THE PLOT
Archer has successfully sown in Degra the seeds of distrust toward the reptilians and the Sphere Builders. The Xindi scientist arranges for Archer to be secretly returned to Enterprise. He leaves Archer with a hidden, coded message, giving him rendezvous coordinates to meet in three days. Unfortunately, the Enterprise has been left badly damaged by the battle with the reptilians. The ship has no warp capability, and will not be able to meet the rendezvous.
Until they intercept a distress signal from an alien ship, which has been damaged by the Expanse's spatial anomalies. They dock with the ship, and Archer tries to barter their Trellium for the aliens' warp coil. When the aliens refuse, Archer finds himself backed into a corner. Negotiating with Degra is his only chance to save Earth, and his only chance to meet with Degra again is to have warp speed. He finds himself faced with a horrible decision: Piracy!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: From the moment the Enterprise docks with the damaged alien ship, Archer is forced into an impossible situation. He needs the aliens' warp coil, and they won't barter for it. When he discovers that he has only a three-day window to make a rendezvous with Degra to potentially stop the weapon, he makes a choice he would at one time have considered unthinkable: he turns to piracy. Scott Bakula excels in the scenes in which Archer reaches this decision and gives the orders, showing the right mix of resolve and self-disgust.
T'Pol: I'm not sure I like the direction T'Pol's character is taken in this episode. The revelation that she has been effectively mainlining heroin (in the form of Trellium) does explain some of her more emotional behavior in recent episodes, particularly her outbursts in Azati Prime. But it feels ham-handed, and is perhaps one plot strand too many in an otherwise excellent episode. At least it is strongly linked with some of the season's early episodes. But for me to fully buy into this subplot, I would have needed to see some build toward it in the midseason. See Dr. Franklin's stim addiction in Babylon 5 for this sort of story done right.
Archer has successfully sown in Degra the seeds of distrust toward the reptilians and the Sphere Builders. The Xindi scientist arranges for Archer to be secretly returned to Enterprise. He leaves Archer with a hidden, coded message, giving him rendezvous coordinates to meet in three days. Unfortunately, the Enterprise has been left badly damaged by the battle with the reptilians. The ship has no warp capability, and will not be able to meet the rendezvous.
Until they intercept a distress signal from an alien ship, which has been damaged by the Expanse's spatial anomalies. They dock with the ship, and Archer tries to barter their Trellium for the aliens' warp coil. When the aliens refuse, Archer finds himself backed into a corner. Negotiating with Degra is his only chance to save Earth, and his only chance to meet with Degra again is to have warp speed. He finds himself faced with a horrible decision: Piracy!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: From the moment the Enterprise docks with the damaged alien ship, Archer is forced into an impossible situation. He needs the aliens' warp coil, and they won't barter for it. When he discovers that he has only a three-day window to make a rendezvous with Degra to potentially stop the weapon, he makes a choice he would at one time have considered unthinkable: he turns to piracy. Scott Bakula excels in the scenes in which Archer reaches this decision and gives the orders, showing the right mix of resolve and self-disgust.
T'Pol: I'm not sure I like the direction T'Pol's character is taken in this episode. The revelation that she has been effectively mainlining heroin (in the form of Trellium) does explain some of her more emotional behavior in recent episodes, particularly her outbursts in Azati Prime. But it feels ham-handed, and is perhaps one plot strand too many in an otherwise excellent episode. At least it is strongly linked with some of the season's early episodes. But for me to fully buy into this subplot, I would have needed to see some build toward it in the midseason. See Dr. Franklin's stim addiction in Babylon 5 for this sort of story done right.
Dr. Phlox: Though very much in the background, he is an important figure in this episode. John Billingsley excels, as usual, making the most of his scenes with Archer and T'Pol. With Archer, he simply listens. When Archer tells him he's going to have to cross another line, Phlox voices his support in a sympathetic, non-judgmental fashion. He does ask Archer what he's going to do, but doesn't press for details when it is clear Archer doesn't want to voice it yet. With T'Pol, he takes a stronger tact, but is still generally non-judgmental and affirms his devotion to confidentiality.
Degra: He clearly trusts the Sphere Builders less and less as this episode goes along, and seems more willing to trust Archer... to the point that he goes to "a lot of trouble" to put Archer back on Enterprise, with a coded rendezvous Archer is clearly meant to find. As Archer notes, it's not so much that Degra has any real faith in the humans as yet. But he has lost most of his faith in his side, and he clearly has several other members of the Council questioning their plan as well. The Sphere Builder's less-than-convincing response to Degra's questions will likely make at least some of the Council more receptive to Archer, when he finally meets with them.
THOUGHTS
...And another well-written episode, by another of the series' top writers, Phyllis Strong. I've noted this before, but it bears repeating: In Season Three, Enterprise has really put together one of the strongest regular writing teams Trek has ever seen. It's a shame so few people were still interested in watching by this point.
Damage benefits from putting the regulars in a position in which they are beat up and beaten down. Throughout the episode, the ship is practically falling apart around them. They look dirty and tired. Effective makeup, lighting, and acting really help to sell this atmosphere, which boosts the episode considerably.
The title, "Damage," relates to the episode on multiple levels. There's the direct, physical level: The battle at the end of Azati Prime has left the Enterprise badly damaged, to the point that it is still a badly scarred ship at the episode's end. There's T'Pol's emotional damage, reduced to a recovering drug addict. There's the moral damage Archer alludes to, as he realizes just how many lines he's crossed the longer he stays in the Expanse. The marauder's statement way back in Anomaly, about the quality of mercy not surviving the Expanse, seems to be haunting Archer as he sees himself becoming a marauder himself, all because he can see no other choice.
The episode ends with the Enterprise moving on to its rendezvous with Degra, making this feel like the middle installment of a 3-parter. It does, at least, seem like the filler episodes are done, probably for the rest of the season.
Rating: 9/10.
Previous Episode: Azati Prime
Next Episode: The Forgotten
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Degra: He clearly trusts the Sphere Builders less and less as this episode goes along, and seems more willing to trust Archer... to the point that he goes to "a lot of trouble" to put Archer back on Enterprise, with a coded rendezvous Archer is clearly meant to find. As Archer notes, it's not so much that Degra has any real faith in the humans as yet. But he has lost most of his faith in his side, and he clearly has several other members of the Council questioning their plan as well. The Sphere Builder's less-than-convincing response to Degra's questions will likely make at least some of the Council more receptive to Archer, when he finally meets with them.
THOUGHTS
...And another well-written episode, by another of the series' top writers, Phyllis Strong. I've noted this before, but it bears repeating: In Season Three, Enterprise has really put together one of the strongest regular writing teams Trek has ever seen. It's a shame so few people were still interested in watching by this point.
Damage benefits from putting the regulars in a position in which they are beat up and beaten down. Throughout the episode, the ship is practically falling apart around them. They look dirty and tired. Effective makeup, lighting, and acting really help to sell this atmosphere, which boosts the episode considerably.
The title, "Damage," relates to the episode on multiple levels. There's the direct, physical level: The battle at the end of Azati Prime has left the Enterprise badly damaged, to the point that it is still a badly scarred ship at the episode's end. There's T'Pol's emotional damage, reduced to a recovering drug addict. There's the moral damage Archer alludes to, as he realizes just how many lines he's crossed the longer he stays in the Expanse. The marauder's statement way back in Anomaly, about the quality of mercy not surviving the Expanse, seems to be haunting Archer as he sees himself becoming a marauder himself, all because he can see no other choice.
The episode ends with the Enterprise moving on to its rendezvous with Degra, making this feel like the middle installment of a 3-parter. It does, at least, seem like the filler episodes are done, probably for the rest of the season.
Rating: 9/10.
Previous Episode: Azati Prime
Next Episode: The Forgotten
Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise
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