5. Jonathan Archer
Like Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise has a whole cast that I feel is pretty underrated. Maybe some of this is because these two shows get lost in the shadows of The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. Regardless, they deserve more attention, and I definitely feel that Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) gets more flak than is warranted.
Honestly, Star Trek: Enterprise has more in common with a series like Stargate SG-1 than Star Trek: The Next Generation. Earth and Humanity are the new kids on the block and they are dealing with things much bigger than themselves. The difference is mindset: Enterprise is science-first, whereas Stargate is military-first.
I prefer to think of Captain Archer as a more exploration-oriented analog to a character like Stargate’s Colonel Jack O’Neill, rather than a naive version of someone like Jean-Luc Picard. Archer is doing his best without much support, and he’s prepared to deal with completely novel situations without being able to rely on any help from back home.
On top of this, I think Archer manages to capture an appropriate balance between casualness and authority. His crew feels like a family. Archer is not standoffish or rude, but he also isn’t so lax in his command that his subordinates walk all over him—even when T’Pol tries her very best to do so.