CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 11/04/05

New Worlds and Narrative Structures

by jason davis

Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, Mike Sussman, Andre Bormanis, Chris Black, Brent V. Friedman, Paul Brown, Brent V. Friedman, Jonathan Fernandez, Terry Matalas, Phyllis Strong, David A. Goodman, Manny Coto
Created by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry

In the aftermath of a 9/11-inspired attack on Earth, the Enterprise, with a contingent of Starfleet Marines, sets off into the dangerous Delphic Expanse to bring the battle to the mysterious Xindi, a culture of multiple species. Departing the exploration theme of the first two seasons, season three of the re-christened Star Trek: Enterprise takes a militaristic tone and finds Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and his crew forced to make decisions with dubious moral outcomes in the interest of saving Earth. Primarily focusing on an ongoing story arc as the crew seeks out the multi-species Xindi, the season is more successful in presenting stories informed by the ongoing narrative, but not driven by it. "Similitude," where a clone of Chief Engineer Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) is harvested to provide needed biological material to save the mortally wounded Tucker, is an excellent example. Forced by desperate circumstances to take questionable action, the clone's creation and Archer's ensuing friendship with it are the kind of tales of the human condition that Star Trek does best. Though the Xindi arc itself is interesting from a storytelling perspective, the character conflicts generated from it are far more engaging. Writer commentaries offer insight into the individual episodes while featurettes explore the season-long arc's development.

Though he was not directly involved with the creation of Star Trek: Enterprise, this review is dedicated to Michael Piller (1948-2005), whose contributions to the Star Trek franchise and aspiring writers everywhere will not be forgotten.

Star Trek: Enterprise: The Complete Third Season
Paramount Home Entertainment
Not rated; 1026 min.
$129.99

Buy it now for only $97.49 (save 25%)

At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD Coordinator. He lives in Burbank.

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