4-21. Terra Prime.

THE PLOT

Paxton (Peter Weller) has gained control of an array on Mars, used to divert comets, and has turned it into a weapon. He has issued a public ultimatum: All non-humans must leave the solar system, or he will begin targetting non-human strongholds, starting with Starfleet Command. 

Enterprise has been given orders to destroy the array. But Archer has an alternative plan. He is going to use an approaching comet to camouflage the ship, then send a small team down to the surface to free Trip, T'Pol, and the baby, and to defeat Terra Prime. But Archer hasn't planned for one contigency - a spy aboard his ship!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Gets to make another really bad speech. I'm not sure whether Scott Bakula is bad at delivering speeches, or whether his stiff delivery of Archer's speeches throughout the series is meant to be a character trait. Either way, "Archer makes a speech" has been reason to cringe from pretty much the very beginning. Much better is his confrontation with Paxton, in which he refuses to rise to the bait when the terrorist uses his father to try to put him off-guard. Archer is much less easily provoked than in the beginning, and remains focused in the face of jibes that would have set the Archer of Broken Bow into an uncontrolled fury.

T'Pol: When she sees the baby, her maternal instincts take over. She becomes fiercely protective, declaring that she will not allow Paxton to harm the child. When the baby's health begins failing, she attempts to use a scan she made of Paxton's DNA to coerce him into letting them go. The attempt fails, but it's a strong effort.

Trip: Connor Trinneer does some excellent acting at the end, bringing real emotion to a scene that could have come across stiffly if badly performed. Trip gets a good episode in general, cannily distracting his guard in what appears to be an attempt at sabotaging the array. His plan goes further than that. He knows Paxton will detect the sabotage, but his real agenda is to smuggle back to his cell a tool that helps him to break out. He meets up with Archer's team, on their way in, and provides valuable help in foiling Paxton's plan.

Reed: For the second time in this 2-parter, Reed makes contact with his former section chief, gaining information that helps Archer to resolve the situation and get Trip and T'Pol out alive. This would seem to put Reed back in the debt of his former employer - something which would probably have been used to interesting effect, if the series had gotten a fifth season.

Mayweather: He does not believe Gannet when she pleads her innocence to him, and insists that the real spy for Terra Prime is a crew member. He accuses her of trying to manipulate him, then heads straight off to pilot the mission. When the shuttlepod becomes the victim of sabotage, Mayweather switches to manual and successfully pilots the shuttle in, grinning at the challenge of flying the ship entirely on his own judgment, with no computer guidance. His joy at this moment is a nice payoff to his talk about the shuttlepod in the first part, a good bit of character writing for someone who usually doesn't get that kind of attention.

Hoshi: With Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Reed, Phlox, and Mayweather all off the ship, command ofEnterprise falls to Hoshi. Which, come to think of it, isn't a bad parallel with Mirror Hoshi's triumph in the last 2-parter. Her growing confidence allows her to trust both Archer and her instincts.  She resists pressure to fire on the array, allowing the landing party time to complete the mission. Fortunately, neither the writing nor Linda Park allow her to become Super!Hoshi! She is more confident than the young woman who "jumped at every engine noise," but her underlying fear remains visible even as she exercises her command.

Villain of the Week: The only really new wrinkle added to Paxton is a certain hypocrisy, both in his admiration of the unlamented Col. Green and in his xenophobia. It turns out that he would not have met Col. Green's standards of purity, because it is alien technology that is keeping him alive... a secret he carefully keeps from his followers. Beyond that, Paxton is a fairly shallow character, though he is again given credibility by Peter Weller's performance. 


THOUGHTS

The final "real" episode of Enterprise is a good one.  This episode is not only a strong conclusion to the Terra Prime arc, it is a very reasonable finale all-around. Writers Manny Coto, Judith Reeves-Stevens, and Garfield Reeves-Stevens were probably aware that this would be the series' last hurrah, and that Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were going to use the very last episode as a button on the franchise rather than as a proper close to this specific series.  Thus, they have crafted a script that gives every character a moment - something relatively unusual for Enterprise.

Hoshi gets to be put in charge, Mayweather gets some characterization, Reed makes a deal with his former Section, Phlox gets a steady supporting role, and the three leads all get healthy screen time. This is done without really drawing attention to itself. It's not boxes being checked off - Every character has something to do to advance the specific story. I wish that could have happened more often on this series, but it's nice to see in the crew's final adventure.

I also like that the last major threat the NX-01 must overcome is a group of humans. Star Trek always basically stood for humanity overcoming its own limitations and narrow-mindedness. I tend to believe more in Babylon 5's philosophy: that we'll take all our flaws to the stars with us. But having the Enterprise, in its last proper outing, outwitting and overcoming a group that effectively represents human ignorance is a nice embodiment of this franchise's principles. It's also a good story for a prequel. Sure, violent xenophobia and homegrown terrorism is largely a thing of the past by Kirk's time, let alone Picard's... but Archer still has to deal with the last, desperate attempt by these demagogues to thrust their agenda on humanity through a violent ultimatum.

Terra Prime is a noticeably better episode than Demons, making it this season's only multi-parter whose resolution outshines its set-up.  Overall, this is one of the "smaller" feeling multi-parters. But it's also one of the most accomplished, in terms of controlled plotting. All the different components are used, and almost every individual element ends up working, albeit some more strongly than others. Terra Prime also makes Demons a better episode in retrospect, raising the arc as a whole.

Or to put it more succinctly: Good stuff.


Rating: 9/10.

Overall Rating for Terra Prime arc: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Demons
Next Episode: These Are the Voyages

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

4-20. Demons.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise crew is attending a conference involving several of the species they have met, with a goal of forming a coalition of worlds. It's an ambitious project. But no sooner has Minister Nathan Samuels (Harry Groener) made his speech than a woman stumbles in, passing a hair sample to T'Pol and telling her that "they're going to kill her." The woman collapses, revealing that she has been shot by a phase pistol.

Phlox tests the hair, and determines that it belongs to a half-human, half-Vulcan infant. The child is identified as being that of Trip and T'Pol - despite the fact that T'Pol has never been pregnant. The dead woman was a member of Terra Prime, a human separatist group that had a resurgence following the Xindi attack. 

With Minister Samuels wanting to keep things quiet, Archer decides that his crew will need to launch their own investigation.  He sends Trip and T'Pol to infiltrate the moonbase that is Terra Prime's headquarters.  But Archer is a step behind, and it all too soon becomes clear that Trip and T'Pol are walking into a trap!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Manny Coto's script showcases his competence as ship's captain: In a public setting, he makes sure that the unenthusiastic Trip knows that he's expected to be on good behavior for the cameras; when the human/Vulcan DNA is explicitly linked to his crew, he uses Reed's Section 31 connection to keep the investigation alive; finally, he adjusts his plans quickly when he learns that he's sent his people into a trap.  All of this is good, giving Archer plenty to do without allowing him to overshadow the entire story, as has been the case too many times this season.

Trip: While I believe his shock at learning of his daughter, his befuddlement over how it might be possible seems odd. Cloning is a scientific possibility now, never mind more than a hundred years hence. His suspicion of T'Pol feels more like a plot device than a natural extension of his established character, and his attempts to infiltrate a separatist group by making a few vaguely xenophobic comments to a random miner seem, frankly, laughable. Not Trip's best episode, despite solid work by Connor Trinneer.

Hot Earth Babe of the Week: Gannet Brooks (Johanna Watts) is an ambitious reporter who shares a history with Mayweather. She uses that history to get herself aboard Enterprise, ostensibly to do a story on the ship from the point-of-view of the crew. It isn't long before she makes it clear that she wants to rekindle her old relationship with Mayweather, sparking doubts in Travis as to whether or not he really wants to continue his time in space.

Pompous Earth Bureaucrat of the Week: Harry Groener, one-time evil mayor of Sunnydale/giant snake, is a serpentine politician again, though this time without the evil.  Minister Samuels is extremely ambitious, which may be just what is called for. His proposed coalition is a clear stepping stone toward the Federation of Planets that will eventually form. But he is self-serving. His speech makes no mention of Enterprise and its crew, reserving all glory for himself. His reluctance to share the Terra Prime investigation with Archer has a connection with a skeleton from his own past, as well.

Villain of the Week: John Frederick Paxton (Peter Weller) is a mining industrialist who acts as the leader of Terra Prime. He was once a student of history. But his studies led him to admire a generally hated genocidal figure from the aftermath of World War III, and his clashes with the accepted view of history led him to turn his back on academia and instead pursue terrorism. Peter Weller plays his scenes with a conviction that helps sell even some of the more ludicrous moments, including his cliffhanger-inducing masterplan to hold the entire solar system hostage with a big freakin' laser (paging Dr. Evil?). I should add that Paxton didn't start seeming ridiculous to me until the moment I began typing this paragraph - which means both script and actor do their job of making his convictions seem credible in-context.


THOUGHTS

The final 2-parter of the series begins, following up on the one remaining loose end from Home - the rising xenophobia on Earth in the wake of the Xindi attack.

Even without a particularly easy-to-spot plot twist, I would have been surprised had Trip and T'Pol been able to successfully infiltrate the mining colony. After all, hasn't it been established as early on as Breaking the Ice that the ship's command staff are effectively celebrities? Their faces would be on the air regularly - something the beginning of the episode reminds us of! Imagine Neil Armstrong trying to infiltrate the mob just after the moon landing. That's basically this plan in a nutshell.

This obvious logic gaffe aside, Demons is a good episode. It perhaps feels a bit padded, with the Gannet/Mayweather material and even the Trip/T'Pol mine infiltration taking up at least twice as much screentime as is actually needed. But it's an interesting story, effectively set up. The story feeds on what we've seen before, particularly in Home.  The episode also benefits from strong production values and effective guest turns by Harry Groener and Peter Weller. 

The success of the full story will entirely depend on Part Two. But as an opening installment, Demons does its job well.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: In a Mirror Darkly, Part II
Next Episode: Terra Prime

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

4-11. Observer Effect.

THE PLOT

Reed and Mayweather are not themselves. Literally not themselves, as they have become hosts to alien observers. The aliens are essentially scientists, observing Enterprise like an experiment to see what happens during a crisis.

Trip and Hoshi are on their way back from a planet, and have taken a pathogen with them. They are promptly put into decontamination. Phlox determines that the virus infecting them is silicon-based, and that they only have a few hours to live unless he can develop a cure. Meanwhile, Reed and Mayweather - or the aliens to whom they are playing host - watch, and they wait, and they evaluate the worth of the human race...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Uses every resource at his disposal to try to save Trip and Hoshi. At one point, Klingon debris is detected in the atmosphere.  Archer realizes that the Klingons faced this same issue and destroyed their infected rather than letting them dock. When the alien in Mayweather asks if this is helpful, Archer replies that it at least tells him that he needn't waste time asking if the Klingons have a cure. The alien presses on, wanting to know if Archer would ask the Klingons for a cure if they had one. "On bended knee," Archer replies unhesitantly. When he asks Phlox to work faster, he doesn't say it the way he would have in Season One or early Season Two.  He no longer comes across as an unreasonable and panicked man demanding the impossible. Instead, he says it softly, laying an encouraging hand on Phlox's shoulder.  He knows that his medical officer is doing everything he can and, whatever happens, he isn't going to blame him for the result.

Trip: Shows dedication to his duty, even when faced with his own death. When a feverish Hoshi breaches quarantine, Trip brings her back.  He knows they are "in quarantine for a reason," and does not want to spread the infection to the rest of the crew. He does his best to keep Hoshi's morale up, keeping her talking about languages and her past, even talking a little about his own past. He has faith in Archer, but that doesn't stop him from briefly resisting an order to sedate both Hoshi and himself.

Hoshi: I'm always happy to see a Hoshi-centric episode. It remains a mystery to me why this series so often puts such a ready-made audience identification figure into the background. We learn a bit more about her background here. Her amusement in Season Three's The Council over Archer's brush with being a "bad boy" is echoed as we learn of her own rebellious past, running a floating poker game in the Starfleet Training Center, which got her (temporarily) kicked out. We also get a semi-plausible explanation for how she can learn alien languages so quickly. She's very good at picking out certain universal patterns. This comes into memorable play in the second half of the episode, when a delirious Hoshi overrides the security protocols of the ship, grunting that "math is just another language."

Dr. Phlox: A typically excellent performance by John Billingsley, who showcases Phlox's dedication to his patients. Phlox actually does detect the aliens' presence at one point, leading to a confrontation in which the aliens tell him that they could save his patients but won't. Phlox's disgust with them, and with their intent to wipe his memory of their presence, is palpable.

Aliens of the Week: The aliens inhabiting Reed and Mayweather are closely related to one of TOS' classic episodes. I'm not going to divulge which race, for the benefit of anyone who hasn't already seen it. I will say that it's clear early on that these aliens aren't actually evil. They are simply what the title says: Observers. They know that any ship coming to this world will encounter the infection, and temporarily inhabit hosts on the ship in order to see how each species deals with the situation. The aliens are appropriate to their hosts. Mayweather's is hopeful about the humans, pointing out all the ways in which they behave more compassionately than the Klingons or Cardassians did. Reed's is brutally pragmatic, certain that Archer will eventually order the deaths of Trip and Hoshi or that "this will be one of the times when everybody dies."


THOUGHTS

That was considerably better than Daedalus!

This episode neatly captures the attention in the teaser. It at first seems like a sedate scene of "crew bonding," as Mayweather and Reed play chess. Even their intial lines don't hint at anything wrong, though it would seem strange that Reed wouldn't know how to play a game that would seem to be very much in his line (tactics). Then Mayweather refers to how "they" have such a short lifespan - "they," not "we" - and how predictable chess is with such a limited number of possible outcomes. Even before they refer to their "hosts," it is clear that it is not Reed and Mayweather we are watching, but aliens possessing their bodies. I actually ran this scene back and watched it a second time, just to see how differently it played knowing at the start that these two characters were not actually our regulars. It's a very well-done teaser, setting an ominous tone even before they mention crew deaths.

In its otherwise fairly ordinary (though by no means bad) first season, Enterprise was particularly good at low-key episodes that focused on the ensemble.  It was clear early on that this series tended to stumble most when telling formula Trek stories. That changed with the series' change of tone in Season Three. Seasons Three and Four have seen the series' overall quality blast upward, like a rocket. But a few things have been lost, and the character-based episodes have largely been among those.

This episode, particularly in its scenes between Hoshi and Trip, returns to the series' early strengths. The supporting cast actually are full characters, rather than just props to support the leads and the story arcs. In a season which has thus far sidelined her even more than Season Two did, this, this episode gives Linda Park some of her best material ever on this show.

On the down side, the resolution doesn't fully work. Even though it is built up over the full episode, the final scene between Archer and the two aliens feels quick and easy. It doesn't come out of nowhere - the decision the aliens make has had groundwork laid. It just somehow doesn't convince me that this is what would happen within this set of circumstances.

Still a good episode, though, and a nice recovery from last episode's boring blunder.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Daedalus

Next Episode: Babel One

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

3-5. Impulse.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise encounters the Seleya, a Vulcan science vessel that was mapping the outer barrier of the Expanse and was pulled in 9 months ago. The ship was also the last one T'Pol was stationed on, prior to her transfer to Earth.

The Vulcan ship is in the middle of an asteroid belt, and does not respond to hails. Archer, T'Pol, Reed, and a Random Marine dock with the ship in order to investigate and hopefully effect a rescue. But the Vulcans they find are not the cool, logical people they should be. Instead, they are rabid and vicious, practically walking corpses with no apparent thought save to attack their would-be rescuers. And it isn't long before whatever has affected them begins to affect T'Pol in the same way...


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: His loyalty to his crew shows itself in his protectiveness of T'Pol, even after the illness makes her turn on him. When he learns what has caused this effect, he refuses to abandon T'Pol, even though doing so would make logical sense in a "Needs of the many" sort of way. His past paranoia and resentment of Vulcans comes back to haunt him, as it is those very qualities that T'Pol recalls as she begins to lose her grip and spiral into paranoia and finally violence.

T'Pol: This episode confronts her with her old ship, with her old crewmates effectively reduced to rampaging zombies. Even before she realizes that what happened to them is now happening to her, she is affected by returning to what must in her memory have been a safe place. She reacts with fear at the thought of losing control, telling Random Marine about the Vulcans' past as a violent and paranoid people. She finally loses it altogether, becoming first paranoid, then violent, until the others are forced to stun her in order to get her off the Vulcan ship.

Trip: Though his insomnia continues, he is the one to notice the plunging morale in the ship. He approaches Archer with it, suggesting the return of "Movie Night" at the very least as a way to help boost crew morale. When Archer starts to blow him off ("There will be plenty of time for movies once we've dealt with the Xindi"), he presses until Archer relents. It's good that at least one member of the command crew is thinking about morale, though I question whether a few movies would really suffice to stop the fear and tension plaguing the crew.

Mayweather: Gets a decent support episode, for a change. When the transporter burns out while he and Trip are attempting to beam aboard Trellium D, Mayweather comes up with the idea of landing on one of the larger asteroids to mine it directly.  He uses his piloting skills to make the maneuver a reality - though he only barely manages to get back out again.


THOUGHTS

It's funny that Trip should suggest the return of Movie Night at the start of this episode, because this is effectively an Enterprise zombie picture! Night of the Living Vulcans, or perhaps 28 Vulcans Later (Re-Vulcinator? Spock of the Dead? OK, I'll let it go now...)

This is purely a standalone episode, though I suspect the newly-discovered effect of a vital Expanse element on Vulcans will be important through the rest of the season. But even if this is mostly a break from the arc, it is still an effective episode, with a pacy script by Jonathan Fernandez and effective direction by David Livingston.

The scenes on the Seleya are the meat of the episode. The set design is terrific.  The ruined corridors are so dimly-lit that you can't really see what's in the corners.  They also curve so that the characters can't see very far ahead of them. The characters' progress is at least as much vertical as horizontal, which adds an extra layer to the proceedings as they need to clamber up levels to reach each new goal.

The set design is given even more impact by the flashes of light that keep strobing around the set, to showcase the ship's disintegrating condition. With all the stray noises, flashes, sparks, and bangs, the production does a good job of getting the viewer off balance even before the Zombie Vulcans show up.
In short: Highly watchable.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Rajiin
Next Episode: Exile

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

2-21. The Breach.

THE PLOT

An emergency message from the Denobulan Science Academy has Archer agreeing to divert Enterprise's course to Xantoras. This planet, which has long suffered from unstable governments, has fallen into the hands of a hard-line, xenophobic group that has declared that all off-worlders must leave immediately or face imprisonment or death. Three Denobulan scientists, working in caves far beneath the surface, cannot be reached and have no awareness of this order. Someone must get to them and get them out, before disaster strikes.

Archer secures an agreement from the hard-line Xantoran government that gives him three days to get the Denobulans out. He sends Mayweather, Trip, and Reed down to retrieve the scientists. Meanwhile, ships carrying offworlders are departing at a steady rate. When one of them suffers a reactor breach, the planet refuses to allow them to land. Archer takes them aboard Enterprise, where the injured are treated by Phlox.

The most severely injured man is Hudak (Henry Stram), an Antaran - a race with a long history of hostility against Denobulans. When he sees who the ship's doctor is, he flatly refuses to be treated by Phlox, leaving the doctor wrestling with the worst aspects of his own upbringing.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Despite his growth over the course of his experiences, he still has a tendency toward knee-jerk reactions to anything that doesn't line up with his own morality. His initial impatience with Phlox's dilemma, and his attempt to order Phlox to treat the Antaran against the man's wishes and against Phlox's own medical principles, do not serve him well. Fortunately, once he calms down he is able to push Phlox in a more constructive direction - namely, to try to persuade the patient to change his mind. His willingness to act quickly and on instinct serves him far better when dealing with the troublesome planetary government, though.

Trip: "If you don't move by the time I count to three, I'm gonna take my phase pistol and shoot you in the ass. One... two..." Another good supporting role for Trip. He is happy to volunteer to go down into the caves, despite his lack of experience with caves. He learns quickly, sufficiently so to take over for the last leg of the mission, and thinks and acts fast to prevent an accident from turning into a disaster. And, as the quote I chose to lead off with shows, I quite enjoyed Trip's exasperation and loss of patience when the Denobulan scientists prove less than grateful for the rescue.

Dr. Phlox: This episode shows us a lot more about the Denobulans' background. We have thus far only seen them as scientists and intellectuals. In this episode, we learn that they have a military past - and not an entirely benign one. Brought face-to-face with a member of a species his people had fought and demonized, Phlox has to wrestle with his own buried prejudices. The way Phlox stares at Hudak the moment the unconscious man is wheeled in, and then hesitates to even approach him, tells us a lot even before the man wakes up and denies treatment. Phlox's outburst at how "no Denobulan would want to be in a room with (him)!" and his confession of having nightmares about Antarans are well-scripted, and Billingsley plays all the different emotions Phlox runs through with his accustomed excellence.

Mayweather: Though this is not a Mayweather-centric episode, it does have a strong role for him... probably a stronger one than the cliched histrionics of Horizon provided. Instead of just running Mayweather through the same character issues, this episode uses his love of climbing, and plausibly expands it to include cave exploration. The result has Mayweather effectively put in charge of the landing party. It's a good role for him, and Anthony Montgomery's performance goes up a notch from its usual "blank slate" in response to actually getting something decent to play.


THOUGHTS

Though not a standout, The Breach is a solid standalone episode, with some good character work for Dr. Phlox and solid supporting roles for Archer, Trip, and (astonishingly) Travis. The Phlox/patient scenes start out seeming as though we are going to learn the important lesson that "prejudice is bad." Surprisingly, writers Chris Black and John Shiban construct a script that at least attempts to go a little deeper than that, with some good results.

Phlox is quite obviously not a racist. He is, however, a product of a culture where he grew up surrounded by fear and hatred of the Antarans, and the prejudice against this "other" couldn't help but become ingrained. Intellectually, he knew this to be irrational, and he worked to set a more positive example for his children. But when a prejudice becomes rooted to the level of being instinctual, simply knowing it's irrational isn't enough to completely overcome it.  As a result, Phlox is left to battle his own instinctive reactions to his patient, along with his patient's similar reactions to him. The scenes of conversation between the two men, doctor and patient, are some of the more maturely, intelligently scripted moments in Enterprise's run, and both actors are terrific.

The "B" plot is also engaging. The caverns in this episode are a far cry from the "cave sets" of earlier series. We have deep chasms, that feel almost like bottomless pits. A genuinely well-shot and fairly exciting slide, which nearly kills all three members of the landing party. A passage with a very low ceiling, which Trip and Reed must slide through on their bellies. It's claustrophobic and effective.

Even better, the character interactions among the landing party work. Mayweather's confidence in his own abilities to handle these caves helps this to be one of the strongest Mayweather episodes ever, Trip's instinctive reactions to each situation feel correct for him, and Reed's security instincts help him to identify the correct path to reach the Denobulans. Even the Denobulans' infuriating stubbornness about leaving is given a good reason. Their "rock samples," as Trip dismissively calls them, can provide data to help their world substantially, making it believable that they would be reluctant to leave the work half-done.

The episode does suffer from the typical Trek failings, though. Both plots are wrapped up a touch too tidily. The landing party has a far-too-easy time getting back out of the caves.  An attempt to create tension during the final phase of the episode makes for an entertaining scene with Archer, but fails to actually raise the stakes or create any suspense. In the "A" plot, we get some wonderful characterization from Phlox, talking about his grandmother and his children. But Hudak remains mostly uncharacterized. We don't know much of anything about his background, beyond his hatred of Denobulans, so it doesn't mean anything when he finally agrees to Phlox's treatment. Our concern is entirely for Phlox, as we aren't given any reason to care about the patient, one way or another, at all.

Despite these fairly standard limitations, this is a thoughtful episode and a well-made one.  It's hardly the best of Trek, but compared to a lot of this season's offerings, it stands out as an engaging and thoughtful piece.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Horizon
Next Episode: Cogenitor

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

2-20. Horizon.

THE PLOT

With his father's ship, Horizon, in the vicinity of Enterprise, Mayweather takes the opportunity to make a visit back home. It's a far less cordial homecoming than he would have liked. His father has died, leaving his brother a command that he's not quite ready for. The crew is less than completely confident in their new captain, particularly as deliveries fall farther and farther behind schedule. When Mayweather attempts to help by upgrading a few systems, his brother insists on viewing his "help" as undermining his fragile authority. It all comes to a head when space pirates attack the ship, demanding that they abandon ship or face the consequences.

Meanwhile, Trip asks T'Pol to a movie that she really, really doesn't want to go see. Archer decides to intervene and get these two crazy kids to make things work. Unfortunately, there's no cameo by the Fonz - though such would not have been out of place.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: He deals with Mayweather's loss with empathy, and finds a sympathetic way to make a deal with T'Pol over the "movie night." I did appreciate how oblivious Archer was to T'Pol's reaction when he described them going to the movie together as "a date." Otherwise, there's not much for Archer to do in this episode.

T'Pol: The "movie night" subplot, though the stuff of sit-coms, does provide T'Pol with a couple of enjoyable character beats. It's entirely predictable that, after seeking to avoid the movie, T'Pol would end up enjoying it in her own way. But the way in which T'Pol manages to enjoy the film is interesting. She relates the persecution faced by the monster to the persecution Vulcans have faced on Earth, and even says she is going to recommend screening the film for Vulcans coming to Earth, because she believes it will be helpful to them in adjusting. That is considerably more interesting and intelligent than the pat "She-loves-it!" resolution I was expecting.

Trip: One consistent aspect of Trip's characterization is this: He's a genuinely good guy. This isn't exactly a big Trip episode, but there is one lovely moment, just as Mayweather leaves for the Horizon. Trip hands him a data pad into which he has downloaded every photo of Mayweather taken during the voyage so far, on the grounds that he thought his "mom might want to see what her son's been up to." A very thoughtful thing to do, and one senses that Trip probably did this (and other little things he's done across the series) without even particularly thinking about it.

Mayweather: And here it is - Season Two's contractually obligated Mayweather-centric episode, the one episode of the season in which Mayweather gets anything remotely resembling characterization. We open the episode on Mayweather sitting upside-down in the "sweet spot." Why? Because it recalls a character scene he got back in the pilot, way back when Anthony Montgomery possibly had hopes of doing some acting on this show, and because there have been almost zero character beats for him since then! Uhura may have gone episodes at a time with no lines other than, "Hailing frequencies open," but it always felt like there was somebody in there. Here I am, reviewing a Mayweather-centric episode... and it still doesn't feel like anyone's in there!  There are still no new character beats for Mayweather. He's still the Space Boomer, born in space, whose relations with his family were strained when he joined Starfleet. Not one iota of character advancement since Fortunate Son - a full season and a half ago!


THOUGHTS

The last Mayweather-centric episode was back in early Season One. That episode was Fortunate Son, a ham-fisted, cliche-ridden piece whose basic script elements would likely have been rejected by the producers of 1930's "B" westerns. In a series that has provided such gems as Terra Nova, A Night in Sickbay, and Precious Cargo, that particular episode still stands as my pick for Enterprise's absolute worst hour.

Measured against that as competition, Horizon at least manages to be a good deal better. Horizon is watchable, even intermittently absorbing. There are some beautiful special effects, particularly surrounding the breakdown of the planet which Enterprise is observing. There is actually some mild amusement to be had from the potentially interminable "movie night" subplot. There are a handful of decent character scenes. But for all of that, this episode is still far from actually being good.

The Mayweather family dynamics are the stuff of cliche. The resentful older brother, whose resentment of Mayweather's leaving and own insecurity in his new command makes him impervious to anything resembling reason. Boiled cliche. The saintly mother, who is magnificently competent in all fields, and who still has time to dispense pearls of wisdom. Stuffed cliche. It all comes to a head in an encounter with space pirates, in which Mayweather's upgrades to the weapons system (done over his brother's objections, of course) save the day and lead to a perfect reconciliation. Baked cliche, sauteed cliche, flame-broiled cliche.

That's not even mentioning the ending. Mayweather is going to have Reed look at the device left on the Horizon's hull, to figure out a way to get that beacon removed. But then he lies to Archer that Horizon had no trouble, and that damage left by the battle was from long ago. So he's going to have Reed remove an explosive tracking device, and justify that by saying that nothing of interest happened? "Must... not... think... about... stupid... writing..."

The episode's plot also bears more than a passing resemblance to that of Fortunate Son. In that episode, Mayweather had conflicting feelings when faced with the crew of a freighter who were dealing with space pirates. In this episode, Mayweather has a crisis of conscience over having left his family's freighter when they find themselves dealing with space pirates. Does this character only get variations on one plot?

Then again, given his normal use as a character, he's probably lucky to even get that much.  We can only hope that Mayweather's next episode, in which he will doubtless deal with freighters and space pirates yet again, might see further improvement - perhaps all the way from the mediocrity here to actual adequacy?

Rating: 3/10.

Previous Episode: Judgment
Next Episode: The Breach

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

2-12. The Catwalk.

THE PLOT

The Enterprise is orbiting an uninhabited Class M planet that is teaming with plant and animal life (um, technically that doesn't make it "uninhabited," but I'll give them that one). Archer and Trip are looking forward to combining a survey of this world with some needed R & R. Then an alien ship hails them. A deadly radiation storm is on its way. The alien captain recommends they immediately go to Warp Seven to escape the storm. There's only one problem; the Enterprise's maximum speed is Warp Five.

With no choice left but to weather the storm, Archer orders a particularly well-shielded maintenance shaft be converted into temporary quarters to house the entire crew for the duration. "The catwalk" proves to be endurable, if uncomfortable. But when a power surge forces Trip into a radiation suit for a trip to engineering, he discovers that their friendly alien saviors are hiding their own agenda.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Scott Bakula gets some of his best material in a while, as Archer is pushed into a desperate solution to save his crew. I enjoyed the scenes of Archer mingling with the crew, exchanging a few friendly words with his people to try to keep their morale up. Bakula gives a restrained, relaxed, highly likable performance in these scenes. And by pulling back on the "tense captain" mannerisms, he makes Archer's transition to crisis mode in the episode's final act that much more effective.

T'Pol: T'Pol's buried compassion shows itself when she recalls a Vulcan ship's encounter with a similar storm. She observes that the Vulcan ship was "nearly destroyed." Archer, upon researching, discovers that the Vulcan ship was destroyed, with all hands on board. Confronted with this, T'Pol insists that she "remembered incorrectly," not willing to admit that she sidestepped the truth to reduce the crew's fears. We also discover another bit of her background, as she tells Archer of a Vulcan ritual in which she was dumped in the desert and left to survive on her own for ten days. For all her expertise, T'Pol is not comfortable mixing with the general crew, and seems genuinely surprised when Trip says he's glad to see her at the "movie night" at the close of the episode, and invites her to join them for future ones.

Trip: Tripcomes up with the solution for the emergency quarters in the catwalk, enabling the entire crew to survive the storm. His preparations provide one of the series' few good Mayweather scenes as well, as Travis reminds Trip that they will need a toilet - something Trip admits he had not considered. Trip is given the discovery of the alien infiltration. Then, because he has already been exposed, he is unable to directly participate in keeping the warp reactor offline, and is forced to talk T'Pol and Reed through doing what he'd clearly much rather be doing himself.

Reed: Reed is susceptible to motion sickness, but his fear of acknowledging weaknesses leads him to cover this up. His mode of coping is to become extremely snippy and antagonistic, leading to an argument with Trip over the lack of shower facilities in their emergency quarters. He actually seems much more at ease when the alien infiltration is discovered, and he gets to go out into the ship and do something. Reed has no fear of danger, it seems. He's much more afraid of simple human failures, such as motion sickness and body odor, than he is of invading aliens.


THOUGHTS

A big step up from Precious Cargo. Mike Vejar's direction emphasizes the sense of claustrophobia within the catwalk. There are nice little touches, such as the command compartment being just a touch too small so that Archer has difficulty when he attempts to lie down after his circuit of morale-boosting.

The script, by Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong, is well-structured. There is just enough development of the crew simply enduring the storm in the catwalk to allow some strong character moments: Reed's motion sickness, T'Pol's "camping trip," Phlox's enjoyment of the small spaces because they remind him of home. Just as the basic catwalk idea has about run its course, the script takes a turn as Trip discovers that aliens have infiltrated the Enterprise, avoiding this episode simply becoming a large-cast version of Shuttlepod One.

The episode succeeds where so many episodes have failed. There actually is a sense of jeopardy. The episode takes time to show the command crew debating options and preparing for the storm. The cast all play their roles with conviction, and we genuinely believe that the storm is as dangerous as they say it is. When the alien military men invade the ship, the rules for the crew going out have been firmly established. The EVA suits will allow them 22 minutes outside the catwalk. There are only three suits, so a direct confrontation is out of the question. If the aliens get the warp engines fully online, the heat from the warp engines will kill the entire crew.

This leads to a taut climax, in which Archer uses misdirection to trick the alien captain.  Mayweather and Trip convey information to T'Pol and Reed to get the warp reactor offline, while Mayweather steers the ship in accordance with Archer's tactics. As that little summary shows, this allows most of the regulars to get a good share in the climax. Even Mayweather gets at least two good scenes, which is two more than he usually gets.

The CGI of the storm is quite impressive. Archer looks out at the approaching storm early in the episode, remarking that he "never expected it to be beautiful." It is quite beautiful, both when seen in approach and when seen enveloping Enterprise. The episode shows various views of it, with blues and whites predominant, and it works both as spectacle and as threat.


Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Precious Cargo
Next Episode: Dawn

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

2-4. Dead Stop.

THE PLOT

The incident in the Romulan minefield has left Enterprise severely damaged, only able to travel as fast as Warp Two, unable to fully shield herself, and with access only to short range communications. Archer orders Hoshi to prepare a distress signal - which fortunately nets a response: coordinates to a fully-automated repair station, with technology far in advance of Earth's.

For the compensation of a small(ish) amount of warp plasma, the station sets to work repairing every defect in Enterprise - right down to the scratch Trip put on the paint of the command module and Malcolm Reed's wounded knee. But Archer doesn't quite trust this fully-automated station, which seems too good to be true. His worst fears appear to be realized when, after Trip and Malcolm make an ill-advised attempt to breach the station's one "off limits" area, Archer is called down to one of the ship's launch bays... where he is greeted by Mayweather's dead body.


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Refreshingly wary when following up on the Tellarites' coordinates to the repair station. He has learned very well that not all species are friendly and trustworthy.  Even in need, he approaches the station braced for the possibility of a trap. Archer is very much a man of instinct, and his instincts tell him that something isn't right with the station - which very much proves to be the case.

Trip: Very impressed by the station's abilities... impressed enough to want a closer look. His misadventure with Reed isn't the result of suspicion.  He simply wants to see how the station works. Like any tinker, he likes to know how things go together. Initially, that gets him into trouble - but he and Reed getting so far into the station ends up being a key part of the resolution.

Dr. Phlox: His exchanges with Reed are amusing.  I could easily picture Dr. House delivering his line about how harm is unethical, but he can ethically inflict as much pain as he pleases.  His thoroughness with Mayweather's autopsy helps to reveal the station's true nature.

Villain of the Week: The station. The sections the humans are allowed to see are brightly-lit and inviting, but there's an artificiality that strikes a discordant tone even early on. When we discover its secret, in a scene taken directly from a 1970's thriller, much is explained - and more questions are left. We never know who created the station, or why. We don't know if they're still out there, or how they will react to Enterprise's intervention. What we do know, thanks to the final shot, is that the station is self-repairing... and that, according to its ledger, Enterprise now owes it quite a bit more compensation. It would be interesting if this were followed up, though I'm not optimistic about that.


THOUGHTS

Several times, in Season One - a season I generally enjoyed - I found myself complaining about little things that weren't followed up on. For example, we were told in Oasis that Enterprise was low on supplies... but in the next episode, they seemed to be fully stocked again. The ship would get battered, beaten, and tossed around, but would be in perfect shape for the next installment. It was a minor enough quibble, but the lack of follow-up on most episodes was a touch frustrating.

That makes it rather a relief that the substantial damage inflicted last episode was remembered. In fact, this whole episode is basically devoted to repairing the damage. Better still, it's a very good episode. There's a distinct horror flavor, one which the episode nicely plays with. Everything's antiseptic, bright, and sterile, until Trip and Reed climb up into a dark corridor. Only at the end do we get to the other side of that corridor - and it's a mightily disturbing visual that we're offered. It's all very well done.

For the second episode in a row, the writers also do a good job of giving all the characters something to do. In Mayweather's case, that amounts to playing dead, but that's still more than he usually gets. I did find it a bit overdone that Hoshi gives a eulogy that attempts to give Mayweather a personality that we never saw (apparently, he was an inveterate practical joker... offscreen), but then I suppose it's tough to craft convincing reactions to the death of a character who never had any character.

Dead Stop is a solidly entertaining installment. Four episodes in, I think Season Two's actually better than Season One - though I've been told to brace myself, so I'm sure worse is to come.


Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: Minefield
Next Episode: A Night in Sickbay

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

1-21. Detained.

THE PLOT

Archer and Mayweather, having inadverdantly violated the Tandaran military zone while investigating in a shuttlepod, awake inside a Tandaran detention center, whose prisoners are otherwise entirely Suliban. The head of the center, Colonel Grat (Dean Stockwell), assures them that this misunderstanding can be cleared up in just a few days' time, and explains that the Tandarans are at war with the Suliban Cabal. Grat is a genial host, and his only concern - apparently, solely for Archer's and Mayweather's welfare - is that they should keep to themselves until they are released.

Archer, who has never excelled at keeping to himself, quickly makes the acquaintance of a Suliban named Danik (Dennis Christopher), and discovers that none of the Suliban in the complex are genetically modified, and none of them are members of the Cabal. Instead, these Suliban were citizens of Tandar, who were abruptly transformed into prisoners "for their own protection" when the Cabal attacked Tandaran space. Archer resolves to help the prisoners regain their freedom... but as Grat realizes how much Archer now knows, he finds that his and Mayweather's own freedom is now in jeopardy!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Still shows a tendency to trust those who look human above those who don't. He is instantly inclined to accept the explanations of the nearly human-looking Grat, and instantly inclined to distrust the Suliban. However, he is getting better and better at looking past his prejudices. It takes him the space of one coversation to accept that Danik and his people are not members of the Cabal, and about that length of time to become morally outraged. Of course, Archer becoming morally outraged on behalf of someone else is hardly remarkable - but in this case, it seems difficult to disagree with him.

Mayweather: One of only two regulars with significant screentime... and he still manages to have no real character! I did appreciate Mayweather's chagrin when called on his discomfort around the Suliban. But nothing is done with that, other than to have Mayweather lecture Relucant Suliban X about how Mayweather overcame his preconceptions, so Mr. Suliban should be able to do the same.  That can hardly can be labeled characterization, even by Trek's sometimes loose standards.

Villain of the Week: That Stockwell and Bakula play well off each other is hardly surprising; that they do so without a single hint of "Sam" or "Al" cropping up in their scenes together is somewhat more surprising. As Grat, Stockwell does a good job of portraying a man who has managed to convince himself that what he is doing is really, truly for the best. At the prospect of a mass escape, he snaps, "You're not rescuing these people - You're condemning them!" It's very much to Stockwell's credit that we believe that Grat believes what he is saying. Grat is definitely the villain; however, he's not a 2-dimensional, mustache-twirling baddie. He's the more interesting villain: The one who believes he is doing what's right - or at least, what's expedient.

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT...

So where does Enterprise's technology fall, compared with other space-faring species? Early episodes seemed, quite refreshingly, to indicate that our heroes were very much at the low end of military technology, with only primitive shielding and weaponry. Yes, they've now upgraded their weapons. Even so, it seems that they should still be lower-middle at best.

Yet here Enterprise encounters a race that has been at war with the technologically superior Suliban Cabal for years. We have seen that the Cabal possess technology that makes the Enterprise look like something out of the Stone Age. So surely, Enterprise should not be able to: effortlessly jam the Tandaran computers, shoot down two Tandaran ships with as many torpedoes, effortlessly evade the complex's defenses, and then destroy said defenses, all with no real resistance? It's a bizarre discrepancy, given what we've seen in other episodes. Apparently, Enterprise's technology advances, much like the warp engines: at the speed of plot.


THOUGHTS

On the one hand, this is an unsubtle allegory about World War II era Japanese internment camps - one that commits the cardinal sin of an allegory in actually spelling out in the text the event being paralleled! There is no question as to which side is right and which side is wrong. The Suliban imprisoned in the complex are all fundamentally decent, with the only "gray" Suliban being the one who is wary of trusting Archer on first sight. Meanwhile, the Tandarans are either brutal, needlessly strict at enforcing pointless rules, or self-deluded about what it is they're doing. There are no "bad" Suliban in this episode (although a Cabal sympathizer or two would seem to be a natural, given the situation), and there are no "good" Tandarans.

On the other hand, it's another entertaining installment. Once you set aside the lack of subtlety, this is a well put-together show.  The script is tight and the acting is good, with particularly strong guest turns by Stockwell and Dennis Christopher. Yes, the regulars other than Archer and Mayweather get minimal screentime. Still, everyone gets something to do. T'Pol gets to negotiate with Grat, and then deceive him while neatly carrying off a jamming maneuver; Reed gets to blow some things up and hit some people, so he has a good day; Phlox gets to be an artistic perfectionist while preparing a disguise; Hoshi gets to trace and jam transmissions; and Trip... well, Trip mostly gets to be loud, but at least he's heard.

Finally, for an episode that is about as subtle as a 2x4 to the side of the head, it has a suprisingly effective ending note. It's probably not much of a spoiler to reveal that Archer rescues all the Suliban, and they get successfully into space and away from the complex. But it's a decidedly mixed victory, as Archer muses that he's fairly sure they will escape the Tandarans, but is significantly less sure that they "will be all right."

It's a nicely ambiguous end note, in an episode that probably could have used a bit more ambiguity.


Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Oasis
Next Episode: Vox Sola

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek: Enterprise

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On Twitter:

Follow @RandomMusings09

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads

1-10. Fortunate Son.

...or The Good, the Bad, and the Stupid.


THE PLOT

When the Earth freighter, the Fortunate, is attacked by Naussican space pirates, the Enterprise diverts to answer its distress call. When they arrive, they discover that the Fortunate was able to fight off the Naussicans alone. The ship's captain is injured, but will recover. Damage is minor and, with a bit of assistance from Trip, repairs proceed quickly.

But the crew of the Fortunate is hiding something. One Naussican was taken captive in the battle, and is being held in the ship's hold, tortured for information that Matthew Ryan (Lawrence Monoson) - the Fortunate's First Officer and acting commander - plans to use to get revenge against the raiders. When Archer discovers this, Ryan lures him into a trap, then leaves Archer and his landing party in a situation where the Enterprise must rescue them, and let Ryan's ship go. Now Archer must catch up to Ryan before Ryan catches up to the Naussicans - or else no particularly dire consequences will ensue!


CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: His strict moral code will not allow him to stand by while the crew of the Fortunate tortures a prisoner. Confronted with a lack of authority over the space freighter, he shows cleverness by threatening the removal of all the repairs Enterprise completed - something well within his authority. Shows minor progress from earlier episodes in his willingness to negotiate with the Naussicans at the end to avoid a bloodbath.

Mayweather: The most underdeveloped character on the show finally gets an episode devoted to fleshing him out a bit. What do we learn? Well... We learn that Mayweather is a boomer. Which means he was born in space. Space boomer, geddit? Mayweather joined Starfleet for new opportunities, which may have put him at odds with his family. Because boomers need to stick together. Because they were born in space. Space boomers, geddit? Mayweather sympathizes with Ryan, because Ryan is also a boomer. Who was born in space. Space boomer, geddit? To cement their bond, Mayweather gives a tedious, horrible, godawful long speech. I think Ryan may have submitted just to shut Mayweather the heck up.

Anyway, just as Hoshi's character-building episode, Fight or Flight, just reaffirmed what we already knew about Hoshi (she's good at languages and a bit jumpy when it comes to space travel and unfamiliar situations), this episode basically just reaffirms the one thing we already knew about Mayweather (boomer... born in space... you know the rest). If this is Enterprise's notion of a character-building episode, then I'd honestly rather they just stick with the Big Three of Archer, T'Pol, and Trip. Didn't go so badly when TOS did it for Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, did it? And at least we didn't get stuck with "character-building" episodes telling us at length that Scotty is a Scottish engineer from Scotland.

Villain of the Week: Matthew Ryan is effectively the villain of the episode, and as such he manages the not inconsiderable feat of being the least formidable villain yet seen in any of the Trek series I'm reviewing. Ryan's principle character trait (other than being a boomer, like Mayweather) appears to be stupidity. Exhibit A: Even with the Naussican laughing at his torture methods, Ryan never considers for a fraction of an instant that the Naussican may have given him a false code.

Exhibit B: After Archer threatens to remove the repairs, Ryan ambushes Archer and then escapes. Why? The first time the two meet, Ryan tries to decline Archer's offers of assistance, repeatedly insisting that his crew can handle the repairs. Assuming this was true - and we are given no indications otherwise - then all Ryan needs to do to get Acher completely off his back is say, "Go ahead," and then wait for his crew to complete the reapirs that we've already been told they're perfectly capable of completing before going after the Naussicans. But Ryan has to ambush the captain and his crew members, fire at them, and leave them in a potentially fatal situation - all of which are, I strongly suspect, things Starfleet does have some jurisdiction over.
Ryan is a moron. Which is why I think he might be one of the co-writers of this episode.



THOUGHTS

You can probably tell that this was not my favorite Enterprise episode. In fact, I think it was worse than Terra Nova. Focus is given to the series' least-developed character, and yet he does not develop one iota by the end. The only thing different about Mayweather is that now I hope he remains wallpaper, because at least when he has nothing to do, he isn't actively annoying. My least favorite scene was, of course, the speech at the end (I started rooting for the Naussicans). But a close second was his "confrontation" with Archer.

"Those people who shot at you and left you to, potentially die? I think we should leave them to their own business. Boomers look out for their own." Except I don't think Mayweather managed to make his case even that well. Given that Mayweather has no valid point, Archer easily overcomes his arguments and makes a stirring, wave-the-flag type speech that leaves Mayweather worshipping his wise and benevolent captain.

*thunk*

Couldn't the writers at least try to give Mayweather a valid argument, and maybe give Ryan an I. Q. at the same time? Honestly, given that the sum total of negative consequences either way, without Archer's interference, would have been either (a) the deaths of some space pirates; or (b) the deaths of a terminally stupid freighter crew that just collectively committed what was surely a criminal offense against Archer, I'm not entirely sure why the captain didn't just leave them to blow each other up.

Bad and boring. I can honestly think of no redeeming features. We didn't even get a cute Porthos bit.


Rating: 1/10.

Previous Episode: Civilization
Next Episode: Cold Front

Search Amazon.com for Star Trek

Review Index

To receive new review updates, follow me:

On BlueSky:

Follow @RandomMusings09 on BlueSky

On Threads:

Follow@randommusings09 on Threads