The First Temporal Skirmish

After a disastrous first contact with a pre-warp civilization (the Paraagans), Archer returns to find the colony incinerated. To his horror, Starfleet blames him, and the NX-01 is ordered home. The twist? The disaster was engineered by Future Guy to discredit Archer. Daniels arrives from a dying timeline to pull Archer into the future. Meanwhile, the Suliban take over the NX-01.

Archer is pulled into a desolate 31st century.

The Crew Meets Their Future Selves

would one day exist despite the efforts of those trying to erase it. Temporal Cold War was officially resolved in the season four opener, " Storm Front

The War Escalates

This episode introduces Crewman Daniels, an agent from the 31st century. It’s the first time we see the Enterprise as a literal battlefield for future interests.

While transporting a religious delegation, the NX-01 hosts a mysterious guest: Crewman Daniels. When Suliban board the ship, Daniels reveals himself as a temporal agent from the 31st century. He explains that factions are fighting to control history. A battle erupts aboard the ship, and a Suliban infiltrator detonates a radioactive device.

The Temporal Cold War begins before the opening credits. A Klingon courier named Klaang is shot down in Oklahoma while carrying a vital data module. We later learn his attacker is a Suliban—a genetically engineered humanoid from the 28th century—under orders from a mysterious "Future Guy." Captain Jonathan Archer is tasked with returning Klaang to Qo’noS, unknowingly stepping into a temporal proxy war.