was the fifth and most recent series within the Star Trek franchise. Unlike most of its predecessors, Enterprise only aired for four seasons, from 2001-2005. The series was expected to reinvent the dying franchise, and said to be the first series to attract "non Trekkies" to the franchise. The series was known simply as "Enterprise" for the first two seasons, and officially added "Star Trek" to its title beginning with the Third Season.
Enterprise is a prequel to all the other Star Trek series, taking place in the middle of the 22nd century, nearly ninety years following Zefham Conchrane's successful attempt to break the light barrier. The series tells the story of the first Earth ship to enter deep space, the NX-class Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jonathon Archer, son of famed warp engineer Henry Archer, who helped further develop warp technology.
The first two seasons of Enterprise mostly tell the story of the inexperienced and untested Enterprise crew, experiencing things no human has ever imagined. Technology that further generations would take for granted has either not been invented, or is in its earliest stages.
Enterprise premiered in September 2001 with the most spectacular series premier in Star Trek history, "Broken Bow". Enterprise's premier episode help establish the series tone and character, without much reliance on past series. It not only introduces the Enterprise crew, but also the Sulliban, a previously unheard of alien race, who is deeply involved in a Temporal Cold War. The Sulliban would become a recurring theme throughout most of the series, especially its first two seasons.
By the end of the second season, declining Enterprise ratings forced a major change in direction to keep the show alive. Bold and exciting episodes from the middle of the second season, such as "Stigma", "Cease Fire", and "Future Tense" helped temporarily boost its ratings. We also see an unexpected visit from the Borg in "Regeneration" and a trip to the recent past in "First Flight". However, the second season's finale episode, "The Expanse" helped propel the series into season-long Xindi story arc of Season Three.
Bent on destroying Earth and all of humanity, the Xindi were first introduced in the Season Two finale episode, and would become the central theme for all of Season Three, a season that would complete reinvent Star Trek: Enterprise. T'Pol's look and personality changes dramatically throughout the season, partially as a result of exposure to Trellium-D. The seasons tests the crew in a manner that has never before explored, with deep emotional consequences for each and every member.
From the beginning, Season Three was plagued with rumors of cancellation. Without knowing if the series would return for a fourth season, the producers scripted a season finale that would have no resolution, a cliffhanger that would have to be resolved.
Season Four would be seen by many as the best for Enterprise, and a sign of hope for the future of the franchise. This hope, however, would not live for long, as the fourth season would be the end of the Star Trek franchise for years.
The fourth season began with two-part resolution from the Season Three finale "Zero Hour", and quickly wrap up the Temporal Cold War. Most of the fourth season contained arc-style storylines, the first of which would bring the return of Brent Spiner to the Star Trek franchise, as the great-grandfather of Noonien Soong, the famed cyberneticist that created Data (TNG). The season follows by jumping right into the Vulcan story arc, a pivotal episode that dives deeply into Vulcan history and mythology, and helps the development of the Vulcan culture we'll see in future Star Trek incarnations. After a couple stand-alone episodes, the season jumps again into another three-season arc involving the Andorians, Romulans, Tellarites, and the first interspecies alliance that would pave the way for the United Federation of Planets.
By this point in the fourth season, the producers knew it would the last for Enterprise, and wanted to tie up loose ends. The two-part Klingon arc finally explains the distinct physical differences of Klingons from the original series. For the first time since the Deep Space Nine episode "The Emperor's New Cloak" we return to the mirror universe in the two-part "In a Mirror, Darkly" - where we see the events that lead to the mirror universe we'll see in future episodes, and take a nostalgic visit to a Constellation-class starship. Following the mirror universe story, we jump into yet another two-episode story arc, this time telling the story of a xenophobic group that intends to force all non-humans from Earth by any means necessary.
The series finale, "These Are The Voyages..." takes Enterprise on one last adventure, telling the story of the days that lead up to the creation of the United Federation of Planets, through the eyes of Commander Riker and Counselor Troi from "Star Trek: The Next Generation".
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