ENTERPRISE: Season 2 Blu-Ray Synopsis
In the 22nd century, a hundred years before James T. Kirk helmed the famous starship of the same name, Enterprise takes place in an era when interstellar travel is still in its infancy. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) has assembled a crew of brave explorers to chart the galaxy on a revolutionary spacecraft: Enterprise NX-01. As the first human beings to venture into deep space, these pioneers experience the wonder and mystery of the final frontier as they seek out new life and new civilizations.
Enterprise is a intriguing show. Created to fill in the historical gap between our time and the age of Kirk and co. It was meant to show the exciting first adventures of mankind out into the stars in a prototype starship, first encounters with classic alien species such as the Romulans, Andorians and progress into the formation of the Federation and the Star Trek universe which came to be in the original series and beyond into the era of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I recall the first two seasons not fully delivering on this exciting premise (seasons 3 and 4 were notable improvements) so I was happy to jump into the show again to see if my views had changed at all.
Season two continues a trend established in season one. Several great episodes but with some weaker ones interspersed between. 26 episodes is a long run in one season and it is hard to maintain a real high level of quality without some intertwined narrative threads, which is what was introduced in Seasons 3 and 4 and really raised the quality of Enterprise. Originally airing back in 2002/03, Enterprise faced battles airing against the (perhaps) more accessible Stargate series, Farscape , the superb re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica and other shows in a more saturated market. Sci Fi was a far more competitive landscape then than in comparison to the time of The Next Generation let alone the original series.
This season does present some great examples of how good Trek can be, toying with a time travel fallout in the season opener Shockwave, a classic allegorical take on AIDS using a Vulcan equivalent in Stigma and a classic Trek-style story in Cogenitor where the crew encounter a race that is tri-gendered and one crewman’s attempts to understand leads to tragic consequences. Also entertaining is a trip down memory lane showing Vulcans visiting Earth in the 1950s (Carbon Creek) and technically what amounts to a sequel to Star Trek: First Contact where we discover what happened to those pesky Borg drones who survived destruction at the hands of the Enterprise-E. There is also a sense of Enterprise starting to fulfill its role in showing us the history of the Federation unraveling with a first encounter with classic villains the Romulans (Minefield) and a peppering throughout the season of seeds of discord with the Klingons (Marauders and Judgment) playing into the inevitable Federation/Klingon war we are familiar with during Kirk’s time. The Expanse, the season finale, showcases the dramatic developments that ultimately change the course and structure of the show onwards. At its best Enterprise is familiar, polished and entertaining, at its worst, it is pretty bland. There is a spectrum of everything in between evident too. With as rich a mythology as Trek has, I never saw the need to manufacture a ‘Temporal Cold War’ and the ensuing side arcs but the impetus it gave from then on out was undeniably helpful. When the show played to the legacy and history of Star Trek, it delivered, when it strayed into more complex and unnecessary tales to give intertwining plot arcs is when it stumbled. There was sufficient material in the existing universe to deliver something great, no need to pad it out.
What stood out back then and I was reminded of now is the quality of the cast, after multiple versions of Trek the assembly of a good crew had been honed pretty well. Every role is well played and their camaraderie shines through. I have always admired Scott Bakula (Quantum leap, Men of a Certain Age) and he provides a great central figure to the series in the Trek-Captain vein although he is certainly more relatable, likely due to this crew being the first into space and more close to our own time than any others. Throughout the show there is a real sense of humanity finding it’s way and often stumbling through the stars. There is also a mimicry to the original series trio of Kirk-Spock-McCoy here with Archer-T’Pol-Tucker and while not as legendary a group as their predecessors/successors, they are part of what makes Enterprise solid even when it is lacking in plotlines. The rest of the cast also have their own episodes centered around them giving opportunity to develop, as is Trek-tradition.
The disc transfer is decent, overall looking pretty sharp with some scenes being a tad hazy, although I think this was due to how the show was filmed; a contrast to the sharper/more stark look of Star Trek:TNG and it’s Blu releases. The Blu-Ray reveals some of the CGI is starting to show its age however, while planetary vistas and sequences set in space still look impressive there is an occasional graininess with some of the darker scenes in space. The sound also is handled well, dialogue is crisp and sound effects are solid. No gripes here. Snazzy graphics accompany the menus, schematics and blueprints of the Enterprise herself, a nice layer of polish to proceedings. As far as extras go the discs (there are 6) are pretty packed.
Alongside the usual deleted scenes, commentaries and cast profiles are two really nicely put together pieces for this Blu-Ray release. The first is In Conversation: The First Crew, a new-for-Blu-ray piece in which Brannon Braga (creator and executive producer) sits with the whole cast in a reunion setting where they discuss topics such as the show’s cancellation, how the parts were filled, personal memories, friendships forged, studio interference and compromises made. The interactions in reality between these people reflect what came across on screen, a real sense of respect and friendship and it is entertaining and informative to get this glimpse into how the show came together from so many personal angles. The second major addition to the extra features is the Uncharted Territory documentary, split into three parts with Part One: Destination Unknown focusing on the writing challenges for the show entering it’s second season and capturing new viewers yet satisfying the old. Part Two: The First Crew expands on my earlier sentiment about this being a more relatable crew, looking at the humanity aspect of the show and again drawing from cast interviews including some recurring guests. The final section, Part Three: Course Correction examines the problem with the ratings, studio criticism and the ensuing change plotted out for the next season to begin with the Season Two finale episode, The Expanse. It is perhaps a understatement that a complacency and blandness had set into the Trek-verse at this time and it is fascinating to see this assembled footage where the creators realized this and seem to take strong action to fix things. Honesty and/or ignorance is a problem with many TV shows and it is refreshing to see so much honesty here. This is a real solid package of extras to back up an already full Blu-Ray set.
Revisiting this show hit me with a wave of nostalgia. It has been a long time since Star Trek has been on our screens in a ongoing TV series and it is a rich universe that, when handled correctly, is an exciting place to visit. Enterprise provides clever social commentaries and delivers solid Sci Fi tales. The show had its missteps and hit some very bland complacent notes in it’s run but did produce some great episodes, fed into Trek lore and gave us a very polished show. It was aired in a more competitive time and was overlooked/under appreciated by many. This well put together Blu-Ray set is a great way to revisit an old friend.
The Blu-Ray set is available on August 20th, 2013. Amazon links to this and related Blu-Ray sets are below.
From the Press Release:
Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment have detailed the 6-disc Blu-ray release of Star Trek: Enterprise — Season Two. The series’ second season stars Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery and Linda Park, and arrives on August 20th.
A centerpiece to the Season Two Blu-ray collection is the newly produced cast reunion feature, “In Conversation: The First Crew,” which offers fans a look at an intimate and candid discussion with members of the main cast and recurring guest stars, who reveal their most memorable stories from the set and their favorite behind-the-scenes moments. The reunion is moderated by series co-creator/executive producer Brannon Braga.
Fans will also enjoy “Uncharted Territory,” a three-part retrospective providing an inside look at the challenges faced by the writing staff and creators during the creative development of the second season, which ultimately inspired the controversial Xindi story-arc that kicks off in the season finale, “The Expanse.” In addition, a collection of newly produced commentaries by cast and crew including John Billingsley (“Phlox”), writer/co-executive producer Chris Black and Mike & Denise Okuda, among others, round out the set.
The Blu-ray edition of Season Two will feature all 26 episodes and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. The 6-disc set breaks down as follows:
Disc One:
Episodes; Shockwave (Part II), Carbon Creek, Minefield, Dead Stop. Special Features:
Audio Commentary by Chris Black and Mike & Denise Okuda on “Carbon Creek” (New!)
Deleted Scene from “Minefield” (SD)
Audio Commentary by Michael Sussman and Phyllis Strong (2005) on “Dead Stop“ In Conversation: The First Crew (HD, New!) Season 2 Promo (SD)
Archival Mission Logs: Enterprise Moments: Season Two (SD), Enterprise Profile: Jolene Blalock (SD)