Why I Couldn't Get Enough Enterprise.

[SFRabid]

I gave it a second chance. – The first time I watched scattered episodes I did not care for the writing and I thought parts were targeted towards teenagers going through puberty. Still there was something that pulled me in so I bought the DVD’s. For some reason watching a second time on my terms made all the difference and I really enjoyed the show. I think the second time it was easier to look part the thing that irritated me and enjoy the rest of the production.

Surprise, surprise. – There were things that surprised me. The attack on earth. Vulcans not being perfect. Klingons being less than honorable. I’ll trade a bit of canon for increased interest any day. Plus, historians tend to rewrite history. World history probably has more canon errors than Star Trek.

Noah must have been a writer. – Some of the best arcs in Star Trek are in Enterprise. Season four had a flood of them. (Arc. Ark. Get it? All right. I’ll stop now.) Some don’t like it but for me season 4 of Enterprise may be the best in all of Star Trek.

What a cast. – I really like the cast. While the top 5 get most of the press even Linda Park and Anthony Montgomery were better than their parts. Yes, it would be nice to have their characters more developed during the episodes, but I would rather have good actors playing small parts than bad actors in over their heads.

Good grief. – Enterprise fans take a lot of flack but that is okay. Better to be a lone wolf than a sheep afraid to leave the herd. Plus, maybe less people will be in line when I try to get a photo-op with Jolene Blalock in Vegas.

 

[suebsg9]

Hmmm why I can't get enough Enterprise:

I never gave it a chance then out of the blue friend of mine at con mentioned about last eps and next thing I knew I was watching and caught part of Desert Crossing and that is one of my fav eps.

Surprise yes I did find things I liked - Malcolm and Trips friendship; Archer and Trip (when Trip wasn't hero worshipping him could have done without that thank god they got rid of that in later seasons); and Trip and Tpol. Phlox is fun character to watch; he is a very intresting doctor.

I do like some of the arcs especially the long running one in S3 and the little ones in S4!

What a cast - gotta say an intresting group of actors they got together for the show enjoy watching Connor and Dominic; and when they let Anthony get an eps or two he did a really good job. And yes Scott Bakula but at times I did and didn't like him as the captain but nice to see Scott again in another series. And love seeing some of the cast members from other star trek series on there as well especially Jeffrey Combs and enjoyed watching the actor who played Soval; oh others like Casey Biggs and Rene!

I enjoy the series cause I have always enjoyed Star Trek series; DS9 is still my fav with Enterprise right there with it.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

What a cool thread, SFRabid!

All your points are well taken, and I agree with them.

I really enjoyed the show as well--acting, production values, music, makeup, special effects. I've watched a lot of those little behind-the-scenes videos they have at startrek.com, interviews with the below-the-line people who build the sets, design the costumes, choreograph the stunts, all that. These people busted their butts every week to do good work, and it showed.

I was intrigued by the fleshing out of different species we had seen little of, like the Andorians, and the backstory on species we thought we knew, like the Vulcans. The characters and the situations drew me in emotionally and made me care, which is the highest mark any production can hit, in my opinion.

When those "favorite episode" polls come around, I always have a hard time narrowing down my favorites to just a few. There are so many I have a good time watching, and I consider a number of them to be outstanding. Those eps that turn up in the argument threads all the time that most people either love or hate...I like them all.

I could easily have watched three more seasons. The show had some good creative momentum going for it there at the last.

 

[JiNX-01]

^^^
Oh, yeah, this is a great idea!!

I can't get enough ENT either. So wish we had gotten more seasons (and why settle for 7 years? With writers who respect all of Trek -- whether they worked on a preceding series or not -- I think the show could have gone longer (so many potential story lines to play with!)

And I agree with all you said, HR, re: production values, cast, etc. Even in episodes that were weak in the writing included gems (or was it the actors' handling of the scenes?).

 

[JanineSal]

I've watched a good number of ENT episodes for the second time.

My view of it has not changed. It had its moments, but in the end it was a very inferior in compared to the other Trek shows.

 

[bluedana]

I agree with the points made above. I'd add two things. One, for me, the acting seemed much more natural, especially in comparison to TOS and TNG. It was less . . . stagey. Maybe it was because the NX-01 was designed to be cramped and claustrophobic, it just seemed that the actors were relating to each other all the time they were on screen, rather than just standing and saying their lines. (Maybe this only makes sense if you, like me, spend a couple months Netflixing disc after disc of the other series. . .)

And, two, I related to the characters. I tuned in each time wondering if they were going to do the right thing or the thing I myself would do. They were flawed, they didn't have all (or even most) of the answers, and they weren't always right. In the end, ENT just seemed very accessible to me.

 

[Reanok]

i Wanted to see several more seasons of Enterprise. Would've been nice to see what happened with the new government on Vulcan and the changes brought by the events in season four.To see how T'Pau and Minister Kuvan handeled things a year later and V'Las what happened to him. See more space exploration of truly alien worlds.The Earth /Romulan wars.The founding of the Federation.The reason I liked the series was the characters.They had flaws and weren't perfect .

 

[Trekwatcher]

Good points all around. For me, a big fan of S1 and S2, S3 just really, really worked. I found the Xindi endlessly fascinating, and almost all of my favorite eps are in S3. S4 was a blast too, but S3 is really tops in my book. I loved the idea of a whole season built around a single concept-it made the drama more intense and made the payoffs that came over the course of the season that much more worthwhile.

Plus, all of ENT gets better the more of it you watch.

 

[miriel68]

I'm just finishing my second way through Enterprise (I've never seen it in TV, only when it came out on DVD) and simultaneously I'm watching for the second time (after many years) TNG. While I liked TNG very much once, now I find it only mindly interesting: some episodes are good, but I do not care for the characters (I've arrived to 4th season by now), and I don't really see them growing - they are always the same. On the other hand, watching Enterprise for the second time I enjoy not only cast, production values and other points already mentioned above, but also continuity - not only in 3S but in others as well - there are many details which come up unexpectedly in some new episodes. Also, I think acting is really very good, not only main cast, but supporting characters as well and it's thrilling to see how they evolve - particularly Archer: the difference between S1 and S4 is chilling. I do wish they had made more seasons or even a movie now, instead of resuscitating Kirk again...

 

[EEE]

As a hard core original TOS fan, all my problems with Enterprise went away with the realization that the whole show was a parallel universe (which even explains the Gorn cameo in a double parallel sort of way! *grin*). All my nitpicks, no longer counted. I could enjoy it for entertainment. I am currently six episodes into my second run through of the series with my wife (her first run through).

Oddly enough, after only recently converting my wife of decades to being a "newbie" Trekkie, even she noticed the problems I had with the series and thanked me for explaining it was a parallel universe.

 

[commodore64]

hey were flawed, they didn't have all (or even most) of the answers, and they weren't always right.

I liked this as well. ENT gave me some of the mystery of TOS again.

 

[Lady Conqueror]

I love positive threads

My main reason for loving Enterprise was the characters (and obviously the cast that played them so well). There wasn't one that I disliked - which I can't say for the other Trek shows.

And I know that the first couple of seasons tend to get a lot of flak but I love them for the little moments that each episode brought, even when the plot itself may not have been the best, the character interactions were all great.

 

[Nerys Myk]

As a hard core original TOS fan, all my problems with Enterprise went away with the realization that the whole show was a parallel universe (which even explains the Gorn cameo in a double parallel sort of way! *grin*). All my nitpicks, no longer counted. I could enjoy it for entertainment. I am currently six episodes into my second run through of the series with my wife (her first run through).

Oddly enough, after only recently converting my wife of decades to being a "newbie" Trekkie, even she noticed the problems I had with the series and thanked me for explaining it was a parallel universe.

The "parallel universe" thing always makes me laugh. If those who use that phrase judged TOS by the same standards you'd have three or four parallel universes in each season. Over all ENT probably fits in better with TOS continuity than TOS does.

 

[Nimthim]

I missed ENT on its first run - no UPN - so I only got hooked last year on SciFi after we added DVR. While I deplore some of the missed opportunities and 'could have beens' with the writing, I truly enjoy it for many of the reasons you all have already added to the discussion.
For me, the sense of immediacy that these characters have - this could be tomorrow and anyone I know - sets ENT apart from later Trek series. Trek had seemed to get pompous and self-indulgent sometimes, and while there were good characters, they often had such a sense of fantasy and removal from our daily lives, that it could be hard to stay connected to them. Trek was great when I needed to totally escape and pretend I was long gone from my present circumstances, but I don't need that very often.
ENT though, lets me watch a group of characters who could be my friends. They entertain me, indulge in some fantasy, strive to be their best, and let me yell at them sometimes "you dumba**, how could you do that!!".
ENT also lets me remember that sense of wonder and possiblity that I had as a 12-year-old when TOS debuted and I first began to really think about the chances of other life in the universe. So great to connect to those reactions again.
And finally, I've got to love it because it brought us Shran, one of the most entertaining aliens of any scifi.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I've been catching up on it myself. I watched the first few episodes when they initially aired, and I was like, eh, whatever, I can do without this. But recently I've started watching some episodes on the sci-fi channel and have found myself enjoying them.

 

[KayArr]

I agree with the points made above. I'd add two things. One, for me, the acting seemed much more natural, especially in comparison to TOS and TNG. It was less . . . stagey. Maybe it was because the NX-01 was designed to be cramped and claustrophobic, it just seemed that the actors were relating to each other all the time they were on screen, rather than just standing and saying their lines. (Maybe this only makes sense if you, like me, spend a couple months Netflixing disc after disc of the other series. . .)

And, two, I related to the characters. I tuned in each time wondering if they were going to do the right thing or the thing I myself would do. They were flawed, they didn't have all (or even most) of the answers, and they weren't always right. In the end, ENT just seemed very accessible to me.

These are things I've never been quite able to express.

Welcome, SFRabid, you are one of us now...

The show just had a whole different feel than any other Trek--even TOS with its typical 60s garish color schemes. Loved the ship, uniforms, scripts, and cast--it may well be my favorite Trek show, and I cut my teeth on TOS in syndication back in the 70s.

 

[pookha]

nerys is right. it isnt a "parallel universe" except for the mirror episodes were the gorn appeared.

to me the series fits with tos because like tos the characrers are not perfect.
they have self doubts, they dont always agree with each other.,
but they are still friends in the end of the day.

i liked getting to see more of the andorians and tellarites. two species totally neglected post tos.
i liked how things were topsy turvy from tos and the other series.
they didnt have a power house federation to back them up.
humanity was an almost unknown factor but we saw how the ability to create alliances
was slowly changing things.

i hate it that it was killed just as it setting up some really great story lines, really getting into the meat of the birth of the federation story line/.

 

[SFRabid]

I watched the last three episodes again last night. This time TATV did not seem so bad. It could have been good except for killing off Trip. One thing I had not noticed before is the expression on Trip's face as he winks at Archer as they put him in the chamber. Before that he was barely conscious and could hardly talk. The wink showed a clear, allert look in his eyes. I don't know if it was bad acting, bad editing and directing, or if that was supposed to mean something. It could fit in with The Good Men Do, but I really don't like where that book took the character so I would rather not think that.

 

[suebsg9]

I watched the last three episodes again last night. This time TATV did not seem so bad. It could have been good except for killing off Trip. One thing I had not noticed before is the expression on Trip's face as he winks at Archer as they put him in the chamber. Before that he was barely conscious and could hardly talk. The wink showed a clear, allert look in his eyes. I don't know if it was bad acting, bad editing and directing, or if that was supposed to mean something. It could fit in with The Good Men Do, but I really don't like where that book took the character so I would rather not think that.

What I never understood is that the killing of Trip would have taken place even if show was cancelled so what I don't get lets say S5 starts and Trip is alive what are we suppost to think we are back to where we left off not 6 years and that life is fine and thats what if the show kept going on that Trip would not make it through the end of the series or again they show him getting killed?? And did Riker get the answers he was looking for; I mean was he investigating why Trip did what he did or never quite got that cause its like him and Troi isn't it leave the hallow program and he goes off to see Picard about what descision; what was it that Trip did that made him now have a decision and that he had to go to Picard?

I never quite get that I feel like lets say you would have had a 5th season would it had been like Bobby Ewing comeing out of shower the last eps meant nothing? And how much after Trips death is it when ARcher reads his speech?? Ah could ask questions I watched that eps yesterday also; found parts of it on you tube. Last night I watched one of my fav DS9 eps which was Trials and Tribulations. Love that eps makes me laugh (sorry went off topic)! I mean you can ask a lot of questions about eps guessing writers left those areas open for a reason?

 

[Lady Conqueror]

^The TNG parts of the finale is supposed to be set during the 7th Season episode "The Pegasus" - not that if you actually watch that TNG episode it makes any more sense really, but I presume that the lesson he learnt was to trust his Captain (since that was the last Trip/Chef(Riker) scene really said and that Trip sacrificed his life for Archer).

As for if the show had continued on in Season 5 with TATV still being the last ep of the 4th Season, I agree that that would have sucked watching the last few seasons knowing that Trip was basically a goner in a few years time. Who wants to see a character with a definite death sentence hanging over them.