The crew of the Enterprise help a colony of deuterium miners to stand up for themselves against Klingons swindeling them out of their merchandise. Tucker even becomes friend with a kid as if he's BA.
17 Reviews
This a The A-team episode
bjornfranke22 February 2021
A Hero Story
liambean14 July 2019
These should never get old, but according to some contributors, all plots should be new.
"Seven Samurai" has been done over and over again. There's a good reason for this. It is an intriguing story. To date, there have been two movies credited to Kurosawa. "Seven Samurai," and "The Magnificent Seven."
There are some key differences here. First, no one dies. Second, there are seven bad guys; not good guys. But the premise is largely the same. Bullies are taught a lesson. That's basically it.
It is still entertaining, hero stories generally are. I think it's better than the 6.9, aggregate score, which is why I gave it an eight.
Someone commented that the Klingons aren't very good at tactics. This is ultimately why the Federation eventually prevails.
These are not the first species in the sci-fi world who "scream and then leap," The episode should not be slighted because of it.
It is still an exciting episode. And I doubt anyone wants to see the Klingons represented differently.
"Seven Samurai" has been done over and over again. There's a good reason for this. It is an intriguing story. To date, there have been two movies credited to Kurosawa. "Seven Samurai," and "The Magnificent Seven."
There are some key differences here. First, no one dies. Second, there are seven bad guys; not good guys. But the premise is largely the same. Bullies are taught a lesson. That's basically it.
It is still entertaining, hero stories generally are. I think it's better than the 6.9, aggregate score, which is why I gave it an eight.
Someone commented that the Klingons aren't very good at tactics. This is ultimately why the Federation eventually prevails.
These are not the first species in the sci-fi world who "scream and then leap," The episode should not be slighted because of it.
It is still an exciting episode. And I doubt anyone wants to see the Klingons represented differently.
Kurosawa Warmed Over
Hitchcoc16 March 2017
There have been so many dramas where bullies take over a territory and innocents suffer. In this one, a sparse mining community has been targeted by the Klingons. The people produce deuterium and every so often the Klingons come in an take it from them. I don't know if there is any remuneration. Anyway, the Enterprises needs deuterium and has trouble getting anything but a drop in the bucket Eventually they find out why the supply is so low. They watch the Klingons intimidate the leader. So the crew, in three days, gets them ready to engage the Klingons. These Klingons are pretty stupid and punchless. Once again, this series falls back on a tired plot. We all love a little revenge at times but the results are a bit disappointing.
Teaching How to Fish
claudio_carvalho10 January 2008
The Enterprise arrives in a colony with a plant of deuterium, but the poor locals only accept to sell 200 liters, under the condition that the crew repairs two pumps. Captain Archer is wondering how the colonist could be so poor trading a valuable good, when a Klingon cruiser with seven crew-members arrives in the planet and they realize that they are marauders. Archer decides to help the colonist to defend the refinery with tactical training and courage.
I liked "Marauders" a lot. The story recalls the original Star Trek series, with Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Reed, Travis and Hoshi having noble participation helping the locals to defend their property instead of attacking the Klingon cruiser with the weapons of the Enterprise. As Captain Archer wisely says, "not giving the fish, but teaching how to fish". My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Saqueadores" ("Marauders")
I liked "Marauders" a lot. The story recalls the original Star Trek series, with Archer, T'Pol, Trip, Reed, Travis and Hoshi having noble participation helping the locals to defend their property instead of attacking the Klingon cruiser with the weapons of the Enterprise. As Captain Archer wisely says, "not giving the fish, but teaching how to fish". My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Saqueadores" ("Marauders")
Nice performance by Larry Cedar, but generally formulaic and uninterestingly written
mstomaso24 December 2006
Marauders is a pretty typical example of ST: Enterprise. This is no surprise since it hails from the in-house writing team that produced so much of the formulaic stuff from Voyager on-ward. The characters do nothing surprising - sticking within their predefined limits (and therefore failing to develop) and the story, though entirely coherent, doesn't really grab its audience.
Klingons play the role of the heavy in this. The Klingons depicted here are one-dimensional creatures with much less intelligence than those depicted in TOS, TNG and DS9, and are somehow much better understood than they were in the first contact made earlier in the Enterprise series. Another remarkable inconsistency in this episode is the fact that the universal translator appears to be functioning at 100% efficiency and 100% of the time. In fact, it has apparently disappeared - unless the federation has borrowed translator microbes from the crew of Moya on Farscape.
A mining colony populated by undefined aliens - with the sort of minor forehead cosmetics that usually indicates that they are very much like us and also the good guys - is being raided by Klingon marauders and can not fight back. The Enterprise needs some of the material they are mining and can't get enough because of the Klingons. Archer and co to the rescue. Ho hum. Larry Cedar's subtle but excellent performance is the best reason to watch this one.
Klingons play the role of the heavy in this. The Klingons depicted here are one-dimensional creatures with much less intelligence than those depicted in TOS, TNG and DS9, and are somehow much better understood than they were in the first contact made earlier in the Enterprise series. Another remarkable inconsistency in this episode is the fact that the universal translator appears to be functioning at 100% efficiency and 100% of the time. In fact, it has apparently disappeared - unless the federation has borrowed translator microbes from the crew of Moya on Farscape.
A mining colony populated by undefined aliens - with the sort of minor forehead cosmetics that usually indicates that they are very much like us and also the good guys - is being raided by Klingon marauders and can not fight back. The Enterprise needs some of the material they are mining and can't get enough because of the Klingons. Archer and co to the rescue. Ho hum. Larry Cedar's subtle but excellent performance is the best reason to watch this one.
The Magnificent Seven done in the style of The A-Team
snoozejonc2 September 2020
Enterprise visits a deuterium refinery where the workers are regularly plundered by a group of Klingons.
This episode started off quite well with a decent premise of Archer wanting to help group of innocent people being bullied, but the final act is so laughably bad it drags the whole episode down with it.
The first two acts are perfectly fine, we have the crew sussing out the situation and deciding to help. Then we have a training/siege-preparation montage (something I always enjoy). Lots of nods to The Magnificent Seven with little bit of Shane and a whole lot of The A-Team.
Then we get to the final act where the Klingons come back looking for their deuterium and trouble. What follows is so epically bad it has to be seen. We have more A-Team style action with shots going off and Bat'leth's being swung with absolutely nobody hurt. T'Pol suddenly turns into a ninja version of Vasquez from 'Aliens'. The Klingons (who use a transporter) get trapped by a display of pyrotechnics that would be better suited to the 'Fall of Atlantis' animatronic display at Caesar's Palace. When Archer taps Malcolm Reed on the back for a tactical job well done I was half expecting him to light up a cigar and say "Well done B.A. that was beautiful!"
The reason I have given it a higher rating than it deserves is because it is entertaining in the 'so bad its good' sense.
This episode started off quite well with a decent premise of Archer wanting to help group of innocent people being bullied, but the final act is so laughably bad it drags the whole episode down with it.
The first two acts are perfectly fine, we have the crew sussing out the situation and deciding to help. Then we have a training/siege-preparation montage (something I always enjoy). Lots of nods to The Magnificent Seven with little bit of Shane and a whole lot of The A-Team.
Then we get to the final act where the Klingons come back looking for their deuterium and trouble. What follows is so epically bad it has to be seen. We have more A-Team style action with shots going off and Bat'leth's being swung with absolutely nobody hurt. T'Pol suddenly turns into a ninja version of Vasquez from 'Aliens'. The Klingons (who use a transporter) get trapped by a display of pyrotechnics that would be better suited to the 'Fall of Atlantis' animatronic display at Caesar's Palace. When Archer taps Malcolm Reed on the back for a tactical job well done I was half expecting him to light up a cigar and say "Well done B.A. that was beautiful!"
The reason I have given it a higher rating than it deserves is because it is entertaining in the 'so bad its good' sense.
Fighting Klingon Fish
Samuel-Shovel20 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
In the episode Captain Archer and the gang seek out a mining camp in the hopes of acquiring some deuterium. They soon discover that this is no ordinary trading post. Klingons have strongarmed this camp into giving all their deposits to them mafia-style. Can the crew of the Enterprise intervene and free this colony? As many other reviews have pointed out, this plot line has been done many times before (and usually better). I initially thought the episode might be a good one. The setting is nice and the the acting is passable, the Klingons looks fearsome. However this all quickly falls apart as the plot line gets littered with clichés. The Klingons turn into a bunch of bumbling buffoons who get out-maneuvered by a ragtag group of miners and turn into a mob instead of the tactical warriors they're know for.
I have to assume that they return after the Enterprise leaves. It'd be uncharacteristic of them to just drop this battle and walk away with their tails between their legs. This mining camp most likely got massacred, I'm sorry to say. There's no way they could compete with Klingons. Archer has doomed these people via his intervention.
Not a very strong episode but not as bad as some of these reviews are making it out to be. Definitely skippable though.
I have to assume that they return after the Enterprise leaves. It'd be uncharacteristic of them to just drop this battle and walk away with their tails between their legs. This mining camp most likely got massacred, I'm sorry to say. There's no way they could compete with Klingons. Archer has doomed these people via his intervention.
Not a very strong episode but not as bad as some of these reviews are making it out to be. Definitely skippable though.
Not good.
planktonrules26 March 2015
I think Yojimbo-19 was a bit harsh by giving this episode a 1. However, they were 100% right about this basically being a rehash of "The Seven Samurai" (later, "The Magnificent Seven") and shows poor writing. I also think "Star Trek: Enterprise" was not a bad series at all--but because there'd already been a HUGE number of Trek shows*, it isn't surprising that there would be a few klunkers because the idea well started drying up.
The show is pretty much what you'd expect with such a derivative plot. A mining camp is being attacked and mistreated by some nasty Klingons. In the past, the Klingons even killed a few of these folks just to teach them their place! Archer and company naturally don't like this and stick around to show these folks how to fight for themselves. Unfortunately, the ending makes no sense, as they capture the Klingons and then just let them and their ship go. If there is any consistency at all in the series, Klingons won't just disappear and most likely came back and murdered everyone or simply blew up the camp from space. Duh.
By the way, in this and other shows the crew talk about needing Deuterium for its engines. While they make it sound like a mineral, it's actually a liquid--often nicknamed heavy water or heavy hydrogen. And, it's NOT mined but separated from water.
*Think about this. The original "Star Trek" lasted three seasons. "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" and "Star Trek: Voyager" all lasted seven seasons. So, before "Star Trek: Enterprise", you've already had about 24 seasons of Trek shows! No wonder the ideas sometimes seemed recycled or borrowed.
The show is pretty much what you'd expect with such a derivative plot. A mining camp is being attacked and mistreated by some nasty Klingons. In the past, the Klingons even killed a few of these folks just to teach them their place! Archer and company naturally don't like this and stick around to show these folks how to fight for themselves. Unfortunately, the ending makes no sense, as they capture the Klingons and then just let them and their ship go. If there is any consistency at all in the series, Klingons won't just disappear and most likely came back and murdered everyone or simply blew up the camp from space. Duh.
By the way, in this and other shows the crew talk about needing Deuterium for its engines. While they make it sound like a mineral, it's actually a liquid--often nicknamed heavy water or heavy hydrogen. And, it's NOT mined but separated from water.
*Think about this. The original "Star Trek" lasted three seasons. "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" and "Star Trek: Voyager" all lasted seven seasons. So, before "Star Trek: Enterprise", you've already had about 24 seasons of Trek shows! No wonder the ideas sometimes seemed recycled or borrowed.
Bad plot, Klingons behave like they don't know anything about battle
kapages29 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Apart from the described above fact that this episode is a classic cliché, with good guys and bad one -dimentional guys, I really disliked the bad setting of the final battle. Klingons had teleportation on their side, and they are supposed to be ruthless but well trained tacticians in that face to face field battle. Instead wee see klingons behave like mindless barbarians, charging in a group formation against well placed dispersed hidden opponents with the higher ground.
Its a no brainer. They could lock on their opponents with the transport and disable them. Or at least pinpoint from space their location (no scanners?). Or at least transport themselves to a better location.
In the end, when the trap flames encircled them, they didn't use their transports to escape until all was over.
Bad scenario, written in an afternoon.
Its a no brainer. They could lock on their opponents with the transport and disable them. Or at least pinpoint from space their location (no scanners?). Or at least transport themselves to a better location.
In the end, when the trap flames encircled them, they didn't use their transports to escape until all was over.
Bad scenario, written in an afternoon.
Rock Ridge, splendid, splendid.
DodgingRINOs1 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Many people are comparing this to an A-Team episode, but I'd say it's more of a Blazing Saddles plot. When the Klingons come to destroy Rock Ridge, I mean the camp, they'll be destroying the fake camp. The camp survives and they don't have to lose their hard earned work. Archer is Black Bart and the rest of the crew is the Waco Kid and railroad workers. The only things missing were grandma's apple pie, Howard Johnson's out house and a dance number. What in the Wide World of Sports is going on here. Candy-gram for Mongo! Mongo like Candy. 7 to beam out. The only thing Star Trek like was T'Pol had to cover her ears to hide her identity.
Mel Brooks Should Sue.
doc-0746012 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Let's create a perfect replica of the settlement so we can help the settlers and miners.
Seriously?
The only thing missing was the reverend praying "Oh, lord are you going help us to be successful, or are we just jacking off?" I've liked the series up to this point, so far, but this is one episode I'll pass over the next time around.
Seriously?
The only thing missing was the reverend praying "Oh, lord are you going help us to be successful, or are we just jacking off?" I've liked the series up to this point, so far, but this is one episode I'll pass over the next time around.
Predictable, boring, unrealistic, and not worth the time...
shooter750718 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Just like with most of the Enterprise episodes, this one does not disappoint in continuous disappointment... Supposedly a rag tag group of dirt miners after a whole 2 1/2 days of training take on a group of obviously mentally challenged Klingons that have been apparently trained by every enemy that the Power Rangers have faced in the past... It's a joke, don't bother.
Didn't need to be so bad. The ending left a bad taste.
wwcanoer-tech19 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The initial premise of a mining outpost being bullied is good. The first half of the crew getting to know these new people and solve the mystery of why they're asked to leave is good.
The proper outcome would be for the miners to forge a sustainable agreement with the customer who is bullying them. Perhaps Klingons were not the best choice because the likelihood of forging and agreement or scaring them away is slim.
The concept of teaching the miners to stand up for themselves and defend themselves is good. But the implementation is absolutely horrible, as explained by many reviews.
The tactic of moving the camp to trick the Klingons is terrible because it is not sustainable! Re-arranging the camp to be more defensible, to have hidden ways for a person to move from one location to another would be far better.
Enterprise could give them a jammer that blocks transporter use to either prevent the Klingons from arriving without permission or leaving without permission. (Could be forced to use a shuttle.)
They could have set traps and used weapon on stun to pick off the Klingons one by one. This would humiliate them, so the miners then would need to offer them a way to save face and pay a fair price for the deuterium.
As other have said, the fight was ridiculous. The Klingons drop their batliths and move together as a tight group into the "kill zone" that's not even a kill zone, but a ring of flames.
The viewer needs to accept that transporting from one location on the battlefield to another is almost never done because it would ruin too many plots.
But I doubt there's a single viewer who thought that the Klingons were scared off and would never return.
Another possibility is that Archer could broker a deal between the miners and other people they've met in the area. Perhaps those folks whom he offended in the last episode. Although they might not appreciate being put in a position against the Klingons.
I don't know what's best but with some brainstorming could certainly find something better than that ending!
The proper outcome would be for the miners to forge a sustainable agreement with the customer who is bullying them. Perhaps Klingons were not the best choice because the likelihood of forging and agreement or scaring them away is slim.
The concept of teaching the miners to stand up for themselves and defend themselves is good. But the implementation is absolutely horrible, as explained by many reviews.
The tactic of moving the camp to trick the Klingons is terrible because it is not sustainable! Re-arranging the camp to be more defensible, to have hidden ways for a person to move from one location to another would be far better.
Enterprise could give them a jammer that blocks transporter use to either prevent the Klingons from arriving without permission or leaving without permission. (Could be forced to use a shuttle.)
They could have set traps and used weapon on stun to pick off the Klingons one by one. This would humiliate them, so the miners then would need to offer them a way to save face and pay a fair price for the deuterium.
As other have said, the fight was ridiculous. The Klingons drop their batliths and move together as a tight group into the "kill zone" that's not even a kill zone, but a ring of flames.
The viewer needs to accept that transporting from one location on the battlefield to another is almost never done because it would ruin too many plots.
But I doubt there's a single viewer who thought that the Klingons were scared off and would never return.
Another possibility is that Archer could broker a deal between the miners and other people they've met in the area. Perhaps those folks whom he offended in the last episode. Although they might not appreciate being put in a position against the Klingons.
I don't know what's best but with some brainstorming could certainly find something better than that ending!
Not very believable and not that exciting
cheesustoast18 May 2014
I do not think this episode was terrible; it was just not a very convincing set of events. The acting was good enough and the setting was believable. The situation itself was convincing enough but when the story progressed there was a very "family oriented" and lacklustre feeling to how things turned out.
I understand that care has to be taken to make sure that the wrong message is not given. I do not feel that gratuitous violence and payback is a valid solution. Unfortunately, the way that events unfolded near the end made it appear that they were playing it too safe.
I would have liked it to have been a little more dirty and untamed.
I understand that care has to be taken to make sure that the wrong message is not given. I do not feel that gratuitous violence and payback is a valid solution. Unfortunately, the way that events unfolded near the end made it appear that they were playing it too safe.
I would have liked it to have been a little more dirty and untamed.
Seven Samurai in Space
yojimbo-1920 February 2009
Yep, after the first 15 minutes of the episode I knew it was going to be a Seven Samurai in space. If you seen the movie then save your time from watching this episode. The plot's the same as half of Voyager's episodes - people in trouble how can we help the other half - Gilligan's Island. I'll admit I rarely watched Voyager because when your first enemy has interstellar space travel but can't make water? Need I say more. I think "Marauders" epitomizes why Enterprise was canceled and I started to tune out. The writers and people in control of the show didn't care. As proof look at Battlestar Galactica it didn't need a couple seasons to find it's legs and it's written from a former Star Trek:TNG writer. Through re-runs on Sci-fi channel I have watched season 4 episodes and overall it had the best episodes of Enterprise unfortunately it was too little too late.
Pointless Waste of Time
LaZedBoy10 August 2021
None of the behaviours made much sense. Klingons ran around like Cub Scouts. Marksman Lt. Reed shot like a Stormtrooper. The entire meddling Enterprise crew could have started a war that could have resulted in the obliteration of Earth. This was a bad script. Avoid this ep.
An unlikely script with nothing much going for it other than a few points mentioned..
davidhiggins-897561 August 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Bit of a massive plot hole and unlikelihood of a colony of beings producing a highly desirable expensive product with umpteen visits from passing vessels many of which would have arsenal's of weapons & explosives and no one on that Planet had the sense to purchase some, just stick with lizard shooting pop guns.
NOT very likely is it!, considering they had both the wealth & the necessity to do so.
The Star Trek scriptwriters taking us for MUGS then. Insulting our intelligence.
Once again as well, a load of human looking people with the Star Trek customary difference being that of having a different shaped/coloured forehead. Some sort of evolutionary advantage was there for these variations?.
All in all one of those Planet bound episodes that never particularly went anywhere plot wise, did nothing much for me other than no doubt getting another look at Ensign Hoshi Sato's fantastic complexion.
Don't know if she had a better make up artist than other women in the Star Trek genre, that really brought out the fineness & ambient glow of her face, but I find it a delight to see her on screen.
May not have had a totally flawless complexion, very very few women actually do. Even the top models do not, especially with the tonnage of make up they have applied & taken off on a yearly basis, but the camera & lighting seems to like her.
So for Ensign Hoshi Sato's complexion even with such an unlikely & rather dismal script that I found very Insulting, not too much of a low rating. A 6 stars rating is all this episode is worth.
Best to keep it SPACE related or at most half & half, NOT almost entirely located in some quarry, forest or deserted landscape somewhere not a massive distance from the Star Trek Production studio.
6 Stars then.
Oh, and could they have not fitted 200 litres of that substance or 1000 litres or even 5000 litres, they so desperately wanted, store it in the Enterprise cargo bay.
Like Starfleet never had an extra 200 litres on hand to stock them out with to start with. These Starships of theirs having to scrounge around the Galaxy bartering other needy components they had in reserve for what was supposed to be needed. That could & should have been supplied in the first place!.
MORE Insults to the intelligence then. So even more Star Trek plot that does not hold up, leaving the viewer to DUMB down their intellect to 'gee along' the implausible lazy script.
'Cept we are supposed to swallow down all the guff. No I don't, I sooner point it out.
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NO changed my mind, even with the attraction of the aforesaid aspect of this episode, (mainly in every Enterprise episode), it is getting just 5 Stars.
Decent enough acting by all concerned & camera work, lighting, sound, make up etc, just a crummy ill-thought-out script.
And that rolling around on the floor as a defensive measure was also lame, though there was some T'Pol fighting scenes with Blalock & her body double, spiced it up somewhat, so maybe a 5.2 Stars after all.
NOT very likely is it!, considering they had both the wealth & the necessity to do so.
The Star Trek scriptwriters taking us for MUGS then. Insulting our intelligence.
Once again as well, a load of human looking people with the Star Trek customary difference being that of having a different shaped/coloured forehead. Some sort of evolutionary advantage was there for these variations?.
All in all one of those Planet bound episodes that never particularly went anywhere plot wise, did nothing much for me other than no doubt getting another look at Ensign Hoshi Sato's fantastic complexion.
Don't know if she had a better make up artist than other women in the Star Trek genre, that really brought out the fineness & ambient glow of her face, but I find it a delight to see her on screen.
May not have had a totally flawless complexion, very very few women actually do. Even the top models do not, especially with the tonnage of make up they have applied & taken off on a yearly basis, but the camera & lighting seems to like her.
So for Ensign Hoshi Sato's complexion even with such an unlikely & rather dismal script that I found very Insulting, not too much of a low rating. A 6 stars rating is all this episode is worth.
Best to keep it SPACE related or at most half & half, NOT almost entirely located in some quarry, forest or deserted landscape somewhere not a massive distance from the Star Trek Production studio.
6 Stars then.
Oh, and could they have not fitted 200 litres of that substance or 1000 litres or even 5000 litres, they so desperately wanted, store it in the Enterprise cargo bay.
Like Starfleet never had an extra 200 litres on hand to stock them out with to start with. These Starships of theirs having to scrounge around the Galaxy bartering other needy components they had in reserve for what was supposed to be needed. That could & should have been supplied in the first place!.
MORE Insults to the intelligence then. So even more Star Trek plot that does not hold up, leaving the viewer to DUMB down their intellect to 'gee along' the implausible lazy script.
'Cept we are supposed to swallow down all the guff. No I don't, I sooner point it out.
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NO changed my mind, even with the attraction of the aforesaid aspect of this episode, (mainly in every Enterprise episode), it is getting just 5 Stars.
Decent enough acting by all concerned & camera work, lighting, sound, make up etc, just a crummy ill-thought-out script.
And that rolling around on the floor as a defensive measure was also lame, though there was some T'Pol fighting scenes with Blalock & her body double, spiced it up somewhat, so maybe a 5.2 Stars after all.
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