2-8. The Communicator.

THE PLOT

Archer, Malcolm, and Hoshi return from a visit to a pre-Warp planet, feeling confident that their exploration was successful and interesting. All is well... until they inventory their equipment, and realize that the unthinkable has happened. Malcolm left his communicator on the planet's surface.

Scans lead them to a tavern they had visited. But instead of recovering the communicator, they arouse the suspicion of some local soldiers who are gearing up for a potential war. They are taken prisoner, making a bad situation worse as their captors obtain not only more communicators, but also a scanner and their phase pistols!

As Archer and Malcolm try to remain stoic, avoiding letting their captors know exactly who they are or where they come from, Trip and T'Pol prepare a rescue mission in a most unlikely vessel...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Has absorbed T'Pol's lectures on "cultural contamination" to the point that he is right on the cusp of the Prime Directive. He acknowledges that he could probably get himself and Malcolm out of their predicament by simply telling the truth, and he even considers doing so. In the end, though, he realizes that this culture is not ready for contact with aliens - or the technological leaps that would stem from that - and is willing to remain silent, even when doing so may mean the deaths of both himself and Malcolm. I'm not sure that early Season One Archer would have done the same, which indicates a certain degree of character growth.

Reed: We see his reaction to having made such a disastrous error. First, he goes into denial, desperately searching the decontamination chamber. When it becomes apparent that it is on the planet, he switches to martyr mode, stating that he is ready for any punishment Archer chooses to assign. When captured by General Gosis, Reed plays along with Archer's bluff, coming up with an excuse for their physiological differences that plays right into the military's paranoia about their enemies. For all that, faced with the reality of execution, his mounting fear is highly visible even as he attempts to disguise it. An excellent performance by Dominick Keating throughout.

Trip: Has apparently been tinkering with the Suliban cell ship on and off for a long time, trying to figure out its various systems. Conveniently, he now comprehends almost all of the systems on the ship. With Archer and Malcolm held captive, and facing the need to avoid any further cultural contamination, Trip works overtime to figure out the final, key system - the cloaking device. This subplot would have worked a lot better if we had seen Trip occasionally working on the cell ship in previous episodes. As it stands, it comes across as a little too convenient - something that could have easily been avoided, simply by inserting a couple of scenes into previous episode.  The likes of Marauders and A Night in Sickbay surely had room for a quick "Trip works on Suliban ship" scene, to pave the way for its importance here.


THOUGHTS

I've been waiting for this episode pretty much since the series' pilot: The episode in which Archer's Crew Screws Up. I had been hoping that the inevitable "screw up" would be precipitated by Archer's headstrong nature, but this works too. A minor little accident - losing a tiny piece of technology. The sort of thing that could happen to anybody. But in a pre-Warp civilization, one that's on the brink of war at that, such a tiny little accident is all that's needed to sow the seeds of disaster.

I would have liked it better if the Enterprise crew had not been so easily able to retrieve all the lost equipment. Honestly, it challenged my suspension of disbelief that the captured equipment would remain housed with the prisoners. Surely any reasonable military would send it to a more secure, research-based facility, rather than keep it in a prison. The episode wins points back for the ending scene between Archer and T'Pol, though.  It's a thoughtful and well-acted scene, as both characters acknowledge that even with the recovery, their intervention likely did considerable damage, almost certainly tipping the scales of the brewing war by making the military even more paranoid about the capabilities of "The Alliance."

The episode moves at a good, fast pace, and there actually is a fair sense of jeopardy for Archer and Malcolm. Even though we know that both will survive, the episode does its job in making the viewer feel that they are actually in danger - an area in which too many Enterprise episodes have failed. Therefore, despite a few too-convenient plot issues, I'll still give this episode a solid...


Rating: 7/10.

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1-13. Dear Doctor

THE PLOT

The Enterprise discovers a ship from a pre-warp civilization drifting in space. Taking the two ill crew members aboard, they quickly learn that these aliens from a civilization that is suffering from a mass epidemic that is now affecting a full third of the population. Archer offers his resources, along with the ingenuity of Dr. Phlox, to try to find a cure.

On the planet, however, their task is complicated by the discovery of a second group of humanoids, one not affected by the disease. The dominant species keeps this second group in servitude, protecting them but also controlling where and how they live. When Dr. Phox discovers that the disease is actually a genetic deterioration, and that the second species appears to have been selected by evolution to become the dominant species - as occurred with Neanderthals vs. homo sapiens on Earth - he finds himself faced with a difficult dilemma.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Amazingly, the caution and self-doubts Archer finally learned in the previous episode appear not to have been wiped away this time. Archer doesn't simply implusively offer help the instant he hears of the aliens' plight. He actually pauses to consult with T'Pol before making his offer. He consults with T'Pol again when the aliens request warp technology, and thoughtfully acknowledges that as much as he would like to help them, "they aren't ready." His compassion, as Phlox observes, does continue to override his judgment at times, but Archer is learning from experience. It's good to see genuine character progression. The episode also offers Scott Bakula's best performance yet, as Archer's weariness at the burden he has assumed here mounts steadily.

T'Pol: The relationship between T'Pol and Archer has progressed considerably since the pilot. T'Pol is quite supportive of Archer in this episode. She gives her opinions, but doesn't do so in a strident or confrontational manner, and even seems compassionate as she observes Archer wrestling with the dilemma. I do wonder if this point was reached too quickly, perhaps, but it is good to see this more mature interaction between the two characters just the same.

Dr. Phlox: Also finally - a character spotlight episode of Enterprise that doesn't simply repeat what we already know about the character. I commented, in my review of the pilot, that there was something a bit creepy in Phlox, and that I hoped his genuinely alien perspective would be elaborated upon. This finally happens here. Dr. Phlox is friendly and outgoing, but he is not as enthusiastically compassionate as the human crewmembers. In some ways, he actually seems less emotional than T'Pol, filtering his interactions through science at every turn.

I also enjoyed the budding friendship/romance between Phlox and Cutler (Kellie Waymire, becoming the first recurring guest crew member). They are, indeed, a "cute couple," and I wouldn't mind seeing this subplot developed further. Sadly, consulting IMDB reveals that Waymire died not long after this show's first season was produced - startling, given her youth and on-screen energy. I actually wish I hadn't IMDB'd her now, as that will cast a bit of a funereal pall over any of her future appearances.


THOUGHTS

Now this was an episode of Enterprise! From actually utilizing Dr. Phlox's non-human status, to Archer having to wrestle with his conscience vs. his reason because of the lack of any guidelines over his actions, to the doctor actively considering withholding information from Archer... This is the show that Enterprise's best moments have provided postcard glimpses of from the beginning.

This story, as presented, simply could not be an episode of any other Star Trek show, and yet the universe itself remains recognizably Trek. Here's hoping this points to the sort of episode I can expect in the future, and that it's not simply a one-off.

There is food for thought and debate here. Archer's argument with Dr. Phlox near the end particularly sees both characters having good points. As a doctor, Phlox is devoted to preserving life. However, as a scientist, he knows that if he cures the one species, then the other will suffer. There is no easy answer, and many viewers may be as apt to think that Phlox is wrong in his stance here as believe that he is right. That said, I do wish the original ending - in which Phlox made his decision and never disclosed it to Archer - should have been retained (Archer's final determination seemed vaguely out of character, given his portrayal in episodes prior to this one).

The same can be said of the relationship between the two species. Hoshi and Cutler are disturbed by the subordinate species being treated "almost as pets" by the more advanced race. Dr. Phlox has a far more dispassionate view, noting that the two races have found a means of co-existence that appears to work for them both, and that is certainly preferable to one species driving the other to extinction. Again, while I won't say that both sides are equally balanced, there is food for argument as to who is right and who is wrong.

In any case, this is by far the best Enterprise episode yet.


Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Silent Enemy
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1-9. Civilization

THE PLOT

Enterprise locates an inhabited, Earth-like planet with a medieval culture. Despite T'Pol's warnings about cultural contamination, Archer insists on a small landing party, dressed like natives so as to blend in. However, when the ship's sensors detect emissions that can only be caused by advanced technology... technology that the planet's culture does not appear to reflect.

Archer beams down with Trip, T'Pol, and Hoshi. They quickly identify the source of the emissions - an antique shop, whose owner is actually an alien running an antimatter reactor. The shop owner readily admits to the existence of the reactor, but insists that it is harmless. The local apothecary, however, has other views, blaming the shop owner and his mysterious "midnight deliveries" for a sickness that has started claiming lives, including the life of her brother.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: As the episode opened, with Archer once again blithely ignoring T'Pol (for the Enterprise drinking game: T'Pol says something sensible and Archer ignores her... *drink*), I had hopes that this episode would see Archer and his good intentions creating a major calamity. The number of times we've seen Archer's headstrong, impulsive nature is begging for an episode in which he makes a mammoth misjudgement. I would go so far as to say that my opinion of this series will plummet if we don't get that episode eventually.

I say "eventually," because sadly, this is not that episode. Impulsive, headstrong, and ready to impose his morals on others at the drop of a hat, Archer is also... proved right at every significant turn. Fortunately, Scott Bakula does get a chance to show his skills with low-key humor in his Kirk-like romance with the local apothecary, and also does a fair job with the action heroics. Archer is still likable despite himself - which, at this point, I'm putting down at least as much to the actor as to the role.

T'Pol: Voices concerns about "cultural contamination" that will be echoed by the Prime Directive by the time of TOS. Continues to show disapproval at Archer's impulsiveness. Particularly disapproves of Archer's closeness with Riann (Diane DiLascio), the pretty apothecary. At this point, I am starting to wonder why T'Pol didn't grab at the chance to leave Enterprise in the previous episode. More than half the episodes see her talking sense, and either being ignored or having to argue far too heavily for the rest of the crew to pay her any mind. If I were in her shoes, I would frankly have quit by now and gone home to confirm that humans are indeed impulsive, arrogant, and stubborn.

Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Archer gets his Kirk on with Riann, the pretty and brilliant apothecary. Diane DiLascio is highly appealing as Riann, and plays well opposite Bakula. This is fortunate, since the role as written could easily be insufferable. We get scenes in which Dr. Phlox takes care to point out Riann's brilliance and how far ahead of her civilization her work is. She even gets to save Archer at the climax. If this were a fanfic, she'd be a clear "Mary Sue."

Villain of the Week: Is it really much of a spoiler to reveal that Garos (Wade Andrew Williams), the shop owner, actually is evil? I mean, it's not like either the actor or the very predictable story structure are exactly going to great pains to hide it. Garos is a typical Trek villain. He's smug, arrogant, and dismissive of all lives that aren't his own. If this were a TOS episode, Kirk would have to be kept ill or unconscious for half the episode's length to avoid simply slapping Garos into submission in the first 15 minutes. As such, it's near-impossible to feel any remote interest in him as a character.

THOUGHTS

Well, if Terra Nova was a Next Generation episode in all but name, then Civilization is a TOS episode, with Archer very clearly cast in the Kirk role. I quite like TOS, so I enjoyed this episode considerably more than I did Terra Nova. As with that episode, though, I find myself wishing Enterprise would stick to telling stories that are specific to itself. The Andorian Incident and Breaking the Ice show that the writers can do this. So my wish is for an end to knock-offs of other Trek shows' formulas, and more episodes that exploit this show's particular format and potential.

Quibbles about the now-quite-tiresome "Archer-ignores-T'Pol's-advice" plot device and lack of originality aside, this is entertaining enough. Bakula seems to be having fun playing a standard hero role, and the pace moves along at a nice clip. There's a refreshing undercurrent of humor, which seems to indicate that the writers knew they were doing a knockoff and were signalling the audience not to take it too seriously. Still, if the writers could keep the pace fast, keep the tone engaging, and even wink at the audience that they knew this wasn't one to take seriously, then surely those same writers had enough ability to put out a more substantial piece of television than this?

Joss Whedon, in the Firefly DVD's, noted that their show being in trouble brought out the best in Firefly's creative team. They asked themselves, with each episode, "What story needs to be told in this universe?" If only the Enterprise staff had asked themselves the same question a bit more often during their first season, and avoided featherweight filler episodes like Terra Nova and this, then the show might well have met with a stronger overall reception.


Rating: 5/10. Entertaining enough, but ordinary. And honestly a bit frustrating in its predicability.

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