251: Proof of Concept

“First Flight” 20th-anniversary reflections

While observing a dark matter nebula, Captain Archer receives a message from Admiral Forrest informing his that one of his old comrades from the early warp program days has died while climbing Mt. McKinley. Reflecting on the loss, Archer tells T’Pol the story of how he competed with this fellow pilot, AG Robinson, for the chance to captain Enterprise, and how the two overcame Vulcan obstruction to keep the NX program on track.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 2 with “First Flight” as we discuss how the story serves as a resounding proof of concept for the original idea for the series, meeting Trip, how Archer’s experiences with AG prepared him to be a leader, and more. We also enjoy a plate of the 602 Club's famous fried mushrooms.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Getting Away from Space (00:04:29)
T'Pol’s Growth (00:14:24)
Archer’s Path to Leadership (00:18:08)
When Johnny Met Trip (00:25:06)
Vulcans Can’t Think Outside the Box (00:28:39)
The 602 Club (00:30:22)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:34:44)
Closing (00:36:15)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)