Daedalus

DVD, Enterprise S4 (Daedalus)

Is this a 'TNG' episode? Is it a 'TOS' episode? I'm not sure, but it's definitely an episode that changes what it is as it goes along. Sometimes being unpredictable is a good thing, but in this case it piqued my expectations in such a way that I felt somewhat disappointed by the outcome. That is, I was, the first time I saw it. It's not that the episode has improved with age, but when you're not expecting much you tend to notice the good things more easily. It was appropriate to have a standalone story after all these multi-parters, so that's a good thing, but does it know what it's trying to achieve? My mind couldn't help but be drawn, for similar themes, to the analogy of 'The Visitor,' but that's one of the best of 'DS9,' even of Trek episodes in general, immediately doing 'Daedalus' a disservice by association with something far greater. A much more fitting analogy would be one of the many 'TNG' stories in which a dignitary or scientist would come aboard, the Enterprise hosting an event or scientific breakthrough for them, and things not being as they first seemed. The idea of a monster floating around the dark parts of the ship, although prevalent in all Trek series', is most of all a common device of 'TOS,' so that's where the relation to that series comes in (although I was also thinking of 'Juggernaut' from 'Voyager').

It begins with great interest, Trip eager to meet Emory Erickson, the man who invented the Transporter, he and his family close with that of Archer's from childhood, and a man who knew Zefram Cochrane personally (even mentioning his drinking habits, which had been lost to history by the 24th Century!). This is the man who inspired Trip to become an engineer (just as Cochrane was a big influence on Archer, who can't help but throw in the fact that he met him at least once!), and who now has designs on a new and revolutionary Transporter, the sub-quantum variety, that can do the business across the vastness of space, almost negating the need for starships. Hmm, sound familiar? Maybe the writers of 'Into Darkness' weren't so far off after all? Except they were, because, not only is it a pretty bad idea for Trek's universe, since starships are relied upon for much of the drama, but it's something that just isn't possible. Well, according to Emory Erickson, it's not, and won't be for even a thousand years. Then again, he was only a 22nd Century inventor, not privy to new advances of later centuries, so it's a little arrogant of him to think it impossible just because it isn't currently possible. Doesn't stop it being a ridiculous idea, but at least it was something that had been thought of before the film made it a reality (that's the difference, I suppose: old Trek says no, new Trek says yes!).

I thought Trip did a good job of keeping his awe in check, standing up to his hero as much as he could without seeming impolite, but Emory had a robust manipulative streak in his every nerve and sinew, even after one of Archer's men has been killed by the unknown anomaly (reminiscent of the ones in The Expanse that could turn you inside out), he wheedles Archer into helping this downtrodden old man who needs it so much. What the nature of Emory's illness is, I didn't feel came across at all - was it from his experimentation with his invention over the years that degenerated him so that his spine protrudes unnaturally? When Danica, his daughter, injects him revealing the state of his back, I originally began to think this was one of those typical monster stories where the scientist is the monster and is desperately needing to get somewhere he can carry out a procedure to reach a cure, but I was far wrong on that count, it's not Emory who's in trouble at all, it's his son, Quinn, lost fifteen years ago in trials for the newer Transporter. At least, I think it was the new version, as Emory says he himself was the first man to be transported, so his son wouldn't have gone missing if it had gone wrong then, only it's not always clear in the dialogue. He also mentions that other lives were lost, but again, it's unclear how, as he survived transport, and it can only have been other tests or this later version, to blame.

While I had been way out on the type of story, it was Archer who comes across as way out as Captain. Despite his misgivings, he agrees to help Emory, and as Trip says, it does smack of him putting personal feelings above the safety of the ship. But we can understand this when it's an old friend of his that might be saved, it's just that he shouts at Trip and goes right ahead with everything against T'Pol's advice. It's one of those moments the Captain takes no heed of his crew (mind you, some of them don't even get a look-in - if you didn't know, you would never have realised that Travis is anything more than an extra, and I don't recall seeing Hoshi at all! I felt Phlox should have been at the Transporter during one point in the episode that he wasn't, and Reed's involvement was cursory, all in all a poor record once again!), and it makes him look like a man that brooks authority and ignores sense. Maybe Forrest was the only Admiral to be able to keep him in line? I was also unsure of how much Quinn was in control of himself, trapped in a semi-transported state. Did he go through the wall in the Shuttlebay to try and kill a Father he'd grown to hate for leaving him trapped for years, or, as we see when he's finally dematerialised, was he in fact completely disoriented, out of control and bearing no knowledge of what had happened?

Too many of these annoying little unanswered plot points give the episode a slightly lightweight feel, and with no real lesson learned either, I wasn't sure what to take away from the episode. I suppose it should be applauded for trying a more traditional, shipboard investigation story that the other series' did so often, but even though it's about someone it's important to know, further filling in details we've never had before, it didn't quite work. One thing I did appreciate, was that, like the 24th Century shows, they had a little character continuity going on, with T'Pol responding to recent events on Vulcan by showing some change in her beliefs, or at least considering the true teachings of Surak. Her Mother's death is mentioned again, and we also hear from Phlox that Pa'nar Syndrome is being cured all over her planet now that melding has lost its stigma, which is an encouraging development forwards to the Vulcan we know. I'm not sure what to make of Trip and T'Pol making space between them, as it seems she's telling him to stick to business from now on so she can study the Kir'Shara - is this to make us upset that they aren't choosing to return to closeness now that her marriage has been annulled? Soapy stories aren't a good fit on the series, so, like Spock and Uhura in the Abramsverse, it would be better this way, especially as she had excuses for her actions in Season 3 (being on drugs, losing emotional control due to them, and being in a hostile region with a dangerous mission, with only her human comrades to rely on).

I do sometimes wish that 'Enterprise' wouldn't rush into its opening theme music, and not for the reason most people might think, as I don't mind the theme tune (although it was better pre-Season 3), I just think it's necessary to establish something now and again, with this episode reminding me of my view by cutting off abruptly at nothing in particular: Emory's just been welcomed aboard and has a laugh at Archer's worry his new invention will see the end of his job. It wasn't exactly jarring, but it needed something more, maybe a few scenes between characters just to get the episode going. I can see that often a tight teaser suits this series as it tends to be more action-based than it's recent predecessors, but I miss what 'DS9' especially used to do so well, which was to vary the length of the opening so that sometimes you were so involved in the story you'd forgotten the episode proper hadn't started! It's not a big thing, and 'Enterprise' suffered with a slightly tighter episode length, so you can see why they wouldn't want to waste time, but I don't feel establishing scenes are a waste.

What did work was the gloomy lighting that permeated much of the ship when they're in The Barrens, an unsurprisingly barren region of space (just like the Nekrit Expanse, or 'The Void' of 'Voyager'). Usually so bright and metallic, the illumination is darkened into moody and oppressive, giving the bowels of the ship some menace, though you'd think in starless space they'd be keeping the lights on! Of course they needed power for the experiments (though Emory did promise Trip he'd be able to keep the lights on!). Something else I appreciated was talk of what being transported really means. It's an everyday tool in later Trek, and even then it had its mystery, its supporters and its detractors (Dr. McCoy for one). In this century the Transporter should be the ultimate symbol of incredible technological achievement, rivalled only by the Warp Drive (though that no doubt got its dues in the 21st Century). At first on the series it was used rarely and with trepidation, but by Season 2 it became fairly commonplace. For once, as they sit round the Captain's table, the characters discuss the concept that it may be killing and duplicating a person, though Erickson doesn't seem to hold much stock in this view, talking about it as if that's what people used to say about his invention. Trip points out that if true, he and his crewmates are all duplicates! This could be just a bit of fun, winking at the audience who have thought of all this, though you couldn't say it was official debunking of canon ideas, as it's only an offhand casual discussion.

More of that depth of thought was needed to make this a really good episode, but it does turn into something much simpler. At least it wasn't the scientist's dead wife he was trying to resurrect as that would have been even more cliched. What was missing were more scenes in which we gain attachment to the new characters and care about their plight. It felt a little too cold, not helped by Emory's unloveable manipulative ways, though even they never strayed far enough for us to despise him. You end up neither loving nor hating the story or the participants, and more was needed - things like Trip finally losing his cool when he recalls the death of his sister and shows he's come to terms with it when he says he'd never hurt anyone to try and get her back, when at one time, I feel, if he could have, he would. That's another reason for T'Pol's and his drawing apart - she doesn't need him anymore, and he doesn't need her, they've both got over the traumas of Season 3. Which is good, you don't want people in Trek constantly living in gloom and despair or anger and resentment (see 'Emissary'!). What touching scenes there were, were brief, but when Dani talks about her brother, or when Emory loses his son, there's something going on there.

Was the Sarajevo a Starfleet ship? If so, it was a design that looked quite different to what we're used to, and I'd have liked more information. But the episode didn't throw up a lot of questions or give many reasons to pay attention. I would have imagined the Transporter being something invented by a group of people rather than one man, but I wouldn't be surprised if Erickson just kept quiet about other people, as he didn't seem the sort to share glory. He was another of those stereotypical arrogant scientists, blind to all dangers for others, intent on one purpose. Yet I felt the role was well played, even if it didn't go far enough for us to like him or loathe him by the end, though that was the writing at fault. Did he really learn anything? To let go? Maybe, but the theme wasn't strong, and as an advert for returning to standalone episodes it didn't inspire. As a whole, a little interesting, but not enough - perhaps something big and bold was required, like Emory sacrificing himself for his son… Oh dear, there goes 'The Visitor' again! But it would have worked better to further ape that classic and wring the emotional side out of the story.

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