One of the first criticisms of the new series, from fans of the previous efforts, was the presence of the Klingons during the time period of “Enterprise”. Responses ranged from pleas for tolerance to outright scoffing at such adherence to minor details. In the end, there was the general sense that even if it didn’t fit the previously established continuity, the lure of dealing with a familiar race now and then was too much for the writers to ignore. I personally take issue with that, if only because those in charge supposedly chose the time period in question because it would allow them to explore new ground.
This episode is an example of stepping awfully close to the line that they should avoid crossing. Allowing humans to marginally interact with the Klingons, here and there, is not a bad idea per se. Having it happen several times in the first season is a little out of the ordinary, and definitely getting too close to ripping into continuity more than necessary.
At this point, I think, the Enterprise should be moving farther and farther away from areas that are known to them. In particular, they should be aware of the Klingon territory by now, so why would they get anywhere near it? There are indications that this is relatively close to the “borders”, based on the short period of time required for other Klingon vessels to respond to the distress call.
The ship at the center of the crisis is a scout vessel, which suggests exploration. After raiding an outpost, the Klingons fall victim to a neurotoxin hidden with the alcoholic beverage they “liberated”. The ship finds itself caught in the gravity well of a rather large gas giant, sinking closer and closer to the pressures that would cause the hull to collapse.
Archer, in his usual mode of compassion and poor judgment, jumps at the chance to help the strangers get out of trouble. He sends Reed, T’Pol, and Hoshi down to the ship using a shuttle pod. Before long, the one Klingon still standing takes off with the pod, leaving the humans behind to rot. Or rather, to be crushed to a tiny little nub. In the process of trying to get away, the Klingon sends for help, leaving the Enterprise with very little time to get their crewmen off the sinking ship. After all, Klingons are well known for their unusual “good Samaritan” policies.
Thus begins a rather tame exploration of the Klingon ship by the three humans. Mostly it’s a matter of checking out the food and seeing a couple live targs. The rest is plugging away at consoles and odd looking manifolds, which is not all too different than what would happen with any other type of ship.
Meanwhile, Archer is trying to convince the captured Klingon that they are really trying to help, not steal technology. To do this, Archer manages to consult the file on Klingon culture in the Vulcan database. Before long, he’s making uncannily subtle points about “honor” and everything Klingon, sounding none too different from Picard in similar situations.
After an abortive effort to send the Enterprise into the gas giant’s atmosphere to get the humans off the sinking ship, Trip eventually comes up with the idea of bracing the shuttle pod’s bulkheads so it can go deeper enough to provide escape. Meanwhile, the trapped crewmen decide that being blown to bits is better than being crushed to bits, and use the photon torpedoes to trigger a shockwave, tossing them a little higher than the danger zone. By the end, of course, everyone is fine and healthy, as evidenced by the little decontamination spa scene.
As episodes go, this was the first one to miss the mark in a little while, and it has everything to do with the over-reliance on the familiar ground. It also has a little to do with bad writing. There was some minor character development here, such as the growing respect between T’Pol and Hoshi, and the continued diplomatic education of Captain Archer. But all of that is surrounded by sloppy plot devices and wasted opportunities.
Some other thoughts:
- What exactly was the point of the whole “Reed has a cold” plot thread. Did I miss something? Because as far as I can tell, it was completely unnecessary and did little more than waste the teaser.
- Speaking of teasers, why can’t anyone on this show write one? They are always incredibly short and largely pointless.
- Nice bit of characterization with Hoshi, touching on her growing sense of confidence since the second episode.
- Is there any reason why the crew of the Enterprise should doing this, when they know they have serious technical issues with every system on the ship?
- I also question why T’Pol would claim not to know the origin of the scout vessel, when the Vulcan database is rather extensive on the subject. Or was she conveniently lying again?
- I’m not sure I recognize the logic of sending a tactical officer on a mission that is more likely to require engineering skills. Oh, that’s right, it’s because the plot required it to be so!
- Notice how quickly Reed came running when Hoshi said the words, “photon torpedoes”?
- One of the funniest scenes had to have been when they were looking for the helm controls, using Hoshi’s skills to translate the writing onscreen. After some time looking at everything but that one console, T’Pol points out that she thinks she’s found it, despite not knowing any Klingon. Hoshi quickly confirms it by reading a label on the screen, and Reed bursts out, “That’s it! Good job, Hoshi!” Why? T’Pol’s the one that found the damn thing!
- Oh, and might I mention those undersuits they were wearing? Hoshi was looking damn fine running around in comfy skin-tight gray…
- While I wasn’t very impressed with the idea of taking the Enterprise into the atmosphere, at least that was something that they had done before, in the pilot episode.
- Those targs looked incredibly fake!
- Nice bit between T’Pol and Hoshi, as far as the Vulcan relaxation technique goes. Could it be a hint that Hoshi will be learning some Vulcan ways in the future?
- If the hull of the scout vessel were visibly collapsing, wouldn’t that lead to rather quick decompression? I guess Klingon metal is more flexible than ours!
- Are we really supposed to believe that a couple braces on the bulkheads on the diddly little shuttle pod was more pressure resistant than the structural integrity fields of the Enterprise hull?
- Oh, and if pieces of the scout vessel were flying around, after all that warping of the outer hull, how the heck did that thing keep from getting crushed? Never mind how it was then spaceworthy!
- OK, taking all that into account, the episode does get kudos for an extended scene with Hoshi in her civvies at the end. Front and center, no less!
Overall, this was not a very well considered episode. It simply smacked of convenient plotting from start to finish. In the case of the Klingons, I think that the writers should take their own metaphor to heart, and let sleeping dogs lie.
