Silent Enemy (2)

DVD, Enterprise S1 (Silent Enemy) (2)

Challenge is the theme this time, an exploration of the reality that not all species in space are as benevolent as humans or Vulcans, as if we needed that spelt out. It's a direct challenge to Archer and his crew, and within that there's the self-imposed challenge laid down by Trip and Reed for their respective Engineering and Armoury departments to pull off a high speed conversion of the weapons systems before they return to home space. But the toughest challenge of them all is Hoshi's mission to learn Reed's favourite food, personally assigned to her by the Captain. He does like to give Hoshi projects to do, maybe because he wants her mind occupied so she'll have less time to think about her many worries, but also because he knows how dedicated and reliable she is, and if he gives her a task she'll complete it to the best of her ability. I really have been most impressed with her in this first half of the season, the episodes in which she's featured in, anyway. It's a real shame she was one of the main characters to slip through the net for the majority of the series. Mayweather was similarly underused, but I don't think the actor was quite as good as he might have been so it's less of a disappointment, whereas Linda Park shows a lot of promise, as is the case here. She's very likeable (especially after so many characters on 'DSC' who are extremely hard to relate to - Tilly! - whoops, a pop at that series in the first paragraph, I'm getting worse!), and it's a pleasure to see her diligent and discreet detective work pay off. Just remember: always go to Dr. Phlox first!

I can see how some considered 'Enterprise' to be too similar to the previous Trek series' when they were supposed to be charting a whole new era, because this B-story smacks severely of 24th Century-itus. It would not in the least have looked out of place in an episode of 'TNG,' 'DS9' or 'Voyager.' Can you imagine 'TOS' doing something like this, devoting significant airtime to Uhura secretly trying to find out what Scotty's favourite food was (easy: Scotch!), it just wouldn't have happened in those days because the minutiae of people's lives had yet to become understood as a draw for audiences. Even soap operas were less common (I think - certainly it wasn't what was expected from genre TV), but that's one of the things that made later Treks more involving, by giving us further insight into their personalities and the impression of going through our lives with them as we saw their lives progress. I would argue 'Enterprise' actually didn't do enough of that level of dissection, and it's always true that a story has to be relatable on some level to connect with the audience. I'm not against the occasional world-ending (or in 'DSC's case, galaxy-ending), drama, but it's hard to care about people put in terrible circumstances if they're strangers and you need to keep touching back to those personal things which make up a person, in order that you do care. That's why Trek works best as a series of stage plays, mostly in a few locations with people talking things out rather than big, bombastic action sequences, only there to thrill or catch the eye.

My point is that though I agree that this series did have the feel of the earlier ones, and sometimes it needed to spread its own wings and do things its own way, and had the licence to do that due to it being so far removed from the rest of Trek, it also paid to use those aspects of older Trek that had worked and that we expected to see. Yes, it could seem ludicrous that a crewmember is tasked with trying to give another crewmember a birthday treat, especially when they were plagued by a dangerous and unpredictable foe that seemed intent only on destroying them. But at the darkest hours are when morale most needs a boost, so though it may seem on the surface to be a frivolous, time-wasting subplot, it was actually a wise move on Archer's part. You almost wish more of the crew could have been involved in some way, perhaps a surprise party in the Mess, except that there's not a lot of room in there and Reed's a very private man and wouldn't have appreciated a lot of fuss and a big gathering. It worked perfectly as a reward for his and Trip's hard work and cooperation of their two separate divisions and made for an ideal tag scene at the end: the climax of defending the ship didn't quite have the euphoria of success the episode needed to carry us out, but due to the tenseness of the situation I'd forgotten that one more thing had to happen, Hoshi's mission needed to be completed and so it was with relish we witness Archer, Reed, Trip and Hoshi in the Armoury enjoying Reed's pineapple-flavoured birthday cake, delighted as he is they knew what his favourite was, for a joyous and upbeat finale.

Although only the secondary story, the amount of frustration Hoshi has to go through in order to learn one piece of information about the secretive Security Chief, demanded a proper payoff, so it was gratifying that they pulled it off so well, Reed never knowing how much effort went into this modest treat. Along the way we fill out a little of Malcolm's circle back on Earth, meeting his parents, sister and best mate (all via viewscreen), to discover they don't know that much about him either (shame we never saw any of them again). Maybe it was a stereotype of buttoned-up Britishness, but I really appreciate that Reed is an example of someone who prefers to keep himself to himself and doesn't feel the need to spread his feelings all over the place (another knock at 'DSC,' yes), even compared to the professional American colleagues he serves with. I suppose attitudes come and go in society (especially after a World War!), so it's good to know that the current penchant for throwing all your private life up on the internet (to which, in a small way I recognise I'm contributing by writing a blog, the irony isn't lost on me), for the world to see ('see me and love me, make my existence justified and not just a tiny, passing blip in a great interminable blackness of the vast universe,' is what the attitude seems to be expressing), isn't all-encompassing in the future. It's pleasant to see some of the anachronisms, too, that the forward-thinking Trek universe carries with it to reassure us that things won't all be pop music and casual speech ('DSC' again, yet another reason it's uncomfortable viewing), but books and fine, high-minded creations of the past won't be forgotten.

I'm not saying that when Trip mentions having a lot of letters to catch up with it meant he was literally writing them out, either by hand or computer, most likely he was just recording vodcasts or vlogs. Or, more simply called, video messages! But the fact that he refers to these communications adds a personal touch to the cold, technological future that wouldn't have been conveyed if he said he was off to send some transmissions. These connections to the past are important in showing that Trek's future preserves the personal and the intimate. I'm not sure Phlox breaking the rules of a physician to bring up Reed's medical file in front of Hoshi was acceptable, even in that century, but it was all in a good cause. Just as long as Malcolm never finds out she knows about his allergies, as I'm sure he'd be horrified. The reason Trip can attend to his letters is because the NX-01 has been dropping subspace amplifiers in order to improve communications now that they're heading further and further out into deep space, a nice reminder that the infrastructure of human exploration is being seeded for the future. The downside is, and I'm only speculating that this was the reason the unknown aliens took a dislike to these visitors from another world, is that leaving your hardware around like some floating sensor array as if marking out territory or spying on others who may have a prior claim, could easily be seen as an aggressive move. I'm surprised it was never discussed that this might have been a motive for the aliens' otherwise unprovoked attack.

These were aliens of a different hue than we normally saw. Most species the NX-01 meets are happy to show their superiority, to boast, to show their aggression, to show their disinterest, to express themselves in some understandable way. But these ones remained completely alien and detached, not responding to Archer's words, and even more creepily, showing that they understood language by playing back words the Captain had spoken in challenge when they discovered the device planted on the Enterprise, now with a chilling new meaning. I don't know if this had ever been done before on Trek, I feel like it had, but I can't put my finger on it and the only thing that comes to mind about aliens completely uninterested in the usual niceties and social protocol of contact, is the Borg, but even they clearly and concisely laid out their position for newcomers! At first these aliens don't even seem interested in them in the slightest (when Travis says 'maybe they checked us out and decided we weren't very interesting,' I couldn't but equate that as a comment from the writers on viewers who showed up for the pilot, but bled away as the season progressed, if I remember my history, but it's just possible this was entirely coincidental and just happens to sound meaningful in hindsight!), but then they reappear later to attack in force, taking out warp, intercom and main power, then when the ship is bathed in darkness, brazenly sending their people (creatures?), aboard for more detailed biological scans and to leave a nasty present behind.

I've said it many times, creeping around in the narrow confines of a dark ship whose power is down is always an excellent way for creating an eerie atmosphere of dread and danger. Couple that with a completely computer-generated race with something off-kilter about them and you have classic Trek horror - they're humanoid in that they have a head and limbs, but they walk unnaturally, and come with such assured purpose and unconcerned attitude, as conquerors who've done this successfully many times before, adding a foreboding creepiness that their appearance can only further heighten. According to 'The Star Trek Encyclopedia' they were nicknamed Shroomies for their misshapen heads. For some reason I had it in memory that they had jellyfish-like craniums, but I must be thinking of some other uncommunicative race. The fact we know almost nothing about them, except that they have more advanced technology, such as energy shielding, adds mystery, but also makes me crave that we could have eventually learned about them. But like the Breen, they remained unknown, although (again according to the Encyclopedia), because the CG ship model was used again in 'E2' in Season 3, and those aliens were designated Kovaalans, they're considered to be the same. Not that we found out any more about them there, but it adds something to their mythos that they were in evidence elsewhere. I wonder if the personal shielding exhibited when fired upon aboard Enterprise (another similarity with the Borg), also contained an atmosphere, as I could imagine, much like the Tholians, that they lived in a different one to humans, furthering their alienness.

One thing I like is hearing a little more about Vulcans' early experience with space travel. We already know it happened long ago (for example, the Romulans left to found a separate empire away from their fellow Vulcan brethren something like two thousand years or more in the past), and though no timeframe is given by T'Pol she explains that her race's early exploration was done in a different time, and the reason they didn't experience as much opposition was because there were fewer warp capable species, which makes perfect sense. T'Pol behaves in a very Vulcan manner throughout this episode, never getting excited or displaying emotion, THE WAY VULCANS WERE MEANT TO BE PORTRAYED! Whew, sorry, just had to get that out. The fact I need to point out episodes where she's completely Vulcan all day long is a sad indictment of the series' (and Trek ever since), precedent and preferment for emotional Vulcans. Still, she's fine here, and all the better for it. The Captain on the other hand… I'm always looking for evidence either way on whether he really did appear weak, or whether it's just my reading of the characters' indecision in certain circumstances. In this case there's a definite claim to be made that he backs down a little too easily in the face of peril and adversity, deciding to head back to the safety of home where they can implement weapon upgrades at Jupiter Station (good old Jupiter Station, mostly associated with Dr. Zimmerman, the creator of the Emergency Medical Hologram in a couple of centuries!).

Sometimes it's prudent to back down, retreat, regroup, but he does seem to turn tail and run after receiving a battering rather than rely on his skilled crew to bail the ship out of trouble. In true Starfleet (and especially engineering), spirit, Trip obeys his orders while at the same time doing everything he can to get the Phase Cannons operational before they get back to the Solar System, with Reed's help. Reed, usually so by the book, is uncharacteristically ready to take shortcuts when installing these new, powerful weapons, but when you consider his motives you can see why: he sees the safety of Enterprise as his priority and if these weapons can be made to work then he'll do everything he can to bring them online, which raises Trip's hackles, as his priority is the warp engines and he's the superior, though eventually realising that Reed's idea will work. Sometimes having something that's overpowered can be a boon - just look at the USS Defiant, and in that same ethic these cannons turn out to be the saving grace when they deliberately overcharge them, taking out the enemy's shields and forcing them to limp away, defeated. This was traditional, hard-working, problem-solving Starfleet heroes all the way. You had to assume they didn't create NX-01 by sitting on their backside and taking it easy, or some form of benevolent musing. Sweat, toil and man hours went into creating this thing and it's good to see some of that in evidence as Trip, Reed, and their teams prove they are the mould from which future Starfleet officers will be birthed. Maybe these early ones are a little rougher round the edges, but it's the same spirit inside, and it was pleasing to see. We even get Reed and Trip working in the NX-01's equivalent of a Jefferies Tube, though more like a Jefferies Tunnel!

There's more of an insight into the Captain's mind when he shares regrets about launching so soon without all the systems online, which again sounds like a statement by the creators - originally they wanted the first season to be all about the preparation, ending with the ship's launch, which would have made it a very different and unique Trek series and shown what could be done with the format, but the studio reportedly wanted them out in space right from day one, denying them the chance to build up to something. Archer feels he rushed the ship out to prove a point, presumably to the sceptical Vulcans, and he's all ready to contact the Vulcan High Command as they could send a ship at Warp 6 and be there in two days, but because the aliens take out the amplifiers they can't, so they must rely on the expertise and ingenuity of the crew to overcome this deadly threat, a true Trek story. Trip talks about the real astronaut pioneers of the past and how they didn't blanch from taking risks, talking round his Captain, and in the process, himself into agreeing to Reed's idea, which was excellent writing, though it does make Archer lesser as really he should have been the one to bolster his men. But then he's also a man of great responsibility and puts it all on himself so if he thinks it's only his pride at stake versus protecting the lives of his crew then it makes sense he'd be quick to play it safe. I think he might have been joking when he showed such concern that there might be a microbe on the asteroid or moon they test the Phase Cannons against, as they've probably stepped on all kinds of things without realising on their Landing Parties, but he did seem serious.

There's a useful reminder that Starfleet doesn't consist of just one ship as we see Malcolm's best friend in Starfleet uniform with a patch on his shoulder different to the NX-01's, plus we hear of 'Duvall' who's just been promoted to commanding the Shenandoah (which might have been a historical ship which the DS9 Runabout was named for except that that was part of a series named for Earth rivers, as no doubt was this, but it's a fun little connection all the same), presuming he's in Starfleet. For that matter, we hear that the venerable old Royal Navy is still going, as Malcolm's Father, Stuart Reed, shows a hint of displeasure that his son went into Starfleet rather than that august organisation. And if there's a Royal Navy there must still be a royal line for the British monarchy unless they merely kept the name for history's sake - heartening to think that the monarchy survived all the turbulent troubles in their family and a changing society! One thing that does sound almost silly, and adds weight to the series' place in the eyes of detractors, is that Archer contacts Reed's parents and then at the end of the conversation when he signs off he reassures them they can contact him through Starfleet just in case they do think of anything that might be Malcolm's favourite food! That such an unimportant piece of trivia could allow communication with the most important ship in Earth history is a bit silly, but I've already explained the need for this good-natured project, so it's not that I mind it, but it's a far cry from the more serious and professional other Treks.

It helps that this was written and directed by two very knowledgeable members of the Trek community, insiders who'd played a big part in it, Andre Bormanis usually the science advisor, and Winrich Kolbe, who directed many an episode (though apparently not of 'Enterprise,' this being his only one and his last Trek of all!). There were a few shots I noticed that stood out, one being the filming of Archer and others entering the Shuttle Bay, seen through the window on the upper level where we have the bright reflections of the console buttons lighting up the glass. I always love seeing a torpedo enter the launcher - so smooth, yet so violent and mechanical. And the aliens' point of view from Archer's comm station where he stands up to them, warning them off through this distorted fisheye image, was also memorable. Villains repurposing someone's speech to send a message in anonymity reminded me of 'The Darkness and The Light' in 'DS9' where Silaran Prin used Kira's own voice to count off each victim he killed (another 'Enterprise' connection: Prin was played by Degra actor Randy Oglesby). It crossed my mind that, had the episode been suitably adjusted, the aliens could have been Romulan, since we saw them as a similar silent enemy in Season 2. It was all that glowing green of the ship that did it. It might have been a cooler story because it tied into something longterm to Trek history, but you'd still have the mystery for the characters. Just a thought, I liked the aliens as they were and the threat they posed, all the same.

They're not much more of a mystery than Malcolm Reed himself, and I wonder if they were toying with setting him up with Hoshi thanks to the amusing misunderstanding between them in the Mess Hall when she claims she has a hot plate in her Quarters and would like to prepare him a meal! We hear he had a thing for a waitress at some Earth fish restaurant, even though he didn't much like fish, apparently, so that adds a little more colour to his character. I was pleased to hear he likes spreading peanut butter on his pancakes (just like me!), but that whole storyline with Hoshi was a delight, despite being trivial, and though Reed remains a puzzle of privacy we know him well enough now to be drawn to him just as we're drawn to most of the characters on the series. I wish Travis had had more subtle characterisation over the years, but at least Hoshi got to show what she was capable of before the series dropped a lot of these 'minor' background stories in favour of more important events in later seasons. But I always love the little things and the elation when Hoshi and Phlox deduce the secret formula to Reed's ideal food counterbalances the serious, life- and mission-threatening gravity of the main plot rather nicely, I feel. It's not a revolutionary episode, but it is my kind of Trek.

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