4-14. The Aenar.

THE PLOT

With the Tellarites and Andorians having made an alliance for the first time in history, the Romulan mission to destabilize their region of space has backfired badly. But the Romulans have a last push to salvage the situation. A second drone ship is ready. As soon as the first drone is repaired and the pilot is recovered, both ships will launch with a mission to destroy Enterprise!

Meanwhile, T'Pol has traced the drone's brainwave patterns. The closest known match is Andorian, but Shran corrects that statement. The brainwave is actually that of an Aenar, an Andorian subspecies that lives in the coldest part of the planet. Archer and Shran beam down to make contact with the reclusive Aenar, to try to identify the drone pilot. They find Jhamel (Alexandra Lydon), the sister of the Aenar who was abducted by the Romulans. She wants to go with them to help her brother. But the Aenar elders oppose this plan, and are willing to use their telepathic abilities to keep Archer and Shran from finding the way out to return to Enterprise!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: A bit less in the foreground in this episode than has been the case, though he and Jeffrey Combs continue to show how well they play opposite each other. Beyond that, Archer is in "captain" mode for the entire episode, with other characters being allowed the spotlight for a change.

T'Pol: Though it's clearly conveyed to the viewers that she still has feelings for Trip, she is determined not to show it. Working closely with Trip on the telepathy chair, she focuses with absolute intensity on the work. She insists on performing multiple experiments to see if the chair works, even when it becomes clear that it isn't safe.

Trip: After the battle with the drones, he discovers that there was a very minor problem with the chair he constructed. He worries that his feelings for T'Pol are distracting him from his work.  This leads to a genuinely very good scene with Archer, which ends the episode on a cliffhanger of a different sort - an emotional one, which leaves us wondering what will happen with Trip now.

Shran: Though he doesn't get anything as intense as the "blood" scene in United, Jeffrey Combs continues to impress. I like the way he plays Shran's loss of balance. Both before and after the accident scene, Combs remembers that he is off-balance and walks just a bit off-kilter, as though constantly dizzy. He is harsh in his dealings with the Aenar, but surprisingly compassionate in his one-on-one conversation with Jhamel. As the episode goes along, seeds are planted for a potential romance with the Aenar girl, one which we probably would have seen blossom had the series survived.

Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Alexandra Lydon is Jhamel, the Aenar who agrees to go with Archer and Shran to try to help her brother. She seems to know early on that the most she can really do is help to stop him from causing further destruction. She works as a character for two reasons: First, because she is rebelling against her culture, eager to see something beyond the Aenar city. Second, because Lydon is very appealing, and the bond she forms with Shran is convincing even with limited screen time to develop it. Though the Aenar themselves are not particularly interesting, Jhamel, is a character who would have been well worth a return visit.

Romulans: Valdore (Brian Thompson) reflects that all Romulans are soldiers, "from the moment (they) are born." He recalls when he was a senator, how he made the mistake of questioning whether conquest was truly in the best long-term interests of the Empire, and how he was expelled for daring to question. He does not tell that story to evoke sympathy, but as an object lesson: If you're a Romulan, you're a soldier. Forget that at your peril. Refreshingly, this look at the character's more thoughtful side does not result in him abruptly renouncing warfare or anything. He is just as ruthless at the end as he was at the beginning. What the scene does accomplish is to make Valdore into something more than just a 2-dimensional baddie, so that we feel for him when he faces the inevitable price of failure at the end.

THOUGHTS

The conclusion to the "Alliance" arc, The Aenar isn't nearly as good as the two preceding installments. It feels as if there was maybe another episode in here. Perhaps, given that the initial drone plot was resolved last episode, this should have been broken up into two 2-parters, with one or two standalone episodes separating them?

I'd readily trade the likes of Daedalus for more screen time to flesh out the Aenar as a culture. Let Archer and Shran's visit to the Aenar city be a full episode. Have a second episode devoted to the confrontation with the drones. In that way, both plot strands could be effectively explored. As it stands, both end up feeling rushed, with easy resolutions to the problems. The Aenar don't want Jhamel leaving the city? Simple: Jhamel tells them she wants to go, and they say, "Oh, okay then." Trip's jerry-rigged chair could cause brain damage? Simple: Jhamel says, "I want to try again," and everything's fine. The drones are too powerful for Enterprise? Simple... Well, I'll leave off spoiling the end, save to say that it's basically predictable.

There is still a lot to enjoy in The Aenar. It's never dull and it never feels like a throwaway - which immediately puts it ahead of most of Season Two. Mike Vejar's direction is as confident as ever, and the series continues to excel at using CGI to establish genuinely beautiful-looking alien environments. The underground city of the Aenar is downright gorgeous, and would not be visually out of place in a feature film. Finally, it is nice to have an episode in which the emotional center is not Archer, but instead Shran.

It's vaguely unsatisfying, though, and I put that down to the rushed pace and the overall predictability. It's barely a conclusion to the arc, most of which seemed to be concluded at the end of United. It's also not a terribly satisfying episode on its own. There's no sense of jeopardy, and the stakes feel much smaller. It's adequate entertainment, but it could have been and should have been so much better.

Rating: 6/10.

Overall Rating for the "Alliance" arc: 8/10.

Previous Episode: United
Next Episode: Affliction

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4-12. Babel One.

THE PLOT

Enterprise is carrying the Tellarite ambassador to a peace conference on Babel One, where it is hoped that tensions between the Tellarites and the Andorians can be cooled before they escalate into a shooting war. Not long after entering Andorian space, the ship receives a distress call from a familiar source. Shran (Jeffrey Combs)'s ship was attacked by Tellarites, with only 19 of his crew escaping in lifepods.

While taking Shran's wounded crew back to Andoria, the Enterprise is also attacked - by an Andorian ship, whose power signature exactly matches the Tellarite ship that attacked Shran. After fighting off the attacker, Archer decides to pursue to find out how this is possible. But the Tellarites increasingly fear that Archer is siding with his old friend against them, while the Andorians are equally unhappy that he is even considering the Tellarites' claims of innocence.  All of which may just leave the captain with an active time bomb inside his own ship!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: The preferred Tellarite interaction is arguing, something Archer clearly enjoys, perhaps a little bit too much.  Once Shran is aboard and the situation becomes complicated with the multiple attacks, apparently from both sides, Archer becomes more thoughtful. In a near-direct reversal of his early Season One persona, he actually wonders aloud to T'Pol if maybe humans are moving too quickly.  He worries that they may lack the experience to play a major role in interstellar diplomacy. It is left to T'Pol to remind him that, given their history with Andoria, the Vulcans are simply not suitable - that in this case, there really is no good alternative to Starfleet involvement.

Trip: His engineering knowledge pays dividends in keeping himself and Reed alive when they are stranded on the alien ship. His general knowledge of how ships work allows him to guide both of them to the bridge, on the simple reasoning that the power conduits will surely end up leading to the bridge. He also recognizes how to use the ship's fuel to resupply the oxygen for their EVA suits.

Hoshi: She's mostly in the background, as usual, but she does get one really good scene in which she gives Archer a quick primer on Tellarite culture. She seems to enjoy giving Archer a "practice argument," probably working out some of her own frustrations in the process.

Shran: The loss of his ship is a blow to his pride, and the loss of so many of his crew is an even harsher blow. Jeffrey Combs does a good job of showing a Shran who is constantly at the brink of violence. From the moment he learns that the Tellarites are on board, he is hissing to Archer to keep them apart, "or there will be bloodshed." His hatred of the Tellarites is as great as his hatred of the Vulcans once was - greater, given the deaths of his crew - and any evidence that the Tellarites may not be responsible bouncess of a high brick wall of pure denial.

THOUGHTS

Babel One is another episode that acts as a prelude to the original series.  Clear groundwork is laid for the founding of the Federation, and much of the script deals with what such an alliance would mean for some of the more aggressive Trek races. The Vulcans and the Andorians have been in the midst of what is essentially a Cold War (with occasional eruptions into a shooting war) for a very long time. The Tellarites and the Andorians are in the same situation. The Vulcans and the humans are allies, but there is plenty of shared resentment between them. This is actually an advantage for certain other races, who don't have to worry about these species combining their strength.

Which brings us to the situation of this episode. In the wake of the unveiling of the Kir'Shara, Vulcan society has begun to shred its more aggressive elements. This has led to a general improvement in relations between Vulcan and Earth, and also between Vulcan and Andoria. Now the Andorians and the Tellarites are beginning talks that might lead to a sustained peace. The conflicts among these races are ending. Now, if you're a race outside that circle, you have to be worried about what it will mean for you if those species all come together. It truly would be something to shift the balance of power.

But it's fragile, with all those old suspicions still there to exploit - which provides the basis for this story.  This could be highly talky stuff... but with Mike Sussman, the series' best action writer, as one of the writers of the opening installment, it turns out to be one of the most exciting and action-intensive episodes of the season. It starts off with the situation and the mystery. Once Enterprise is face-to-face with the enemy ship, the momentum increases exponentially.

The final shot provides a wonderful reveal, a twist ending I genuinely did not see coming. It's a very eye-catching pullback, as well, a reminder of how strong and well-used the CGI has been on this series, and how much it's improved from the early days (which themselves weren't bad at all).

Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Observer Effect
Next Episode: United 

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3-13. Proving Ground.

THE PLOT

As the Xindi prepare to test the prototype of their new weapon, the Enterprise finally picks up the trail of the ship that Archer tagged. Following that signal means flying right through a series of anomalies, however, and it isn't long before the ship finds itself suffering damage.

That's when help arrives from a most unexpected source: Shran (Jeffrey Combs), the Andorian commander Archer has encountered several times before. With Shran's help, Enterprise's repairs go quickly enough for them to reach the site before the Xindi weapons test. That leaves Archer with an opportunity for an ambitious gambit: to steal the prototype!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Though wary about the sudden appearance of the Andorians, he is in a critical situation where he cannot refuse the offer of help. Plus, as he tells T'Pol, while he may not trust the Andorians he has developed a certain degree of trust with regard to Commander Shran.

T'Pol: After the revelations of Similitude, it seems that she may be trying to minimize contact with Trip - which is not unnoticed by the engineer. Her experience with Andorians has her urging Archer to be cautious about trusting them, but she backs up his decisions.

Reed: Security conscious to the point of paranoia, Reed is resistant to the idea of having the Andorians assist with repairs, fearing that they may steal the ship's secrets. He develops a strong bond with Lt. Talas (Molly Brink), Shran's tactical officer, and they have some highly entertaining scenes together. It's good to see him develop a brief friendship/flirtation with a "kindred spirit," without ever entirely letting down his guard.

Shran: The obligatory Shran episode of the season. Not that a Shran episode is ever a bad thing - His first appearance marked the series' first fully satisfying episode, and all of the episodes to feature him have been consistently watchable. A large part of that is the performance of Jeffrey Combs, who invests just the right touches of both brittleness and humor to make Shran interesting. His relationship with Archer is not quite a friendship, but it's built upon a lot of mutual respect, and watching their interactions is never anything but fun.

The Xindi: The various factions continue to quarrel, with the reptilian, insectoid, and acquatic Xindi seeming the most impatient about Degra's progress. That the weapons test - which all but bisects the moon on which it is tested - is deemed a failure shows just how seriously they take the "human threat." Archer credits the test's "failure" to interference from Gralik, showing the value of alliances Archer has already made.


THOUGHTS

After some episodes that were largely standalones, Proving Ground brings the Xindi arc back into focus. Archer and his people learn more about the weapon. Archer's successful theft of the prototype (at least as far as the Xindi are concerned) will probably also increase the Xindi fears about him, which may make them more active in their pursuit of Enterprise.

The Xindi prototype is very well portrayed by the CGI department. Its basic appearance and firing mechanism look very much the same as the final weapon, which we saw destroying Earth in an alternate timeline, but it's not quite identical. The fluid-like lighting is red, instead of the radioactive green, and it appears somewhat smaller. Also, portraying as a failure a weapon that would destroy Earth as a viable planet reinforces the threat the Xindi pose.  That said, one does start to wonder why they aren't simply attacking with what they have - Their technology already suffices to devastate Earth.  At this point, they seem to be holding off for the weapon to be "perfect" simply because the plot demands it of them.

In addition to furthering the Xindi arc, Proving Ground also continues the development of the Vulcan/Andorian story. To date, the series has tended to portray the Andorians more sympathetically than the Vulcans with regard to this conflict. Here, we see that the Andorians are just as capable of suspect actions as their pointy-eared foes. The Andorian High Command is willing to squander potential alliances for the sake of a tactical advantage over the Vulcans, with Shran's own objections to this dismissed and ignored. Shran flaunts the information he has gathered from the Andorians' monitoring of communications between Starfleet and Vulcan - the exact sort of surveillance that, when the Vulcans did it, led to the destruction of the Vulcan monastery at P'Jem. As T'Pol observes, though there may be movement toward some form of alliance with the Andorians, these are not people that Archer can trust.

It's another good episode, though in a season of mostly good episodes it isn't really a standout.  Still, with a strong pace, the always-reliable guest performance by Jeffrey Combs, and strong arc development, this is definitely solid entertainment.


Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: Chosen Realm

Next Episode: Strategem

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2-15. Cease Fire.

THE PLOT

The Vulcan/Andorian confict erupts into violence, as Andorian troops led by Shran (Jeffrey Combs) land on a planet that both they and the Vulcans have laid claim to. As the fighting intensifies, Shran agrees to negotiations with the Vulcans - but only if those negotiations are mediated by Capt. Archer.

Archer finds himself stepping into the middle of a war zone. Shran trusts him, at least to a point, but Shran's second-in-command believes he is just a Vulcan puppet. Meanwhile, the Vulcans, represented by Archer's old nemesis, Ambassador Soval (Gary Graham), still believe Archer is unreliable and seem to actively hope that his attempts with the Andorians fail.

When Archer's shuttle is shot down while bringing Ambassador Soval to meet with Shran, and Andorian reinforcements near the planet, everything seems poised to tip over into a full-scale interplanetary war!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Both Archer and Scott Bakula's performance seem to function at their peak level when Archer is in crisis mode. Archer's stubbornness comes in handy when he insists on continuing with the plan to meet Shran even after the shuttle is shot down. On the other hand, Archer continues to show blind spots. He truly doesn't expect trouble when bringing Soval to the planet's surface, something even Trip finds naive. Still, Archer continues to win Shran's trust, while at the same time earning a certain grudging respect from Soval - on this occasion, at least. I also appreciated that while Archer refuses to cede authority to Soval, he's no longer actively trying to antagonize him.

T'Pol: In her interactions with Soval, we learn exactly how much T'Pol is sacrificing by continuing to serve on Enterprise. She is effectively crippling her own career for the sake of the work she finds so rewarding. I do think this episode should have preceded Stigma, as it is clear that T'Pol still has the option of reclaiming her "fast track" career here - a career which is likely to be even further crippled in the wake of her Pa'Nar syndrome. This is not the first time that I have wished a few of the episodes in this series had been aired in a slightly different sequence.  I do wonder sometimes who was responsible for the airing order, when it seems clear that the series' weaknesses could have been reduced and its strengths better exploited by just a few, intermittent tweaks in the episode order.

Trip: Though mostly peripheral, Trip does get some strong scenes on the Enterprise bridge, interacting with the trigger-happy Vulcan and Andorian ship captains. He recognizes the gravity of this situation, and is willing to put the chance of peace ahead of the safety of the ship when the ship is in his hands.

Shran: In his third Enterprise appearance, Shran continues to be a very strong recurring character. The anger of his first appearance is still there, as is his hatred of the Vulcans.  Still, in an intriguing development, this soldier is gradually evolving into a diplomat. It's a dangerous situation for him, as he is at odds with both his own second-in-command and the Vulcans. Shran appears to be stepping into the role of a "moderate" in the extreme Andorian community, grudgingly meeting Soval halfway and even agreeing to further negotiations. I look forward to his next appearance, as all of the episodes featuring this character have been good ones.


THOUGHTS

The second season of Enterprise spent its first half largely avoiding the very interesting issues surrounding the more aggressive Vulcan society of the show. This was not to the series' advantage. It may have reduced the frustrations of certain Trek fans who have no room for a Vulcan who doesn't behave more or less like Spock, but it steered the show away from one of its most interesting running elements. It was a relief to see the darker side of Vulcan society return in last week's episode, and gratifying to see yet more follow-up on last season's Vulcan episodes here.

The Vulcan/Andorian conflict fueled the series' first truly strong episode, in The Andorian Incident, and was fleshed out in an intriguing fashion in Shadows of P'Jem. Far too much time was allowed to pass between that episode and this one, but we finally see the conflict raised again here.

The war zone is well depicted, particularly the physical sets which Archer, T'Pol, and Soval are forced to traverse. Ruined buildings, exposed beams... It's effective. Some of the establishing CGI isn't so convincing, but it's still eye-catching. At least there seems to be some genuine effort taken to do something atmospheric with the set design, while at the same time matching the CGI to that and pushing forward television CGI. Performances are strong across the board, with the relationships between Shran and Archer and Soval and Archer continuing to evolve.

I could have wished for less predictable plot development, particularly involving Shran's second-in-command. Still, this episode offers some pretty good action, a strong plot that builds on what went before, and even some good character pieces. There was a fair-sized stretch of Season Two in which this show seemed to lose its way.  With the last couple of episodes, it seems to have found itself again. Now I just hope it doesn't run back to the "safety" of generic TNG reject scripts again.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Stigma
Next Episode: Future Tense

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1-15. Shadows of P'Jem

THE PLOT

When the Andorian government takes action against the sanctuary on P'Jem, destroying the monastery, the Vulcans order T'Pol transferred back home, to take the blame for her part in the Andorian discovery of the listening post. Archer is told that a Vulcan ship will rendezvous with Enterprise in two days, after which he will no longer have a Vulcan science officer.

Archer decides to take T'Pol on one last mission, to make contact with an alien race who have advanced starship capabilities. However, his shuttle is intercepted by a ship belonging to rebels fighting against the government, claiming that this government is a corrupt, unrepresentative puppet of the Vulcans. Archer and T'Pol are taken hostage, with the rebels demanding weapons.

Now Reed and Tucker must launch a desperate rescue attempt. An attempt that may just be complicated by the arrival of a Vulcan starship...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Though unrepentent about his actions at P'Jem, he does regret the destruction of the sanctuary. He also has clearly come to value T'Pol, and reacts against the ordered transfer. From the outset, he urges T'Pol to fight against the effort to scapegoat her, Despite his distaste for the Vulcans, he does find it in himself to negotiate reasonably with the captain of the Vulcan ship.

T'Pol: Spends the first half of the episode, after receiving her transfer orders, going into a near-shutdown. She adopts a ultra-logical, ultra-unemotional facade... which demonstrates to both Archer and the viewers just how upset she is.

Trip: With Archer and T'Pol off the ship, Trip gets to take command. He works with Reed to try to plot out a rescue operation... though it's a rather rushed and reckless plan, saved from disaster only by very good luck.


THOUGHTS

Finally, some consequences from The Andorian Incident! I was starting to wonder whether those rather significant events would ever have ramifications for the crew. In my Breaking the Ice review, I noted the disapproval with which other Vulcans seemed to view T'Pol and her current assignment. Here, we see that expanded on.

The events of P'Jem have the Vulcans eager to make T'Pol a scapegoat. As Archer observes, since they can't punish him, they're going to take it out on her... and, of course, accept no culpability whatsoever for their own treaty violations. We also get more hints of a darker side to the Vulcan government at this point in their history, with them being accused (we never do find out exactly how justly) of setting up "puppet governments" - a government that, in this case, appears to be highly repressive against a large portion of its own population. At this point, I'm thinking that all of this material painting the Vulcans in an unflattering light has to be building to something, though I'm not sure exactly what.

Jeffrey Combs returns as Shran. This time, he's actually allowed to show some of his facility with humor, particularly when he complains about feeling indebted to Archer. One does wonder just how closely the Andorians might be tied to these rebels, however. We already have a Temporal Cold War in this series... Is there another Cold War going on, with Vulcans and Andorians backing repressive regimes and violent rebellions against those regimes? There's the potential to explore some very interesting avenues here.

Character work and performances are generally strong throughout. All of the non-Mayweather regulars have settled into their roles nicely, and all of the non-Mayweather characters are shaping up to form an interesting and dynamic crew.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Sleeping Dogs
Next Episode: Shuttlepod One

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1-7. The Andorian Incident

THE PLOT

Archer decides to visit P'Jem, home to a Vulcan temple devoted the practice of Kolinahr, the ritual purging of emotion. Archer, T'Pol, and Trip take a shuttle down to the planet's surface. However, no sooner have they arrived, than they discover that the temple has been taken over by Andorians, whose paranoia has them convinced that the Vulcans are hiding a sensor array on the site. The Andorians have searched the temple multiple times before - always leaving within a day when they find nothing. The arrival of the Enterprise, however, has the Andorians convinced that there is something of value here. As one Vulcan monk sourly tells Archer, "Your arrival has endangered us all."

Now Archer, Trip, and T'Pol must figure out a way to contact Enterprise and defuse the situation, before the Andorian leader, Commander Shran (Jeffrey Combs), decides to start killing the monks, one by one!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Despite his deep-seated distrust of Vulcans, he still feels outrage that the monks let the Andorians regularly trash their monastery with no real protest. He acknowledges the desirability of a peaceful solution to their dilemma. However, when it becomes clear that Shran's paranoia is becoming violent, he pragmatically accepts the reality that a peaceful solution probably isn't going to happen, and helps coordinate a rescue. Scott Bakula has a strong episode, and is particularly effective at conveying anger.

T'Pol: She is still clearly uncomfortable with her assignment on a human ship, and far from thrilled at the prospect of introducing other Vulcans to her human crew. However, she is quick to notice that things are amiss at the temple, and trusts Archer and Trip sufficiently to allow them to intervene. Despite her discomfort with Archer, she affirms her loyalty to him, which she proves with her actions at the episode's end. She finds human body odor offensive, and uses a numbing agent to control her sensitivity to the smell in order to make her assignment on Enterprise tolerable. Jolene Blalock, while still far from my favorite performer, shows tremendous improvement from the first couple of episodes here, and is quite adequate. If her improvement continues, I may rethink my regret at her casting.

Reed: Despite less screen time than Trip, his character actually ends up having a stronger episode. When the Away Team is out of contact for a bit too long, he makes several on-target observations about safety precautions that should be standard protocol. He's right about every one of them. When the Andorians attempt to intimidate Reed, he snaps that he doesn't follow orders from a voice on a communicator, "unless that voice is the captain's." And of course, Reed finally gets to do his favorite thing here: He gets to blow stuff up and shoot at people! All told, a pretty good day for the ship's tactical officer.

Villain of the Week: Jeffrey Combs is typically strong as Commander Shran. He doesn't get much chance to show his ability with humor here, but he plays Shran's paranoia and outrage to the hilt. One senses immediately the capacity for violence in this character, which reinforces the sense of an incident spinning out of control. His henchmen are also a fairly scary lot, particularly the one who spends most of his time leering at T'Pol, making thinly-veiled rape threats almost from the outset.


THOUGHTS

Finally, a genuinely good episode! Not a promising one, not one that entertains despite missed opportunities, not one that offers hope for the future... but a truly good, well-written, nicely-structured piece! After Terra Nova (and, to a lesser extent, Unexpected), the series desperately needed to deliver something to re-establish my waning interest. This did the job quite nicely.

All the regulars are on good form. Admittedly, Mayweather and Hoshi still get nothing to do, but I suppose one can't ask for miracles. Bakula, Blalock, and Dominic Keating (Reed) all give their strongest performances to date. The situation feels genuinely dangerous, a sense that is heightened when Archer receives two separate, and rather severe, beatings from the Andorians.

The ending is particularly strong. I will avoid spoilers, save to note that I will be severely disappointed if there is no follow-up to Archer's actions in future episodes.


Rating: 8/10. By far the best episode of Enterprise to date.

Previous Episode: Terra Nova
Next Episode: Breaking the Ice

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