Star Trek: Enterprise Season One [Blu-Ray]

It's been nearly 12 years since Enterprise first debuted on television and the show still manages to evoke polarizing fan criticism. Supporters are unwavering in their defense of the program, while hardcore Trekkies continue to uphold the view that the poor writing led to the eventual demise of Star Trek on television, which is precisely what happened to Enterprise by its fourth season. After each progressive show had moved the story of Star Trek further into the future, co-creators Rick Berman and Brannon Braga decided it was time to develop a prequel of sorts, setting Enterprise in the 22nd Century, where the Starship Enterprise was first built and mankind was just beginning to explore the galaxies. This concept brought the world of Star Trek closer to our reality and made the franchise accessible to those that had previously shied away from anything to do with science fiction. The producers brought in a strong cast, led by Scott Bakula (Captain Archer), and including Jolene Blalock (the Vulcan T'Pol) and Connor Trinneer (Chief Engineer Charles Tucker). The three leads were well-defined and had great on-screen chemistry, which made some of the aspects and storylines less insular, opening things up to an audience more interested in character development. While Enterprise was developed for HD broadcasting and didn't need to be up-converted for the Blu-Ray transfer, due to the leaps and bounds technology has made in the past ten years, there's a noticeable granularity with some of the CGI effects. (The original was filmed in 720p, which was incredible for broadcasts in 2001, but lacks the lustre of 1080p Blu-Ray players and flat screens today.) What sets this Blu-Ray package apart from the previous 2005 DVD release is the collection of special features. Ranging from all-new audio commentaries, a three-part documentary series, gag reel footage and an interview piece with the show's creators, the six-disc set is crammed with content that will make fans salivate. If you missed this laudable member of the franchise the first time around, it's certainly worth giving another viewing, if only to help cleanse your brain from the sensationalized, broadly accessible, patronizing garbage J.J. Abrams has been bringing to the big screen.