The Misanthope's guide to Enterprise...

[pookha]

I thought Exile was a huge waste of time for something that could've been really huge. Imagine if we later find out that the Tarquin was a Sphere Builder, or what if instead of the cheesy Rajiin plot they used a dude to bamboozle Hoshi into giving up Enterprise's secrets?

Also, this did absolutely nothing for Hoshi's character. I wasn't even crazy about the conversation Archer and Hoshi had. I mean, with absolutely no interaction between the characters for two years, it's hard to remember he convinced her to join Enterprise and needed her.

I liked the B plot so much better with Archer and Trip.

i dont know how true it is but there was a rumor that in early scripts
tarquin was actually the son of the reptillian general.
that it was going to tie in with this from council..

DEGRA: Which brings us to the reptilians, and Commander Dolim. There's a story about him. I don't know if it's true, I'd like to believe it isn't. His daughter gave birth to a son. He had a deformity in his right arm, not life-threatening but enough to preclude his ever joining the military. Commander Dolim had his own grandson poisoned.

that the boy didnt die but developed into a telepath and was sent into exile to protect him from his grandfather.

 

[Sadistro]

Close to the word limit again, so have to be brief! Review, here, enjoy!

EPISODE 07 - 'THE SHIPMENT'

So then, we arrive at another of those ‘make or break’ episodes. Chris Black had the daunting task in this episode, of keeping the Xindi storyline alive and strong, knowing that a poor episode could spell disaster for the arc.

He had to keep up the pace, but also respect Star Trek’s message of hope and solutions that do involve mass murder. At the same time however, he couldn’t simply ignore that many of the more hardcore sci-fi fans they were trying to win over would expect their ‘pound of flesh’.

No pressure then!

The emphasis in this episode is placed on the need to balance your approach to life; to be neither too quick and judgemental, nor too slow and passive. It demonstrates that races and sub species have much to learn from each other, if they can overcome their differences long enough to speak to one another. It also posits that in many cases, we are our own worst enemies...

The danger but also the seduction of swift, decisive action is addressed first. The opening scenes flash by at a furious rate, building momentum at a ferocious speed. After being teased with seeing a glimpse of the weapon (we even ‘touch’ it as the camera passes through it), the Xindi declare it will be ready ‘any day now’. Enterprise meanwhile is hurtling towards the colony and before you know it, Archer and co are on the surface, sneaking up to the main facility.

Your mind probably started rebelling at this point, wondering how it is all so easy; whether it would really be so lightly guarded etc. But that’s the whole point – Black is trying to make the point that it is easy to slip into the destructive mindset and that it will only get easier as time goes on. Reed will later give voice to this, showing that the crew have already hardened themselves with the thought that ‘they started it – we’ll finish it!’

Black takes a real gamble, sacrificing credibility with the speed and ease of their infiltration to build such momentum therefore. Such pace was probably felt to be necessary, because the writers had to make this feel as big and important as they could. The episode acquires a great deal of substance later, but at the start, it was all about getting the viewers fired up.

It isn’t easy to stop this adrenaline rush once it starts however and even back in ‘The Expanse’ when this all started, the writers knew they must be careful not to dilute the storyline and ‘defang’ the Xindi threat too easily. It had happened so many times to Star Trek baddies, that they had been built up and then just capitulated and were won round surprisingly easily.

This time, they wanted a race that would provide consistent, believable threat over a whole season. They’d promised decisive action, but still we all knew that this was Star Trek and that some compromise would inevitably be reached somewhere. This is episode was to be the acid test in whether they could satisfy those wanting real heroics with those expecting Trek values to win through.

Black therefore, (or whoever’s decision it was) is very savvy in putting the Sloth Xindi in charge of the facility. A passive and contemplative people, they are perfect for slowing the pace down, defusing the situation with Graylik’s genuine indignation and desire to assemble the facts in his mind carefully, as he receives them.

It’s a very interesting balancing act that Archer has, because he is the one motivating Reed and T’Pol that they cannot simply sit in orbit scanning – they have to get down there and investigate. But once there, he has to temper that determined approach with the need for a cool, objective plan in the face of some very decisive tactical suggestions from his officers and another Xindi who defies expectations.

But I must say that great as Graylik is, I think the early interrogation scenes and indeed this whole start was something that could have been done a little better. It is one of the episode’s most unfortunate failings that Archer is given surprisingly little to say (that is particularly memorable and powerful, at any rate), and that his interrogation, particularly in the transition to where Gralik is more friendly, feels very awkward at times.

Part of the blame must lie with Bakula however, and I will concede this is not his finest hour. Much of Bakula’s appeal over his career has been the feeling that he is essentially a decent man, a moral man who will overcome adversity in the right way.

So having him snarling and leaping around with guns is a little contrary to what he is usually hired for. As such, the quieter moments with Reed outside the house and with Graylik in the fire-lit cave are much better suited to him than the early ‘24’ style scenes.

In terms of writing also, we know that there isn’t really much chance that Archer is going to blow this place up and/or kill Gralik, because not only does that rarely happen on Star Trek, Graylik comes across too obviously as an innocent party in all this. There isn’t even really the suggestion that he’s lying.

This is necessary to tell the ‘own worst enemy’ storyline, but first impressions count and so this episode starts off uncertainly as a consequence. It doesn’t feel like it’s being properly staged and also takes time away from the crew’s interactions, making it seem less momentous than we expected (because there is no ‘This is it, people!’ kind of speeches etc.

As I say, it’s a gamble and so the poor early exchanges nearly derail the episode altogether. The only thing that saves it (and the season) from an ignominious fate is that the actor for Graylik is very fortunately excellent in the role.

He’s a perfect mix of a big, solid presence on screen, together with a voice that feels weighty and wise, as he demands to know what all this running and shouting and waving guns around is all about. The initial disappointment I felt of being so thoroughly convinced of his innocence soon gave way, because I realised that this how it was supposed to be.

He is entirely believable in the role, giving that rare but pleasing feeling that you if you could ask him about any aspect of the character, he’d be able to tell you, even though it wasn’t in the script. The genuine indignation in his voice as he protests his innocence instantly give the episode a whole new dimension, as you (and Archer) realise this is not going to be anywhere as easy as it seemed now.

Black always likes to examine and study people in his episodes and Graylik makes a fascinating subject. His reactions upon learning of his complicity in building the weapon are mesmerising. Rather than a big emotional outburst, he starts sorting it through, the horror of what he’s been told slowly seeping through as he finally starts to confront all the mistakes he and his people have made.

It’s fascinating to see him work it through, because we come to understand that whilst the Sloth Xindi’s insular mindset has helped them to move on after what happened on their homeworld, it has robbed them of real drive and allowed others to take advantage of them.

Archer’s arrival forces him to alter this perspective and is shown to be one of the things that humans have to offer his species. It’s easier to avoid confrontation yes, but more than one great wrong has been perpetrated by the other Xindi and someone has to take a stand against them.

Moments before Archer arrived, Graylik was a successful man, eminent in his own small way, working to better his colony etc. The next moment he is told he is complicit in mass murder, with the blood of millions on his hands. It’s a hard thing that Archer is forcing him to see, but it’s nothing that he isn’t willing to do himself.

Because Archer could have taken the easy road and accepted Hayes’ suggestion of levelling the facility from orbit. He could accept Reed’s accolades and know his people would laud him as a hero. But he doesn’t duck the tough questions – will he be sealing the fate of both races to an ever escalating war by what he does right now?

He doesn’t want to imagine it, but from what he’s been told, humanity will apparently reach a stage where they exterminate an entire race. Not a thought that would sit easily with you, especially for a race that prides itself on having evolved beyond such things.

Faced with such an influence, Graylik is forced to accept what he is being told, but also that in his heart of hearts; he knows his hands are already stained with the blood of the Avians. He registers surprise at being reminded of them, suggesting he has mentally blocked them out in everyday life, because the memory is too painful.

And the wistfulness as he speaks of them is heartbreaking, as he realises the full extent of what has happened; what they allowed to happen. His own race that he wanted to trust despite the evidence of their crimes, have deceived him again - because they knew they could and that it would be easy , because the Sloths don’t ask questions.

Letting the Reptilians and Insectoids wage their war on the Xindi homeworld, the Sloths have convinced themselves that there was nothing they could have done, that even the guilty factions may not have known what it would do. But in reality he seems to realise, by not trying hard enough to stop them and speak out, they and he are just as responsible for the deaths of the Avians and now for 7 million innocent people on a world he had never even heard of.

So we see that both parties have helped each other to get to the truth of the matter; to find what they really should be doing here. The humans need to slow down and think about what they are doing; the Sloths need to wake up and see what is really going on around them.

The work on the Xindi is first rate therefore. We see from Graylik’s indignation that he would ever condone such actions, that the Xindi are not demons – they are people. Indeed the series will establish this to be the case for all the races. They honestly believe they are doing the right thing. The Reprilian scientist in ‘Carpenter Street’ for example, sacrifices himself, fully believing that when he looks at Archer, he is staring into the face of pure evil.

And ‘The Shipment’ doesn’t evade this side of the story either, with short but effective scenes towards the end of the episode. They show that Degra firmly believes he is acting in the best interests of his people and if the Reptilian guard had not been around to remind Graylik of the grievances between them, his conviction may have swayed Graylik (and I think they should have played this scene out a bit more, making us wonder if he’d reveal Archer’s location).

Ultimately of course, he doesn’t as we would expect from a Star Trek show. The idea of co-operation is surfacing and it’s a nice way to introduce the idea that your allegiance should always be to doing the right thing, rather doing what your peers expect you to do (as T’Pol unwisely allowing herself to be swayed by Phlox and Trip shows).

But the writers were doing a nice job of showing that whilst co-operation may be desirable, there are some people with whom it seems impossible. This was necessary to ensure the Xindi were not defanged and leave themselves with credible villains in the Insectoids and Reptilians.

So the episode does make decent progress along the Xindi arc, introducing the crew properly to one of the key players – Degra and filling us in on what one of the Xindi species is like, set up future episodes with the tracker etc.

But this does not come without a price tag attached. Black has evidently bonded with the Xindi and is warming to his subject, having now shown 4 of the 5 races ‘in action’ (and will in fact be the most prominent at displaying the Aquatics later too). But there is a real danger that he likes the Xindi too much; that his desire to portray them accurately and interestingly is overwhelmingly his commitment to the main characters.

Already a writer who liked to introduce prominent outsiders and observers, Black’s first two episodes of the season had been excellent with regard to the Xindi, but lacking in cast involvement. The Archer/Rajiin storyline was disappointing and the captain’s involvement in this episode is all but eclipsed by Graylik and his dialogue and actions.

Black’s work on the rest of the crew is likewise slight and underwritten. Trip once again finds himself in a predominantly comic relief mode, making engineering blunders and scampering about the ship, just as he had done in ‘Extinction’ and ‘Rajiin’. Him, T’Pol and Phlox are all involved in one of Black’s familiar ‘woman tutting at male antics’ sequences.

It does all broadly fit the ideas of the need to slow down, have a little patience against the need for action and decisive moves. But it still feels a bit foolish and lightweight: a substitute for character work, rather than the real deal. And what about Hoshi, who was so vital to them even being at the colony in the first place? Mentioned little; seen less.

Reed and Hayes have somewhat meatier roles, but still don’t do as much as I would have liked. What little contributions they add, do make for interesting viewing, however. Hayes seems very deadly and affirms Black’s love of the MACOs. The cold practical methodology of war that he and Reed espouse is disturbing, but in a believable way.

I just wish Director David Straiton and the writers had given a few more close ups and/or spent a bit more time on the Reed/Archer scene outside Graylik’s house. This is still fairly rare to see and Archer’s reactions to Reed’s cold blooded congratulations on the impending murder of so many people, are of enormous interest to us.

And yet the scene plays out with less power than you’d wish, primarily because the camera is pulled back (less close ups gives a better sense of scale and pace). This was when I began to get quite annoyed that the pace and need for a sense of space and importance was suffocating the performances.

But let’s be clear that we cannot fault Black for trying to make us care about the Xindi and Hayes etc, because it is absolutely vital that we do. If we don’t start forming attachments to specific Xindi and identifying what the race is actually like, an ongoing arc would be impossible to sustain.

It just kind of goes against the grain to see (admittedly very good) scenes of the Xindi internal bickering, when the main cast got so little quality interaction as a rule. The fact that in most of their scenes, Graylik does most of the talking and Archer listens, along with the sparse interaction of the crew (when we see them at all), mean that you really have to be plugged into the Xindi arc to get much out of this.

Which is fair enough really, like I say, because this is one of those times when they couldn’t afford for people to shrug their shoulders and say ‘Actually, I’m not bothered either way, to be honest...’.

Episodes like this however, that so obviously place cast interaction on the back burner for the needs of the plot and ongoing arc, place themselves squarely in the firing line. Guest characters come and they go, but the main cast stays. You need to find time to make proper, lasting connections between them or the show has no real foundations.

Black’s style of concentrating on intimate one on ones; usually makes for intense, interesting viewing (although he often surrounds it with unnecessarily lightweight and trivial scenes to balance things out.) Black had to be careful that the crew still got some of this close attention (like he does in ‘Singularity’ with T’Pol and Archer for example).

In this episode however, the focus is on Archer and Graylik, and their need to trust each other and act on their own initiative, separate from their people. Archer’s sense of distance from the crew and largely keeping his people (and us) out of the loop over what he’s thinking of doing, didn’t sit easily with me. (It does set up ‘Twilight’ quite nicely, where Archer himself will be left out of the loop. I cannot imagine that was an accident).

Bear in mind also, that Black is not trying to say that Archer doesn’t trust his crew – more that in a crisis situation, he backs himself to succeed and the crew must trust him to do what’s best for the mission and Earth etc. He’s reacting to a changing situation on the ground and has to act quickly or not at all (and have the sense to know when to do both).

It isn’t exactly this episode’s fault that we already feel starved for the rest of the crew – that we want to see them getting properly involved more often. But when big episodes like this come up and it still centres predominantly around Archer, you begin to wonder if the others are ever going to get their day.

And to a certain degree, Black’s hands were tied. As I mentioned before, his style is to separate people and focus in on them, particularly seeing (and showing people observing) how they react under pressure. Personal confidence, knowing who to trust and having the ability to make tough decisions and actions (and more importantly, the right decisions) when it counts are paramount to him.

A writer has to stay true to the values he/she believes in. And when you really need an episode to work, then you can’t be messing about trying to be something you’re not. You use the characters and elements of the show that you like best and like writing about the best. You do it in your preferred style and back yourself to win on your home ground.

Over the course of the series, Black writes for most of the characters, but he always seems to find room for Archer, Reed and Phlox to do something important (‘Carbon Creek’ being an obvious exception, but that was a teleplay of a B+B story).

As much as we might have liked to see an episode where the crew really band together for the big mission, this is the episode that Black felt best equipped to write. It couldn’t be all things to all people.

He does strive to maintain an intense study of who the Sloth Xindi and humanity really are, with a sense of space and scale. No-one can say that he didn’t try with this episode or tackle important issues to the season. There’s just a sense (ironically given the ‘see the big picture’ nature of the story), that episodes shelving the main cast are not helpful to the series as a whole.

A score then?

Pretty much the only criteria that really matters to whether this episode worked for you or not is simply this: Did it hook you into the Xindi arc? Because that’s what it was all about really, themes of co-operation and the need to act versus the need to think first aside.

In this regard, the episode gets a cautious ‘thumbs up’. The work on Greylik is great, but there isn’t enough involvement from Archer (and definitely not from the rest of the crew). It often feels that Greylik is simply speaking to camera about the Xindi and the episode’s development feels a little awkward at times.

However Black dresses it up also, there is still a lack of definitive action in this episode. Planting a tracking device feels like a bit of a low key way to end things (especially as a) trackers are usually always discovered and b) they lose the signal from theirs immediately!)

But the information about the Avians, the natural dialogue and interesting interactions of the Xindi sub species do much to give credibility to the XIndi as a race worthy of investing our time in knowing. Lastly, ‘s performance as Greylik is superb, lending gravitas and again, credibility to this whole arc.

‘The Shipment’ gets 3 out of 5 from me. If Archer’s dialogue, Bakula’s acting and the interactions between him and Graylik had been a bit sharper, then this could easily have been the first 4 out of 5 episode. As it is, the episode is generally good, rather than truly great.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I haven't seen "The Shipment" in a while, so it was interesting to read your review and compare it with what stuck in my mind about that episode. Most memorable to me was Gralik--what a great character--and his scenes with Archer. Archer with Reed and Hayes, too, and the different perspectives they had on the situation.

I really liked Gralik, for all the reasons you covered. I like that this episode made the Xindi situation more complicated, but more hopeful, because not all Xindi were "bad guys." I liked seeing a bit of Degra here, and how he saw the situation; watching his slow evolution over the course of the season was wonderful. As you say, the strength of these characters is that they all believe utterly that they are in the right. They are the "heroes," from their point of view. That makes for the most effective adversaries.

I remember that first scene when Archer came busting in on Gralik with that "Tell me what I wanna know, or you'll be eatin' the business end o' dis gun!" attitude. And Gralik's "Who the heck are you?" reaction. I had the same kind of about Archer. What is he doing? That's not him. But as the episode progressed, and Archer started acting more like Archer--feeling out the adversary, using his instincts to judge the man's character, determining that he was someone who could be trusted--I felt better about him.

So was Archer out of character at first, and the writing was out of sorts? Much has been said about the character being written inconsistently over the course of the series, and that could be the case here. Or--and perhaps this was me rationalizing --maybe Archer thought strong-arming the guy was what he was supposed to do, even though it wasn't his natural way of doing things. (He's an explorer, not a thug.) So that's why he seemed "off." And Gralik's reaction clearly told him that it wasn't the right way to get the answers. So Archer changed tactics, went back to what he knew--reasoned with Gralik, used evidence, and let his instincts go to work to feel the man out.

That's how I remember working it through in my head, anyway. For what it's worth. When I put on the episode again, I might find that I'm dead wrong.

Some people didn't get into the Xindi, the 5 species, all that. I thought it was fascinating--the infighting, the underhandedness, nobility side-by-side with nefariousness, the guilt about the planet-killing war and the extinction of the Avians, the later introduction of the Guardians and how the vulnerable Xindi were suckered by them. A lot of time and effort were spent making them a layered and compelling people. I wish we could have spent even more time with them somehow. Too bad the regular cast lost face time as a result, though. Too many stories to tell, too little time.

 

[Sadistro]

I think it's fair enough that Archer is so threatening at first, because these are people who have apparently aided in the massacre of millions of innocent people. I don't think it's unreasonable that he would be quite upset.

And apart from the guy in 'The Xindi' all he knows (or thinks he knows) of the Xindi are that they are callous murdering monsters. This isn't some game to them - they are sneaking around a facility that could be filled with heavily armed Xindi.

And really it's just to show Archer's outrage that anyone could do something like that to another people. Which makes it easier for him to recognise that same reaction in Graylik, when he is accused of mass murder.

After searching fruitlessly, the worry that they would fail and let everyone they cared about down in the most fatal way... The adrenalin of the situation; the apparent ease of their entry and the fact that as Reed and Hayes point out, this would be a big victory at no real cost to them... It all builds together with the expectation of the Xindi being monsters.

It's easy to get swept up in that and let it carry you to the worst places. And from our history, we know that is true (unless you wish to say that the Germans of the early 20 century were simply evil, which of course isn't true).

Like I said, Black is skating on thin ice with credibility though for much of the start of this episode. And Bakula's acting simply doesn't suit that kind of writing, so he can't sell it as well.

But like you said, Graylik was a great character and it's sad to think that some will dismiss this episode out of hand because they dislike the Xindi. I too feel they were a fascinating species and I admire the work that went into them.

Braga and Berman even give a nod to the fact they have never been mentioned before in 'Carpenter Street', reasoning that this is in some ways, a secret history; that they are literally making new history as they go and that it'll take time for it to filter through the later timelines.

You can't say the writers didn't give the season the utmost care and attention. If people remember nothing else good about Enterprise, it should be that everyone involved tried their best to make it work. Nobody slacked off and allowed Star Trek to die.

They tried their best, but some things just aren't meant to be.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

They tried their best, but some things just aren't meant to be.

Eh. I don't believe in destiny. I think it was more like, "They tried their best, but then a Suit In Charge came along and bagged the franchise." Apparently barring all offers by others to save the victim's life, from what I read at the time. And holding an estate sale to make sure later resuscitation would be impossible.

Brrrrr.

But hey, speaking of free will vs destiny... "Twilight" is next.

 

[Sadistro]

Hmm, I'm not sure that I really see 'Twilight' as free will versus destiny in the proper sense. That seems more appropriate for something like 'Similtude'.

The whole issue with The Temporal Cold War and Voyager episodes like 'Year of Hell' was that 'destiny' could be rewritten and modified until nobody knew what was and wasn't 'supposed' to be happening.

The whole idea of the Expanse and the altering of time and reality by the Sphere makers, mean that the whole thing is a mess 'destiny-wise'.

Because we have to remember, that in the 'offiicial' history (i.e the one that we know and that Daniels knows), this war and mission never took place at all. Who is to say then, what is destiny and isn't?

I believe 'Twilight' is about the need for a benevolent imposition of will - someone to say 'This is the way things should be'. It explores the idea of the sleeping or absent God Figure and the need for him to remember his Plan (the 'right' Plan as opposed to the Sphere Builders' diabolical one).

Religion is as we saw earlier, just as 'hot button' an issue as always, so I'm proceeding carefully with my review of 'Twilight'. Good episode, though.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I was thinking more in terms of the Butterfly Effect. Time, or your life, is a series of choices. (Insert religion or moral correctness here, if desired.) Depending on whether you make Choice A or Choice B, you proceed along a different pathway, toward a different future, which may or may not be written in stone--because there are other choices still to be made.

If a pro-SF, pro-Trek guy had been in charge, or Enterprise had been on an actual network rather than UPN, and different choices had been made along the way, maybe its future would have been different.

If Archer hadn't pushed T'Pol out of the way in "Twilight"...if she'd made a different choice other than blowing off one of the ship's nacelles...etc. The whole "what if" is about the cause-and-effect chain, the consequences of going down a different path.

I think the more effective stories are the ones that demonstrate "doing the (morally) right thing," or at least show characters wrestling with the issue and the consequences of doing or not doing it.

 

[commodore64]

^ I think it's a little of both. It is destined that Archer will destroy the Xindi weapon and save Earth. What isn't "destined" is that he gives it up to save T'Pol (where he exhibits who he is in a single moment).

Because of his choice, there is a Butterfly Effect that comes into play. And because it's destiny, Archer is restored back and destroys the weapon.

Sadistro is right, and it's one of the things I didn't like about the show. The TCW is one big destiny party for Archer. And although in season 4, Archer tells T'Pol he doesn't believe in destiny, he should.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

It could be that the writers did try to take the "it's a *yawn* done deal" energy out of the mix with the setup of the Xindi situation.

Because we have to remember, that in the 'offiicial' history (i.e the one that we know and that Daniels knows), this war and mission never took place at all. Who is to say then, what is destiny and isn't?

We might know what's going to happen 100 years into Archer's future, but he doesn't know yet. He doesn't know what the "right" path is. Several times, his instincts and his need to protect his crew are totally at odds with Daniels' recommendations on what action he should take, in order to fulfill his grand future (which Archer always scoffs at). Did Archer ever do what Daniels wanted, rather than what he, Archer, felt he should do? I keep remembering all the times he blew Daniels off, LOL.

I think Archer was the master of his own "fate," rather than having it happen to him no matter what he tried to do. If he had thrown himself out an airlock, he wouldn't have miraculously survived due to that Federation he was "destined" to found. He'd be dead. The reason he didn't airlock himself was because of his crew and his mission, not what Daniels kept spouting about his future. As it happened, Archer probably ended up where Daniels wanted him--but by Archer's choices, not Daniels'.

Anyway, the fact that the TCW bad guys could alter time, and that Daniels admitted that the looming Xindi conflict never took place in official history, is enough to blow "destiny" out of the water for the viewer--enough for the duration of the Xindi storyline. If you get stuck in the wrong timeline, it becomes yours; it doesn't matter which one you were "supposed" to be on. I think Sadistro mentioned this too--our crew and the Xindi were rewriting history as they went along. Taking a side tributary to meet up again with the main "history" river.

We might have known the end of the storyline way before Archer (we know Star Trek better than he does), but there are plenty of stories where the reader or viewer can guess the end. So the journey itself needs to be compelling. Hopefully we are emotionally invested in the characters, and we're rooting for them as they take the journey, as they're put under increasing pressure that tests them and reveals interesting things about them, as the stakes mount and a final battle is fought. If the journey is involving, the ending will be, too.

I believe 'Twilight' is about the need for a benevolent imposition of will - someone to say 'This is the way things should be'. It explores the idea of the sleeping or absent God Figure and the need for him to remember his Plan (the 'right' Plan as opposed to the Sphere Builders' diabolical one).

I'll be interested to hear more about this "benevolent imposition of will" idea.

I was thinking earlier today that the grim "Twilight" future could be summed up as, "They tried their best, but some things just aren't meant to be." And of course, I immediately rebelled at the thought. Noooo! It was because of the hand of man--er, Xindi, and whatever the Sphere-Builders were. It was fear and selfishness and greed, not destiny. But even the episode rebelled, with Phlox still doggedly working to cure Archer, and then the cure reaching back through time itself.

 

[commodore64]

It could be that the writers did try to take the "it's a *yawn* done deal" energy out of the mix with the setup of the Xindi situation.

I think Twilight does the best job of showing us what could happen if they don't destroy the Xindi weapon (what's at stake).

 

[Sadistro]

Greetings all. Computer trouble's over, I return with the review for 'Twilight'.

It's split into two parts, as there is an awful lot to cover in this one. The first part looks at what happens in the episode, the major themes etc. The second part explores some problems I have with how Sussman simplifies the issue of resetting time etc in this episode.

But enough stalling - onward I say!

EPISODE 08 – ‘TWILIGHT’

Sci-fi and Religion have a lengthy history together. What life is, how it and the Universe works and where we as a race are going... these are questions that both faith and science purport to have the answers to. And so there are many tales that champion one over the other and just as many that attempt to find a meeting place between the two. ‘Twilight’ is one of these latter.

The episode (metaphorically) ponders something that has often been discussed by those of an intellectual bent – that if we assume for one moment that God really does exist, what would happen if he was to either die or become incapacitated in some form? What would that mean for us and how would we cope?

It also taps into the dangers, but also the benefits of mortal man wielding the power of Gods. Over the season for example, Degra will come to be seen as an Oppenheimer figure, feeling he has become a Devil of sorts, unleashing the kind of apocalyptic power that isn’t for the hands of man. Yet in this episode, Phlox’s miraculous scientific cure will enable ‘God’s’ rebirth...'

This question has been addressed in several quite recent films (not to mention in BSG, which I believe stole outrageously from not just this episode, but Enterprise in general). ‘Sunshine’ for example, charts a similar story where an ailing God (represented by the Sun) is resuscitated by his people.

‘Southland Tales’ also told such a story, where a God who had grown so forgetful that he needed a script to conduct his Plan, handed over the reins to a new God who had the capacity to remember how everything should be (it was called the Memory Gospel).

The idea is that if you accept that God has a plan for everything (i.e Archer and his plan to deal with the Xindi threat), then what would happen if he couldn’t remember that plan or was rendered incapable of fulfilling it?

In the 'demon infested' chaos that results, all bets would be off. And in such a situation, the episode contends that only the restoration of the God figure will bring matters back to their normal progression.

Now, there are very definite problems with this sort of thing, which I will address fully later on. For now however, let’s accept that this is how Sussman chose to do it. So how did he get on?

Well, right from the start, they start setting Archer up as this God figure. As he lies in his bed sleeping, the world is ending and even though he wakes at the last minute, he finds his power and authority have been taken, so all he can do is watch as the appropriately diabolical looking Xindi weapon destroys Earth.

His people don’t ask for his help – in fact, they order him away; his bare attire showing his revoked status and powerlessness. As teasers go, it’s a pretty hard one to top, and Bakula does a good job of showing his horror, but in the ‘this isn’t how it was supposed to be’ way, that is so important to this episode.

And after that hellish opening, there’s a great transition, as Archer wakes into a craftily constructed ‘heavenly’ environment. Because waking up in a sunlit, airy room and finding Jolene Blalock making your breakfast in the house you both live in... I think you’d have some takers for that.

As well as piquing our interest over what’s going on (to put it mildly), it’s important to establish quickly that as terrible as all this is, there is still hope. Around Archer, all is still peaceful and the fact that he can’t remember Earth’s destruction makes it seem possible that it can either be changed or might not have actually happened etc.

Because we as viewers know that this cannot possibly stand, given how the Star Trek universe progressed. We know something must be up and we’re relying on Archer to get to the bottom of it. It’s clever work by Sussman, because that is exactly what T’Pol and Phlox are hoping for too.

They wouldn’t over the years, have believed on a conscious level that healing him would put everything right, of course. They simply believed in him as captain, friend and just as a good man who deserved the most passionate help and support for all he had done.

But by keeping this faith in him, they are rewarded with a chance for a true miracle – that saving Archer really will save everyone.

Now of course, to enable us to accept this idea that one man can matter quite so much, it’s important for Sussman to establish the powers that Archer possesses and ensure that we see him as someone worthy of believing in. Indeed Archer often scoffs when he is told that he particularly is important to the future, but that humility endears us to him.

His selfless heroism and strength saving T’Pol, his new specs on how to improve the ship’s speed, his makeshift defence against the heavily armed Xindi trooper, his awareness of Soval’s meeting with T’Pol... we are continually shown that even in a weakened state, he has great abilities at his command. A weakened God is still a God after all...

Sussman therefore works tirelessly to keep us believing that Archer will find a way to turn it around; so that we at least do not write him off. And we are not alone in this, because Phlox and T’Pol also see that strength, long after the other crewmembers have had to move on.

This is significant because it remains a ray of hope when all the other races have apparently abandoned the humans to their fate. It shows that at least on Enterprise, Archer was able to bring races together, as the Federation will in the ‘real’ timeline.

Without him however, the crew have not been able to keep up that good work and now stand alone. Trip even voices his anger that T’Pol has failed them, showing the negative mood that the humans are sliding into (assigning blame instead of trying to find solutions, roughing up suspects etc).

They try to remember and respect Archer, but they have practical concerns for the survival of their race. So in the final analysis, the humans of necessity turn from Archer, whereas the two aliens stick by him and are the only ones left who believe in him.

T’Pol walks a line between falling into a similar mindset for a while. She is committed to helping Archer and confesses she wasn’t looking forward to having to usurp him. But she has a job to do and tries to follow where logic dictates (that he is permanently injured and she must step up and lead them to victory).

But eventually, she realises that Archer’s wellbeing; what he meant to her, is more important to her than leading everyone through this new chaotic present.

This is a very troublesome area, because it is espousing a view where she retreats from the reality of the situation and her responsibilities, to essentially wallow in a ‘It’s just not the same’ attitude. It’s like pining for a time when you were secure in your faith, with a God running things and you knew where you were.

So it’s understandable that people would have a problem with that, saying that you have to move on; can’t live in the past etc. I think it does however, convey the genuine love that believers have for their God or higher power or whatever they believe in.

The question is whether people would be happy either with the idea of T’Pol coming to have such views and setting Archer up as such a figure in the first place.

Sussman does try to make it more of a traditional love story to help us understand, but it’s all very lightly handled and never amounts to very much, despite the huge potential of the episode.

As it is, she seems more a 'disciple of the church of Archer', hanging onto him as he was, as an example of what people should strive for. To care more, trust more etc.

It’s an awkward thing really, because in some ways T’Pol is very interesting in this episode. It’s just that the imagery of the woman caring for and supporting the ailing hero might be classically romantic, but still... It means she still ends up conforming to the ‘which of the male leads will female character X end up with?’

And I give credit to Sussman that he seems to realise this. So we have scenes of T’Pol taking some of the most decisive and strong action we will ever see her doing. And it is fascinating to see that despite this being the nightmare that never ends for humanity and the strain it puts on Phlox (it is implied he is seen as something of a ‘mad scientist’ for his obsession with finding a cure for Archer), there is a sense in which T’Pol is actually happier now than she ever has been.

She will hardly be happy of course, that Earth was destroyed and that Archer is so sick, but it has led her to a place where she feels comfortable at last. If the episode had only focused on this more (it is touched on in the excellent but tragically brief scene in Sick Bay, between T’Pol and Phlox)...

But equally, you may be annoyed that T’Pol throws away everything ‘for a seat at the Master’s right hand’ etc. This will almost certainly be the case if you take against the whole metaphorical messiah thing that’s going on. But again, give Sussman his due because he does cater for those who have that view, with Soval’s visit.

Soval’s argument is that this kind of attachment is foolish; that you have to look at things as they really are (the atheist’s attitude to modern life, basically). He even offers to help them if she will leave the humans, but she knows she cannot take Archer away from his people or that will really be the end. Because his beliefs and inner strength are needed by humanity, even if they have forgotten this themselves.

So it is down to her and Phlox to care for Archer. Phlox works to heal Archer’s body, but T’Pol has to keep his mind and his soul intact. She has to keep reminding him that he can be of use and that he still matters. And Archer needs this, because he does experience terrible guilt and anger over his enfeeblement.

He is understandably frustrated, trying to balance his anger at being crippled when he knows he has so much to give, against his humility which tells him there is more at stake than just him. Even in this state, he still finds time to ask about his crew, his planet and wish there was more he could have done.

Even though he couldn’t have done anything, he still feels like he personally has failed them. He doesn’t blame T’Pol or criticise her tactics, but you get the idea that like everyone else, he thinks things would have been different if he had been okay.

Now, all this high falutin’ religio-babble aside, you have to say this episode, though it is epic in scale and possessed of a nice, doomy atmosphere, does have some pretty unlikely ideas powering it. The fact that Sussman doesn’t provide a commentary for such a celebrated episode is very telling to my mind, indicating he probably has a few problems with it too.

Because the memory loss thing is quite dodgy really. Archer can’t form long term memories, yet he seems to be able to retain them for significant chunks of time, allowing for scenes like that where T’Pol comes from speaking to Soval.

Unlike something like ‘Memento’ for example (which is also rather free and easy with how this condition would work at times), Archer barely seems afflicted at all for most of the running time.

There is simply so little emphasis on it after the (very effective) teaser, that you can forget yourself that he is suffering from memory impairment at all. Sussman tries to address it in small scenes and though he manages to inject his usual sense of realism to this rather far-fetched idea, it still doesn’t quite work.

Archer would need to be constantly told the whole story from scratch and would be in a state of near constant bewilderment and shock, having to hear the awful fate of Earth again and again.

And let’s be fair to Bakula, because he’s great on this score, maintaining a very believably haunted air throughout. Unsure and disturbed by his suddenly changed surroundings and relationships, he plays it with vulnerability and understated shock. He simply doesn’t enough scenes or enough chance to truly showcase this.

As for the miracle ‘Big Bang’ cure, whereby you can kill the aliens and reset the past...It’s a bit of an eye rolling ‘Oh come on...’ idea anyway, but there are serious ethical problems with this.

In Brannon Braga’s ‘Timeless’, Harry Kim is shown to be so twisted and bitter with guilt that he’s willing to reset time (and Chakotay is also shown to have made his peace with the idea, despite finding a measure of happiness).

This doesn’t happen here, but again, I’ll deal with all that later.

The character work is as I hinted earlier, a little on the sparse side, due to all the extra information and exposition that is required in an episode like this. Most of the cast are lumped together in a generally unhelpful and seldom seen mass (and get wiped out together later on!)

Purists may feel justifiably short-changed that we don’t get any proper scenes that show how Hoshi and particularly Trip are affected by Archer’s illness (he gets just the one outburst at T’Pol and that’s it).

The regular cast’s scenes all seem rushed and unconvincing really; with none of them given big enough roles to really get into the mindset where they can properly sell their characters in this decades on timeline (and poor old Travis dies without any fanfare!)

T’Pol and Phlox get more than most of the character work of course, but considering this was billed as a love story of sorts with Archer and T’Pol, there really isn’t all much to get worked up over. The plot is so time-demanding that Sussman does well to create what little connection between them that he does. Their quiet scene shortly after arriving on Enterprise shapes up nicely, but ends far too quickly.

So given the promise for character intimacy that was afforded him in this storyline, I felt it kind of fizzled out a bit under the time pressure of the story. From the interviews, it’s likely Sussman also felt this, as his original draft made it clearer there was probably no romantic involvement. Not because he didn’t want that, but rather because the episode wasn’t going to be able to support that idea properly in the time he had.

With only 45 minutes, there were always going to be holes and less time for character than we would ideally have liked. I just feel that he needed to keep his focus on truly important matters. Scenes like that between T’Pol and Soval are interesting and lend credibility, but take time away from developing her and Archer which was surely more important in the long run.

I think Bakula made the right call in asking Sussman to leave the idea of the romance on. Sussman’s desire to present a complete script that answers all questions was never going to stop people filling in the blanks to their satisfaction. So you can understand Bakula’s position that they may as well let people have their fun on this. It was an alternate history after all.

As to the ending, well you’re getting back to Messiah territory as they lay their lives down for the good of all etc. But sacrifice is a powerful image that fuels many stories. That said, I did find the end and the episode in general when all was said and done, to be surprisingly and slightly disappointingly lightweight, given the events involved.

It would have been much more powerful if the love story between them had been more closely addressed. As it is, it all becomes a bit too action adventurey and you can almost see Dean Stockwell standing on the gantry at the end shouting ‘Come onnn Saam!!!’

And there are plenty of convenient happenings as you might expect, where only secret ingredient X will work (i.e blowing up the ship) and killing off the main cast so there is no moral dilemma over wiping them out on a theory which might not work (something Sussman also did in ‘Dead Stop’).

But it does get across the idea of the forgotten heroes angle again, quite nicely. Archer has become a largely forgotten hero and now he must do so again, sacrificing himself in a way that no-one will ever know. By detonating the core, they save everyone in the human race, but it will of course mean that none of this ever happened.

But the important thing is that they were willing to do it. It doesn’t matter if nobody else knows – we know. From a series perspective, it has shown the very real dangers presented by the Xindi and affirmed that our cast are people who can get the job done. All things that are important to stress.

So, where are we then? We have an episode that though it is forced to rush over character work more than was ideal, managed to tell a far-fetched story in a mostly believable way, finding time for action and a decent, if not incredible sense of scale. Some major thrills at the start and end, filled in with a mostly enjoyable (if exposition heavy at times) slice of what if fiction.

However... tune in soon for part 2 and we'll discuss the impact that Sussman's vast over simplification of the whole resetting of time and assumption of the moral authority to do that, hurts this episode's case for being considered a true great of Trek fiction.

I look forward to seeing you then.

 

[Alexandra]

Sadistro, I very much appreciate your analyses of the episodes. They really add a new dimension to the stories, and give me something to think about. Thank you for taking the time to write and post them.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

Aha! Now I have a better idea of what you were talking about, Sadistro.

This is very intriguing. I'm hanging back until after Part II, but your initial comments support why "Twilight" is one of those episodes that polarized viewers. I don't know about the world at large, but on the Internet, folks seem to rank it at the very top or the very bottom, and rarely in the middle.

I agree that the episode's effectiveness depends on the viewer's willingness to buy into Archer as this singular, pivotal figure (whether "sleeping God" or just the man Daniels later claims is indespensible to future history). If you throw in, the story works; if not, it's doomed.

 

[commodore64]

But eventually, she realises that Archer’s wellbeing; what he meant to her, is more important to her than leading everyone through this new chaotic present.

This is a very troublesome area, because it is espousing a view where she retreats from the reality of the situation and her responsibilities, to essentially wallow in a ‘It’s just not the same’ attitude. It’s like pining for a time when you were secure in your faith, with a God running things and you knew where you were.

You know, as much of a Archer/T'Poler as I am, I couldn't disagree with you more. T'Pol leaves Enterprise not because "Gosh, it's not the same without Archer," but because she sees him flagging and knows he's flagging because of how he saved her life. So, initially, it's obligation. What it becomes is something else.

The sleeping God, as you've coined it, doesn't necessarily work. After all, the characters don't realize it's him they need. They feel perfectly content to continue on without his help. And it's not Deus ex Machina, because he doesn't save the day at the last minute through some fete of improbably heroism (unless you count getting shot three times as that, but it's still not accurate). Instead, he's just a guy who had a failed mission where the world has turned on itself and everyone's worst case scenario became reality.

The desperation and knowing what's at stake make this episode a winner to me. And seeing friendship blossum with people who care about each other is why TOS was so successful and what ultimately makes this story compelling. By the way, it's not necessarily a love story and Sussman said so himself.

 

[miriel68]

T'Pol leaves Enterprise not because "Gosh, it's not the same without Archer," but because she sees him flagging and knows he's flagging because of how he saved her life. So, initially, it's obligation. What it becomes is something else.

I agree. In fact, she tries to continue the mission and leaves Enterprise when the battle is already lost and it doesn't make much difference who is the captain: she or Trip. And then: would would have happen with Archer if she hadn't made this personal sacrifice? The would keep him on Enterprise locked in a cabin or put to live with same strangers?

The sleeping God, as you've coined it, doesn't necessarily work. After all, the characters don't realize it's him they need. They feel perfectly content to continue on without his help. And it's not Deus ex Machina, because he doesn't save the day at the last minute through some fete of improbably heroism (unless you count getting shot three times as that, but it's still not accurate). Instead, he's just a guy who had a failed mission where the world has turned on itself and everyone's worst case scenario became reality.

For all Daniels's talk, I never read Archer as a superhero in the 3 season. He doesn't act and he doesn't THINK as a superhero. Sure, we are supposed to believe that without him the mission would have failed, but the final result was due to the collective effort of the crew. Archer is a leader, not a God. I felt much more irritated with the way they portrayed the 4th season's Archer, making him indispensable to solve miraculously all galactic problems

 

[gblews]

However... tune in soon for part 2 and we'll discuss the impact that Sussman's vast over simplification of the whole resetting of time and assumption of the moral authority to do that, hurts this episode's case for being considered a true great of Trek fiction.

I look forward to seeing you then.

Got to give it to you Sadistro, I am usually loathe to read any post that is over 4 or 5 paragraphs no matter the poster or subject, but you have me hooked and I have been reading all of what you write.

Looking forward to your part 2 especially because I just don't see how, given that this is serial episodic T.V., "Twilight", could have ended with anything but a hard reset. The very things that make the episode so sad and thus compelling (for many), make the reset a requirement. But I do agree that the hard reset somewhat undermined the episode's power.

I would have preferred a slightly softer reset - for instance, in some episode following "Twilight" we might have seen Archer awaken, startled and frightened after a dream featuring that sequence with the Earth exploding. To Archer it would be just a nightmare about impending doom - to the audience, it would be a single remnant of the "Twilight-verse".

 

[Sadistro]

Hello, everybody.

Leaving Enterprise to care for an invalid friend is going vastly over the call of duty though, isn't it? She is a Vulcan and logic dictates that this action is extremely ill advised. As Soval points out to her, this is a decision she is taking based purely on emotional responses.

And regardless of whether you want to say it's because of survivor guilt, deep friendship, love or feeling the need to make sure he isn't forgotten etc, it still takes her from a position of authority to devoting her life to him.

It also places her even more squarely at odds with her people, freely criticising their strategies and ignoring the need for objective logic. It is too simple to simply say Vulcans and Xindi bad, humans good. Not to mention the idea of humans with God, good; humans without God, bad.

As to the hard reset, I don't think I mentioned that at all, did I? I don't have a problem with that. I merely said that I thought that like the whole memory loss thing in general, I thought the scientific reasoning was a bit 'First, hand me the flux oscillator and coat me in liquid helium; then initiate the bio synch at 2000 kelvins...'

The simplification I was referring to was that resetting time is not exactly a small thing to be doing! Shows like 'Quantum Leap' keep the auidence on side by showing Sam Beckett as a man who is definately doing Good.

That show's writers helped you to root for him, by showing him to be a throughouly decent man (which they reinforce by putting him next to Al; who is wordly wise but hardly what you could call a saint).

But Sam is rewriting history, erasing whole lifetimes of history and rejigging it. Likewise, Archer will be erasing 10 years of established history, with no better reasoning he gives, than he doesn't want his people to be killed.

Which is all fine and dandy, but what right does he have to change that? We'd all like to be able to rewrite time and stop the death of loved ones, but if that's the way it is, that's the way it is.

It calls for him to make a decision on what should and should not be reality. Now, on what authority is he making that call? Who is he to say that the Xindi cannot win and that Humanity cannot die?

Remember also that there is absolutely no way that he could know, that if he were to reset time, that everything unnconnected with this conflict would repeat exactly. By resetting time, he could kill untold billions in accidents that previously never happened, births that are unsucessful etc etc etc.

It's an absolutely massive moral decision, because you are appointing yourself as a Godlike figure who can make this kind of change. I don't think it's unreasonable that under such circumstances, we (the viewers) are entitled to hear Archer's thoughts on this.

By rushing it all along in a 'Goodies versus Baddies' way, they are exploiting the fact that we will default our approval to our heroes. We want the crew to live, we don't want the Xindi to kill them; we will support them.

But it isn't anywhere near as easy as that. And if Archer really did find it so easy to make such a decision, without thinking of the consequences and whether he had any right, then he would prove right there, that he isn't worthy to make such a decision.

But it's easier if I just post Part 2 really. So give us a minute and it shall be done.

 

[Sadistro]

Part Two.

My main problem with this episode in general, is that it cheats quite outrageously with regard to the complexities of the situation and the handling of them. There are big issues at work in this episode and in an effort to tell a complete, believable and entertaining story in the time allotted, Sussman cuts some equally big corners.

If you set up someone to reassert the ‘true’ timeline, then you are having them make a judgement on what *is* or should be, the true timeline. Assigning such significance to one person, particularly if you only present their side of the story; makes that person into a Messianic saviour figure, which doesn’t sit well with many people.

Why can’t the Xindi win, some might ask? Is it not simply arrogance to assume humanity has to survive, particularly if it does so by changing decades of history? And it isn’t as easy as saying ‘They must survive because of all the Trek that came later’ because who is to say that history was any more right than this one?

Such storylines ask you therefore to trust in a single figure who is ‘doing the right thing’. Think Sam Beckett from Quantum Leap for example (this episode plays out very much like a QT episode). And to aid this, Sussman simplifies the whole conflict and its origins in the Temporal Cold War, into simple Good versus Evil dramatics.

Perhaps he does this because it is only a one part episode and has plenty else to discuss. Nevertheless, the Xindi come across as being simply ‘the bad guys’ and the timeline is held up to be in clear need of changing and not was ‘supposed to happen’ etc.

This is a dangerous thing to do with heroes, because it is assigning them traits that could be viewed as tremendously arrogant and possessed of a moral authority they have no real claim on, once you get past the jingoism and our desire to support the characters. They must explain themselves when taking such drastic action; allow others to offer a rebuttal.

Because, when villains alter an established timeline, it’s easy to fall in line against them. Braga explored this in ‘Year of Hell’, where a figure with Godlike powers (Annorax), was destroying reality with constant rewrites of history, of ‘the Great Plan’ as he tried to find the perfect reality.

In that case Braga combined the ideas of reality perhaps being better off if God was to take himself out of the picture, however noble his intentions were, with this idea that man should not try and usurp a God’s powers.

And he managed to deal sensitively with the issue, not demonising people with faith or non-believers (as Chakotay and Paris are the main heroes of that story, one a man of faith, the other his own man, with no need for Gods and such).

Sussman freely admits to being a fan of Doctor Who, which is also a show that explores the responsible use of Godlike powers over Time. The protagonist of that series could change anything in history. But he doesn’t use his powers to stop bad things happening to good people – he simply steps in when outside influences seek to alter the timeline.

As one character remarks to him: ‘You couldn’t have done anything to save them. You can’t just decide who lives and dies – you’d be a monster.’

There is therefore, great responsibility to be considered when meddling with time. Being sure that yours is the correct way is proof only of your own conviction – not that you are right. And yet, such an argument can be persuasive (and certainly makes for good drama) – if a character is given the opportunity to convince us on some level.

Take ‘Timeless’ and ‘The Visitor’ for example. Braga and Taylor addressed the idea of heroes abusing the timeline without any but the most selfish reasons, but still managing to win us over with the strength of their convictions that in the end, they were doing what they had to do and damn anyone who couldn’t see that.

Harry Kim wasn’t altering a timeline that had been tampered with; he was changing it because he felt guilty and he didn’t feel the Voyager crew deserved to die. In so doing, he was erasing the history of everyone from the point Voyager crashed, resetting their lives.

It was a terrible act and Braga pulls no punches, showing Kim to be angry and bitter. Geordi tries to stop him because he and Harry both know that this is in so many ways, the absolute worst thing he could do (he is in effect ending the world as they know it). But we get to see that he is utterly convinced that in the end, it will be better for everyone if Voyager survives.

These episodes were all true to the complexities of the whole resetting time issue, in a way ‘Twilight’ never is. This episode, good as it is, never grapples with the moral ambiguity of what they are going to do, covering it up in tense action and heroism. And in setting our heroes' preferred version of the future as the correct one, offering no opposing viewpoint, Sussman simplifies the issue far too much.

One way out of this moral mess, would be to take the view that all the Cold War meddling has set this false conflict in motion. Then you do have a somewhat stable foundation to build a case for saying Earth shouldn’t have to be destroyed.

But even then, there is the ‘ye shall reap what ye hath sown’ argument. (I.e that if humans in the future; meddle with time travel and it disrupts their past, they have only themselves to blame for whatever consequences ensue). But Sussman doesn’t go near this, sticking instead to simply charting how they will restore the proper, ‘Good’ timeline through the healing of the Godlike Archer.

I simply needed a lot more convincing that they were doing this for the right reasons (because remember, we know nothing of the Sphere Builders and their plan at this point). It isn’t that I wasn’t prepared to support Archer et al over this; just that it lacks that facet that Braga brings to ‘All Good Things, Year of Hell, Timeless’ etc, that decisions like these must be justified to someone and open to rebuttal, be it from Q, Chakotay, Kim etc.

Sussman is requiring you to get on board with the idea of Archer as hero, saviour etc. I just think episodes like ‘Shockwave’ and ‘Azati Prime’ do a much better job of showing why he is so significant (because this episode pretty much stops at ‘he’s really great at all sorts of things and a nice guy too...’)

I think we could have done with some actual evidence like his significance to forming the Federation and that it (The Federation) would end up being an instrument for Good born out of men like Archer’s beliefs.

Or else taken the strategy of ‘The Visitor’ or ‘Timeless’’ and given us a hot-blooded defence of why even if Humanity has no right to ask for this reprieve, we want it and we’ll ask for it anyway because we honestly don’t believe we deserve treatment like this.

Basically, Sussman constructs the episode brilliantly with regard to the small picture, but refuses to even acknowledge the Big Picture; the greater moral implications etc. And that is unacceptable, because it is making Archer and co out to be far too cavalier about such an enormous decision.

It paints them either as appallingly naive or simply so convinced of their race's right to survive, that it seems very much like blinkered zealotry...

So, what about a score then?

Well, as will be obvious by now, I don’t consider this episode to be quite as great as many people do. I do continue to be impressed at Sussman’s ability to take some pretty unlikely ideas and make them seem as believable as possible.

I still feel however, that despite often creating great opportunities for character exploration, he isn’t leaving himself enough time to develop them. Even the smallest character sections he does include are usually excellent, but they leave you longing for more.

I also feel that ‘Twilight’ trails the true heavyweight alternate history/timeline episodes of other Trek series. Episodes like ‘Timeless’, ‘Far Beyond the Stars’, ‘The Visitor’ etc, gave the actors material for some truly exceptional performances, but more importantly, they said more of true substance about the characters involved.

‘Timeless’ was particularly good in how the alternate history was allowed to impact on the ‘real’ timeline, to impart its lessons to the characters.

But let’s not be too harsh (those episodes were as I say, real giants). And Sussman episodes like ‘Twilight’ and ‘E2’ do show the relationship that T’Pol and Archer have, better than most. Here she is able to impart at least in a small way how important Archer has become to her. For believing in her through some difficult times, but also for allowing her to see a vision of how the galaxy could be if everyone just cared a little more, tried a little harder.

And I don’t really want to criticise Sussman for not giving us more to work with, because I think this episode has a lot to recommend it. A fine performance from Bakula, lots of thrills and spills, an epic feel... (Considering that Battlestar Galactica made an entire series out of this post apocalyptic, humans being hunted to extinction thing and also included lots of religion into the mix).

It’s just a shame that when the dust settles, there weren’t any really powerful scenes between Archer and T’Pol. The initial scene when he wakes and the one in Archer's quarters are so promising, but just as you start to get into it, they end, cutting to more exposition etc.

So ultimately, the ending was dramatic, but not all that ‘weighty’, because of this lack of intimate character interaction. We needed to see that despite the world ending, some small good did come out of this. The 'tragic love that can never be' could have been amazing - but it never really happens. (This idea is handled much better in the subtext of T'Pol's speech to Archer in E2).

But as long as take it for what it is, this is still a very good episode that will keep the interest of any reasonably objective viewer and enthral series fans. The biggest complaint I have in the end is that this isn’t a 5 out of 5 episode!

Because most episodes, regardless of how well they might be done and how strong the performances are etc; still don’t merit the full 5.

‘Twilight’ is one of those rare episodes that could take a real run at 5 out of 5. And it’s always a shame when you have to conclude that good as it was, it didn’t quite get there.

So despite some reservations, ‘Twilight’ does just enough to get 4 out of 5 from me. What’s there is great; what isn’t there is sorely missed.

 

[Mach5]

Not to mention the idea of humans with God, good; humans without God, bad.

Could you clarify this? Are you using the Big G as a metaphor for something, or..?

Which is all fine and dandy, but what right does he have to change that?

Every right, if its for the greater good. Nothing is carved in stone. James Cameron thought us that, and Brannon Braga took it to the next level with "Voyager." What right did Admiral Janeway have to travel to past ("Endgame"), change the timeline, influencing who knows how many destinies? She was profoundly selfish, but did what she believed was right.

There is also one more thing to consider -

Spoiler: Star Trek XI

quantum mechanics, courtesy of the one Roberto Orci. Who's to say that Janeway (or Archer) changed anything at all? Their actions could have merely created alternate timelines, completely independant of the ones they originated in.

These microbs (or whatever they are) in Archers brain do put the question mark over this quantum mechanics theory though...

We'd all like to be able to rewrite time and stop the death of loved ones, but if that's the way it is, that's the way it is.

The real question is, would we be able to settle with "the way it is" if we had the ability to change it?

Remember also that there is absolutely no way that he could know, that if he were to reset time, that everything unconnected with this conflict would repeat exactly. By resetting time, he could kill untold billions in accidents that previously never happened, births that are unsuccessful etc etc etc.

Passing on the oportunity to save humanity just because something bad could come out of it?

In my mind there is no doubt about it. Archer, Phlox and T'Pol did the right thing.

The 'tragic love that can never be' could have been amazing - but it never really happens.

Hehe, this totally reminds me of a certain signature, used by a certain poster (though it's possible that I'm misinterpreting things).

 

[Sadistro]

It's the best thing for Humanity - but not for everyone else! The point is that they act without any recourse to considering the consequences. That is a shockingly irresponisble abuse of the timeline, for which they offer no justification.

They don't even see anything wrong with doing it - that's my problem with all this. Yes, we might use such power if we got it, but we are not heroes in a program that will influence those who watch it, are we?