Plot – Let me tell you something – it’s been a long road, getting from there to here – but now we’re finally here I have to say Enterprise has emerged as a series that can hold its own with a sustained season long arc. I can’t say I always had faith of the heart throughout series three (there were some odd diversions) but the smattering of dramatic episodes in the latter third certainly proved that this experiment was worth pursuing. At last somebody was looking over their shoulder and seeing all the clever serialised storytelling DS9 had achieved and attempted to match it. Season three is a complete anomaly in that respect but a welcome one and whilst Enterprise could never match DS9’s vivid cast of regulars and guest characters huge credit is due for them attempting to pull off something this ambitious. It’s more than Voyager ever dared in its seven-year run. The biggest difference between Enterprise and DS9 when it comes to wrapping up the seasons worth of developments that this is all plot plot plot whereas DS9 would divide the episode into plot and character development, making the conclusion hurt more. This is exciting stuff don’t get me wrong, but it’s only exciting stuff. The character stuff comes next season in Home.
Huge stakes hang in the balance. If Enterprise doesn’t stop the sphere from reaching Earth then it will be destroyed and the entirety of Star Trek will be rewritten in an instant. From TOS to Voyager, none of it would have ever happened and most of those characters would have never existed. Is it worth it prevent the existence of Harry Kim? The crew are psychologically scarred, battered and boughed. Nobody is smiling anymore. Nobody expects them to win this.
Losing Yosemite is essential because Earth was never going to be destroyed and so a sacrifice had to be made elsewhere for our regulars to moon over next season.
Character – Hoshi finally gets to do something on this show. She’s almost responsible for the destruction of planet Earth. Finally, she is getting my attention. It is so nice that she gets some focus but I wish the script probed a little deeper. When Archer first asked her aboard Enterprise, she was terrified of the idea and made no secret of expressing that. Zero Hour essentially owns up and admits that she was right. Space is scary and it can hurt. I wish she had pushed that in his face a little more because she really does go through the wringer here and he kick started all of this.
Performance – Porthos the dog gives a beautiful performance at the climax. And since more consideration is given to how he feels about the loss of Archer than the crew we should be thankful that he doesn’t disappoint.
Production – The weapon that threatens the Earth is in no way subtle, but it is certainly imposing. In a period of unpredictable CGI, this is a piece of design they have clearly poured a lot of time and energy into creating. In comparison Yosemite station looks a little cartoonish.
When did music on Star Trek get this dynamic? Where has Jay Chattaway been hiding this level of vitality? There was a time when he would score the begin and the end of a scene and let everything else play out in silence. Or when everything was underscored very delicately in the Rick Berman school of music should be seen and not heard. The climax of this episode where they take down the weapon is a masterpiece of zippy direction, expert editing and a score that gives everything an incredible sense of momentum.
Best moment – Archer is going to be an integral part of forming the Federation in about seven years’ time. In a gobsmacking moment (although it is almost marred by some terrible green screen work) we get a glimpse into that future and what is at stake if Archer doesn’t succeed in his mission. The Federation is Star Trek, or at least it forms the basis for every show from TOS to VOY. They have raised the element of danger considerably by showing us this. The entirety of Star Trek is at stake.
Worst moment – Why did we see none of this from the Earth’s point of view? Imagine a scene of people going about their daily lives as the weapon breaks into orbit and casts a huge shadow over their lives?
I wish they hadn’t done that – The Xindi Reptilians are impressively designed but I can’t help but make comparisons to the aliens from Galaxy Quest who looked remarkably similar and honestly had a similar comic style to their performances. There is nothing subtle about the Xindi Reptilians from how they clomp about the sets to chowing down on mice to their meaty and overripe dialogue. They feel like they should be played for laughs but they aren’t.
Strangely enough I would say that The Expanse that ended season two was a stronger episode. What you have there is a shocking piece, both in terms of the terror attack and the emotional consequences, on the back of a limp and lacklustre season. It made me sit up and pay attention. Zero Hour is preceded by a much stronger season, ruthless and dramatic, and it climaxes on a note of pure Hollywood action with very little in the way of capturing your emotions (except those of the five-year-old in you that loves stuff going boom). This is Trek with a pulse and no brain. In true Hollywood style Archer gets to run away from an explosion in glorious slow motion.
Whilst I love the idea of the producers recognising that the writing was on the wall for Enterprise and so created an ending that was deliberately, provocatively stupid so to grant them a reprieve for another year…but that doesn’t make it any less deliberately, provocatively stupid. It’s the point at which anybody could justifiably suggest that Star Trek jumped the shark. Although some people would say that is this entire series. Alien space Nazis?
The ending is essentially ‘will you bugger off because we will never hear from the Delphic Expanse again.’ Very neat, very tidy. Almost entirely unbelievable after a whole season there.
A reason to watch this episode again – Comic book action of the most bombastic kind but nonetheless climactic and exciting. This is TV Trek getting as close to being a movie as it would ever achieve and for that alone it should be celebrated. The characters are all sacrificed to the plot, which is relentless, and the whole thing ends in a glorious punch up and explosion, which is shorthand for we couldn’t think of a clever way out of this. Ultimately series three comes down to kicking the crap out of their enemies and blowing up stuff real good. Allan Kroeker has directed better episodes than this but none I think more exhilarating and on a scene by scene basis it’s easy to be dragged along with the enthusiasm of it all. I’d much rather watch the shallow action-packed Enterprise of series three than the vanilla Trek versions of series one and two. At times this is Star Wars ambitious and it comes close to achieving that level of action escapism (Archer and the Reptilian hanging over the precipice of the weapon directly recalls Empire Strikes Back). That ending though…I mean WTF?
***1/2 out of *****
Clue for tomorrow's episode:
No comments:
Post a Comment