Was Porthos one of the best written characters on Star Trek: Enterprise?

Porthos was a very well-written character from Star Trek: Enterprise

While Star Trek: Enterprise did suffer from oversaturation of Star Trek, many fans assert that some of the creative decisions behind the scenes also hurt the show.  Meant to be the prequel to the many shows fans loved, Enterprise was already fighting an uphill battle, but there was one character – Porthos, the beloved beagle of Captain Jonathan Archer – that became a fully realized character with a discernible personality.  His character arc may not have been very complex, but he had distinct likes and dislikes, which Spot, a more iconic pet in Star Trek, did not always have.

Although many fans did complain about Archer taking a beloved pet into dangerous situations, including on an alien planet where Porthos peed on a sacred tree, nearly ruining that particular instance of First Contact, the first beagle of Starfleet often provided scenes of humor or compassion.  Archer playing with Porthos, reassuring him when dinner was late, or chastising him for his love of cheese (even when cheese doesn’t love him back) proves how universal some parts of pet parenthood are.

T’Pol’s early discomfort with his smell developed into her caring about him during times of crisis, even stroking and petting him.  Dr. Phlox studied how Porthos reacted to him compared to Archer when he was left in charge of the ship, possibly paving the way for better pet care in Starfleet.

Star Trek: Enterprise gave Porthos distinct character traits

While some characters suffered from subpar writing – Travis Mayweather not having a full character arc, T’Pol and Charles “Trip” Tucker III stuck in an awkward relationship that originally started as traded barbs then merged into romance, Archer’s very early anti-Vulcan attitude, and more – Porthos often did not.  He had a clear character profile as an affectionate cheese-loving beagle who distrusted threatening species yet enjoyed the safer Class-M planets.  He also provided emotional support to many of the characters and even alerted Archer to the presence of threats, alien or otherwise, on the ship.

Compare this to Spot, Data’s cat in The Next Generation.  Spot often served as a point of slapstick humor as Data would ask others to care for Spot, but they usually struggled to care for him.  Spot also changed breed and gender in TNG (nor did it stay consistent, leading to jokes about multiple Spots, Data naming all cats Spot, or Spot being a Changeling) whereas the only time Porthos changed breed was in the mirror universe.

Throughout Enterprise Porthos proved that animal characters could be well-written with clear personalities and have a role besides slapstick comedy relief in a Star Trek series.  While fans can joke about his love of cheese, Porthos was much more than that, as he often provided emotional support to his captain and crew or played a role – positive or negative – in First Contacts.