Attack of the Space Faring The Body Snatchers. Originally broadcast on April 2, 2003 this is The Crossing.
The Episode:
Captain’s Starlog date undetermined
Enterprise is scooped up by a giant ship for no apparent reason and, when Archer and team go to explore it they encounter non-corporeal beings who take an immediate interest in them. After being possessed by one for a brief moment, Trip is rushed back to Enterprise where it seems nothing is out of the ordinary outside of Trip claiming to have experienced some wonderful memories. However, when the creature comes back and possesses him again, this becomes a cause for concern. Before long the entities begin randomly possessing crewmembers while claiming to ‘just want to experience corporeal life again because it’s apparently been a while. Phlox is apparently immune and, soon finds himself under attack when a possessed Hoshi fakes an injury, but he is able to subdue her with a hypospray.
Before long it becomes apparent that Enterprise is experiencing a hostile takeover and, working with Phlox, T’Pol learns that these beings are unable to withstand the vacuum of space so they flood the ship with CO2 causing the beings to return to their own ship. As soon as the last being is gone, Enterprise attempts to flee but finds itself chased until Reed fires a torpedo causing the alien ship to incure a hull breach. Free of the aliens, Enterprise carries on.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
Soooooo, there’s this giant ship that swallows other ships manned by non-corporeal beings flying around our galaxy that is only encountered a single time in 200+ years if not more….huh. That’s kinda strange. I mean, Space is big I guess but you would think that this ship would have popped up again at some point. Then again, we do have a Giant cylinder that speaks whale and a Dyson sphere that never is explained, so sure, I’ll buy it.
What makes this episode so solid is that it feels like it could have been part of the original series. From the pacing to even the musical cues, the classic alien invasion/mind control theme is played up to near perfection. Not only that, the entire cast does a tremendous job swapping between the normal crew and the possessed ones showing the versatility of the cast in every way. While this episode is truly a ‘monster of the week’ style story, it is done to near perfection making it a worthwhile entry worth watching.
Bottom line, This is yet another great example of Enterprise doing what it does best. It may not have any long lasting repercussions or deep character development but man is it good scifi.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
- The catwalks in the nacelles are once again used to protect the crew.
- We never encounter these particular non-corporeal aliens again.
- Archer and T’Pol reference clock positions when giving instructions to Phlox indicating that analog clocks are still in use on Earth in some form.
- Tucker mentions a barbecue that he was ‘attending’ specifically commenting on the ribs. This indicates that, at this time, animals are still consumed on Earth for their meat.
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: Judgement
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 8/2/2021
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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