TheGodBen Revisits Enterprise

[SRFX]

Yeah, I thought that was a pretty big logical blunder on the writer's part sending Tucker and T'Pol. It was the correct dramatic decision, but it would've been better to send someone else.

Although, that would've involved sending some red shirt because the NX-01's crew had been elevated to the status of celebrities by the end of S4.

 

[Disillusioned]

We wouldn't have even had to see that part, really.

 

[TheGodBen]

The Breach (**)

One of the things that I liked about this episode when it first aired was that Travis had something important to do in the plot, and it was based on his previously discussed interest in rock-climbing. For once he was going to play an important part in an ensemble episode and he wasn't being shoehorned where he didn't belong. Then he breaks his leg half-way through and they leave him behind for the rest of the trip. Typical.

The Denobulan scientist/cave plot isn't anything special, but it isn't bad and only contained two poo jokes. Trip got on my nerves at the end by threatening to shoot a Denobulan in the ass, which is a bit understandable but still overly aggressive.

As for the Phlox story, it suffers a lot from Enterpriseitis; the affliction of doing an episode similar to a previous episode similar to a previous episode... In this case Hudak's decision to refuse treatment because of racial prejudice is similar to B'Elanna in Nothing Human and Worf's predicament in The Enemy, both of which were more interesting in concept. The Enemy had the balls to have Worf refuse to save the Romulan, one of the controversial decisions which I admire greatly about Michael Piller (not because I endorse racism), and while Nothing Human screwed up by being stupid and contradictory, at its core was a more interesting dilemma. In contrast, The Breach is far more simplistic; a man choosing to die based on stupidity is eventually talked around to the right decision. John Billingsly does well with what he has, and I liked that the episode tied the story in with a family tragedy, but this episode still feels too easy.

Disappearing Aliens: 17

 

[Disillusioned]

Is it just me, or is the lowest ranking person on any away team always the one to get hurt in any episode?

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I don;t know, having Trip and T'Pol go after their clone baby was kind of a bad aspect of the episode, too, mostly because it was kind of stupid. I mean, I can see them wanting to go and all, but considering that it was their kid made from their DNA, it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume the people who did it would know what they looked like. If they wanted to have them captured, it actually would have made more sense and been more exciting if this big bad terrorist group had actively sought them out and kidnapped them in some kind of exciting para-military operation.

I didn't mind that because they got caught. If they got away with it, it wouldn't be believable, but it's understandable why they decided to do it and why they got caught.

 

[SRFX]

Phlox is probably my favourite character so any episode that explores his backstory and gives Billingsley the chance to really ham it up is an instant winner in my book.

ST can get pretty heavy-handed when it comes to issues like racism or prejudice, but given that this sort of bigotry is rampant across the globes suggests that perhaps it's not as obvious a message as we might think, so I am comfortable with being slapped in the face with a morality tale for ~45 mins - it's a refreshing change to seeing what the rest of our species is up to on the six-o-clock news.

 

[Disillusioned]

It was just too obvious and anvil-ish for my tastes. It's the same sort of thing that has made TNG age very poorly for me.

 

[TheGodBen]

Cogenitor (*****)

No, this episode wasn't written by Mike Sussman, I'm being serious this time.

Back when season 2 was airing on TV my interest in Enterprise was waning due to the substandard quality of many of the episodes and the overall lack of direction the series had, but this is the episode which gave me renewed hope. I was tricked by the early part of the episode into believing that this was going to be yet another episode of Star Trek where the ship turns up, tells some aliens they have to undergo a huge societal change because we humans think so, and then fly off into the sunset. Obviously that's not what the episode ended up being. Rewatching it now I can see that you aren't supposed to be supporting Trip's interference, it plays as ominous. I couldn't see that before because I was too willing to judge this episode based on Enterprise's track record.

In a way that works against the episode, Archer strikes me as exactly the sort of person who would interfere in a situation like this, so it could be considered out of character for him to judge Trip at the end. I prefer to see it as Archer growing due to the responsibility weighed upon him; he's not like a baby gazelle, it takes him years to learn to walk. Complaint 2: there's very little fallout from Trip's actions in this episode, he and Archer just brush this incident under the rug and never mention it again. That's not a complaint about this episode though, that's a complaint about future episodes. Complaint 3: Why couldn't the Vissians have been Tellarites? This would have been the perfect way to introduce Tellarites into the universe, a peaceful and friendly first contact (with a bit of a hiccup) which leads to a cultural and technological exchange. Instead the Vissians are another bumpy-headed alien of the week that we'll never see again.

The episode isn't perfect, Reed's c-plot comes to mind, but it is good and has a very strong finish. Basically, the good that this episode tried to do is enough for me to override the minor quibbles I have about it.

Disappearing Aliens: 18

 

[SRFX]

Cogenitor is Star Trek at it's best. To this day, I still have arguments with my partner over who was right, who was wrong and the correct course of action and reaction should be on each side. And we still don't have a definitive answer.

It's episodes like this that remind me why I love Star Trek - and how it can be a shining example of what science fiction is all about.

 

[Kegg]

Complaint 3: Why couldn't the Vissians have been Tellarites?

You mean TOS's very own race of disappearing aliens who appeared once or twice on that show and then never again on any of the 24th century shows? While fandom made a big stink about them and the Andorians prior to this point the Tellarites were in practice a tertiary footnote who were a mere step up from the Zaldans, but less important than the Benzites.

It's only in retrospect with ENT going along with fanon in making the Tellarites a big deal that it would have been nice for them to appear in this episode.

 

[apenpaap]

Cogenitor is very good indeed. I agree that though it seems out of character for Archer to be judging Trip at this point, it is actually mire of a sign of him becoming more responsible and less naive as we see later on. I hadn't even thought about that the Vissians could've been Tellarites, but it would be a great idea. The Vissians were not completly forgotten later on, btw, as it was hinted in The Expanse that the photon torpedoes came from them.

 

[startrekwatcher]

I've always felt Cogenitor was a highly overrated episode. It seemed like it wanted to be ENT's "The Measure of a Man" but came up short. For one thing, the pointless Reed sublot was dumb and should have been jettisoned in favor of giving that screentime to the asylum hearing(it might have been interesting to have T'Pol be the Vissian's advocate and Trip be the cogenitor's) or more insight into Archer's decision making because it might have been nice to see the struggle he went through to arrive at this decision since he seemed initially ready to support asylum. Instead it felt like writer fiat in order to lead to the Trip/Archer conflict at the end.

Also some of Archer's brief arguments weren't nearly as piercing as they could have been. For instance, he could have asked the couple how they would feel if the child they so desperately wanted turned out to be a cogenitor--and if it was treated like this cogenitor was--rather than the weak steward exchange we got.

So I have to give this episode 2.5 stars. Many feel it is a classic. In my opinion it isn't a classic not only for Trek but even ENT.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

Finally! Cogenitor is without a doubt the best episode of Enterprise that I have seen. I found Trip far more sympathetic than usual and the stuff with the cogenitor is honestly pretty heartbreaking. It's an intelligent story about the dilemmas we might run into in making contact with people from other planets.

Also, the visuals in this episode were rather majestic, especially the voyage around the star.

And it had Ambassador G'Kar in it! Obviously Andreas Katsulas had been in Trek before, but I thought this appearance was especially memorable and he was exceptionally well cast as the Vissian captain. This makes me happy.

 

[Praetor]

Wasn't it also Andreas Katsulas's last onscreen gig before he died?

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I agree that "Cogenitor" is a standout episode, the classic Trek scenario of presenting a compelling dilemma with no "right" solution. It makes you think, and stays with you long after it's over.

I was tricked by the early part of the episode into believing that this was going to be yet another episode of Star Trek where the ship turns up, tells some aliens they have to undergo a huge societal change because we humans think so, and then fly off into the sunset.

I think that was the point. And I'm glad it turned out differently.

I prefer to see it as Archer growing due to the responsibility weighed upon him.

This.

Complaint 2: there's very little fallout from Trip's actions in this episode, he and Archer just brush this incident under the rug and never mention it again.

Some viewers see a definite distance between Archer and Trip from here on in. I didn't see it that way; at the beginning of "Bounty," they're back to hanging out together, and you get the sense that they've chosen to put the Cogenitor incident behind them. It's an interesting dynamic between Archer and Trip -- juggling both personal and professional relationships. It's a fine line to walk, and I can see that occasionally the two would clash. But a sturdy friendship would survive such professional conflicts.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

/\ According to IMDb he was in an episode of NYPD Blue around the same time, and I'm not sure which aired first, but it was definitely one of his last.

 

[TheGodBen]

Complaint 3: Why couldn't the Vissians have been Tellarites?

You mean TOS's very own race of disappearing aliens who appeared once or twice on that show and then never again on any of the 24th century shows?

That's true, and one of my issues with the TNG series is that they ignored a lot of TOS species. I was working under the assumption that the Tellarites being one of the four founding members of the UFP was stated somewhere before, but it seems like it was only mentioned in Zero Hour. Still, this episode would have been a better way to introduce them than Bounty.

Also some of Archer's brief arguments weren't nearly as piercing as they could have been. For instance, he could have asked the couple how they would feel if the child they so desperately wanted turned out to be a cogenitor--and if it was treated like this cogenitor was--rather than the weak steward exchange we got.

While that would have made for an interesting emotional scene, the point that Archer was trying to grapple with was whether humans should interfere at all, not how the Vissians treat cogenitors. If he had asked the couple that question he would have been applying his values to their culture, and that was precisely the thing he was trying not to do.

I think Archer clearly thought that the way the cogenitor was treated was wrong and he was uncomfortable talking to the Vissian captain after handing it back, so he didn't need to ask that question to know that he was making the "wrong" decision.

Some viewers see a definite distance between Archer and Trip from here on in. I didn't see it that way; at the beginning of "Bounty," they're back to hanging out together, and you get the sense that they've chosen to put the Cogenitor incident behind them. It's an interesting dynamic between Archer and Trip -- juggling both personal and professional relationships. It's a fine line to walk, and I can see that occasionally the two would clash. But a sturdy friendship would survive such professional conflicts.

I didn't notice a distance before, but I'll be on the lookout for it this time.

While their friendship would probably have recovered over a few days, I think it would have been nice if this had led to a professional setback for Trip, such as not being allowed to lead away missions until Archer felt he was ready again. He might have even shirked away from such situations in the future because he feels like he has a death on his conscience.

 

[Seven of Five]

Ah, Cogenitor. Probably the best episode in season two, but I'd probably just give it a 4/5. There are definately some missed oportunities there - I think the episode would have had much more of a positive impact if the Cogenitor had been played by a man. I think parts of the episode come off as a generic love story for Trip which lessens the drama somewhat.

Posted by TheGodBen:
While their friendship would probably have recovered over a few days, I think it would have been nice if this had led to a professional setback for Trip, such as not being allowed to lead away missions until Archer felt he was ready again. He might have even shirked away from such situations in the future because he feels like he has a death on his conscience.

Totally agree with this. I can understand that Archer and Trip have been friends for a long time, and that Trip screwing up like he did wouldn't affect their friendship permanently. The lack of any other sort of consequence though again dilutes the drama.

 

[Pemmer Harge]

There are definately some missed oportunities there - I think the episode would have had much more of a positive impact if the Cogenitor had been played by a man. I think parts of the episode come off as a generic love story for Trip which lessens the drama somewhat.

Hmm, I don't really see this episode this way. I half expected them to go the romantic direction, but that didn't seem to happen.

 

[Disillusioned]

Cogenitor (*****)

Rewatching it now I can see that you aren't supposed to be supporting Trip's interference, it plays as ominous.

I actually agree with Trip and what he tried to do. I see the whole "non-interference" crap even after there's supposed to be a Prime Directive as cold an inhuman to begin with, so naturally I'm going to see things the way Trip did.

In a way that works against the episode, Archer strikes me as exactly the sort of person who would interfere in a situation like this, so it could be considered out of character for him to judge Trip at the end.

It really was. Archer repeatedly interferes at almost every opportunity he got, but in this case it was suddenly wrong and he chewed out Trip for doing exactly as he himself ends up doing only a season later by rescuing a sex slave that turns out to be a spy. I really liked this episode, but the scene where Archer chews out Trip and Trip just takes it really rubs me the wrong way.

Really though, what this episode is saying is that it's perfectly okay for humanity to impose its values on other aliens, except when those aliens are more technologically advanced than humans. The thing is, slavery is wrong, no matter how you cut it, and the fact that this was sex slavery made it especially repugnant. This episode could have taken a stand, but instead it got turned into yet another Prime Directive episode, complete with an alien that ends up dead. Kind of like that TNG episode where the alien commits suicide because he supposedly can't handle the truth, and to prove Picard's point that he and his fellow aliens were just better off dead anyway since their planet failed them.