Trekkie relapse....
What can I say? I'm a trekkie, whether I care to admit it or not. As proof I bought myself another Star Trek DVD compilation, the first two seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise (see previous post on my other Star Trek compilations here).
I'll be reserving my comments regarding the series until I get to see all four seasons. However, it's pretty common knowledge that Star Trek: Enterprise has turned out to be the most controversial Trek series ever since the franchise was reborn in 1987. Unlike the earlier three shows which lasted seven seasons each, Enterprise only lasted four due to dismal ratings. Its relatively poor viewership and acceptance by the Trek community were due in part to allegations that the series violated Star Trek canon and continuity over the course of its four year run. As a result, a lot of hardcore trekkies have refused to accept the events depicted in the series as canon, despite the insistence of producers/writers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga.
Suffice it to say that this controversy has polarized (pardon the use of technobabble) Trek fandom. Some hate it, some love it. Eventually, these issues were too much for the series to bear, and it was cancelled (some say prematurely, some say rightfully so) after a four year run.
I'm not quite a hardcore trekkie, though I am a fan of the entire franchise, so I'll give the series a chance until I've watched it in full. I'll let you know what I think of it then. Right off the bat though, I'm inclined to think that it's not that significantly better or worse than any of the earlier series. It's just different. It's a prequel series, set about a hundred years before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series. This break in continuity from the other shows has earned the ire of a lot of Trek fans. It has also been suggested that perhaps Enterprise has become a victim of the franchise's own success after a continuous run of three different series over 18 years. Maybe viewers just got tired of it, a phenomenon now referred to as franchise fatigue.
Whatever the reason for its failure (or lack of success, depending on how you look at it), I'm still looking forward to watching the entire series. Watch this space for my series review.
First two seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Comments
But, you're not a Trekker are ya? I'm nowhere near that fanatic about the series, but i *am* a fan :-)
I didn't think ST:E was all that bad, myself... i liked some of the "filling in the blanks" they did: keep an eye out for the explanation for Klingons not having their forehead ridges so pronounced in ST:TOS compared to ST:TNG, although I think that comes in the last half of ST:E's final season...
Also, I certainly preferred ST:E compared to ST:DS9... didn't get to watch Voyager much, but I liked the fact that they finally did get a female captain :-)
btw, snglguy: YES, there is! All 79 episodes, all 3 seasons' worth! :-) check it out at amazon.com...
TK: Well, it used to be simple, it was the writers and producers who determined which was canon and what isn't. As it turned out, the Trek community (assisted immensely by the internet boom) has become significantly involved by scrutinizing each and every episode and being extremely vocal about every little inconsistency.
It reached a point wherein while the writers and producers claim a particular event to be canon, trekkies can actually overrule the writers through forums and discussion boards.
Perhaps a case of inmates running the asylum, don't you think? :-)
lynne: Ey! Glad to meet another trek fan. :-)
Oh I am a fan, but no, I don't go to conventions wearing Starfleet uniforms (but I do wish I had a phaser with a stun setting). :-)
I like ST:DS9, best of all. It has, in my opinion, the most compelling storyline, and the most action. Its a far cry from "the alien of week syndrome" which afflicted TNG and VOY.
I've only seen the first two seasons of ENT, but I have to say that it seems to be the most dramatic of all the series, and probably features the best acting of a Star Trek series cast.
It fills in a lot of holes from what I have seen though, despite the claims of some radical trekkies of several inconsistencies.
If I were them I'd tell them to lighten up. Its just a TV show, after all. :-)
Looking forward to the next two seasons. :-)