Friday, March 30, 2018

Star Trek: Enterprise 1.26

Shockwave (Part 1)

A shuttlepod from the Enterprise is on its way to visit Paraagan II. Captain Archer, Commander Tucket, Subcommander T'Pol, Lieutenant Reed, and Lieutenant Sato are aboard the shuttlepod which approaching the surface when an explosion occurs. Everyone aboard the shuttlepod is okay but the mining colony that the shuttlepod was headed for is wiped out.

Captain Archer orders a thorough investigation. All the evidence seems to indicate that it wasn't something that the shuttlepod did that caused the explosion. Captain Archer is despondent. He calls Starfleet and informs them of the incident. The Enterprise is ordered to return home.

On the way back to Earth, Captain Archer is transported back in time, to the night before he assumed command of the Enterprise. There he meets Daniels (last seen in 1.11, Cold Front) who explains everything to him, including that the Suliban are the ones responsible for the explosion. Not only that but the Suliban have changed the past. The colony on Paraagan II was not supposed to be destroyed. Daniels provides Archer with advanced knowledge to help him fight the Suliban.

Archer returns to the Enterprise and quickly puts that knowledge to good use. He has the crew build some new devices which help them to find and attack a Suliban cruiser. They steal information which includes evidence of how the Suliban caused the destruction of the mining colony. The Suliban strike back. It looks like all is lost. Archer is about to give himself up to the Suliban when he gets transported to the 31st century. There he meets Daniels who explains that something has gone horribly wrong and that he is now stranded there, forever.

This is part 1 of a two-part story and is the season finale. I saw this episode when it first aired in May 2002 but I didn't recall much about it other than the final scene. It reminded me of the remains of the World Trade Center just after 9/11. I remember being spooked by the way the episode ended. This is the first time I have watched the episode since then. I didn't find it anywhere near as disturbing as I did back then.

The acting early in the episode was a little over the top and too melodramatic for me. Things start to get more interesting after Archer stops acting so negative and meets Daniels. It also felt like things were moving a little too fast. It was a much more plot driven episode than the previous one which I think I prefer.

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