"The Forgotten"

Written by Chris Black and David A. Goodman
Directed by LeVar Burton


In which Archer meets with Degra in an attempt to forge a delicate alliance with some of the Xindi, as Trip works through the emotional scars left by his sister’s death...

Captain's Log - Final Analysis







Captain's Log

“Enterprise” is a difficult series to support, because it seems to have been doomed from the beginning by poor decisions between Berman and Braga on one side and Paramount/UPN on the other. The first two seasons were clearly lacking in terms of storytelling, and the decline in the ratings is directly related to that lack. But this season has seen a steady rise in the production values all around, with this episode demonstrating the strong writing that has finally arrived.

Earlier in the season, it would have been easy to think that Trip had come to terms with his sister’s death. After all, it barely came up, once it was used as an excuse for he and T’Pol to start a relationship. This episode finally gives that subplot a sense of closure. It’s not that this is accomplished in some new and unexpected fashion; metaphors and analogies fly as loosely as they would on any other series dealing with the same topic. But it’s how the subplot is interwoven with the overall arc that makes this episode a winner.

Beyond “DS9”, Trek has rarely attempted the kind of multi-layered storytelling highlighted by series like “Babylon 5” or “Firefly”. This is largely due to the detached policy on character development; in essence, such development is spotty at best, as seen on “Voyager”. “Enterprise” followed the “Voyager” mold in the first two seasons, but with the inception of the Xindi arc, that issue has been addressed. A renewed focus on character informs every level of plotting.

It’s not that the Xindi are entirely original in their conception, especially the character of Degra. Villains like Gul Dukat and Weyoun on “DS9” were more deeply explored, though of course, that’s largely a side effect of seven seasons worth of material. Degra’s conflict of conscience, however, is a far cry from the relatively lightweight relationship between Archer and Silik.

For one thing, the writers have taken the time to flesh out Degra’s side of the issue, humanizing him in important ways. This is not unlike the characters of Londo and G’Kar on “Babylon 5”. Degra retains his alien perspective, even as his motivations speak to an inner resonance with the better angels of human nature. Rather than simply giving a face to a monolithic enemy, Degra becomes a character that the audience can sympathize with.

This also allows Trip to come face to face with the one who created the weapon that killed his sister. It’s an obvious writing choice, but there’s a rationale to how the season led to this point. Trip was forced to sublimate his emotions regarding Degra in “Stratagem”, an episode that takes on more and more importance as the season unfolds. This episode gives Trip his own chance to deal with Degra, and as one might expect, his response is hardly conflicted.

By giving the audience a look into Degra’s motivations in “Stratagem”, it takes something away from Trip’s righteous anger. Written as a second season episode, Trip’s point of view might have dominated the entire subplot. The strength of this episode comes with the knowledge of what lies beneath Degra’s rigid exterior. His personal pain and remorse are clear, even if Trip doesn’t recognize it.

The episode might have worked just on this level, but the writers take this opportunity to carry forward several other plot threads, giving the episode and the season a more epic context. As if anticipating Trip’s reaction to Degra’s involvement, Archer orders Trip to write a letter to the parents of a young woman who died in the attack on Enterprise in “Azati Prime”. This forces Trip to take all of the emotions surrounding so much death, at the hands of those now potential allies, and turn them into something positive.

Rather than coming across as contrived, this speaks to a new level of maturity within Archer. He doesn’t forget the relatively carefree days before the Xindi attack, but he knows better than to think that things will ever be the same again. Archer has lost that innocence, and in the process, he has found a depth of command presence that he probably didn’t even know he possessed.

Even though Degra’s “defection” is largely predictable, there is a concerted effort to make this plot progression sensible. Archer’s near-desperate rush from one piece of evidence to another is just as convincing as the items themselves, and if anything, his open need to rein in Trip’s anger underscores his motivations. Archer has nothing left to work with but this new alliance, and the fatalism in earlier episodes is reflected in every decision he makes.

Minor details take on major importance. The fact that a third of the crew was killed in the Xindi attack in “Azati Prime” separates that confrontation from the relatively bloodless action in the first two seasons, adding true weight to the current crisis. Enterprise is literally on its last legs, holding on to the hope that Archer can convince the Xindi Council to halt the attack on Earth. When taken in contrast to the fervor displayed in the first few episodes of the season, it speaks of how far the arc has progressed.

It should also be noted that this episode clarifies T’Pol’s situation. The response to the previous episode, in which T’Pol’s condition was unfairly held up as a testimony to the evils of modern Trek and the worthlessness of “Enterprise”, was completely based on willful misrepresentation. Any fair assessment of T’Pol’s scenes in “Damage” would have taken into account what has already been established regarding Vulcans and placed her comments within that context.

This episode makes it very clear: the Trellium-D was not giving T’Pol the ability to feel emotions. Instead, as anyone willing to think could have discerned, the Trellium-D has been eroding T’Pol’s internal barriers to the extreme emotions that Vulcans experience. As T’Pol and Phlox discuss in this episode, the problem isn’t that Vulcans don’t experience emotions, but rather, that they experience them too strongly to easily control.

What T’Pol is dealing with, then, is the aftereffect of her decision, however foolish, to circumvent the strictures of her people. She’s flirted with that in the past, but this time, she takes far more initiative. Vulcans hold back their emotions through established cultural techniques and proven methods, some of which must necessarily becomes subconscious in nature. The Trellium-D would have given T’Pol the ability to effortlessly bypass those subconscious barriers. Even with the Trellium-D out of her system, T’Pol must deal with the fact that those subconscious barriers have been breached. In turn, T’Pol must learn new ways to control her emotions, methods that don’t necessarily follow the established interpretation of Vulcan technique or tradition.

As poorly as this subplot was handled in earlier episodes, the potential shouldn’t be ignored. For quite some time, it’s been clear that the writers intend T’Pol to be a forebear of the Vulcan society shown in the original series. Much criticism surrounds the depiction of Vulcans in “Enterprise”, largely because of their almost villainous arrogance. There are hints of that arrogance within the depiction of Vulcans in every incarnation of Trek, which leads to the central question: will T’Pol’s experience and example ultimately transform the Vulcans of “Enterprise” into what has been previously established?

Maybe, maybe not. It’s quite possible that the Vulcans of “Enterprise” will never be reconciled with established continuity. And considering how deeply connected this series is to alternate futures and timelines, it may be a moot point. This might seem like a cheat to some, but considering how much criticism was leveled at “Voyager” for being too conservative in defining what Trek should be, the entire production should be credited for trying something new.

This is especially true in light of the recent quality of the series. This episode has few weaknesses, and even those are worth forgiving. It’s a shame, then, that the ratings have been dropping more and more in the last few weeks. At a time when the series is finally reaching a state of excellence, at least within its own conceptual constraints, the future couldn’t be less favorable. It’s beginning to look more and more likely that the sins of the first two seasons will ultimately kill “Enterprise” at the very moment it finally takes flight.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode continued the recent run of strong, involving episodes. Trip’s subplot involving the lingering emotions over his sister is a nice counterpoint to Archer’s desperate attempt to convince Degra of his intentions. T’Pol’s subplot continues to be a sore spot, but it doesn’t take away from the improvement evident in the writing. It may be too late, however, to save the series from its earlier missteps.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 8/10




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