Star Trek: Enterprise - The Complete Series (DVD, 2005, 27-Disc Set)

Here in Britain, I've been a fan of Star Trek since the early 80's when the BBC used to show the Original, 6pm on a weeknight. I doubt many were even aware of this most recent series' existence, because Channel 4 gave it such a low profile back in 2001. Hot on the heels of Voyager, TV was saturated with the likes of Picard, Sisko and Janeway, all simultaneously running around in 24th Century shows... leaving Enterprise with an almost impossible task to escape from under their collective shadow.

It's a testament to the actors involved, that I generally keep returning to Enterprise for more. I love the characters, while being the less than moral humans Star Trek's creator Gene Roddenberry would've created, they do in fact hold true to his ideals - that of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Archer, interested me from the outset (being familar with Scott Bakula's other work) his Captain out there alone with no support, no rulebook or role models to learn from their mistakes. His 'quid pro quo' relationship with Shran (a blue-skinned Andorian) with whom he forms a bond, both skeptics of the Vulcan's agenda and yet building bridges with one another. Trip, likeable Southern Engineer who's deep friendship with his Captain, manages to survive his occassional bouts of insubordination. T'Pol, initially an observer from a Vulcan government concerned about the impact of humankind's deep exploration. Growing more accustomed to the crew and their perspective, seeing how her race aren't always as logical and wise as they might appear. Her relationship with Trip, which manages to rise above its somewhat exploitive origins and her struggle to maintain control over her emotions. The technology deserves a mention here too - phase pistols, airlocks & shuttlepods deployed from bomb bay doors. When you're at a disadvantage, you have nothing but your wits to rely on and this show was about as far from the usual technobabble approach as it was possible for Trek to get, while staying realistic.

Keep an open mind and give this a shot, it got better & better over its short 4 year run. One piece of advice, look beyond the theme music to the inspiring montage of human exploration. "Faith of the Heart" polarises opinon between love and hate. There are some thought provoking episodes in amongst the action and rough 'n' ready crew talk, as well some intrigue provided by the Vulcans who had never quite been explored this well before.

I still believe this is the show with the most potential left unexplored. 2 reasonably good seasons, 2 excellent ones which kept me watching and yet still barely scratched the surface. Had I been in charge of CBS/Paramount in 2005, I certainly would not have cancelled this... not considering how well the stories were coming along in leaps and bounds. I hope they're looking at the popularity of Star Trek in cinemas at the moment, and think back to that day fans held a rally outside the studio, sent emails and letters... all protesting the loss of a show that had finally turned the tide of fan acceptance (not unlike TNG/DS9/VOY which took years to take off), only to be unjustly rewarded with the axe. Shame on the Executive who made that decision.

This 5th series of the Star Trek universe is actually a prequel to the original series. Starting 90 years after "First Contact" between humans and Vulcans, it presents the voyages of the first starfleet ship named Enterprise.
Excellent special effects are a hallmark of this line and ST:E is no exception. The storylines are well thought out and the acting is very good for a weekly series. The character development is such that even viewers who are not Star Trek fans will enjoy watching, and rewatching, these immensely.

I began watching the series Star Trek: Enterprise on the Sci-Fi network for the first time in October 2007, having missed its original television run. I have been a fan of Star Trek since “The Original Series” and I watched “The Next Generation” and all of the movies as well. I lost interest in Star Trek after "The Next Generation". Enterprise has renewed my interest in the Star Trek franchise. Buying the complete series on DVD and watching all four seasons in sequence is the only way to go. I consider Enterprise to be the best of all of the Star Treks that I have seen. The stories are interesting, the characters compelling, the acting excellent and the special effects outstanding. The series seemed to get better as time went on and season four, its final season, was the best. It is unfortunate; however, that the series lasted only four seasons and thus never reached its full potential as part of the Star Trek franchise.

This series was every bit as exciting as any of the others. It was not as well received by broad audiences and didn't hang in as long as the other TNG, DS9, or Voyager. The case could be made that the acting, writing, effects, and directing were just as good or better. Some claim the series suffered from Star Trek fatigue--I believe the general concept for Enterprise was lacking. It was an attempt to recapture the glory days. At any rate some of the individual episodes are magnificent other are not so much. I was also disappointed in that they never tied together some early issues with who was behind the Suliban (spelling?). I haven't watched any of these since it was canceled so I'm looking forward to getting the whole set and even seeing a couple for the first time.

The few I saw originally on TV were so different from the other Star Trek's. It only took a couple episodes for me to be hooked and then I couldn't find it anymore and I didn't know what had happened to Captain Archer at the end of Season 3. I did have trouble finding the original complete series and not a copy. I haven't made it through them all yet, but it has helped explain certain things in the other Star Trek's that come later. Even my fiance hasn't minded watching them with me.