Caffeinated Clint
“Like any fuel-driven car on a chilly morning, the third season of “Enterprise” takes a while to get going – but once it does, it runs like a dream, ultimately outrunning its earlier seasons” – Clint Morris
Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Anthony Montgomery, Linda Park, David Andrews, Steven Culp
Like any fuel-driven car on a chilly morning, the third season of “Enterprise” takes a while to get going – but once it does, it runs like a dream, ultimately outrunning its earlier seasons.
Because of either studio pressure or fan-boy whining, “Enterprise” has been retooled this season. It’s now called “Star Trek: Enterprise”, and the slow, effective theme song has been jazzed up a tad. As for the show itself – the action and adventure has been cranked up to 11. And you know what? It works.
The entire season is basically one long episode. The crew of the Enterprise are on the hunt for an alien race called the Xindi, who are responsible for the death of seven million earthlings (in the season 2 finale). They’ve had to enter an uncertain bit of space called ‘The Expanse’ though – and by golly, if they’re not going to feel it’s effects. In ‘The Expanse’ everything’s a little warped and both crew and vessel are going to take a battering.
Whilst the episodes fixing solely on the crew’s hunt for the Xindi – which gets more complicated as it goes on, and isn’t necessarily as clean-cut as they originally envisioned, it’s a storyline obviously inspired by 9-11 – are compelling, some of the stand-alone episodes are also great. See Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) travel 12-years in the future to become T’Pol’s life companion, see Phlox going a little nuts as he takes sole command of the ship whilst everyone else sleeps, see Trip having to be cloned, and watch the gun do battle with a horde of gunslingers in a wild west setting.
The writing in this season is impeccable – such imagination has gone into some of these stories. Judging by the last few minutes of the season, Season 4 is going to be no less inventive.
Extras – the majority are on Disc 7 – include featurettes, a profile on Connor Trinneer, some more Enterprise secrets, some amusing outtakes, trailers, and a gallery. In addition, there’s deleted scenes and commentary littered throughout the other discs.
What a fine show. What a fine set.
Rating : 
Reviewer : Clint Morris
