"Enterprise" Broken Bow: Part 1 (2001)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

James L. Conway

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek creator)
Rick Berman (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Enterprise" (2001)

Original Air Date:

26 September 2001 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Enterprise, Earths first vessel capable of exploring the universe, is to embark on a dangerous first mission: bringing back a chased Klingon to his home world.

Plot Keywords:

Klingon | Vulcan | TV Series Pilot | Space Exploration | Star Trek

Cast

Scott Bakula	...	Captain Jonathan Archer
John Billingsley	...	Dr. Phlox
Jolene Blalock	...	Sub-Commander T'Pol
Dominic Keating	...	Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery	...	Ensign Travis Mayweather
Linda Park	...	Ensign Hoshi Sato
Connor Trinneer	...	Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III
John Fleck	...	Silik
Tommy 'Tiny' Lister	...	Klaang (as Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.)
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Admiral Maxwell Forrest
Jim Beaver	...	Admiral Daniel Leonard
Mark Moses	...	Henry Archer
Gary Graham	...	Vulcan Ambassador Soval
Thomas Kopache	...	Vulcan Attaché Tos
Jim Fitzpatrick	...	Commander Williams

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Klingon

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Germany:12 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

Up to this series, the pilot of each Star Trek series after the first included a cameo of a character from the previous one. However, because "Enterprise" takes place 100 years before the original Star Trek, the cameo was not of a series character, but of Zefram Cochrane ('James Cromwell' ), who appeared in Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and in the original series episode #2.9 "Metamorphosis" portrayed by 'Glenn Corbett' .

Quotes:

Ensign Hoshi Sato: [Translating the Kingon language] He says, 'his wife has grown ugly'?

Soundtrack:

Faith of the Heart

Solid Trek

Okay, the recent history of Star Trek has not been good. The Next Generation faded in its last few seasons, DS9 boldly stayed where no one had stayed before, and Voyager started very bad and never really lived up to its promise. So, when they announced a new Star Trek series, I did not have high expectations. And, the first episode, Broken Bow, did have some problems. But, overall it was solid Trek material and a good romp.

I'll get the nits out of the way first. The opening theme is dull and I don't look forward to sitting through it regularly, but that's what remotes are for. What was really bad was the completely gratuitous lotion rubbing scene that just about drove my wife out of the room. They need to cut that nonsense out.

But, the plot was strong and moved along well. The characters, though still new, seem to be well rounded and not always what you would expect. The Vulcans are clearly being presented very differently than before, with a slightly ominous theme. I particularly liked the linguist, who is the first Star Trek character to not be able to stand proud in the face of death, but rather has to deal with her phobias and fears. They seemed to stay true to Trek lore, something that has been a significant problem in past series, though they have plenty of time to bring us things like shooting through shields, the instant invention of technology that can fix anything, and the inevitable plethora of time-travel stories. Anyone want to start a pool on how long before the Borg show up?

All in all, the series has enormous potential. They are seeing the universe with fresh eyes. We have the chance to learn how things got the way they were in the later series. How did the Klingons go from just insulting to war? How did we meet the Romulans? How did the Federation form and just who put Earth in charge. Why is the prime directive so important? If they address these things rather than spitting out time travel episodes, this will be an interesting series.

My favorite line: Zephram Cochran saying "where no man has gone before" (not "no one")