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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek, Review Graveyard is pleased to announce the fifth, sixth and seventh
seasons of Star Trek: Enterprise! However, before you
get too excited, you've probably seen these episodes already.
Richard McGinlay mans the science station to explain why Seasons
1-3 of The Original Series should be regarded as Seasons
5-7 of Enterprise. It is, in fact, quite logical...
Three of Star Trek's television franchises - The
Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager
- ran for seven seasons each. For a time, this seemed to be
the norm, a fact of life that could be taken for granted.
For years, the only odd man out was The Original Series,
which ran for only three seasons. Then Star Trek: Enterprise
got cancelled after four seasons. This was a shame, because
the fourth season had been (in my opinion) a very strong one
- but from this misfortune comes a comforting bit of mathematics:
3 + 4 = 7.
Yes,
by joining two franchises together, you get the magic total
of seven seasons. Not only that, but Star Trek's extra-long
first season compensates for the foreshortened fourth season
of Enterprise. Rather spookily, the total number of
episodes you get (counting the original pilot episode The
Cage and counting feature-length stories as two episodes)
if you add The Original Series' 80 to Enterprise's
98 is 178, the same number of shows that were produced under
the Next
Generation
banner.
Thematically,
the two series dovetail quite nicely. Enterprise establishes
numerous aliens that go on to play significant roles in Star
Trek, including the Andorians (introduced in Season 1),
Tholians, Tellarites (both introduced in Season 2), Orions,
smooth-headed Klingons, Organians and a Gorn (all introduced
in Season 4).
The
increasingly aggressive activities of the bumpy-headed Klingons
in the second-season episodes Marauders, Judgment,
Bounty and The Expanse can be seen as paving
the way toward the Klingon/human hostilities depicted in The
Original Series. The Romulan threat, established in Season
2's Minefield and developed during Season 4's The
Forge/Awakening/Kir'Shara and Babel One/United/The
Aenar storylines, is picked up more than a century later
in Balance of Terror during Star Trek's first
season, and is to an extent resolved in The Enterprise
Incident during the third and final season. Following
the events of Babel One/United/The Aenar, the Original
Series' second-season episode Journey to Babel
is further prefaced by the formation of the Coalition of Planets
involving humans, Andorians, Coridans, Tellarites and Vulcans
in Enterprise's final two-parter Demons/Terra Prime.
Throughout both series, the struggles of a Vulcan first officer
(respectively T'Pol and Spock) against suppressed emotions
remain a constant theme.
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Even
more remarkable is the development of mood and morality across
the series. The first two seasons of Enterprise are
notably pacifistic. During Season 3, the crew, in particular
Captain Archer, are forced to employ increasingly ruthless
tactics in order to complete their desperate mission in the
Delphic Expanse. This militaristic attitude continues into
Season 4 and is reflected in the hawkish demeanour of The
Original Series' first season. Over the course of the
final two seasons, Star Trek's outlook becomes increasingly
anti-war, thus completing the cycle.
Not
even the time jump between the two series need prevent them
from being regarded as a whole. The latter end of Enterprise's
fourth season does more than its fair share of time-jumping
by introducing a 23rd-century starship (the Defiant)
in the two-part In a Mirror, Darkly, then skipping
from the year 2155 to a 24th-century re-creation of 2161 in
These are the Voyages... After that, further leaps
to 2254 and beyond don't seem so unusual.
The
change of title from Star Trek: Enterprise to just
Star Trek need not be an obstacle either, because the
series has already changed its name from just Enterprise
during Season 3. The change of designation therefore seems
more like an evolutionary process: from Enterprise
to Star Trek: Enterprise to Star Trek. The differences
in theme music and opening title sequences needn't seem out
of place either, because a precedent has been set for these
too, by the specially adapted opening and closing titles of
In a Mirror, Darkly.
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Nor
need the extra-long (63 minutes, 30 seconds) duration of The
Cage pose a problem. In fact, it's rather handy. The total
running time of The Cage plus the first two regular
Original Series episodes (going by stardate order,
Where No Man Has Gone Before and Mudd's Women)
is 160 minutes, which is practically the same duration as
four episodes of Enterprise. This means that the additional
"final" four episodes of Season 4 of Enterprise could
be presented in the following format:
Episode
23 could comprise the first 40 minutes and 23 seconds of The
Cage, plus the 26-second end credits. A recap of the closing
montage from These are the Voyages... (showing Enterprises
from three different centuries) could be played and then be
"rewound" to the 23rd-century ship, NCC-1701, perhaps reusing
the opening shot from the first scene of The Cage as
it closes in on a cutaway view of the bridge module. Over
all of this, captions could explain that the year is now 2254,
93 years after the events shown in These are the Voyages...,
and that Captain Christopher Pike now commands a new Starship
Enterprise. This pre-titles "teaser" could end with a
close-up of Pike on the bridge. The episode itself could end
with Pike's shocked reaction to Vina's announcement that she
is his wife in the Talosians' latest fantasy scenario. Total
running time: approx 41 minutes, 30 seconds.
Episode 24 could include a 60-second recap, 45-second opening
titles, the final 23 minutes of The Cage, the first
16 minutes 06 seconds of Where No Man Has Gone Before,
and new end credits lasting approximately 50 seconds. The
two stories could be bridged by caption text over the closing
fanfare of The Cage, explaining that eleven years later
- in 2265 - the Enterprise has a new captain, James
Kirk... The episode could end with the creepy moment in which
the super-powered Gary Mitchell seems to look out of the viewing
screen at his observer, Kirk. Total running time: approx 41
minutes.
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Episode
25 could comprise a 40-second recap, 48-second opening titles,
the final 32 minutes of Where No Man Has Gone Before,
the first 08 minutes 40 seconds of Mudd's Women, and
50-second end credits. The two narratives could be bridged
by caption text over the closing fanfare of Where No Man
Has Gone Before, explaining that several months have passed
and the Enterprise has undergone extensive repairs
and refitting... The episode itself could end with Harry Mudd's
revelation about his female companions: "This is me cargo."
Total running time: approx 41 minutes, 30 seconds.
Episode
26 could therefore comprise the remaining 39 minutes 30 seconds
of Mudd's Women, preceded by a 40-second recap and
48-second opening titles. Total running time: approx 41 minutes.
The
next three seasons could each comprise 25 or 26 regular-length
Star Trek episodes, as can be seen in the "viewing
plan" I have devised for "Seasons 1 to 7" of Star Trek:
Enterprise, which follows.
The
running order of The Original Series is a tricky business.
The original broadcast order of the episodes was very different
from the production order. The order by stardate is different
again. I have favoured stardate order for the viewing plan,
so these dates are given for Original Series episodes,
where known, in addition to production order [#] numbers,
which are shown throughout the list. Where stardates are not
known, I have favoured production order instead. (For a detailed
analysis and explanations of stardate oddities, click here.)
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Season
1
#101-102 Broken Bow
#103 Fight or Flight
#104 Strange New World
#105 Unexpected
#106 Terra Nova
#107 The Andorian Incident
#108 Breaking the Ice
#109 Civilization
#110 Fortunate Son
#111 Cold Front
#112 Silent Enemy
#113 Dear Doctor
#114 Sleeping Dogs
#115 Shadows of P'Jem
#116 Shuttlepod One
#117 Fusion
#118 Rogue Planet
#119 Acquisition
#120 Oasis
#121 Detained
#122 Vox Sola
#123 Fallen Hero
#124 Desert Crossing
#125 Two Days and Two Nights
#126 Shockwave
Season
2
#201
Shockwave, Part II
#202 Carbon Creek
#203 Minefield
#204 Dead Stop
#205 A Night in Sickbay
#206 Marauders
#207 The Seventh
#208 The Communicator
#209 Singularity
#210 Vanishing Point
#211 Precious Cargo
#212 The Catwalk
#213 Dawn
#214 Stigma
#215 Cease Fire
#216 Future Tense
#217 Canamar
#218 The Crossing
#219 Judgment
#220 Horizon
#221 The Breach
#222 Cogenitor
#223 Regeneration
#224 First Flight
#225 Bounty
#226 The Expanse
Season
3
#301 The Xindi
#302 Anomaly
#303 Extinction
#304 Rajiin
#305 Impulse
#306 Exile
#307 The Shipment
#308 Twilight
#309 North Star
#310 Similitude
#311 Carpenter Street
#312 Chosen Realm
#313 Proving Ground
#314 Stratagem
#315 Harbinger
#316 Doctor's Orders
#317 Hatchery
#318 Azati Prime
#319 Damage
#320 The Forgotten
#321 EČ
#322 The Council
#323 Countdown
#324 Zero Hour
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Season
4
#401 Storm Front, Part I
#402 Storm Front, Part II
#403 Home
#404 Borderland
#405 Cold Station 12
#406 The Augments
#407 The Forge
#408 Awakening
#409 Kir'Shara
#410 Daedalus
#411 Observer Effect
#412 Babel One
#413 United
#414 The Aenar
#415 Affliction
#416 Divergence
#417 Bound
#418 In a Mirror, Darkly - Part I
#419 In a Mirror, Darkly - Part II
#420 Demons
#421 Terra Prime
#422 These are the Voyages...
#101 The Cage, Part I Stardate
unknown
#101-102 The Cage, Part II / Where No
Man Has Gone Before, Part I Stardate 1312.4-1312.9
#102-104 Where No Man Has Gone Before,
Part II / Mudd's Women, Part I Stardate 1313.1-1313.8,
1328.9-1329.1
#104 Mudd's Women, Part II Stardate
1329.2-1330.1
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Season
5
#103 The Corbomite Maneuver Stardate
1512.2-1514.1
#106 The Man Trap Stardate 1530.1-1530.8
#108 Charlie X Stardate 1533.6-1535.8
#105 The Enemy Within Stardate
1672.1-1673.1
#107 The Naked Time Stardate
1704.2-1704.4
#109 Balance of Terror Stardate
1709.2-1709.6
#119 The Squire of Gothos Stardate
2124.5-2126.3
#110 What are Little Girls Made of?
Stardate 2712.4
#112 Miri Stardate 2713.5-2717.3
#111 Dagger of the Mind Stardate
2750.1-2750.2
#113 The Conscience of the King
Stardate 2817.6-2819.8
#114 The Galileo Seven Stardate
2821.5-2823.1
#115 Court Martial Stardate 2947.3-2950.1
#116 The Menagerie, Part I Stardate
3012.4-3012.6
#117 The Menagerie, Part II Stardate
3013.1-3013.2
#201 Catspaw Stardate 3018.2
#118 Shore Leave Stardate 3025.3-3025.8
#120 Arena Stardate 3045.6-3046.2
#121 The Alternative Factor Stardate
3087.6-3088.7
#122 Tomorrow is Yesterday Stardate
3113.2-3114.1
#125 Space Seed Stardate 3141.9-3143.3
#123 The Return of the Archons
Stardate 3156.2-3158.7
#124 A Taste of Armageddon Stardate
3192.1
#127 The Devil in the Dark Stardate
3196.1
#128 Errand of Mercy Stardate
3198.4-3201.7
#217 The Gamesters of Triskelion
Stardate 3211.7-3212.2
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Season
6
#202 Metamorphosis Stardate 3219.8-3220.3
#129 The City on the Edge of Forever
Stardate unknown
#130 Operation -- Annihilate! Stardate
3287.2-3289.8
#205 Amok Time Stardate 3372.7
#126 This Side of Paradise Stardate
3417.3-3417.7
#204 Who Mourns for Adonais?
Stardate 3468.1
#211 The Deadly Years Stardate
3478.2-3479.4
#203 Friday's Child Stardate
3497.2-3499.1
#208 The Changeling Stardate
3541.9
#206 The Doomsday Machine Stardate
[Constellation log: 4202.1], unknown
#207 Wolf in the Fold Stardate
3614.9-3615.4
#218 Obsession Stardate 3619.2-3620.7
#209 The Apple Stardate 3715.0-3715.6
#210 Mirror, Mirror Stardate
3823.7
#215 Journey to Babel Stardate
3842.3-3843.4
#214 Bread and Circuses Stardate
4040.7-4041.7
#216 A Private Little War Stardate
4211.4-4211.8
#219 The Immunity Syndrome Stardate
4307.1-4309.4
#302 Elaan of Troyius Stardate
4372.5
#301 Spectre of the Gun Stardate
4385.3
#212 I, Mudd Stardate 4513.3
#213 The Trouble With Tribbles
Stardate 4523.3-4525.6
#220 A Piece of the Action Stardate
4598.0-4598.7
#221 By Any Other Name Stardate
4657.5
#224 The Ultimate Computer Stardate
4729.4-4731.3
#222 Return to Tomorrow Stardate
4768.3-4770.3
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Season
7
#223 Patterns of Force Stardate
unknown
#225 The Omega Glory Stardate
unknown
#226 Assignment: Earth Stardate
unknown
#303 The Paradise Syndrome Stardate
4842.6-4843.6
#304 The Enterprise Incident
Stardate 5027.3-5027.4
#305 And the Children Shall Lead Stardate
[Triacus log: 5025.3-5038.3], 5029.5
#308 The Empath Stardate 5121.5
#317 The Mark of Gideon Stardate
5423.4-5423.8
#306 Spock's Brain Stardate 5431.4-5432.3
#310 For the World is Hollow and I Have
Touched the Sky Stardate 5476.3-5476.4
#311 Day of the Dove Stardate
unknown
#307 Is There in Truth no Beauty?
Stardate 5630.7-5630.8
#309 The Tholian Web Stardate
5693.2
#313 Wink of an Eye Stardate
5710.5-5710.9
#314 That Which Survives Stardate
unknown
#316 Whom Gods Destroy Stardate
5718.3
#318 The Lights of Zetar Stardate
5725.3-5725.6
#315 Let That Be Your Last Battlefield
Stardate 5730.2-5730.7
#312 Plato's Stepchildren Stardate
5784.2-5784.3
#319 The Cloud Minders Stardate
5818.4-5819.3
#320 The Way to Eden Stardate
5832.3-5832.6
#321 Requiem for Methuselah Stardate
5843.7-5843.8
#322 The Savage Curtain Stardate
5906.4-5906.5
#324 Turnabout Intruder Stardate
5928.5-5930.3
#323 All Our Yesterdays Stardate
5943.7-5943.9
So
now you can boldly dig out your DVDs and enjoy all seven seasons!
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