Cold Front

In the vast cosmos of Star Trek: Enterprise, few episodes shine as brightly as "Coldfront," the eleventh installment of the series' inaugural season. Aired in 2001, this episode remains a testament to the franchise's ability to weave classic science fiction with compelling character drama, delivering a narrative that feels as fresh today as it did over two decades ago. Written by Stephen Beck and Tim Finch and directed by Robbie Duncan McNeill, "Coldfront" introduces the Temporal Cold War and marks a pivotal moment in Enterprise's journey, blending high-stakes intrigue with the raw wonder of humanity's first steps into the stars.

At its core, "Coldfront" is a masterclass in storytelling economy. The episode thrusts the crew of the NX-01 into a complex web of temporal machinations, as a mysterious crewman, Daniels, reveals ties to a future conflict that threatens the timeline itself. The introduction of the Temporal Cold War is ambitious, layering the series with a sci-fi mystery that doesn't demand immediate resolution. This restraint is refreshing-unlike modern television's tendency to over-explain, "Coldfront" trusts its audience to embrace ambiguity, leaving tantalizing questions about the shadowy "Future Guy" and his motives. The narrative deftly balances this grand arc with intimate character moments, ensuring the crew remains the heart of the story.

Visually, "Coldfront" was a bold undertaking for its time. The episode's heavy reliance on CGI-depicting Suliban phase-shifting, a vibrant stellar plume, and glimpses of temporal technology-was cutting-edge in 2001, when such effects were prohibitively expensive. McNeill's direction is seamless, with a brisk pace and thoughtful shot composition that elevate key scenes, like the tense exchange between Captain Archer and Daniels, into moments of cinematic weight. The visuals don't just dazzle; they immerse viewers in the awe and peril of uncharted space, reinforcing Enterprise's premise of exploration without a safety net.

The ensemble cast delivers performances that ground the fantastical. Phlox's childlike curiosity as he engages with alien pilgrims showcases his role as the ship's cultural explorer, a counterpoint to T'Pol's Vulcan pragmatism. Guest stars shine, particularly Matt Winston as Daniels, whose everyman demeanor masks a quiet intensity, and John Fleck as Silik, whose menacing presence is tempered by surprising nuance. Michael O'Hagen's salty Captain Fraddock adds a dose of humor, embodying the gritty realism of a spacefaring everyman. These performances weave a tapestry of personalities that make the episode's stakes feel deeply personal.

What sets "Coldfront" apart is its refusal to spoon-feed answers. The Temporal Cold War's implications-time as a battlefield, with factions vying to reshape history-are introduced with just enough clarity to intrigue without resolving. This narrative choice mirrors the crew's own uncertainty, reflecting Enterprise's core theme: humanity's bold, often clumsy leap into the unknown. The episode doesn't shy away from moral ambiguity either, as Silik's sabotage reveals unexpected altruism, challenging Archer's-and the audience's-assumptions.

In an era where serialized storytelling often prioritizes closure, "Coldfront" stands out for its confidence in loose ends. It moves the series forward, deepening the mystery of the Suliban and Archer's destiny, while remaining a standalone gem. Its blend of high-concept sci-fi, rich character work, and technical prowess makes it a highlight of Enterprise's early run. For fans revisiting the series or newcomers discovering it, "Coldfront" is a reminder of Star Trek's power to provoke thought, stir wonder, and boldly go where no show has gone before.

While I pretty much enjoyed this episode, I never really understood the totality of the actions of the Time Traveller. A group of aliens is invited on board the Enterprise. Secrets are shared and certainly the possibility of sabotage is all around. Why is Archer so trusting? Being new to his position, one would think he would have some element of caution with strangers. You can show kindness to them without selling the store. He is really a careless man who often puts his ship and crew in danger. We again have the Suliban, who appeared in an early episode. They can shape shift and seem to sense this time traveling thing is somehow going to harm them. Let's hope things become a bit more secure.

The Enterprise encounters the Suliban whilst hosting some religious pilgrims on their way to witness a major space phenomenon.

This is a strong episode that appears to have kicked off a story arc surrounding the Temporal Cold War. Time travel is overused in Star Trek (and Sci-Fi in general) but this concept is excellent. After witnessing The Borg, The Dominion and various other antagonists within the franchise you do wonder what other credible threat the writers could conjure. The creation of a war involving time travel as an emerging technology was a top drawer idea.

It's all done rather well in terms of plot, pacing and character moments. Archer is at the centre of it all with some good support from Dr Phlox and T'Pol who's personalities come through in a number of scenes. Scott Bakula took a panning from several reviewers for his performance here, but I didn't think it was that bad. I just think of him as a Jim Kirk inspired Sam Beckett in space and it all works fine for me.

The only character I have really struggled with so far is Travis and in this one he is presented as a man-child that would make Tom Paris cringe. It probably doesn't help that Anthony Montgomery's performances have been quite unconvincing and he hasn't had much decent dialogue to work with.

I definitely won't be giving up on Enterprise yet as this particular arc has hooked me. Let's hope it lives up to the promise.

A theme that is recurring on "Star Trek: Enterprise" is about some temporal jerks who bounce back in time in order to screw with history. This is how the episode begins--as you see one of the Suliban agents is being sent on some sort of mission there.

Enterprise encounters a ship and the captain of this vessel is very funny--this and the make-up job make this minor character a treat. Anyway, he's transporting some pilgrims and Enterprise decides to tag along. During this trip, Archer invites these pilgrims aboard the ship--and they are given way too much freedom of movement as once again the humans are just way too trusting (like a ship manned by puppies!). Not surprisingly, one is a Suliban in disguise. What IS surprising is that a crew member comes to Archer to tell him he's not really a part of the crew but a time cop!! So who do they believe and what do they do?!

This is a decent episode as I grew to enjoy the temporal cop episodes through the course of the shows. However, the ending might disappoint some, as it really doesn't answer very many questions, so you'll just have to keep watching.

This suspenseful Enterprise segment is the first to depart from traditional tv series' emphasis on stand-alone episodes -so important for re-runs. This show has no ending this time, not a cliffhanger, but merely letting the viewer stew until some future, unspecified segment(s) will pick up the storyline and fill in more blanks. It's tantalizing but frustrating.

Subject is time travel and sabotage, but Bakula and his crew (and the audience) are left in the dark as to what's going on. Folks from the future meddling in current events clearly have the upper hand, and without comparable technology to fight back, our heroes are helpless and indeed appear to be feckless.

Not remembering over 20 years later what happened with this storyline, I'll have to wait and see how it develops, but I prefer self-contained stories, the old TV format typified by say the case by case structure of the classic "Perry Mason".