Star Trek: Enterprise — 1x26 — Shockwave, Part I

Aired 2002-05-22

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:5.29

Synopsis

After apparently causing the obliteration of an alien colony, Enterprise is ordered to return to Earth, until a surprise visitor offers Archer startling evidence about what really happened...

Remarkable scenes

The shuttlepod igniting the atmosphere of the mining colony.
The resulting confusion after the shockwave.
Reed denying pilot error at all costs.
Archer announcing the mission's been canceled.
T'Pol trying to cheer up Archer.
Trip venting to Phlox.
Archer waking up in San Francisco in his past.
Daniels revealing that the explosion at the mining colony wasn't caused by Enterprise.
Archer confusing Trip with technobabble.
Enterprise revealing a cloaked Suliban vessel.
Archer, T'Pol, and Trip performing their heist.
The shuttlepod ripping away its docking interface.
T'Pol: "As I've told you, the Vulcan Science Directorate has concluded that time travel is impossible."
Trip regarding the Suliban ships: "It looks like we're in a swarm of cloaked bees!"

Review

At first it looks like the crew of Enterprise made a major mistake costing the lives of thousands of innocent colonists. But as it turns out, Enterprise didn't cause the shockwave, but a cloaked Suliban vessel toying with the timeline did. The Temporal Cold War arc comes to a head here. Archer's "noble sacrifice" and departure of the ship, only to have Daniels interfere, Enterprise attacked, and Earth's future devastated leave us with a major cliffhanger. Personally, I'm not so fond of the Temporal Cold War arc, but at least it was well used here. I'm hoping part II finally gives us some progress after a total lack of progress in the previous episodes dealing with this arc. One thing I liked a lot about this episode was the running fear, uncertainty, and doubt concerning Enterprise's mission after the shockwave that ignited the mining colony's atmosphere. The cancellation of Enterprise's mission could easily spell disaster for all of humanity. Which brings up another point. Is this Temporal Cold War intended to be an excuse to alter continuity permanently? Is Enterprise the start of a new Trek timeline set in a parallel universe? I sincerely hope the answers to these questions is no.

2 reader comments

The temporal cold war was just a bad idea. WTF are they thinking doing a prequel like this and then going around all cavalier-like and fucking things up?
The whole "We can't get you back to your own time" thing was dumb. Of course he gets back to his own time. Not convincing.
That faceless bad guy is soooo stereotypical. He reminds me of a James Bond bad guy or something. "Do you remember what happened the last time you failed me?" What is this guy, Darth Vader?
by Pete Miller | 12/18/2006 at 6:22 am

Like most episodes of Enterprise, this was well done and enjoyable despite it's glaring flaws. I definitely agree that the Temporal Cold War stuff really doesn't belong, but it's never the plot that really grates on me. Instead it's usually a combination of Archer being Archer and one specific scene.
Putting the Archer stuff aside (I mean come on, despite all evidence to the contrary he is 100% certain his actions destroyed the colony and refuses to consider any other possibilities), it's the boarding of the Suliban vessel that bothered me in this one.
This scene is far too Star Wars-y for my taste. Archer, T'pol, and Trip are not Han, Luke, and Leia. They shouldn't be running through the Death Star and taking out battalions of storm troopers despite all odds. Star Trek isn't a space opera. It's sci-fi with a heavy focus on social commentary and characterization. Even with support from stun grenades and the Enterpirse, it's completely illogical for 3 officers (the senior most officers at that)to attempt a boarding action against all odds for the sake of action scenes.
I guess the core of what bothers me is the writers relying on Archer making poor decisions to drive the plot and action forward. It makes it very difficult to root for Archer and like him as a captain.
by Zorak | 09/26/2016 at 3:21 pm