My last blog about Star-Trek is only a few weeks old, due to the 55th anniversary of the original-series.
But my last big anniversary-tribute was a few years ago.
And for the 4th Star-Trek real-series, Enterprise (ENT), I have never written anything before.
But now the time has come.

Key-Points

Enterprise is the successor-series of Voyager and was made from 2001 to 2005.
It is the last of the 4 Star-Trek-series from 1987-2005.
Unlike its 3 direct predecessors "The next Generation" (TNG), "Deep Space Nine" (DS9) and Voyager (VOY), it is not set in the 24th century, but in the 22nd century, so even about 100 years before the original-series, which is set in the 23rd century.

At its core Enterprise revolves around the departure of mankind into space and, as a consequence, it’s finding it’s position in the universe, which ultimately leads to the foundation of the "United Federation of Planets" (UFP).

ENT is thus a prequel within the Star Trek universe. The background is that after 3 series each comprising over 170 episodes in the 24th century, the series makers saw the narrative possibilities for exciting stories so exhausted that they wanted to make a leap in time, of which they promised more new narrative-strands.

    
What to me the series constitutes

I find the departure of mankind into space exciting. And this is the heart of Season-1.
This reveals great parallels to Voyager, which is also traveling in completely unknown areas of space in season 1 and ship and crew have to assert themselves there and find their position.

In general, I see some concrete elements and processes similar specifically between Voyager and Enterprise:

• The mentioned departure into the unknown and the claim there in season 1
   
• Season 2 as the weakest of both series
   
• A high and similar quality of the series, but not quite close to TNG or DS9, which for me, however, together with Babylon - 5 are the3 best science fiction series of all time.
   
• Unfortunately, but also a lot of wasted potential, but we'll get to that later.

In Enterprise, I liked the Vulcan T'Pol as first officer and guide of the humans through the unknown areas of space – which are much less unknown to Vulcans.
This was helpful for the crew on many occasions, but on some occasions the Enterprise also helped the Vulcans - which was already a strong indication of the foundation of the Federation.

Which I did not like at all in and of itself and was especially seen in season 3:
Torture.
Torture by the Captain of the Enterprise of a prisoner in order to get information from him.
But what I really liked was that Archer in season 4 is very disillusioned, briefly depressed and ultimately self-reflected related to his actions.

And:
Saving humanity in season 3 was only possible through cooperation with the then assumed arch-enemy, the Xindi. Where humans as well as Xindi have paid a high price for saving both of them.

The Season-3 of Enterprise is unique anyway, as it is about 1 big mission, the rescue of mankind from an enemy, which takes place in a far away area of space.

Last but not least:
ENT has contributed a lot to the coherence and continuity within the Star-Trek-universe:
From important developments among the Vulcans to the genetic superhumans and the human optics of the Klingons in the 23rd century.

What I dislike about the series

Enterprise is the first Post 9/11 Star-Trek-series. And the influences of 11th September 2001 and the "War on Terror" can be clearly seen in the series.

Especially in season 3, this becomes very clear:
All the war and revenge rhetoric of those responsible towards the Xindi who have invaded Earth.
Torture of a prisoner, capture of important items of equipment from other ships - these are very dark actions, carried out by the post-9-11-spirit and which you have never seen in previous Star-Trek-series.

But just - as described above - this is only the one side, the other side is that of self-reflection and self-criticism.
And something like this from those responsible in the real world we have hardly heard about the post-9-11-wars – if heard at all.

And the Vulcans are portrayed for almost 3 seasons as a kind of villains, as opponents and troublemakers in their own house.
Now this is something that is not uninteresting and also not illogical. Because in the background it's about a key development of them, which only takes place towards the end of the series and makes a lot of things seem logical – to stay in the diction of the Vulcans ; -)
However, this intellectual alien species is already portrayed very flat and exaggerated.
This could have been told with a “finer blade” – and should have.

And then again:
Even more than Voyager Enterprise missed opportunities:

• Season 2 is a rock-bottom of the series and its quality in all Star Trek series from 1987-2005 was only undercut by seasons 1 & 2 from TNG.
  Remakes of other Star-Trek episodes or even motion-pictures at a modest level and with no discernible goal for the series.
   
• No narration of the foundation of the Federation - that would have been a main-reason to let the series take place during this time.
   
• No true innovations in storytelling compared to the predecessors, but only "More of the Same".

My negative chapter is concluded with the final-episode:
Not only does this make a sudden leap in time of 10 years, there is also a completely unnecessary death of chief-engineer and best friend of the Captain, Charles “Trip” Tucker.
Most importantly, the crew is denied a true Enterprise-final-episode by the series creators by presenting it as a holodock simulation of the TNG characters Commander Riker and Counsellor Troi.

My conclusion about Enterprise

ENT is the relatively weakest series in the Star-Trek-cycle from 1987-2005, but still really good.
I see it "clustered" with Voyager in several ways, especially in terms of quality.
Where Voyager is slightly ahead for me in terms of quality.
Enterprise, however, offers the better innovativeness for me, especially in seasons 3 and 4.

There is light and shadow, but definitely more light. I certainly wouldn't want to miss this series.

As a deeper message, I can perhaps interpret, that one is not immune from falling into the Zeitgeist, which can be very worrying, even dangerous, especially with 9/11 and the "war on terror".
However humans also have the ability to reflect on themselves and are able to learn.

I would like us humans in our societies to do this even more than the ENT-crew and to clearly develop awareness and stand against authoritarian tendencies with surveillance- and police-state - and in the recent times also against clear approaches of a corona-health-dictatorship.

All those who are not interested in politics still have a really interesting piece of Star-Trek and science-fiction with Enterprise today, which I can recommend to watch.

Today we can celebrate the 2^nd of 3 major science-fictions-series anniversary within 5 months:
On 3^rd January 1993 made it's fist appearance in US television.
DS9, as the series is abbreviated, was the 3^rd Star-Trek real-series and direct successor of Star Trek: The next Generation (TNG).

And like for TNG I also for DS9 have made a big anniversary-tribute 5 years ago. So today – similar to a priest preparing his Sunday sermon - I again am confronted with the task writing something new about this great series.

Isn't DS9 the best Star-Trek series?

From the way of it's story-telling and from the way of it's making DS9 already is the best ST-series to me. You can well see, that it's a few years more modern and the production-team has more experience than at TNG.

On the other hand Star Trek works best on an Enterprise as the federation's flagship. In addition, Deep-Space-Nine lacks the moral authority of Picard.

Generally spoken Sisko and Co have set a trend, that moral standards diminish since the Next-Generation. This development continues further with Voyager and has reached its climax with Enterprise – which production's started immediately after 9/11.

But what does DS9 specifically distinguish? Some aspects that I consider essential:

• The series from season 3 on isn't only really good, but is getting better and better. I however noticed this constant improvement in the last 3-4 years.
  Until season 7 it's getting into a true (albeit very war-heavy) ectasy of story-telling, culminating in a 10-part storyline with that the series is being completed.
   
• In general in no other Star-Trek-series there are such complex, long and closely interwoven storylines as in DS9.
  The series was a long way ahead of it's time and as a true fan I consider this superb. Of course this makes things harder for occasional viewers.
   
• Likewise TNG a circle closes with the beginning and the end.
  The Bajoran's prophets, aliens that inhabit the wormwhole (essential to the show's story) and have a high level of control over time, form the starting- and the end-point.
  A very positive parallel to Next-Generation, where the series starts and ends with Q.
  In contrast series beginning and end of Voyager and Enterprise don't really cohere.
   
• In no other Star-Trek-series religion (of the Bajorans) is so important. Directly related to that, their prophets are also powerful aliens and the federation-commander of the space-station is the prophet's emissary.

And although already mentioned 2013:
Deep-Space-Nine not only within the Star Trek universe is vanward in terms of supporting-characters.
There is hardly any other television-series deploying so many, so well-elaborated and so often recurring characters. This reinforces the impression that the series is not played, but real. Great!

War with (Dis-)Ethics

1 aspect makes Deep-Space-Nine unique within the Trek-universe: War.

In all other series only past wars were mentioned or remain dealing with the threat of a war. Here it's is shown the first and so far only time in whole Star-Trek.

Nevertheless definitely no warmongery takes part, but quite to the contrary a lot of scepticism or even open criticism on war is shown in the episodes. There are even some great anti-war episodes like "Nor the Battle to the Strong", "The siege of AR-558" or "It's only a Paper Moon".

The Federation itself, however repeatedly plays a more than dubious role in DS9:
Section 31, a secret, autonomous and extremely ruthless sub-unit of Starfleet-Intelligence, introduced in this series, for preventing or winning a war against the Dominion is even determined to commit genocide against the Dominions founders.
And even Captain Sisko has to drive the Romulans into war against the Domion on the side of the Federation by applying a bloody intrigue – in order to prevent his own perdition.

Nevertheless almost always a high degree of morality is dominant in the series, the genocide of the Dominion's founders for example is prevented by the main-characters  – which finally even paves the way for a possible peaceful coexistence with the Federation's so far deadliest arch-enemy, the Dominion.

My personal wrap-up to DS9, plea und final-words

Deep Space Nine definitely is the darkest of all the Star-Trek-series. On the one hand this is due to the series' nature, on the other hand it simply serves to visual distinctness to its sister-series "The Next Generation" (TNG) and Voyager (VOY), both of which are much brighter and were broadcasted at the same period of time.
Together with the series' high complexity, this creates a certain hurdle for the spectators.

But if you decide to get into DS9, then even in the late 2010s, you still get a fantastic and up-to-date piece of science-fiction and in general television-history. To me together with Next-Generation and the series "Babylon-5" (B5) – set in a completely different but somehow rather similar serial-universe – still one of the 3 best sci-fi series ever!
And even all 3 celebrate big anniversaries within less than 5 months – TNG in the end of September 2017 became 30 years, B5 is also turning 25 in late February 2018.

Something that oppresses me and leaves me with incomprehension, but I am unfortunately already accustomed to:
The incomprehension of so many Star-Trek fans, who escape into a kind of spending-spree and escapism into an illusory world around the serials and movies without being aware of how much Star-Trek – and especially Deep-Space-Nine – warns of dangers in the here and now.

Particularly the double-episode "Home front" / "Paradise lost" shows, how unscrupulous power-people massively exacerbate crisis in order for gaining into power themselves in the name of security and virtuousness – at the cost of abolishing Democracy and freedom.
The striking parallels to reality, where at first countries of the middle East have been bombed  in the name of war against terrorism, next extremist Muslims regularly carry out terrorist-attacks in the West and finally Western governments establish mass-surveillance and massively restricting citizens-rights are issues that almost all Star-Trek fans don't care about.

Just me as a big contrarian thinker, whose personal views reconcile elements from different subjects as well as from very many, different ideologies, wants this to change!
To every independent-minded person the plots of many a Star-Trek episodes, should be warning and motivation to action enough.

Anyway still today I can highly recommend DS9, almost unbelievable 25 years after its debut, to all science-fiction- and serial-fans. And just like at "the 30th" of The-Next-Generation, I hope that Deep-Space-Nine will be able gaining new fans for at least the next 25 years, entertaining them as well as me and hopefully also encouraging people to reflect sceptically but also constructively about our current world.

Additional links and information:

• Tribute to the 20-year-anniversary of Deep-Space-Nine from 2013
• 30 years Star Trek: The Next Generation
• 40 years Star-Wars – 40 years praise and admonition
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode-guide at Memory-Alpha

On 8th September 2016 time has come: Star-Trek – or how is it called in German „Raumschiff Enterprise (Starship Enterprise) has celebrated its 50th anniversary. On 08. September 1966 the series was primarily aired in the United States. And though I haven't managed making my tribute on time, on the anniversary-day – this I just did in German – I wanted to write it this year also in English at any costs before the anniversary-year is over.

But let's go into medias res:

After a very mediocre start and it's end in 1969 the series saw an enormous popularity-boost in the 1970s - and is until today one of the historically most important television-series ever.

Up to now beside 7 (soon 8) television-series and so far 13 cinema-movies many computer- & video-games, books, Internet-media as well as countless franchise-products were created.
And the effect of the unique phenomenon „Star Trek“ goes far beyond it's core-function as an entertainment product into almost all areas of life.

Star Trek TOS (The original series) – the old Enterprise

Actually, the series was supposed to start already in 1964, at the time a pilot-movie (The cage) was filmed with mostly different crew. Captain at that time was Christopher Pike, portrayed by Jeffrey Hunter. And Spock has played a rather minor role.

Since this concept was too intellectual and too little action-packed for TV-station NBC, the series creator Gene Roddenberry revised script and crew. In 1966 William Shatner got the role of Captain Kirk – and together with the Vulcan Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and ship's doctor Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) the core team of the series had been formed.

The series itself I see quite ambivalent.
On the one hand, it stands for values such as tolerance, openness for the New and enlightened spirit of research.
On the other hand at the same time also for 1960s- and Western-mentality: Hitting & shooting BEFORE thinking and a Captain, no woman can resist. In addition also the scripts are partial shallow, gappy and implausible.

However the series has great charm and appeal:
The blend of yearning for the space and for a positive future paired with moral values and action but also trashy elements are simply fascinating - as Mr. Spock would say.

Star Trek TNG (The Next Generation) – the new Enterprise

Although there 3 further ships with the name Enterprise and a round of 80 years between the Original Enterprise NCC-1701 and the NCC-1701-D, „Next Generation“ is the 2nd real series in the Star Trek universe.
The Next-Generation of 1987 in many aspects is different than the original series. And – in my eyes – in almost all respects better. It starts with the Captain: While predecessor Kirk is a swashbuckler and a womaniser, successor Picard is a mature intellectual and in addition for many people a moral-authority.

Generally TNG is very well done, thrilling, action-packed and morally demanding.
This great composition set a new benchmark hereafter created a boom of fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, mystery) in the early to mid of 1990s and to me still belongs to the 3 best science-fiction-series ever.

Star Trek DS9 (Deep Space Nine) – dark, stationary and captivating

Even before the Next-Generation moved from television to cinema in 1994, in 1993 it's successor Deep-Space-Nine started. And trek-series number 3 kept the extremely high level of Picard and Co, but yet made a lot of things differently:

For the first time the Star played Trek not on a starship, but on a space-station. Commander Sisko was a single father. For the first time a big war was shown in the Star-Trek-universe and in general the whole series was set atmospheric dark

Still today particularly outstanding in DS9 are the many and well elaborated supporting-characters and especially the long, ample, interrelated story-arcs. Therefore, together with the TNG, and Babylon 5, to me it belongs to the 3 best all-time SF-series.

Star Trek VOY (Voyager) – far away from home

Due to the success particularly of Next-Generation, but also of Deep-Space-Nine, the studio Paramount in 1995 decided to start a 2nd trek-series, parallel to DS9. To prevent these 2 series, ongoing contemporaneously in the same serial-universe getting in each others way, the Voyager was „shipped“ to the other end of our galaxy, to the 75-years away delta-quadrant.

Voyager is definitely a good science-fiction-series that is atmospherically much brighter than Deep-Space-Nine and in many ways similar to Nex-Gen. Apart from some wear and tear – stories are told again, we already know from Star Trek – compared to TNG & DS9 it often is made in a rather lacklustre way.

Voyager initiated both, the peak of the Star-Trek-mania in 1996, but also it's big downturn around the year 2000. Nevertheless me just like many other fans definitely don't want to miss the 4th trek-series.

Star Trek ENT (Enterprise) – the vanguard as rearguard

After Star Trek's success significantly subsided in the Voyager-era, in 2001 the series creators decided to completely reboot the franchise. And so 5th series "Enterprise" (ENT) does no longer play in the 24th century like TNG, DS9 & VOY, but in the 22nd century about 100 years before the original Enterprise (TOS).

The series itself, similar to Voyager, achieved a good overall-level, is well made and exiting. Nevertheless it's unable taking it up with the best Star-Trek-series and quality is highly viable. In my opinion the series highlight is season no. 3, dealing for 1 whole year with the well elaborated Xindi story-arc.

Enterprise, among other issues, deserves criticism especially for it's partly violent and sometimes even unethical approach of it's characters – something for certain influenced by 9/11.

However, it is exciting to see what happened in Star Trek BEFORE the "United Federation of Planets" (UFP) creation.

Wrap-up to Star-Trek in television

I don't want to hide the fact, that in addition to the mentioned 5 series (with real people) with Star Trek TAS (The Animated Series) also a short-lived cartoon-series created in the 1970s exists.

After the true start in 1966 Star Trek has managed something that – with exception of Sherlock Holmes and James Bond – probably no other entertainment-product ever has: To remain popular for 50 years and to successfully continue its history in cinema as well as (again from 2017) in television.
And 100% deserves to be!

Star Trek is exciting, fascinating and at the same time morally and intellectually demanding. Thus all the best for the future, perhaps for another 50 years!

Appreciations for important science-fiction series have something of a tradition for me.
After the two Star Trek series "Next Generation" (TNG) and "Deep Space Nine" (DS9), as well as "Babylon 5" and its spin-off "Crusade" it's "Voyager" (VOY) to celebrate a big anniversary now:
Exactly 20 years ago on January 16th 1995 it has flown on television screens for the first time in the United States.
 

In contrast to "Deep Space Nine" or "Babylon 5" I was really keen to see more of Star Trek and to get known with the much anticipated successor of the new Enterprise, that from 1994 on only continued to fly in the cinema.
 

Voyager for certain does not belong to the very best but for certain belongs to the really good science-fiction series.
It co-initiated Star Treks peak of success in 1996, but also the strong downturn of Star Trek from around the year 2000 on.
 

Voyager takes place in the same universe and at the same time as TNG & DS9. But not at the same location, the ship together with a Maquis fighter is carried to the delta-quadrant by the "Caretaker", a very powerful being. There the Voyager is dependent on its self and even at top-speed is around 75 years away from home.
 

This scenario, where the story takes place secluded from home and largely without the rest of the Federation distinguishes Voyager from all other Star Trek series.
And dealing with this new, difficult situation, where things taken for granted are no longer available and you have to struggle for survival, especially makes season-1 very interesting for me.
 

Despite the stand-alone scenario, it is a proper Star Trek series which offers not only excitement, fun and action, but also attaches great importance on values like tolerance and moral integrity.

The Voyager is also much brighter than Deep Space Nine, is visually reminiscent of the Enterprise-D.
The character composition is very well made – independently from the question whether you'd have to shape it as politically highly correct as it has been shaped.
Janeway, the first female Star Trek Captain, the native-American Ex-Maquis-Insurgent and first officer Chakotay, the Vulcan security-chief Tuvok, the half-Klingon Ex-Maquis-Chief-Engineer Torres, the holographic doctor, later also the ex-Borg "Seven of Nine" and all the others provide a blend with a lot of tension, humour and variety.

However there are also several points of criticism:

• The character of Captain Janeway has very large discrepancies, particularly in referring to her own values. On many occasions she has hyped up the values and ideals of the Federation into the sky and vehemently has demanded compliance by the crew to these. At the same time it was herself making decisions which were morally questionable (e.g. the back-splitting of Tuvix, the hybrid-creature of Tuvok and Neelix) or even contradicted the federation-laws (such as her personal hunt on the USS Equinox).
• In contrast to its 2 predecessors the quality did not improve from the 3rd season on, but it droped sharply in the 2nd season and then was again considerably better, but fluctuating.
• The character of deputy chief-engineer Joe Carey, who always participated in exiting episodes of the 1st season, later is almost irrelevant. That displeases me, because potential excitement had been given away and even some absurd situations arised (E.g. "Seven of Nine" substituted Torres as chief-engineer, although Carey still were on the ship).
• In contrast to TNG & DS9 there was a strong discrepancy between the beginning and the end of the series, which makes VOY inhomogeneous. While the Caretaker and his partner play a key-part at the beginning of the show, the Borg play the decisive role at the end of the series. The Borg were introduced in the serie's third season for quota reasons.

But it very clearly has to be said that the character "Seven of Nine", introduced with the Borg story-arc, has much more to offer than large and clearly visible bosoms. It's one of the best developed characters in the entire Star Trek universe. The "becoming-a-man" of this Borg can easily measure even with Data's "seeking-for-humanity".
 

Conclusion:

Voyager is a really good science-fiction series that I have really liked at it's first appearance and I still really like today. Despite significant weaknesses, I would not want to be without it and even today see the show as enriching to me.
If it hadn't to measure with it's 2 outstanding predecessors "Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine" VOY would even be a remarkable piece of television.
In this sense once again congratulations on this anniversary!

Update 27.01.2020:

On 16th January 2020 Star Trek: Voyager now turned 25 years. The series is still good an my blog-entry to the 20th is still up to date. However I have made a new 25th-anniversary-tribute to the series with interesting content and personal addendum, which I very much want to entrust you!