THE PLOT
A bomb is detonated inside the Earth Embassy on Vulcan, killing 12 Vulcans and more than 30 humans - including Admiral Forrest (Vaughn Armstrong). Since the embassy is considered "Earth soil," Enterprise is called to take charge of the investigation.
Reed and Mayweather soon discover a second bomb with Vulcan DNA that matches a member of a Vulcan splinter group known as the Syrranites. The case seems to be closed - but Archer is not satisfied with this too-easy answer. Neither is Archer's old nemesis, Ambassador Soval (Gary Graham), who tells Archer that it makes no sense that the normally peaceful Syrranites would be involved in this incident.
When T'Pol receives a secret communication from her mother, who is a Syrranite, she and Archer beam down to find these Vulcan dissidents. But to reach them, they will first have to traverse the Vulcan desert known as "The Forge," an area where heat and magnetic interference are so strong that technology will not work.
Meanwhile, Trip and Phlox push Soval into drastic action to follow a lead of their own...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: Persists in crossing The Forge, even after Arev (Michael Nouri), the Syrranite who becomes his and T'Pol's guide, urges him to turn back. Arev tells him that The Forge will test him and destroy him. Archer's response to this is a stubborn, flinty glare. As well it should be, perhaps. Archer already has been tested in The Expanse. The Forge may be hot, but it can't compare with what he's already weathered.
T'Pol: Quite cold in her dealings with her husband, although he does not come across unsympathetically. She is startled to learn of her mother's connection to the Syrranites, but remains principally concerned with her safety. She does a good job both in guiding Archer through The Forge, and in guiding him through his dealings with Arev.
Ambassador Soval: This 3-episode arc seems likely to cast some welcome focus onto Soval, a character who was gradually developed over the course of the first two seasons from a one-dimensional thorn in Archer's side into a genuinely complex figure. In Home, we saw Soval publicly grilling Archer, then privately telling him that his actions were justified. Now, he again privately offers his support. He later makes good on that, first by providing information, then by placing his career in jeopardy to identify the bomber through a mind meld with a comatose witness.
The Vulcans: From very early on in Enterprise, it has been apparent that this series is presenting a different Vulcan society than that of other Trek shows. We have seen that there are Vulcans who follow alternate paths, and we have seen that the High Command reacts harshly against these "deviants." Here, we see that there are other sects with differing beliefs. The Syrranites, dismissed by the High Command as dissidents, are clearly the Vulcans we know from other Trek series, a connection made explicit by identifying a young T'Pau as one of their members.
THOUGHTS
I suspect this arc is pulling a trigger that would have been held until later in the series, had the show not run into ratings trouble. From the very first episode, the resentment between humans and Vulcans has been a major building block of Enterprise. Throughout the first two seasons, many hints were dropped that the Vulcan High Command had taken a hard line that perhaps overstepped logical bounds. It was clearly leading somewhere, though I suspect a resolution would have been held back for at least another season or two had the writing not been so clearly on the wall.
In any case, I am relieved that the Vulcan agenda is not going to be left as a dangling thread (perhaps to share the sonic shower with Future Guy), but is actually being resolved. The previous 3-parter gave us an action thriller. This one appears to be more of a callback to 1970's paranoid conspiracy thrillers, which should make for a welcome change of pace if that tone can be successfully held for all three episodes.
The various plot strands, involving Soval, the High Command, the bombing, and the Syrranites, are established efficiently, with each thread given enough time to register properly and none given so much time as to begin feeling drawn out. The multiple threads also help to give most of the cast members something to do. Archer and T'Pol carry the main plot, with Trip and Phlox getting a strong "B" storyline. Reed and Mayweather get a good scene discovering the second bomb. Hoshi is mostly shut out (again), but does get an amusing beat in the scene with the basketball game - itself a nice moment, in that we see the entire command crew relaxing and having a good time together, for a change.
Ultimately, the strength of this arc will depend on the next two episodes. But The Forge gets it off to an excellent start. The Forge itself is an effective setting, with just enough CGI enhancement to make it feel like part of a deadly alien desert, while the regulars - particularly Bakula and Blalock - do some of their very best work.
On its own, The Forge is one of Enterprise's very best episodes. If the overall quality of this installment can be maintained, then this arc will certainly be a series highlight.
Rating: 10/10.
Previous Episode: The Augments
Next Episode: Awakening
Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise
Review Index
The only thing I would have wished for would have been a bit more of a explaination regarding the differences between the various Vulcan dissidents. In 1-17 there were the Vulcans with emotions (also claiming to be following the path of Syrak). Now we got the Syrannites. And of course theres the Romulans.
ReplyDeleteBut the only thing we saw of them so far was their minefield.
Having T'Pol or Soval explain the differences to Archer (and us ;-) ) would have been nice.
Other than that, good arc so far. Looks like there are more than just a few Vulcans disagreeing with the High Command.