So having seen all the films, I decided its time to watch the many TV shows that
Star Trek have done. Now most will no doubt know that where
Star Trek really thrives is in the TV shows whereas with
Star Wars, its the films. But of course while so many have attempted to compare the two, there really isn't that much to compare other than the word "star" being used in the title and the fact that they are both largely set in space and on fictional planets. But where the two can't be compared is when one is set in the future, uses logic and is all about exploring the universe to find new species and combat those who dare threaten the very existance of all or some life in the universe. Whereas the other is "apparently" set in the distant past (but most things we see in it say otherwise) with a combination of medieval elements and fantasy along with the titular battles that are played out in a battle between good and evil and freedom over slavery and strict rules. So here we are with
Enterprise which serves as the first prequel to the
Orginal Series as well as the original ending to
Star Trek prior to J.J. Abrams doing a reboot set in an alternate universe that's not defined as the mirror universe. So let's go boldly go where no being has gone before and see what things this show can establish which would set the stage for the future shows if done in chronological order:
Season 1
The overall series focuses on the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 (which according to series canon is the first known ship to be called Enterprise) led by Captain Jonathan Archer (played throughout the series by Scott Bakula) who go on many adventures for the sake of boldly going where no man has gone before. In the first series, the crew are caught in the middle of the Temporal Cold War that involves Klingons and Suliban and must deal with how the Vulcans keep an eye on them. Loads of people have said that this first series has a lot of flaws and its pretty clear as to why that is. I have yet to see the other shows (at the time of writing this), but from what I have seen in this series, its ok at best. Not perfect and could have better story telling, but its ok and tries well with what it has going for it. 7/10
2
So the first season was all about having each episode be a stand alone story and the same is said for this season. But it would start a story arc that would carry on into the third season. So as the crew continue to explore the galaxy and learn more of the creatures that they come across, they soon find themselves in a place called the Delphic Expanse which sets the stage for the third season. Although better than the first season, its very clear to me that this season is a tad boring. Not bad per say, but has too many non serious moments and we all know that serious stuff balanced with light hearted humor can work well. It doesn't here however, but let's see how the latter two seasons fare. 7/10
3
Season 3 brings some firsts to the series as well as the overall franchise. Its the first to have a single story arc told across the 24 episode long season. Its also the first and only season of any
Star Trek series to not feature a Klingon character. So while the crew venture into the Expanse, they set about finding a Xindi superweapon while preventing another Xindi attack from destorying Earth. Much of the main cast get considerable character development and we see more developments with the relationships of various species. I think at this point,
Star Trek: Enterprise finally found its stride in this season. It focuses on one single story arc without forcing too many stand alone stories in our faces and became a more serious series while maintaining some humor here and there. Let's hope this carries on into the final season. 8/10
4
So the final season has some much smaller story arcs which wrap up a number of lingering things like the previously mentioned Cold War, how different types of Klingons can exist as well as one story arc that has connections to the second film as well as featuring the return of Brent Spiner who played Data in
The Next Generation. Overall, the final season isn't too bad and with the exception of the finale, is probably the best season of the show all together. Reason why I excuse the finale is that it wasn't the ending we had hoped for with it being more centred around the
Next Generation crew trying to figure out the NX-01's final mission. Yeah it wasn't well recieved and people have been begging for a fifith season to clear the air. But it never happened. But apart from the finale, the final season is a good one and manages to grant the series a much needed renewed interest in the fandom. 8/10
Often I find that shows tend to work better after the first season and this is the case here. The first season wasn't great and it got better as the show went on. It was a good show that gave insight into many lingering questions that fans have been wanting answers on for a very long time. And although it was originally set out to be the finale of the overall franchise, its good to know that its still going strong in light of recent developments over the years. 8/10
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