In the mid-22nd century, the Earth ship Enterprise is launched under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. When the crew rescues an alien from a crashed spaceship, Earth gets its first look at the alien's race - the Klingons. Archer and his crew must walk a fine line as they attempt to communicate with the Klingon pilot, whose language is completely unknown, and whose homeworld wants him back. Is this the beginning of friendship...or interstellar war?

Captain Archer wants to convert curiosity into deeds and decides to enter a ship floating in space. Hoshi has trouble adjusting to life on Enterprise.

Archer sends an away team to a habitable, luscious planet for observation. But when a storm occurs, the team begins to experience paranoid delusions.

Archer, Trip and T'Pol are captured by the Andorians at a Vulcan monastery on P'Jem. They believe that the monastery is being used to spy on Andoria.

Enterprise discovers a comet which contains the very rare element eisilium. Then unexpectedly a Vulcan ship arrives. Captain Vanik tells they're interested in human behavior.

Enterprise has a group of aliens watching a stellar phenomenon on board. When the ship is miraculously saved from blowing up, crewman Daniels has an important message for Archer.

After an attack by a mysterious ship, Archers orders Enterprise's return to Jupiter to install phase cannons; Hoshi makes plans for Malcolm's birthday.

T'Pol is being recalled because of Enterprise's involvement in the destruction of the P'Jem sanctuary. She and Captain Archer are later kidnapped while visiting the planet Coridan.

Almost the entire crew is left unconscious when four Ferengi pirates raid Enterprise. A still conscious Trip is the only one who can get rid of them.

A fibrous, web-like alien creature comes aboard the ship and several of the crew becomes entangled in it including Archer and Trip, and it seems Hoshi is the only one who can try to communicate with the creature.

Enterprise is planning a trip to the relaxation planet Risa, when it gets an urgent request from the Vulcan High Command. They must pick up ambassador V'Lar who has fallen in disgrace. Apparently she misused her position during negotiations on the planet Mazar and has been evicted. After Enterprise picked up V'Lar and is on its way for a meeting with the Vulcan warship Sh'Ran, suddenly a Mazarite ship appears. They want V'Lar for further interrogating. When captain Archer wants to discuss it first with Starfleet Command, they open fire.

Enterprise discovers a mining colony of the Paraagans. The crew gets an invitation for a meeting on the surface and a shuttle pod tries to break through the atmosphere. All of a sudden just under the shuttle a giant explosion begins and scorches the earth beneath. All 3600 colonists are reported dead. After examination, Enterprise finds out plasma leaking from the pod's vents ignited tetrazine in the atmosphere. Lieutenant Reed, however, ensures he closed the plasma vents before the shuttle went of. After conversations with admiral Forrest of Starfleet Command, Captain Archer learns that Enterprise's mission is canceled and they must return home, not to return to space for another ten or twenty years. When the ship has altered course, crewman Daniels, a time traveler, pays a visit to captain Archer.

Enterprise seeks repairs from their encounters with the Romulans, where they stop at a desolate but idyllic repair station. But all is not what it seems when Mayweather is suddenly found dead.