[jla1987]

All this talk really makes me want to go buy Season 3. I need to watch the whole thing!

[MrQ1701]

In my defense Horatio I did NOT see your post when I typed my reply. I often do that. I see a post and then I reply without finishing the thread! We think alike when it comes to this topic.

[horatio]

No problem, MrQ, you post included several important things I did not write about, like mentioning the successful first contact or rather second contact with the Xindi primates and arboreals.

[kevin]

The idea of it was fine - but as usual, the execution and flow was poor. It wasn't really a strong enough story to be stretched across 22 episodes. It might have worked better if they could have tightened it up and maybe made it a 6/7 episode arc at the end of the season.

The 9/11 Metaphor was fair - lots of TV shows reflected it after the event. But in this case, the way it was done was so routine that it just dragged.

[horatio]

I think that story arcs over several episodes or an entire season have the general tendendy to feel stretched and the final episodes of the third season which resolved the plot where indeed not particularly good. But there were some gems like "Similtude" or "E²" on the road.

[vaal]

i think it hurt the show big time.

if your goal is to attract new viewers,why would you construct a a story arc that new viewers could not join into midstream.

[samwiseb]

Well 3rd season was when I tuned out. So...

There was just something about T'Pol's backrubs on Trip, and episode teasers trumpeting the fact that next week Archer would use harsh interrogation tactics on an alien (rather then, I suppose, keeping quiet about the fact and letting us be "shocked"... use of quotation marks most definitely deliberate), that convinced me the show was just too desperate to possibly know how to fix itself. And I tuned out.

By the time of fourth season, I had already forgotten to remember, week after week after week, what day it was on. Just because I'd gotten too used to not watching the show. Plus I wasn't plugged in enough to know what weeks marked the beginning (as opposed to middle) of any particular story arc that people were talking about.

So... since they lost one viewer, I would say the approach hurt more than helped. I'm no stranger to serialized television, it's the reason I gave up on VOY and stuck with DS9 (which I later missed in favor of B5, just because college wouldn't afford the time to follow more than one show). But when ENT tried their crack at it, they were desperately reacting rather than being inspired. And for me it showed.

[staypuff]

The Xindi story line took too long and was way too drawn out. The Enterprise was a scrap heap at the end of the story line.

[Botany Bay]

May be that the Xindi story arc ended all Trek like. I never got far enough to see that happen, because the story arc annoyed me. So, did it hurt? Well, if you are asking me, then I am telling you that it made me stop watching the show for the reasons I pointed out: It made Archer appear like a W. Bush in space hunting terrorists who spend their time in dark caves conspiring. Thats where I tuned out, thats what turned me off. See, what I mean?

[DannydeK]

I finally reached season three. Saw 9 episodes already. It's obvious they tried to make Enterprise more dark with season 3. They made T'pol more sexy (which isn't a bad thing, just to obvious) and to emotional if you ask me.

Archer is very dark and easly pissed. The 7 million deaths really shaped him. I agree the Xindi story feels a little long and doesn't make any sense? They will destroy earth, but let Archer search for them in their own system? They are afraid of exposing themselves. But it doesnt make any sense, since Archer KNOWS they are there, so how the hell can sending 2 ships to destroy Archer be a bad thing for the Xindi?

That's what really bothers me in this season so far...

What I do like is the Sphere mysterie and the anomalies.