Enterprise 2x4 "Dead Stop"

*

This was a warmly received episode in its original airing, so you know that it's probably atypically approachable.  It was seldom like that for Enterprise.

There are some nice points of continuity in "Dead Stop," tying directly into the preceding "Minefield" as the ship is in desperate need of repair.  Beyond that, however, it's an episode best enjoyed for its own merits, a standard yet thoroughly entertaining yarn about a mystery repair station that appears exactly when needed and seems to have everything the crew needs.

Of course there's a catch.  The catch is better in this episode than in the later "Catwalk," so I do feel bad suggesting it has limited appeal, but that's the beauty of my ranking system.  It doesn't suggest that an episode that takes only one of the four possible suggestion points as unworthy of your attention.  In fact, there's always wiggle room.  This one's good to watch if you're simply a fan of the typical Star Trek adventure, weird adventures in space, but don't assume that you can just as easily skip it.  As I said, it won over the original cynics, so it has its merits.  Sometimes the most common experience can fire on all cylinders creatively, even if it's not strictly essential for any one element.

franchise * series * essential * character

Notable guest-stars:
Roxann Dawson (voice)

Memory Alpha summary.