I think it is more about human connection and realization of all the things that are worth living for and sex. Sure sex is part of it, but it is so much deeper.
The Great Chronological Run-Through
- Thread starter Deranged Nasat
- Start date
I think it is more about human connection and realization of all the things that are worth living for and sex. Sure sex is part of it, but it is so much deeper.
^Yup. It was about the relationship between Hernandez and Archer -- about comfort and reassurance to help Archer get through his trauma and guilt. And yes, it was about sex, and that's not a bad thing. Sex evolved in hominids to be a form of social bonding and stress relief, and it boosts endorphins and helps people feel better about themselves.
Amen, it's the whole package.
"Borderland"
Didn't we just leave the dangerous, lawless, pirate-infested region of space?
This time it's the eponymous Borderland, a frontier region where the Klingon territories meet the Orion Colonies. It's good to see that borders in space aren't always neat and precise, but can be nebulous and ill-defined. Since Orions are using green, bird-like vessels it's interesting to consider that Klingons and Orions may have influenced each other over the centuries since the former gained warp capability. The Orions themselves are an older space-faring race, one who according to most sources have risen and declined several times over the millennia, their early history rather obscure and their offshoot cultures long established across the stars.
This one isn't actually about Orions, of course, they're just the Rigel X to this episode's take on the Suliban. "Borderland" is about the augments, who are introduced rather abruptly when taking this thread's approach to the Trek metastory. The Eugenics Wars aren't really explained here, other than as a disastrous conflict or period in Earth's history. Arik Soong makes some really good points about genetic augmentation that are difficult to dispute, even if this feels like a rehash of Vosk's argument. It's more convincing here, though, in that time-travel seems to me a far more inherently dangerous technology than most, while genetics is, as Soong says, no different from any other field of science with potential for misuse. I've actually always liked the Star Trek Humans' intense distrust of genetic engineering because I feel that it gives them actual character beyond the often nebulous "we don't have war or poverty and we're all happy now, blah blah blah". (Later in the timeline, it also gives them a cultural/political quirk that helps keep them a distinct bloc within the Federation rather than becoming synonymous with it). Here we see that it is indeed a specifically Human trait, since Phlox notes that Denobulans have used genetic enhancement to positive effect for centuries (might this in part explain their long lifespans or other biological strengths?). He also condemns Soong for not learning from history, though, which could be read - were you inclined - as seeming almost to suggest that it's okay for other races to use genetic augmentation but not Humans.
On a similar note, Malik makes some excellent points as well. Earth is opposed to the very existence of the Augments, and it feels free to then dictate what they can and can't do with their lives. It treats them like Terran property, attempting to apprehend them simply because they're Human, and the Klingons are blaming Earth for their actions (rather hypocritically, of course, given how decentralized the Klingons are, but this is the Klingons - an excuse to manufacture outrage to create opportunity for battle isn't going to be discarded.) Really, this concept could do with greater exploration - were it not for the Klingon threat, would Earth care the way it does? Why should the augments be different from the Suliban Cabal or any other group of dangerous criminals running around out here, if not for politics? Earth isn't sending Starfleet to attack Orion slavers, why is it sending them after these people? All of this could generate a lot of fascinating argument.
Other than the fact that Malik has a fine point, though, I'm not sure I like the augments. They have a presence on screen, yes, and their pride and intensity come across well, but on the whole I'm not that impressed. They're just like more articulate Nausicaans. Fair enough, this group were semi-feral, having raised themselves since age 10, but still they don't seem particularly intelligent or sophisticated to me. Militarily competent and tactically impressive, yes, but their social dynamics are based on the basest and most eye-rolling of motives: sexual jealously, tribalist dynamics and the urge for recognition from a higher power (Daddy Soong). What exactly was the intended outcome of their augmentation? Don't just say "superiority" or "improvement", what does that mean? Again, there's so much worth examining here and we don't get any real exploration of it.
Arik Soong, at least, is great. He's definitely a fun character.
Orion transporter effects, ship hulls, weapons fire and even the warp flash are coloured green. I'm sure everyone reading this shares my shock.
First Appearances of Things That Are Important
The Orions, mentioned twice in season two, make their first appearance. To summarise the Orions, they're green-skinned humanoids known for their political neutrality, their criminal and mercantile empires, and the sexual allure of their females. This episode also introduces the Orion Syndicate (or at least the name), which in this era is apparently at least the de facto government for those Orions that choose to recognise one. Whether this is the same syndicate that will establish itself within the Federation in the 24th Century (reaching into worlds as prominent as Deneva and Risa) is unclear. The Orions are adaptable, but whether there's a single unbroken Syndicate that keeps reinventing itself isn't clear. On that note, what is the Borderland to the Syndicate? A good place to find slaves, of course, but what else? Perhaps a base of operations for those emigrant clans who established the tradition of slave markets seeded with pheromone-potent female slaves who would, if all goes to plan, gain enough influence over their masters to steer them toward decisions beneficial to the Orions? The relationship between the Syndicate and the peoples of the Orion homeworld and core colonies isn't clear.
Continuity
The Orion-run slave processing centre on Verex III features some familiar and interesting faces. There's a Tellarite (a rather mangy specimen, far slimmer than usual). There's a Boslic (our first appearance of the race) and there's a member of that religious order (?) who wear a blue cloth over their entire face (Rul the Obscure in "DS9: Q-Less"). One of the ships in orbit is a Human freighter, suggesting that some of the outlying Human settlements might be involved in the slave trade? When Boomers Go Bad.
Trip asks about "the honeymoon" in a reference to what occurred on Vulcan last episode; T'Pol's marriage. T'Pol reveals she meditated privately at Mount Seleya, the mountain for which the Vulcan ship in the Expanse was named.
Next Time: "Cold Station 12".
Didn't we just leave the dangerous, lawless, pirate-infested region of space?
This time it's the eponymous Borderland, a frontier region where the Klingon territories meet the Orion Colonies. It's good to see that borders in space aren't always neat and precise, but can be nebulous and ill-defined. Since Orions are using green, bird-like vessels it's interesting to consider that Klingons and Orions may have influenced each other over the centuries since the former gained warp capability. The Orions themselves are an older space-faring race, one who according to most sources have risen and declined several times over the millennia, their early history rather obscure and their offshoot cultures long established across the stars.
This one isn't actually about Orions, of course, they're just the Rigel X to this episode's take on the Suliban. "Borderland" is about the augments, who are introduced rather abruptly when taking this thread's approach to the Trek metastory. The Eugenics Wars aren't really explained here, other than as a disastrous conflict or period in Earth's history. Arik Soong makes some really good points about genetic augmentation that are difficult to dispute, even if this feels like a rehash of Vosk's argument. It's more convincing here, though, in that time-travel seems to me a far more inherently dangerous technology than most, while genetics is, as Soong says, no different from any other field of science with potential for misuse. I've actually always liked the Star Trek Humans' intense distrust of genetic engineering because I feel that it gives them actual character beyond the often nebulous "we don't have war or poverty and we're all happy now, blah blah blah". (Later in the timeline, it also gives them a cultural/political quirk that helps keep them a distinct bloc within the Federation rather than becoming synonymous with it). Here we see that it is indeed a specifically Human trait, since Phlox notes that Denobulans have used genetic enhancement to positive effect for centuries (might this in part explain their long lifespans or other biological strengths?). He also condemns Soong for not learning from history, though, which could be read - were you inclined - as seeming almost to suggest that it's okay for other races to use genetic augmentation but not Humans.
On a similar note, Malik makes some excellent points as well. Earth is opposed to the very existence of the Augments, and it feels free to then dictate what they can and can't do with their lives. It treats them like Terran property, attempting to apprehend them simply because they're Human, and the Klingons are blaming Earth for their actions (rather hypocritically, of course, given how decentralized the Klingons are, but this is the Klingons - an excuse to manufacture outrage to create opportunity for battle isn't going to be discarded.) Really, this concept could do with greater exploration - were it not for the Klingon threat, would Earth care the way it does? Why should the augments be different from the Suliban Cabal or any other group of dangerous criminals running around out here, if not for politics? Earth isn't sending Starfleet to attack Orion slavers, why is it sending them after these people? All of this could generate a lot of fascinating argument.
Other than the fact that Malik has a fine point, though, I'm not sure I like the augments. They have a presence on screen, yes, and their pride and intensity come across well, but on the whole I'm not that impressed. They're just like more articulate Nausicaans. Fair enough, this group were semi-feral, having raised themselves since age 10, but still they don't seem particularly intelligent or sophisticated to me. Militarily competent and tactically impressive, yes, but their social dynamics are based on the basest and most eye-rolling of motives: sexual jealously, tribalist dynamics and the urge for recognition from a higher power (Daddy Soong). What exactly was the intended outcome of their augmentation? Don't just say "superiority" or "improvement", what does that mean? Again, there's so much worth examining here and we don't get any real exploration of it.
Arik Soong, at least, is great. He's definitely a fun character.
Orion transporter effects, ship hulls, weapons fire and even the warp flash are coloured green. I'm sure everyone reading this shares my shock.
First Appearances of Things That Are Important
The Orions, mentioned twice in season two, make their first appearance. To summarise the Orions, they're green-skinned humanoids known for their political neutrality, their criminal and mercantile empires, and the sexual allure of their females. This episode also introduces the Orion Syndicate (or at least the name), which in this era is apparently at least the de facto government for those Orions that choose to recognise one. Whether this is the same syndicate that will establish itself within the Federation in the 24th Century (reaching into worlds as prominent as Deneva and Risa) is unclear. The Orions are adaptable, but whether there's a single unbroken Syndicate that keeps reinventing itself isn't clear. On that note, what is the Borderland to the Syndicate? A good place to find slaves, of course, but what else? Perhaps a base of operations for those emigrant clans who established the tradition of slave markets seeded with pheromone-potent female slaves who would, if all goes to plan, gain enough influence over their masters to steer them toward decisions beneficial to the Orions? The relationship between the Syndicate and the peoples of the Orion homeworld and core colonies isn't clear.
Continuity
The Orion-run slave processing centre on Verex III features some familiar and interesting faces. There's a Tellarite (a rather mangy specimen, far slimmer than usual). There's a Boslic (our first appearance of the race) and there's a member of that religious order (?) who wear a blue cloth over their entire face (Rul the Obscure in "DS9: Q-Less"). One of the ships in orbit is a Human freighter, suggesting that some of the outlying Human settlements might be involved in the slave trade? When Boomers Go Bad.
Trip asks about "the honeymoon" in a reference to what occurred on Vulcan last episode; T'Pol's marriage. T'Pol reveals she meditated privately at Mount Seleya, the mountain for which the Vulcan ship in the Expanse was named.
Next Time: "Cold Station 12".
I've been thinking it's probably the only way to explain their ability to go without sleep except for a weeklong hibernation once a year. Sleep is essential for good physical and mental health, a maintenance cycle for the brain and body. True, there are some animals that can go with very little sleep, but needing none at all for most of the year is very strange, particularly in a higher life form.
I think this will be addressed in the next two episodes of the arc, with Soong pointing out that the flaw was in the design of the original Augments, the fact that their strength and aggression and ambition were augmented without the same being done for their empathy and wisdom.
I think the Augments were well-cast, especially Alec Newman as Malik -- although it frustrates me that characters with names like Malik and Persis (an homage to Ms. Khambatta, perhaps?) were cast with white actors. (Abby Brammell does look a little exotic, but not much.) I don't know if that was the scriptwriters' intent, and it's just Khan all over again (either Khan).
Worth pointing out that this is the first canonical appearance of green-skinned Orion males. The one previous appearance of Orion males was in "The Pirates of Orion," and there they had pale blue skin (but green uniforms). This suggests that there are at least two distinct "races" among the Orions -- and that Thelev, the Orion spy disguised as an Andorian in "Journey to Babel," may have come by his blue skin naturally. A number of tie-ins have portrayed Orion males with green skin, but until "Borderland" it was possible that only the females were green.
Which is something I should probably do something about at some point. It's possible that they're essentially a kleptocracy running the planet's government, but maybe they're like a more corrupt East India Company serving as de facto rulers for Orion interests offworld.
I believe the Boslic are the other species whose males made their screen debut in this episode.
The timing gets pretty wonky here. "Zero Hour"'s log entry was on Valentine's Day. The episode ended maybe a day later on February 15. After the temporal foofaraw, they seemed to get back shortly thereafter, so "Home" would also be in mid-February and span about a week (though given the travel time to Vulcan, I choose to believe the Vulcan scenes all took place after the Earth scenes and were interlaced out of chronological order for effect). The dialogue in "Borderland" suggests that T'Pol stayed on Vulcan for about a week after "Home" -- yet the log entry midway through this episode is on May 17! There are at least two and a half months unaccounted for.
I want to say, I really loved the innovative format of season 4, doing a mix of 1-, 2-, and 3-parters and letting each storyline be as long as it needed to be. It gave us some grand, cinematic stories, although the single-parters other than "Home" were pretty lacking. The only previous television season I can think of that has a similar format was the original Battlestar Galactica, but that was a case where the intention was to do a series of 2-hour TV movies but the network insisted on doing it as an hourlong series instead, with a bunch of mostly forgettable 1-parters interspersed between the more important 2-hour stories. Anyway, it worked well, and I wish more series would adopt this approach.
Although doing a season consisting mostly of multiparters means there are some big time jumps between them. That sudden leap from February to May isn't the last big gap we'll see.
Actually one was seen in DS9 in Babel
I'd probably do away with sleep if I could - it's nice enough now and then, but if you could eliminate the need you'd get twice the life to enjoy. I'm sure the Denobulans couldn't sleep anyway. It would be quite the semi-erotic comedy of errors, everyone getting into the wrong beds and finding new and surprising combinations. Dozens of people filing past for toilet or a glass of water. Long toenails scratching everyone...yes, I imagine they would want to get rid of sleep.
I agree that the casting and acting are both good. Sadly, I'm just not that invested in the characters' motives. I don't recall too much about what the following episodes do with the augments' group dynamics, though (part three in particular is rather opaque) so perhaps they'll grow on me?
I believe in Forgotten History, there are Orions in colours other than green during the historical glimpse of their homeworld?
One thing that's a little annoying about the alien makeups (to me anyway) is the lack of racial variation among the "painted" aliens. All the Orions here are the exact same shade of green; all the Andorians are the same shade of blue, etc. The variations in makeup over the course of the franchise give these species racial variety, but only accidentally. The Xindi-Reptilians were quite varied, I think - lots of different shades of brown, green and red, quite subtle but definitely varied. Later in this season there'll be a blue Xarantine, which is nice, though why they painted it blue rather than yellow this time I have no idea. And, granted, there will be the Aenar.
While we're on the subject of colour, he had disappointingly dull hair by their standards.
Definitely agreed.
You'd think that if Q really wanted to intimidate the people he showed himself to, then he'd pick something more intimidating than his standard human Starfleet captain look. He could make his appearance have any color or combination of colors and any shape and texture that he wanted.
I've just checked the Orion references in Forgotten History but found no reference to skin color.
In STO, all playable species feature skin tone variations for the sake of customization. There are various shades of green for Orions but also white - some players choose to make their female Orion characters Human look-alikes. Similarly, Andorions have varying shades of blue, inclduding cyan/greenish tones. Even Ferengi can be dark brown. My only regret is that the blue color palette of Bolians is limited - there can't be a sky blue one, just dark blue bordering on green/cyan.
Has Treklit mentioned different skin tones for Andorians, except for Aenar hybrids?
No, it's there, although it isn't in a paragraph that has "Orion" in it. From p. 74-5:
From my annotations for the book:
I think I know who you mean (Captain Jaheel) but despite what Memory Alpha claims I don't actually believe he was a Boslic. His species certainly work for the Boslics, as they crewed the Boslic freighter which Kurn investigated in "Sons of Mogh". However, Kasidy Yates runs a Petarian freighter and she certainly isn't Petarian. It's possible there are two Humanoid species united under the Triumvirate of Cort, and that Jaheel's people are indeed Boslic, but I prefer to assume that they're an unrelated species that simply work at times for Boslic shipping concerns. Since the male in "Borderland" has the same makeup design as Rionoj, it can't be sexual dimorphism either. (To be fair, since Rionoj is outnumbered by the Jaheel-alikes it might have been simpler to assume that Jaheel's race were the Boslic and she was the Kasidy Yates, so to speak, but the novels have confirmed that her people - with the bird-foot forehead and coloured hair - are indeed the Boslic, that she's a Boslic freighter captain and not a "Boslic freighter"-captain).
That's ironic, as Bolians are one of the exceptions to the single-colour rule. They appear on screen in various shades of blue from a dusky tone through to a brilliant cyan (though they become more consistently weighted toward the latter over time). Also, some have purple banding on their heads and some don't.
I notice that the STO Saurians are as diversely coloured as their novel counterparts - purple, green and brown as well as the canonically-established red, and some of them have mottled patterns or splotches too.
I believe so. Various shades of blue (though we probably have to assume that Shran's colouration is the most common).
Just curious, but when was this? I don't remember ever seeing a Saurian on screen..
There are a couple in the rec deck briefing scene in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Saurian_(species)
Their color appears to be a pinkish red or purple. The action figure from Mego were purple.
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Thanks...but that link sends me to MemAlpha and says that the article is non-existant...
The page does exist; I just tried to link to it and the same thing happened to my link. Strange.
Semantics. It exists, but it's empty.
Oh no, sorry, that's not what I meant. Place "Saurian" in the search box and there is a page named "Saurian (species)" with an article.
Let's see, I'll try a link to the attached "talk" page. http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Talk:Saurian_(species)
Hmmm. That's not working either. I can assure you, the article is there. I'm reading it. How odd!
The problem is that the TrekBBS link software leaves the final parenthesis out of the link for some strange reason. I've fixed it in my previous post, and here it is again:
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Saurian_(species)
http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Saurian_(species)
"Cold Station 12"
We get more background on the Eugenics Wars, including the fact that details regarding what happened to resolve them are rather confused and fragmental, perhaps as a result of the Third World War? It isn't clear, or so Soong claims, whether the augments were overthrown by their subjects or whether they killed one another. I guess he should have emphasized the latter theory a little more in his lessons, since his group have certainly internalized the idea that other Humans will fear and attack them but some of them are quite content to turn on each other. The thing is, the augments as a whole don't seem ambitious at all, really. Malic is, certainly, but the others don't seem to be the kind to plot against each other - they're a tightly knit pack, who seem to fall into line instinctively behind a strong leader. The problems arise when there's perceived weakness in the leader, when he can be toppled by challengers. Or maybe it's just Malic.
I'm still not clear quite what's going on with the augments. Yes, Archer's comment about viewing oneself as part of an exclusive elite usually leading to problems is legitimate, but I still don't see why heightened intellect and physical prowess would make one into a violent, dangerous menace like we see here. I can't help but think of Vulcanoids in their natural state - but the idea that a Humanoid's aggressive instincts will be enhanced along with their strength and mental faculties doesn't make much sense. Vulcans are the product of a harsh environment; their heightened aggression is a survival trait. If you weren't willing to viciously dispatch the approaching neighbour you didn't get to drink the trickle of water. These Human augments, though, were designed. Someone presumably chose what traits were augmented - if not, if the aggression, etc, were enhanced automatically as a side-effect of the physical and intellectual improvements (some sort of general upgrade), why not other traits like empathy? We might suggest that the augments were indeed designed to be aggressive, as tools of war (or certain peoples' idea as to what's favourable in war, anyway) but why then would that not come up in conversation? Surely Archer would have mentioned this were it the case, as it seems a pretty obvious way to counter Soong's claims about the augments and demonstrate why their augmentation is dangerous. If the augments were intended merely as super-soldiers, they'd be described as such, surely? And Soong would surely in turn have stressed that augments could be created without such programmed aggression, as part of his sales pitch for genetic engineering, that it can be used to help as well as to destroy (note his comparison last episode to splitting the atom). If these augments were supposed to be super-aggressive then the whole thematic dilemma falls apart because the issue of whether augmentation is safe or whether the sort of crisis unfolding here is inevitable rests not on a philosophical abstraction but on actual, tangible biotechnology and a simple choice. It becomes a false dilemma. So we must surely assume that the aggression and viciousness are unintended side-effects of augmented physical and metal capabilities, a bug and not a feature.
This is such an interesting topic and I don't feel like any of the questions that naturally arise are given much focus or are opened to investigation.
Still, this isn't actually about the augments, it's about Soong, who's slowly coming to realize that he's trapped himself between dangerous children he can't control and everybody else. The trilogy is basically about Soong, a visionary but narrow-minded man, making a big mistake but resisting the realization due to his blind love for his scientific art and his adoptive family. Not wanting to accept that he's seeing the Eugenics Wars unfold again; that he was wrong.
(I like the character work here, and Soong's journey is quite appealing and well-portrayed, but the conclusion bothers me. People who are stronger and "superior" to others are just as likely to decide it's in their interests to protect those weaker than themselves as they are to dominate them. Whole honour codes and legal structures have been formed around the idea of artificial limitations in place to protect those deemed to be weaker or lesser. The apparent idea that being generically augmented will inevitably make you callously indifferent to the non-augmented populace is problematic to me).
In terms of the wider setting, we see that Earth is partnered with Denobula in sensitive medical research and containment, indicating a high degree of trust between the two nations. I wonder if Vulcan insists on having observers? We see a Denobulan ship, too; a medical transport with a single pilot (no doubt also a doctor).
Surely it can't be that easy to cause containment breach at the Cold Station, though? Are there not other precautions in place? The way it stands, it looks like any doctor having a bad day could just freak out and kill everyone.
Continuity
Dr. Jeremy Lucas appears in the flesh, having transferred again (he was on Earth last time, moving back from Denobula in the wake of the Xindi attack). I guess it makes sense that he'd be assigned to Cold Station 12, since he's worked with Denobulans as well as fellow Humans and presumably knows how to coordinate the two races' approaches to medicine and logistics.
Phlox is preparing for another hibernation. Apparently Denobulans prefer to boost their body weight before they enter the sleep cycle.
The pathogens aboard Cold Station 12 include at least one we've heard mentioned before - Rigelian Fever - as well as several we'll hear from again, including Tellurian Plague (not to be confused with Terrellian plague), Anchilles Fever, Synthococcus novae, and Symbaline Blood Burn. I wonder where the Blood Burn originates. That thing has to be bioengineered.
We get more background on the Eugenics Wars, including the fact that details regarding what happened to resolve them are rather confused and fragmental, perhaps as a result of the Third World War? It isn't clear, or so Soong claims, whether the augments were overthrown by their subjects or whether they killed one another. I guess he should have emphasized the latter theory a little more in his lessons, since his group have certainly internalized the idea that other Humans will fear and attack them but some of them are quite content to turn on each other. The thing is, the augments as a whole don't seem ambitious at all, really. Malic is, certainly, but the others don't seem to be the kind to plot against each other - they're a tightly knit pack, who seem to fall into line instinctively behind a strong leader. The problems arise when there's perceived weakness in the leader, when he can be toppled by challengers. Or maybe it's just Malic.
I'm still not clear quite what's going on with the augments. Yes, Archer's comment about viewing oneself as part of an exclusive elite usually leading to problems is legitimate, but I still don't see why heightened intellect and physical prowess would make one into a violent, dangerous menace like we see here. I can't help but think of Vulcanoids in their natural state - but the idea that a Humanoid's aggressive instincts will be enhanced along with their strength and mental faculties doesn't make much sense. Vulcans are the product of a harsh environment; their heightened aggression is a survival trait. If you weren't willing to viciously dispatch the approaching neighbour you didn't get to drink the trickle of water. These Human augments, though, were designed. Someone presumably chose what traits were augmented - if not, if the aggression, etc, were enhanced automatically as a side-effect of the physical and intellectual improvements (some sort of general upgrade), why not other traits like empathy? We might suggest that the augments were indeed designed to be aggressive, as tools of war (or certain peoples' idea as to what's favourable in war, anyway) but why then would that not come up in conversation? Surely Archer would have mentioned this were it the case, as it seems a pretty obvious way to counter Soong's claims about the augments and demonstrate why their augmentation is dangerous. If the augments were intended merely as super-soldiers, they'd be described as such, surely? And Soong would surely in turn have stressed that augments could be created without such programmed aggression, as part of his sales pitch for genetic engineering, that it can be used to help as well as to destroy (note his comparison last episode to splitting the atom). If these augments were supposed to be super-aggressive then the whole thematic dilemma falls apart because the issue of whether augmentation is safe or whether the sort of crisis unfolding here is inevitable rests not on a philosophical abstraction but on actual, tangible biotechnology and a simple choice. It becomes a false dilemma. So we must surely assume that the aggression and viciousness are unintended side-effects of augmented physical and metal capabilities, a bug and not a feature.
This is such an interesting topic and I don't feel like any of the questions that naturally arise are given much focus or are opened to investigation.
Still, this isn't actually about the augments, it's about Soong, who's slowly coming to realize that he's trapped himself between dangerous children he can't control and everybody else. The trilogy is basically about Soong, a visionary but narrow-minded man, making a big mistake but resisting the realization due to his blind love for his scientific art and his adoptive family. Not wanting to accept that he's seeing the Eugenics Wars unfold again; that he was wrong.
(I like the character work here, and Soong's journey is quite appealing and well-portrayed, but the conclusion bothers me. People who are stronger and "superior" to others are just as likely to decide it's in their interests to protect those weaker than themselves as they are to dominate them. Whole honour codes and legal structures have been formed around the idea of artificial limitations in place to protect those deemed to be weaker or lesser. The apparent idea that being generically augmented will inevitably make you callously indifferent to the non-augmented populace is problematic to me).
In terms of the wider setting, we see that Earth is partnered with Denobula in sensitive medical research and containment, indicating a high degree of trust between the two nations. I wonder if Vulcan insists on having observers? We see a Denobulan ship, too; a medical transport with a single pilot (no doubt also a doctor).
Surely it can't be that easy to cause containment breach at the Cold Station, though? Are there not other precautions in place? The way it stands, it looks like any doctor having a bad day could just freak out and kill everyone.
Continuity
Dr. Jeremy Lucas appears in the flesh, having transferred again (he was on Earth last time, moving back from Denobula in the wake of the Xindi attack). I guess it makes sense that he'd be assigned to Cold Station 12, since he's worked with Denobulans as well as fellow Humans and presumably knows how to coordinate the two races' approaches to medicine and logistics.
Phlox is preparing for another hibernation. Apparently Denobulans prefer to boost their body weight before they enter the sleep cycle.
The pathogens aboard Cold Station 12 include at least one we've heard mentioned before - Rigelian Fever - as well as several we'll hear from again, including Tellurian Plague (not to be confused with Terrellian plague), Anchilles Fever, Synthococcus novae, and Symbaline Blood Burn. I wonder where the Blood Burn originates. That thing has to be bioengineered.
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