****
The second season ends with a bang, concluding the crew's efforts to figure out how they fit into the grander scheme by letting them know that they have a long way to go. This is accomplished by kicking off the Xindi arc with a giant swash of Florida being eradicated, and also the last efforts by Duras to gain revenge on Archer, concluding another arc begun in "Judgment."
In a lot of ways, this is Enterprise being Deep Space Nine, having the series steeped in its own mythology. Next Generation started this with "Redemption," which also featured Klingons, and certainly "The Best of Both Worlds," still the most famous but not first appearance of the Borg. Contrary to how much of the preceding season had played out, there's a definite connection to other episodes (another irony of the perception of the season, given that even in the early episodes, there was a link between "Minefield" and "Dead Stop," and Trip references plenty of things we've seen in "Dawn").
Another notable feature of "The Expanse" is its inclusion of the Temporal Cold War arc, which even at this point seems to have been altered from its original conception. Future Guy makes his last appearance of the series, undeniably aiding Archer, as previously suggested for his motives in "Cold Front" from the first season. Rather than a black and white, Silik-is-the-bad-guy/Daniels-is-the-good-guy interpretation that some episodes might have argued (notably "Shockwave," which ambiguously ended the first season and began this one), we have reason to believe after "The Expanse" that it benefits plenty of factions for events to play out as they historically did, rather than be altered.
Which in itself suggests that the whole third season could be redefined as the definitive Temporal Cold War story, even though the familiar players from other stories in the arc are mostly absent (Daniels appears a few times). But that's an argument for another time.
Even if you don't care about that arc, there's plenty to enjoy about the episode. Trip loses his sister in the attack, which is the last push the season gives him for everything that would come, the material that would truly build his enduring legacy. The Xindi crisis itself reflects the 9/11 attacks that had just occurred when the series began, marking the first time Star Trek used contemporary events to inspire an ongoing story (unless you count the other Cold War and the Klingons).
If you don't particularly want to watch this one for all the interseries continuity, it can still be enjoyed as a standout Star Trek adventure.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
John Fleck
Vaughn Armstrong
Gary Graham
Daniel Riordan
James Horan
Daniel Riordan
Memory Alpha summary.
The internet’s only comprehensive fan source for the complete film and television experience.
Showing posts with label Star Trek: Enterprise Season 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Trek: Enterprise Season 2. Show all posts
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Enterprise 2x25 "Bounty"
***
The Klingon arc begun in "Judgment" continues in "Bounty," in which Archer's escape from the penal colony of Rura Penthe finally comes back to haunt him. If that's not interesting enough for you, the episode also features Enterprise's first use of Tellarites, another species first seen in the original series but unused since.
Ah, and if that's not enough for you, T'Pol suffers from pon farr, the Vulcan mating drive famously depicted in "Amok Time" (and Voyager's "Blood Fever"). Like other points where the series depicts something later generations are only just supposed to be learning about, the episode leaves the topic unnamed, and since only Phlox is made aware of her condition, the secret remains pretty safe. In fact, this whole aspect of the episode is better viewed for the sake of Phlox than T'Pol, even though it's about as uncomfortably atypical as "The Breach." This is probably the only time the good doctor would ever be reduced (nearly) completely to comic relief, though some fans thought he reached that point (wrongly) in "A Night in Sickbay" still earlier in the season. It's safe to say that the second season saw a lot of weird things attempted with the character.
Getting back to the main story, it's a lot like "Canamar," which as you'll remember was originally conceived as the ending of "Judgment." This time Archer doesn't attempt to hide his identity, however. It's Archer as he'd come to be known in the Xindi arc of the following season, actually. Like the next (and final) episode of the season, "The Expanse," "Bounty" functions well as a preview of things to come. Tellarites return in the fourth season, so that's another thing you might take away from this episode. They never reach the level of Andorians in the series, but this is a fine starting point for what's done.
Don't think I've overlooked the Klingons! The relevance Klingon element doesn't have to do with Klingons themselves, but rather another actor famous for portraying one making an appearance this season. This time it's Robert O'Reilly, playing a rival to the Tellarite. You know O'Reilly, right? He played Gowron. You'd know his eyes anywhere.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Robert O'Reilly
Memory Alpha summary.
The Klingon arc begun in "Judgment" continues in "Bounty," in which Archer's escape from the penal colony of Rura Penthe finally comes back to haunt him. If that's not interesting enough for you, the episode also features Enterprise's first use of Tellarites, another species first seen in the original series but unused since.
Ah, and if that's not enough for you, T'Pol suffers from pon farr, the Vulcan mating drive famously depicted in "Amok Time" (and Voyager's "Blood Fever"). Like other points where the series depicts something later generations are only just supposed to be learning about, the episode leaves the topic unnamed, and since only Phlox is made aware of her condition, the secret remains pretty safe. In fact, this whole aspect of the episode is better viewed for the sake of Phlox than T'Pol, even though it's about as uncomfortably atypical as "The Breach." This is probably the only time the good doctor would ever be reduced (nearly) completely to comic relief, though some fans thought he reached that point (wrongly) in "A Night in Sickbay" still earlier in the season. It's safe to say that the second season saw a lot of weird things attempted with the character.
Getting back to the main story, it's a lot like "Canamar," which as you'll remember was originally conceived as the ending of "Judgment." This time Archer doesn't attempt to hide his identity, however. It's Archer as he'd come to be known in the Xindi arc of the following season, actually. Like the next (and final) episode of the season, "The Expanse," "Bounty" functions well as a preview of things to come. Tellarites return in the fourth season, so that's another thing you might take away from this episode. They never reach the level of Andorians in the series, but this is a fine starting point for what's done.
Don't think I've overlooked the Klingons! The relevance Klingon element doesn't have to do with Klingons themselves, but rather another actor famous for portraying one making an appearance this season. This time it's Robert O'Reilly, playing a rival to the Tellarite. You know O'Reilly, right? He played Gowron. You'd know his eyes anywhere.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Robert O'Reilly
Memory Alpha summary.
Enterprise 2x24 "First Flight"
****
In a lot of ways, this is a sequel to "Carbon Creek" from earlier in the season. It's a story that Archer tells T'Pol, much as the reverse is true of the other episode. Anyone who still believes that Enterprise's second season was pretty random will hopefully have one less reason to think so.
It's also a love letter to NASA, something Star Trek had done before in Voyager's "One Small Step." At a time when the US space program was already in a decline and only a few months after the Columbia tragedy, it perhaps is appropriate that Star Trek did so again.
It's also a rare flashback in franchise lore. Deep Space Nine did it with Odo and Kira, but for the most part the past was at best something characters only talked about. "First Flight" presents Archer's efforts to get his father's warp engine approved for deep space travel, as well as his rivalry with A.G. Robinson, whose death in the present is the impetus for the occasion.
In a lot of ways, it's the episode fans had been waiting for from the start, dealing with Vulcans actively discouraging human technological advances. Archer meets Trip for the first time during the depicted events, so it's an origin story in several regards. Anyone still wondering just how perfectly the second season treated Trip must also view this episode as proof. He serves as an excellent counterpoint to Archer, even though they eventually conspire in the same test flight that gets Starfleet the mandate to reach "Broken Bow" (the series pilot), even if it nearly grounds the program in the process.
If you view only one episode from the season, "First Flight" should probably be that episode. It's a perfect example of Enterprise at its finest, and is a worthy induction into the new classics of the franchise.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Keith Carradine
Memory Alpha summary.
In a lot of ways, this is a sequel to "Carbon Creek" from earlier in the season. It's a story that Archer tells T'Pol, much as the reverse is true of the other episode. Anyone who still believes that Enterprise's second season was pretty random will hopefully have one less reason to think so.
It's also a love letter to NASA, something Star Trek had done before in Voyager's "One Small Step." At a time when the US space program was already in a decline and only a few months after the Columbia tragedy, it perhaps is appropriate that Star Trek did so again.
It's also a rare flashback in franchise lore. Deep Space Nine did it with Odo and Kira, but for the most part the past was at best something characters only talked about. "First Flight" presents Archer's efforts to get his father's warp engine approved for deep space travel, as well as his rivalry with A.G. Robinson, whose death in the present is the impetus for the occasion.
In a lot of ways, it's the episode fans had been waiting for from the start, dealing with Vulcans actively discouraging human technological advances. Archer meets Trip for the first time during the depicted events, so it's an origin story in several regards. Anyone still wondering just how perfectly the second season treated Trip must also view this episode as proof. He serves as an excellent counterpoint to Archer, even though they eventually conspire in the same test flight that gets Starfleet the mandate to reach "Broken Bow" (the series pilot), even if it nearly grounds the program in the process.
If you view only one episode from the season, "First Flight" should probably be that episode. It's a perfect example of Enterprise at its finest, and is a worthy induction into the new classics of the franchise.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Keith Carradine
Memory Alpha summary.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Enterprise 2x23 "Regeneration"
*
It's something of a pity that a season that has really started to get a good sense of what it was doing so well ended up doing an episode that was pretty much exactly what Enterprise detractors had been saying the series was doing all along, a fairly unnecessarily indulgent look at established franchise lore.
There are certainly justifications, though they may be too subtle to appreciate for what they are. The detractors loved to say that Enterprise constantly risked contradicting canon by visiting certain elements that were historically known to not be known at this point in the timeline. The series had already danced around Ferengi and Romulans at this point, but "Regeneration" features the Borg, who famously catch Picard by complete surprise a long way off in the future.
Fans who don't worry about such things know that there are several clever things done in the episode. One is that it's basically a sequel to First Contact. The other is that it also provides the source of the Borg Collective's obsession with humanity.
Other than that, it seems like an excuse to feature the Borg again. Fans grew tired of them after Voyager used the Collective in countless stories. This is not to say that the Borg are not inherently still fascinating, but that many fans began to lose sight of their appeal, weakening "Regeneration"'s at least initial impact. The episode is also fairly generic in its storytelling, even if we get some updated perspective on their tech.
It's not bad but it's also not amazing, and sometimes the Borg just need to be amazing. That's the only real problem here.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Bonita Friedericy (wife of "Phlox" John Billingsley)
Memory Alpha summary.
It's something of a pity that a season that has really started to get a good sense of what it was doing so well ended up doing an episode that was pretty much exactly what Enterprise detractors had been saying the series was doing all along, a fairly unnecessarily indulgent look at established franchise lore.
There are certainly justifications, though they may be too subtle to appreciate for what they are. The detractors loved to say that Enterprise constantly risked contradicting canon by visiting certain elements that were historically known to not be known at this point in the timeline. The series had already danced around Ferengi and Romulans at this point, but "Regeneration" features the Borg, who famously catch Picard by complete surprise a long way off in the future.
Fans who don't worry about such things know that there are several clever things done in the episode. One is that it's basically a sequel to First Contact. The other is that it also provides the source of the Borg Collective's obsession with humanity.
Other than that, it seems like an excuse to feature the Borg again. Fans grew tired of them after Voyager used the Collective in countless stories. This is not to say that the Borg are not inherently still fascinating, but that many fans began to lose sight of their appeal, weakening "Regeneration"'s at least initial impact. The episode is also fairly generic in its storytelling, even if we get some updated perspective on their tech.
It's not bad but it's also not amazing, and sometimes the Borg just need to be amazing. That's the only real problem here.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Bonita Friedericy (wife of "Phlox" John Billingsley)
Memory Alpha summary.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Enterprise 2x22 "Cogenitor"
****
Characters in Star Trek have certainly screwed up before. In Enterprise alone half the premise is pretty much predicated on everyone screwing up at one point or another as they try to figure out how to set the standards established as a matter of course in other incarnations.
But "Cogenitor" is probably the be-all-and-end-all of screw-ups. Naturally it features second-half-of-the-second-season-all-star Trip Tucker, in the episode that solidifies that role. It's the last time in the series, actually, where one of Trip's spotlights does not focus on something about him other than his personality and apparent bad instincts, probably because the writers no longer have any doubt after it that he's the breakout star of the series.
Before we get to that, let's just get out of the way another of Enterprise's efforts to make a franchise reprise of some of its most notable actors. This time it's Andreas Katsulas, who famously played Picard's Romulan counterpart Tomalak (although he's better known as G'Kar in Babylon 5). He gets to spend a lot of genial time with Archer in a first contact situation that's one of the best this crew has experienced.
Except for Trip's actions.
Several times in the course of the series alien species truly get to be alien, meaning that they have noticeable characteristics other than their appearance that makes them alien. While it's happened in other incarnations, there's a more pronounced effort in Enterprise, even if it happens in an alien-of-the-week context most of the time. Here it's a species that has three distinct genders. Trip gets his knickers in a bind when he decides for himself that the third one is being unfairly exploited and limited in its potential. He meets a couple who are trying to conceive, and so they have one of the eponymous members of this gender accompanying them. He becomes intrigued by this individual.
And he screws up big time. You can imagine what happens next. Riker did basically the same thing in "The Outcast," but where that episode used Riker in a fairly uncomfortable representation of his latent Kirk ladies man mode, Trip is Trip in "Cogenitor," a fallible human who probably thinks too much for his own good, the version of Archer who would've made the Vulcans even more uncomfortable (but who is ironically revealed to help the future captain get his father's engine working in "First Flight" two episodes later). He's everything that Enterprise was supposed to be, and gets to be it for four seasons, warts and all.
Whereas most episodes like this end up being about the issues they were engineered to explore, "Cogenitor" is best viewed for its featured character, and that's the true strength of Trip, that he could make something like that happen. That's how he gets one of his bona fide Star Trek classic episodes.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Andreas Katsulas
F.J. Rio
Memory Alpha summary.
Characters in Star Trek have certainly screwed up before. In Enterprise alone half the premise is pretty much predicated on everyone screwing up at one point or another as they try to figure out how to set the standards established as a matter of course in other incarnations.
But "Cogenitor" is probably the be-all-and-end-all of screw-ups. Naturally it features second-half-of-the-second-season-all-star Trip Tucker, in the episode that solidifies that role. It's the last time in the series, actually, where one of Trip's spotlights does not focus on something about him other than his personality and apparent bad instincts, probably because the writers no longer have any doubt after it that he's the breakout star of the series.
Before we get to that, let's just get out of the way another of Enterprise's efforts to make a franchise reprise of some of its most notable actors. This time it's Andreas Katsulas, who famously played Picard's Romulan counterpart Tomalak (although he's better known as G'Kar in Babylon 5). He gets to spend a lot of genial time with Archer in a first contact situation that's one of the best this crew has experienced.
Except for Trip's actions.
Several times in the course of the series alien species truly get to be alien, meaning that they have noticeable characteristics other than their appearance that makes them alien. While it's happened in other incarnations, there's a more pronounced effort in Enterprise, even if it happens in an alien-of-the-week context most of the time. Here it's a species that has three distinct genders. Trip gets his knickers in a bind when he decides for himself that the third one is being unfairly exploited and limited in its potential. He meets a couple who are trying to conceive, and so they have one of the eponymous members of this gender accompanying them. He becomes intrigued by this individual.
And he screws up big time. You can imagine what happens next. Riker did basically the same thing in "The Outcast," but where that episode used Riker in a fairly uncomfortable representation of his latent Kirk ladies man mode, Trip is Trip in "Cogenitor," a fallible human who probably thinks too much for his own good, the version of Archer who would've made the Vulcans even more uncomfortable (but who is ironically revealed to help the future captain get his father's engine working in "First Flight" two episodes later). He's everything that Enterprise was supposed to be, and gets to be it for four seasons, warts and all.
Whereas most episodes like this end up being about the issues they were engineered to explore, "Cogenitor" is best viewed for its featured character, and that's the true strength of Trip, that he could make something like that happen. That's how he gets one of his bona fide Star Trek classic episodes.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Andreas Katsulas
F.J. Rio
Memory Alpha summary.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Enterprise 2x21 "The Breach"
**
Very much like the Voyager episode "Jetrel," we learn a disturbing history behind a species we've basically just come to know. Unlike the Talaxians being victims in that instance, Denobulans are the villains as featured in the revelations of "The Breach."
Unfortunately, Enterprise never got around to exploring Denobulans, the race of Dr. Phlox, too extensively, so this remains one of the signature expositions for them. As in "Jetrel," much of the episode is a reluctant dialogue between representatives of two species who were once at violent war with each other. In the one positive note of this exchange, it's never exaggerated to anything other than the doctor-patient relationship that it begins as.
The main benefit is learning a little more about Phlox's family. Earlier in the season we learned that he doesn't have the best relations with all his children, and here we learn why. It's a sobering spotlight for a character who often served either as comic relief or a voice of reason, perhaps more somber than is enjoyable, considering that when utilized Phlox was always among the best assets of the series. Like Mayweather before him, perhaps the wrong lessons were taken from the learning steps of Phlox's episodes from the early seasons. Instead of taking his place as the featured character he deserved to become, the good doctor became a thoroughly supporting character. It's not hard to view "The Breach" as a reason why.
On the plus side, the B-story does allow Denobulans to show a more positive and typically eccentric side, as some of the crew attempts to rescue some scientists from a tricky spot. It's an odd mix, but it counts as a thoroughly Denobulan affair, and this is the only episode that can say that.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Very much like the Voyager episode "Jetrel," we learn a disturbing history behind a species we've basically just come to know. Unlike the Talaxians being victims in that instance, Denobulans are the villains as featured in the revelations of "The Breach."
Unfortunately, Enterprise never got around to exploring Denobulans, the race of Dr. Phlox, too extensively, so this remains one of the signature expositions for them. As in "Jetrel," much of the episode is a reluctant dialogue between representatives of two species who were once at violent war with each other. In the one positive note of this exchange, it's never exaggerated to anything other than the doctor-patient relationship that it begins as.
The main benefit is learning a little more about Phlox's family. Earlier in the season we learned that he doesn't have the best relations with all his children, and here we learn why. It's a sobering spotlight for a character who often served either as comic relief or a voice of reason, perhaps more somber than is enjoyable, considering that when utilized Phlox was always among the best assets of the series. Like Mayweather before him, perhaps the wrong lessons were taken from the learning steps of Phlox's episodes from the early seasons. Instead of taking his place as the featured character he deserved to become, the good doctor became a thoroughly supporting character. It's not hard to view "The Breach" as a reason why.
On the plus side, the B-story does allow Denobulans to show a more positive and typically eccentric side, as some of the crew attempts to rescue some scientists from a tricky spot. It's an odd mix, but it counts as a thoroughly Denobulan affair, and this is the only episode that can say that.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Enterprise 2x20 "Horizon"
***
It's absolutely true that Travis Mayweather was the least utilized of any series regular in a Star Trek since the original series, where Sulu and Uhura especially were used mostly as window dressing, and Chekov mostly for Russian anecdotes. It got to a point where fans joked that he could be played by a cardboard cutout with equal effectiveness to actor Anthony Montgomery.
This became true mostly in the last two seasons. As point of fact, he got a spotlight episode in each of the first two seasons. Yes, faint praise to a certain extent. As I understand it, half the character's potential was pulled out from under him when it was determined his own backstory worked against the concept of the series. Mayweather was a Boomer, part of the human space experience that lived on starships before Starfleet made it routine. Of course, Enterprise was all about the formative development of Starfleet, pushing the boundaries of human space experience.
In short, being a Boomer meant becoming obsolete. Mayweather joined Starfleet to be a part of this development. His old colleagues and family didn't uniformly see that as a good thing. "Horizon" is all about this conflict, brought to a point when news reaches Mayweather that his father has died. Like the rest of the latter half of the second season, the episode serves as a status marker, showing how far things have developed, this time from the perspective of the pilot who was the most natural spaceman in Archer's crew.
I always wished the character would receive more material. I'll admit to being fascinated by the potential of the Boomers to offer a commentary on Starfleet. Unlike the show's creators, I still thought there was a chance that Mayweather's Boomers roots could provide insight into developments well past the second season. I assume this didn't happen mostly because the writers found other things more interesting to them.
"Horizon" doesn't make Mayweather out to be a hidden treasure of the series, but at least an underappreciated one. I would argue that there was a lot of worth to having a recognizable character lace his way through the series, regardless of how much material he got. He was still more important and distinguished than Sulu or Uhura. Other incarnations made use of their casts to varying degrees of effectiveness. Mayweather rates below all of them, but he still leaves an impression. An episode like "Horizon" is like a reward for noticing him at all. You're a true fan of the series if you appreciate this one.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
It's absolutely true that Travis Mayweather was the least utilized of any series regular in a Star Trek since the original series, where Sulu and Uhura especially were used mostly as window dressing, and Chekov mostly for Russian anecdotes. It got to a point where fans joked that he could be played by a cardboard cutout with equal effectiveness to actor Anthony Montgomery.
This became true mostly in the last two seasons. As point of fact, he got a spotlight episode in each of the first two seasons. Yes, faint praise to a certain extent. As I understand it, half the character's potential was pulled out from under him when it was determined his own backstory worked against the concept of the series. Mayweather was a Boomer, part of the human space experience that lived on starships before Starfleet made it routine. Of course, Enterprise was all about the formative development of Starfleet, pushing the boundaries of human space experience.
In short, being a Boomer meant becoming obsolete. Mayweather joined Starfleet to be a part of this development. His old colleagues and family didn't uniformly see that as a good thing. "Horizon" is all about this conflict, brought to a point when news reaches Mayweather that his father has died. Like the rest of the latter half of the second season, the episode serves as a status marker, showing how far things have developed, this time from the perspective of the pilot who was the most natural spaceman in Archer's crew.
I always wished the character would receive more material. I'll admit to being fascinated by the potential of the Boomers to offer a commentary on Starfleet. Unlike the show's creators, I still thought there was a chance that Mayweather's Boomers roots could provide insight into developments well past the second season. I assume this didn't happen mostly because the writers found other things more interesting to them.
"Horizon" doesn't make Mayweather out to be a hidden treasure of the series, but at least an underappreciated one. I would argue that there was a lot of worth to having a recognizable character lace his way through the series, regardless of how much material he got. He was still more important and distinguished than Sulu or Uhura. Other incarnations made use of their casts to varying degrees of effectiveness. Mayweather rates below all of them, but he still leaves an impression. An episode like "Horizon" is like a reward for noticing him at all. You're a true fan of the series if you appreciate this one.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Enterprise 2x19 "Judgment"
****
Sometimes fans of something don't seem to appreciate the benefits of being, y'know, a fan. Perhaps they forget that "fan" is short for "fanatic."
I mention this because fans are supposed to be the ones who appreciate what fans will gleam from regularly enjoying something. Too often in this magnified age of fan interaction, they end up rejecting what they seem to enjoy precisely because of that familiarity. I know, I'm still confused by that myself.
What I'm still driving at is the appreciation of patterns. Star Trek has always been about enjoying patterns. The original series was littered with patterns. It's nature of episodic television, what makes a procedural franchise possible. Even when Star Trek doesn't follow the episodic format, there are still established elements that resonate through each incarnation.
I'm not even talking about that. "Judgment" is a little more fundamental than that. This episode of Enterprise calls to mind a specific sequence from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released some twenty years before the episode originally aired. "Judgment," to be specific, features a return to the Klingon tribunal Kirk and Bones once got to enjoy, as well as the same result, a sentencing to the ice planet penal colony Rura Penthe.
If that weren't enough, it also guest-stars J.G. Hertzler, playing a Klingon defense attorney. Hertzler famously played Martok, who eventually became the Klingon chancellor in Deep Space Nine. Although he only appeared in the last few seasons Martok quickly became one of that show's most memorable recurring characters.
And in that weren't enough, "Judgment" also features the first chronological appearance of a character named Duras (infamous from The Next Generation and a pair of sisters who survived two TV series but not their first movie appearance, Star Trek Generations).
It's as if the whole episode were constructed in order for me to make this point. Enterprise was always about celebrating the legacy of the franchise. This may be the most resonant statement of that aspect of the series.
Anyway, the unfortunate dude at the Klingon tribunal this time is Archer, and he easily and confidently carries the episode, holding his own even as Hertzler is, well, Hertzler, actually making the case that not all Klingons are warriors (it's true!).
So yes, on the one hand you can watch "Judgment" for the novelty of revisiting something from one of the movies that fans generally like, or for Hertzler, or for Klingons in general (this is their best appearance in the series), or simply for the fact that it at last grounds the season in ways prior episodes, even "Cease Fire" with the Andorians and Vulcans, tried their best to do, establishing how far Archer has gotten and how far he still needs to go. There's a string of episodes that continues the story, by the way, straight into the Xindi arc that envelopes the next season, so those fans who like Star Trek to be more serialized won't be disappointed, and neither will those who like it episodic. It works every way you like, and beyond that. It's meta Star Trek, but it doesn't lose sight of telling an interesting, compelling story.
In short, there's little wrong in loving this one.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
J.G. Hertzler
Daniel Riordan
Memory Alpha summary.
Sometimes fans of something don't seem to appreciate the benefits of being, y'know, a fan. Perhaps they forget that "fan" is short for "fanatic."
I mention this because fans are supposed to be the ones who appreciate what fans will gleam from regularly enjoying something. Too often in this magnified age of fan interaction, they end up rejecting what they seem to enjoy precisely because of that familiarity. I know, I'm still confused by that myself.
What I'm still driving at is the appreciation of patterns. Star Trek has always been about enjoying patterns. The original series was littered with patterns. It's nature of episodic television, what makes a procedural franchise possible. Even when Star Trek doesn't follow the episodic format, there are still established elements that resonate through each incarnation.
I'm not even talking about that. "Judgment" is a little more fundamental than that. This episode of Enterprise calls to mind a specific sequence from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released some twenty years before the episode originally aired. "Judgment," to be specific, features a return to the Klingon tribunal Kirk and Bones once got to enjoy, as well as the same result, a sentencing to the ice planet penal colony Rura Penthe.
If that weren't enough, it also guest-stars J.G. Hertzler, playing a Klingon defense attorney. Hertzler famously played Martok, who eventually became the Klingon chancellor in Deep Space Nine. Although he only appeared in the last few seasons Martok quickly became one of that show's most memorable recurring characters.
And in that weren't enough, "Judgment" also features the first chronological appearance of a character named Duras (infamous from The Next Generation and a pair of sisters who survived two TV series but not their first movie appearance, Star Trek Generations).
It's as if the whole episode were constructed in order for me to make this point. Enterprise was always about celebrating the legacy of the franchise. This may be the most resonant statement of that aspect of the series.
Anyway, the unfortunate dude at the Klingon tribunal this time is Archer, and he easily and confidently carries the episode, holding his own even as Hertzler is, well, Hertzler, actually making the case that not all Klingons are warriors (it's true!).
So yes, on the one hand you can watch "Judgment" for the novelty of revisiting something from one of the movies that fans generally like, or for Hertzler, or for Klingons in general (this is their best appearance in the series), or simply for the fact that it at last grounds the season in ways prior episodes, even "Cease Fire" with the Andorians and Vulcans, tried their best to do, establishing how far Archer has gotten and how far he still needs to go. There's a string of episodes that continues the story, by the way, straight into the Xindi arc that envelopes the next season, so those fans who like Star Trek to be more serialized won't be disappointed, and neither will those who like it episodic. It works every way you like, and beyond that. It's meta Star Trek, but it doesn't lose sight of telling an interesting, compelling story.
In short, there's little wrong in loving this one.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
J.G. Hertzler
Daniel Riordan
Memory Alpha summary.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Enterprise 2x18 "The Crossing"
*
This was originally an episode that I figured you could skip if you were so inclined, with nothing but fairly generic material contained. On the one hand, it could have been rated as something fans of the franchise might watch, as it contains thematic elements featured in various incarnations of Star Trek, including non-corporeal beings and crew possession. If that's your bag then you might still consider that a reason to watch.
Yet "The Crossing" might be considered equally for partisans of Trip Tucker, who's the nominal lead character of the episode, even though most of his scenes are under the influence and control of the wisp beings who flit about the ship and spend moments with several other characters. It's a fine performance among many fine performances from Connor Trinneer (I don't reference actors by name too often in these recaps, so that may mean something), already at this point in the season well on his way to establishing him the most important if not simply breakout star of the series (although his career since Enterprise has been pretty nonexistent, which is horrible). It's a rare chance for Trip to be on the other side of the mischief he's more usually instigating himself, as different from "Unexpected" (in which he famously gets pregnant) as you can get.
But you can also watch it simply as an ensemble piece, something that's always fun with these characters. It's fun with any cast, but these ones in particular are good at maintaining a sense of continuity and purpose even when the situation doesn't really go anywhere as far as character growth goes. If Star Trek had ever considered simply hanging out with a set of characters, this would have been the cast to do it with.
There you have it, then, three different reasons to care about an episode that might've been skipped under a different set of criteria. It's not earth-shattering, but it's worth a look.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
This was originally an episode that I figured you could skip if you were so inclined, with nothing but fairly generic material contained. On the one hand, it could have been rated as something fans of the franchise might watch, as it contains thematic elements featured in various incarnations of Star Trek, including non-corporeal beings and crew possession. If that's your bag then you might still consider that a reason to watch.
Yet "The Crossing" might be considered equally for partisans of Trip Tucker, who's the nominal lead character of the episode, even though most of his scenes are under the influence and control of the wisp beings who flit about the ship and spend moments with several other characters. It's a fine performance among many fine performances from Connor Trinneer (I don't reference actors by name too often in these recaps, so that may mean something), already at this point in the season well on his way to establishing him the most important if not simply breakout star of the series (although his career since Enterprise has been pretty nonexistent, which is horrible). It's a rare chance for Trip to be on the other side of the mischief he's more usually instigating himself, as different from "Unexpected" (in which he famously gets pregnant) as you can get.
But you can also watch it simply as an ensemble piece, something that's always fun with these characters. It's fun with any cast, but these ones in particular are good at maintaining a sense of continuity and purpose even when the situation doesn't really go anywhere as far as character growth goes. If Star Trek had ever considered simply hanging out with a set of characters, this would have been the cast to do it with.
There you have it, then, three different reasons to care about an episode that might've been skipped under a different set of criteria. It's not earth-shattering, but it's worth a look.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Enterprise 2x17 "Canamar"
*
"Canamar" is on the whole a pretty fun episode, although it's probably best recommended to fans who already like Enterprise, even though it's of no great importance to appreciating the overall series.
Apparently it was inspired by the later episode "Judgment," spun off from events that involved Archer becoming a prisoner of the Klingons (which itself served as a mini-arc at the end of the season). You should understand, however, that "Canamar" has nothing to do with "Judgment" otherwise, only the inspiration for the story, in which Archer and Trip find themselves prisoners of an alien culture. Come to think of it, there are plenty of episodes like this in other incarnations of Star Trek (another recurring theme in the writing room, I guess), although I stick by my assessment that you can probably get by on the minimal recommendation for the episode (that's what one out of three key elements listed at the top of every episode summary gets you, which in this ranking system is one out of four stars, and still means it's worth your attention).
The reason I rate "Canamar" for series rather than franchise is because, along with just about every other episode from the second season, it marks a clear progression in Archer's ability to make decisions for himself. As in elsewhere from the season, it's his ability to bluff that is again tested, and like in "The Communicator" Archer decides playing the bad guy is easier than being the good guy (which he is), especially since that image is more expedient to the face on the other side of the metaphorical poker table.
In this instance, he and Trip are onboard a transport ship filled with other individuals deemed to be criminals by an alien species. I guess this happens even when Starfleet is generally well-known, but it's easier for a ship in the Enterprise's circumstances (similar to Voyager's) for the uniform and reputation to mean nothing. The problems actually develop after Archer's innocence is cleared and he's free to go, because a mutiny breaks out and Archer then has to survive his own get-out-of-jail-free card, by aligning himself with the chief antagonist.
Now, it's true that Trip is also featured in this episode, but he's more the B-level protagonist. Archer gets the most interesting material, which is fine.
Now, all that being said, I wonder if it wouldn't have been more interesting as part of the Klingon arc at the end of the season. I know there are fans who prefer their Star Trek to be the traditional episodic material featured heavily in the original series and other incarnations, but I think it could have worked better if integrated back into the original source material. Still, I guess there's another episode that more or less covers the same material within that arc (we'll reach it soon enough). The choice is ultimately yours how much you take from "Canamar." See how accommodating I am?
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
"Canamar" is on the whole a pretty fun episode, although it's probably best recommended to fans who already like Enterprise, even though it's of no great importance to appreciating the overall series.
Apparently it was inspired by the later episode "Judgment," spun off from events that involved Archer becoming a prisoner of the Klingons (which itself served as a mini-arc at the end of the season). You should understand, however, that "Canamar" has nothing to do with "Judgment" otherwise, only the inspiration for the story, in which Archer and Trip find themselves prisoners of an alien culture. Come to think of it, there are plenty of episodes like this in other incarnations of Star Trek (another recurring theme in the writing room, I guess), although I stick by my assessment that you can probably get by on the minimal recommendation for the episode (that's what one out of three key elements listed at the top of every episode summary gets you, which in this ranking system is one out of four stars, and still means it's worth your attention).
The reason I rate "Canamar" for series rather than franchise is because, along with just about every other episode from the second season, it marks a clear progression in Archer's ability to make decisions for himself. As in elsewhere from the season, it's his ability to bluff that is again tested, and like in "The Communicator" Archer decides playing the bad guy is easier than being the good guy (which he is), especially since that image is more expedient to the face on the other side of the metaphorical poker table.
In this instance, he and Trip are onboard a transport ship filled with other individuals deemed to be criminals by an alien species. I guess this happens even when Starfleet is generally well-known, but it's easier for a ship in the Enterprise's circumstances (similar to Voyager's) for the uniform and reputation to mean nothing. The problems actually develop after Archer's innocence is cleared and he's free to go, because a mutiny breaks out and Archer then has to survive his own get-out-of-jail-free card, by aligning himself with the chief antagonist.
Now, it's true that Trip is also featured in this episode, but he's more the B-level protagonist. Archer gets the most interesting material, which is fine.
Now, all that being said, I wonder if it wouldn't have been more interesting as part of the Klingon arc at the end of the season. I know there are fans who prefer their Star Trek to be the traditional episodic material featured heavily in the original series and other incarnations, but I think it could have worked better if integrated back into the original source material. Still, I guess there's another episode that more or less covers the same material within that arc (we'll reach it soon enough). The choice is ultimately yours how much you take from "Canamar." See how accommodating I am?
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Enterprise 2x16 "Future Tense"
***
After the first season episode "Cold Front," this is the best episode from Enterprise's Temporal Cold War arc. It's also the only one not to feature Silik, Daniels, or Future Guy.
That may be why it's so intriguing. Sometimes the arc could seem like it was only there to tease Archer's role in founding the Federation, especially during the third season (the fourth season dumped the arc almost unceremoniously in the two-part premiere). "Shockwave," the season finale/premiere that kicked off the second season, was an opportunity to truly exploit something that had been planted in the pilot, "Broken Bow," but instead was a fairly generic affair that didn't truly explore the potential of the big concept of a war waged across time. That's what made "Cold Front" so intriguing, two agents (Silik and Daniels) dueling with Archer caught in the middle.
"Future Tense" is all about a ship Archer stumbles across and tries to figure out. Sure, the Suliban appear and duel the Tholians (first franchise appearance since the original series, and a precursor to their later appearance in the fourth season Mirror Universe adventure), but the episode is really about exploring the full potential of the Temporal Cold War, especially as it concerns someone who has no idea what's going on, has been caught in the crossfire several times, and would like to finally get some answers. That someone would be Archer. In a sense, "Future Tense" is the last episode you really need to see concerning the arc. It's the one time everything revolves around decisions Archer himself can make. Otherwise you might consider "Detained" the other essential byproduct of the arc, in which the Suliban are explored outside the scope of the arc.
Another interesting element of the episode is the body inside the ship. There's some funny talk about Vulcan-human compatibility, because DNA from both species is found in the body's genes, funny because it seems implausible to these characters, but walks and talks just fine a century later as Spock, not to mention the more sober events from the fourth season. Archer also speculates before anything is known about it that the body might be that of Zephram Cochrane, whose history in Star Trek is more complicated than merely being the inventor of humanity's warp engine. In the original series episode "Metamorphosis," the fact of his having gone missing is finally solved, but at the point of Enterprise is still a great mystery, greater still for his being so central to recent human history. The mating element is an example of the episode being a tad hokey. The Cochrane element is an example of the episode being clever. That's the benefit of being a prequel series. You can have it both ways.
There's also a sequence of repeating time, something that's been done before in Star Trek (the Next Generation episode "Cause and Effect"). It's kept to a minimum but's still another pleasure of the episode. Good fun over all.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Memory Alpha summary.
Star Trek The Next Generation Phaser Toy Gun (Google Affiliate Ad)
After the first season episode "Cold Front," this is the best episode from Enterprise's Temporal Cold War arc. It's also the only one not to feature Silik, Daniels, or Future Guy.
That may be why it's so intriguing. Sometimes the arc could seem like it was only there to tease Archer's role in founding the Federation, especially during the third season (the fourth season dumped the arc almost unceremoniously in the two-part premiere). "Shockwave," the season finale/premiere that kicked off the second season, was an opportunity to truly exploit something that had been planted in the pilot, "Broken Bow," but instead was a fairly generic affair that didn't truly explore the potential of the big concept of a war waged across time. That's what made "Cold Front" so intriguing, two agents (Silik and Daniels) dueling with Archer caught in the middle.
"Future Tense" is all about a ship Archer stumbles across and tries to figure out. Sure, the Suliban appear and duel the Tholians (first franchise appearance since the original series, and a precursor to their later appearance in the fourth season Mirror Universe adventure), but the episode is really about exploring the full potential of the Temporal Cold War, especially as it concerns someone who has no idea what's going on, has been caught in the crossfire several times, and would like to finally get some answers. That someone would be Archer. In a sense, "Future Tense" is the last episode you really need to see concerning the arc. It's the one time everything revolves around decisions Archer himself can make. Otherwise you might consider "Detained" the other essential byproduct of the arc, in which the Suliban are explored outside the scope of the arc.
Another interesting element of the episode is the body inside the ship. There's some funny talk about Vulcan-human compatibility, because DNA from both species is found in the body's genes, funny because it seems implausible to these characters, but walks and talks just fine a century later as Spock, not to mention the more sober events from the fourth season. Archer also speculates before anything is known about it that the body might be that of Zephram Cochrane, whose history in Star Trek is more complicated than merely being the inventor of humanity's warp engine. In the original series episode "Metamorphosis," the fact of his having gone missing is finally solved, but at the point of Enterprise is still a great mystery, greater still for his being so central to recent human history. The mating element is an example of the episode being a tad hokey. The Cochrane element is an example of the episode being clever. That's the benefit of being a prequel series. You can have it both ways.
There's also a sequence of repeating time, something that's been done before in Star Trek (the Next Generation episode "Cause and Effect"). It's kept to a minimum but's still another pleasure of the episode. Good fun over all.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Vaughn Armstrong
Memory Alpha summary.
Star Trek The Next Generation Phaser Toy Gun (Google Affiliate Ad)
Monday, October 29, 2012
Enterprise 2x15 "Cease Fire"
***
Perhaps the most curious development of the second season was that Shran only appeared once. A big part of what helped spark the first season creatively was his initial appearance in "The Andorian Incident" and then return in "Shadows of P'Jem." It wasn't just that Andorians returned to the franchise for the first time since the original series, but that Shran was a significant new character (portrayed by a significant guest actor, no less, Jeffrey Combs).
His appearances also provided Enterprise with the kind of light continuity that balanced the expectations of fans who'd grown to enjoy that sort of thing in Deep Space Nine (and other genre shows such as Babylon 5) and what Star Trek fans knew from other incarnations. By the time of the second season with its new approach, the crew stumbling along on its own in uncharted territory, bringing Shran back was a crucial proposition, especially the manner of which he appeared. "Cease Fire" is less about Shran, actually, and more about Vulcan-Andorian relations, which was ostensibly what the prior episodes centered on, even though Shran stole both of them.
To see him sort of take a back seat to the interspecies conflict is softened a little by the appearance of another veteran guest actor, Suzie Plakson (please don't make me tell you who she's famous for portraying, because it will only make us both look bad). The whole episode is filled with familiar faces, actually, something that was rare for the second season, with appearances by Admiral Forrest and Soval as well. In the first season there wasn't much reason to like Soval. "Cease Fire" is also notable in that it presents a different side of him as well.
Part of the point of the episode is also that Archer unwittingly stumbles into a role that he's destined to fill, and the timing of it is another indication of the deliberate shape of the season. The events of the previous season have almost become a distant memory. The second season to this point had avoided the familiar while making subtle moves at some of the more procedural developments later generations would take for granted. The relationships Archer previously formed now come back in new and important ways. Soval doesn't trust him. Shran does. To put Archer in the middle of them at the negotiating table puts all of them in a new light. Archer benefits from being able to provide a fresh perspective. Soval finds this refreshing, especially since he and every other Vulcan (except T'Pol) finds Archer to be the epitome of humanity, young and naive and hopelessly useless. "Cease Fire" is the first time he is anything but in their eyes. And for Shran, it's the first time his relationship with Archer truly proves beneficial.
It's not a monumental moment, like "The Andorian Incident," but it's an episode the second season needed, the series needed, and even the franchise benefited from. You can skip it, but you won't regret paying attention.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jeffrey Combs
Gary Graham
Christopher Shea
Vaughn Armstrong
Suzie Plakson
Memory Alpha summary.
Perhaps the most curious development of the second season was that Shran only appeared once. A big part of what helped spark the first season creatively was his initial appearance in "The Andorian Incident" and then return in "Shadows of P'Jem." It wasn't just that Andorians returned to the franchise for the first time since the original series, but that Shran was a significant new character (portrayed by a significant guest actor, no less, Jeffrey Combs).
His appearances also provided Enterprise with the kind of light continuity that balanced the expectations of fans who'd grown to enjoy that sort of thing in Deep Space Nine (and other genre shows such as Babylon 5) and what Star Trek fans knew from other incarnations. By the time of the second season with its new approach, the crew stumbling along on its own in uncharted territory, bringing Shran back was a crucial proposition, especially the manner of which he appeared. "Cease Fire" is less about Shran, actually, and more about Vulcan-Andorian relations, which was ostensibly what the prior episodes centered on, even though Shran stole both of them.
To see him sort of take a back seat to the interspecies conflict is softened a little by the appearance of another veteran guest actor, Suzie Plakson (please don't make me tell you who she's famous for portraying, because it will only make us both look bad). The whole episode is filled with familiar faces, actually, something that was rare for the second season, with appearances by Admiral Forrest and Soval as well. In the first season there wasn't much reason to like Soval. "Cease Fire" is also notable in that it presents a different side of him as well.
Part of the point of the episode is also that Archer unwittingly stumbles into a role that he's destined to fill, and the timing of it is another indication of the deliberate shape of the season. The events of the previous season have almost become a distant memory. The second season to this point had avoided the familiar while making subtle moves at some of the more procedural developments later generations would take for granted. The relationships Archer previously formed now come back in new and important ways. Soval doesn't trust him. Shran does. To put Archer in the middle of them at the negotiating table puts all of them in a new light. Archer benefits from being able to provide a fresh perspective. Soval finds this refreshing, especially since he and every other Vulcan (except T'Pol) finds Archer to be the epitome of humanity, young and naive and hopelessly useless. "Cease Fire" is the first time he is anything but in their eyes. And for Shran, it's the first time his relationship with Archer truly proves beneficial.
It's not a monumental moment, like "The Andorian Incident," but it's an episode the second season needed, the series needed, and even the franchise benefited from. You can skip it, but you won't regret paying attention.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Jeffrey Combs
Gary Graham
Christopher Shea
Vaughn Armstrong
Suzie Plakson
Memory Alpha summary.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Enterprise 2x14 "Stigma"
****
Paying off from the first season episode "Fusion" as well as touching on real world and fictional topics of great significance, "Stigma" is a standout for any number of reasons.
For one, it's the AIDS episode, which garnered Enterprise a fair amount of publicity at the time, a classic Star Trek social metaphor entry that deals with one of the worst health epidemics of our time. Formerly one of the things the franchise was best known for, I think awareness and appreciation for it diminished a great deal during the period where fans started to embrace other genre properties and leave Star Trek behind, one of the reasons ratings and interest declined to the point of the first cancellation in forty years. For that reason alone, "Stigma" is a wonderful reminder of the potential of the franchise to create drama that's not only interesting but topical.
But keeps it grounded in Star Trek, however, is the episode's Vulcan elements. "Stigma" is a mind meld episode. In the original series mind melds were synonymous with Spock and by extension all Vulcans. I think one of the ways Enterprise offended some fans was by suggesting such a strongly established trait of an entire species was not always such a common or accepted practice of its society. "Stigma" (and the earlier "Fusion") goes so far as to say that the Vulcan mainstream at the time shunned the practice!
So not only is mind melding bad socially but T'Pol has also contracted an illness from it, by the way, and so the episode is about how all of this gets dealt with. It's strong continuity both for the series and franchise. If you're still scratching your head about reconciliation of Vulcan society from one era to the next, there's the trilogy of episodes from the fourth season that addresses that, bringing back a more traditional practice of Surak teachings.
I would go so far as to say as Enterprise Vulcan episodes go, "Stigma" may be the essential one.
And that's not even all there is to say about it! The episode also features a visit from one of Phlox's wives, and so also features the first time we meet another Denobulan. As a bonus complication, this subplot involves Trip once again stumbling through understanding another culture. It works as a commentary to other developments in the episode as well as for the character of Trip and a look at Denobulans and and Phlox, who is always great fun to watch.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Michael Ensign
Memory Alpha summary.
Paying off from the first season episode "Fusion" as well as touching on real world and fictional topics of great significance, "Stigma" is a standout for any number of reasons.
For one, it's the AIDS episode, which garnered Enterprise a fair amount of publicity at the time, a classic Star Trek social metaphor entry that deals with one of the worst health epidemics of our time. Formerly one of the things the franchise was best known for, I think awareness and appreciation for it diminished a great deal during the period where fans started to embrace other genre properties and leave Star Trek behind, one of the reasons ratings and interest declined to the point of the first cancellation in forty years. For that reason alone, "Stigma" is a wonderful reminder of the potential of the franchise to create drama that's not only interesting but topical.
But keeps it grounded in Star Trek, however, is the episode's Vulcan elements. "Stigma" is a mind meld episode. In the original series mind melds were synonymous with Spock and by extension all Vulcans. I think one of the ways Enterprise offended some fans was by suggesting such a strongly established trait of an entire species was not always such a common or accepted practice of its society. "Stigma" (and the earlier "Fusion") goes so far as to say that the Vulcan mainstream at the time shunned the practice!
So not only is mind melding bad socially but T'Pol has also contracted an illness from it, by the way, and so the episode is about how all of this gets dealt with. It's strong continuity both for the series and franchise. If you're still scratching your head about reconciliation of Vulcan society from one era to the next, there's the trilogy of episodes from the fourth season that addresses that, bringing back a more traditional practice of Surak teachings.
I would go so far as to say as Enterprise Vulcan episodes go, "Stigma" may be the essential one.
And that's not even all there is to say about it! The episode also features a visit from one of Phlox's wives, and so also features the first time we meet another Denobulan. As a bonus complication, this subplot involves Trip once again stumbling through understanding another culture. It works as a commentary to other developments in the episode as well as for the character of Trip and a look at Denobulans and and Phlox, who is always great fun to watch.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Michael Ensign
Memory Alpha summary.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Enterprise 2x13 "Dawn"
**
Similar to the Next Generation episode "The Enemy" (and the non-Star Trek movie Enemy Mine), the basic story of "Dawn" is being stuck with someone you really don't want to, and having to survive something other than each other.
This time around it's Trip who gets to enjoy the experience. Like "Precious Cargo" he gets to enjoy some quality time with an alien with the Universal Translator unavailable to help them communicate with each other. Unlike "Precious Cargo," that lasts throughout the episode, y'know, just in case things weren't already complicated enough.
I remember when the episode originally aired that a lot of what I was thinking was that "Dawn" was another Trip episode, that there was a definite different tone to the second season than the first. In the first season a Trip episode would have meant him sharing his experiences with someone else. Even in "Unexpected" only half the episode was spent on the alien ship where he got impregnated (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may need to see the episode to really understand what I'm talking about). Somehow both "Cargo" and "Dawn" leave him on his own to deal with a tricky alien contact situation.
(Of course, he makes that his own problem in the later "Cogenitor.")
It's not hard to see this one-two punch as a large part of the reason Trip started to really stand out for me. It's rare for a character to end up on their own in Star Trek, and even more rare for it to happen several times in a single season. (I'm not talking about Quark in Deep Space Nine, mind you. He normally existed in his own bubble, hence the infamous Ferengi episodes.) It was an indication to me that the creators of Enterprise had themselves marked Trip out as an unusually strong character, someone they could write into any scenario and need few crutches to support him. And he really was that strong.
I wouldn't go so far as to say you absolutely need to watch this particular episode to understand his appeal, but you wouldn't go wrong to enjoy it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Gregg Henry
Memory Alpha summary.
Similar to the Next Generation episode "The Enemy" (and the non-Star Trek movie Enemy Mine), the basic story of "Dawn" is being stuck with someone you really don't want to, and having to survive something other than each other.
This time around it's Trip who gets to enjoy the experience. Like "Precious Cargo" he gets to enjoy some quality time with an alien with the Universal Translator unavailable to help them communicate with each other. Unlike "Precious Cargo," that lasts throughout the episode, y'know, just in case things weren't already complicated enough.
I remember when the episode originally aired that a lot of what I was thinking was that "Dawn" was another Trip episode, that there was a definite different tone to the second season than the first. In the first season a Trip episode would have meant him sharing his experiences with someone else. Even in "Unexpected" only half the episode was spent on the alien ship where he got impregnated (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you may need to see the episode to really understand what I'm talking about). Somehow both "Cargo" and "Dawn" leave him on his own to deal with a tricky alien contact situation.
(Of course, he makes that his own problem in the later "Cogenitor.")
It's not hard to see this one-two punch as a large part of the reason Trip started to really stand out for me. It's rare for a character to end up on their own in Star Trek, and even more rare for it to happen several times in a single season. (I'm not talking about Quark in Deep Space Nine, mind you. He normally existed in his own bubble, hence the infamous Ferengi episodes.) It was an indication to me that the creators of Enterprise had themselves marked Trip out as an unusually strong character, someone they could write into any scenario and need few crutches to support him. And he really was that strong.
I wouldn't go so far as to say you absolutely need to watch this particular episode to understand his appeal, but you wouldn't go wrong to enjoy it.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Gregg Henry
Memory Alpha summary.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Enterprise 2x12 "The Catwalk"
*
This could have been one of the real standouts of the season. The crew is forced into an isolated area of the ship in order to survive the trip through an ion storm. Forced into a confined space, they have nothing but themselves to talk about. I would have been fine with that for an entire episode. I realize that not everyone has the same taste I do. "The Catwalk" dutifully inserts some aliens who seek the same shelter, and who turn out to have a great deal more complication beyond that. To me, that ruins the episode.
Well, it always has in the past. Perhaps there is some redemption to the story. There are ripples to the complications these aliens cause. They have their secrets. Bad things happen. What really happened? If "Catwalk" is redeemed beyond my original estimation, it may lie within the answer to that. You may find your own evaluation affected by such answers.
Me, I would have been perfectly fine just letting the crew fill out the episode. That's all I wanted. When it became clear that "Catwalk" had other things on its mind, my own checked out. I used to think the episode was a missed opportunity, even one of those missteps fans kept saying the season and series were filled with.
Well, I'll keep the rating simply as a recommendation for series completists. There could be more here.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
This could have been one of the real standouts of the season. The crew is forced into an isolated area of the ship in order to survive the trip through an ion storm. Forced into a confined space, they have nothing but themselves to talk about. I would have been fine with that for an entire episode. I realize that not everyone has the same taste I do. "The Catwalk" dutifully inserts some aliens who seek the same shelter, and who turn out to have a great deal more complication beyond that. To me, that ruins the episode.
Well, it always has in the past. Perhaps there is some redemption to the story. There are ripples to the complications these aliens cause. They have their secrets. Bad things happen. What really happened? If "Catwalk" is redeemed beyond my original estimation, it may lie within the answer to that. You may find your own evaluation affected by such answers.
Me, I would have been perfectly fine just letting the crew fill out the episode. That's all I wanted. When it became clear that "Catwalk" had other things on its mind, my own checked out. I used to think the episode was a missed opportunity, even one of those missteps fans kept saying the season and series were filled with.
Well, I'll keep the rating simply as a recommendation for series completists. There could be more here.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Enterprise 2x11 "Precious Cargo"
**
I'll make no bones that Charles "Trip" Tucker is my favorite character from Enterprise, and one of my favorites from the whole Star Trek franchise. He might have initially seemed like a new incarnation of the good ol' country boy archetype originally embodied by Leonard "Bones" McCoy (thus creating very difficult shoes to fill), but he quickly evolved into his own. His best seasons were the third and fourth, but Trip had notable moments throughout the series. He didn't really start to assert himself in the second until this episode, and he never really let go after that.
"Precious Cargo" is in many ways a fairly familiar experience. Kirk ran into damsels in distress seemingly every episode. Picard had his moment in "The Perfect Mate" (which this one links to). On that score, even if you're not as wild about Trip as I am, if you like Star Trek you'll find something you'll recognize.
Yet with Trip it's hard to gloss over his upside. If there's a character who will be able to foul up contact with another species, you can count on him to make the best of it, even if things don't always turn out so well. Here everything ends up just fine. Not without a certain amount of hiccups, though.
There's a nice parallel arc for Archer and T'Pol as they attempt to shake another alien for information, with Archer again using his new bluffing skills. He's grown more confident in the second season. He doesn't know that it will get more difficult yet. So this is a fine moment to enjoy a transition that's going in a different direction than he assumes.
Back to Trip. The eponymous cargo is a princess. Part of the fun of the episode is how the Universal Translator doesn't work immediately (a running gag for Trip that continues in "Dawn"), which forces a character who already makes plenty of blunders on his own stumble along for the first few beats. And the princess ends up having an attitude.
Part of the fun of the episode is that it serves as a reminder that the alien worlds in Star Trek don't always revolve on the familiar things we know. Too often if anyone knows anyone else, they're all connected in expected ways. In later incarnations that usually means the Federation. If we know anyone who makes a lasting impression, they're a military figure. Here they're a princess, who thought everyone would know about her family. That's the way it'd be with us. Surely you haven't already forgotten the marriage of William & Kate? Sometimes I wish the franchise would acknowledge stuff like this more often. It happened all the time in the original series, but the original series was relentlessly episodic. Most times the things you learned one week meant absolutely nothing the next. It doesn't really count. But then, that's why Enterprise was such a good idea, connecting some of the more abstract ideas to the more interrelated reality of later incarnations. All those Andorian appearances was just the most obvious example.
Let's get back to Trip again. It's kind of funny that each of his starring vehicles this season were episodes that thrust him into a situation he thought he wouldn't get in the first season, "Unexpected" not considered. It explains a lot about his character. He could usually get what he wanted. The problem was dealing with the results. In "Precious Cargo" things turn out okay. If the series had lasted for more than four seasons, one imagines that this is one of the several episodes that might've eventually seen a follow-up.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Padma Lakshmi
Memory Alpha summary.
I'll make no bones that Charles "Trip" Tucker is my favorite character from Enterprise, and one of my favorites from the whole Star Trek franchise. He might have initially seemed like a new incarnation of the good ol' country boy archetype originally embodied by Leonard "Bones" McCoy (thus creating very difficult shoes to fill), but he quickly evolved into his own. His best seasons were the third and fourth, but Trip had notable moments throughout the series. He didn't really start to assert himself in the second until this episode, and he never really let go after that.
"Precious Cargo" is in many ways a fairly familiar experience. Kirk ran into damsels in distress seemingly every episode. Picard had his moment in "The Perfect Mate" (which this one links to). On that score, even if you're not as wild about Trip as I am, if you like Star Trek you'll find something you'll recognize.
Yet with Trip it's hard to gloss over his upside. If there's a character who will be able to foul up contact with another species, you can count on him to make the best of it, even if things don't always turn out so well. Here everything ends up just fine. Not without a certain amount of hiccups, though.
There's a nice parallel arc for Archer and T'Pol as they attempt to shake another alien for information, with Archer again using his new bluffing skills. He's grown more confident in the second season. He doesn't know that it will get more difficult yet. So this is a fine moment to enjoy a transition that's going in a different direction than he assumes.
Back to Trip. The eponymous cargo is a princess. Part of the fun of the episode is how the Universal Translator doesn't work immediately (a running gag for Trip that continues in "Dawn"), which forces a character who already makes plenty of blunders on his own stumble along for the first few beats. And the princess ends up having an attitude.
Part of the fun of the episode is that it serves as a reminder that the alien worlds in Star Trek don't always revolve on the familiar things we know. Too often if anyone knows anyone else, they're all connected in expected ways. In later incarnations that usually means the Federation. If we know anyone who makes a lasting impression, they're a military figure. Here they're a princess, who thought everyone would know about her family. That's the way it'd be with us. Surely you haven't already forgotten the marriage of William & Kate? Sometimes I wish the franchise would acknowledge stuff like this more often. It happened all the time in the original series, but the original series was relentlessly episodic. Most times the things you learned one week meant absolutely nothing the next. It doesn't really count. But then, that's why Enterprise was such a good idea, connecting some of the more abstract ideas to the more interrelated reality of later incarnations. All those Andorian appearances was just the most obvious example.
Let's get back to Trip again. It's kind of funny that each of his starring vehicles this season were episodes that thrust him into a situation he thought he wouldn't get in the first season, "Unexpected" not considered. It explains a lot about his character. He could usually get what he wanted. The problem was dealing with the results. In "Precious Cargo" things turn out okay. If the series had lasted for more than four seasons, one imagines that this is one of the several episodes that might've eventually seen a follow-up.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Padma Lakshmi
Memory Alpha summary.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Enterprise 2x10 "Vanishing Point"
**
"Vanishing Point" is the Hoshi Sato moment of the season. Early in the series she was the character who was most uncomfortable entering into an ongoing space assignment. She was the one who panicked. (That's what "Fight or Flight" is all about!) Yet she was also the linguist, the predecessor to the more vivid imagining of Uhura in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. Without her it would have been a lot harder for Archer and his crew to communicate with aliens. In the second season, notably the Trip-centric episodes "Precious Cargo" and "Dawn," Hoshi is no longer the center of that particular aspect of the series.
Instead we get this episode. It's ostensibly an extension of the skittishness the crew feels about transporter technology, which even when taken for granted in other incarnations of the franchise from time periods later along the scale could cause panic (the accident in The Motion Picture, Barclay's adventures in "Realm of Fear"), though not quite to the point where it was a problem for Archer's gang.
Hoshi faces her continued inability to feel completely comfortable in a scenario that's straight out of a nightmare, stemming from a forced trip through the transporter that ends up making her fade away, her colleagues increasingly unable to hear or see her.
To the extent that it all seems a little perfunctory (like Reed, Hoshi can sometimes seem a little uninspired, even one-dimensional, and while this is an interesting episode it doesn't say anything new about her, which again proves that the writers had other characters on the brain this season), it still mostly works.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
"Vanishing Point" is the Hoshi Sato moment of the season. Early in the series she was the character who was most uncomfortable entering into an ongoing space assignment. She was the one who panicked. (That's what "Fight or Flight" is all about!) Yet she was also the linguist, the predecessor to the more vivid imagining of Uhura in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. Without her it would have been a lot harder for Archer and his crew to communicate with aliens. In the second season, notably the Trip-centric episodes "Precious Cargo" and "Dawn," Hoshi is no longer the center of that particular aspect of the series.
Instead we get this episode. It's ostensibly an extension of the skittishness the crew feels about transporter technology, which even when taken for granted in other incarnations of the franchise from time periods later along the scale could cause panic (the accident in The Motion Picture, Barclay's adventures in "Realm of Fear"), though not quite to the point where it was a problem for Archer's gang.
Hoshi faces her continued inability to feel completely comfortable in a scenario that's straight out of a nightmare, stemming from a forced trip through the transporter that ends up making her fade away, her colleagues increasingly unable to hear or see her.
To the extent that it all seems a little perfunctory (like Reed, Hoshi can sometimes seem a little uninspired, even one-dimensional, and while this is an interesting episode it doesn't say anything new about her, which again proves that the writers had other characters on the brain this season), it still mostly works.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Enterprise 2x9 "Singularity"
**
Episodes in which personality traits become exaggerated are a Star Trek staple, beginning with the classic "Naked Time" in which Sulu famously fences on the bridge.
Still, there's something about "Singularity" that makes it a uniquely Enterprise episode. Other than how everything spirals out of control, there's worth to long-term viewers to watching Reed refine techniques that would eventually become the Red Alert alarm, Archer working on the preface to a biography of his father, even Trip's tinkering with the captain's chair.
The show often featured smaller moments with developments of this kind, so building an entire episode around them is a welcome change of pace. Sometimes when an ensemble story becomes an episodic story (as in "The Catwalk"), the results can be jarring. By the end of "Singularity" each of the characters has reached an appropriate point in the beats that were already developing before they went out of control, bringing it full-circle. You can watch it either way and derive equal enjoyment.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Episodes in which personality traits become exaggerated are a Star Trek staple, beginning with the classic "Naked Time" in which Sulu famously fences on the bridge.
Still, there's something about "Singularity" that makes it a uniquely Enterprise episode. Other than how everything spirals out of control, there's worth to long-term viewers to watching Reed refine techniques that would eventually become the Red Alert alarm, Archer working on the preface to a biography of his father, even Trip's tinkering with the captain's chair.
The show often featured smaller moments with developments of this kind, so building an entire episode around them is a welcome change of pace. Sometimes when an ensemble story becomes an episodic story (as in "The Catwalk"), the results can be jarring. By the end of "Singularity" each of the characters has reached an appropriate point in the beats that were already developing before they went out of control, bringing it full-circle. You can watch it either way and derive equal enjoyment.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Enterprise 2x8 "The Communicator"
**
Harking to mind the classic episode "A Piece of the Action" insofar as concerns over the effects of contaminating a culture by leaving something behind on a visit to a developing world.
In this instance, the pollutant in question is in the title, naturally.
In a lot of ways, this is another Malcolm Reed episode. Reed, along with Phlox, probably received the most attention outside of the Big Three (Archer, T'Pol, Trip) during the second season. In this one, he's once again fretting over something. It seems when he isn't concentrated on improving ship's weapons, Reed is always fretting over something. Call it a character hallmark. You can certainly watch "The Communicator" to enjoy Reed fretting (it's very similar to the fretting in "Minefield," though less existential).
It may be better to watch the episode for how it helps the season to continue tracking the more unexpected developments of deep(ish) space exploration, things our crew didn't anticipate during its first year (though there were plenty of complications then, too). What the second season did best was explore the finer details, and the crew's reactions to them.
In this instance, it's about accidentally leaving a valuable piece of technology behind. Reed frets, of course, and Archer calculates. He calculates a lot of thoughts throughout the season. The most (in)famous example is "A Night in Sickbay," in which he weighs the value of diplomatic tact. In "The Communicator" he decides what cultural contamination is worth versus the lies he's willing to tell. It's the first but not the last time this season he does this (another notable example would be "Canamar"). This is unique territory. In Voyager Janeway was mindful of upholding Starfleet protocols. In Enterprise those protocols don't exist, and Starfleet neither doesn't, either. It's pretty similar to Kirk's famous bluffs (corbomite, anyone?), but ably demonstrates Archer's increasing ability to think on his feet. Earlier in the series, he was more prone to self-doubt, perhaps something Vulcans saw in all of humanity at the time.
This one was designed to make most of these points, and it hit them pretty well.
And so yeah, you can see this as an Archer episode just as easily as a Reed episode. I'll let you decide how much importance you want to place on such details. Basically an entertaining and useful episode for the series and enjoyable for veteran fans.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Harking to mind the classic episode "A Piece of the Action" insofar as concerns over the effects of contaminating a culture by leaving something behind on a visit to a developing world.
In this instance, the pollutant in question is in the title, naturally.
In a lot of ways, this is another Malcolm Reed episode. Reed, along with Phlox, probably received the most attention outside of the Big Three (Archer, T'Pol, Trip) during the second season. In this one, he's once again fretting over something. It seems when he isn't concentrated on improving ship's weapons, Reed is always fretting over something. Call it a character hallmark. You can certainly watch "The Communicator" to enjoy Reed fretting (it's very similar to the fretting in "Minefield," though less existential).
It may be better to watch the episode for how it helps the season to continue tracking the more unexpected developments of deep(ish) space exploration, things our crew didn't anticipate during its first year (though there were plenty of complications then, too). What the second season did best was explore the finer details, and the crew's reactions to them.
In this instance, it's about accidentally leaving a valuable piece of technology behind. Reed frets, of course, and Archer calculates. He calculates a lot of thoughts throughout the season. The most (in)famous example is "A Night in Sickbay," in which he weighs the value of diplomatic tact. In "The Communicator" he decides what cultural contamination is worth versus the lies he's willing to tell. It's the first but not the last time this season he does this (another notable example would be "Canamar"). This is unique territory. In Voyager Janeway was mindful of upholding Starfleet protocols. In Enterprise those protocols don't exist, and Starfleet neither doesn't, either. It's pretty similar to Kirk's famous bluffs (corbomite, anyone?), but ably demonstrates Archer's increasing ability to think on his feet. Earlier in the series, he was more prone to self-doubt, perhaps something Vulcans saw in all of humanity at the time.
This one was designed to make most of these points, and it hit them pretty well.
And so yeah, you can see this as an Archer episode just as easily as a Reed episode. I'll let you decide how much importance you want to place on such details. Basically an entertaining and useful episode for the series and enjoyable for veteran fans.
franchise * series * essential * character
Memory Alpha summary.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Enterprise 2x7 "The Seventh"
****
"The Seventh" is an episode I've grappled with since it originally aired back in 2002. It seemed like such an anomaly at the time, and for many years later.
Yet what I now believe is that it keenly, and perhaps even singularly, captures the spirit of the entire second season of Enterprise, which in many ways has always been misunderstood and still remains the most neglected season of the most neglected Star Trek.
So what do I mean by all that? For one thing, it's a spotlight episode on T'Pol. The second season notably spent much of its time trying to get at the heart of the show's Big Three characters, Archer, Trip, and T'Pol. T'Pol's most famous episode of the season is "Stigma," while the earlier "Carbon Creek" stands out in its own right. "The Seventh" bridges both episodes in unique fashion, and may even help pave the way for her character arc in the third season.
It's also very similar to the Deep Space Nine episode "Necessary Evil," which was not only a highlight for the characters Odo and Kira, but for the series and franchise as a whole. I suspect part of what made "The Seventh" such a problem for me was the unconscious connections I was making that stubbornly refused to surface. Perhaps other fans didn't have such problems. Perhaps they saw the episode as just another knockoff for a series that seemed to borrow at no creative inspiration much of what the franchise had already done.
Yet from the very first episode I appreciated the way Enterprise used its unique perspective to provide commentary on everything Star Trek had accomplished to that point. It was a logical successor to a series (Voyager) that attempted to do something similar, following a crew that knew everything the fans did, but was cut off from everything familiar (mostly). Enterprise, to rephrase the series, followed a crew that knew nothing but was surrounded by things the fans were familiar with (mostly). How it used this familiarity seemed to become a contentious matter of debate.
The second season of the series, then, provides a lot of opportunities to figure out the true success rate of the approach. The first season was about the crew figuring out if it could survive its mission. The second was about how the crew reacts to the more regular rigors of the experience, now that they have a taste. They think they know a thing or two. In most cases they're proven wrong.
"The Seventh" explores this in interesting ways. T'Pol's past, for instance, proves more interesting than we expected. Her presence in the series, often scaled down to comments about physical attributes, was a unique one, and perhaps never more unique than this season. In this particular episode, her attitude speaks volumes. She's a Vulcan who represses her emotions in obvious ways. She refrains from making the comments she's thinking, she holds back, she's discreet, she makes pithy remarks, she gives telling looks. With Spock he was always direct, and let others feel the emotion of his presence. With Tuvok he was always succinct to the point of being curt, believing he was always right. T'Pol was demure. She was the first long-term female Vulcan in franchise history. Was she so different from her male counterparts?
During the second season she's continually confronted with the cost of deciding to remain with Archer's crew. In "Carbon Creek" she demonstrates that she's making the transition well. "The Seventh" is the first indication that it isn't as easy as it seems. She's withdrawing into a shell, and only reluctantly admits that she needs Archer's help because she trusts him. Why doesn't she have anyone else to trust? Other episodes reveal such answers. Here she simply seeks to cope with an intolerable decision, a prior posting that has come back to haunt her.
The title refers to a group of Vulcan agents who turned renegade, and the number of them T'Pol was assigned to bring back home. Her failure with the final members of the group is explored, as well as its effects, which turn out to be at least as complicated as her attempt in the present to finish the job.
You can follow the episode for the storyline alone, but you'd be missing out on the subtle character work that elevates it beyond the material. That's the strength of T'Pol herself, even if she may be at her most vulnerable. Yes, she has some rough things happen to her at other points in the series, but this is a secret pain that she lives with for longer than any of them. It's not hard to see how this may inform everything else about her.
Why does it initially seem like such a random and almost pointlessly generic episode? Because you need to be paying attention. You need to make these connections for yourself. Much of the second season is like that. You need to know why things are happening in order to appreciate it. If you look at it from a cynical perspective, you'll end up with a series that ends after just two more season, which is exactly what happened. If you look at "The Seventh" as the essential character piece that it is, the whole season opens up, and you see the greater strengths of the rest of the series.
So, watch this one, and watch T'Pol closely. You'll be rewarded.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Bruce Davison
Memory Alpha summary.
"The Seventh" is an episode I've grappled with since it originally aired back in 2002. It seemed like such an anomaly at the time, and for many years later.
Yet what I now believe is that it keenly, and perhaps even singularly, captures the spirit of the entire second season of Enterprise, which in many ways has always been misunderstood and still remains the most neglected season of the most neglected Star Trek.
So what do I mean by all that? For one thing, it's a spotlight episode on T'Pol. The second season notably spent much of its time trying to get at the heart of the show's Big Three characters, Archer, Trip, and T'Pol. T'Pol's most famous episode of the season is "Stigma," while the earlier "Carbon Creek" stands out in its own right. "The Seventh" bridges both episodes in unique fashion, and may even help pave the way for her character arc in the third season.
It's also very similar to the Deep Space Nine episode "Necessary Evil," which was not only a highlight for the characters Odo and Kira, but for the series and franchise as a whole. I suspect part of what made "The Seventh" such a problem for me was the unconscious connections I was making that stubbornly refused to surface. Perhaps other fans didn't have such problems. Perhaps they saw the episode as just another knockoff for a series that seemed to borrow at no creative inspiration much of what the franchise had already done.
Yet from the very first episode I appreciated the way Enterprise used its unique perspective to provide commentary on everything Star Trek had accomplished to that point. It was a logical successor to a series (Voyager) that attempted to do something similar, following a crew that knew everything the fans did, but was cut off from everything familiar (mostly). Enterprise, to rephrase the series, followed a crew that knew nothing but was surrounded by things the fans were familiar with (mostly). How it used this familiarity seemed to become a contentious matter of debate.
The second season of the series, then, provides a lot of opportunities to figure out the true success rate of the approach. The first season was about the crew figuring out if it could survive its mission. The second was about how the crew reacts to the more regular rigors of the experience, now that they have a taste. They think they know a thing or two. In most cases they're proven wrong.
"The Seventh" explores this in interesting ways. T'Pol's past, for instance, proves more interesting than we expected. Her presence in the series, often scaled down to comments about physical attributes, was a unique one, and perhaps never more unique than this season. In this particular episode, her attitude speaks volumes. She's a Vulcan who represses her emotions in obvious ways. She refrains from making the comments she's thinking, she holds back, she's discreet, she makes pithy remarks, she gives telling looks. With Spock he was always direct, and let others feel the emotion of his presence. With Tuvok he was always succinct to the point of being curt, believing he was always right. T'Pol was demure. She was the first long-term female Vulcan in franchise history. Was she so different from her male counterparts?
During the second season she's continually confronted with the cost of deciding to remain with Archer's crew. In "Carbon Creek" she demonstrates that she's making the transition well. "The Seventh" is the first indication that it isn't as easy as it seems. She's withdrawing into a shell, and only reluctantly admits that she needs Archer's help because she trusts him. Why doesn't she have anyone else to trust? Other episodes reveal such answers. Here she simply seeks to cope with an intolerable decision, a prior posting that has come back to haunt her.
The title refers to a group of Vulcan agents who turned renegade, and the number of them T'Pol was assigned to bring back home. Her failure with the final members of the group is explored, as well as its effects, which turn out to be at least as complicated as her attempt in the present to finish the job.
You can follow the episode for the storyline alone, but you'd be missing out on the subtle character work that elevates it beyond the material. That's the strength of T'Pol herself, even if she may be at her most vulnerable. Yes, she has some rough things happen to her at other points in the series, but this is a secret pain that she lives with for longer than any of them. It's not hard to see how this may inform everything else about her.
Why does it initially seem like such a random and almost pointlessly generic episode? Because you need to be paying attention. You need to make these connections for yourself. Much of the second season is like that. You need to know why things are happening in order to appreciate it. If you look at it from a cynical perspective, you'll end up with a series that ends after just two more season, which is exactly what happened. If you look at "The Seventh" as the essential character piece that it is, the whole season opens up, and you see the greater strengths of the rest of the series.
So, watch this one, and watch T'Pol closely. You'll be rewarded.
franchise * series * essential * character
Notable guest-stars:
Bruce Davison
Memory Alpha summary.
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