Plot – One huge bonus – consequences from the previous episode. At this point Enterprise is not a serialised show but it is still, pleasingly, showing that actions have consequences. A bomb went off at the end of the previous episode and this episode begins with an impressive shot of the hull damage to the ship. It provides the impetus to kick start this piece, and the very reason we arrive at this location. It’s very intelligently done and so simple to achieve, it’s shocking that TNG and Voyager avoided consequences for so long. Reed receiving physio-therapy is proof that the dramatic events of last affected both the people on board and the technology.
You might say that Archer setting off the warp plasma and forgoing their payment plan is very un-Starfleet but then making the deal and trying to kidnap one of the crew is hardly playing cricket on the part of the station.
Character – Archer’s assertion that they have answered enough distress calls in the past year and now it is time to call in some favours might not be the Starfleet way but to my mind makes very good sense. Archer and Reed have disagreed with the level of discipline that is expected on Enterprise in the past and here is a chance for him to throw that in the tactical officer’s face when he is the one that is flouting orders.
I never believed for one second that Travis was dead but the reactions of all the crew certainly made the deception worthwhile. Archer is angry, Phlox sorrowful that someone so young turn up on his autopsy table, Hoshi insists on saying goodbye even if it is just a charred corpse. It’s clear that this will quickly be dispelled but I appreciated the focus on their grief for a few minutes, primarily because Travis is such an incongruity to me still.
Performance - If there’s anyone I would trust to make a gobby complaint that lasts forever, it would be Trip. Montgomery is especially charming in these scenes like he has been waiting for an opportunity to show off some understated humour.
Production – Roxann Dawson’s handling of the camera to suggest the alien atmosphere on the station is exemplary. There are high and low angles, and lots of long shots to suggest the feeling of space and a lack of activity. It’s lovely to hear her voice as well a few years after Voyager went off air. I think the only aspect of the production that is lacking (and hence why I cannot give this episode full marks) is the predictable musical score. It sounds like any other Trek episode where one of latter, more spirited Enterprise scores would have benefited the production.
The final action sequence is very satisfying as a visual spectacle but also as an explosive end to a relationship that was apparently built on commerce but ends up with both parties breaking their word.
Best moment – We have never seen anything quite like this station before, in terms of its look or the help it can offer and it is hugely refreshing to experience that kind of novelty on Enterprise, a show that often sticks to a formula that has been tried and tested. Shots of the huge mechanical arms swinging into action to commit repairs are fresh and exciting. The lack of a human touch on the station, or a word from who built it leaves a strange taste in the mouth. Its very anonymity is what makes the technology so disquieting.
The pull back to reveal all the bodies suspended in the air at the heart of the station is a jaw dropping moment. It perfectly mixes awe with horror in a way that this show rarely aims for. I had no clue what was going on at this point, just that the crew had stumbled on something very disturbing. The fact that we wait until the last scene to find out what the station was using the bodies for means it is worth seeing this episode through for the answers and it is pretty grisly.
Just like an early X-File or an episode of The Twilight Zone, the final chilling scene sees the station repairing itself. It might take some time but it will eventually be back to spec and harvesting more unsuspecting victims.
I wish they hadn’t done that – When the station reconfigures to fit the Enterprise’s hull it is the literal interpretation of ‘will you come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly…’ I would have appreciated more caution, even if they are out of options.
A reason to watch this episode again – If you make a deal with the (technological) devil then you have to be very careful with what you are getting into. Ambitious, fresh and exciting, this is not at all what I expect from early Enterprise. Consequences, a huge mystery to unravel, a brilliant new location to explore and action that arises naturally out of the story. It ticks practically all of my boxes. The one thing that is lacking is any serious characterisation but because the execution is so strong I don’t think that really matters here (and there are still some character notes that ring very true here and there). Roxann Dawson deserves a lot of credit for how neatly this put together, each scene contributes to the overall picture but holds up in its own right. Dead Stop goes to show what Enterprise can do when it stretches itself to be original and uses its crew as a functioning unit. It’s a fantastic achievement and highly watchable.
****1/2 out of *****
Clue for tomorrow's episode:
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