THE
PLOT
Enterprise plays host to Emory Erickson (Bill Cobbs), the inventor of the transporter. Erickson and his daughter Danica (Leslie Silva) have been granted clearance to adapt Enterprise's systems for a long-range transporter test, one which has the potential to make spaceflight obsolete.
But there's more to the test than Emory is telling. When the Enterprise reaches the region of space known as "The Barrens," it becomes subject to bizarre spatial anomalies. Soon, one crewman is dead - and Archer is stunned to learn that Emory knew all about the anomalies and was, in fact, counting on them!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: Scott Bakula's performance dips substantially in a scene in which Archer becomes unnecessarily angry, dismissing T'Pol's and Trip's objections to his chosen course and all but shouting them down. This feels like a return to the Archer of early Season One, and the actor seems uncomfortable with the writing. He is much better opposite Leslie Silva. Their relationship as childhood friends is well conveyed, with an easy screen rapport between the two actors. Nevertheless, this remains Bakula's weakest episode since A Night in Sickbay, and I suspect that's more the fault of the writers than of the actor.
T'Pol: Is struggling with the adjustment to her world-view in the wake of the preceding 3-parter. She spends most of her spare time alone, studying the Kir'Shara. This seems likely to be the final strain breaking her not-quite-relationship with Trip, as she declares that her focus on learning what it is to be Vulcan simply does not leave time for anything else.
Trip: Tries to be a good friend to T'Pol. He offers to listen if she wants to talk about her mother's death or her other recent issues, then withdraws when it becomes clear that she does not wish to talk. When T'Pol asks him to acknowledge that he at least understands her priorities, he gives her that much, if not entirely happily. In terms of the episode, he goes from hero-worship of Emory to being outraged at Emory's actions when he realizes that his idol has lied and put the ship in danger. Connor Trinneer is very good in all of the above scenes, and his performance is one of the few bright spots of this episode.
Guest Star of the Week: Bill Cobbs is a veteran character actor who has made a specialty of investing roles with authenticity and humanity. Which makes it all the more disappointing that his performance as Emory is so weak. It doesn't help that the script attempts to characterize him by having him literally recite his own backstory. That backstory is awfully familiar, too - almost as if a much earlier Trek show had a guest character with roughly the same dilemma. All right, Emory isn't insane like Daystrom was - but the episode might be better if he were, if only to infuse this script with some interest or at least "fun ham."
Hot Space Babe of the Week: Danica Erickson (Leslie Silva)'s characterization is fairly thin, basically existing to act as a sounding board for Emory. Fortunately, Silva gives a very appealing performance. She manages to hit just the right note of earnestness in her scenes with both Bill Cobbs and Scott Bakula, making Danica sincere without making her annoying. After seeing this episode, I never want to see Emory again. I wouldn't mind a return appearance by Danica, however, who - had the series survived longer, and had the writers chosen to bring her back in future seasons - could probably have been developed into a strong recurring character.
ZAP THE REDSHIRT!
Redshirt Count: One. Crewman Burrows (Noel Manzano) comes face-to-face with the anomaly. His face doesn't survive the experience.
THOUGHTS
Daedalus is the episode Manny Coto cited as the fourth season's worst. And who am I to argue with the show's own executive producer? Daedalus is largely deadly dull, with a script made up almost entirely of used parts. With a plot steered more by cliche and contrivance than by concept or character, this is the exact type of episode Enterprise bashers are thinking of when they denigrate the show.
This is clearly the season cheapie. Two guest actors, only one of them with any substantial name value. Standing sets only. Minimal special effects of a type the show can easily realize. After the near-cinematic epic of the Vulcan 3-parter, an episode like this was probably needed to keep the series on budget. But just because an episode uses only standing sets, it doesn't mean it has to be bad. Some of TOS' best shows were entirely ship-bound, a few of them almost entirely bridge-bound. But those episodes had sharp, imaginative scripts that turned limitations into virtues - as opposed to the talky, cliche-ridden mess here.
In the end, my thoughts on Daedalus can be summed up in two words: Bad television. This episode is bad television, of a type I had believed Enterprise left behind a long time ago.
Rating: 1/10.
Enterprise plays host to Emory Erickson (Bill Cobbs), the inventor of the transporter. Erickson and his daughter Danica (Leslie Silva) have been granted clearance to adapt Enterprise's systems for a long-range transporter test, one which has the potential to make spaceflight obsolete.
But there's more to the test than Emory is telling. When the Enterprise reaches the region of space known as "The Barrens," it becomes subject to bizarre spatial anomalies. Soon, one crewman is dead - and Archer is stunned to learn that Emory knew all about the anomalies and was, in fact, counting on them!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: Scott Bakula's performance dips substantially in a scene in which Archer becomes unnecessarily angry, dismissing T'Pol's and Trip's objections to his chosen course and all but shouting them down. This feels like a return to the Archer of early Season One, and the actor seems uncomfortable with the writing. He is much better opposite Leslie Silva. Their relationship as childhood friends is well conveyed, with an easy screen rapport between the two actors. Nevertheless, this remains Bakula's weakest episode since A Night in Sickbay, and I suspect that's more the fault of the writers than of the actor.
T'Pol: Is struggling with the adjustment to her world-view in the wake of the preceding 3-parter. She spends most of her spare time alone, studying the Kir'Shara. This seems likely to be the final strain breaking her not-quite-relationship with Trip, as she declares that her focus on learning what it is to be Vulcan simply does not leave time for anything else.
Trip: Tries to be a good friend to T'Pol. He offers to listen if she wants to talk about her mother's death or her other recent issues, then withdraws when it becomes clear that she does not wish to talk. When T'Pol asks him to acknowledge that he at least understands her priorities, he gives her that much, if not entirely happily. In terms of the episode, he goes from hero-worship of Emory to being outraged at Emory's actions when he realizes that his idol has lied and put the ship in danger. Connor Trinneer is very good in all of the above scenes, and his performance is one of the few bright spots of this episode.
Guest Star of the Week: Bill Cobbs is a veteran character actor who has made a specialty of investing roles with authenticity and humanity. Which makes it all the more disappointing that his performance as Emory is so weak. It doesn't help that the script attempts to characterize him by having him literally recite his own backstory. That backstory is awfully familiar, too - almost as if a much earlier Trek show had a guest character with roughly the same dilemma. All right, Emory isn't insane like Daystrom was - but the episode might be better if he were, if only to infuse this script with some interest or at least "fun ham."
Hot Space Babe of the Week: Danica Erickson (Leslie Silva)'s characterization is fairly thin, basically existing to act as a sounding board for Emory. Fortunately, Silva gives a very appealing performance. She manages to hit just the right note of earnestness in her scenes with both Bill Cobbs and Scott Bakula, making Danica sincere without making her annoying. After seeing this episode, I never want to see Emory again. I wouldn't mind a return appearance by Danica, however, who - had the series survived longer, and had the writers chosen to bring her back in future seasons - could probably have been developed into a strong recurring character.
ZAP THE REDSHIRT!
Redshirt Count: One. Crewman Burrows (Noel Manzano) comes face-to-face with the anomaly. His face doesn't survive the experience.
THOUGHTS
Daedalus is the episode Manny Coto cited as the fourth season's worst. And who am I to argue with the show's own executive producer? Daedalus is largely deadly dull, with a script made up almost entirely of used parts. With a plot steered more by cliche and contrivance than by concept or character, this is the exact type of episode Enterprise bashers are thinking of when they denigrate the show.
This is clearly the season cheapie. Two guest actors, only one of them with any substantial name value. Standing sets only. Minimal special effects of a type the show can easily realize. After the near-cinematic epic of the Vulcan 3-parter, an episode like this was probably needed to keep the series on budget. But just because an episode uses only standing sets, it doesn't mean it has to be bad. Some of TOS' best shows were entirely ship-bound, a few of them almost entirely bridge-bound. But those episodes had sharp, imaginative scripts that turned limitations into virtues - as opposed to the talky, cliche-ridden mess here.
In the end, my thoughts on Daedalus can be summed up in two words: Bad television. This episode is bad television, of a type I had believed Enterprise left behind a long time ago.
Rating: 1/10.
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