Star Trek: Enterprise

I'm stunned. It's hard to believe that with the cancellation of "STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE", for the first time in18 years there will not be a STAR TREK series on the air. I have spent an abnormal amount of time engaged in water cooler talk as to why the latest STAR TREK spin-off failed to last more than 4 seasons. I do consider myself a TREK fan but I am hesitant to use terms like Trekkie or Trekker. I see STAR TREK the same way I see religion. It can be a great source of comfort, it should be used in moderation and I don't want to associate with or be associated with its followers. These devoted fans by the way recently raised over 15 million dollars to keep this fifth TREK series on the air, forcing them to delay moving out of their parent's basements for at least... Well I guess they had the disposable income anyway. Don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are Trekkies or Trekkers. Go rent the documentary TREKKIES and you will know what I am talking about.

What Gene Roddenberry pitched, as "Wagon Train to the Stars" became much more than what WilliamShatner described on SNL as, "...just a TV show!" Roddenberry managed to address the problems of the day that would not have been addressed otherwise on TV, by using outer space as its backdrop. The show inspired many to reach for the stars by studying science. People of color and women seeing Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) on the Enterprise bridge saw a future that included them. The show inspired new technology and it's packaging. Imagine what your cell phone or home computer would look like without STAR TREK as inspiration. Gene Rodenbery's vision also showed us a future where people of all races worked and played together (including TV's first interracial kiss Plato's Stepchildren).

I know that I'm making this sound bigger than just the cancellation of a TV show. I liked Enterprise and was not bothered by the multiple episode story lines. I still saw Gene Roddenberry's original intentions realized in this latest STAR TREK franchise. I liked that Captain Jonathan Archer's (Scott Bakula ) Enterprise and crew was less sophisticated than Captain Kirk's or Picard's. The bottom line is that it doesn't matter if you are battling an unknown alien threat or debating the moral implications of interfering with the development of an alien species, as long as the show is well written and well acted, that's all that matters.

One of the great things about Trek is that you can never run out of story ideas. All you have to do is look at today's newsmakers, paint them green and stick them on another planet.

Fear not Trekkies or Trekkers. Even though we are saying goodbye to Captain Archer's Enterprise, the franchise will live long and prosper. There is now talk about an 11th STAR TREK feature scheduled for release in 2007. I look forward to it, just don't expect to see me at the first screening and I definitely wont be in uniform because to quote Groucho Marx, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member".

Stay Tuned Tony Figueroa

This series was underrated and under appreciated in it's time. It's was getting into a good stride toward the end but unfortunately wasn't renewed for the full 7 seasons many other shows in the franchise got.

I found the show to be a compelling prequel to the original Star Trek. It was interesting to see humans as the newcomer to deep space; they were more than often met with aliens with far superior technology, a lot of them not so friendly. They had to be resourceful to achieve their goals and defeat stronger enemies. It was a refreshing change from the previous shows where the Federation was virtually the dominant faction with the most advanced technology and huge fleet.

Enterprise was about humans being the underdogs and still besting their foes. It was fun to watch!

ENTERPRISE came out at a lousy time. Coming in the wake of four other Trek series shows and all the movies, the public never seemed all that stuck on the show. Plus, while I was a huge fan, I must admit that the series started slowly---very, very slowly. As a result, the show was canceled prematurely--after the show had greatly improved but lost its audience. It's really a shame.

The series is supposedly a prequel to all the Star Trek shows and shows the earliest journeys of mankind to the stars. I really liked what the writers did with the Vulcans, as in previous Star Trek shows, this race was super-noble. Here, however, they were less angelic--doing their best to keep humans on Earth as well as showing a deviousness that you only slowly came to realize. But perhaps the most interesting race on the series were the Andorians (who were only briefly seen on the original STAR TREK). These arch-rivals of the Vulcans seemed hyper-aggressive and unreasonable through part of the series, but after a while you come to see that the Vulcans really were jerks and dishonest in this series. While the Andorians were not the nicest of people, despite initial appearances, they could be reasonable and even allies. This plot element that was woven throughout the series was particularly effective and I loved how these beings were far more complex than you first thought (much like the Narn were on BABYLON 5).

The major plot running through most episodes involved a doomsday weapon that obliterated Florida when first tested and was destined to be used to wipe out the entire planet and this was an excellent and interesting plot idea. The voyage across unknown space to stop this carnage was kept my interest. Additionally, most of the crew members were interesting and well-written, though since it was made in the 21sst century, they tended to be sex perverts compared to earlier and more chaste series (including one episode where a male crew member got pregnant after making it with another species)! Still, there was a lot to recommend here--too bad it came on the heels of all this other Trek, as it couldn't help but fail due to audience overload.

By the way, there are MANY inconsistencies on the show if you compare it to the original Star Trek, such as the Enterprise looking far more high tech in this series (though it was set in an earlier year). Unless you are a major geek with no life whatsoever, this shouldn't be a major problem. If it IS, then you need to join Star Trek Anonymous!

This is in my opinion the last legit entry to the Star Trek universe: Discovery and Picard are just a travesty of Roddenberry's vision. The movies with Chris Pine are not bad but put by far too much focus on action and CGI-wonderland. Anyway, from time to time I put one of those shows back on my screen and Enterprise is the border for my travels back in time, after that just awaits the void of trash, which I carefully know how to avoid.

Was a great series. Watching it again years later, it was even more enjoyable and seemed to finally find its footing when it was cancelled. Would have really enjoyed a few more seasons. On a side note, if you watch it I strongly recommend NOT watching the final episode. It really can ruin the whole experience and seems like a half-baked idea from someone watching too much Indiana Jones or something like that. Worst way to end a show since Sopranos.