Rewatching Enterprise

Ok here goes, I'm rusty and full of trepidation
"The Forge"

Opens with a flashback scene of a lone Vulcan explorer in a network of subterranean caves where he finds an ancient relic. . . . . "Surak" he declares, after examination. (There was a date, but I missed it, could have 17, 170, or 1700 years ago )
After titles we zoom in on the United Earth Embassy on Vulcan, we are party to a conversation between Admiral Forrest and Savol (Soval ?, fuck knows). Savol expresses how the Vulcan High Command are non plussed re humans, and actually suspicion has turned to fear. Forrest explains that humans are not Klingons. There's a devastating explosion, Forrest saves Savol from the blast but he himself is killed.
The news reaches Enterprise where we see a rare scene of the senior Bridge officers spending free time together playing basketball. Archer is of course, upset re Forrest, there are 43 dead in total, 31 humans.
Enterprise is ordered to Vulcan.
T'Pols relationship with her husband is stale, wasn't it always ? And she has lost contact with her mother. The head of the VHC, Vloss (sp) visits Enterprise to relay their info on possible suspects, you guessed it, the Andorians. Archer is not convinced, and other suspects come up in conversation after prompting Vloss.
These suspects are non conforming Vulcans, Syranites (sp), led by, funnily enough, Syran.
Vloss also paints a narrative of increasing violence on Vulcan carried out on visitors, again linking this to the non conformists.
Archer is allowed to investigate the Embassy, and while looking through the wreckage, Reid and Mayweather find an undetonated bomb, fine triggered to go off with vibrations. Reid scans it and sets off the timer, they have to have an emergency beam out, just in time.
Examination of the scans point to Vulcan DNA, which the Vulcans have decided belong to T'Pau, one of the non conformist sect, and she has to be found.
Now the Vulcans want to take over the investigation, and Archer is no longer charged with completing the investigation.
There is a poignant scene in the cargo hold where Archer stands over the coffins of the dead, he is at Forrest's coffin when Savol appears to express his condolences, explain that Forrest saved his life, and to tell of planned Vulcan/Human joint missions that he and Forrest had discussed. Archer insists these still go ahead and they agree to work together. He tells Archer that he has to go to Vulcan to complete his investigation. Insinuating that the VHC are agenda driven and not exactly up front about things.
Out of the blue, T'Pol gets a visit from her estranged husband, who gives her a medallion (IDIC) that he insists her mom wants her to have, only snag is that mom is missing. In hiding because she is a Syranite.
Archer and T'Pol open the IDIC and it contains a digital map, no Princess Leia though, it shows details of an area of desert known as the Forge. Seems mom wants to be found, but the Forge is out of bounds for tech and they can't be traced there when they go, also there's a dampening field making beaming in difficult. Savol helps them beam down without detection and off they go, T'Pol sporting a nice white catsuit with green trims, lovely .
They have to flee from a ferocious selot, and we get the old "I used to have a pet selot" speech that seems obligatory for Vulcans. They escape after intervention from a stranger, a Vulcan who calls himself Areb.
Archer says he learning the teachings of Surak from T'Pol, Areb says he's on a pilgrimage, and they walk the desert together.
We learn that Vulcans don't have to drink water regularly and have an inner eyelid to keep out the sun, but Archer struggles in the heat. Areb quizzes Archer on his motives and vice versa, they agree that lies is not solely the domain of humans. T'Pol suspects that Areb is indeed a Syranite.
Archer and Co have to flee a sandfire on the surface and take refuge in a cave. On Enterprise Phloxx discovers that the DNA on the bomb was a false planted sample from when T'Pau was a child, in short it's a frame up.
The injured guard from the Embassy is in sick bay and Trip asks Savol to mindmeld with him to extract the hidden info in his mind, he's in a coma, but after examining the footage of the bomb they reckon the guard recognised the hooded figure who is suspected of leaving the bomb. He reluctantly agrees and they discover that the bomber was the head of Vulcan security.
How come melds are easy these days, when Spock did them it was a palaver.
In the Forge Areb explains the IDIC, expresses his feelings re the exposing of the listening station at P'Jem, when he discovers who Archer is, but he gives tacit approval due to his belief that the VHC are not to be trusted.
He says that the Katra of Surak is passed from person to person, that the Katra is with a Syranite.
On board, Trip questions the Vulcan security guy and accuses him of the bombing, Vloss is hostile again and accuses Savol of being a disgrace and shaming Vulcan because he melded with the human guard.
On the surface, the cave is breached and T'Pol is zapped by an electric bolt, she survives but Areb isn't so lucky, but before he dies he transfers his Katra to Archer.
On Enterprise, Savol knowing that Vloss is corrupt, still hands himself in to Vucan security, but not before Trip implores that they trust each other to continue getting to the bottom of the terror attack.
When Archer comes to, he is cared for by T'Pol, but sees the dead body of Areb, he's got an almighty headache, and says Areb punched him and said "Remember"
They bury the Vulcan and try to evade the overhead search vehicles.
All of a sudden Archer has knowledge of the terrain and where to go to find the Syranites. He finds an entrance to a cave, disguised by a holograph, inside there are ruins, but he senses they are about to be captured, says to T'Pol not to resist. And indeed they are captured.

To be continued.

PS, If Vulcan has no moon then where did the moonlight come from in the desert night scenes ?
Apart from Spock, who was the benchmark Vulcan, only Sarek, T'Pol and to a lesser extent Tuvok convince me of the logical Vulcan mind. Every other Vulcan I can remember in Trek is either peripheral, or as in Enterprise, downright sneaky and belligerent. Savol blows hot and cold, but Vloss was a nasty piece of work and not at all logical.
Just my thoughts, probably wrong.

 

Madre mia
You summed it up so much better than me
And spelled the names properly, to my shame
I loved the pet conversation between T'Pol and Archer, it was quite funny
I'm glad you agree the V'Las was very un Vulcan, and that Romulan theory sits well
And the Vulcans in Enterprise were extremely trying, to the point of being irritating
I've heard Blalock being described as an "airhead" before, even on here, but I think she does a fine Vulcan, while other more experienced actors didn't seem to "get it"
Next chance I get, I'll carry on, there's so much about this arc that I like, but other things demand scrutiny.

 

I wish I'd asked you to carry on with these "reviews" ha ha
Savol is another who annoys me at times with his non Vulcan approach, too emotional, or not always good at hiding them.
I love Jolene as a Vulcan, T'Pol is a part that made and defined her, and I very much doubt she would nail any other part the way she did this one, even if she still acts at all.
As for T'Pring and Ston, you could argue that their duplicity was fully driven by logic, logic is all, it covers every foible, every controversial act or statement, Spock even alluded to the whole thing being logically set up.
Robert Foxworth, to me, was the guy from "Falcon Crest", if I remember correctly, and I was never a fan of that, so maybe I'm being a little harsh on him.
Maybe he did "get it" but he clearly wasn't a Vulcan in the more traditional mode.
Always enjoyable and informative speaking to you.

 

I think at this point I miss Jolene more than I miss Avery when it comes to conventions and just hearing any kind of interview from them. Jolene was so mad about the finale I haven't heard from her since, and watching SG-1 earlier this year, I really do miss her presence in various shows.

 

I congratulate her on not sticking around to suck on fandom's teat. It is a nice change of pace for a Trek actor.

 

I've seen her talk fondly of the show, even though I think she always said she had trouble with the dialogue.

RAMA

 

I recently completed a rewatch after many years. I think I appreciate and enjoy what they were trying to do now in hindsight. I thought ENT was just OK to 'meh' for much of its run. Really liked some of the season 4 arcs. Bakula's Archer annoys me more now for whatever reason. Just immature outbursts and brooding half the time.

 

"Awakening"

We begin with Ambassador Soval being removed of his duties for being sympathetic to the Humans, performing a mind meld, and going against the wishes of the ever manic V'Lass. He is given a chance to speak his mind but declines on the grounds that no one is listening. On the ground, Archer and T'Pol are taken to meet T'Pau, and Archer gets emotional starts blaming T'pau for the Embassy bomb, she claims innocence. T'Pol's mom appears at the side of T'Pau. They ask how they could have crossed the Forge without help, and of course they tell of Arev, and his subsequent death. The pair are then put in custody.
Archer is drowsy and nauseous, he tells T'Pol that Arev did something to him, T'Pol suspects a mind meld. We are party to a conversation where T'Pau tells mom that she doesn't trust her daughter due to her position in Star Fleet and the alignment with that organisation and the Vulcan High Command. Turns out that Arev was indeed Syrran, like we didn't know already.
On Enterprise, Soval tells Trip of his sacking, and expresses concern for Archer and T'Pol, along with the Syrranites.
V'Lass it seems, wants them (Syrranites) destroyed.
T'Pol and mom have a head to head where mom tells her that the Syrranites believe that Vulcans have strayed from the teachings of Surak, T'Pol wants her to go back with her, but she refuses, while T'Pol passes on joining the Syrranites.
Archer, now having visions, sees Surak and the ancient war on Vulcan, the time of Awakening. He is seeing through Surak's eyes, he was chosen by Syrran to keep the Katra, he's told not to fight it, to "Open his mind and heart".
On Vulcan, the VHC plot the destruction of the Syrranite camp, V'Lass has opposition, but he is persuasive.
Meanwhile Archer convinces T'Pol he's spoken to Surak and has the Katra, in turn T'Pau decides she has to remove it from him, by melding with the Captain.
On Enterprise Soval aids Trip in providing him with means to get through the Vulcan dampening fields with a shuttlecraft, to rescue Archer and T'Pol. Soval reveals he is helping because he has a soft spot for humans garnered from living on Earth for 30 years (Trip says he hid it well, Soval thanks him : ) )
T'pol expresses her doubts about the Katra to Archer and says perhaps it is the residue of Syrran's thoughts he is experiencing, Archer now claims he knows the sanctuary well like he's been there before, but he wants the Katra removed.
V'Lass contacts Enterprise looking for Archer, Trip buys time by saying he's indisposed.
At the sanctuary, T'Pau decides to remove the Katra from Archer even though she knows it could kill him, despite mom's concerns, she decides it's worth the risk. They tell Archer they'll remove it by force if necessary (I thought Archer was ok with it being removed ?)
Admiral Gardner has now instructed Enterprise to get out of Dodge, V'Lass wants them gone because he doesn't want witnesses to his bombardment of the sanctuary.
T'Pau attempts to remove the Katra by melding with Archer, he is distressed and sees visions of an ailing Surak, he is told of the importance of logic and how it would prevail, and then instructed that he must find the K'ir Shara, an ancient artefact. T'Pau fails to extract the Katra, Surak wants to stay with Archer.
In orbit, Travis and Malcolm set out for Vulcan in the adapted shuttle, but are still detected and attacked, they can land even after damage, but couldn't get back to the ship so landing is abandoned, they limp back heavily compromised.
V'Lass now finds out Archer is in the Forge, Soval even informs him he helped get him there, and subsequently Enterprise is told to leave or face destruction.
While caring for a fevered Archer, T'Pol again attempts to understand her mom's role with the Syrranites, Archer explains to her about the K'ir Shara and his need to find it (I must admit, I don't get the KS, maybe I'm a bit dim), he claims he knows where it is.
Battle cruisers prepare to attack the Forge, and in orbit, also fire warning shots at Enterprise. They get a final warning, but desist so V'Lass overrules his colleagues and orders the attack on Enterprise.
On the surface the Syrranites evacuate the sanctuary but Archer, T'Pol and T'Pau stay to search for the KS.
Enterprise is floundering and has casualties, Soval now advises withdrawal, as V'lass finally orders the compound below to be destroyed completely.
Underground, Archer and Co explore the catacombs where they find a corpse which Archer names and claims to remember, he knows the KS is near and they find a panel on the cave wall which he opens easily.
They find the artefact and T'Pau is in awe of it.
The camp above is destroyed and when they get to the surface they find mom in the rubble, badly injured. She tells T'Pol she is proud of her and did everything for her to help her, and that she'd understand in the future, she dies in T'Pol's arms.
Trip ponders why the VHC has it in for the Syrannites, seeing as they are pacifists, but Soval tells him that V'Lass is planning to attack Andorria based on fake information about them building weapons with Xindi technology. He also explains that the VHC can't have pacifists in their midst in time of war.
Trip is appalled, and decides to set course for Andorria at Max Warp.
The cliffhanger is set.
This arc has had a slow build up, but the latter part of this episode really cranked it up. Traditionalists might think "Why are the Vulcans doing this", but it's great theatre, and goes a long way to explaining the evolution of the Vulcans before the United Federation of Planets, or Kirk or Picard's era Vulcans.
Loving it.