Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Terra Nova (2001) User Reviews

Astral Roanoke

[Samuel-Shovel · 7/10 · 13 May 2017]

The premise of Terra Nova is quite a good one. A colony, lost in space & time, separated from Earth and forced to fend for itself for a 75 year span. The beginning had me very excited to see what was in store. Unfortunately, this script quickly stalled and finished as a lackluster episode at best. The ending left a lot to be desired but I hope we see these Novans occasionally in the future. At it's core, I like the idea of Novans being out there. However, now that they have accepted that they are humans and are okay with Earth's assistance, their novelty may wear off quickly.

I disagree with those that argue that 75 years is not a long enough time period for the Novans to disassociate themselves from the humans. 75 years is 3 generations. We know that only the children survived. We know that these children heard their parents tell tales of how the Earthlings are bad and are out to get the Novans. After the meteor crashed and wiped out the adults, do you think these young Novans would want to identify themselves as this terrible species that just killed their parents? If the incident didn't cause repressed memories, then these children definitely buried this knowledge deep and refused to tell their own children about the fact that Novans are indeed humans. They most likely told ghost stories of these terrible humans to their kids, ignoring the fact that they are all humans themselves. Receiving this doctrine for years, the new generations could easily despise humans with all their might and refuse to look at evidence and admit to themselves that they are indeed humans.

The end of this episode, the old "see? we are all alike" trope as the two leaders work together didn't do much for me. I rolled my eyes as they asked for trust from one another. Still, I like the premise and the episode went by fairly fast. Definitely not the worst episode thus far, but not the best either.

not bad but a little light on ideas

[ursapater · 7/10 · 23 December 2007]

Probably not the best episode, but still OK. I've just got to write something here to supplement the other review written here. Terra Nova (New Earth) is the first class M (earth like) planet discovered by humans within twenty light years of earth. Which is apparently the greatest distance that could be practically reached with the pre-warp 5 engines. Even so, a one way trip to the planet with the old drive takes nine years. The colonists were therefore pretty well making a one way trip, especially as they planned to dismantle their starship: the Conestoga for materials to build the colony. Now here's where I see a bit of a problem. Once the colonists report back that things are going well Earth wants to send still more colonists. The Novans strongly object to this; not wanting to share they're new home. Why? It's a planet for heavens sake! Another colony site, or half a dozen, could be placed on it thousands of kilometers away. People their grandchildren need never see if they don't want too. Anyway, these people must've been inordinately paranoid. When the colony suffers a disaster (radioactive contamination of unknown source) the colonists immediately assume that the event is an attack by earth in retaliation for their recalcitrance. This leads the survivors, almost all children, to retreat underground. The children come to the conclusion that they are not human and that humans are responsible for the destruction of their home. Making humans the enemy. There is no indication that they are mutant BTW, just odd face paint and haircuts that might lead one to believe that they are an alien species at first glance. Captain Archer must somehow cut through their entrenched paranoia and convince them to relocate as Phlox discovers that radioactive elements have begun to leech into the local groundwater. The contamination will eventually accumulate to lethal levels. At first Archer considers relocating the Novans by force; Starfleet has stun weapons :). For subsequent relocation to Earth, a culture that the Novans are totally unprepared for. Finally a better solution becomes clear; not all parts of the planet were contaminated. The Novans need not leave their home to be safe.

Unoriginal Episode

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 3 November 2007]

The Enterprise reaches Terra Nova, the first planet in the deep space colonized by humans in the beginning of the human colonization in a project called "The Great Experience". Due to the long round trip of eighteen years, the explorers have been forgotten by Earth. The Enterprise scans Terra Nova and finds fifty-eight humans living in the underside. When Archer, T'Pol, Malcolm and Travis reach the planet, they are treated as if they were hostile aliens by the locals. However, they find that Nardet, the mother of the leader of the human mutants, has lung cancer, and they bring her to be treated in Enterprise. But Dr. Phlox finds that their water is contaminated by a poison rain. Captain Archer suggests the relocation by force in the non-contaminated south hemisphere of the planet, but T'Pol advises that this procedure would destroy the Novan's culture. However fate helps Archer to find a solution.

"Terra Nova" is the weakest episode of this series up to this moment, with a non-original. It is amazing the silly and quite stupid decision of Captain Archer, believing that he could bring a breed of mutants to Earth without thinking in the consequences of his unreasonable act. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Terra Nova" ("New Land")

The cynical tribal leader, the open minded character and the one who needs saving - sound familiar?

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 16 August 2020]

Enterprise checks up on the Terra Nova colony after it has been left alone for 75 years.

I'd rather not go into too much depth on this one other than to say it is very similar to episodes seen in other Star Trek incarnations. Enterprise/Voyager shuttle/beam crew members to a location, they meet locals who distrust humans/outsiders and through a series of poorly written cliches they eventually earn their trust. Fairly annoying characters placed within an unoriginal and predictable story.

There are some decent character moments which are encouraging for future episodes. I think I'm going to like Dr Phlox and Lt. Malcolm Reed as the actors seem natural and enjoyable to watch. The jury still out on the others but Trip Tucker is pretty entertaining.

Star Trek has done this formula to death.

If human settlers become so simple-minded so quickly, we'd better not colonize space

[tomsly-40015 · 6/10 · 18 February 2024]

Almost identical story to the VOY episode "Friendship One". A community that has to live underground due to radiation and now suffers the consequences. Earthlings are held responsible. A hostage situation, a fanatical leader, medical treatment on the ship to build trust and at the end the help of the travelers so that the community can continue to live on their planet.

Only in this episode you are not dealing with aliens but with really dumb descendants of human settlers who, after only three generations, have forgotten that they are human themselves but still speak perfect English - apart from a few stupid expressions.

Terrible Episode, Just Bad Writing

[jimhaney-12224 · 3/10 · 8 June 2020]

I like the series so far, but this episode sucks! Some people in one of the first colonies don't want 200 more people to encroach on their planet... PLANET! That's right, they can't make space for 200 new colonists? They were so upset by this, they argued with their counterparts on earth, to the point that they would suspect a meteor disaster as a murderous strike from earth? I don't buy that either. The kids survive the disaster, and create a stupid society, god are they stupid. In 73 years they changed so much that they distrust 'humans', are a tribal society, but somehow know how to use and maintain the old weapons. Even though they can't make ammo, they can liberally expel it in a firefight with Enterprise crew. SHALE I SAY! Yep, that's the writers' chosen word for BS, and that is what this episode is.

I didn't buy the premise....

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 19 March 2015]

Apparently, many decades ago, a group of pioneers left our solar system and set out to found a new colony. 'Terra Nova' was a failed experiment and Earth lost contact with them. Enterprise is thrilled when they discover the place--but it ain't what they expected! It turns out that the colony was practically wiped out and what remained went underground.

So far, this all was interesting and had the makings of a cool episode. Unfortunately, what follows seemed kind of dumb and didn't make a lot of sense. It turns out that the descendants of the colonists are amazingly stupid. They THINK that they aren't human and they think humans caused their catastrophe and since then they created some weird primitive tribal society. The problem is that they are also very suspicious and have taken one of the crew prisoner. What's next?

My problem is that to see a group of reasonable and intelligent colonists creating a new generation of folks who VERY quickly forgot they were human and created such a complex alien society made little sense. 73 years and this? It just seemed that such a plot MIGHT have made sense after 1000 years but not 73. Additionally, how did these people ALSO become so annoying and stupid as well?!

Deep Space Roanoke

[Hitchcoc · 5/10 · 7 March 2017]

Terra Nove (New Earth) was a colony that was formed by people who decided to live away from earth. At some point, all signs of them ceased to exist. The Enterprise comes to the planet that 73 years before was the site of that colony. It has now become the home of tribal people who have moved beneath the surface. It was their belief that humans dropped toxic rain on them, killing most of the colonists and sending the young ones below ground, living in a series of caves and arteries. When Archer and the crew explore, Malcolm is captured and a series of maneuvers to show these people what actually happened to them takes place. This is all well and good. The problem is the time frame for the evolution of the culture is only 73 years. How could such a culture have mutated so incredibly in such a short time. They have become so different in such a short time. It just doesn't wash.

A Senior Trekker writes......................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 30 March 2022]

A fairly pedestrian, Trekkean story about a lost colony of the earliest settlers that has reverted to a primitive existence in underground caves after an unforeseen catastrophe wiped out their parents' village.

That's about it, really.

The main Enterprise crew are seen beginning to get on together as a team but certain tropes are already established: such as the Captain going on every away mission and T'Pol's facial expressions ranging all the way from disinterest to distaste.

Despite sound performances by guest actors Eric Avari and Mary Carver as the luckless offspring of the original colonists, this is starting to look very much like something we've seen too many times before.

After more than three decades someone actually talks about needing to go to the bathroom (only he's British so he says "lavatory") but, when the real -life mysteries mentioned in the opening scene turn out to be more interesting than the one presented on screen, there isn't much to hold the attention. Yes, I did look up Judge Crater and Amelia Earhart and, yes, I admit it, I did so before the end of Terra Nova.

Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5.