Enterprise Review: “Stratagem”

Two weeks in a row for staying on track with the story? Someone tied up Berman and Braga, didn’t they?

Stratagem

Cast & Crew

Director: Mike Vejar
Teleplay By: Michael Sussman
Story By: Terry Matalas

Starring
Scott Bakula as Captain
Jonathan Archer
Connor Trinneer as Chief
Engineer Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Jolene Blalock as Sub-commander
T’Pol
Dominic Keating as Lt.
Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery
as Ensign Travis Mayweather
Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi
Sato
John Billingsley
as Dr. Phlox

Guest Cast
Randy Oglesby as Degra
Josh Drennen as Thalen

Episode Information

Originally Aired: February 4, 2004
Season: Three
Episode: Fourteen
Production: 066

What Happened

Having located the prototype of the Xindi superweapon, Archer and the crew manage to capture the weapon’s creator, Degra, and launch into an elaborate scheme to dupe their prisoner into revealing the location of the final weapon under construction. With time running out before the Xindi discover Degra’s disappearance, the entire crew play key roles in the massive charade which combines Archer’s acting skills, Trip’s faux alien shuttlecraft, Hoshi’s decrypted data and Dr. Phlox’s memory tampering, in order to trick the Xindi scientist into believing he and Archer are now allies and on the run after escaping a Xindi-Insectoid prison.

Review

Oh my lord. Not only are we still on track, we pick up right where we left off, in the Xindi testing range. A stunning achievement for the writing staff of Enterprise.

High Point

While I wasn’t wholly surprised by the finale, it was well-done and appropriately tense.

Low Point

OK, is it me, or is wiping someone’s memory a little too easy? And where’s Phlox’s high-and-mighty ethics? Convenient how his character shifts back and forth, no?

The Scores

Originality: I guess it’s better than sticking the poor schlub in an airlock. 4 out of 6.

Effects: Mostly interior work this week. 5 out of 6.

Story: Staying on track. Excellent. 4 out of 6.

Acting: There’s a lot of room for dialogue, so the cast does a decent job this time around. 4 out of 6.

Emotional Response: The final fake-out at the end didn’t surprise me one iota, and the first reveal was nothing big since it was leaked in the trailer. 3 out of 6.

Production: Cool shuttle, crampt and dirty. 5 out of 6

Overall: We’re running out of time for the season, so picking up the pace and increasing the tension is an absolute must. 5 out of 6.

Total: 30 out of 42

Episode Media

From StarTrek.com

This Week on Enterprise (February 11, 2004)

Harbinger

Enterprise encounters an abnormally large spatial distortion and rescues an alien from a craft trapped inside. While Archer and Dr. Phlox try to solve the mystery behind the rapidly deteriorating alien, tensions between Lt. Reed and MACO leader Major Hayes escalate into a full-blown brawl. Meanwhile, Trip’s flirtation with a female MACO forces a surprisingly jealous T’Pol to confront her attraction to her fellow senior officer. [Video Preview]

Additional Notes and Comments

If you’re interested in what’s in TheAngryMob’s review queue, check out my What’s Coming page.

TheAngrymob

9 replies on “Enterprise Review: “Stratagem””

  1. Jake 2.0
    I’ve been a fan of Jake 2.0 since it debuted. From the very first episode, I found it to be one of the most original and innovative series on the TV on any channel. I for one do not want to see it die. In the same fashion we brought Star Trek back from the dead, I think if we let the network know how we feel we can bring it back. Though I hope it doesn’t take 20 years.

  2. Not too bad…
    It was somewhat silly at its core, I thought.

    And if you have the creator of the super weapon do you really let him go? Ever?

    What about destroying his ship in an “accident” and keeping him in storage?

  3. Memory wipe
    Phlox said that it was reletively easy with this species due to their brain physiology. So, since it was so easy, and we’re looking to save a planet of billions, and there’s no long term hard to Degra, I don’t think Phlox would have had much problem with doing it.

  4. not bad…
    I was suprised to see that they stuck with the story… Not great, but a big improvement… If enterprise had episodes of this quality all the time they would have higher ratings.

    Next week, I think they’re getting offtrack AGAIN for a little sex romp… Even the idea of a vulcan becoming jealous and giving herself to a stinky human…. it’s unheard of the trek world. So they’re breaking some rules with this one.

      • Re: not bad…

        Um, Spock?

        Spock was half/human and Vulcans had more time with humans at that point…

        Enterprise’s first & second seasons made pretty clear that Vulcans distained humans, this includes T’Pol, who mentioned that humans stink… So now we’re in the third season and somehow she can overcome the distain and stink? I think not.

    • Re: not bad…

      Even the idea of a vulcan becoming jealous and giving herself to a stinky human…. it’s unheard of the trek world. So they’re breaking some rules with this one.

      I think it is long since time to worry any about continuity. That game has been over for a while.

  5. under new management
    I heard that Enterprise will have new people at the helm, producing and writing, next season. Antone else heard this?

    • Re: under new management

      I heard that Enterprise will have new people at the helm, producing and writing, next season. Antone else heard this?

      right here

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