Episode cast overview: | |||
Scott Bakula | ... | Capt. Jonathan Archer | |
John Billingsley | ... | Dr. Phlox | |
Jolene Blalock | ... | Sub-Cmdr. T'Pol | |
Dominic Keating | ... | Lt. Malcolm Reed | |
Anthony Montgomery | ... | Ensign Travis Mayweather | |
Linda Park | ... | Ensign Hoshi Sato | |
Connor Trinneer | ... | Cmdr. Charles 'Trip' Tucker III | |
Dennis Christopher | ... | Danik | |
Christopher Shea | ... | Sajen | |
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David Kagen | ... | Major Klev |
Jessica D. Stone | ... | Narra | |
Dean Stockwell | ... | Colonel Grat | |
Wilda Taylor | ... | Woman |
While investigating a mysterious surge of energy with the shuttle-pod, Archer and Travis are captured by the distrustful and hostile Tandarans and sent to a detention complex in a remote planet. The warden Colonel Grat explains the misunderstanding, explaining that they are in war against the Suliban terrorist organization The Cabal, and that the inmates are pacific Suliban relocated temporarily for their own safety. He claims that he has no authority to release the earthlings and they should be sent to the central magistrate office in Tandar Prime as a simple bureaucratic formality. However, Captain Archer discloses that the interns are held imprisoned due to prejudice against their race and resolves to interfere in the fate of the Suliban. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Archer and Mayweather find themselves detained in a Suliban internment camp.
I enjoyed this episode as both a story and social message, although the writers were making some of the dialogue bit too explicit with the episode themes.
Dean Stockwell otherwise known as Scott Bakula's 'Quantum Leap' time jumping guide Al, plays the episode's primary antagonist with a fairly complex moral outlook. The former co-stars work well together due to their established chemistry. At one point I half expected Stockwell to take out his handheld device say "Sorry Sam, Ziggy says there's a 99% chance you'll be stuck in this place till the end of the episode!"
Most characters give a pretty decent contribution to this one. Aboard the Enterprise Trip gives his expected emotional hardline response and T'Pol plays Sub-Commander Sensible as always. I was particularly pleased to see Travis with better material than he usually gets. Anthony Montgomery gives his most accomplished performance of the series so far, particularly in his challenge of the Suliban about their preconceptions of humans.
From a geeky perspective there is some good use of the transporters and no obvious issues with franchise continuity. However there are some continuity issues within the episode itself regarding the physical environment, but you can't have everything.