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Episode Guide - Season 1 Page 3
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Episode 16 - First Aired February 13, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Shuttlepod One - Review - Discuss This Episode
 Tucker and Reed are stranded on a shuttlepod when returning from a mission - and find Enterprise apparently destroyed. Focuses heavily on Reed and serves to bond the two characters as they face limited oxygen and almost no chance of being rescued. They battle their annoyance with one another while also coming to terms with their mortality. The photo at left is from one of Reed’s more delirious moments imagining how happy T’Pol will be to see him after they are rescued.
No Guest Cast for this episode.
Writers: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
Director: David Livingston
Review: The character development between Trip and Reed was what this episode was all about and though there were some plot holes here and there, the writers managed to sustain interest throughout. An interesting episode (with an interesting dream sequence (photo above), though only 3 out of 5 stars in my book.
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Trailer (QT)
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Episode 17 - First Aired February 27, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Fusion (Originally title Equilibrium) - Review - Discuss This Episode
 Revolves around the Vulcans and T’Pol as the ship encounters a group of renegades who have rejected logic and set out to explore different ways of life. May include Tucker befriending one of the Vulcans who has become estranged from his father. Also features a love interest for T’Pol named Tolaris...wonder how that will affect her betrothal?
Guest Cast:
- Enrique Murciano as Tolaris
- Robert Pine as Tavin
- Vaughn Armstrong as Admiral Forrest
- John Harrington Bland as Kov
Writers: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga - Screenplay by Michael Sussman & Phyllis Strong
Director: Rob Hedden
Review: Finally saw this one after my local station pre-empted it for basketball. Definitely one of the best episodes to date giving us much more background on Vulcans and cementing the friendship between T’Pol and Archer. Also gives us a bit of insight into the explorer hidden in T’Pol. Very good character development and interaction along with a good storyline making it a 5 star episode.
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Episode 18 - First Aired March 20, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Rogue Planet - Review - Discuss This Episode
 The Enterprise crew encounters a hunting species known as the Eska. They possess advanced camouflage equipment they use to hunt - even the crew’s nightvision gear can’t detect them. Apparently, T’Pol gets into a bit of trouble trying to explain her aversion to hunting with Archer intervening to explain Vulcans don’t eat meat. He also apparently states that hunting went out of style on Earth a 100 years ago....though he does love a good steak. Reed is mostly impressed by the hunters equipment and has the chance to try it out when he accompanies a hunting party going for a rare Dakalan Elk - which is only permitted to be hunted for 4 days out of the year. Archer meets a mysterious telepathic, shape-shifting woman who claims her species is the Eska’s prized prey when he, Trip and T’Pol investigae volcanic steam vents in another area. The shapeshifters pleed with Archer to help stop the slaughter of their species.
Guest Cast:
- Keith Szarabajka as Damrus (Teero in Voyager Repression)
- Stephanie Niznik as The Woman (Ens. Perim in Insurrection)
- Conor O’Farrell as Buzaan (Prof. Carslon in DS9: Little Green Men)
- Eric Pierpoint as Shiraht (George in the Alien Nation series, Kortar in Voyager Barge of the Dead, Capt. Sanders in DS9’s For the Uniform, and Ambassador Voval in TNG: Liasons)
Writers: Story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga & Chris Black. Screenplay by Chris Black
Director: Allan Kroeker
Review: Well, I wasn’t real impressed by this one. Seemed lackluster compared with the previous few episodes not to mention a bit slow going...just didn’t hold my attention as well. Very little character development (other than our learning Archer is a fan of Keats poetry). Plus there are some glaring technical points - like if it’s a “rogue planet” with perpetual night (indicating there is no sun around), how is it there is lots of jungle and green plants??? Ambient light I could buy as casting a bit of the blue glow that was seen since there could be reflected starlight, but don’t plants need sunlight?? Doesn’t even bring up any real social commentary such as the evils of hunting for sport that it could have done. No real conflicts or surprises. Only 2 stars for this one.
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Episode 19 - First Aired March 27, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Acquisition - Review - Discuss This Episode
 Features Ethan Phillips (Voyager’s Neelix) as a Ferengi. In the episode, four Ferengi pirates manage to render the Enterprise crew unconcious and begin to plunder it. They wake up Archer to make him tell them where the vault is and to load cargo when he refuses. Luckily, Tucker was in the decon chamber when the Ferengi released their knock-out gas (through an artifact he brought back from a moon...which makes me wonder why the artifact wasn’t being examined in an enclosed chamber) and is able to wake up T’Pol. Together the three outwit the Ferengi and manage to take the ship back. In order not to conflict with the continuity established by the NG episode “The Last Outpost”, the Enterprise crew will never learn the name of the race. Jeffrey Combs plays a Ferengi very different from the scheming Brunt he played in DS9.
Guest Cast:
- Ethan Phillips as Pirate Captain Ulis (was Neelix on Voyager)
- Jeffrey Combs as Krem (was Brunt & Weyoun in DS9 as well as Shran the Andorian)
- Clint Howard as Muk (actor/director Ron Howard’s brother and Balok from TOS’ The Corbomite Maneuver)
- Matt Malloy as Grish
Writers: Story by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga; Screenplay by Maria & Andre Jacquemetton
Director: James Whitmore, Jr.
Review: To me, Acquisition is the first truly comedic episode of the series. The interaction between the Ferengi’s was wonderful and we even got to see an energy whip used properly by Ethan Phillips (they never looked menacing to me when they were shown in TNG’s The Last Outpost...but then the Ferengi seemed like jokes to me in that one too). The episode was overall well done and enjoyable. Gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.
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Jeffrey Combs discusses this episode here
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Episode 20 - Airing April 3, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Oasis - Review - Discuss This Episode
 An alien trader named D’Marr tells the crew about an abandond, haunted ship on a nearby planet that may contain duratanium - a resource the Enterprise is looking for to replenish its hull plating. The ship appears abandoned though T’Pol and Tucker discover an alien oasis inhabited by the Kantare, who claim to have crashed there 3 years ago. Tucker falls for an alien woman, Liana, with T’Pol becoming somewhat jealous. Turns out they may have been there much longer, however, and when T’Pol finds something she shouldn’t, the aliens seize her. In no big plot revelation, the ship crashed 22 years ago and Ezral created the Oasis - including holograms of the dead crew - to keep himself and his daughter, Liana, company.
Guest Cast:
- Rene Auberjonis (Odo from Deep Space Nine) as Ezral
- Tom Bergeron (host of Hollywood Squares) as D’Marr
- Annie Wersching as Liana
- Claudette Sutherland as Maya
- Rudoph Willrich as Kuulan
Writers: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (story), Stephen Beck (Screenplay)
Director: Jim Charleston
Review: Can’t say I can give this one more the 3 stars despite the fact one of my favorite’s from DS9 was in it (as was Orlando local-boy made good Bergeron). The plot reminded me of several previous Trek adventures (most notably a DS9 story), and the “secret” was anything but surprising. As soon as they were concerned about the “Optical” system needing repaired, the word “holograms” screamed through my head. I did like Trip’s line about a “holographic doctor”, but otherwise there was little of interest character wise or story wise.
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Also See:
Rene Auberjonois talked about the episode here
Rene’s Official Website
Photos
View trailer
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Episode 21 - Airing April 24, 2002, 8 pm UPN
Detained - Review - Discuss This Episode
 We will finally learn more about the Suliban in this episode as Archer and Mayweather are held in a Tandaran detention center along with several Suliban, including Narra, a child. These Suliban are not members of the Cabal that the villainous Silik works for and are being held because the Tandaran’s fear the reprisal of the Cabal. Archer and Mayweather befriend some of the Suliban’s and we finally learn about the species’ past. Danik tells them that the Suliban left their homeworld over a thousand years ago becoming nomadic and settling peacefully across the quandrant with races like the Tandarans (who are human-like in appearance) and the Tiburon. Seven years ago, the Cabal began attacking non-aligned Suliban settlements on these worlds, causing the Suliban to be ostracized and even imprisoned. Colonel Grat of the Mazarite lays the groundwork for joining with Archer in a battle against the Cabal. This episode is one of the most timely of the series with parallels about the treatment of innocent civilians during war time. Archer forms a plan to take over several Suliban vessels in order to get back to Enterprise and relocate the Suliban civilians to Tiburon - a plan not all Suliban appreciate. Dean Stockwell, Scott Bakula’s former co-star in Quantum Leap, guests as Colonel Grat.
Guest Cast:
- Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap) as Colonel Grat
- Dennis Christopher as Danki
- Christopher Shea as Sajen
- Jessica D. Stone as Narra
- David Kagen as Major Klev
Writers: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga, Teleplay by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong
Director: David Livingston
Review: While this one was interesting for both the political historical paralells and for the guest appearance by Dean Stockwell, I can’t say it was all that interesting to me. The story was very predictable and there was very little action. A few fun moments with Reed appearing on the planet is about the best we got. It had a feeling to be of being a bit stilted - as if it was perhaps written just to give a political/social commentary episode to the first season.
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Episode 22 - Airing May 1, 2002 8 pm UPN
Vox Sola (Latin for “Voice of the Sun”) - Review - Discuss This Episode
 The Enterprise’s cargo bay is taken over by a white, squid-like creature that keeps growing and growing, ensnaring some of the Enterprises crew (including Archer and Trip reportedly) in “white gushy stuff” as it grows. Apparently the squid is sent by some insulted Kreetassens. Reed will invent the first force field in this one and the first indications of a Hoshi/T’Pol friendship.
Guest Cast:
- Vaughn Armstrong as Kreetassan Captain (Armstrong also plays Admiral Forrest)
- Joseph Will as Rostov
- Renee Goldsberry as Kelly
Writers: Rick Berman & Brannon Braga, Teleplay by Fred Dekker
Director: Roxann Dawson (Torres from Voyager)
Review: Well, at least this one did manage to build a little suspense...and the creature wasn’t as bad as the description sounded. It was actually a fairly interesting design for a creature. Definitely not my favorite episode of the season, but not bad. Personally I like the episodes best that give us some character development along with a decent story and interesting plot. This one just had the decent story and a creature that for once wasn’t a “bumpy” alien. Can’t figure out what the title had to do with it either...anyone?? Yes, the creature was sensitive to light, but it wasn’t such a huge issue that it justified naming the episode for this minor thing. One plus was Mayweather sort of got a chance at command...though no one really knew it! It gets points for creature design, and loses some for non-interesting character bits.
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Also See:
Roxann Dawson discussed this episode on her website
Photos
Trailer
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Episode 23 - Airing May 8, 8 pm UPN (another new episode airs at 9pm)
Fallen Hero - Review - Discuss This Episode
 Archer and crew come to the aid of an expelled Vulcan ambassador who has been thrown off the planet Mazar for unknown reasons. The Enterprise is sent to pick her up on their way to Risa. T’Pol defends the Ambassador following an attack by a corrupt alien race and for the first time, asks Archer for help. The Vulcan diplomat boarding Enterprise makes it the target for weapons from alien ships, putting everyone at risk. Expect to see the ship hit warp 5 for the first time. The Vulcan Ambassador is apparently female letting us see the first female Vulcan since T’Pol.
Guest Cast:
- Fionnula Flanagan as Vulcan Ambassador V’Lar
- Vaughn Armstrong as Admiral Forrest
- John Rubinstein as Mazarite Captain
- J. Michael Flynn as Mazarite Official
- Dennis Howard as Vulcan Captain
Writers: Rick Berman, Brannon Braga and Chris Black. Teleplay by Alan Cross
Director: Patrick Norris
Review: An interesting episode with even some action thrown in. For the first time, we get the impression the Vulcan’s have some heavy duty ships as they actually come to the Enterprise’s aid. Seeing the ship hit Warp 5 was a nice touch as well - it really gets a work out in this episode. It seems to me Archer has made a rather powerful friend in this one as V’Lar leaves impressed and on good terms. I imagine that will come in handy in later episodes and we may see V’Lar again.
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Trailer
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