Episode 1 and 2
"Broken Bow" Airdate: 09.26.01
Director: James L. Conway Written By: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

After decades of being held back from deep space exploration by the Vulcans, the human race makes its first venture into interstellar travel with Captain Jonathan Archer at the helm of the Enterprise NX-01. The Enterprise crew's mission is to return an injured Klingon — the first the human race has ever encountered — to his people. But when a villainous race of aliens called the Suliban kidnap the Klingon, Archer and his crew must make an unexpected detour into another world to retrieve their precious cargo — and stave off a dangerous diplomatic interstellar crisis.

Source: “Broken Bow” Star Trek. Com 26 Sept. 2001. 3 Oct. 2001 {http://www.startrek.com.}

Popcorn's Rating 8/10   For Popcorn's comments click here (originally posted at Fat Sacs Inc.)

Episode 3
"Fight or Flight"Airdate: 10.03.01
Director: Allan Kroeker Written By: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

As they continue their deep space exploration, the Enterprise crew comes across an alien ship where they discover 15 humanoid corpses that seem to have been part of a scientific experiment. The horrific sight inspires Hoshi to panic and demand a return to Earth, but Archer insists on continuing the mission and finding out more about the abandoned dead. Trouble comes calling when the aliens that were conducting the gruesome experiments return and begin attacking Captain Archer and his team.

Source: “Fight or Flight” Star Trek. Com 3 Oct 2001. 3 Oct. 2001 {http://www.startrek.com.}

Popcorn's Rating 8.5/10
The crew's sophomore voyage was, if you can believe, better than the first. In this episode we see that Hoshi doubts her post. She questions her place in space and on Enterprise. What she discovers is classic Trek, in that she is fulfilling her first best destiny. I look forward to more quality episodes.

Episode 4
"Strange New World" Airdate: 10.10.01
Director: David Livingston Story By: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
Teleplay By: Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong

Crew members become infected with hallucinogenics.Trip, Mayweather and T'Pol go on a survey mission to a seemingly uninhabited Earth-like planet where a mysterious alien presence sends them into a state of paranoid overdrive. When a violent storm strands them on the planet, Archer must find a way to save his crewmembers before they turn dangerously upon one another.

Source: “Strange New World” Star Trek. Com 5 Oct 2001. 5 Oct. 2001 {http://www.startrek.com.}

Popcorn's Rating 8/10
Tonight's episode was a classic ghost story with a scientific explanation. It would seem that after spending an evening telling ghost stories, the crew encounters ghosts... I thought this was going to become an intergalactic Blair Witch, luckily what we saw was the core of human panic and paranoia. What we can take from this episode is that all is not always as it appears.. whether it be ghosts or a beautiful oasis in space. Remember, first impressions can be deceiving.

Episode 5
"Unexpected" Airdate: 10.17.01
Director: Mike Vejar Written By: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

When Trip is dispatched to assist an alien ship with its power source problems, he is delighted to have a friendly encounter with one of the ship's female engineers. But after discovering that their special moment has resulted in his becoming pregnant, he realizes he's had an unwitting experience with alien sex. Archer and his crew must then try and return the rapidly growing alien baby to its mother.

Source: “Unexpected” Star Trek. Com 11 Oct 2001. 11 Oct. 2001 {http://www.startrek.com.}

Popcorn's Rating 8/10
The Klingons finally made their return to Enterprise. Everytime I see them I cannot help but wonder when we make such a diplomatic faux pas that 100 years of conflict will follow (at least that is how Picard explained it). I also am wondering if the producers are going to have the courage to return these ST:TNG fan favorites to ruthless, honorless aliens we first saw in the 60's Star Trek? That aside, watching Trip deal with his pregnancy was very entertaining. I think it is safe to say that Cmdr. Tucker is one of the more entertaining characters in this show. "Unexpected" was pretty entertaining, and I think we may have also caught a glimpse as to how the Klingons obtained cloaking technology...very cool.

Episode 6
"Terra Nova" Airdate: 10.24.01
Director: LeVar Burton   Written By: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga

The Enterprise crew alters course to investigate the mystery of Terra Nova, a legendary Earth colony whose inhabitants mysteriously disappeared decades ago. But when they arrive, they confront descendents of the colonists who have become more alien than Archer could ever have imagined.

Source: “Terra Nova” Star Trek. Com 19 Oct 2001. 21 Oct. 2001 {http://www.startrek.com.}

Popcorn's Rating 7.5/10
The real issue at stake in this episode was what makes a human? While visiting the abandoned colony of Terra Nova, the crew encounter a new race of... humans. It would seen that generations of exposure to radiation have caused these former Humans to mutate. Although these colonists are... and are not human, Archer still feels compelled to help them. although it would be nice if this kind of altruism existed, I am beginning to feel like this crew is always set down the morally acceptable path. This episode had the potential to explore the possibilities of mankind's inhumanity, but instead it decided to stick with the Trek-safe scientific explanation for the irradiation of Terra Nova. Don't get me wrong, we always would rather root for the "good guy", but it might be more interesting in these early days of space exploration to explore the question of ,"What is the right thing to do?"