Enterprise: Space Nazi Two-parter

[Dînadan]

Part 1: http://sfdebris.com/videos/startrek/e177.php



On the unnamed SS officer being played by the same guy who played an unnamed SS officer in Voyager - that could actually be a case of unintended fridge brilliance (well not brilliance per say but you know what I mean). Not only are they being played by the same actor, but they're actually the 'same' character; or more accurately the one in Voyager is a holodeck recreation of the 'historical' officer in this episode (well the version of him from the main timeline not this divergent timeline, but again, you know what I mean).

[CrypticMirror]

I wish Enterprise had been a stronger series. I wish it, not just because I wanted a better Trek series, but because I actually do have a soft spot for Time Travelling Alien Space Nazi plots, especially when they really amp up the campiness of the whole thing. Trouble is, you have to have an otherwise strong series to be able to indulge yourself with that. In a better, stronger, Trek series this would be a wonderful little gem of a two parter, a brief window of campy, pulpy, self indulgence from the SF writer's big book of science fiction cliches and to be enjoyed just as that. In a series as weak and as uneven as Enterprise, it is just hackneyed and dumb.

Knowing that the rest of S4 does manage to be reasonably strong makes it more enjoyable in hindsight, it takes the pressure off, but when this first broadcast I remember it being met with universal panning and a chorus of "oh come ON!! Really!?" which did nothing to help keep the audience engaged. Still, time travelling alien space nazis, still a bit fun. And with the mafia too.

Although, I have to admit, modern politics is taking away some of the enjoyment of Nazis as panto villains. Keep on punching, I guess.

[Admiral X]

I still wished they'd wrapped up this nonsense in only one episode instead of taking two.

[Redem]

So I haven't seen the episodes in forever

Why did the alien dressed up as nazi?

[GandALF]

So I haven't seen the episodes in forever

Why did the alien dressed up as nazi?

The episode still wasn't goofy enough on its own.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

So they created this two-parter in the hopes it would get the series renewed for a fourth season, because "the network won't end us on a cliffhanger". x___X

Buddy, do I have some news for you.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I enjoyed The Killing Game a lot more than this one, and I'm not sure exactly why. I think part of it is that being set on the holodeck shields the story from some of the ridiculous inherent to space nazis. I also agree that Enterprise hadn't built up the goodwill to make "campy fun" episodes. Plus, the show isn't really all that high on "fun" like, say, TOS was.

[King of the owls]

While there are things this two-parter does right(Trip being a three dimensional character for example.) I won't call this two-parter good. It's a lot better than some of the stuff in season one or season two but it's uneven and at times uninspired. Granted a lot of that is because the temporal cold war was uneven and underdeveloped. Hard to breath life into a storyline that the storyline creators barely cared about.

Overall this could been much better or at least a lot more fun but I see why Manny Coto did what he with this two-parter.

[CrypticMirror]

So they created this two-parter in the hopes it would get the series renewed for a fourth season, because "the network won't end us on a cliffhanger". x___X

Buddy, do I have some news for you.

B&B: Hey, Bakula, when you ended Quantum Leap on a Cliffhanger you got a renewed season out of it, right?
SB: Actually guys we got the biggest downer endi
B&B Yeah, that is what we thought. Surefire renewal. We'll do it!!

Yeah, god, so many series ended on cliffhangers and downer endings because the showrunners gambled that the network would have to continue them (or at least give them a tv movie finale) and were so darn wrong. It even got spoofed with the sitcom "Sledge Hammer!" too. Still, leaving Archer and co trapped in the past (facing mirror images that were not....sorry, wrong Bakula cliffhanger ) facing alien space nazis would still be a better ending than "These Are the Voyages".

[crankyconner]

I read somewhere that the reason for the cliffhanger at the end of season 3 was because a writer was doing it out of spite or to get revenge or something. I'm not saying Chuck's wrong, I'm not saying what I've heard is right, I'm saying it's different to what I've heard. I assume Chuck has the right version of the story.

When the season 3 cliffhanger aired, was it known to the fandom that Enterprise was definitely going to have a 4th season?