"Enterprise" First Flight (2003)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

LeVar Burton

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Enterprise" (2001)

Original Air Date:

14 May 2003 (Season 2, Episode 24)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Capt. Archer recounts the story of a Warp engine test to T'Pol.

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Space | Prequel | Planet | Exploration

Cast

Scott Bakula	...	Captain Jonathan Archer
John Billingsley	...	Dr. Phlox (credit only)
Jolene Blalock	...	Sub-Commander T'Pol
Dominic Keating	...	Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (credit only)
Anthony Montgomery	...	Ensign Travis Mayweather (credit only)
Linda Park	...	Ensign Hoshi Sato
Connor Trinneer	...	Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III
Brigid Brannagh	...	Ruby
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Commodore Maxwell Forrest
Keith Carradine	...	A.G. Robinson
Michael Canavan	...	Vulcan Advisor #1
Victor Bevine	...	Flight Controller
John Moody	...	Security Officer (as John B. Moody)

Trivia:

Mount McKinley is mentioned. McKinley would later be the name of the Starfleet shipbuilding and repair facility in Earth orbit called Earth Station McKinley, which is where the Enterprise-D docked after it defeated the Borg in 2367.

Quotes:

A.G. Robinson: Hey - I'll see ya out there.

Enterprise finally starts to deliver on its potential

This character development episode provides insight into Jonathan Archer, the early faster-than-light space program, and even T'pol. Emotionally disturbed over the death of a colleague, Archer descends into one of his occasional moods and clams up. For completely logical reasons, and also because she has begin to think of the captain as a friend, T'pol forces him to take her along on what he had intended to be a solo away mission. And Archer tells her a story to assuage his grief.

This is one of the best episodes of Season 2. It is expertly directed by LeVar Burton, and features an interesting and original premise. Recommended!