Daedalus

The Enterprise takes Dr Emory Erickson to a region of space known as the Barrens to experiment with transporter technology.

This episode has been slated by most critics and IMDb reviews but I didn't think it was that bad. I think the worst thing about it is that it's a bit cliched and unoriginal, but if you can get past that it's not as bad as others make out.

The story follows the standard Star Trek 'mad scientist' path with a Daedalus and Icarus theme thrown in. Whether or not it grips you depends largely on how much you come to care for what Dr Erickson is trying to do. It doesn't help that the guest characters are known to Archer but nobody else, particularly in one scene where he and Trip clash over what course of action should be taken. I guess you need to put yourself in Erickson's position to get emotionally invested, which I appreciate may be difficult for some as the character is not written particularly well. Actor Bill Cobbs makes the best out of the material he's given and I found his performance quite compelling.

This is a good episode for Trip Tucker who has a number of good scenes in the main plot and also the sub-plot involving T'Pol. It's funny how every time he clashes with Archer I feel like he should mutiny and take control of Enterprise.

Archer has had some spectacular moments in the show's four series, but episodes like this don't help his standing as a lead character. It recalls some of his worst moments such as in Cogenitor and One Night In Sickbay. This is not a criticism of Scott Bakula or the direction, it's more an observation of how the character is written. As frustrating as he is and as much as I dislike the things he does, I think the scenes are still pretty well made.

The ending is downbeat but works for what the writers are trying to do with the character of Erickson by highlighting how powerless mankind is regardless of how much it attempts to conquer the natural laws of the universe and it brings closure to his situation.

It's not a particularly strong Star Trek episode, but I think most opinions of it are quite harsh.

Captain Archer welcomes his old friend and inventor of the transporter technology, Dr. Emory Erickson, and his daughter Danica on board of Enterprise. Dr. Erickson is assigned to perform tests on sub quantum transportation to long distances in a desert area of the space called The Barrens and is worshiped by Commander Tucker. However, Tucker suspects that the scientist is not telling the truth about his experiment and discloses his concerns to Captain Archer. When a crew member of Enterprise is killed by a strange life force and T'Pol is wounded in her hand, Dr. Emory finally reveals that the experiment is indeed his last attempt to bring his son Quinn back from an accident with the transporter fifteen years ago.

"Daedalus" is one of the weakest and most incoherent episodes of Enterprise, with the attitude of Captain Archer risking Enterprise and its crew to satisfy the experiment of his friend to bring his son back. The hand of T'Pol, injured by Quinn, apparently is recovered by Dr. Phlox since there is no further reference to the incident. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Dédalo"

In this episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise", familiar character actor Bill Cobbs stars as Dr. Erickson. Erickson is aboard to the ship for a stated reason...but really is there to try to correct a transporter accident many years ago. It seems that in these early days of transporters, accidents were common and Erickson's son was lost during this time. His plan is to try to get his son back...but is it possible if he's been lost all that time? As for Trip, he's worried about Erickson's experiments and the Captain is all for letting the old guy give it a go.

This is an amazingly bland and adequate episode. While there was nothing particularly bad about it, there wasn't a lot right--other than getting a chance to see a guy whose face is a bit scrambled due to the transporter! Fair to middling at best.

Others have already mentioned the basic plot of this episode, and you've likely already seen it so I won't go into it again.

This is one of the most boring and ridiculous episodes of the entire show. I tape and the shows on my DVR regularly on H&I and everytime this episode comes up, I just delete it right away which I don't do with any of the other episodes.. Oh.. Other than the HORRIBLE series finale that is. What an absolutely horrible way to end the show. There was a lot of lazy writing in this series it seems and to a lesser degree, Voyager to.

What really aggravated me about Archer was that he was quite mentally unstable. I don't know WHOSE idea it was too play the character that way. Was that the way the character was written..? If so then it was terrible writing. But I'm much more inclined to believe that this is simply how Bakula chose to play the character, for he and God only knows what reasons. Regardless, the result is that I believe most Star trek fans are in agreement that Archer was the WORST Star Trek Captain of them all!

And I don't just mean so the leading captains of the series, but any Captain in Star Fleet period. He should have never even made it to ensign with his terrible attitude, being Soo QUICK to anger, quick to raise his voice, right away getting it your face all the time, being constantly belligerent, arrogant, argumentative, selfish and always more concerned with being in control and getting his way than anything else.

The only time it was good that he had those traits was against the Xindi where those traits helped them to perservere and get the job done. Otherwise, he can barely go back and forth in any conversation two or three times before he starts to raise his voice, get an attitude, run up in your face and act like he's so tough.

Such traits are very unbecoming of a Star fleet officer let alone a captain and ass someone else said, I don't know how he remained in Star fleet as long as he did.

It brings back something that Janeway once said when she first encountered the Borg I believe it was. She was talking about Kirk and how things were back in those days. She mentioned how their ships were twice and fast as they were in Kirk's time, said some other comment and then said that the whole lot of them would have been kicked out of Star Fleet if they acted that way today. I guess this is an indication that in the early days of Star Fleet and the federation, they had to be far more tolerant and let people get away with much more than they ever would later on, probably because people weren't exactly clamoring to join you at that time and even once the federation got going and started exploring the Galaxy, they needed everyone they could get.

Still, Kirk could be just as tough, strong and determined when needed but he was far more mature, in control and could hold a Civil conversation as the norm, something that Archer only seems to be able to do when he's watching his water polo lol.

My first review of a Star Trek Enterprise episode. In fact, after 50+ years of watching Star Trek in all its incarnations, this is my only review of ANY Star Trek series episode. Just felt like it was time. I'm an original series fan, along with Next Generation and what I consider to be the best of the Star Trek universe, Deep Space Nine. Never thought much of ST Voyager. Sorry Voyager fans.

After viewing most of Enterprise 4 seasons back when it was originally broadcast, I came away unimpressed. For the last month or so I've been binge watching this specific ST series on Hulu. It seems the second time around, 15 years later, I came away slightly more impressed. Just not totally convinced it was really worth my time. (ha,ha) And especially after binge watching Deep Space Nine over the holidays. Oh well. Season 1 of Enterprise was good. Season 2 was okay. Season 3 was fun to watch but seemed like a bad rip off of Deep Space Nine. And now we have season 4.

Daedalus was a bad episode all around. One thing I finally figured out and the main reason for this review. Captain Archer is unstable. He lost it early in season 3 and never fully recovered. He acts like a man not in control of his emotions. At times, he's totally whacked out! Archer definitely was not made in the mold off Kirk, Picard, Sisko or even Janeway. This has hurt the Enterprise series overall.