Unveiling the Untold Story: How Enterprise's Archer Redefined the Captain Mold in Star Trek

Summary

In Star Trek: Enterprise, Captain Archer defied tradition and introduced a refreshing approach as he embraced a more modern aura. His casual attire and informal speech perfectly matched the 22nd-century backdrop of the show.

In contrast to other Enterprise Captains, Archer had a healthy relationship with his father and dedicated his life to exploring the galaxy, free from any father issues or familial trauma experienced by characters like Picard.

Captain Archer revolutionized life aboard the Enterprise by introducing his cherished beagle named Porthos as the first pet onboard. This brought about a special connection between man and dog amidst the boundless expanse of outer space.

Captain Jonathan Archer of Star Trek: Enterprise shattered preconceptions and set new standards as the Captain of the Enterprise due to the series being a prequel. Taking place from 2151 to 2154, with a glance into events from 2161, Enterprise documented the inaugural starship bearing the name Enterprise, the NX-01. This groundbreaking vessel, Starfleet's first Warp 5-capable starship, paved the way for intergalactic exploration. The crew of the NX-01 Enterprise were true pioneers, and Jonathan Archer earned his place as "the greatest explorer of the 22nd century" in the eyes of future generations.

It is worth noting that Enterprise was the fifth live-action Star Trek series, following the immensely popular and highly regarded Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain James T. Kirk of TOS (William Shatner) and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of TNG (Patrick Stewart) preceded the creation of Captain Archer by several decades, and their collective contributions established the archetypal traits associated with the role of Captain of the Enterprise. Jonathan Archer and his NX-01 Enterprise offered a retcon, redefining what was previously known about the origins of Star Trek. By antedating Kirk, Picard, and Captain Christopher Pike of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Anson Mount), Jonathan Archer broke the mold in three significant ways while simultaneously establishing the characteristics that Kirk, Pike, and Picard would become renowned for.

6 Jonathan Archer Was More Contemporary Than Other Enterprise Captains

Star Trek: Enterprise and Captain Jonathan Archer were intentionally designed to be more contemporary. The show's setting in the 22nd-century allowed the producers to depart from the aesthetic of Star Trek: The Next Generation's 24th-century era. Enterprise reflected the appearance, clothing, and language of the people in 2001, despite being set 150 years in the future.

Captain Archer and the characters of Star Trek: Enterprise preferred a more casual style of dress, occasionally even wearing baseball caps. Their manner of speaking was also more informal compared to the dialogue of Mr. Spock or Captain Picard. The Starfleet uniforms on Enterprise were precursors to the jumpsuits seen on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, but they included convenient pockets. During their free time, the NX-01 Enterprise crew enjoyed relaxing with movie nights, in contrast to the classical music concerts held on Captain Picard's USS Enterprise-D.

5 Jonathan Archer Didn't Have Father Issues Like Other Enterprise Captains

Captain Jonathan Archer had a fortunate upbringing with his father, Henry Archer. Unlike other captains such as Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan didn't bear any emotional scars or family traumas. Henry Archer played a pivotal role alongside Dr. Zephram Cochrane in creating the Warp 5 engine for the NX-01 Enterprise. Jonathan's childhood with his father was positive, and his lifelong ambition was to command the first ship utilizing his father's groundbreaking engine to explore the vastness of the galaxy.

In stark contrast, Captain Picard carried a lifelong resentment towards his father, Maurice Picard, which he eventually confronted and resolved in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard. Similarly, in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie, James T. Kirk strived to match the heroism of his late father, George Kirk, while Strange New Worlds introduced the Prime Timeline's James T. Kirk, who also lived in the shadow of his renowned father. It was also unveiled in Strange New Worlds that Captain Pike had his own challenges with his father. On the other hand, Jonathan Archer had no such issues with his father.

4 Captain Archer Brought His Dog Aboard The Starship Enterprise

Porthos, Captain Archer's beloved beagle, blazed a trail never before ventured by a canine. Accompanying Archer on his starship, Enterprise, Porthos became an integral part of the NX-01's fabled expeditions. Although primarily confined to Captain Archer's quarters, Porthos did not have free reign over the entire ship. Nevertheless, Archer stood out as the first captain of the Enterprise to have a pet onboard, unless one considers the fish in Captain Picard's ready room on the Enterprise-D. Both Picard and Captain Kirk had dogs of their own, Number One and Butler respectively, but neither captain was accompanied by their loyal companion in the vastness of outer space the way Jonathan Archer was.

3 Captain Archer Created Star Trek: TOS' Classic Enterprise Command Trio

As a retcon, Star Trek: Enterprise introduced Captain Archer aboard the NX-01 Enterprise, who is responsible for creating the well-known trio of Captain Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy from the classic Star Trek: The Original Series. Archer becomes the first Captain of the Enterprise to have a Vulcan, TPol, serving as both First Officer and Science Officer. Additionally, Commander Trip Tucker, a Southern gentleman, becomes Archer's closest friend and completes the trio in a similar role as "Bones" McCoy did for Kirk. As with Spock and Dr. McCoy, T'Pol and Trip initially face conflict but eventually develop a romantic relationship.

2 Archer Was Close To His Crew Like Other Enterprise Captains

Captain Archer did not maintain a distant and commanding presence towards his crew. Instead, he fostered a personal and friendly atmosphere, ensuring a strong connection with the 83 individuals serving on the NX-01 Enterprise. Notably, Captain Archer enjoyed having regular dinners with T'Pol and Trip, and he often extended invitations to other members of his crew as well. This practice set the precedent for Captain Pike, who personally cooked meals for his senior staff in his quarters aboard the USS Enterprise on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Similarly, Captain Kirk developed close relationships with his senior staff, earning their unwavering loyalty. As for Captain Picard, he eventually learned to let his guard down and embrace the companionship of his Enterprise-D crew, considering them his chosen family by the conclusion of Star Trek: The Next Generation and in Star Trek: Picard season 3.

1 Archer Was The First Captain Who Put Enterprise Above His Personal Life

Captain Archer is not known to have married or had a significant romantic life partner. Instead, his focus appeared to revolve around exploring the galaxy aboard the NX-01 Enterprise. Later on, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the United Federation of Planets, ultimately becoming its first President. Unfortunately, Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled before the introduction of a love interest for Archer, leaving the question of a potential significant other unanswered.

Being the Captain of the Enterprise seems to be a solitary existence, which was initially established by Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise and later adopted by Captains Kirk and Picard. Neither Captain of the Enterprise was married during their command, although both Kirk and Picard had children. On Strange New Worlds, Captain Pike has a girlfriend named Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano), but Star Trek lore suggests that their relationship is not meant to endure. However, it can be concluded that similar to Captain Archer, Kirk, Pike, and Picard's primary and most cherished loves were their respective starships, all named Enterprise.