Thoughts on the second half of season 3 of Enterprise
Today I watched my final episode of Enterprise for quite a while; I hope to begin the Original Series tomorrow, although it may not be until later this week. In the meantime, I need to expand my thoughts on the final two seasons. My last post covered up through “Exile” so I will begin there, and then cover season four later this week.
First and foremost, what I most enjoyed about season 3 was the continuous storyline. Even though it was interrupted by weekly one-shot stories, the threat of the Xindi was constantly present. In the background at times, and reaching a crescendo at the forefront as the season reached its conclusion, it was great that the crew had a common enemy to rally behind, opening up contact with new allies as well.
“Twilight” was an interesting episode, playing with alternate futures. Seeing Archer and T’Pol develop a relationship was a curious twist, although not one that plays out in my mind, especially having watched season four to its conclusion. That being said, the “reset button” used at the end of the episode is a bit of a cheap ploy, one which I’ve seen a hundred comic book writers use with varying success.
“Similitude” – as someone who lived through the Clone Saga of 90s Spider-Man…no thanks.
“Carpenter Street” was one I enjoyed for many of the same reasons I liked season two’s “Carbon Creek”. Seeing the present (or relative present) collide with the hypothetical future is an interesting plot device, despite the entanglements that time travel presents any continuity-based story. This handled it well, while establishing not just the Xindi but the Reptilian Xindi as insidious enemies who have had their hands in history longer than anyone may realize.
“Chosen Realm” – Important for bridging the Temporal Cold War with the Xindi attacks, but not much more than that.
“Stratagem” – I enjoyed seeing another side of Archer. This presents him as someone who is willing to operate outside of traditional morality by attempting a ruse on Degra to learn more about the Xindi weapon. Shows Archer as a fully realized character who isn’t a mere archetype of heroism and leadership.
“Harbinger” – more interesting for the Reed/MACO subplot. More about the militarization of the Enterprise later.
The remainder of the episodes primarily deal with the Xindi threat and are highly plot-driven, but there are a few thoughts that continue to bounce around my head.
- The most disappointing character to me is Trip. The loss of his sister is obviously intended to give him more depth, but I felt it only served to make him more one-dimensional. The only aspect of his character that interested me was his desire for revenge, but that wore thin. His developing relationship with T’Pol was obviously a constant thread, but served to further her character more than his.
- T’Pol’s struggle to keep her emotions in check was fascinating. As a relative newbie to the world of Star Trek, I was under the impression that Vulcans were simply naturally emotionless, and I was unaware that it requires effort on their part to maintain control. Obviously she was also affected by an external stimuli that made her problem even worse, but all the same her deepening connection with Trip and other crew members, combined with occasional lapses into losing her temper, made her more relatable than I predicted at the outset.
- Hoshi and Mayweather both became characters with histories and futures. Knowing more about them and why they were aboard the Enterprise helps the viewer connect with them. They are in the background, but a constant presence, and occasionally valuable contributors.
Finally, in my last post (almost two months ago) I discussed season 3 as a metaphor for post 9/11 America. As an English teacher, I’m constantly looking for meaning to be derived from context, and these episodes aired as U.S. action in Afghanistan was intensifying and the military action in Iraq was beginning. I do think this comparison holds up. After a significant attack designed to strike fear into the populace (Xindi attack on FL – 9/11), the military takes a greater presence in everyday life (MACOs on Enterprise – Patriot Act, Dept. of Homeland Security). Leaders stray from their previously embraced ideals and take measures that their constituents may not approve of – many of Archer’s actions as the Xindi storyline reaches its climax are a notable departure from his previously established character. More than Archer, Reed especially has the most negative reaction to the MACOs’ presence. He clearly sees them as a threat to his own relevance on the Enterprise as head security officer, and gets into a bit of a dick-swinging contest with their commander. He prevails in that conflict, but the tone of that aspect of the series changed notably. Even after the threat was neutralized, the status quo was never regained. Heading into season 4, the Enterprise’s missions were more military in nature, all the way to the final arc of anti-terrorist guerilla action. The MACOs stayed on board, and the crew was more reactive than ever before in the final season.
Later this week, my take on season 4. The good, the bad, the otherwise, and then we boldly go…
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