Star Trek: Enterprise — 1x17 — Fusion
Synopsis
A group of atypical Vulcans visiting Enterprise subject T'Pol to uncomfortable new ideas.
Remarkable scenes
- Trip: "Where'd you hear that?" Kov: "A Vulcan anthropologist told me he'd seen the ritual during an Earth expedition." Trip: "They're not trying to kill the quarterback. They're just trying to keep him from throwing the ball and running with it. It's only a game. Not a... fight to the death." Kov: "I see."
- T'Pol dreaming.
- The mind meld scene.
- Archer confronting Tolaris about his assault on T'Pol.
Review
This episode outlines a Vulcan subculture, a group of Vulcans who embrace emotion and practice mind melds. So now we know of two 22nd century Vulcans. "Evil" Vulcans, who are logical and mostly kind, but arrogant and push hidden agendas. And emotional Vulcans, who tend to lose control, but practice mind melds and are a lot less arrogant for the most part. I think it's obvious that the Vulcans we come to know in the 23rd and 24th century end up being a hybrid of these two groups. Certainly by the 23rd and 24th century, mind melds are no longer a taboo. So there's that evidence at least. Well, while this episode is an interesting Vulcan introspection, it is little more. T'Pol's character is abused for the third time in a row... first a bondage scene, then Reed dreams about her and runs his mouth about her ass, and now she's mind raped. I wonder how much further the writers will take this crap. It's getting worse than Seven of Nine was.