I will be sad to see “Enterprise” go.
I do recall watching a few of these programs during their initial broadcast run. I had a roommate at the time who was an undeniable "Star Trek" fanatic and do remember disliking them rather intensely. My revulsion has subsided, perhaps with age, but were I not required to view the complete season I don´t know that I would have. It´s interesting, yes, but there isn´t a sense of cohesion that draws the universe together and nothing to pull me from week to week. It´s a good show, but not exactly my cup of tea.
The Fourth (And Final) Season
What in the blazes happened between the third and fourth seasons? Although I had noted a steady improvement in the program´s quality, it seems like the show finally found its legs and the producers understood where "Enterprise" fit in the world of television and the Star Trek universe. The dialogue is more lively, the productions seem to have a new life and the program overall just plays more like "Star Trek" than generic science fiction.
And that is a big distinction to make. As great as the new "Battlestar Gallactica" may be, the fact is that it isn´t Star Trek and could never be. Trek is its own brand of SciFi, much the same as "Star Wars."
This season finally begins to bridge the gap between our world and that of the Federation Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701). Pulling in familiar elements (plus the classic mirror universe episodes!) from the ´66 show, "Enterprise" leaves fans in a good place.
I will be sad to see "Enterprise" go. While I didn´t watch it (at least of my own volition) during its broadcast run, I did develop quite an affinity for it on DVD. I can easily recommend newcomers to pick up the third and fourth seasons because they are, in essence, what this show was intended to be. There are a few spots where it may drag, but by-and-large it´s got some color.
I would be remiss if I didn´t talk about the series finale in this review… but I´ve honestly got little to add to the debate. The second-to-last episode is the finale for this program, the final episode a farewell to "Trek." If you view it that way, I think you´ll find satisfaction (and not the frustration bushwacked fans felt).
Video:
The 16:9 Anamorphic video transfer looks very nice, no artifacting from compression or the original stock. It´s not razor sharp, in fact some scenes look very soft, but overall the video is good. There is grain and video noise that becomes noticeable during darker scenes, but the steady improvement in video quality continues through the fourth season.
Audio:
I limited my listening primarily to the default Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix on each episode and found it very pleasing. Clean and loud, there is a good dynamic balance on the track. The sound on the third season is a lot more discreet than the previous two, using the rear tracks to great advantage for both music and effects.
Extras:
Any discussion of extras on a "Star Trek" television program should rightly start with the packaging. This handsome container is a solid piece of plastic with the Enterprise logo sketched in, and the program snuggly packaged within. There is a booklet that brings the viewer up to speed with the "Star Trek" universe at the time of Captain Archer and the nature of the Prime Directive. It´s also got a list of episodes and the corresponding extra features.
As per usual, this set is pretty packed with extra features. Three episodes have deleted scenes and are presented in the familiar fashion, with a contextual wrapper from the episode. The quality is good, but they are unfinished.
There are commentaries out the wazoo on the last two discs. Writer Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill, the editorial director for StarTrek.com sit down to talk details on the two-part "In a Mirror, Darkly" episodes, two of my favorites on this excellent season. Writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens chat with Gaskill during "Terra Prime" on disc 6. The audio quality is mediocre and sounds like it was recorded over an Internet or ISDN connection. The discussions are lively and hits major points like in-universe continuity, shooting schedules, character motivations and everything you´d really like to hear.
The amazing text-based commentaries by Michael and Denise Okuda return on three episodes, including the finale, "These Are The Voyages."
The bulk of the extras are housed on disc six. "Enterprise Moments: Season Four" is a fifteen minute retrospective of the season, revisiting their intentions. Everyone seems quite candorous about this season and how it ended, something I was surprised to hear.
"Inside the Mirror Episodes" is another fifteen minute exploration of the mirror universe and why even explore it. A lot of information is duplicated from the commentaries on this episode, but it´s nice to hear some other voices talk about it.
"Enterprise Secrets" runs six minutes and shows a lot of behind-the-scenes material, including focusing on cameos during the last day of shooting. The bittersweet sadness of the cast and crew is fairly obvious.
"Visual Effects Magic" looks at the creation of the crazy 1940´s New York sky battle, one that has to be seen to be believed. The amount of work that went into it, too, was surprising.
"That´s a Wrap" details, appropriately, the "Enterprise" wrap party. Those emotions I discussed earlier are even more painful to watch here. It´s obvious that, though everyone knew this end was coming, they are still broken up about it.
"Links to the Legacy" talks about connecting the "Lore of Star Trek" to the "Enterprise," including the Klingon ridges and Section 31. It´s a geek´s dream.
The set rounds out with a couple of minutes of outtakes, a photo gallery filled with behind-the-scenes shots and a trailer for the "Borg Invasion."
Film Value:
It´s been a hell of a ride these four long (and early on, tedious) years. It´s too bad that UPN decided to go a different direction with the network at a time when "Enterprise" was finally finding its range, but that´s the way business decisions happen. I still love what is recorded on these DVDs, and think they are a worthy (if pricey) addition to any Trek fan´s library.
The Fourth (And Final) Season
What in the blazes happened between the third and fourth seasons? Although I had noted a steady improvement in the program´s quality, it seems like the show finally found its legs and the producers understood where "Enterprise" fit in the world of television and the Star Trek universe. The dialogue is more lively, the productions seem to have a new life and the program overall just plays more like "Star Trek" than generic science fiction.
And that is a big distinction to make. As great as the new "Battlestar Gallactica" may be, the fact is that it isn´t Star Trek and could never be. Trek is its own brand of SciFi, much the same as "Star Wars."
This season finally begins to bridge the gap between our world and that of the Federation Starship Enterprise (NCC-1701). Pulling in familiar elements (plus the classic mirror universe episodes!) from the ´66 show, "Enterprise" leaves fans in a good place.
I will be sad to see "Enterprise" go. While I didn´t watch it (at least of my own volition) during its broadcast run, I did develop quite an affinity for it on DVD. I can easily recommend newcomers to pick up the third and fourth seasons because they are, in essence, what this show was intended to be. There are a few spots where it may drag, but by-and-large it´s got some color.
I would be remiss if I didn´t talk about the series finale in this review… but I´ve honestly got little to add to the debate. The second-to-last episode is the finale for this program, the final episode a farewell to "Trek." If you view it that way, I think you´ll find satisfaction (and not the frustration bushwacked fans felt).
Video:
The 16:9 Anamorphic video transfer looks very nice, no artifacting from compression or the original stock. It´s not razor sharp, in fact some scenes look very soft, but overall the video is good. There is grain and video noise that becomes noticeable during darker scenes, but the steady improvement in video quality continues through the fourth season.
Audio:
I limited my listening primarily to the default Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix on each episode and found it very pleasing. Clean and loud, there is a good dynamic balance on the track. The sound on the third season is a lot more discreet than the previous two, using the rear tracks to great advantage for both music and effects.
Extras:
Any discussion of extras on a "Star Trek" television program should rightly start with the packaging. This handsome container is a solid piece of plastic with the Enterprise logo sketched in, and the program snuggly packaged within. There is a booklet that brings the viewer up to speed with the "Star Trek" universe at the time of Captain Archer and the nature of the Prime Directive. It´s also got a list of episodes and the corresponding extra features.
As per usual, this set is pretty packed with extra features. Three episodes have deleted scenes and are presented in the familiar fashion, with a contextual wrapper from the episode. The quality is good, but they are unfinished.
There are commentaries out the wazoo on the last two discs. Writer Mike Sussman and Tim Gaskill, the editorial director for StarTrek.com sit down to talk details on the two-part "In a Mirror, Darkly" episodes, two of my favorites on this excellent season. Writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens chat with Gaskill during "Terra Prime" on disc 6. The audio quality is mediocre and sounds like it was recorded over an Internet or ISDN connection. The discussions are lively and hits major points like in-universe continuity, shooting schedules, character motivations and everything you´d really like to hear.
The amazing text-based commentaries by Michael and Denise Okuda return on three episodes, including the finale, "These Are The Voyages."
The bulk of the extras are housed on disc six. "Enterprise Moments: Season Four" is a fifteen minute retrospective of the season, revisiting their intentions. Everyone seems quite candorous about this season and how it ended, something I was surprised to hear.
"Inside the Mirror Episodes" is another fifteen minute exploration of the mirror universe and why even explore it. A lot of information is duplicated from the commentaries on this episode, but it´s nice to hear some other voices talk about it.
"Enterprise Secrets" runs six minutes and shows a lot of behind-the-scenes material, including focusing on cameos during the last day of shooting. The bittersweet sadness of the cast and crew is fairly obvious.
"Visual Effects Magic" looks at the creation of the crazy 1940´s New York sky battle, one that has to be seen to be believed. The amount of work that went into it, too, was surprising.
"That´s a Wrap" details, appropriately, the "Enterprise" wrap party. Those emotions I discussed earlier are even more painful to watch here. It´s obvious that, though everyone knew this end was coming, they are still broken up about it.
"Links to the Legacy" talks about connecting the "Lore of Star Trek" to the "Enterprise," including the Klingon ridges and Section 31. It´s a geek´s dream.
The set rounds out with a couple of minutes of outtakes, a photo gallery filled with behind-the-scenes shots and a trailer for the "Borg Invasion."
Film Value:
It´s been a hell of a ride these four long (and early on, tedious) years. It´s too bad that UPN decided to go a different direction with the network at a time when "Enterprise" was finally finding its range, but that´s the way business decisions happen. I still love what is recorded on these DVDs, and think they are a worthy (if pricey) addition to any Trek fan´s library.
![Happy Days [TV Show]](/images/displaymedia.php?id=25233&sizew=70&cat=3)
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[release]17247[/release]