“Exile” 20th-anniversary reflections

Contacted telepathically by an alien who says he might be able to help find the Xindi, Hoshi decides to take advantage of the opportunity by packing her nicest dresses and high heels for a stay at his mysterious castle. At first she’s happy to be his guest and even enjoys a lavish dinner of her Earth favorites—despite being creeped out by his mind-reading. But the mood is soured when she discovers the graves of past guests just outside, leaving little more to do until the Enterprise returns but translate a book written in an undecipherable alien language while staying comfortable in leisure wear.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Exile” as we discuss Star Trek's attempt to do Beauty and the Beast in space.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Be Our Guest! (00:02:25) Mixed Signals (00:07:43) An Unnecessary Pit Stop? (00:16:01) An Uneasy Feeling … or Sphering (00:20:58) Visual Effects (00:24:06) Mind Games and Plot Holes (00:28:19) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:35) Closing (00:41:16)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Impulse” 20th-anniversary reflections

A distress call leads the Enterprise to a derelict Vulcan cruiser trapped in an asteroid field. When the crew boards the ship to mount a rescue, they find not the calm and cold Vulcans they’re used to but rather scary and cold zombies. As they attempt to get off the ship, whatever has transformed the Vulcan crew begins to affect T’Pol. And as her behavior becomes more and more irrational, a new threat to survival comes from within the landing party itself.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Impulse” as we discuss how the story flips the Human–Vulcan narrative and accelerates T'Pol's character development.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Flipping the Vulcan-Human Narrative (00:02:10) Suspicious Minds (00:12:34) One Long Chase Sequence (00:17:19) Jolene's Brilliant Performance (00:21:56) Remembering Who We Are (00:28:13) VFX Advancements (00:34:01) Shortest Cold Open (00:37:24) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:39:34) Closing (00:45:27)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Rajiin” 20th-anniversary reflections

While the Xindi Council continues to debate how best to destroy Earth, the Enterprise welcomes aboard a beautiful passenger. Archer rescued the lingerie-clad alien from a slave market on the Xanathan planet where he, Tucker, and Reed sought clues about the Xindi and a way to synthesize trellium-D. It turns out that the freed woman may not have the information they need, but she does have ulterior motives … and the hots for everyone. Things take an even weirder turn when the Xindi Reptilions and Insectoids show up looking for their electric Barbarella.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Rajiin” as we discuss Xindi motivations, Rajiin's reality, Archer's hard knocks journey, and how this installment advances the overall story.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Xindi Motivations (00:02:14) Archer Learns Star Trek Tropes (00:07:16) Should Rajiin Have Returned? (00:14:46) Muddy Powers (00:18:58) Susceptible to Abuse? (00:23:36) Managing Time in Storytelling (00:28:03) Advancing Trip and T'Pol (00:31:45) A TOS Vibe (00:37:26)   Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:39:52) Closing (00:44:07)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Extinction” 20th-anniversary reflections   Arriving at a dangerous planet not clearly marked, Enterprise crew find themselves being transformed into primitive creatures who apparently have amazing scientific prowess. Luckily, the mutagenic virus created by this civilization’s geneticists doesn’t work on T’Pol, thanks to her Vulcan K cells. Otherwise, all would have been lost before the end of Act 1. Will Doctor Phlox find a cure in time? It’s Star Trek meets Planet of the Apes—long before IDW did an official crossover—in this peach of an Enterprise episode.   In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Extinction” as we discuss if anything good comes from Archer, Hoshi, and Malcolm cracking open a grub-filled coconut.   Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Advancing Trip and T'Pol … and Archer (00:03:02) A Devolving Story (00:09:58) Borg Parallels (00:19:56) What Is Going on Here? (00:25:10) Connecting to the Story (00:31:33) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:35:38)   Closing (00:38:24)   Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing   Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Anomaly” 20th-anniversary reflections

Things in the Expanse get weirder—and more dangerous—as an anomaly starts rearranging Enterprise. And an unexpected visit from a group of alien pirates complicates matters and threatens to leave the crew stranded. Porthos knew it was going to be a bad day when he saw a book on the floor, but he didn't realize just how bad it would get. To keep the mission on track, Archer has to resort to more extreme measures, including torture. In the process of retrieving their supplies, the crew uncovers an even deeper mystery: an ancient sphere. And to find it, they just had to follow Jenny.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 3 with “Anomaly” as we discuss how the Expanse changes people, the mystery of the spheres, and more.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Cosmic Canvas (00:02:49) (Almost) an Orion Backstory (00:09:06) Archer Changes (00:13:15) MACOs Matter (00:17:42) The Spheres (00:22:24) Subtle Continuity (00:28:29) What's in a Name? (00:31:34) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:35:57) Closing (00:39:07)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we warp into Season 3 with “The Xindi” as we discuss how the series takes a dark turn with a new mission, sexy character tension, and an upbeat retooling of everyone's favorite theme song.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) The Xindi Concept (00:02:10) Faith of the Upbeat Heart (00:10:28) A Dark Turn (00:16:26) Making the Case for MACO (00:26:17) Malcolm and the Major (00:30:01) Sexy Time with Trip and T’Pol (00:34:43) Visual Effects (00:40:22) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:43:54) Closing (00:45:53)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“The Expanse” 20th-anniversary reflections

An attack on Earth by an unknown species forces Starfleet to call the NX-01 back and presents the crew with a new mystery, one filled with danger greater than anything humanity has faced. Tipped off by Future Guy that a species called the Xindi are behind the attack, Archer has to convince Admiral Forrest to let him go find these unknown bad guys. Meanwhile, Trip faces the loss of his sister, killed in the attack, and T’Pol finds herself once again caught between two worlds. And if that wasn’t enough, Duras and the Klingons are at it again.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we close out Season 2 with “The Expanse” as we discuss how the story sets the show on a new course.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Clearing the Deck (00:01:41) T'Pol's Arc (00:10:03) Ripped from the Headlines? (00:17:32) Injecting the Unknown into Star Trek History (00:25:55) Trip's Loss (00:32:25) Cut Scenes (00:35:49)   Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:44:11) Closing (00:46:55)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Bounty” 20th-anniversary reflections

The Empire never forgets its enemies. That’s something Jonathan Archer learns when he decides to trust a surprisingly friendly Tellarite offering vacationing tips. Turns out he’s a bounty hunter working for the Klingons, who still haven’t forgiven Archer for escaping from Rura Penthe. The Enterprise crew sets out on a mission to rescue their captain but find it difficult to focus while T’Pol runs around the ship in her skivvies trying to mate with everyone.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 2 with “Bounty” as we discuss how the story marks the end of the show’s original concept, sets a course for serialization, adds texture to pon farr, and proves that Tellarites are terrible travel guides.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Bringing Back the Tellarites (00:02:20) The End of the Original Concept (00:09:38) All In on Serialization (00:17:37) Fleshing Out Pon Farr (00:23:34) Sexualizing T’Pol (00:31:07) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:58) Closing (00:39:14)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“First Flight” 20th-anniversary reflections

While observing a dark matter nebula, Captain Archer receives a message from Admiral Forrest informing his that one of his old comrades from the early warp program days has died while climbing Mt. McKinley. Reflecting on the loss, Archer tells T’Pol the story of how he competed with this fellow pilot, AG Robinson, for the chance to captain Enterprise, and how the two overcame Vulcan obstruction to keep the NX program on track.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 2 with “First Flight” as we discuss how the story serves as a resounding proof of concept for the original idea for the series, meeting Trip, how Archer’s experiences with AG prepared him to be a leader, and more. We also enjoy a plate of the 602 Club's famous fried mushrooms.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) Getting Away from Space (00:04:29) T'Pol’s Growth (00:14:24) Archer’s Path to Leadership (00:18:08) When Johnny Met Trip (00:25:06) Vulcans Can’t Think Outside the Box (00:28:39) The 602 Club (00:30:22) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:34:44) Closing (00:36:15)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

“Regeneration” 20th-anniversary reflections

A research team in the Arctic uncover mysterious cybernetic beings while examining the wreckage of an alien ship that dates back more than 100 years. Unaware of the danger, they quickly find themselves assimilated by regenerated drones from a previous attempt by the Borg to assimilate Earth and stop first contact. The Enterprise is ordered to pursue the researchers’ vessel, now under the control of the Borg, and Archer must make some difficult decisions as he quickly wakes up to the threat posed by this mysterious alien menace.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 2 with “Regeneration” as we discuss using the Borg at a time long before they were known to Starfleet, how to do a prequel right, how the story sets up Archer and his crew for the challenges of Season 3, and more.

Chapters Intro (00:00:00) An Unplanned Contingency Plan (00:02:46) Prequel Proof of Concept (00:11:06) Borg Instinct (00:15:45) Phlox’s Semi-Immunity (00:21:56) Setting Up Season 3 (00:27:49) Time (and Exploration) Is Loopy (00:33:20) Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:36:03) Closing (00:39:10)

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)