10 Best Star Trek: Enterprise Episodes Not About The Main Cast

by Sean Ferrick

1. Borderland/Cold Station 12/The Augments

Arik Soong
Paramount

This three-part story from Enterprise's fourth season sees Brent Spiner guest star as Arik Soong, a distant ancestor of the more famous Dr. Noonian Soong. This particular family member is less interested in robotics as he is with eugenics, which even in Archer's time is a field of study expressly forbidden by Starfleet.

This story was significant in a number of ways. First, the return of Spiner to the franchise is a welcome one. Arik Soong is a far less likable version of Spiner than the audience had yet seen, played with obvious enjoyment by the Trek alumnus. Second, Malik and the rest of the Augments are a crucial footnote in Star Trek's history. While Khan would be the best example as to why DNA augmentation could have disastrous consequences, the actions of these Augments would have far-reaching ramifications for Star Trek's history.

Their existence was technically part of the decision to put Julian Bashir's father in jail for seeking illegal gene sequencing for his son, while the Augment gene would be seized by the Klingon Empire, leading to a drastic aesthetic change for the universe's most famous warriors.

This trilogy is essential viewing for Enterprise. It also doesn't hurt that the Big Show turns up as an Orion Slaver, too.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"