Favorite Captain Archer Episodes

has been getting its due finally.

The third and final season of revealed Captain Jonathan Archer and his , which is celebrated with Frontier Day.

On Pike's Enterprise in , Uhura and Ortegas gush over . Not only that, it's the NX-01 itself that helps a pair of wayward time-traveling ensigns return home to their correct timeline.

And just recently, we find when he moves up from the lower decks to his own quarters in .

We can't think of a better time than this, coupled with Scott Bakula's birthday, to highlight some of our favorite Captain Archer episodes during its entire Enterprise run.

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On Earth at the Bay Stadium, Captain Archer and his senior crew are celebrated for the Enterprise's successes in the Delphic Expanse, including saving the planet from the , in the fourth-season episode, "." The captain tempers the praise by reminding everyone about the 27 crew members who didn't make it home with them; it was their efforts and sacrifice that ensured their safe return.

Uncomfortable with the hero's welcome and fanfare, Archer comes to grips with how much the Expanse has changed him, not just the previous year with the Xindi, but across his tenure on the NX-01, as he reluctantly advises Captain Hernandez and the Columbia's maiden voyage.

Reflecting on the realities of his duties, grief, and choices he made, he tells Hernandez, "I look at you, and I see the person I was three years ago — the explorer that my father wanted me to be. I lost something out there. And I don't know how to get it back."

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, — when Commander Trip Tucker is near-fatally wounded, the crew cannot afford to lose their chief engineer during a critical moment. to their issue at hand. Using one of the larvae in his arsenal, they create a mimetic symbiote aka 'clone' of Trip to harvest its organs to save Trip.

Over the course of the episode, Archer struggles with the ethics of actions, as they witness the "Sim" age from a kid to adult, who develops his own memories and relationships with the crew in addition to possessing the original Trip's experiences and memories. Despite his two-week lifespan, Sim argues for his right to live. In addition to weighing the life of his friend, Archer must consider Earth's overall survival.

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Where it all began. "First Flight" takes us back to Archer's early days as a warp-speed test pilot, as well as provides context to his devotion to his father and his friendship with Trip.

Here, we get to learn more about their warp program and his father's groundbreaking but flawed warp engine designs. This episode shows how Archer came to be in command of the Enterprise.

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When the Enterprise discovers the Xindi's plans for a super weapon, Archer sets out on a suicide mission in "Azati Prime," believing himself to be on a one-way trip toward enemy territory.

While a time agent shows him that history needs him alive for the United Federation of Planets' formation, Archer is resolved to go through with his mission despite the odds. Held captive by the Xindi Reptilians, Archer demonstrates his captaincy — strengths, flaws, and all — courageous, confident, yet impatient with the leader Dolim while also showcasing his resilience, intellect, and diplomacy with the Xindi Primate, Degra.

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"Terra Prime" delivers another masterclass Captain Archer speech, which highlights the fragile origins of the United Federation of Planets and his crucial role within the organization as president.

When the xenophobic Terra Prime threatens to destroy Starfleet Command, Archer manages to unite humans and other species alike in not letting the terrorist group's message continue on with his inspiring speech. The episode is just as relevant today as it was nearly 20 years ago, and is clear in what is needed — tolerance and compassion — in the face of hatred and mistrust to achieve our ideal universe.