What is your honest opinion of Enterprise?

[DFScott]

From Nerys Ghemor:

Which brings me to a problem I had with the show: the obvious attempts to pander to the shallow end of the male demographic. The whole decon and neuropressure massage thing was gratuitous.

One of many things you've said in your post that I absolutely agree with, Ghemor. I often got the impression that the show attempted (somehow) to cater to several different audience groups -- the ones the studio executives targeted, the ones the network executives targeted, and the Trek fans the writers were aiming for from the beginning -- not simultaneously but in succession. The results, including the pilot, were shows that one moment appeared somewhat intelligent and the next moment was going for the Maxim reader.

In a way, that makes Enterprise not all that dissimilar (and folks will think I'm completely bonkers on this, but follow me for a moment, please) to the Today Show. Not any one segment of the Today Show, mind you, but the whole four-hour telethon. Imagine yourself being cooped up in a hospital bed, for instance, next to someone who one morning insists on watching the whole Today Show from 7 am to 11 am. One moment there's a discussion on Colonel Khaddafi. The next, the weatherman is being shouted by the crowd as though he were Monty Hall. The next is the tragic story of children who perished floating down a river. And then there's two women babbling for an hour, talking over one another about Charlie Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Charlie Sheen, Charlie Sheen...

Any one moment might be bearable in itself. It's the sequence of events, that ping-pongs your mind from one extreme to the next while bombarding you with ads, that makes the program as a whole excruciating. And Enterprise at its worst reminds me of the Today Show. One moment we're debating the morality of introducing unknown technology to a planet whose citizens are starving, the next moment we're petting the dog, and then we're fawning over T'Pol's breasts, and finally we're blasting away a terrorist threat.

Now, it wasn't always at its worst, and that's why I don't simply forget it exists like I do with some other spinoff of CSI or Law & Order. But the show appeared to try to be all things to all benefactors, which may be why even the perfect choice for the captain -- Scott Bakula -- appeared miscast at times. One moment he gave us a flash of the same greatness he showed consistently in Quantum Leap, and the next moment he was like David Gregory in a cooking segment with Martha Stewart.

Frankly, I've stopped blaming anyone in particular for these shortcomings, including and especially Rick Berman. I think the climate of network television since the last decade has rendered it difficult, at the least, to produce a one-hour serialized drama of quality for any sustained amount of time. And with all the many masters that a Trek show would have to answer to -- more so than, say, yet another crime drama about scientists with guns backed up by babes with attitudes -- it would have been the most difficult network show to produce of all. More so than even another maudlin morning marathon.

DF "More About the Devastation in Haiti a Little Later, But First, Do These Jeans Make Your Hips Look Fat?" Scott

 

[Alienesse]

Hate the song. Would have preferred this:

You know, this is not bad at all.

 

[The Transformed Man]

I loved Enterprise, even with the hiccups during Season 2, and the poor execution of the Xindi arc in Season 3. The show started strong during Season 1 and finished with a flourish in Season 4.

What Enterprise brought to the table during Season 1 was a sense of exploration and adventure which had sadly been lacking in Star Trek for some time. The decision to go back to Star Trek's roots was the right one, but unfortunately the producers slipped back into the familiarity of TNG with very bland stories that felt too familiar.

However, bringing Manny Coto on during Season 4 to helm the show turned what was a listing franchise back into a vibrant, relevant show. Unfortunately the damage had already been done and there was nothing to save Star Trek on television.

Yancy

 

[DoBa]

I actually like the song. Haters gonna hate.

 

[TheOtherGuy]

Enterprise had its moments IMHO I don't really like the song but that takes about a minute so I don't mind.

But the creators just seemed all out of idea's so they just had to recycle the Ferengie the Borg and the Romulans.
Also I hate the Klingon augment stories because it does not make sense.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I actually like the song. Haters gonna hate.

I love the song and we sing it VERY LOUDLY when it's on, we sing in falsetto, we sing it in Klingon Opera style and sometimes to really annoy people we sing it during the opening music of other Trek series.

Also re the decon scene: it was ONE scene. I hated it too, but people act like the whole freaking series was full of bluelighted folks rubbing gel into each other.

 

[BlobVanDam]

I actually like the song. Haters gonna hate.

I love the song and we sing it VERY LOUDLY when it's on, we sing in falsetto, we sing it in Klingon Opera style and sometimes to really annoy people we sing it during the opening music of other Trek series.

Also re the decon scene: it was ONE scene. I hated it too, but people act like the whole freaking series was full of bluelighted folks rubbing gel into each other.

They did several decon scenes throughout the run of the series of people rubbing gel into bodies, and almost always with a female crew member. They've even done more than one episode where a female character has spent most of the episode in the decon chamber. Not that I'm personally complaining, but it was quite blatantly placed in there several times just to show off some scantily dressed womangs.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I actually like the song. Haters gonna hate.

I love the song and we sing it VERY LOUDLY when it's on, we sing in falsetto, we sing it in Klingon Opera style and sometimes to really annoy people we sing it during the opening music of other Trek series.

Also re the decon scene: it was ONE scene. I hated it too, but people act like the whole freaking series was full of bluelighted folks rubbing gel into each other.

They did several decon scenes throughout the run of the series of people rubbing gel into bodies, and almost always with a female crew member. They've even done more than one episode where a female character has spent most of the episode in the decon chamber. Not that I'm personally complaining, but it was quite blatantly placed in there several times just to show off some scantily dressed womangs.

Nothing had the sexual connotations of the first scene. I remember 3 of them sitting there being really happy to be at last be clean and just breathing in the air.

As to the scantily clad women, eh see TOS.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Yes, Droxine was scantily clad, beautiful, and all that. But the decon scenes in ENT, especially the first establishing one, took the scantily clad thing down from the level of classic art of the human form, where it had been, to the level of a blue light special massage parlor.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I agree, that's why I still hate the original decon scene. However it doesn't permeate ENT as a series.

 

[Alienesse]

I also thought that the decon scene in the pilot episode was a bit uncalled for because there was nothing to justify it. And there was such a gap between the conversation of the characters and the obvious sexual connotation of the scene that it put like a giant spotlight on the fact that they deliberately did it for the sexual connotation. It was completely gratuitous within the run of the story and that's what bothered me.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with showing some skin, but I think it should be warranted by what's going on in the story.

I think they successfully did that with Archer recovering in sickbay and in his quarters. We get to see him in his underwear but there's a good reason for it and there's nothing to suggest a sexual implication.

 

[msgplacide]

I found it good, not excellent but good.

 

[Risa Seductress]

I really liked Enterprise and have seen all the episodes many times. Is every single episode good; no probably not although I did enjoy them all. Thought Bakula was excellent as Captain Archer and played it with the right amount of seriousness and wonder at seeing things that he had books about. Also thought had good character development from the start of Broken Bow until the end of season 3 when he had changed to being prepared to do anything it took to save Earth. As far as the other characters; I am afraid that I am a total Lt Malcolm Reed fan. Liked Trip of course; but found the character of Lt Reed most enjoyable. (Could have been the accent!) Have now met Dominic Keating at a couple of conventions and he is so nice with a great sense of humour and patient with all of the fans. (Oh and did I mention that I think he is very HOT!?)

Anyway; yes really liked Enterprise; although did not like the final episode; no need for the addition of Riker and Troi; also no need to kill off Trip; thought could have been handled better. But was glad to see one of my favorite aliens in the show; Commander Shran...

 

[lurok]

I agree, that's why I still hate the original decon scene. However it doesn't permeate ENT as a series.

The decon scene was one of the things that put me off ENT initially when first saw it...along with the theme tune and Bakula's portrayal of Archer. But having returned it to it more recently, older and wiser and viewing entire series, can see in context and appreciate much more now

 

[Captain Robert April]

If they'd thought for about two seconds about that scene, they would've realized that if instead of smearing Vasoline all over each other, they had decontamination showers, not only could they have made it a lot sexier, since Trip and T'Pol would both have to be (apparently) naked, they wouldn't have to alter a single word of dialogue, AND been a lot more plausible with regard to decontamination.

 

[BlackFire3]

in my opinion, the only mistake they made in the enterprise series was calling the ship "enterprise" if they had called it something like columbia or one of the other space shuttles then it probably would've been better received despite the "akiraprise" design.

 

[Captain Robert April]

I think they would've been better served if they didn't go back quite as far in the timeline.

Like maybe just to the launch of NCC-1701 under Captain April, with his first officer, Christopher Pike.

Okay, I'm biased. Sue me.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I think they would've been better served if they didn't go back quite as far in the timeline.

Like maybe just to the launch of NCC-1701 under Captain April, with his first officer, Christopher Pike.

This is exactly what I was hoping for in the first place.

 

[lurok]

I think they would've been better served if they didn't go back quite as far in the timeline.

Like maybe just to the launch of NCC-1701 under Captain April, with his first officer, Christopher Pike.

This is exactly what I was hoping for in the first place.

me too and I think this was one of the reasons I was initially disappointed with ENT as a 'prequel' series. Plus I felt the boilersuits and more industrial look of the NX just weren't sci-fi enough. But I was young and naive at time, and now can appreciate ENT for what it is rather than what is wasn't

 

[Skywalker]

I think if they were determined to go back in the timeline, going all the way back to the 22nd century was definitely the right decision. It gave TPTB an almost completely blank canvas from which to work with, as there wasn't a lot of established lore about the era, and it was far enough away from the TOS era that they could mostly just do their own thing without worrying about stepping on TOS' toes as much.

Besides, setting a prequel series within ~20 years of TOS would have just invited even more criticism if they didn't get every tiny little detail about the technology right. If anything, backlash might have been worse, since they still probably would have designed the ship and technology with an eye towards modern design aesthetics, rather than those of the '60s.