This is the first episode since the series premiere, and already the usual trappings of Trek are making themselves apparent. For the most part, it is all related to the same problem that crushed “Voyager” for several years…the need to set up conflicts over a 45 minute period, and then resolve them very quickly within the last couple minutes of the episode. It was annoying then, and it’s still annoying now.
But at least the solutions are becoming a little less tired in their execution.
There was no question, from the very beginning, what was going to happen in this episode. Two problems presented themselves within the first few moments: the problems with the targeting systems, and Ensign Sato’s crisis of faith in her abilities. And so, predictably, both of these problems manage to factor into the confrontation later in the story.
This episode was written by Berman and Braga, and so typical Trek is what I expected. But at least they managed to make it a little more interesting than usual. There was a subtle tension between Sato and Archer, suggesting a possible romantic past or yearnings for a future encounter (at least on Sato’s part). The latent hostility between Archer and T’Pol continued to make itself evident, although that was not always a good thing. And the characterizations continue to grow more vivid, with one glaring exception.
At the very least, Berman and Braga are resisting the urge to make these characters cookie cutter personalities. Perhaps they saw how that retracted from “Voyager” in a major way…each of those characters was so one-dimensional that they barely existed. The characters that populate “Enterprise” are more complex, and therefore approach each new situation with a very different perspective.
I can see how the doctor is going to shine in the early episodes, if only because of his predilection to say things that are completely out of synch with expectation. Unlike the aliens seen on “Voyager” or even “Deep Space Nine”, Dr. Phlox truly looks at things from a different perspective, to the point that basic assumptions of point of view simply cannot be made. He is as comfortable helping Sato care for the alien slug as he is calmly suggesting seconds later that it be fed to his bat.
I’m not all that clear on what kind of person Mayweather is just yet, but I’m sure that his character will be fleshed out in future episodes. Reed shows the kind of paranoia that a weapons expert should exhibit, and Tucker is refreshingly “normal”…with all the flaws that normality would suggest.
But most of all, I enjoy how they are resisting making Archer a “natural captain”. His men are loyal to him and treat him with respect, but he comes at problems and situations from an angle that is remarkably different than any of the previous captains depicted in the Trek mythos. Even Kirk had a certain sense of rules that he followed, and he respected them even as he bent and warped them. Archer just does what he wants, makes decisions on the fly, and makes it look like a hell of a lot of fun. I suspect that Scott Bakula’s performance helps to underscore that impression.
On the other hand, Jolene Blalock ought to be strapped to a chair and forced to watch every single episode and movie starring Leonard Nimoy and/or Mark Lenard as Spock and Sarek…at least five times each. Her portrayal of T’Pol is horrible. One has to wonder if she even understands how her lines are supposed to be delivered. Too many times in this episode, her cool and detached observations are given a condescending, even hostile tone. Just her body language suggests confrontation and disgust, and that is not even close to how the character needs to be played.
It doesn’t help that Berman and Braga write the character very close to that line. One can see where they are trying to go with her, writing her as long-suffering and wise as compared to the impulsive and ignorant humans under her care. But whereas a skilled actress might have been able to perform in such a way that this attitude is subtly conveyed, Blalock pouts her lips and comes right out with the impressions of disdain.
As far as the story goes, at least they did not make the mistake of making the weaponry of the Enterprise strong enough to stand up to a credible threat. And it made sense that the crew was immediately under a serious threat of being killed. Despite the ease by which Ensign Sato was able to communicate with the Axanar when it came time to be very clear, there was a feeling that they were in way over their heads. That was a feeling that never came across during the “Voyager” series, no matter how many times the ship was damaged or up against impossible odds.
Some other thoughts:
- The idea of the crew being overly anxious to run into intelligent life, and therefore prone to making mistakes, was a good concept. Hopefully they won’t overdo it.
- As overdone as the Sato/slug analogy was, I thought that the way Sato’s fears came out and progressed was very realistic. It was only the Trek-style “last minute fix” that gave it a bad resolution. It would have been more interesting to have her barely succeed, yet still retain a measure of doubt.
- Having the targeting systems still not working correctly fits very well with the idea that this is a new and untested ship.
- How cute were those pathetic little torpedoes? I loved how they bounced off stuff, especially when one of them turned around and started aiming for the Enterprise!
- There was not one good scene with T’Pol in this episode, but the worst scenes had to be the dinner scenes. I had a hard time keeping track of the conversations, because T’Pol’s dialogue was so woefully handled by Blalock.
- I love how Archer feels the need to talk to Porthos to get his feelings out. Very interesting and unusual character trait.
- It was amusing to see Reed suggest using shaped charges to blow the alien airlock, only to have Archer figure out the manual override…but how in the hell did Archer know which of the handle thingies was the one he needed to use?
- Gee, those spacesuits with the built-in spotlights are a lot more practical than those dinky little things they used on “Voyager”…
- As much as I question the ability of Ensign Sato to take apart and understand a language so quickly, even with the help of a computer, I liked the way the scenes on the derelict Axanar ship were handled.
- Having Archer casually destroy the pump and its contents on the way out of the Axanar ship was a nice touch.
- Another nice touch was the way that the shuttle handled itself, how it docked, how they got in and out of the shuttle, etc…very realistic.
- I thought it was funny as hell, but totally appropriate, that they had no idea what a tractor beam was!
- Despite the fact that it was obvious that the Ensign was going to pull though in the end, they managed to create a lot of tension between Sato and Archer in those scenes
- How perfect was it that Reed finally gets the targeting right, fires off a torpedo, and it does just about *nothing*…and they all still cheer!
- It was also nice to watch the Axanar ship take apart the enemy while the Enterprise just sort of watches the whole thing happen, knowing how outclassed they are!
Overall, the episode was not a bad follow-up to the pilot, and it even managed to transcend the predictable nature of the plot. Now if they could only kill off T’Pol or replace the actress with someone with talent…
