Enterprise hosts a fashion show and must build a catwalk….wait…ohhhhh, different catwalk…gotcha. Originally broadcast on December 18, 2002 this is The Catwalk.
The Episode:
Captain’s Starlog date September 18, 2152
Preparing for an away mission, Enterprise is contacted by Rellus Tagrim who suggests that Enterprise depart soon and take his crew with them as a neutronic storm is about to hit that will be quite dangerous. After allowing Tagrim’s people aboard, Enterprise begins to try to outrun the wave but soon discovers that it will be enveloped prompting Dr Phlox to recommend finding a shelter in the ship that can protect the crew. Soon most of the crew, along with Tagrim’s people huddle up in the catwalks located in the Warp Nacelles so that they can ride out the storm in safety.
The storm hits and, soon the ship is boarded by more aliens who appear like the same species as Tagrim. Tagrim admits that these people are hunting them and that they have escaped a militia that has become corrupt and evil. Tagrim warns Archer that, if Archer can not get rid of the Militia, his former superiors might take Enterprise for themselves.
Dressing in environmental suits Archer and his team go out to stop the invading Militia. Soon they reach a stalemate with the Militia threatening to imprison Archer and his crew so, Archer turns the ship toward a plasma eddy and informs the enemy captain that he will destroy the ship before he allows his people to be captured. The Militia do not challenge his bluff and depart Enterprise allowing Mayweather to navigate the ship to a safer area of space.
Rellus and his people depart and thank Archer for their kindness, hoping that they may also find find a friendly place to settle down in the universe.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
The thing I like about this episode is that is shows once again just how resilient this crew is. You have to remember, Enterprise is literally the only human warp 5 vessel in space at this time. They are truly alone trailblazing the cosmos making the way for the likes of Kirk, Picard and everyone else so literally every encounter is new to them and they have to react accordingly. This is easy to forget with some of the sillier episodes and it is very easy to ask why they didn’t do X like Kirk did or Y like Sisko, as the simple answer is, well, they didn’t have that option…yet. It is because of ships like the NX-01 that Starfleet had an opportunity to venture out deeper into space facing new and exciting threats and adventures.
Archer once again proves himself to be a very capable and caring Captain. He is determined to ensure the safety of his crew is paramount to his own and that in and of itself is admirable. When he’s not being a bit of a dick to T’Pol and whining about how terrible the Vulcan’s are to him, he is actually a pretty great Captain.
The episode itself is actually a pretty solid one that reminds me of the STNG episdoe Starship Mine where Picard defends his Enterprise against some theives. The thing that give this episode a little more gravity is that it is not just Archer who is in danger this time but the entire crew as well as the ship. Sadly, we never encounter the Takret Militia again even though they seemed to be a really good choice for a new villain for the series.
Overall, a pretty solid story with several layers of danger and a pretty great wrap up. Not bad for a filler, not bad at all.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
- It is mentioned that Sickbay would make a good place to stay safe but Phlox is determined to move his animals to the safety of the catwalk… what gives?
- We learn that Reed gets gas in zero G places as well as manages to get motion sickness quite easily.
- We also learn that Denoblia has a billion people on one continent indicating that Phlox is very used to cramped spaces.
- We finally see Chef in person…but not his face.
- Oh and Malcolm…Jeezaloo that guy likes to complain. He’s lucky they didn’t knock him out and dump his body in the plasma tubes.
Thanks for reading the Retro TV Review, I look forward to discussing the rest of the series with you, one episode at a time every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Next Review: Dawn
more reviews I have a weekly series called Key Movies Of My Life that comes out every Thursday and for more retro TV goodness check out the rest of the Retro TV Reviews here.
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Late To The Game 7/19/2021
Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available. Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.
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