Internet fanboys (and girls) had a collective cow when they read spoilers about the plot of the "Star Trek: Enterprise" finale a couple months ago, so I was curious to see what raised all the fuss. I'm still scratching my head.

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I suppose if you're a true-blue "Enterprise" acolyte, the presence of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" characters Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Troi (Marina Sirtis) might ruffle some feathers. But seeing as this is the end of the line for "Star Trek" on TV (for now, at least), Friday's series finale (9 p.m. on UPN, following the penultimate original episode at 8 p.m.) is a decent swan song for the franchise as a whole.

It lacks the emotion of the "Deep Space Nine" finale or the near-perfection of "The Next Generation's" last episode, but at least it doesn't feel as rushed or abrupt as the disappointing "Voyager" swan song.

The hour begins with Riker -- sometime during the run of the "Next Generation" series in the "Star Trek" time line, I think -- facing a difficult decision and seeking guidance from history. He talks to Counselor Troi and visits the holodeck, where he replays the history of the final mission of the first Enterprise, 10 years after its maiden voyage.

En route to the signing of a new alliance treaty and the decommissioning of Enterprise, Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) detours his ship to help an old ally, putting his crew in danger one last time.

It's accurate to say the episode gives short shrift to most of the "Enterprise" secondary cast, but this should come as little surprise. "Deep Space Nine" was the only true ensemble "Star Trek" series, and secondary characters were always underdeveloped on "Voyager."

What's nice about this finale is that even those of us who long ago gave up watching "Star Trek" can appreciate the nods to the past, present and future "Trek" crews, including a toast "to the next generation," a joke about Capt. Picard's aquarium and a closing sequence that links three of the TV shows.

I never hated "Enterprise" the way I abhorred "Voyager" for squandering an interesting premise after only a handful of episodes; I just got bored with "Star Trek." The "Enterprise" finale -- and some good word-of-mouth about the current season -- makes me wish I'd stuck with it. And that's a better way for a show to end its run -- leaving a viewer wanting more.

'TRACEY ULLMAN: LIVE & EXPOSED'

A big improvement on Tracey Ullman's most recent, wan special (2003's "Trailer Tales"), HBO's "Live & Exposed" (9:30 p.m. Saturday) is a far more enjoyable, entertaining special.

Filmed in front of a studio audience, Ullman traces her life story and more fully explains the origination of her most famous characters (from Fox's "The Tracey Ullman Show" and HBO's "Tracey Takes On").

In a little under 90 minutes, Ullman opens up about her past, from the death of her father when she was a child to her lawsuit against Fox to win royalties from "The Simpsons," which began as a short on "The Tracey Ullman Show."

Part stand-up, part sketch show with musical numbers, Ullman plays herself in "Live & Exposed" and some of her favorite characters (office worker Kay, a gay male flight attendant, a collagen-injected aging TV star, makeup lady Ruby Romaine).

Lively, fast-paced and full of laughs, this new special showcases Ullman at her schizophrenic best.