I haven't watched "Enterprise" for much of this season because it was just pure crap. Bad writing, short-sighted jingoistic story-lines which might play in Peoria, but have no legs anywhere else, and which for an SF series is death.
However, I happened to watch tonights' episode, and hey, it was good. Until the last third when they sounded the quality and character red-alert, and then it reverted to shit because that's what the people in charge know best. The people from the future Enterprise were much more interesting than the existing crew. And the whole life-long bachelor trope, pul-eeze.
They used the old story of time-travel, with the Enterprise crew meeting themselves and and their (grand) children from a hundred years hence. It really opened up a lot of things and gave the (doomed) series some breathing room. And then they just smothered it.
This series just needs some euthenasia.
Article comments
1 - TDavid
Saw Enterprise once and totally agree with you -- bad, bad, bad. I didn't care for DS9 either ... have tried to get into it a couple times and no luck. Haven't tried Voyager yet. Thoroughly enjoyed TNG and the original series of course. Most the movies have been trash too. It's a mighty whored out franchise and I'm certain that Roddenberry isn't happy in the afterlife.
2 - Jim Carruthers
Hey, the only thing which keeps the franchise going is that Bermanga have figured out how to make the revolutions of Gene Roddenbury conduit to the trans-flux sparkibules.
Actually DS9 was good in the mid-term season 3 to 6. Voyager was mostly crap, except for Robert Picardo (and Seven of Nine, but that was all about the boobs, and could Harry Kim be any dumber and live, sadly, yes, for seven years).
3 - Jim Carruthers
Let's contrast shall we? On Voyager, they announce Seven of Nine might be naked while the rest of the crew is in status -- on Enterprise (during sweeps) they announce Doctor Phlox will be naked while the rest of the crew is in status. I'll pay you not to see any nakedtude by John wassisname.
4 - Phillip Winn
I haven't watched Enterprise since the first season. It sounds like it is no better, eh?
5 - Alex Knapp
DS9 is far and away the best Trek. TNG and TOS, in comparison, don't hold up nearly as well.
DS9 dealt with issues that are hard to dramatize, but they pulled it off: namely, nearly every character was forced into a situation where they had to make a ethical decision where both outcomes were bad. See "In the Pale Moonlight" as the penultimate example.
6 - Jim Carruthers
I agree about DS9 being the best Trek (though not the first season, which was basically Gunsmoke in Space - c'mon Mrs. O'Brien was the school-marm!)
And it was the Trek without a spaceship going wherever to find problems, the problems came to them. And it dealt with politics in shades of gray. Plus Louise Fletcher in one of her best roles.
However, I wouldn't count out TNG, when it got rolling it was fully functional in multiple techniques. Plus how many Trek teevee shows have inspired Orbital albums? Time becomes a loop indeed. TNG gave us The Borg (or as the guys in that sketch on SNL about a Chicago sports bar would call them: Da Borg). Plus the tunic tug, something missing from the subsequent series. And the phrase "The Marina Sirtis Topless GIF Information Superhighway".
The one thing I'm thankful is that when Worf joined DS9, they didn't rename his son "Woof".
7 - TDavid
The first season of DS9 is what we bought and like I said, I've tried a few times to get into it and it hasn't worked for me. Jim, you might recall me saying the same think about Firefly, which I eventually did get into and enjoyed.
I'm hopeful that it will be the same for DS9, but it hasn't happened yet with a half dozen or so attempts at season one. It only put me to sleep :(
8 - Dirtgrain
The Vulcan babe (Jolene Black) from Enterprise is hotter than 7 of 9. Plus she's pure Vulcan--no risk of electrocution. Andromeda's Lexa Doig is even hotter. So that makes Andromeda the best of all the shows. Mrs. Piggy from Pigs in Space was even hotter yet. Then there is Wonder Woman--enough said. If we took the babes out of science fiction shows, then what would we have left over? Substance?
9 - Jim Carruthers
You forgot to mention "Cleopatra 2525" which was all babes, even down to the premise (a hot chick getting a boob job is put into suspended animation and revived in the future to fight with other hot chicks).
It is what Enterprise aspires to be.
10 - Jim Carruthers
TDavid, DS9 didn't really get good until the third season when they started to develop an arc (and dahbo girls at Quark's bar).
Speaking of which, I've actually been to. Yes, I had to go to the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton which features a reproduction of Quark's bar. Though I haven't had the new ride which is all about Da Borg.
Plus you can married on the bridge of the Enterprise. But alas, I am like Comic Book Guy, but not desperate enough to start cruising the three old age homes which are in my neighbourhood.
11 - TDavid
We've been to the Hilton and seen the Trek exhibit. The kids loved it.
12 - Jim Carruthers
This reminds me that I should get a screener for "Trekkies 2" which is wrapped and looking for distribution. The first doc was really fun.
13 - Ms. Tek
This is crap. I am catching the rerun of this. They are TOTALLY copying the premise of a DS9 episode.
AND SICK OF T'POL's SEX LIFE AND FEELINGS!!