r/enterprise

Just finished my 3rd(?) rewatch. The show had bad episodes (shuttle pod 1), great episodes (cogenitor, among others), but what really disappointed me was the last episode.

ENT was the first ST show I watched, so at the
time I didn’t really understand who Riker and Troi were. I figured during this rewatch I’d understand better. But I feel like the creators missed some great opportunities.

Good things:

1. The episode is supposed to emphasize how important Archer and the NX-01 crew were in the creation of the federation. It does that by the dialog between Riker and Troi.
2. Jeffrey Combs came back :D
3. Trip dying and knowing he did it for the greater good was good, but [read on]

Bad things:

1. This should have been a 2-parter at least. Perhaps it was only 1 episode due to budget cuts.
2. The last episode being about helping Shran instead of one final challenge before the signing of the treaty of the Coalition of Planets is a low-ball. The 2 episodes before would have made for a much better finale.
3. Trip dying for only 2 people sucks. He died for Shran, not for Archer.

Compared to the finales of TNG, DS9 and VOY (oof, especially VOY), this was such a disappointment. Then again, I suppose the sudden ending of funding forced the writers to make difficult choices.

Enterprise is the only series I haven’t watched and rewatched dozens of times.. I was not a huge fan of it when it was on in the early 2000’s.

I remember absolutely HATING this episode for its perceived break in continuity… but it rewatching it now; I have a different take.

I think this episode actually fixes several continuity issues throughout the franchise.

1. Why did Q appear and randomly send Picard to meet the Borg?

I mean, sure they are a powerful enemy, but not one that would ever be encountered in Picard’s lifetime under normal circumstances.. in all honesty the federation isn’t likely to have ever encountered the Borg without outside influence. So was Q just being cruel? No. The borg cube in the Delta Quadrant was already on its way to earth having received the signal from the Borg in Archer’s time. Q reacted to the imminent threat coming to the federation and gave them a heads up in the way Q does.

2. What were the Hanson’s doing looking for Borg?! How would they have even known what the Borg were.. none of that in Voyager ever made a bit of sense.. now it kind of does. The Hansons being high up in the scientific community would have heard rumors of is likely a seriously classified event.. probably me an El Aurian who filled in some gaps and away they went, young Annika in tow to find them some Borg, with their scale model cube they made from putting together all the pieces of these various events.

3. Why were the Borg so fucking obsessed with humanity?!

Let’s face it.. the Federation is not the most advanced species out there.: and the Borg had lots of other concerns.. but no other race initiated a contact from 200 years in the past ..
That would be enough to make the queen want to know exactly what the fuck made that happen..

Anyway.. just my thoughts on this episode that I think does more to put the continuity back together than tear it apart