"Broken Bow" is the two-part
series premiere
A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
of the
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
television series ''
Enterprise
Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to:
Business and economics
Brands and enterprises
* Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company
* Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company
* Enterprise ...
'' (later renamed ''Star Trek: Enterprise''). It originally aired as a double-length episode, but was split into two parts for syndication, though releases on home media and streaming maintain its original one-episode format. A novelization of the episode, written by
Diane Carey
Diane L. Carey-Brodeur (born October 2, 1954) is an American fiction writer, publishing under the pen names Lydia Gregory, Diane Carey, and D. L. Carey.
Background
Diane L. Carey was born on October 2, 1954 in Flint, Michigan, United States. She ...
, was published in 2001. The episode won the 2002
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series, and was also nominated for sound editing and make-up.
It is nine decades since
Zefram Cochrane produced humans' first
warp flight (as seen in the film ''
Star Trek: First Contact''), and Earth finally launches its first starship of exploration, ''
Enterprise NX-01''. Commanded by Captain
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', where he is portrayed by Scott Bakula.
Archer is the commanding officer of the first starship ' ...
, and against the objections of the
Vulcans
Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the '' Star Trek'' universe and media franchise. In the various ''Star Trek'' television series and films, they are noted for their attempt t ...
, it departs on an urgent mission to return an injured Klingon to ''Qo'noS'', the
Klingon homeworld but come into conflict with the
Suliban
''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
.
Plot
Part 1
On Earth in 2121, a young
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', where he is portrayed by Scott Bakula.
Archer is the commanding officer of the first starship ' ...
is painting a model spaceship with his father, Henry, principal designer of Earth's first Warp 5 engine. Without fully understanding the reasons behind the Vulcans' constraint, he believes that there must be an explanation for holding the human space program back.
Thirty years later, in 2151, a
Klingon
The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''.
Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
named Klaang crashes in
Broken Bow, Oklahoma
Broken Bow is a city in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,120 at the 2010 census. It is named after Broken Bow, Nebraska, the former hometown of the city's founders, the Dierks brothers. Other Dierks-associated ...
. He kills his two
Suliban
''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
pursuers, but is then critically wounded by a farmer. Archer, now Captain of the soon-to-be-launched prototype starship ''
Enterprise NX-01'', is called to
Starfleet Headquarters
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
, where he discusses the incident with
Admiral Forrest
This is a list of recurring characters from the live-action science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', which originally aired on UPN between 2001 and 2005. The television show takes place in the 22nd century of the ''Star Trek' ...
and Vulcan ambassador
Soval
This is a list of recurring characters from the live-action science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', which originally aired on UPN between 2001 and 2005. The television show takes place in the 22nd century of the ''Star Trek' ...
. The Vulcans wish to delay the launch of ''Enterprise''. Archer, after consulting with the Denobulan Doctor
Phlox
''Phlox'' (; Greek φλόξ "flame"; plural "phlox" or "phloxes", Greek φλόγες ''phlóges'') is a genus of 67 species of perennial and annual plants in the family Polemoniaceae. They are found mostly in North America (one in Siberia) in di ...
, convinces Forrest to allow the new ship to take Klaang to
Qo'noS
The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''.
Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids ...
.
Prior to departure, Archer seeks additional crewmembers, including Phlox and linguist
Hoshi Sato
Hoshi Sato , played by Korean American actress Linda Park, is a fictional character in the science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise''.
In the show Sato, born in Kyoto, Japan on July 9, 2129, is the communications officer aboard ...
, while Sub-Commander
T'Pol
T'Pol () is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. Portrayed by Jolene Blalock in the series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', she is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship ''Enterprise'' (NX-01).
Concept and cr ...
is assigned as their "Vulcan liaison". Meanwhile, on a Suliban vessel somewhere,
Silik, leader of the Suliban Cabal, speaks with a mysterious, nameless humanoid figure from their future.
The figure orders Silik to recover Klaang. On ''Enterprise'' Klaang regains consciousness, but the
universal translator
A universal translator is a device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. First described in Murray Leinster's 1945 novella " First Contact", the translator's purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language.
A ...
does not allow Archer and Sato to communicate with him effectively. Suddenly, Suliban attack the ship and main power is disrupted. During the chaos, one intruder is killed and Klaang is kidnapped.
Later, in Sickbay, Phlox shows Archer the autopsied Suliban corpse, and points out several genetic enhancements. Sato completes a translation of Klaang's speech, and keywords reveal that T'Pol has been withholding information about the Vulcan investigation, including the fact that Klaang had been on
Rigel
Rigel is a blue supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. It has the Bayer designation β Orionis, which is Latinized to Beta Orionis and abbreviated Beta Ori or β Ori. Rigel is the brightest and most massive componentand ...
X. Meanwhile, an alien officer aboard the Suliban complex interrogates Klaang in the
Klingon language
The Klingon language ( tlh, tlhIngan Hol, links=no, '' '': , ) is the constructed language spoken by a fictional alien race called the Klingons, in the ''Star Trek'' universe.
Described in the 1985 book ''The Klingon Dictionary'' by Marc Okra ...
. Arriving at the Rigel X Trade Complex, Archer, Sato, Tucker, and T'Pol are seized by Suliban agents.
Part 2
Sarin, once a member of the Suliban Cabal, tells Archer that she gave Klaang a message to the
High Council with proof of Suliban involvement in attacks on Klingon factions, and that the enhanced Suliban are following orders in a
Temporal Cold War
''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...
. Suliban from the Cabal show up, and attack, Silik kills Sarin and Archer is shot, but the away team escape back to ''Enterprise''. T'Pol modifies ''Enterprise''s sensors to track the Suliban vessel that attacked them, and they follow it to a
gas giant
A gas giant is a giant planet composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Gas giants are also called failed stars because they contain the same basic elements as a star. Jupiter and Saturn are the gas giants of the Solar System. The term "gas giant" ...
. Meanwhile, aboard the alien complex, Silik talks with the mysterious figure again.
Within the gas giant is the Helix, a Suliban structure composed of hundreds of Suliban cell ships, which the ''Enterprise'' crew scan to find Klaang. Using the grappler, ''Enterprise'' grabs an attacking Suliban ship, the pilot ejecting. After studying the captured ship and its controls, Archer and Tucker pilot it to the Helix. Becoming separated, Tucker returns with Klaang to ''Enterprise''. After a brief physical confrontation between Archer and Silik in a temporally altered audience room, Tucker uses ''Enterprise''s new
transporter to beam Archer out of the Helix.
They deliver Klaang and his message (encoded as DNA in his blood) to Qo'noS and the
Klingon Chancellor and Council. Archer tells Tucker and T'Pol that
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
has ordered them to continue their mission. After reconsidering his preconceptions of Vulcans, he also invites T'Pol to stay on board and she agrees to ask permission.
Production
![Scott Bakula](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Scott_Bakula.jpg)
Production began on Monday, May 14, 2001, and saw the return of many crew with past experience of the Star Trek franchise.
Director
James L. Conway
James L. Conway (born October 27, 1950 in New York City, U.S.) is an American film and television director, producer, and writer, studio executive, and novelist.
Movies Conway directed include ''The Boogens'' and '' Hangar 18''. Television ser ...
had previously directed various episodes of ''Star Trek'' across the different series, and was offered the chance to direct the first episode of ''Enterprise'' by Rick Berman. Conway thought the script was fantastic and wanted to do the episode but at that time he was executive vice-president at
Spelling Entertainment
Spelling is a set of conventions that regulate the way of using graphemes (writing system) to represent a language in its written form. In other words, spelling is the rendering of speech sound (phoneme) into writing (grapheme). Spelling is one ...
and had to ask
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
and
Duke Vincent for permission for a leave of absence to do it. Conway said it was the best experience he ever had directing a TV show. They had a long 32-day filming schedule, and a huge budget. All the sets had to be built, costumes and props had to be made, and all the setup costs of the show were included in the budget of the premiere. He also knew many of the crew from his previous work. Conway described himself as "a fan first and a director second" and he hoped that he did justice to the scripts and brought enthusiasm to every episode he did.
Conway returned to direct several more ''Enterprise'' episodes, including "
In a Mirror, Darkly
"In a Mirror, Darkly" is the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of the Star Trek: Enterprise (season 4), fourth season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', and originally aired on April 22 and 29 ...
" Part 1.
Returning crew included First Assistant Director (1st AD)
Jerry Fleck, Director of Photography (DP)
Marvin V. Rush, and Visual Effects Supervisor
Ronald B. Moore, all whom had been with the franchise since ''The Next Generation''.
Michael Okuda
Michael Okuda is an American graphic designer best known for his work on ''Star Trek'' including designing futuristic computer user interfaces known as "okudagrams".
Career
Work in ''Star Trek''
In the mid-1980s, he designed the look of ani ...
continued as Scenic Arts Supervisor, and as technical consultant to the writing staff. Production designers
Herman Zimmerman
Herman F. Zimmerman (born 19 April 1935) is an art director and production designer. He is probably best known for his work on ''Star Trek''.
Career
Zimmerman initially aspired to be an actor and enrolled at Northwestern University to study ac ...
and
John Eaves
John Eaves (born April 9, 1962) is a designer and illustrator best known for his work on the ''Star Trek'' franchise, starting with '' Star Trek V: The Final Frontier''. He served as a production illustrator on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and ...
also worked to create the look of the new series.
The episode introduces much of the
cast of Enterprise, which remains for the rest of the show; it also has many guest stars.
James Cromwell reprises the character Zefram Cochrane (uncredited),
having previously played this character in the 1996 film ''
Star Trek: First Contact''.
Klaang, the crash-landed Klingon was played by
Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr. John Fleck played the Suliban leader Sillik. Starfleet personnel,
Admiral Forrest, Admiral Daniel Leonard, and Commander Williams, were played by
Vaughn Armstrong
Vaughn Dale Armstrong (born July 7, 1950) is an American actor. He is noted for portraying many characters in the '' Star Trek'' franchise, in four ''Star Trek'' television series. He is perhaps best known as the recurring character Admiral ...
,
Jim Beaver
James Norman Beaver Jr. (born August 12, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and film historian. He is most familiar to worldwide audiences as Bobby Singer in ''Supernatural''. He also played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO Western drama series '' ...
, and
Jim Fitzpatrick, respectively. Their characters were named after actors
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
,
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley (January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999), known to colleagues as "Dee", was an American actor, screenwriter, poet, and singer. He was known for his roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the in the televisio ...
, and
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
. This was Armstrong's ninth of twelve different characters on ''Star Trek''.
Vulcans are played by
Gary Graham
Gary Graham (born June 6, 1950) is an American actor, musician, and author. He may be best known for his starring role as Detective Matthew Sikes in the television series ''Alien Nation'' (1989–1990) and five subsequent ''Alien Nation'' televi ...
as Soval, and
Thomas Kopache
Thomas Kopache (born October 17, 1945) is an American actor.
Career
Kopache was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, the son of Dorothy E. ( née Sterling). He is known for his roles as Assistant Secretary of State Bob Slattery in ''The West Wing'' ...
and as Tos. The character name "Tos" is another nod to ''The Original Series'' commonly abbreviated as "TOS".
The butterfly dancers at Rigel X were played by the
Klimaszewski Twins
Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski (born September 13, 1971) are Polish American models better known as the Coors Light Twins. They are also actresses and were briefly members of World Championship Wrestling's Nitro Girls.Joseph P. Kahn"Double exposur ...
, Diane and Elaine.
In Part 2, the Suliban female Sarin was played by
Melinda Clarke
Melinda Patrice "Mindy" Clarke (born April 24, 1969) is an American actress. Clarke is known for portraying Faith Taylor on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'' (1989–1990), Julie Cooper on Fox's teen drama series ''The O.C.'' (2003–2007), ...
, and the mysterious "Humanoid Figure" was played by
James Horan James Horan may refer to:
* James Horan (actor) (born 1954), American character actor
* James Horan (cricketer) (1880–1945), Australian cricketer
* James Horan (Gaelic footballer) (born 1972), two-time and current Mayo manager
* James Horan (mons ...
.
Release
The premiere of "Broken Bow" was at the Paramount Theatre on September 20, 2001. It was attended by the cast and crew of ''Enterprise'' as well as several from ''
Star Trek: Voyager'' and ''
Star Trek: The Next Generation''.
It was first aired on
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which prod ...
on September 26, 2001. The broadcast saw the episode come in first place during the timeslot, with 16 million viewers watching, with an average of 12 million. This was slightly lower than the premiere of ''Voyager'' but represented an increase of 42% over the final episode "
Endgame
Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to:
Film
* ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film)
* ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film
* ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...
", and was the best ratings for any series on that the channel since ''Voyager''.
In the UK, "Broken Bow" first broadcast on
satellite TV
Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna commo ...
channel
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
,
before airing on
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
during July 2002.
This episode was released as part of ''Enterprise'' season one, which was released in high definition on
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
disc on March 26, 2013;
it has 1080p video and a
DTS-HD Master Audio
DTS-HD Master Audio (DTS-HD MA; known as DTS++ before 2004) is a multi-channel, lossless audio codec developed by DTS as an extension of the lossy DTS Coherent Acoustics codec (DTS CA; usually itself referred to as just DTS). Rather than being ...
sound track.
On the launch of the
Paramount+
Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to:
Entertainment and music companies
* Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
streaming service, on March 4, 2021, a one day only free ''Star Trek'' marathon was presented, featuring the first episodes of the various ''Star Trek'' television series, including "Broken Bow". The marathon started at 7 am PT/10 am ET and was
Live streamed
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...
on the
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
internet video platform, going through each episode chronologically in order of release with "Broken Bow" airing after "Caretaker".
Reception
The episode received positive reviews from critics.
Ron Wertheimer of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' gave the episode a positive review, saying "''Enterprise'' gets back to basics, then improves on them."
David Segal of the ''
Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' was critical of the first episode, "the script is riddled with clunkers and jargon" and that the show "has a bargain-basement feel that lands just this side of camp; the space fights aren't much more convincing than PlayStation offerings. And everything is wrapped in a trite message about unity and the importance of getting along."
Laura Fries of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' says the prequel setting "rejuvenates a somewhat tired notion" but also says "viewers are reminded that this is more akin to their father's ''Star Trek''." She praised Bakula for bringing "an earthy quality back" to the captain, making him "personable and accessible".
Howard Rosenberg
Howard Anthony Rosenberg (born June 10, 1942) is an American television critic. He worked at ''The Louisville Times'' from 1968 through 1978 and then worked at the ''Los Angeles Times'' for 25 years where he won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' predicted that ''Star Trek'' fans would either "raise the bar impossibly high for this series or watch it because they watch everything with this brand" but as a casual viewer he found the premiere "mildly entertaining, but mostly plays rather tepidly, its occasional glints of intellect pushed far into the background by action." Allan Johnson of the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'' was positive about the series as an accessible entry point for potential new fans. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' gave it a grade B+, and said it was "appealing to both Trekkies and non-fans of this pop-cultural institution". Hal Boedeker of the ''
Orlando Sentinel
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company.
The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...
'' calls the story "a standard adventure" and is critical of action sequences as "familiar" and that "It goes boldly and unapologetically where dozens of series have gone before." He praised Blalock for her performance "Star Trek purists might not be amused, but the captivating Blalock energizes the franchise. Enterprise needs every bit of pizazz she can supply."
Aint It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book proje ...
gave the episode 4 out of 5, praised Blalock for her performance, and said "Clearly, an extraordinary amount of love and attention went into this endeavor, from the propulsive teleplay to the careful casting to the world-beating production design."
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
rated it 3 out of 5, and wrote "There's enough new, interesting stuff there to make me want to see more."
Tor.com
''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction.
From 20 ...
rated it 5 out of 10.
A review of the Blu-ray release by Blu-ray.com, commented on the visuals, remarking "The scene in Brazil in "Broken Bow" does offer some nicely brilliant greens, and certainly some scattered traces of good, honest colors are seen throughout, but mostly this is a very uninspired palette. " also pointing out the special effects are in lower resolution than HD that causes some "jagged edges, and lack crisp details." They were more positive about the audio, remarking of the surround sound track "The controversial theme song has never sounded better. It's rich, full of life, and with well-defined vocals and precise instrument clarity and reproduction. Much of the action on board the NX-01 is brought to life by the subtle, deep hum of the engines and the little odds and ends sound elements that define the atmosphere."
Accolades
"Broken Bow" was nominated for three Emmy Awards. The episode won an in the category award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series.
In 2014, ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'' include this episode on their list of 10 episodes that best represented the series. The double-episode was praised for establishing most of the key ideas that would drive the show. "It's a faltering beginning, but it hints at the potential ''Enterprise'' would spend seasons trying to realize."
In 2016, ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' rated "Broken Bow" the 80th best episode of all ''Star Trek'' episodes. In a 2015 Binge-watching guide for ''Enterprise'' by ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'', they said that when the ''
NX-01'' leaves space dry dock for the first time is the best moment in the whole series. In 2017,
GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
ranked this as the 4th best pilot episode of a ''Star Trek'' series.
In 2016,
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
ranked "Broken Bow" the 21st best episode of all ''Star Trek'' up to that time.
In 2016, ''
''Empire'''' ranked this the 37th best out of the top 50 episodes of the 700 plus ''Star Trek'' television episodes. In 2016,
SyFy
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...
ranked "Broken Bow" as the 3rd best out of 6 ''Star Trek'' TV show pilots.
In 2020, ''
ScreenRant
''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scree ...
'' ranked "Broken Bow" the 4th best episode of all ''Star Trek'' franchise television episodes.
Novelization
A 240 page novelization written
Diane Carey
Diane L. Carey-Brodeur (born October 2, 1954) is an American fiction writer, publishing under the pen names Lydia Gregory, Diane Carey, and D. L. Carey.
Background
Diane L. Carey was born on October 2, 1954 in Flint, Michigan, United States. She ...
was published in 2001 by
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.
History
Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
. Carey was given only the script and wrote the novel without any further information from the production team. She said would normally take about two weeks to write a novelization, but that Broken Bow was written in just four days. In the Season 1 DVD special features, producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga discussed how Diane Carey used the character's internal monologues to frequently criticize the script.
[Star Trek Enterprise Season 1 DVD Extras "In Conversation" (2012-12-12) Rick Berman and Brannon Braga (at 57 minutes). ""No good Starfleet captain would have done this but Captain Archer was no ordinary starfleet captain."] It was Carey's last Star Trek novel.
References
* Berman, R. (Writer), & Braga, B. (Writer), & Conway, J. L. (Director). (2001). Broken Bow
elevision series episode In Berman, R. (Producer), & Braga, B. (Producer), Star Trek: Enterprise. Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Carey, Diane. Broken Bow - October 2001.
{{Star Trek: Enterprise episodes, 1
Star Trek: Enterprise (season 1) episodes
American television series premieres
2001 American television episodes
Emmy Award-winning episodes
Fiction set around Rigel
Television episodes directed by James L. Conway
Television episodes written by Rick Berman
Television episodes written by Brannon Braga