History Series / StarTrekenterprise

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: Spock [[MrExposition explained that the war between the Romulans and Earth was fought with "primitive atomic weaponry", using "primitive space vehicles" that allowed no quarter and no captives, nor was ship to ship visual communication possible]] in Recap/StarTrekS1E14BalanceOfTerror. The Enterprise NX-01 comes equipped first with plasma cannons and is later upgraded to phase cannons (precursor to phasers), also comes equipped with spatial torpedoes (which may be nuclear by nature) and is later upgraded to photonic torpedoes (precursor to photon torpedos, but similar in form and function in almost all but name), which only one weapon in Enterprise's arsenal throughout the series may apply to "privative atomic weaponry". The Enterprise also comes equipped with a transporter, a brig, and a viewscreen allowing transporting enemy personnel from their ships and/or transporting soldiers to board their ships, imprisoning enemies, and visual communication with enemy ships respectively (the latter explanation is hand waved by showing during the series that the Romulans only stick to audio communication and don't reveal themselves visually to their enemies during the ST: Enterprise era, while Spock's briefing implied that visual communication was impossible between Earth, Romulan and/or Allied ships to either side due to technology constraints).

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: Spock [[MrExposition explained that the war between the Romulans and Earth was fought with "primitive atomic weaponry", using "primitive space vehicles" that allowed no quarter and no captives, nor was ship to ship communication possible]] in Recap/StarTrekS1E14BalanceOfTerror. The Enterprise NX-01 comes equipped first with plasma cannons and is later upgraded to phase cannons (precursor to phasers), also comes equipped with spatial torpedoes (which may be nuclear by nature) and is later upgraded to photonic torpedoes (precursor to photon torpedos, but similar in form and function in almost all but name), which only one weapon in Enterprise's arsenal throughout the series may apply to "privative atomic weaponry". The Enterprise also comes equipped with a transporter, a brig, and a viewscreen allowing transporting enemy personnel from their ships and/or transporting soldiers to board their ships, imprisoning enemies, and visual communication with enemy ships respectively (the latter explanation is hand waved by showing during the series that the Romulans only stick to audio communication and don't reveal themselves visually to their enemies during the ST: Enterprise era, while Spock's briefing implied that visual communication was impossible between Earth, Romulan and/or Allied ships to either side due to technology constraints).

** Mirror Universe's [[ReallyGetsAround Hoshi Sato]], proof that EvilIsSexy.

The ''Enterprise'' is the first ship designed for exploration, and thus the first to visit many worlds in Seasons 1 and 2. The Temporal Cold War arc was also introduced during this time, tying back into the "[[TimePolice Department of Temporal Investigations]]" introduced in previous ''Star Treks'': Factions in the future were using time travel to [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight rig history]] in their favour. This plot was forced on the writers by [[ExecutiveMeddling the network]]--presumably so as to avoid the [[ForegoneConclusion lack of suspense]] expected from a prequel series. Still, even the showrunners didn't care for it, so it unfortunately just pops up from time to time before being [[AbortedArc terminated]] the moment the executives lost interest.

Vote for your favourite episodes [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BestEpisode/StarTrekEnterprise here.]]

* FollowingInRelativesFootsteps: Jonathan Archer's reason for becoming a spaceship captain is because his [[DisappearedDad now-dead father Henry]] was also one and Jonathan wanted to honour Henry.

* MistakenForFlirting: In one episode, Hoshi Sato is trying to find out what Malcolm Reed likes to eat, so that she can throw him a SurpriseParty for [[BirthdayEpisode his birthday]]. She asks him if he has a favourite food and mentions she has a hotplate in her quarters, but he refuses to answer and thinks she's coming onto him.

* PlotAllergy: One episode reveals that the closest thing Malcolm has to a favourite food is pineapple... and that's only because he's been trying to build up a resistance to his allergy to it.

* DecontaminationChamber: Transporters with bio-filters hadn't been invented yet and are viewed with suspicion anyway as brand new technology, so these get used. Really, given the 'bio-gel' used as a disinfectant, the real reason for this was for fanservice. The decon scenes all features the characters down to slightly more than their underwear rubbing each other.

** The Enterprise [[DecontaminationChamber decontamination room]] exists mainly so the audience can see the main characters [[ShirtlessScene stripping down to their skivvies]] and [[MudWrestling rubbing decon gel]] over each other ([[ButNotTooGay provided they're not both men]]).

* HotterAndSexier: Or at least, it tried to be. Unfortunately it was during its run that the "eww, girls are gross" fanbase and the "SF should have no romance" fanbase and the "shipper" fanbase and the "all romance in Star Trek is childish fanservice" all collided. The amount of gratuitous and really odd fanservice with things like "crewmen rubbing each other down half-naked with antibacterial cream in the decontamination chamber" that just left most people disgusted or really ''really'' confused didn't help either.

** The decontamination room. While it does make sense for it to exist in the capacity that it does, ''Star Trek'' is not above ignoring realistic things for expediencies sake. [[{{Fanservice}} Unless it involves half-naked characters rubbing each other]].

* HybridsAreACrapshoot: Zigzagged in a two-part story arc towards the end of the series. A baby is created from the DNA of Trip and T'Pol such as that she's essentially their daughter even though T'Pol was never pregnant. Throughout the episodes, the baby has a fever and high white blood cell count which ultimately kills her, and other characters wonder if it's because humans and Vulcans have incompatible chromosomes. As it turns out, however, the baby was just created imperfectly; humans and Vulcans are indeed capable of safely interbreeding, which was [[Characters/StarTrekTheOriginalSeriesSpock proven true]] less than a century later.

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[[caption-width-right:350:[-Welcome aboard the Enterprise NX-01.-][[note]]Clockwise from top right: [[TheSpock T'Pol]], [[OfficerAndAGentleman Malcolm Reed]], [[AcePilot Travis Mayweather]], [[TheMedic Dr. Phlox]], [[CunningLinguist Hoshi Sato]], [[TheEngineer Trip Tucker]], and [[TheCaptain Jonathan Archer]].[[/note]]]]