elegant explanation and it worked well, and in his book the mixed-blood Klingons had to deal with the bigotry from their 'pureblood' Imperial cousins.

 

[gweeps]

Great article. Man, what a minefield they all had to navigate.

Such a shame ENT was cancelled.

 

[Oddish]

Some good stuff there.

I agree, it still pisses me off that T'Pol had those two ridiculous catsuits. She should have worn something robe like and flowing in Seasons 1 and 2 (the woman would have been sexy in an overcoat and galoshes), and the standard jumpsuit in Seasons 3 and 4.

And the info about Berman thinking Trek needed a break was a surprise. Maybe the man had more sense than I thought.

 

[Richard Baker]

I do hate the fact modern Trek has some who look like they get dressed with a spray can of paint.
If she wasn't supposed to dress like part of the crew then find something logical and exotic

 

[DonIago]

Some good stuff there.

I agree, it still pisses me off that T'Pol had those two ridiculous catsuits. She should have worn something robe like and flowing in Seasons 1 and 2 (the woman would have been sexy in an overcoat and galoshes), and the standard jumpsuit in Seasons 3 and 4.

And the info about Berman thinking Trek needed a break was a surprise. Maybe the man had more sense than I thought.

A robe doesn't sound very practical for serving on a starship?

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

The Vulcan robes we saw T'Pol wearing in her opening scene in the pilot, over the jumpsuit - she had 'em in her closet on the ship. Wore them in "Precious Cargo" to freak out that alien in that great scene with Archer. So she did have the robes, but maybe they were official formal accoutrements, not practical for duty shifts. (And she did wear her desert robes over her white away-mission jumpsuit during the Vulcan trilogy.)

Might also be that she would not want to wear the robes anyway as she gradually shifted to being part of the crew, and wanted to fit in more. And she ditched the dull colored "Vulcan official" jumpsuits when she resigned from the VHC at the end of Season 2.

I have mentioned elsewhere, it would have been cool if there had been a stated reason for the form-fitting jumpsuits, such as temperature control - a Vulcan on a human starship would be cold.

We all know the non-universe reason was that Jolene was a beautiful, shapely woman, and TPTB (prob the network) wanted to appeal to the 14-year-old male viewers. (See Seven of Nine.) But given the inevitability of that, I loved the jumpsuits Jolene wore in Seasons 3 and 4. They were beautifully designed and detailed, each one a little different, and a constant reminder that T'Pol was alien, just like Phlox, who did not wear a uniform either. Along with her better hairstyle and Vulcan eyebrows, I think she looked much better as a non-VHC member of the crew.