One of the things I really like about Enterprise

[crmfghtr]

I like all the Star Trek shows to varying degrees, but I think Enterprise stands out for some of the best effects work ever put on television. Its still Star Trek, but some of the stuff, reminded me of sitting in a theater and watching one of the new Star Wars films. Especially the 3rd year with the Xindi stuff and all the interesting CGI creatures, ships etc, it was fantastic!

This is one of my favorite reasons for watching the show, I also think of couse there was excellent character development, and finally someone has a pet! We got to finally see more of Vulcan too! What more could you ask, but 3 more seasons,,,*sigh*

 

[JiNX-01]

Always happy to meet another Enterprise fan!

There are so many reasons I also love the show.
Trip.
And I agree that the CGI was superb. The NX-01 is a beautiful ship and it's great seeing planets that look like planets.

The characters are likeable, there's chemistry among the actors (the best TOS, IMHO) and every episode -- even some the weakest from a storytelling standpoint -- had good moments between characters. Seasons 3 and 4 are strong but there are some true gems among the stories of seasons 1 and 2, as well. The sets were great. Recurring characters (Forrest, Soval and the lusty, conflicted Shran were among Trek's best (played by great actors, as well).

 

[JNG]

The CGI was solid, but I was disappointed at the sometimes totally inappropriate reuse of existing ship designs (the Tellarites certainly deserved their own cruiser). It was much easier to enjoy the new ship designs, such as the Orion ones that showed up during season 4.

The shots of the shuttlepod in atmosphere at the beginning of the fourth season were a pretty bad CGI miss, but there weren't many such airballs.

I look forward to checking out the series in high definition some day.

 

[Trekwatcher]

I would definitely agree-the CGI was top notch, especially in S3 and S4.

 

[crmfghtr]

Thanks for the welcome! Nice people in here so far. Yes season 3 is probably my favorite. Seasons 1 and 2 have individual stand out episodes I like, but 3 and 4 it really hit its stride!

 

[dayxday1000]

I never really cared for this series. I tried but I think it failed.

 

[SFRabid]

I never really cared for this series. I tried but I think it failed.

Yet you choose to spend your time here hanging out on an Enterprise forum with people who like the show. Maybe deep down you really like it and don't want to admit it to yourself.

 

[jgdst]

I agree CGI/compositing was film quality, but the slash in budget is a bit more obvious during season 4 - the scene with Arik Soong stood in the embryo chamber in the Augments arc, for example.

I still can't believe it got cancelled sometimes, especially with promises that Shran would become a regular character in season 5, and maybe even that Mayweather would get a line!

DAMN YOU UPN, DAMN YOU ALL TO H... wait... they already did, didn't they?

 

[suebsg9]

Thanks for the welcome! Nice people in here so far. Yes season 3 is probably my favorite. Seasons 1 and 2 have individual stand out episodes I like, but 3 and 4 it really hit its stride!

I liked 3 and 4 also and watch the odd eps that I keep missing in the marathons or when show runs in s1 and s2!

 

[Bak_and_Blue]

Hey welcome to the board! I love to see another Enterprise fan.
I agree about the CGI. The opening of Twilight and the battle scene in Azati Prime simply took my breath away. Film quality indeed.

 

[Jeri]

I was watching Anomaly today and was reminded of one effect that always gives me a giggle. It's the one where Archer returns to his quarters, and the coffee mug and spilled coffee are still suspended in mid air.

Archer fixes a glare on them and then reaches to snatch the cup out of the air. Don't know why, but that one makes me laugh, like the FX guys were just showing off a little bit.

 

[ialfan]

The CGI was solid, but I was disappointed at the sometimes totally inappropriate reuse of existing ship designs (the Tellarites certainly deserved their own cruiser). It was much easier to enjoy the new ship designs, such as the Orion ones that showed up during season 4.

Agreed how many ships used that same design -- 3? I think it was a ship in Dawn, a Xindi Ship and the Tellarite ship. All 3 uses are memorable it takes away to see it used again. Same goes for the ship from Fallen Hero being reused in Damage.

The reuse of the ship from "VOY - The Fight" is less annoying as I've only seen that episode once and have no intention on watching it again anytime soon. It doesn't look very Romulan though even if that was the point. If in say 30 years Enterprise is remastered for whatever supercedes HD I would like to see to see unique ships made for the Xindi, Tellarite and Damage ships.

 

[bluedana]

I was watching Anomaly today and was reminded of one effect that always gives me a giggle. It's the one where Archer returns to his quarters, and the coffee mug and spilled coffee are still suspended in mid air.

Archer fixes a glare on them and then reaches to snatch the cup out of the air. Don't know why, but that one makes me laugh, like the FX guys were just showing off a little bit.

That one gets a laugh out of me every time. Two lesser-tech ones:

In Similitude, T'Pol puts a piece of the solidified space sludge on Archer's desk while explaining its properties. His metal coffee cup goes sliding across the desk and sticks to the rock. T'Pol adds: "Aaand it's highly magnetic." Her deadpan delivery, timing, and the sight gag are terrific.

And in Exile, Archer's bouncing the water polo ball off the bulkhead, and once, twice, and then . . . it doesn't bounce back. We see that it's now embedded in the wall.

I liked the "aw, hell," reactions, rather than the technobabble explanations of earlier series.

Edit: how could I forget my favorite SFX sight gag: Archer + shower + loss of gravity = very funny.

 

[theenglish]

If we had had all this gushing about the show four years ago, Star Trek might still be on television today.

Sigh...

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I'm a fan also, and I agree that the show's effects and production values are by far the best you'll see in the (non-film) Trek franchise. Some of the space battles on Enterprise were exceptionally well done, and look particularly gorgeous on a big HD widescreen TV.

 

[donners22]

I remember the Archer shower scene where the gravity went out got a favourable mention in a newspaper here. I don't really have the TV setup to get the full splendor of Enterprise's effects, but little gags like that and the other ones mentioned here were fantastic.

 

[angie]

Welcome! I think the effects of Twilight and Damage stand out in my mind as some of the best on TV. I also thought the Vulcan trilogy caught the "alienness" of Vulcan.

 

[pookha]

I'm a fan also, and I agree that the show's effects and production values are by far the best you'll see in the (non-film) Trek franchise. Some of the space battles on Enterprise were exceptionally well done, and look particularly gorgeous on a big HD widescreen TV.

the battle in countdown especially..

 

[Bad Atom]

The special effects are one of the few areas of the show that no one really complains about. The best CGI work on television - I'd even put it past Battlestar Galactica in terms of quality. I don't dislike Enterprise, but I do wish the stories had been up to par with the effects. Instead the effects wound up lifting the show.

 

[Jeri]

If we had had all this gushing about the show four years ago, Star Trek might still be on television today...

I gushed.

And I heard something interesting a couple days ago: Mad Men, the AMC original series of critical acclaim, is thought to be successful at 950,000 average viewers per episode. The Season 2 opener got 1.3 million viewers, and they counted it great. Why couldn't ENT stay on the air, with 2 million viewers (or whatever it was) per episode?