Thanks to Netflix I started watching Enterprise. Enterprise was the most recent in the TV franchise and from what I understand one of the less popular of the franchise. Personally I've been a casual fan of the franchise, I grew up with a daily dose of the original series throughout my elementary and Jr. High years so I am more versed in that area of the timeline. I know enough about the other shows to keep myself involved in a conversation, but that's about it.
Sitting down and watching this series in it's entirety I think I have come to an understanding as to why they have such a loyal fan base. When you look at the shows depicting the future you see repressive regimes controlling mankind, evil sentient computers hunting us to extinction, or a post-apocalyptic zombie filled wasteland. The Star Trek universe offers hope and a less pessimistic future for mankind. It's not a perfect future- there are still wars and plagues and repression, but we've also conquered many of the demons that haunt us today.
What I like about Enterprise is watching humanity stumble into space. The crew on Enterprise don't have it all figured out. they brazenly walk in to situations waving hello when they should be scanning for life forms and sending out armed recon teams to gather intelligence. They involve themselves in situations that alter the cultural evolution of an entire species, merely because they are too ignorant to know better. There is no "Prime Directive" to guide them, the Prime Directive is created because of their actions.
I'm sure there are reasons that the hardcore fans can give me to explain why Enterprise didnt make it. But I'm enjoying it. I even like the controversial theme. If you listen to the lyrics and watch the video it is kind of moving, yes its a little Rod Stewart meets Bryan Adams, but its not terrible.
It's my favorite Trek series. Most of the nay-sayers are just nitpicking things like "They didn't meet (such and such race) until 200 years later in the timeline. This show stinks!". Seriously, that's what riled up many of the nerds.
ReplyDeleteIt's been a long road...
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the show myself. The only problem I had with it was that they had to invent a new villain (space / time story) when they had plenty of villains to chose from. The 4th season was the best because that is when they returned to basics. It was unfortunately already too late.
ReplyDeleteDude, this show was great! Even a friend of mine, who never liked Star Trek, all of a sudden told me he started watching Enterprise recently (it was showing on the SyFy channel regularly again). The Star Trek nerds hate it because, well, they're nerds about the subject matter. It's Trek but with all the previous stuff from all the other series and movies STRIPPED OUT! That just leaves behind the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteEnterprise was my favorite Trek series, too. Of course they messed with the Star Trek canon a bit, but that was actually quite refreshing. And when you look at the Trek canon closely you'll notice inconsistencies and glaring holes everywhere.
ReplyDeleteEnterprise had interesting stories, believable characters and showed a bright future for humanity. What's there not to love?
I grew up on Star Trek. From TNG to Enterprise there wasn't a year in my adolescence that there wasn't fresh Trek broadcast. Enterprise is far from my favorite series but I don't have a series I don't like. Enterprise really gets good in Season 4 where the creators backed off and let the writers take more control of the show. It's a pretty widely held opinon creators Berman and Braga gave up on the series a couple years in and intentionally wanted it canceled, they're also blamed for probably one of the worst series finales ever, really a cop out of an episode that was a crappy way to end a multi-decade long TV franchise.
ReplyDeleteAs an Original Series fan, I enjoyed Enterprise by not thinking of it as Star Trek but something independent, but I think the episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" was incredibly well done and ties together the Next Generation movies, Enterprise, and the Original Series better than anything before it, including the DS9 Trouble with Tribbles crossover.
ReplyDeleteThis the Trek series I am sorry for not giving my full attention to. The first season didn't grab me due to the heavy time travel metaplot.
ReplyDeleteWhen I went back and watched what I missed, I very much enjoyed it, especially for the air time they gave to the classic Trek races. Andorians are a personal favorite and I do not think they could have done better.
I also enjoyed seeing the classic races given the modern effects treatment. The Telarites weren't just fat dwarves with pig noses glued on. Andorians had antenae that moved. And the Gorn wasn't a plodding steam roller but something cunning and deadly.
Just stop watching with the penultimate episode. Don't watch the finale. Really, it'll ruin everything.
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