The Forge

An explosion at an embassy kills many earth ambassadors and several Vulcans. Archer and T'Pol are given the task of going to Vulcan to investigate. There is something amiss on the High Council. There is a group of Vulcans who are in defiance of ancient teaching. One of these is T'Pol's mother. She has joined forces with these people. She has been branded a traitor. There are many elements of past Vulcan activity that we have seen before. Apparently, for some, the use of certain elements of the Vulcan history shouldn't be put before us. What I enjoyed is that the rebel peoples are really interesting. Also, a rebel who aids Archer and his Vulcan first officer, dies in the effort but transfers information to Archer as he breathes his last.

In the United Earth Embassy in Vulcan, Admiral Maxwell Forrest and Ambassador Soval are discussing the technical cooperation between their people when there is a blowup killing thirty-one Earthlings including Forrest and twelve Vulcans. Captain Archer is assigned to investigate the attack and the Vulcan chief investigator Stel suggests the responsibility of the Andorians or the dissident Syranites for the attempt with the support of the Administrator V'Las. Lt. Reed and Ensign Mayweather discover in the debris a hidden bomb that has not exploded with the DNA of the Syranite T'Pau. Meanwhile T'Pol receives from her husband Koss an ancient object delivered by her mother and she finds a map with the location where her mother and the Syranites are hidden in the desert The Forge, a place where technology does not work. Archer and T'Pol head to The Forge to seek out T'Pau. Meanwhile Dr. Phlox discovers that the DNA in the bomb has been manipulated and Ambassador Soval is convinced by Commander Tucker to perform the forbidden mind melt with a survivor to disclose the surprising truth.

"The Forge" is an excellent episode of Enterprise. The screenplay is very well written and the engaging story is a must-see. The chameleon Jolene Blalock is extremely gorgeous in the role of T'Pol and for me she is one of the greatest attraction of this fantastic series. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "No Deserto de Vulcano" ("In the Desert of Vulcan")

One aspect of "Star Trek: Enterprise" that I enjoyed was its treatment of the Vulcans. While the Vulcans were pretty cool folks by the time of "Star Trek", here in this prequel, the Vulcans are generally haughty, difficult and cannot be trusted. This episode and the next two are excellent bridges--one that connects the better Vulcans to the jerk-faces you often see in "Star Trek: Enterprise"!

When the show begins, there's an explosion at the Earth embassy on Vulcan. Lots of folks are killed and the evidence seems to indicate a strange sect of Vulcans, the Syrrannites, are responsible. Some of the Vulcan High Command really have a strong dislike for these mystical Vulcans and they are thrilled when the Enterprise send T'Pol and Archer to capture the killer. This trip takes them to a super-inhospitable desert and a strange meeting indeed with one of the Syrrannites...a Syrrannite who gives Archer a most peculiar gift at the end of the show.

This is a very exciting episode but more importantly it fills in a lot of gaps and is an excellent look at the evolution of the Vulcans from a bunch of jerk-faces to a bunch of mystical semi-jerk-faces. Well worth seeing.

While Archer is supposed to be heroic, the writers make him too superhuman. He has the solution to every problem. He is a super negotiator, able to beat enemies who should destroy Enterprise and him, and on and on.

In this episode, he is chosen to be the carrier of the spirit of Surak. So once again, it is up to him to save Vulcan, Andorria, and Earth. It is getting old and tedious.

In addition, the left-wing, radical, atheist writers just couldn't stop themselves from taking a pot shot at Christianity. T'pol mentions to him that the stories of Surak's exploits seem to be greatly exaggerated as they are handed down through the ages. His response is that it sounds familiar to him. It is a clear reference to the story of Jesus Christ. How do i know? Hollywood writers never fail to take pot shots at Christianity whenever possible.

Many of the story lines are ridiculously extreme as Archer jumps from one superhuman feat to the next. There should never have been a season four.

Just as the Vulcans are discussing whether or not they should engage in join operations with Earth a bomb is detonated in Earth's embassy on Vulcan. They are quick to point their fingers at the Andorians but when Captain Archer points out that they would have nothing to gain from such an attack it is suggested that there is a possibility that Syrranites were involved. These aren't another race but a Vulcan sect who are considered heretics due to their different interpretation Surak' teachings. Surak was the Vulcan for ending their violent ways and developing their belief in pure logic. A search of the embassy leads to the discovery of an unexploded bomb which has the DNA of a leading Syrranite and soon after T'Pol is visited by her husband who informs her that her mother is with the Syrranites and gives her an artefact which maps a path to where they can be found. She is in a desert known as The Forge which can't be accessed by transporter due to the electrical activity there. Archer and T'Pol beam down to the edge of The Forge and go in on foot and end up meeting a Syrranite who, after being critically injured, puts his hand on Archer's face and says something in Vulcan; after this Archer's behaviour starts to change subtly and he knows things only a Syrranite would know. While Archer and T'Pol are out of contact on the surface the Vulcan Ambassador Suval mind melds with the only witness to the bombing, a security guard in a coma, and learns the real bomber was working for the Vulcan High Command.

This was a gripping episode which had the feel of a murder mystery in some ways; suspects were set up only to be proved innocent and those one least suspect turn out to be guilty. There is also plenty of action including the initial explosion, the finding of the second device which explodes just as the away team beam out and an animal attack and violent storm in The Forge. Regulars Scott Bakula and Jolene Blalock put in good performances as Archer and T'Pol and are ably supported by guest star Gary Graham who plays Suval.