Product Description Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/05/2008
Amazon.com Despite the near-certainty of cancellation, ratings in the cellar and nothing left to lose, the fourth and final season of Star Trek: Enterprise was unanimously hailed as the best. After ending season 3 with a mind-boggling cliffhanger, series creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga handed show-runner duties to executive producer Manny Coto, who rejuvenated the flagging franchise by bridging the gap between Enterprise and the future developments of Star Trek: The Original Series. By recruiting lifelong Trek experts Mike Sussman and the husband-and-wife team of Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens to his writing staff, Coto ensured that political events in the Enterprise timeline would lead to a "coalition of planets," thus forming the Federation cornerstone of Star Trek's future. But first, Coto had to find a way to extract Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) and his battle-worn crew from an alternate timeline--the result of the continuing Temporal Cold War--in which the Nazis have invaded U.S. soil in 1944. In the normal Enterprise timeline, political upheavals have left relations between Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, and Humans in a state of near-disastrous chaos.
Into this blazing cauldron of action-adventure, Coto and staff introduced story arcs that connected to Star Trek's future, including a three-episode arc ("Borderland," "Cold Station 12," and "The Augments") in which Dr. Arik Soong (played by Next Generation alumnus Brent Spiner) and his superhuman "Augments" chart a tragic course that would lead, in future generations, to the creation of Spiner's cybernetic NextGen character, Data. "The Forge," "Awakening," and "Kir'Shara" returned T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) to her native Vulcan, where encounters with the legendary philosopher Surak, and zealous sect called the Syrannites, lead to pivotal history with the Vulcan High Command. In subsequent episodes, Phlox (John Billingsley) would discover the reason why some Klingons lack "cranial ridges" (thus solving a vexing Star Trek mystery), and "In a Mirror, Darkly" marked and eventful return to the "Mirror Universe" from the original series episode "Mirror, Mirror," for what Coto aptly describes (in the bonus featurette) as a two-part "romp," complete with a "Mirror Universe" title sequence, the reappearance of the U.S.S. Defiant from the original series episode "The Tholian Web," and a glorious recreation of a "Constitution Class" starship bridge that gave long-time Trekkies a breathtaking rush of nostalgia.
In the closing episodes, the formation of the Federation is threatened by a radical xenophobe (Peter Weller) whose isolationist tactics lead Trip (Connor Trinneer) and T'Pol to a future of interspecies parenthood, and while the series-ending "These Are The Voyages..." is considered a disappointment by some, it provided a suitable Next Generation tribute to Star Trek's past, present, and future. Considering the daunting challenge of tying up loose ends while looking forward in a way that demanding fans could appreciate, it's fair to say that Enterprise reached a satisfying conclusion that its cast and crew can be proud of.
DVD features It's only fitting that Season 4's bonus features have a bittersweet quality, celebrating the Star Trek franchise while acknowledging its uncertain future. For the first time on any Star Trek series, closure was imposed prematurely, and "That's a Wrap" (a video from the Enterprise wrap party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood) has the privileged feel of an emotional family reunion. (Unfortunately, Jolene Blalock and Connor Trinneer were unable to attend.) "Inside the 'Mirror' Episodes" offers a closer look at those enjoyably nostalgic episodes ("we put the 'Ho' back in Hoshi" jokes Mike Sussman about Linda Park's "empress" persona), and in "Links to the Legacy," Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens explain how they brought Enterprise closer to its original Star Trek heritage. "Visual Effects Magic" charts the astonishing advancements in digital effects since the comparatively crude effects of Next Generation, and "Enterprise Secrets" reveals an affectionate assembly of behind-the-scenes personnel on the final day of shooting. There's one final Easter egg (NX-01 File #10) about the ultimately futile "Save Enterprise" fan protest against series cancellation (with appreciative comments by Scott Bakula and Connor Trinneer), and as always, the informative audio and text commentaries are fan-essential features loaded with detailed trivia and anecdotal history. --Jeff Shannon
Astonishingly high level of achievement throughout final seasonJanuary 3, 2009 camcas5(Hatfield, MA United States) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the season of the "Star Trek" franchise series that fans have been waiting for. In terms of rich character development, gripping drama (with actual surprises and true tension in the narrative twists), and provocative, funny, and moving writing and direction, Season 4 consistently reaches the heights of the best in the entire Star Trek franchise (only paralleled in the best seasons of The Next Generation, while the original series remains iconic and quite enjoyable). The viewer is truly brought to care about the characters and events depicted in these shows. For fans who may have drifted off while ST:E got derailed by current events during 2 & 3 and most of the fun and originality was sucked from the series, definitely check out this season, because the writers, headed by Manny Coto, truly delivered the attention to detail and understanding of characters that was a hallmark of the best of this series. In addition, the producers and directors showed far better timing and originality in the feel to the show, which demonstrated a spark that had only been hinted at until then. The drive and high quality of the storytelling and the full portrayal and resolution of the universe created through the Trek series leads to a palpable energy throughout the shows. Finally, literally every major cast member was given tremendous material to play off of, and they delivered. In particular, Connor Trinneer as "Trip Tucker" and Linda Park as "Hoshi Sato" really developed tremendously satisfying portrayals of their characters, although the same could be said of Captain Archer, T'Pol, Phlox, and the entire central core of characters.
On the other hand, the awful reputation of the finale is well-deserved: it is so poor that one has to wonder what was at the source of the whole affair. Manny Coto and the entire team delivered such a wonderfully brilliant season, and then Braga and Berman return to deliver a poisoned Valentine that is a nearly complete opposite of the entire season. It is not particularly the framing device of Riker and Troi that is the problem here (and for series finales, creators often choose an abrupt shift in format or structure, as was the case with ST:TNG and many other shows), but the awful narrative which makes little sense in terms of the characters and even has a number of utterly incongruous scenes (such as crew members smiling and looking quite satisfied seemingly moments after their colleague and close friend has died!). Not only that, but Braga and Berman demonstrate yet again the most sophomoric and uncreative attempts at injecting drama -- just kill off a character for no reason except to do something that's, well.. dramatic. As a result of the poor writing, the whole affair seems slapped together and as if everyone were distracted and rudderless. (By the way, as much as the presence of Riker and Trio get the blame for this, Frakes delivers a fine performance for a thankless task.) For a franchise that often notes the importance of its fans, its a truly deranged sendoff.
This is particularly true after the two-part story that precedes it, which, if it had been the final show, would have been a stunningly moving ending to the series. In fact, it would also have been a truly original and satisfying choice to end on a small, private moment between two of the characters -- and characters who represent core images of the Star Trek story, a human and a Vulcan -- in a moment of shared experience and hope for the future. (The story of the preceding loss of a child would also have been quite apt in relation to the regretted cancellation of the series.) In this sense, fans should tell Manny Coto and those responsible for the great achievements of Season Four: yes, this is our ending with Terra Prime.
Great pickupAugust 17, 2008 Dennis C. Sheridan(Okinawa, Japan) I started watching the first season of Enterprise on DVD and I was hooked. Many retail outlets dont sell them in their stores and Amazon was the best place to get the series. The third season ended in a very climactic fashion and you were left with a cliff hanger come the start of the fourth season. The more you watch the 4th season, the more you realize that UPN made a mistake cancelling this show. The characters were really getting developed as well as story lines that bridged the gap between Archer's era and Kirk's era. The final episode was a little trippy having taken place in the 24th Century on the Enterprise D's holodeck. Just pick up this season...
Great series - Love it!August 3, 2008 P. C. VanDyke(Texas) My husband is a trekkie, and this is one of his favorite series. I have been buying each season on Amazon for him as soon as I could. He really enjoyed this set of DVD's and they were in perfect condition. I'm sure we will watch them many times in the future.
A good show, and worth your time!June 23, 2008 Diane S.(Owings Mills, MD) 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm a fan, right from the start with Kirk and company. I was annoyed when ST:TNG came out, because I thought, "How could they?" But I gave it a fair chance, and loved it! Next DS9, haven't had the chance yet, but will eventually get to it (wasn't thrilled with the whole "war" premise). When Voyager came into the spotlight, I was skeptical yet again, figuring it couldn't have the real "Star Trek feel" being stuck in space. I didn't even watch it initially. But it is an excellent show too! Now to Enterprise - I swore to myself I'd give it a fair chance the first time around, and watched it religiously and in much anticipation for each coming week. I enjoyed the show while I was watching it, but found it to be hard to follow - especially with the multiple story arcs throughout the last two seasons. Being the devoted fan, I had to have it when it was released on DVD. I only recently opened and viewed each season, episode after episode and let me tell you, watching it in this manner made a lot of sense! I had come to realize how intricate the plots can be, the characters, multi-demensional, and the effects are truly amazing. The writers took a big, bold chance with continuing arcs, and that was a nice nod to the fans. They were not trying to carefully step on eggshells and write individual stories. They were giving a gift to fans, knowing those who were following each week would be the only ones returning for the next installment. Watching one eppy after the next, I was like, "Wow!" that's good writing! The characters were as they should be - newbies in the universe, and not knowing quite how to proceed. They were flawed, made bad (and good, really good) decisions. They learned from their mistakes and experiences, and grew accordingly - but never lost sight of the qualities that Roddenberry had envisioned for future of the human race.
GREAT FINAL SEASON!!!!!June 7, 2008 Noslen Tovar Camejo(Caracas Venezuela) I enjoy a lot this product , i can't imagine how much fun i have it.I recomendend thid product a lot
