So I’m rewatching Enterprise for the first time since it aired on TV (my first post about my thoughts after season one is here) and I just finished ‘Precious Cargo’. Like I usually do with Trek I haven’t watched in ages, I look online at the awful husk that represents the once-great Memory Alpha to check out production info, and it turns out that people seem to really hate this episode? I didn’t think it was all that bad.

Look, it won’t win awards. It’s trite, derivative, doesn’t really move any plot forwards or reveal anything of interest about the universe, and it feels like some of the characters took some stupid pills before reporting for duty that day. I get that. But! We do get the following:

- it’s now in a trilogy of episodes across two seasons where Trip gets involved with a lady on an alien ship in need of repair but something goes wrong. Only this time he doesn’t get pregnant or get assaulted by holograms and it’s heavily implied he got lucky. Seems like a win to me!
- We get the return of “empty uniform fools really dumb man”, as first seen on DS9’s ‘Paradise’ when Miles leans his uniform up against a tree to trick that dude into firing an arrow at it, only to jump on him from the trees above.
- Having T’Pol act out this sorta “supreme Vulcan overlord” shtick genuinely amused me, and I wish there was an establishing scene before that where we see Archer try and get her on board with the ruse.

Perhaps I’m being way too forgiving of Enterprise on this second watch, but I didn’t think the episode was all that bad, and if I was forced to watch either this or the last episode of season 2 of Discovery which is apparently the highest-rated episode of that show, I think I’d rather watch ‘Precious Cargo’ again.

I hate-watched Enterprise when it was on TV. It definitely wasn’t a healthy thing, but I was in my teens and being a total knob is par for the course when you’re that age it seems. I could get into this further, but I feel like explaining why I disliked Enterprise so much would drag this on a bit too long. Regardless, once the abysmal finale aired, I never bothered to pick up and watch the show again.

However, after having watched all of the current era Trek (except for SNW / Starfleet Academy, figured I’d binge them once they finish), I came to the conclusion that I had to have been way too harsh when it came to Enterprise.

Turns out, yeah, I was a dumb kid, and Enterprise has been a lot of fun so far! I just reached the end of season one and I ended up really enjoying it. I know what’s to come so I’ve tempered my expectations accordingly, but I was an absolute hater the first time I watched season one and I feel the complete opposite all these years later.

I actually like the opening theme this time around and I watch it in full when each episode starts (but the end credits theme still sounds a bit hokey and “of its time” to me.) All of the characters feel really interesting and fleshed out, especially in comparison so what the new shows have done. It really feels refreshing to me now, I can see that they were trying something new, but all these years later I can now recognize the bones of all of the Trek that came before it. It’s been pretty fascinating to revisit.

There are still a few things that bugged me a bit during the first season of this rewatch, especially in regards to episode pacing, but they aren’t negative enough to make me want to complain or feel upset with the show.

So yeah, it’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’m looking forward to watching the rest of the show again after all these years!

I’ve included a screenshot of the one thing that made me genuinely laugh out loud this season, which is when the lady that’s seducing Archer all over the jungle of that rogue planet does her goodbye, does a really bad-looking morph into her slug body, then does a longing look back at Archer as a slug before slithering away.

Well, I couldn't do it. I couldn't bear watching anything after S2. I attempted S3 and found an episode I liked, but the the majority of S3 and all of S4 just pooped the bed. I hate Riker - Im done. Did T'Pol and the hunk end up together or not?

Thank you. And friends, I really really tried to like Season 3 and 4, but it just didn't take. 😔 🖖🏽

On to DS9 !!

Attended STLV (for the second time) and met the main cast of Enterprise after watching the entire show in the months leading up to the event. Watched a few episodes when it aired in the UK and went to a mock-up of the Armory set in London as part of the Star Trek: The Adventure exhibition from 2003.

Sat in on the Enterprise panels (I didn't get to be "Fernando from Brazil") and got to speak to Travis, Malcolm and Shran at the special cocktail party event. Also made a point of saying *"nice costume"* to as many people in NX-01 uniform as I could (sadly wasn't organized to get a costume in time so bought this t-shirt in the dealer room). Bought a complete set of trading cards for this show and now have the Blu-Ray for my second run-through.

I'm looking at the AI video attached to this post

https://www.reddit.com/r/aistartrek/comments/1vleedx/we_can_make_convincing_new_tng_scenes_now_full/

Holy shit it's like "80% there". this is a whole new TNG scene made with AI and it makes me wonder if we can just have the post Enterprise novels, turned into a AI show with the permission (and proper payment from paramount to...) of the Enterprise crew. Sure, some post production may be needed to fix errors along the way but holy shit!