I am – Hercules!!

Ah, sweet continuity porn!!

Star Trek Enterprise: The Complete Fourth Season, streeting today, was the last season of “Star Trek” ever produced, and brought to screen much continuity porn for the hardcore fans of the 40-year-old franchise. It revisited the Eugenics Wars that spawned Khan and “Space Seed,” the Vulcan leader T’Pau (whom we first met as a snippy crone in “Amok Time”), the Orion slave girls first glimpsed in “The Menagerie,” the Romulan Wars first mentioned in “Balance of Terror,” and the “Mirror Mirror” universe. We also finally visited the Andorians’ home planet, discovered the origins of The Federation’s dreaded black-ops division, and learned at long last why the Klingons of Kirk’s era looked like unshaven Earthers.

The season also contained at least one must-see episode: "The Forge," the first episode penned by longtime “Star Trek” novelists Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. It tied 40 years of “Star Trek” lore into one very elegant and entertaining hour.

(The two mirror-universe episodes seemed pretty good too, but my mind might be clouded by the torso-exposing uniforms Hoshi and T’Pol sported through much of the saga.)

Extrys!
* Deleted scenes from 4.1 (“Storm Front, Part 1”), 4.14 (“The Aenar”) and 4.19 (“In A Mirror Darkly, Part 2”);
* Text commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda on 4.7 (“The Forge”), 4.19 (“In A Mirror Darkly, Part 2”) and 4.22 (“These Are The Voyages”);
* Audio commentary by writer Mike Sussman and startrek.com’s Tim Gaskill on 4.18 (“In A Mirror Darkly, Part 1”) and 4.19 (“In A Mirror Darkly, Part 2”);
* Audio commentary by Gaskill and writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens on 4.21 (“Terra Prime”).
* Documentary “Enterprise Moments: Season 4” (16:23) examines how the resolution of the season-three cliffhanger was not devised at the conclusion of season three; how the season gave us our first extended look at Vulcan; Brent Spiner’s return as Data’s human ancestor; the season’s two endings, one of which was intended to end the series, the other of which (starring Jonathan Frakes and Marina Sirtis) was intended to cap the entire “Star Trek” franchise.
* Documentary “Inside The ‘Mirror’ Episodes” (15:41) explores the decision to keep the regular “Enterprise” characters out of the “Mirror” episodes, why the Gorn found its way into the episodes, how spreading the story across two episodes allowed producers to recreate so many of the original Constitution-class “Star Trek” sets, and concerns that the recreated 1960s sets might look too cheesy.
* Documentary “Enterprise Secrets” (5:52) looks at how the series’ writers and other behind-the-scenes personnel played extras in the series’ final scene.
* Documentary “Visual Effects Magic” (13:25) looks at painstaking computer-generated efforts to create 1942 Manhattan for “Storm Front Part 2,” the Xindi insectoids and acquatics for season three, the Tholian for “In A Mirror Darkly,” the NX-02, and the Xindi superweapon from season three’s “Zero Hour.”
* Documentary “That’s a Wrap” (8:59) includes footage from the series’ final farewell party at the Hollywood Roosevelt, including brief interviews with the show’s cast, crew, and guest stars Jeffrey Combs and Peter Weller.
* Documentary “Links to the Legacy” (4:25) looks at the introduction into “Enterprise” of the human-looking Klingons, the Vulcan sehlat, the Surak’s IDIC, Andor, Andoria and Section 31.
* Documentary “Enterprise Outtakes” (2:16) is the highly entertaining season-four blooper reel.
* “Photo Gallery” features lots of stills depicting actors in unusual clothing and/or alien makeup.
* “Borg Invasion Trailer” (0:32) offers a glimpse of the Las Vegas Hilton attraction.

Herc’s original episode reviews:
4.1 Storm Front Part 1
4.2 Storm Front Part 2
4.4 Borderland
4.5 Cold Station 12
4.6 The Augments
4.7 The Forge
4.9 Kir’Shara
4.14 The Aenar
4.15 Affliction
4.22 These Are The Voyages …

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Combat: The Complete Series <--- NEW!!
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