monkee reviews 'Cold Station 12'
First Impression: Part two of three holds up well, even without the slave girls!
A Deeper Soong: Right from the beginning of Cold Station 12, the character of Soong is taken to another level. The teaser shows him, eleven years earlier, with his young genetically engineered charges. He's telling them about the Eugenics Wars, but he's a biased instructor, focusing only on how Augments are now feared and persecuted. He tells them of their brethren in stasis, and says that when they are older, it will be their job to awaken them and 'fulfill humanity's promise.' The children listen, wide-eyed.
Back in the present, Archer takes a landing party to the coordinates Soong had provided earlier it's the same classroom we saw in the teaser. The landing party explores the small settlement, and Archer finds educational PADDs and home movies of Soong celebrating birthdays with the children. He comes to understand, as do we, that the bond between Soong and the Augments is strong and personal. He really is like a father to them.
No Child Left Behind? Ha! Is this one of monkee's knee-jerk liberal rants? Nope, not this time! Seriously, one of the now grown children is found sneaking around the abandoned settlement. He attacks Archer, but is quickly subdued. Too quickly subdued, for an Augment...
Small Quibble: I'm going to interrupt for a moment here with a minor complaint. Soong encouraged the Augments to let Enterprise go last week because the ship was damaged, and they wouldn't be able to repair it in time to pursue them. Yet as this episode begins, the ship HAS been repaired, with no fanfare. I don't like it when they do this it's too convenient, a writer's cop-out. I'll try to accept it this week, though, as evidence that Soong just wanted to let Archer and his crew escape with their lives. He seems genuinely interested in not hurting anyone, at least before he starts getting manipulated by his brilliant 'children.'
An Augment's Crocodile Tears: On the Klingon ship, Soong and the Augments develop a plan to get the other genetically enhanced embryos from Cold Station 12. Soong insists on a strategy that will not kill any of the station's personnel. Malik reluctantly agrees he'd prefer to get in and out as quickly as possible, which would be easier if they just cut all life support. Soong later confronts Malik, wanting to know where Raakin is. Malik reluctantly admits that he killed him, but, seeing Soong's anger, claims that it was an accident that occurred while the two 'brothers' were fighting. He weeps convincingly, and Soong comforts him, saying he should never have abandoned the children the way he was forced to. As they embrace, we get to see Malik's true expression, a cold, calculating one. He later admits to Persis that he's not pleased with their 'father,' and that he believes Augments should lead Augments. When she protests, he tells her that he's just 'thinking out loud.'
Star Trek 90210: If I have one significant complaint about this arc, it's that I continue not to care at all about most of the Augments. Malik and Persis' bedroom scene made me cringe. The Augments remind me a little of the crew of cadets in the DS9 episode 'Valiant.' If I want to watch teenage or young adult angst, there are better sources for it on television. (Actually, there's a pretty good source for it upstairs in my house right now, but no one wants to hear about monkee's surly teen...) It just doesn't feel right on Star Trek. Khan was cool because well, because he was KHAN, Dammit! None of these young actors (or actresses) has even a fraction of the presence of Richardo Montalban. Maybe that's not fair, but it's an unfortunate parallel that most long-term Trekkers will be drawing.
There is one exception, however one Augment that we can't help but care about right away. I'm referring, of course, to Udal.
Smike's Tale: The Augment that the landing party found at the settlement turns out to be an anomaly. His DNA is similar to that of the rest of the Augments, but not identical. He wasn't born with any of their powers. Although his name is Udal, they called him 'Smike,' after a handicapped character in 'Nicholas Nickleby.'
Dickens, Melville, Shakespeare, Milton these genetically enhanced kids from Earth's Eugenic era certainly were up on their classic literature, weren't they? Too bad they seem to have missed the morals of most of those stories...
Despite having been banished from the settlement over a year ago, Smike is still fiercely loyal to his genetically enhanced 'siblings' and to Soong. He's taken what Soong told them about Earth to heart, and has no interest in going back there to be persecuted. He's a nice kid, though, and Archer tries to reach out to him and give him some perspective. He makes information about his real birth parents available to him, as well as unbiased historical data on the Eugenics Wars. It's impossible not to like Smike, which is why it's probably best that we not get too attached to him...
Cold Station 12: The Augments board, then steal, a Denobulan medical shuttle. Using codes extracted from its computer, they are able to get past the heightened security at Cold Station 12, a Starfleet facility which has dozens of deadly disease pathogens for research purposes, as well as the embryos left over from the Eugenics Wars. The medical/research staff there is quickly captured, but the Senior Medical Director Phlox's friend, Dr. Jeremy Lucas, in a nice bit of continuity refuses to give them the access codes to the embryo storage unit.
The Embryos: Ticking Time Bomb or Sacred Life? Back on Enterprise, T'Pol asks why the embryos weren't destroyed after the war. It's a fair question, and she's not trying to be heartless by asking it. Archer tells her that destroying them was too controversial at the time. It's clearly too controversial even in his time, or they wouldn't still be there. I can certainly see why it would be. It might seem like a cop-out, to stick them in cold storage and let some other generation worry about it, but maybe it's a sound decision. Perhaps humanity is just waiting until its intellect catches up with its instincts.
Archer and Phlox have a wonderful conversation about intellect and instincts in the mess hall. Archer is appalled by the Augment's actions, yet is wise enough to ponder the wisdom of banning ALL genetic 'tampering.' After all, such research might have spared his father an untimely and difficult end to his life. It always pleases me when Trek tackles a complex subject, and makes some effort to show us the shades of gray.
A Desperate Man: When they first take over Cold Station 12, Soong almost tries to befriend Lucas, talking about the flickering lights in Lucas' office, an office Soong used to have. Soong's weakness, however, is the Augments, and when Enterprise approaches, he uses the leverage he has in order to protect them, threatening to blow Lucas' head off with a Klingon disruptor. Archer backs off, and Soong reluctantly has Lucas beaten, hoping he'll give up the codes.
Malik sees that it's not working, and begins to manipulate Soong into taking more drastic measures. The manipulation is subtle at first. "Is one human being worth all our lives, and everything you've worked for?" He knows exactly what buttons to push. They put one of the other scientists in an isolation chamber and begin pumping a deadly pathogen in. Even then, Lucas won't relent. "I have orders!" he sobs, while Soong desperately pleads with him to give up the codes and put an end to the man's suffering. In the end, it is Soong who gives in. He orders Malik to release the antipathogen. Malik refuses and the man dies.
I loathed having to witness this gruesome and horrible death, but I have to admit that Spiner was riveting. You can see how anguished he is he genuinely doesn't want to be doing what he's doing. His narrow focus on the Augments, both as 'children' and research, has blinded him to everything else. It forces him off the correct path and onto a dark one. He makes the wrong choice, but the struggle is wrenching to watch.
Sneaky Archer: Hot off the press Archer does something right! He finds a way to beam himself and a landing party onto the station without being detected. Phlox comes along because he's been there before and is familiar with the security protocols. Smike comes along too (uh-oh), thinking he might be able to help reason with his 'siblings.' Unfortunately, they are detected and captured quickly.
Touching Reunion: Soong had been told that Smike was dead, and his joy at seeing him is moving. They share a heart-felt embrace. When Soong hears of his banishment (Raakin's order, apparently), his bewildered "You all went along with this?" says it all. He STILL can't see what his Augments have become, even now.
Malik observes that Phlox and Lucas are friends, and decides to use that to get the codes. He puts Phlox in the isolation chamber with the body of the other unfortunate researcher. Soong watches in dismay remember that he admired Phlox as a scientist and it's clear that he's lost control of the situation. Fortunately, Lucas caves in time. He gives up the codes for the storage unit, and Phlox is released.
We don't get to see any emotional repercussions from Lucas at this point, and I hope we do. Does he feel guilty for caving in when it was a friend's life at stake instead of a colleague's? He was under extreme duress, and doing the best he can, but I imagine that's the sort of thing that could haunt a man.
Prepared Archer: Not only does Archer have a Plan A, he also has a Plan B! Will wonders never cease? When Soong contacts T'Pol, Archer shouts out for her to execute his order. The order is to use the station's codes to activate its self-destruct system. This will remove the threat of both the Augments and the embryos. The hostages and the landing party will all die, too, but Archer correctly deems that necessary at this point. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. The computer-whiz Augments figure out a way to stop it.
In the Cold, Cold Nursery: Soong and another Augment go to retrieve the embryos. It's an eerie sight all those little spheres all lined up. Soong is almost in tears looking at them. He is a man obsessed...
The Changing Tide: It's an obsession that blinds him to what has become obvious to everyone else Malik is now the man in charge. While Soong is reminiscing in the embryo room, Malik is showing his true colors. He packs up a bunch of pathogens to take along, just in case. When Archer and Smike attempt escape, he relishes the thought of beating Archer to death with his bare hands. Time is of the essence, though, so he has to settle for setting all of the stasis units on the station to shut down five minutes after the Augment's leave the released pathogens will kill the staff and the landing party. He has only enough loyalty to spare Smike that fate, shooting and killing him cold-heartedly instead.
"Oh, Smike," Archer says sadly, when he rushes over after the Augments leave. My feelings exactly. Poor Smike I really liked him. *sniff*
As the episode ends, Archer is racing time to the only junction on the station from which he can stop the release of the pathogens. Will he make it? The suspense is killing me!
Predictions: Okay, not really. I predict he'll make it. The rest, though, is up in the air. I haven't read any spoilers, so all of this is just idle speculation on my part. I think Soong will be the one who will have to kill Malik, and perhaps the rest of the Augments as well. I have no idea what will happen to the embryos. According to normal Star Trek story laws, Soong should have to die too, but we already know he has to reproduce. Maybe he has a biological son we don't know about yet. I hope he doesn't die, actually. Seeing him back in the prison, a broken man, would be a nice bookend to the three-part arc.
It might even be interesting (and good for the ratings) if he ended up back in prison NOT entirely broken. He could become Star Trek: Enterprise's Hannibal Lector, which would allow for more guest appearances by the impressive Brent Spiner. I, for one, would love to see Archer visit him later. Maybe they could talk about the ethics of cloning, or something...
Rhetorical Question: What in the name of the Great Bird do they keep at Cold Stations 1 through 11?
Character Interactions: Hmmm. Well, we'll have to content ourselves with that nice Archer/Phlox conversation that I mentioned earlier. Otherwise, we don't see a lot of interaction between the regulars. In fact, aside from Archer, we barely see the regulars at all. I guess I'm not complaining, yet. I'm enjoying the Augment arc. It's just that between the alien Nazis and the Augments, there hasn't been much in the way of character development yet this season. Since I believe the main characters are the heart of a story or television series, I'm disappointed. I hope this changes soon.
Archer Watch: He had a Plan A and a Plan B, and seems to have a grasp on the complexities of the situation. He did well! And I enjoyed some of his banter with Malik, even as he was almost being beaten to death. You gotta love that in a Trek Captain. It reminds me of Janeway's classic line, "Maybe it was something you assimilated." Hee.
Mayweather Watch: Mayweather? Who's Mayweather?
'shipper Watch: Nothing doing on the mainstream 'shipper front this week, unless you're a big fan of the Malik/Persis scenes. Ack. There could be a bit of a story behind the Phlox/Lucas friendship, or not. I know it's become a bit of a joke on the set, though. Trip and T'Pol were too busy to bond this week, although they exchanged a few meaningful 'we're in this together' sort of glances when they attempted to destroy the station, and kill everyone on board in the process, including Archer.
Best Lines:
"Humans will always fear you. They fear your power, your intellect. They fear you because you're everything they want to be, but can't." (Soong, to Augment kids)
"I'm only watching over you. You belong to the future. And someday, you'll fulfill humanity's promise." (Soong, to Augment kids)
"Where is your brother, Malik?" (Soong, to Malik)
"Human intellect and human instinct were out of sync. Too many people died." (Phlox, to Archer)
"Denobula perfected genetic engineering a long time ago, but you never came close to destroying yourselves." "Perhaps we were simply fortunate." "Or maybe your instincts had caught up with your intellect." (Archer, Phlox, Archer)
"That's a good captain." (Soong, to Archer)
"That language is unbecoming of a man of science." (Soong, to Lucas)
"You son-of-a-bitch." "Actually, Mother was a chemist." (Lucas and Soong)
"Why are you so surprised? Whenever a group of people starts believing they're better than everyone else, the results are always the same." (Archer, to Soong)
"I don't need a history lesson from you." "You need it from someone." (Soong and Archer)
"Malik...Stop. Stop!" (Soong, to Malik, and it falls on deaf ears)
"I hope you lead a long, happy life." (Soong, to Smike. Sadly, he won't.)
"I came here so many times, just to look at them. I remember where each of you was kept..." (Soong, in the embryo chamber, to an Augment)
"Tellurian plague. I like the sound of that." (Malik, to Persis)
"I wasn't sure how I could justify killing you. Now you've given me the perfect excuse." "Whatever I can do to help." (Malik and Archer)
"I wonder which one will kill you first." "Stick around and find out." "I like you, Captain." (Malik, Archer, Malik)
"Oh, Smike." (Archer, sorrowfully, to what's left of Smike)
Rating: 9/10. The middle third of the story succeeded in maintaining my interest, and Spiner was even better this week than last.
Next Week: Klingons get added to the mix. In TNG's 'First Contact,' Picard refers to a disastrous event that led to nearly a century of hostilities between Humans and Klingons. Could this be it, or is canon completely out of whack with the Klingons of earlier series? I guess we'll find out soon. I am really looking forward to the conclusion of this arc. I hope Part 3, 'The Augments,' can do the previous two parts justice...
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