Star Trek: Enterprise was an exciting addition to the series. It follows the mission of Captain Archer (later Admiral Archer) and his crew, taking place one hundred years before Captain Kirk boldly went where no man had gone before.
We get a glimpse into this universe's history, as United Earth voyages into unknown territory. The events of Enterprise eventually lead to the Human/Romulan war and the very foundation of The Federation. The crew features some large personalities and colorful characters.
Low Tech
Enterprise takes place chronologically first in the Star Trek timeline. The technology on board the Enterprise was primitive by later Starfleet standards, but that didn't discourage Archer or his crew. They managed to get by just fine without the things later crews would take for granted.
Without protein replicators, Archer and his crew had to carry and cultivate enough food for everyone on board. If they wanted to travel off the ship, they had to physically load up personnel and gear onto a shuttle and take the time to travel there themselves. These barriers never stopped Archer or his crew from taking care of business.
OG Translator
Enterprise lacks one piece of technology that every other series take for granted: Universal translators. This device makes communicating with alien species possible; unfortunately, Archer and his crew do not have this luxury. Luckily for them, they had Hoshi Sato.
She's one of the hardest-working communications officers in Star Trek history. Her incredible linguistic talent smoothed over some of humanity's first contact with alien races. If it weren't for her, we could find ourselves in a much different position in the universe.
Cheese Hound
Doctor Phlox cares about all of his patients but Porthos might be his favorite. The Danubian doctor has a soft spot in his heart for animals and Porthos is particularly adorable. Captain Archer's famous beagle tends to have a craving for forbidden cheese.
According to Dr. Phlox, the canine companion is lactose intolerant. Unfortunately for Porthos, that does little to quell his craving for the dairy he cannot digest...
Skip Intro
As a Star Trek series and a sci-fi show in general, Enterprise got a lot right. There is one part of the show that almost every fan will agree was a swing-and-a-miss. The opening song has to be one of the most grating intros in history. Enterprise's opening is so laughable, the theme has become a meme. The music itself sounds like a cheap backing track or a demo tape for a local easy-listening band. The lyrics are uplifting but painfully cheesy.
"Faith Of The Heart" is one of the most difficult to listen to songs of the 1990s. Thankfully fans now have the option of skipping the intro. When the show was originally aired fast-forwarding live TV was not an option. Fans had to sit through the entire intro song and were powerless to stop it. Maybe that's where the unusual hatred of it came from. With streaming technology and DVR, no one need ever sit through this song again.
The Good Captain
There are a lot of reasons to love Captain Archer. His cute little dog makes him one of the most human Starfleet captains around. He and his ground-breaking crew are responsible for some of the most important moments in Starfleet history. He is a respectable officer with a career worth looking up to. And he's not too hard on the eyes either.
Captain Archer might be one of the most athletic Starfleet captains in Star Trek history. Fans were treated to several scenes of a scantily clad Archer. Whether the Captain is in his boxer briefs while quarantined or playing desert lacrosse with the Kurgan, Archer looks great with his shirt off.
Phlox's Flock
Doctor Phlox serves as Enterprise's tireless Denobulan physician. He is a fascinating character from a polyamorous culture. Phlox is intelligent, friendly, and loyal to his crew. The character does have one quirk that some might even call an obsession. He's not just a physician but also a scientist. Phlox enjoys collecting strange and exotic specimens while traveling throughout the universe.
The medical Bay begins to resemble something of a small zoo. Crates cages tanks and Bottles fill every possible surface. Each specimen requires sustenance. Without replicators, every bit of food for his pets must either be carried or cultivated on board. Perhaps those resources could be better spent on the standing of the crew. Love him or hate him, Phlox's animal hoarding might be the most interesting detail about the character.
All About The Trellium-D
There are a lot of challenges to working and traveling in alien environments. The crew of the Enterprise experience some of these challenges when they begin encountering space anomalies in the Delphic Expanse. It's there that they discovered Trellium-D. This substance is used on the show to insulate starships and make them impervious to the effects of the expanse. Not every species can be exposed to the same variable.
Vulcan Science Officer T'Pol found herself falling victim to uncontrollable waves of emotions when exposed to the substance. You would think that would be enough to scare her away from the stuff forever. Unfortunately, she develops a dependence on it later in the show.
Down Home
Trip Tucker is an incredible engineer who works on a ship with cutting edge science designed to explore strange environments. It's no wonder why he seems a little bit homesick.
Trip is from the great state of Florida and, apparently, he is pretty proud of it because the engineer brings it up every chance he gets. It seems everything reminds Tucker of the sunshine state. There is no conversation he can't turn to the swamp.
Not Enhanced Enough
The Suliban are a major race in Star Trek: Enterprise. There are several important story arcs that center around this species and the politics of their world. Part of what makes this race so fascinating is that some of them have been genetically enhanced.
This gives the Suliban incredible powers of flexibility, shape-shifting, and more. Apparently, nothing could be done to smooth out their complexions. Science can only go so far.
Attitude Is Everything
Malcolm Reed has a notoriously bad attitude. There is nothing he won't complain about. Fans have made jokes about this character since the show first aired. The list of things he hates is long. You can jot it down as you move through the seasons. Perhaps what truly makes Malcolm a wet blanket is that there isn't a list of things he likes.
We hear tales of his conquests with women but we hardly see him give anyone a second glance. He's an extremely tight-laced and formal guy. It could be that he feels a relationship with anyone on the crew would be inappropriate.