Tag Archives: Enterprise

Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 4 (TVR00017) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
November 11 2020

Overview

Star Trek – Enterprise

This is the best of the four seasons, as the show found its footing just in time to be cancelled. I really enjoyed the season, and while I wouldn’t say the Riker storyline from the finale was my favourite, it was still well done. A great season overall, back to regular trek storylines and getting to know different species better.

Episodes That I Liked

There were seven separate episodes that I rated 5/5, which suggests a really good season, right? Well, yes and no. First, the “yes” side. Three episodes dealt with the Vulcans (E07, 08, and 09) with an Embassy bombing, mind-melds, and ancient artifacts. A little uneven within an episode, but a great trio together. Episodes 13, 14, and 17 dealt with Romulans, Andorians, and the Orion Syndicate quite well — good, solid episodes. And then EP21, setting up the series finale with saving “Terra Prime” to save “Starfleet” was again, quite good.

I rated ten more episodes as 4/5, with alt-history time travel to WWI (E01 and 02), and time on Earth (E03). Episodes 05 and 06 focused on Augments, episodes 12/13/15 focused on Andorians and Klingons. We had the mandatory alt-universe visit for E18 that started off strong and then fizzled. And, of course, the finale, which was “okay”, but I wasn’t a big fan of the story trick of having Riker watch everything as if it was a holodeck recreation.

Episodes That Were Watchable

Despite a strong season, three were only rated 3/5, with one about transporter beam stuff (E10), genetically modified humans (E04) that turned into the Augments in E05-06, and aliens observing humans under stress (E11).

Episodes That I Didn’t Like

I already mentioned above that the alt-universe storyline fizzled? Yep, E19 was a total snoozer. So, too, was E20 about Xenophobes on the moon around Earth. Yawn.

List of Episodes from Season 4

S04E01Storm Front Pt 1Alt History 101 – Change WWII🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E02Storm Front Pt 2Chickens, eggs, and time travel🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E03HomeYou can’t go home again🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E04BorderlandGM humans attack a Klingon ship🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S04E05Cold Station 12Augments look for their cousins🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E06AugmentsParanoia often befalls the prideful🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E07ForgeEmbassy bombing on Vulcan? Illogical🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E08AwakeningA mind-meld hangover is brutal🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E09Kir’SharaAncient relics speak to present day🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E10DaedalusBeam me back from 15 years ago🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S04E11Observer EffectObserving human reactions🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S04E12Babel OneTellerites vs. Andorians…and Romulans?🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E13UnitedEven Romulans like drones🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E14AenarTelepathic Andorians…well, that’s new🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E15AfflictionA Klingon virus requires Phlox’s help🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E16DivergenceOh, so that’s what happened to ridges🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E17BoundOrion Syndicate makes some moves🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E18In A Mirror, Darkly Pt 1Alt universes kick butt🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S04E19In A Mirror, Darkly Pt 2And then I yawned🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S04E20DemonsXenophobes on the moon…shocking🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S04E21Terra PrimeSave Starfleet, save the Federation🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S04E22These Are The VoyagesHolodeck for all good things🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The Bottom Line

Solid season, the best of the four years…and then it was cancelled.

Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 3 (TVR00016) – 🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪

The PolyBlog
November 11 2020

Overview

Star Trek – Enterprise

The third season picks up a bit from the second season low. Whereas Season 2 was mostly depressing, with very few notches in the Enterprise’s “win” column, this season had not only a few more wins but also some allies. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still at war, but they aren’t generally about to die every week just from the Expanse.

Episodes That I Liked

There were four episodes that I rated 5/5 and another seven that I rated 4/4. For the top ones, they were mostly about time travel including dealing with space/time parasites (E08); the Enterprise J (E18); the Enterprise itself (E21); and the conclusion of the general Xindi storyline (E24 – finally!).

For the remaining seven, we learned more about the Xindi species (E01); dealt with an interesting moon (E02); rescued some slave girls (E04); fell in love with a clone (E10); and shouldn’t have trusted monks (E12), marauders (E19) or reptilian Xindi (E23).

Episodes That Were Watchable

I admit that I was a bit surprised to see after the fact that all of the rest of the episodes were rated 3/3, I thought there were a few stinkers in there just because so many of them were blah…but I gave them individually a boost to 3, apparently.

There are some interesting episodes throughout the season including a lot obviously about the Xindi (E07 had frenemies; Westerners in Xindi Space (E09); Xindi are time-travelling too (E11); new alliances (E20)) while they were planning for war (field tests in E13, stings in E14, and Council challenges in E22).

But I think the big difference in the season was that there were some other episodes too that were more classic ‘trek, with biochemistry/devolution (E03); lost Vulcans (E05); telepathic friends (E06); relationship jealousies (E15); and Archer focusing on some eggs (E17). There was also a classic episode where the Doctor had to deal with everyone being asleep for safety reasons (E16).

Episodes That I Didn’t Like

As I said in the previous section, I was surprised to see there were none rated 2/5 or worse. I wasn’t thrilled with everything, but there weren’t any I particularly disliked.

List of Episodes from Season 3

S03E01XindiWhy have one Xindi when you can have 5?🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E02AnomalyThat’s no moon!🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E03ExtinctionAltered biochemistry or devolution…🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E04RajiinRescued slave girls…you can’t trust ’em🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E05ImpulseLooking for lost Vulcans in the expanse🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E06ExileHoshi makes a telepathic friend🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E07ShipmentNot all Xindi are enemies🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E08TwilightDang space-time parasites🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S03E09North StarWestern transplants in Xindi space?🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E10SimilitudeGrow a clone, love a clone🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E11Carpenter StreetXindik time travellers, great🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E12Chosen RealmNever trust a monk🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E13Proving GroundField testing the Xindi weapon🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E14StrategemStings work on Xindi? Cool🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E15HarbingerTrip makes T’Pol jealous🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E16Doctor’s OrdersSleepy time for almost everyone🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E17HatcheryArcher imprints on some eggs🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E18Azati PrimeEven the Enterprise J can’t help🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S03E19DamageNecessity is the mother of marauders🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E20ForgottenA crippled ship and a new alliance🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E21E squaredGet by with a little help from yourself🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S03E22CouncilDiplomacy is not always smooth🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S03E23CountdownReptilians are like effective Klingons🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S03E24Zero HourSave Earth, save the universe🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

The Bottom Line

Classic trek plus some time travel…what’s not to like?

Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 2 (TVR00015) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
October 26 2020

Overview

The second season has hints of temporal stuff throughout, but it starts to get a little grittier with the alien races they encounter. Almost all of them are duplicitous, false friends to the naive and well-being humans.

Episodes That I Liked

The two best episodes of the season are the third and third-last. In EP03, Minefield, the ship is trapped in a Romulan minefield, and Reed has to demonstrate his leadership skills while other ships are closing in. Meanwhile, in EP24, it’s a retrospective episode back to the first ship to break the Warp 2 barrier, and the story of Archer’s chief rival, A.G. Robinson. I rated them both 5/5.

I rated six more EPs as 4/5: EP01 which is the second part of the giant temporal storyline from Season 01’s cliffhanger; EP02 which relates the story of T’Pol’s grandmother having visited Earth years before; EP04 showed that cheap repairs are not always worth their price; EP09 shows weird gravity messing with humans, reminiscent of Naked Now; EP12 has a radioactive storm driving everyone into the center of the ship onto catwalks to survive, despite intruders; and EP16 has another time travel storyline with time machines that have poor timing.

Episodes That Were Watchable

There were a lot of people complaining online about the series in Season 2, and it is not that surprising. I rated twelve episodes, almost half the season as merely good. EP05 showed Phlox’s routine for one night in sickbay; EP06 dealt with bullying marauders; EP07 shows an old job of T’Pol when she worked in security, chasing fugitive Vulcans; EP08 has first contact with a pre-warp civilization, so I guess Bones wasn’t the first to leave his communicator behind; EP10 turns Yoshi into a future Barkley fearful of the transporter; EP11 deals with a stasis pod that everyone wants; EP14 deals with the dangers of mindmelds; EP15 brings Shran back looking for a mediator; EP20 has Travis trying to go home again, without much happiness; EP23 is generously rated 3/5 with time-travelling Borg; EP25 brings bounty hunters looking for Archer; and EP26 introduces the giant storyline for Season 3 which is Earth being attacked by the Xindi for no apparent reason.

Episodes That I Didn’t Like

I really wanted to like some of the six lowest-ranked episodes of the season, all 2/5, but many are pretty derivative. EP13 has Trip bonding with a hostile alien on a planet (Enemy Mine?); EP17 has mutiny on a penal ship (SG1, ST:TOS, ST:TNG, ST:VOY, ST:DS9…?); EP18 has non-corporeal beings wanting to share bodies (ST:TNG?); EP19 has Archer on trial on Cronos (ST:TOS movies?); EP21 has them going spelunking (ST:VOY?); and EP22 deals with gender issues and traditional roles (ST:TNG?). None of the episodes seemed to have anything unique to say.

List of Episodes from Season 2

S02E01Shockwave Pt 2Temporal changes are often sweeping🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E02Carbon CreekT’Pol’s great GM visited Earth? Cool🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E03MinefieldM-class planet, mines, and Romulans🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S02E04Dead StopCheap repairs are not always worth it🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E05Night in SickbayPorthos becomes a star patient🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E06MaraudersPeople need to fight bullying everywhere🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E07SeventhOoh, T’Pol used to be in security🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E08CommunicatorPre-warp civilizations are touchy🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E09SingularityWeird gravity always messes with humans🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E10Vanishing PointYoshi and transporter interruptus🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E11Precious CargoGet up on wrong side of stasis pod?🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E12CatwalkStorms, crawlspaces and intruders…great🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E13Dawn80s movie plot — Enemy Mine redux🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E14StigmaVulcans fear the spread of mindmelds🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E15Cease FireShran wants a mediator, not all agree🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E16Future TenseTime machines have poor timing🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S02E17CanamarMutiny on the penal ship🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E18CrossingNon-corporeal beings want to share bodies🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E19JudgmentArcher on trial on Cronos? Seems familiar🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E20HorizonTravis finds you can’t go home again🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E21BreachFly across the galaxy and go spelunking🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E22CogenitorTrip helps a 3rd gender slave revolt🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S02E23RegenerationTime-travelling Borg like to travel🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E24First FlightStory of breaking the Warp 2 barrier🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S02E25BountyTellerite Boba Fett and Jonathan Solo🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S02E26ExpanseXindi attack? Let’s visit Delphic Expanse🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The Bottom Line

They have their space legs but not very interesting stories.

Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 1 (TVR00014) – 🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪

The PolyBlog
October 25 2020

Overview

Star Trek – Enterprise

Most of Season 1 is about the first Warp 5-capable Earth vessel venturing out into uncharted space. The Vulcans have been taking very cautious steps in helping humans expand, and Archer has been pushing for Earth to take a more aggressive, risky approach. The season shows early attempts, selecting a crew, venturing out, and a series of bloody noses as they meet both friendly and less-than-friendly allies. The Vulcans give them T’Pol, which helps and hurts with the Andorians, Klingons, and a host of other smaller races. But throughout it all, there is a hint that something bigger is going on, as Crewman Daniels teaches Archer about the Temporal Prime Directive.

Episodes That I Liked

The two best episodes of the season are about time travel, including EP11 Cold Front where the Time War becomes more apparent and answers a few questions while opening a host more. EP26 ShockWave Pt 1 brings time travel back to the fore as well and serves as the cliffhanger for the season.

Six other episodes are rated 4/5, including a two-parter (EP01 and 02 kick off the series with Sulibans and Klingons on Earth); E10 where you get to meet Nausicaans with predictable results given their history of attacking merchant vessels; E12 with a lot of focus on phasers; E17 with Vulcans who embrace emotions rather than suppressing them; and E20 with an old crashed ship sending out an SOS with seemingly no survivors on board, yet there is…something.

Episodes That Were Watchable

Fourteen more episodes are rated 3/5, and it is the reason why the whole season is similarly rated. E03 deals with Hoshi having trouble adjusting to being on a ship; E04 has a planet that causes hallucinations; E05 rises to okay which is surprising since the premise is that Trip gets pregnant; E06 looks at a lost colony; E07 and 15 deal with Andorian / Vulcan relations, and other than the main Andorian, they’re kind of a wash; E09 has interactions with a pre-warp society and the start of the “Prime Directive”; E14 is about rescuing a Klingon ship while E16 is about rescuing a shuttlepod; E18 has a rogue planet drifting through space; E19 and 22 show Malcolm isn’t doing a very good job with security since the Ferengi and a spider manage to take over the ship; and E25 is a trip to Risa where lots of little adventures happen for everyone. Of all of the mid-range ones, E13 deals with a week in the life of Dr. Phlox and while it was a great premise, there wasn’t enough “oomph” to get above 3/5.

Episodes That I Didn’t Like

Four episodes really weren’t that great…”thawing” relations with Vulcans (namely T’Pol, E08), an internment camp (E21), a disgraced Vulcan Ambassador (E23), and a trip through the desert (E24).

List of Episodes from Season 1

S01E01Broken Bow Pt 1Sulibans on Earth? Not a good time🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E02Broken Bow Pt 2Visiting Cronos? Priceless🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E03Fight or FlightHoshi finds her sea legs🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E04Strange New WorldCamping with hallucinations? Fun🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E05UnexpectedTrip’s blind date goes too well🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E06Terra NovaFind a lost colony, get taken hostage🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E07Andorian IncidentSomeone always breaks a treaty🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E08Breaking the IceComets, Vulcans…everything thaws🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S01E09CivilizationOooh, no Prime Directive? Cool🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E10Fortunate SonNausicaans and Boomers don’t mix🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E11Cold FrontTemporal observatories and cold wars🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸
S01E12Silent EnemyOh, look, target practice for phasers🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E13Dear DoctorWeek in life of Phlox and an epidemic🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E14Sleeping DogsJoke: Klingons fly into a gas giant🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E15Shadows of P’JemAn Andorian rescue op? Great🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E16Shuttlepod OneOne way ticket to cold space🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E17FusionVulcans who embrace emotion? Scary🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E18Rogue PlanetSave the wraiths, save your memory🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E19AcquisitionA Ferengi boarding party? Embarrassing🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E20OasisA crashed ship with spooky survivors🐸🐸🐸🐸⚪
S01E21DetainedInternment camps? Not that interesting🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S01E22Vox SolaA space spider spins its web on board🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E23Fallen HeroVulcan Ambassador slash criminal?🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S01E24Desert CrossingSpace captains like the desert?🐸🐸⚪⚪⚪
S01E25Two Days and Two NightsIt’s Risa, anything goes🐸🐸🐸⚪⚪
S01E26Shockwave Pt 1Always a bad time for time travel🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

The Bottom Line

A show still getting its space legs