THE PLOT
As Phlox continues his work on the Klingon plague, he and Dr. Antoch (John Schuck) discover a way to stop the disease in its first stage. The Klingons will still undergo physical changes, but they will not be augmented, nor will they become sick and die. But with Klingon warships on their way to sterilize the planet, the only way Phlox can identify the cure in time is to infect four patients - only one of whom will live!
Meanwhile, Enterprise continues its search for Phlox, now with its sister ship, Columbia in tow. Archer investigates Reed's recent transmissions, and uncovers a link to Harris (Eric Pierpoint), the tactical officer's former superior. He confronts Reed with what he now knows, and gives him a choice: Where do his loyalties lie?
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: Though he remains bitterly disappointed at Reed's betrayal, he also knows that he needs his expertise. He does not allow his feelings to get in the way of allowing Reed to get Trip on board to save the ship. After this, he offers Reed a chance to redeem himself by telling Archer what he knows, but only after discovering enough on his own that Reed will be able to do so with some level of integrity.
Reed: This 2-parter has definitely allowed Dominic Keating an opportunity to shine. Playing a tormented Reed, torn between his loyalty to his old section and his more recent and genuine loyalty to Archer, he has spent these two episodes in a state of desperation. When he finally is pushed to make a choice, he feels genuine relief at no longer having to fight himself. The final scene of the episode also seems to be the show's last word about where Reed's loyalties lie - though I suspect, had the series gone on for another season, that issues related to his old section would have come up again.
Dr. Phlox: "I lied." I love John Billingsley's inflection of this simple line. It's hardly an original retort, but he delivers it so well, with just the right mix of humor and venom. Billingsley gets another strong episode, particularly as Phlox comes ever closer to finding the cure. His compassionate interactions with both Dr. Antoch and the Klingon victims of the plague make an effective counterpoint to his more intense dealings with K'Vaugh (James Avery), the Klingon general. Phlox's insistence on staying to finish providing a cure for his "several million patients," even when Archer arrives and he could get away safely, says volumes about the character's core decency.
Klingons: In Judgment, we learned that Klingon society had undergone a decline. All castes are subsidiary to the warrior caste now, we are told, but it had not always been that way. Here, we see another relic of a better Klingon society, in the form of Dr. Antoch. Antoch chose a life as a healer over that of a warrior, and was disowned for making such a "dishonorable" decision. He is as pragmatic as the other Klingons, finding a way to get Phlox to cooperate by withholding certain information from his own superior. K'Vaugh also receives some added dimension to his character, his interactions with the infected soldiers showing him to be more than the snarling one-note baddie seen in the previous episode.
THOUGHTS
Divergence begins in exciting fashion, with Reed guiding Trip from Columbia to Enterprise at Warp 5, with a shared warp field that is steadily deteriorating. The basic dilemma, that Enterprise will blow up if it goes slower than Warp 5, is stolen wholesale from Speed, with the Klingons standing in for Dennis Hopper. But it's still a genuinely exciting set piece, and kicks the episode off in fine form.
The rest of the show is also good, even if it never builds up the same intensity as that opening set piece. Reed's dilemma remains interesting, and the Reed/Archer interaction is one of the episode's highlights. Reed's former section, justified by "a few lines in Section 31" of the Starfleet charter, points to something a bit less utopian and a bit more sinister in the Trek world, and I wouldn't have minded seeing more developed regarding these covert operations. Ah, well. I'm sure there's a book or some fanfics somewhere.
It's all very tightly-paced and produced to the series' usual high standards. I wouldn't rank this as one of the series' greats, by any means, but it was a good, solid 2-parter, with much to enjoy.
Rating: 7/10.
Overall Rating for the Klingon Augments Arc: 7/10
Previous Episode: Affliction
Next Episode: Bound
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