The Expanse 

An unknown probe fires on Earth from space, cutting a swath from Florida to Venezuela. Everything in the path of the attack was destroyed, resulting in the deaths of seven million humans ... See full summary »

Director:

Allan Kroeker

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (based upon "Star Trek" created by), Rick Berman (created by)

Stars:

Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
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
John Fleck	...	Silik
Vaughn Armstrong	...	Adm. Maxwell Forrest
Gary Graham	...	Ambassador Soval
Daniel Riordan	...	Duras
James Horan	...	Humanoid Figure
Bruce Wright	...	Dr. Fer'at
Dan Desmond	...	Klingon Chancellor
Josh Cruze	...	Capt. Ramirez

Storyline

An unknown probe fires on Earth from space, cutting a swath from Florida to Venezuela. Everything in the path of the attack was destroyed, resulting in the deaths of seven million humans including Tucker's younger sister Elizabeth. Enterprise is recalled to Earth for upgrades to the ship and to take on military crewmen. Silik gives Archer a message from the future about Earth's latest enemy. The Klingon Empire gives Duras another chance to capture Archer. Enterprise heads for infamous and dangerous Delphic Expanse.

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Plot Keywords:

looking out a viewport | silik character | maxwell forrest character | soval character | actor reprises previous role | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

While Archer is digging through the wreckage of the Xindi probe, he picks up an item and determines that it's from the future. It was originally used for Quark's cloaking device in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Profit and Loss (1994).

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Goofs

The Xindi weapon cuts a groove into the Earth so wide that it can be seen from space, yet when Trip and Malcolm are pictured standing next to the groove, it's fairly narrow. Nothing that narrow would be visible from space as a black line.

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Quotes

Duras: Surrender, or be destroyed.
Capt. Jonathan Archer: Go to hell!

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Connections

References Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

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Soundtracks

Where My Heart Will Take Me
Written by Diane Warren
Performed by Russell Watson
Episode: {all episodes}

User Reviews

Season-ending cliffhanger succeeds, but scores low in originality

"The Expanse" assembles a mystery and a cliffhanger to predictably end the second season of Enterprise. An automated weapon which Archer believes to be a Xindi probe enters Earth-space and cuts a swath from Florida to Venezuela,killing millions. Archer is contacted by an emissary from the future and told that an invasion is being prepared in the Delphic Expanse - a region of space which the Vulcans, and seemingly everybody else, are terrified of. Meanwhile, the Klingon fugitive subplot is kept alive as Enterprise is pursued by Klingon Birds of Prey (this is really just added to provide some additional action in an otherwise sedate episode, since it has no bearing on the central plot), and Enterprise is refitted with better hull plating and antimatter torpedoes (completely scientifically absurd, but the franchise hasn't really been very concerned with science since DS9 so who cares).

The acting is a touch above the average for this series. The script allows Conner Trinnear to capitalize on American emotions surrounding the 9/11 attack on the U.S.A., as he turns in one of his finest performances during this series. Jolene Blalock also does a very nice job with one of T'Pol's more complicated early interpretations (this character has one of the best arcs in the series, and becomes much more interesting in the 3rd and 4th seasons). However, the script does not just follow franchise formulae, but almost plagiarizes the film Event Horizon in its exposition on the Delphic Expanse.

Entirely predictable, but worth watching because it sets up a good Season 3 opener "The Xindi", and an excellent story arc within the expanse itself.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 2003 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Network Television, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1