ENTERPRISE: Season 3 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.
Previously on Cinapse, we covered the release of Season 2 of Enterprise here. As mentioned there, Enterprise is an interesting show. Set 100 years before the era of Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Original series, it shows mankind’s first foray into the stars. Political tensions from a watchful Vulcan race and first encounters with aliens such as Andorians and Romulans are included. The first two seasons were sporadic in quality but season 3 sees a narrative change for the show, following an attack on Earth at the end of the previous season in which seven million people died. Enterprise is recalled, her mission of exploration is postponed and she and her crew are sent into The Expanse, a deadly region of space, to find the Xindi, the race responsible for the attack, and stop them before they try again. It is a deliberate attempt to give direction and action to the show and place it among those now embracing season long plot-arcs.
The new, grittier take on Enterprise certainly gives the show focus and drive. The stakes seem genuinely high and the aftermath of the attack carries weight. Themes of stress and post traumatic stress disorder are explored (at times clumsily) as well as questionable moral choices entertained in the name of saving Earth. Star Trek is as much about exploring human nature as it is the stars and Enterprise is no different in this. The new format adds in conflict, which permeates the crew interactions as well as the action quotient, shaking up dynamics that might have been too settled. One of the best elements of Enterprise was the casting — it was pretty much spot on from the start and the crew has a great rapport together. Season three changes some of those dynamics with varying degrees of success. Scott Bakula (Captain Jonathan Archer) gives a more weary and conflicted commanding officer, and while a little one-note at times, is convincing in his new military role. One major grievance with this season is the treatment of the female cast members, notably T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) and Ensign Sato (Linda Park). Situations, mostly unnecessary, occur to introduce skimpier/tighter outfits or full on nakedness. Enterprise has always skirted a line of being unnecessarily gratuitous and that continues here. Some may say it harkens back to the trashier elements of the original series — whether that is a good or bad thing is for the viewer to decide. The reality is, good writing helps you invest in a character, sex appeal shouldn’t be necessary to sell it.
Season three has some great episodes, the opener The Xindi being snappy and action oriented, framing up the new direction perfectly. Impulse has horror roots, Similitude has classic Trek commentary on cloning along with E2 and an encounter with the descendants of the NX-01. Some episodes are a little harder to get through, Extinction and Rajiin spring to mind, the trashiness and overused plotlines interrupting an otherwise engaging season. While Enterprise occasionally stumbles, the overarching Xindi plot line pushes things along at a good pace and ties the season together nicely. It provides a better platform for the show and characters, although at the expense of the more idealistic Roddenberry version of what Star Trek should represent.
The box set, presented in a single box with slip cover, contains all 24 episodes of the third season as well as a plethora of extras. The interactive menu is simple and set up with some neat animations in a blueprint scheme similar to that of the season two set. Like the last season, the video transfer is fairly solid, darker scenes coming through well but some interior scenes taking on a softness. One issue is how poorly the CGI has aged. During season three it feels as though ambition outweighed the budget. Sound quality is again good — action and dialogue coming though loud and clear.
Again, the blu-ray is packed with extras. The main feature is a three-part documentary In A Time of War, which gives great coverage of the show’s change of direction and themes, explored through conversation with the show’s creators, writers, and cast. It features some surprisingly blunt admissions about the direction of the show, studio interference, budget issues, cast relationships, as well as the influence of 9/11. Also included is Temporal Cold War: Declassified which ties in the ongoing plotline from the previous two seasons into this one. There is also a host of episode commentaries, deleted scenes and other featurettes that will keep you busy for hours.
In essence Enterprise Season 3 presents two shows: the first is a darker tale of a small crew fighting against the odds to save their people, the other is a throwback to classic Trek with some campier, more typical stories. The show swings between the two rather effectively. The Xindi plot gives fresh impetus to proceedings while still allowing for catering to fans of the original remit of the show. While some of the acting becomes a little one note with the darker theme, it is still an under-appreciated addition to the Star Trek franchise. Well worth dipping into as well as being a very well put together Blu-ray that will satiate even the most die-hard fan.
The Blu-Ray set is available on January 7th, 2014. You can buy it from Amazon here.
From the Press Release: The original starship Enterprise continues its historic voyage into the final frontier of high definition when STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE — SEASON THREE on Blu-ray makes its debut on January 7 from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Media Distribution. Featuring all 24 episodes from the third season, the six-disc Blu-ray set also includes never-before-seen special features that are exclusive to this release: “In A Time of War,” a new three-part documentary, and a new featurette entitled “Temporal Cold War: Declassified.”
In addition, the Blu-ray includes bonus material previously released on DVD such as commentaries, deleted scenes from select episodes and archival mission logs for an in-depth and immersive viewing experience. With breathtaking 1080p high-definition picture and remastered sound, the STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE Blu-ray releases have received rave reviews.
Starring Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery and John Billingsley, STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE follows the adventures of the Enterprise NX-01, the first Earth-built vessel capable of breaking the Warp 5 barrier, and her intrepid crew of brave explorers.
In addition to all-new commentary tracks on select episodes with some of the franchise’s most notable names, the high-definition collection includes the newly produced “In A Time Of War.” This retrospective, multi-part documentary offers fans an inside look at the making of the series’ groundbreaking third season, which was the first in the franchise to feature a year-long story arc. In this piece, the writers and production staff discuss the complexities of plotting the Xindi story arc along with the development of the key themes seen in the show’s pivotal third season.
The collection also includes the exclusive featurette, “Temporal Cold War: Declassified.” In this never-before-seen piece, the show’s creators, cast and production team reveal details about the original story arc that was never fully explored; in addition, the group discusses how the temporal cold war would have ended if the series had continued.
STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE — SEASON THREE on Blu-ray will be available in 1080p with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, French Stereo Surround and Japanese Stereo Surround. The discs also include English SDH, French, German, Japanese and Dutch subtitles. The Blu-ray is Not Rated in the U.S. and rated PG in Canada. It will be available for the suggested retail price of $130.00 U.S. and $150.00 Canada. The disc breakdown is as follows:
Disc One: Episodes · The Xindi/Anomaly/Extinction/Rajiin Special Features: · Text Commentary by Mike & Denise Okuda on “The Xindi” (2005) · Archival Mission Logs: · The Xindi Saga Begins (SD)
· Enterprise Moments: Season Three (SD)
Disc Two: Episodes · Impulse/Exile/The Shipment/Twilight Special Features:
· Episode Commentary by David Livingston and David A. Goodman on “Impulse” — NEW! · Text Commentary by Mike & Denise Okuda on “Impulse” (2005) · Episode Commentary by Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill on “Twilight” (2008)
Disc Three: Episodes · North Star/Similitude/Carpenter Street/Chosen Realm Special Features: · Episode Commentary by David A. Goodman and Chris Black on “North Star” — NEW! · Episode Commentary by Mike DeMeritt on “North Star” (2005) · Episode Commentary by Manny Coto and Connor Trinneer on “Similitude” — NEW! · Episode Commentary by Manny Coto on “Similitude” (2005)
· Deleted Scenes from “Similitude” (SD) · Deleted Scene from “Chosen Realm” (SD)
Disc Four:
Episodes · Proving Ground/Stratagem/Harbinger/Doctor’s Orders
Disc Five: Episodes · Hatchery/Azati Prime/Damage/The Forgotten/E2 Special Features: · Episode Commentary by David A. Goodman, Chris Black and Connor Trinneer on “The Forgotten” — NEW!
· Deleted Scenes from “E2” (SD)
Disc Six: Episodes · The Council/Countdown/Zero Hour Special Features: · Episode Commentary by Chris Black and André Bormanis on “Countdown” — NEW! · Text Commentary by Mike & Denise Okuda on “Countdown” (2005) · In A Time Of War: (HD) — NEW! · Part One: Call To Arms · Part Two: Front Lines · Part Three: Final Conflict · Temporal Cold War: Declassified (HD) — NEW!
· Archival Mission Logs: · Enterprise Profile: Connor Trinneer (SD) · A Day In The Life Of A Director: Roxann Dawson (SD) · Behind The Camera: Marvin Rush (SD) · Enterprise Secrets (SD) · Outtakes (SD) · Photo Gallery (SD) · NX-01 File 07 (SD) · NX-01 File 08 (SD) · NX-01 File 09 (SD)
STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE — THE THIRD SEASON BLU-RAY SPECS Street Date: January 7, 2014 Suggest retail price: $130.00 U.S. / $150.00 CAN Runtime: Approx. 17 hrs, 5 min U.S. Rating: Not Rated
CAN Rating: PG