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List Price: $69.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 11053
Released: November 1, 2005 |
| Our Price: $49.59 |
| Used Price: $40.00 |
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MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 02/05/2008
Description of Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Fourth Season:
Despite the near-certainty of cancellation, ratings in the cellar and nothing left to lose, the fourth and final season of Star Trek: Enterprise was unanimously hailed as the best. After ending season 3 with a mind-boggling cliffhanger, series creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga handed show-runner duties to executive producer Manny Coto, who rejuvenated the flagging franchise by bridging the gap between Enterprise and the future developments of Star Trek: The Original Series. By recruiting lifelong Trek experts Mike Sussman and the husband-and-wife team of Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens to his writing staff, Coto ensured that political events in the Enterprise timeline would lead to a "coalition of planets," thus forming the Federation cornerstone of Star Trek's future. But first, Coto had to find a way to extract Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) and his battle-worn crew from an alternate timeline--the result of the continuing Temporal Cold War--in which the Nazis have invaded U.S. soil in 1944. In the normal Enterprise timeline, political upheavals have left relations between Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, and Humans in a state of near-disastrous chaos.
Into this blazing cauldron of action-adventure, Coto and staff introduced story arcs that connected to Star Trek's future, including a three-episode arc ("Borderland," "Cold Station 12," and "The Augments") in which Dr. Arik Soong (played by Next Generation alumnus Brent Spiner) and his superhuman "Augments" chart a tragic course that would lead, in future generations, to the creation of Spiner's cybernetic NextGen character, Data. "The Forge," "Awakening," and "Kir'Shara" returned T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) to her native Vulcan, where encounters with the legendary philosopher Surak, and zealous sect called the Syrannites, lead to pivotal history with the Vulcan High Command. In subsequent episodes, Phlox (John Billingsley) would discover the reason why some Klingons lack "cranial ridges" (thus solving a vexing Star Trek mystery), and "In a Mirror, Darkly" marked and eventful return to the "Mirror Universe" from the original series episode "Mirror, Mirror," for what Coto aptly describes (in the bonus featurette) as a two-part "romp," complete with a "Mirror Universe" title sequence, the reappearance of the U.S.S. Defiant from the original series episode "The Tholian Web," and a glorious recreation of a "Constitution Class" starship bridge that gave long-time Trekkies a breathtaking rush of nostalgia.
In the closing episodes, the formation of the Federation is threatened by a radical xenophobe (Peter Weller) whose isolationist tactics lead Trip (Connor Trinneer) and T'Pol to a future of interspecies parenthood, and while the series-ending "These Are The Voyages..." is considered a disappointment by some, it provided a suitable Next Generation tribute to Star Trek's past, present, and future. Considering the daunting challenge of tying up loose ends while looking forward in a way that demanding fans could appreciate, it's fair to say that Enterprise reached a satisfying conclusion that its cast and crew can be proud of.
DVD features
It's only fitting that Season 4's bonus features have a bittersweet quality, celebrating the Star Trek franchise while acknowledging its uncertain future. For the first time on any Star Trek series, closure was imposed prematurely, and "That's a Wrap" (a video from the Enterprise wrap party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood) has the privileged feel of an emotional family reunion. (Unfortunately, Jolene Blalock and Connor Trinneer were unable to attend.) "Inside the 'Mirror' Episodes" offers a closer look at those enjoyably nostalgic episodes ("we put the 'Ho' back in Hoshi" jokes Mike Sussman about Linda Park's "empress" persona), and in "Links to the Legacy," Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens explain how they brought Enterprise closer to its original Star Trek heritage. "Visual Effects Magic" charts the astonishing advancements in digital effects since the comparatively crude effects of Next Generation, and "Enterprise Secrets" reveals an affectionate assembly of behind-the-scenes personnel on the final day of shooting. There's one final Easter egg (NX-01 File #10) about the ultimately futile "Save Enterprise" fan protest against series cancellation (with appreciative comments by Scott Bakula and Connor Trinneer), and as always, the informative audio and text commentaries are fan-essential features loaded with detailed trivia and anecdotal history. --Jeff Shannon
Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Fourth Season Reviews:
Dissapointing 
2009-11-08 - This is the worse season for any Star Trek franchise ever. I've been a Trek fan almost my entire life but even I am upset at the shows they did for this final season of Enterprise. While I've never been a fan of Scott Bakula in his role as captain, I think he did some of his best work in both the 3rd and 4th seasons. That aside the weak attempt to draw some sort of correlation with the other franchises by doing a show set in the alternate universe was pathetic to say the least. I got the idea they knew they were gone after this season so took license to do whatever they thought would be fun for them, forget the Star Trek franchise and forget the fans. This show was for the cast. And to top it off, the season finale was disconnected from the preceding shows because it was set several years after the last show of the series. Add to this that it was a holographic recreation being used by Commander Riker was again pathetic. I've heard some say that we'll pretend that Enterprise never happened and to tell the truth, I agree. We need to just forget this series for the poor attempt to make the Vulcan's interesting again and their inability to stay true to what the fans want and that is more Star Trek, not their desire to remake it into something of their own creation.
You really need to be bold for this one.
2009-08-17 - If you bought the rest of the series, you will want see this one as well, if only because you are like me and grew up with ST.
The cast of the Enterprise took some getting used to at the begining but by the 4th season we were totally involved with the characters and were emotionally invested in the story line. It is a pity that so many good ideas got wasted and not developed any further in this season.
There are excellent performances from extremely good actors like John Billingsley, Jeffrey Combs, John Fleck. It is a pleasure to watch and to listen to them.
The last episode was not satisfying in so many ways with characters out of, well, character.
In fact, as a family of 4 we decided to imagine a better ending and keep it at that.
Watch for the reconstruction of the original series bridge: it is remarkable.
Don't have any high expectations from this one but go with the flow and you will have a good time anyway.
Why didn't this SAVE ENTERPRISE? 
2009-07-28 - It is the mid 22nd Century: over a hundred years before Kirk and Spock. The crew of Earth's first Warp 5 starship led by Captain Jonathan Archer, continue to make history with every light year. Back home many believe Starfleet are partly responsible for drawing dangerously unwanted attention to Humanity. Last season, a lethal probe sent by the Xindi killed 7 million in an unprovoked attack. Having prevented the Xindi superweapon destroying Earth, this first crew now try to resume their mission of exploration... but for some scars the remain raw. Season Four continues to build on Enterprise's less advanced setting, with frequent use of space suits and decompression airlocks in order to get anywhere, a grappler instead of a tractor beam and polarised hull-plating, rather than shields. Those coming straight from JJ Abrams' 2009 movie will probably appreciate this show's uncomplicated style and "down-to-earth" characters the most. The rest of us get to have fun spotting familiar elements from past series, especially by the fourth season - as we visit the Mirror Universe, encounter green skinned Orions, while the Vulcans gradually come to respect their illogical allies and together make the first steps toward uniting warring aliens and form the Federation.
Out of all the Star Trek series, I generally keep returning to Enterprise for more. I'd like to think that's down to something deeper than having seen the others far too often.
I love the characters, while being the less than moral humans Gene Roddenberry would've created, they do in fact hold true to his ideals - that of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. Archer, interested me from the outset (being familar with Scott Bakula's other work) his Captain out there alone with no support, no rulebook or role models to learn from their mistakes. His 'quid pro quo' relationship with Shran (a blue-skinned Andorian) with whom he forms a bond, both skeptical of the Vulcans' agenda and yet building bridges which will ultimately lead to the creation of an interstellar alliance, known as the Federation. Trip, likeable Southern Engineer who's deep friendship with his Captain, manages to survive his occassional bouts of insubordination. T'Pol, initially an observer from a Vulcan government concerned about the impact of humankind on the galaxy. Growing more accustomed to the crew and their perspective. Her relationship with Trip, which manages to rise above its somewhat exploitive origins and her struggle to maintain control over her emotions. At this point, I should also make it clear I loved what Enterprise did with the Vulcans and how they are every bit the race seen all the way back to the Original Series. I could continue to outline traits of the various other regulars, who are anything but cyphers in my opinion. Under developed in comparision to the big three for sure but I feel that was changing... even Travis Mayweather got in on the action by the end.
I love the technology... phase pistols and EM rifles, airlocks and shuttlepods deployed from bomb bay doors underneath. When you're at a disadvantage, you have nothing but your wits to rely on and this show was about as far from Voyager's technobabble saves the day approach as it was possible for Trek to get, while staying futuristic.
I still believe this is the show with the most potential left unexplored. 2 reasonably good seasons, 2 excellent ones which kept me watching and yet still barely scratched the surface. Had I been in charge of CBS/Paramount in 2005, I certainly would not have cancelled this... not considering how well the stories were coming along in leaps and bounds. I hope they're looking at the popularity of Star Trek in cinemas at the moment, and think back to that day fans held a rally outside the studio, sent emails and letters... all protesting the loss of a show that had finally turned the tide against fan apathy, only to be unjustly rewarded with the axe. Shame on the Executive who made that decision.
Star Trek Enterprise 4th Season
2009-06-27 - Good product. The crew is loosening up by this season. A bit more sexual content than previous seasons so not as appropriate for younger viewers.
Sorry to see it go 
2009-06-08 - I really enjoyed watch Star Trek Enterprise. I'm a Trekkie, I like it all. I just wish it wasn't cancelled.
