Season One Episode Reviews

1X26    Shockwave (part 1 of 2)  
Plot:  The Suliban attempt to sabotage the Enterprise's mission.

Well it's a great cliffhanger but the first half of the episode was painfully pedestrian.  All the moping about destroying the colony was not that hot either, and felt like filler.  But it's cool to see Daniels again, and the sequence of raiding the cloaked Suliban ship was pretty exciting.  The cliffhanger was pretty cool; just handing Archer over the Suliban would have been cool, but trapping him in the 31st Century and leaving the Temporal Police in ruin is pretty shocking.  I'm sure the second part will be great, but the lead-in was too lame.

1X25    Two Days and Two Nights 
Plot: Archer, Hoshi, Trip and Reed visit Risa the pleasure planet.

Reasonable fluff, and with four plots it moves nice and fast.  Archer's romance was pretty lame, but it was a nice twist that he was being questioned about the Suliban from an alien from "Detained", nice continuity.  And growling Porthos was quite cute.  Trip and Reed's little adventure with shapeshifting robbers was okay.  Sato's romance with an alien wasn't too bad.  Phlox's hibernation and bizarre behavior when being woken early was quite hilarious, and it was nice to see Ensign Cutler again.

1X24    Desert Crossing 
Plot: Archer meets with a friendly terrorist living in a desert under siege by his government.

Decent episode.  Clancy Brown really made the show as a friendly and boisterous 'terrorist', and the political situation was interesting, but Archer and Trip wandering around the desert half-dead was very uninteresting.  I like the idea of a caste system ending in official equality and unofficial oppression.  The location filming in the desert was very nice, and the 'desert Jai Lai' game was pretty cool.

1X23    Fallen Hero 
Plot: Enterprise escorts a disgraced Vulcan ambasssador pursued by an alien government.

Another good look at the role of the Vulcans in the pre-Federation world.  V'Lar was very interesting for a Vulcan, wily and intelligent, she reminded me of Spock in his TNG days.  I liked her discussions with T'Pol on the need for trust between Earth and Vulcan.  And the bad guy was excellently played by ANGEL's Linwood, I liked how friendly he was.  I particularly love the Vulcans secretly investigating a local government conspiracy.  And spending half the episode in a high warp chase with the baddies was pretty exciting too.  I enjoyed seeing the Vulcans ride to the rescue, coming in blasting!

1X22    Vox Solis 
Plot: Archer and Trip are trapped within an alien blob.

Not terribly interesting, but not terribly boring either.  There wasn't much of a point to the episode, but it was some harmless fun.  The alien blob wasn't terribly interesting, the force field invention was pretty contrived as usual, and there was no real character work.

1X21    Detained 
Plot: Archer and Montgomery are imprisoned in a Suliban detainment center.

Excellent moral ambiguity issue episode, with some nice action scenes at the end.  I really love the situation created between the Cabal, non-Cabal Suliban, and these guys at war with them.  It's an excellent recreation of the WWII Japanese internment in the US without being too over the top about it.  I particularly love that our heroes were wrong to barge in, and the bad guys were good.  Cool to see Dean Stockwell even though I've never seen Quantum Leap, he's a good actor.

1X20    Oasis 
Plot: Enterprise encounters a crashed ship with a crew of friendly ghosts.

A big case of "who cares".  Within minutes it became obvious this was a holographic crew, and the entire plot was a direct playoff of the DS9 episode "Shadowplay" (which stared Odo, oddly enough).  Nice to see Odo around, and the female character shockingly had a personality, but aside from that there is nothing to recommend in this episode.  Horribly slow and uninteresting, with an extremely lame plot.

1X19    Acquisition 
Plot: Ferengi pirates gas the Enterprise crew unconscious, with only Trip left awake.

Nice to have the Ferengi around as a plausible threat, but the glacial pace of the episode really ruins the fun.  Also nice to see Neelix and Weyoun as Ferengi.  Archer manipulating a hapless Ferengi works okay, and T'Pol admirably kicks ass.  The Ferengi kidnapping Porthos was hilarious.  What's with all the gratuitous Trip in skivvies crotch shots?!  Yeesh!

1X18    Rogue Planet 
Plot: Enterprise encounters a rogue planet where hunters pursue shapeshifers.

Pretty uninteresting fare, but I appreciate the low lighting of the jungle sets, it really added to the mood.  Also nice that the hunters were not evil and were actually quite pleasant.  Too bad the show sidesteps the issue of the shape shifters killing the hunters to come to their aid.  I really liked Reed bonding with the hunters and out boy scouting Archer.  Not terribly original anywhere though.

1X17    Fusion 
Plot: T'Pol's beliefs are called into question by a group of emotional Vulcan explorers.

Great character work for T'Pol and interesting examination of Vulcan society, but boring as hell.  These emotional Vulcans were pretty interesting, and they said volumes about the nature of Vulcan society as a whole.  I liked the Vulcan High Command calling in a political favor from Archer.  I liked T'Pol's history on Earth venturing into a jazz bar and experiencing emotion and rejecting it.  Interesting that the mind meld is an archaic and forgotten practice.  I didn't really like the guy playing Tolaris, he just came off as a smartass.

1X16    Shuttlepod One 
Plot: Trip and Reed are trapped on a lone shuttlepod thinking Enterprise destroyed.

Slow as hell, but some good character work.  The bickering between Trip and Reed is good stuff, but it's not enough to carry an entire episode.  Glacial pacing is not a good thing.  The sex dream with T'Pol was funny but too T&A.  I like that Reed comes to the conclusion about keeping everyone away from him in life.  The actually freezing set was an excellent touch.  Just too damn slow!

1X15    Shadows of P'Jem 
Plot: Archer and T'Pol are kidnapped by anti-Vulcan rebels as the Vulcans turn on Earth.

Excellent episode that suggests the kind of series I want, a storyarc showing the evolution of the Federation.  This is a perfect microcosm of what the series should be; consequences from past episodes, Earth showing that they can build alliances with people the Vulcans mistrust, etc.  Great to have Shran and the Andorians back.  The situation with Coridan is fascinating; a Vulcan-controlled government?  Vulcan commandoes?  Too bad most of the episode involves Archer and T'Pol being captives of some lame ass thugs.  I'm really curious to see how Vulcans will interact with Earth now, and how long before they become allies again.

1X14    Sleeping Dogs 
Plot: Sato Reed and T'Pol are trapped aboard a collapsing Klingon ship with a drugged crew.

Interesting but average episode.  The actual plot with the Klingons is only mildly interesting, but there's some really nice character bits, like Reed being sick, Sato learning to shoot and being more pro-active an explorer, Archer researching the Klingons, even Sato bonding culturally with T'Pol.  Too bad it had to end with another one of those damn detox softcore porno scenes...

1X13    Dear Doctor 
Plot:  Phlox writes a letter to a colleague in the midst of a viral crisis for a prewarp culture.

Too slow and uninteresting with no action, but some good issues are raised.  I like seeing things from Phlox's alien 'all cultures have their way' viewpoint, which was one of my favorite things about the pilot.  The actual plot was extremely dull, but it did have a nice moral dilemma.  I loved that Phlox said let this species die out because nature is replacing it with another.  I was pretty shocked that Archer went along with it, though they could have really played up the tragedy more of abandoning these people to die.  Phlox's relationship with Cutler was interesting, and it's great to see a character returning.  I really liked Sato's friendship with Phlox and them talking in his language.  Very interesting that Denobulins have three husbands and three wives!  What is up with these incredibly short and plot-less teasers?!

1X12    Silent Enemy 
Plot: A mysterious alien ship conducts hit and run attacks on Enterprise.

A pretty entertaining standalone with some problems.  I like the constant threat of a marauding mystery ship, and I really liked the CGI alien looking aliens who were taking readings of crewmen.  However this plot's resolution is just horribly lame, we get NO explanation about the aliens, whether they were weird explorers or just assholes, which robs the story of any greater meaning.  Nice to see the introduction of the phasers, but it's not a very ingenious ending.  The subplot of Sato hunting to learn Reed's favorite food for his birthday and learning what an emotionless and opinonless person he is was fluff, but good fluff.

1X11    Cold Front 
Plot: A stellar observation is interrupted by Silik of the Suliban and another time traveler.

Good episode, with some promising hints of a storyarc, but little actually going on in the episode.  I really like seeing Silik again, most especially since he saved the Enterprise, and the whole mystery of who is the good guy from the future.  Lots of exposition, but interesting exposition.  If Daniels' party is so advanced why can't they just travel to a time when they know who Future Guy is?  Great continuity nod to the "Unexpected" holo-tech.  The final Archer Silik fight was pretty cool.  Can't wait to see more of this.

1X10    Fortunate Son 
Plot: Enterprise must stop a cargo ship from a revenge mission against Nausicaan pirates.

Another lame standalone with a few nice tidbits.  The zeroG football scene was cute.  I like the sociological issue of the low-warp boomer culture being driven out by faster transport, the end of a social era, but this is just a small aspect of a more generic plot here.  Nice to hear more about Montgomery's background.  I appreciate that the XO wasn't evil per se, just after the Nausicaans, which is understandable.

1X9    Civilization 
Plot: Enterprise visits a pre-Industrial world secretly being used by aliens.

Decent standalone, nice to see an alien world for once.  Having a retired alien explorer live on the planet was a nice twist on a used story, too bad it turned out untrue.  The apothecary was an extremely uninteresting and lifeless character, especially considering she was meeting aliens for the first time!  Nice to see a brief battle with a superior alien ship and a clever way to beat them.  Not terribly interesting, but lots going on.

1X8    Breaking the Ice 
Plot: Enterprise investigates a comet; Trip stumbles onto a domestic crisis of T'Pol's.

Pretty decent for exploring a comet, mainly because of the funny tidbits and the interesting T'Pol subplot.  I really like the idea of the Vulcans keeping tabs on Enterprise (too bad we never saw it before this!).  The awkward questions from the Earth school were absolutely hilarious, and a great real life touch, as was Reed and Montgomery making the snowman on the comet.  The icy dinner with the Vulcan Captain was also hilarious.  I really like T'Pol's arranged marriage crisis and reluctantly talking about it with Trip; they have an interesting relationship.  The actual comet plot itself is completely forgettable and uninteresting, right down to the old Shuttle Falls Down bit from "Terra Nova".

1X7    The Andorian Incident 
Plot: The Andorians capture a Vulcan monestary they suspect of surveillance.

First winner of the show after the Pilot, mainly because it deals with the political situation of the Vulcans and Andorians.  This is some great material for the Vulcans, not only Phlox's comparison of IDIC with the Enterprise mission, but the Vulcans keeping a paranoid eye on lesser violent species like Earth and Andoria, treaties be damned.  It's a great situation, and with bad guys like the Klingons around, an understandable one.  I love that Archer uncovers the sensor array and gives it to the Andorians.  The Andorians were really great, most especially because of Jeffery Combs as Shran, not only a great visual look but an interesting addiction to the series.  I appreciate that they were bad guys with a justifiable motive that was proved right in the end.  The whole hostage scenario thing was pretty good too.

1X6    Terra Nova
Plot: Enterprise finds an abandoned Earth colony of savage humans who blame Earth for their troubles.

Extremely uninteresting and unoriginal, a big case of 'who cares?'.  The old crazy survivors of lost colony trick is done as uninterestingly as possible here, as is the hostage crisis, the convince hard headed aliens, etc.  There's even the pointless action insert of the shuttle collapsing in the cave and Archer having to save a guy trapped under a log.  Yawn.  There aren't even any interesting character bits here, Phlox finally gets to do something but with no personality.  The only vaguely interesting bit was the question of moving the colony and destroying their culture.

1X5    Unexpected 
Plot: Trip becomes pregnant when he assists an alien ship who later gets in trouble with the Klingons.

Decent combination of light material and Klingons.  I really appreciate the effort to make a truly alien ship that's partly organic with a different mating technique and a holodeck.  Unfortunately Trip getting pregnant was totally wasted for humor, you can't even call this episode a comedy despite the press for it, which is so incredibly lame.  The encounter with the Klingons was cool, especially using their "Broken Bow" experience to get in with them.  And is this where the Klingons get a cloaking device? That's a neat little twist.

1X4    Strange New World 
Plot: The crew visits an uninhabited alien world and falls under alien influence.

Pretty decent thriller without any bad guys.  The location shooting was glorious, and it was particularly great to see minor supporting characters in Novakovich and especially Cutler, who was a nice character.  Love having Porthos on the first away mission.  The ghost-ship story by the fire was good too.  The paranoid confrontation between Trip and T'Pol actually worked pretty well.  Having it turn out to be pollen hallucinations and not aliens was an unexpected twist.

1X3    Fight or Flight 
Plot: The Enterprise encounters a derelict ship with a murdered crew; Sato decides to quit.

Too slow and uneventful, even for a second episode, very weak.  This is warmed over Voyager, only even less interesting, a vast disappointment after the pilot, hopefully an aberration.  The main plot was completely uninteresting, though it was nice to see Sato in the spotlight, she's one of the better characters.  All the good points of the pilot are sadly missing here, save the Vulcan ideology briefly surfacing.  Where's the alien mentality that was so interesting in the pilot, the sense of awe and mystery?  And I'm also starting to get some reservations about Archer, who comes off as either silted or pissy here.

1X1/2    Broken Bow (part 1 and 2) 
Plot: In 2151 Earth takes its first steps to space to return a Klingon soldier who is pursued by a new enemy, the Suliban.

Brief overview on the series as a whole.  Archer has an interesting hatred for Vulcans over his father, and I love that he has a puppy on board, but aside from that I didn't get much of a sense of personality from him, and his line readings are a tad one note.  T'Pol is an interesting character mainly because of her position, hopefully they'll keep her above the T&A that she was degraded into here.  Tucker is a really interesting character, in that he's an incompetent arrogant bigot who only seems to be around because he's Archer's friend (hoping they'll deal with this!).  Dr Phlox is a great character that demonstrates the series' extremely interesting concept of alien mentality.  Sato is extremely interesting (and cute!), especially because she's paranoid and jumpy at everything around her.  Mayweather is interesting in his bright naivety and space experience, and I liked Reed's sarcasm, but aside from that I didn't get any sense of him as a character.  The production values are shockingly cinematic, from CGI to sets to makeup, a dramatic improvement on Voyager, and the widescreen format doesn't hurt either.  I love the cramped retro submarine feel to the Enterprise sets.  The Starfleet uniforms look a lot better than the current ones (except for the First Contact uniforms that is!), but their field jackets looked very odd (like plastic, or alligator hide).
    Part One is understandably light on plot in order to introduce the characters, but in lieu of action it still manages to be entertaining.  The opening scene of the Klingon and the Suliban in the cornfield was great cinematic action sequence.  The pre-launch scenes establishing the mistrust between Starfleet and the Vulcans is really interesting, the Vulcans have a damn good point about restraining Earth's exploration, and Archer's anger at Vulcans over his dead father never getting to live his dream is great material.  Things really do feel new and unknown on the ship and whatnot.  The Suliban attack on the ship in pitch black was a great little spooky action sequence.  The Suliban are a fascinating villain species, not only do they have a truly amazing makeup job but all their abilities and mystery as well (just one problem, it is impossible to tell them apart!).  The visit to the Rigel Ten trading complex really does look strange and alien.  I love how aliens are treated as being truly alien, something humans can't really comprehend but the Vulcans (and Dr Phlox, who is a great example of this alien mentality) are coaching them in.  The dinner scene with T'Pol is particularly clever at showing this.
    Part Two really picks up on the action; the snow storm shoot out on top of trading complex is spectacular.  That infamous detox rubdown scene with T'Pol and Tucker is absolutely ridiculous T&A, even more shameful than the butterfly girls, really insulting.  Easily the one truly bad thing about the pilot (but give them credit, at least its equal opportunity blatant shameful T&A).  It's a shame we didn't see more from Sarin, as a counterpoint to Suliban 'evilness' and for more exposition.  I like that some Suliban rebel from their Cabal allying with Future Guy, and hope to see more of them later.  The Enterprise towing in a Suliban ship in the middle of an attack to infiltrate the city was funny and clever.  Archer and Tucker, the two top ranking humans on the ship, going to the Suliban city is pretty crazy.  Having the Suliban city be made entirely of detachable pods is an interesting concept.  The look of the time flux chamber was incredibly cool, most especially the fight scene in it.  We didn't get to see much of Silik, but he will be a great Big Bad (aptly played by John Fleck!) who even gets to have a personal connection with Archer.  I really appreciate that Archer has a brief physical confrontation with Silik, it builds up a Buffy-esque plotline with the Big Bad, a personal involvement between the hero and villain.  Very promising.  I particularly appreciate that Silik was willing to let Archer go as long as he didn't know about Future Guy.  As for the whole Future Guy scenario, it has great potential for stupidity but it might turn out cool.  On the whole this really felt like an introduction to the storyline, with the cryptic hints about the Suliban and their plans, Archer running into Silik, it all feels halfway planned.  Too bad we couldn't see more of Kronos, more of the Earth-Klingon first contact, about the Klingon Civil War and their reaction to the Suliban interference.