Star Trek: Enterprise — 4x02 — Storm Front, Part II

Aired 2004-10-15

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:5.33

Synopsis

With Silik's help, Archer hones in on the temporal operative who altered Earth's past and threatens to destroy all of time.

Remarkable scenes

The teaser. Hilarious!
Alicia regarding the transporter: "How does that thing work anyway? ...on second thought I'd rather not know."
Silik masquerading as Trip.
Silik helping Enterprise.
Silik as a human!
Silik bickering with Carmine.
Silik taking out several Nazi officers.
Silik being shot!
Trip thinking Archer is Silik.
The upgraded German dive bombers.
Daniels saying goodbye to Archer, declaring the Temporal Cold War over.

Review

And so the Temporal Cold War is over. Ent: Storm Front wasn't the best two parter, but consistent with Star Trek's lackluster season finales and premieres of late. I gave Ent: Storm Front, Part II extra points because the Temporal Cold War and hopefully all of Time Trek has finally been put to rest. I also gave the episode a higher mark due to Silik's involvement. I was really sad that they killed off Silik. I was really beginning to like him as a character, but the Temporal Cold War was just the wrong direction for the series and killing off the Temporal Cold War means putting Silik out of the picture. I'm sure the new direction the show is taking is due to the new showrunner, Manny Coto. One can only hope he finally kickstarts the Earth-Romulan wars and the conflict with the Klingons.

4 reader comments

I wouldn't mind another Nazi story if it wasn't so bad constructed: The aliens kill Lenin in 1916 and Russia never becomes comunist. So in 1939, instead of the USSR Hitler split Poland with, there is the same Russia that fought the Germans in World War I. How is that not a threat?
by Edward | 09/14/2014 at 4:41 pm

Daniels: "Hey, this Temporal Cold War is heating up pretty fast! Looks like Vosk has been meddling about in 20th century Earth, messing up the whole time line! He needs to be stopped!" Daniels' fellow Temporal Agent: "Agreed! So, should we send a ship from the 29th century to go deal with him?" Daniels: "Nah, I was thinking maybe Archer and the NX Enterprise." Temporal Agent: "Uh, Archer? The guy who is so crucial to the forming of the Federation that you're always trying to make sure he doesn't put himself in danger by going on missions himself? You're thinking you want to send him and his 22nd century star ship? The one with 'hull plating' for shielding? The one that can barely do Warp 5?" Daniels: "Yup, if anyone can do it, Archer can!" Temporal Agent: "Well, I can think of a few better candidates for this mission: people who are trained and prepared for temporal incursion, like…" Daniels: "Sorry, gotta run! I want it to be a surprise!" (disappears into a time tunnel or whatever)
Okay, the whole premise of this double episode is absurd if you think about it for longer than 10 seconds, but I can look past that if it finally ties up this Temporal Cold War. The thing that really bothers me are the Nazis. The damn Nazis. Seriously, Enterprise? Why not just give the Nazi aliens glowing red demon eyes while you're at it? Oh, right, you did.
HEY VIEWERS! THOSE RED EYE ALIENS ARE EVIL! LIKE, SERIOUSLY EVIL! LOOK, THEY'RE EVEN WEARING SWASTIKAS AND EVERYTHING! WHAT'S THAT? 'WHY AM I YELLING?' I'M NOT YELLING! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I'M BEING SUBTLE!
It's annoying, sure, but it also does the narrative a grave disservice. There's that scene where Vosk is talking to Archer about how his species has a very different view of time travel technology than the view laid out in the temporal accords: how it can be used carefully and judiciously to make improvements in the timeline and help better your civilization. It could have been an interesting and nuanced way of looking at the issue of time incursions from a different angle, but, NOPE! Dude is dressed like Hitler! Can't take any of the shit he says seriously!
I mean, I suppose the implication could be that, in the wrong hands, time travel technology could lead to catastrophic outcomes (LIKE IF THE NAZIS HAD THIS TECHNOLOGY! SEE WHAT WE DID THERE?), but it would have been much better if the writers had trusted their viewers (and Archer, for that matter) to come to that realization on our own.
by Dstyle | 10/23/2015 at 5:55 pm

Dstyles I have been reading star trek reviews and comments for some years now and never once commented myself but your fictitious conversation between Daniels and other is so hilarious that I could not resist. it made my night, good job
by Margaret J | 10/08/2016 at 1:59 am

So at this point there is someone new running things huh? Interesting. I certainly didn't hate Enterprise up to this point. It just had so many ups and downs. Long stretches of good episodes and long stretches of bad episodes.
This whole Nazi thing was definitely pretty ridiculous. It wasn't really boring though. They could have done a worse job killing off the Temporal Cold War. A decent set of episodes for getting rid of an unwanted problem.
I'm with you. The whole temporal cold war was a poor decision for this series.
I look forward to seeing the new direction they take things from here.
by Zorak | 10/15/2016 at 3:57 am