Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 3

Despite its intention to reinvent the wheel, Season 3 fails to impress. Past Trek elements are frequently recycled. The fractured Xindi, for instance, feels similar to Voyager’s Kazon sects, while “Doctor’s Orders” is Enterprise’s “One.” Enterprise’s isolation closely aligns with Voyager’s plot while the war themes follow that of Deep Space Nine’s final season. “Extinction” is not too dissimilar from “Threshold” or TNG’s “Genesis,” either. Still, the amped-up energy of the third season is a welcome change, despite the season’s patchwork of mixed quality.

While the idea of a season-long arc was bold and intriguing, it failed on delivery. The Xindi, much like the aforementioned Kazon, never feel like a true threat, except to each other. The Xindi characters are flat and unappealing. Even the looming threat of Earth’s demise doesn’t sustain anticipation. The Xindi arc would’ve more appealing if confined to 3-5 episodes.

As-a-whole, Enterprise’s third season is arguably its worst, but certainly not the worst of the Trek franchise.