Few aspects of Enterprise—and perhaps of Star Trek as a whole—have been more controversial than the show’s third season. The 26-episode arc is an outlier in a number of ways. It was the first (and only) time a season-long arc was attempted in Star Trek, and it also focuses on aliens and events with no connection to the rest of the franchise. Some fans love it. Some fans hate it.

In this episode of Warp Five we’re joined by Larry Nemecek to discuss the third season of Enterprise, the pressure from Les Moonves that Berman and Braga were under, the validity of the creative choices made and the roads not taken, and whether or not a more TOS-centric approach might have saved the show from cancellation. We also look at how the third season led creatively into the fourth, the goals of the writing staff—including Manny Coto and David A. Goodman—and we dive into a few of our favorite episodes from Season Three, including “Similitude” and “North Star.”

Originally published as Warp Five 24: The Gauntlet Thrown Down.