Those who knock "Enterprise" as nothing special at all had better remember how long "The Next Generation" took to get into its stride and how hammy certain dialogues and how naff certain ideas from that show made from the late 80s through to the mid-90s can now seem (and in some cases seemed even back then).
In complete contrast, "Enterprise" really hits the ground running with a competent, real-looking, intriguing, moving episode that combines a worthwhile and fun story with all the necessary briefing and introductions we need for the scene to be set (for what would in fact go on to be 4 seasons of shows).
And that scene is being set in the year 2151: and how novel and innovative it seemed from the off when "Enterprise" showed us how exceptional and flexible and superb a being Spock was (will be!) compared to so many of his Vulcan compatriots (from some decades before), who come over here as unpleasant, stuffy, haughty, troublesome and of course keen to do whatever they can to block human development at every turn?
The basic idea is that we are already 100 years on from "First Contact" (a beautiful moment in the ST film of that name, but one that was then apparently followed by 100 years (!) of stalling and holding back human progress! Few sci-fi genres would be clever or pithy enough to think of that kind of unexpected scenario, so all plaudits for it!!!
Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) puts his crew together for a ship that is for him cutting-edge technology and not too bad in terms of speed; but definitely underarmed and so primitive in other ways by the standards of the ST universe that we can still see in its design how we might have got to it from the spacecraft we have here in 2018 (or 2001) - something by the way that the opening title sequences also try to explain to us in a series of touching and moving scenes that include "HMS Enterprize" (Royal Navy 1705-1707)).
This is all really invigorating and I must say that, watching the episode, one really does get an inkling of humanity's prospects writ large above the first tentative steps into the cosmos it is taking. Just because we know nothing and can do almost nothing (nothing at all without Vulcan T'Pol aboard to let slip a hint of what she knows), does not mean we are not proud of ourselves and able to hold up our morality and achievements boldly enough against those on display among the best and worst of the sentient beings "out there".
At first glance T'Pol seems dry as dust in the first episode, but Jolene Blalock brings, not only sexiness to the role, but also hints from the very outset of the dry humour, occasionally inappropriate remarks, "fish-out-of-water-ness" but basic kindness that the character is able to develop as the series progress. And here in this episode there is a wonderful, well-acted moment when it first becomes clear that she is prepared to show loyalty to Captain and crew (not just her own species), and Archer and Trip (Connor Trinneer) present their first hint of admiration so very convincingly.
It's acting of a high order.
The other alien on the crew - John Billingsley's Dr Phlox - is another character who makes a presence felt right from the off. He's experienced, kindly, avuncular and with a few rather offputting habits! How innovative is that!? Somehow we again feel we are learning how to be tolerant and embrace the different just as the crew of NX-01 are doing.
Hence a gritty, realistic, low-techish ambience that is very easy - and rewarding - to relate to for the viewer, and all the more so in the company of characters that mostly look competent, realistic and well-rounded from the outset, in what is a far cry indeed from the situation with TNG or Voyager (though perhaps DS9 did better on that front).
And where Hoshi (Linda Park) gives the impression she won't be able to fit in on this mission ... well that's also realistic in the opposite sense, and seems quite natural enough and capable of evoking our sympathy.
There are - I know for a fact - some Trek fans who have never even given "Enterprise" a try. In my view the show - from Episode 1 on - is quite good, realistic, interesting and clever enough to make that kind of position look mistaken.
In complete contrast, "Enterprise" really hits the ground running with a competent, real-looking, intriguing, moving episode that combines a worthwhile and fun story with all the necessary briefing and introductions we need for the scene to be set (for what would in fact go on to be 4 seasons of shows).
And that scene is being set in the year 2151: and how novel and innovative it seemed from the off when "Enterprise" showed us how exceptional and flexible and superb a being Spock was (will be!) compared to so many of his Vulcan compatriots (from some decades before), who come over here as unpleasant, stuffy, haughty, troublesome and of course keen to do whatever they can to block human development at every turn?
The basic idea is that we are already 100 years on from "First Contact" (a beautiful moment in the ST film of that name, but one that was then apparently followed by 100 years (!) of stalling and holding back human progress! Few sci-fi genres would be clever or pithy enough to think of that kind of unexpected scenario, so all plaudits for it!!!
Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) puts his crew together for a ship that is for him cutting-edge technology and not too bad in terms of speed; but definitely underarmed and so primitive in other ways by the standards of the ST universe that we can still see in its design how we might have got to it from the spacecraft we have here in 2018 (or 2001) - something by the way that the opening title sequences also try to explain to us in a series of touching and moving scenes that include "HMS Enterprize" (Royal Navy 1705-1707)).
This is all really invigorating and I must say that, watching the episode, one really does get an inkling of humanity's prospects writ large above the first tentative steps into the cosmos it is taking. Just because we know nothing and can do almost nothing (nothing at all without Vulcan T'Pol aboard to let slip a hint of what she knows), does not mean we are not proud of ourselves and able to hold up our morality and achievements boldly enough against those on display among the best and worst of the sentient beings "out there".
At first glance T'Pol seems dry as dust in the first episode, but Jolene Blalock brings, not only sexiness to the role, but also hints from the very outset of the dry humour, occasionally inappropriate remarks, "fish-out-of-water-ness" but basic kindness that the character is able to develop as the series progress. And here in this episode there is a wonderful, well-acted moment when it first becomes clear that she is prepared to show loyalty to Captain and crew (not just her own species), and Archer and Trip (Connor Trinneer) present their first hint of admiration so very convincingly.
It's acting of a high order.
The other alien on the crew - John Billingsley's Dr Phlox - is another character who makes a presence felt right from the off. He's experienced, kindly, avuncular and with a few rather offputting habits! How innovative is that!? Somehow we again feel we are learning how to be tolerant and embrace the different just as the crew of NX-01 are doing.
Hence a gritty, realistic, low-techish ambience that is very easy - and rewarding - to relate to for the viewer, and all the more so in the company of characters that mostly look competent, realistic and well-rounded from the outset, in what is a far cry indeed from the situation with TNG or Voyager (though perhaps DS9 did better on that front).
And where Hoshi (Linda Park) gives the impression she won't be able to fit in on this mission ... well that's also realistic in the opposite sense, and seems quite natural enough and capable of evoking our sympathy.
There are - I know for a fact - some Trek fans who have never even given "Enterprise" a try. In my view the show - from Episode 1 on - is quite good, realistic, interesting and clever enough to make that kind of position look mistaken.