“North Star” 20th-anniversary reflections

As they explore the Expanse in search of the Xindi superweapon, the Enterprise crew runs across a planet inhabited by humans. Living in a town that looks like it was yanked right out of the 19th-century Wild West, these humans love their whiskey and hate the locals. Archer learns that they were brought to the planet by the Skagarans, an alien race that was sourcing slave labor from Earth in the 1860s.

As conflict between Archer and the sheriff deputy grows, he takes action to save a teacher who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for teaching Skagaran children to read and do math. And while he cannot take the humans back to Earth right away, Archer leaves behind materials to help them fill in the lost centuries of progress and build a better society.

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 “North Star” as we discuss the story's classic roots, its message about prejudice and isolation, and how it works as a breather within the Xindi arc.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Quite a Contrast (00:02:32)
A Reminder for Archer (00:11:25)
Contrasting Westerns (00:16:20)
Casting for Success (00:22:47)
A Positive Ending (00:26:19)
A Literary Return (00:32:05)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:50)
Closing (36:30)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

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

“Twilight” 20th-anniversary reflections

As anomalies in the Delphic Expanse rock the Enterprise, T’Pol is trapped under debris and Archer works to rescue her. Although he pulls her out just in time, another wave smacks him head-on and knocks him out. Even worse, the wave deposits interspatial parasites in his hippocampus. He is also left with anterograde amnesia, leaving him without the ability to form long-term memories. One morning, he awakes to find that he’s been shacking up with T’Pol for the past 12 years, that he has a Vulcan haircut, and that the Xindi conflict is over—and Earth lost.

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 “Twilight,” Mike Sussman‘s clever concept, the story’s Voyager origins, and how it raises the stakes for the rest of the season.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
A Clever Concept (00:02:10)
Jolene and Scott Shine (00:05:20)
Voyager Origins (00:13:00)
The Reset Button (00:23:33)
THIS Is Ceti Alpha V!!! (00:29:30)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:32:50)
Closing (36:30)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

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

“The Shipment” 20th-anniversary reflections

With deployment of the Xindi superweapon just weeks away, the Enterprise follows a tip from Hoshi’s almost boyfriend, Tarquin, and visits a planet where Xindi-Arboreals are refining kemocite. The mineral will be used in the construction of the weapon, something the facility’s primary technician, Gralik Durr, claims to be unaware of when confronted by Archer. He agrees to help the humans by sabotaging the final shipment. Meanwhile, Trip, Phlox, and T’Pol take apart Xindi-Reptilian guns and discover that they are powered by worms.

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 “The Shipment,” how the episode quickly pushes the Xindi story forward, its nuanced look at conflict and trust, and a fun science fiction take on alien tech.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Pushing the Story Forward (00:02:15)
Durr's Doubts (00:10:23)
A Nuanced Discussion (00:14:07)
Archer's Angst (00:21:14)
KemoCITE! (00:24:48)
Gunny Worms (00:26:45)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:31:33)
Closing (00:36:25)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

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