The Breach

DVD, Enterprise S2 (The Breach)

It must have been like coming home for Robert Duncan McNeill to direct in the old cave set! It may not have been the exact same construction he acted in on 'Voyager,' but I bet it brought back memories ('Blood Fever' or something?). The episode was significantly better than my first impression of it had been when I saw it years ago. It was actually one that gave Phlox a strong episode more for the character than quirkiness or medical capability, but something that made an impact on him. It was also a good episode for Archer who shows some confidence in his situation and stands up against the regime to keep them to their agreement of allowing the rescue mission a certain amount of time, as well as standing up to his Doctor to make sure things ran smoothly.

Phlox' story of extreme inherited prejudice between the Denobulans and a race they were at war with three hundred years previously, the Antarans, had more impact than the action-oriented rescue mission for the three boys, Travis, Tucker and Reed. Travis has suddenly been given actual importance to stories, beginning with last episode, and it makes me question why he's been tied up on the conn so much for the majority of the series? On the other side of the coin, T'Pol and Hoshi don't have important roles, but they do at least get a scene or two, whether it was Hoshi's distaste at Phlox introducing her to a cute li'l' Tribble which he proceeds to feed to some reptile (apparently the natural predator that keeps the population in check on their homeworld - no mention of Glommers!), or T'Pol providing a shapely ear or two for the doc to confide in. It was nice to see that, I'd like to have the 'two aliens on a ship of humans' scenes played more often. It's come up occasionally, but there hasn't really been built into anything.

Back to Travis being the linchpin of the climbing team: I applaud new skills coming to the fore, but I don't remember him ever discussing his love of potholing before. It's good to see him in a position of control though, as he's the expert over his superior officers. The cave set often looked a little too neat and smooth as is the way with artificially created 'natural' rock, and I would have liked the time limit and 'do or die' nature of the mission to make things more intense. I love that all these ships and people are leaving because of the coup on Xantaras, and only the Enterprise is going the opposite way, straight for the planet, but I felt more establishing of the stakes was necessary. The claustrophobia of the caverns came across well and the moment when Travis has to keep his superiors from falling, braced on a broken leg, was tense. The Denobulans lack of concern was also fun, but perhaps they should have been terrified or one should have gone back for a precious case just as the ceiling collapses to make the danger more real?

I had thought this was an episode that rather put me off Phlox' race. Not because of the supposedly horrific things his people had done to the Antarans, but because I remembered the geologists as being boring, but really they were fine, just undeveloped. I also wasn't crazy about the CGI guy scurrying up the rockface as it didn't look real, but this time I wasn't sure whether it was CGI or a real person being pulled up by rope (either way it still didn't look very real). What held my attention far more than the rescue mission was Phlox' personal rescue mission for his Antaran patient. I was under the impression there had already been an episode where he either refused to treat a patient or the patient refused treatment from him, but it may be I'm confusing this with 'TNG' episode 'The Enemy' in which Worf refuses to assist an injured Romulan against Dr. Crusher's wishes. Or 'Jetrel' on 'Voyager.'

I may have thought this episode wasn't 'brave' enough in following through with the hatred, after all, three hundred years of prejudice wasn't going to be resolved in one encounter, but it was so affecting the things Phlox tells the Antaran about how he hasn't spoken to his son, the only one of five children who continued to hate the race, which drove a ten year rift between them. It was a relief that some reconciliation came through and was encouraging in its moral message to get to know your enemies, Phlox almost taking it as far 'love your enemies' by his dedication to his profession of healing. It points out that a race or group can remain alien if children are brought up to hate them, and was inspiring to think that perhaps the experience will plant a seed between those peoples, and that it might grow into something good. If only it could have been developed as the series went on. Maybe in Season 5 or 6 it would have been? Importantly, it initiated a change in Phlox - to write a letter to his son in an effort to break the silence, and that was very affecting.

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