The Xindi ask for proof and things happen. Originally broadcast on April 28, 2004 this is The Forgotten.
The Episode:
Captain’s Starlog date undetermined.
Enterprise finally meets up with Degra who informs Archer that, if they can prove that the Xindi are being manipulated to destroy Earth then the council will stop the weapon from being finished. Meanwhile Tripp has to inform the family of one of his staff members of her death but is still dealing with the death of his own sister during the Xindi attack on Earth. Archer shows Degra the bodies of the Reptilian Xindi from the past and the equipment they used, but, of course, this isn’t enough so they show them the data on the spheres which raises some interest. The Reptilians arrive and start attacking but Degra is able to defuse the situation by destroying the Reptilian invaders because the Reptilians would compromise their plan to expose the conspiracy afoot. Degra gives Archer access to a subspace corridor but warns him that there is yet another species in there that may attack them.
In the end Degra informs Archer that the Captain must present his findings to the council and Tripp finds solace in his sorrow over his sister’s death with help from T’Pol.
Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:
This one starts with Archer giving a speech about the 18 crew members who died in the Xindi attack which he turns into a rally for him and the crew to ‘fight for Earth and the Eighteen’. Frankly it felt like Archer was trying to convince himself that what he did was right but, well, we all know that that’s not going to be enough to ease his conscience. I mean, I get it, this guy is doing the Captain encouraging his crew thing, but after what we have seen so far, it just feels pretty disingenuous.
The episode itself isn’t a bad one as it actually does push the story forward considerably with things finally coming to a head in the Xindi/human conflict. It’s really no surprise that the Herboreal and Primate based Xindi would eventually find common ground with Humans, I mean, we warm blooded folks have to stick together right?! (eye roll) I really wish they had taken a slightly different path with this, making the Reptilians or the Insectoid variants form an alliance with humanity but, no, of course those had to be the bad guys because, who likes bugs and lizards anyway?
However, while much of the main story line deals with the uneasy truce between humans and (some of) the Xindi, the real story is in Tripp’s learning to cope with the death of his sister while also dealing with the death of one of his team members. This ‘B’ Story is, by far, the best part of this episode showing the chief engineer’s struggle with something he really hasn’t allowed himself to emotionally deal with up until now. This, combined with another ‘ship in danger’ scenario, really gives Charles ‘Tripp’ Tucker III a chance to grow even more as a character making him all the more relatable further solidifying him as one of my all time favorite characters on the show. Heck, I would have loved to have had a series of him teaching Engineering at Starfleet after his time on Enterprise but…well…I won’t spoil anything for you there. Needless to say, Conner Trinneer, really brings his ‘A’ game to his ‘B’ story continuing to show just how important to the series he is.
Overall, other than the horrible setup for this episode in the previous one, this one really pays off on both story and on the emotional factor. There are some truly memorable moments in this entry making it well worth your time despite the fact that I have completely lost respect for Archer at this point. I do love Scott Bakula but man is his character in this one a terrible one.
Gleanings and Cool Bits:
- There is some significant foreshadowing in this one when T’Pol asks Tripp if he thinks the loss of a fellow crewmember or colleague doesn’t effect Vulcans. Knowing the fate of certain characters in this series, that moment really hits home.
- Eagle Eyed viewers might recognize one of the Engineers getting dressed down by Tripp as none other than Seth McFarlane of Family Guy and The Orville fame. Just goes to show you why The Orville felt so much like a Star Trek series. Dude is a fan!
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: E²
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 10/6/2021
You brought the marshmallows right?
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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