Warp Five 23: By Human Hands

Xenophobia and The Coalition of Planets.

When Enterprise began we all expected that—as a prequel to the Star Trek we already knew—the series might end with the founding of the Federation. Unfortunately the story was cut short and we never got to see those events play out. We did, however, get one step closer with the final two episodes set in the 22nd century, “Demons” and “Terra Prime.” In the aftermath of the Xindi scare many on Earth were understandably cautious about joining the galactic community. And in true historic form, this caution fueled the fire of racism and hatred.

In this episode of Warp Five Christopher Jones and Kate Walsh discuss the central theme of the final two-parter—xenophobia—and how John Frederick Paxton’s Earth-first movement, Terra Prime, embodies the challenges that always have—and always will—stand between us and progress. We also discuss the final moments of character development in the series and whether these two episodes are the finale to Enterprise rather than “These Are the Voyages.”