monkee reviews 'Dawn'
First Impression: Excellent! One of the best of the second season thus far.
Enemy Mine: The premise is simple. While testing modifications to the shuttlepod autopilot system, Trip is fired upon by an alien shuttle. Both ships are forced to crash land on one of the sixty-two moons of a gas giant. The two pilots, despite an inability to communicate and a mutual lack of trust, must ultimately work together to survive in a hostile environment. Yes, it's been done before, and done quite well, even on Trek, but I think this episode compares favorably to TOS's 'Arena,' and TNG's 'Darmok.' I don't care if something's derivative as long as it's done well. This was.
Sparring Partners: In order for an episode like this to work, the two 'adversaries' have to be good, and they were. Connor Trinneer, in particular, since he was the only one we could understand, did an outstanding job. Trip proves himself to be an able diplomat once again, although he's also capable of underhandedness when necessary. He also has an impressive punch – I sure wouldn't mess with him! His humor is appealing and underplayed. Nice. Gregg Henry, as Zho'Kaan, is no slouch either. It can't be easy to act under all that make-up, especially when you're speaking gibberish, but he manages to give his character quite a bit of dimension and believability.
Fight Scenes: I'm usually not a fan of them, but they worked here, and not just because Trinneer looks good sweating in a tank top (which he does <g>). I think I liked the climactic fight scene primarily because it ended only when the combatants were too exhausted to continue. It reminded me of Picard's fight in the mud with his brother in TNG's 'Family.' Trip only had the upper hand by a little, and he used the opportunity to throw the gun FAR away, finally convincing Zho'Kaan that he really was only interested in cooperation for mutual benefit. Even an Arkonian 'unpredictable and prone to hostility,' as T'Pol told Archer, could see the futility of suspicion and antagonism in their situation. I'm so sick of all the bitching, moaning, bickering and killing going on in the world that this moment of enlightenment really appealed to me. I'm a sap. So shoot me.
Having said that, I did find it a relief when Trip's first grand gesture of trust failed miserably. Sometimes love and understanding comes just a little too easily on Trek!
Communication, Against the Odds: Not expecting to meet up with any aliens during shuttle testing, Trip doesn't have a phaser or a universal translator. Zho'Kaan has a phaser, but apparently Arkonian's believe in shooting first and asking questions…never, so he doesn't have a translator, either. It's a lot of fun to watch them pick up bits and pieces of each other's language, especially when Zho'Kaan's first English word turns out to be "Dammit," which he initially thinks is Trip's name! Just a word here and there, and hand gestures were all these two had, yet as night slowly turned to dawn, and Trip and Zho'Kaan exchanged the upper hand several times, we gradually see them begin to understand and appreciate each other. And in the end, when Trip could be beamed to safety, he refuses to abandon his 'sparring partner,' preferring to wait until an alternative can be found to get them both off of the surface. Awwww...that Trip!
Music and Menace: I noticed the music this week, and enjoyed it. Even before we knew how deadly dawn could be, it conveyed a sense of suspense and danger whenever we saw that glow on the horizon.
Continuity: While waiting for an uncertain rescue, Trip talks to a nearly unconscious Zho'Kaan. There was a lot of wonderful continuity in that monologue, with Trip revisiting all of the high (and low) points of his journey through the stars, thus far. The Great Plume of Agosoria is mentioned, as are Suliban cell ships, his pregnancy, and the princess, among other things. His ponderings touch on how thrilled he is to be 'out there,' and it's good to be reminded of how new all of this is to humanity at this point. That's been getting lost in the shuffle on this show lately.
Exposed: I have only one quibble about this part of the episode. Those were some pretty craggy rocks and hills. Couldn't they have set the transceiver near a source of shade? It was dramatic to see them baking in the sun, but I kept wondering why they didn't just go find a bit of jutting rock to sit behind! Oh, well. It was a small thing, but it bothered me.
Meanwhile, back on Enterprise...
T'Pol as Eeyore: It's like a big, gray cloud follows her around – she's such a pessimist! There are too many moons to search. The sunrise is going to kill Trip, if he isn't already dead. There's no way to work with the Arkonians – they're just too violent and unreasonable. Fortunately, Archer is used to it by now, and steadfastly refuses to be dragged down. In the end, T'Pol is forced to admit, reluctantly, that the human's First Contact with the Arkonians went much better than the Vulcan's did.
Vulcan/Arkonian First Contact: Some of T'Pol's negativity is understandable, at least from her point of view. Vulcans made First Contact with the Arkonians about a century earlier, around the same time as Vulcan/Human First Contact. The Arkonians, however, apparently didn't weather the Vulcan's meddling as well as the humans did. Instead of encouraging cultural exchange and cooperation, they became 'suspicious and deceitful.' Eventually, in the face of the hostility, the Vulcans pulled out, and there's been bad blood between them ever since. I found this interesting. The humans balked at the Vulcan's excessive 'guidance,' so you have to belief that other species wouldn't put up with it at all.
Archer Watch: Archer was terrific this week. He was determined, despite T'Pol's negative attitude, to do everything in his power to find and rescue his engineer. And for once the somewhat belligerent tone with which Bakula so often delivers his lines was completely appropriate! He responded to their terse threats with just the right amount of firmness and logic.
'shipper Watch: Nothing to speak of, really. I think T'Pol's respect of her Captain went up another notch, but that's it. And Trip did talk to himself about Hoshi, but mostly with regards to his communication skills, and how proud she'd be of him. You could read something into that, but it would be a substantial stretch...
Character Interactions: Aside from the Archer/T'Pol scenes, none to speak of. Everyone gets a line or two, but it's really Trip's show, and he carries it well.
Best Lines:
"We'll scan every moon, even if we have to do it with binoculars." (Archer, to bridge crew)
"One piece of good news – it's staring to warm up a little. Dawn is coming." (Trip's log)
"In fact, if you understand anything I'm saying to you, I want you to listen very, very closely. Mary had a little lamb, it's fleece was white as snow..." (Trip, on a tape to lure Zho'Kaan away from his shuttle)
"I'm not good until I've had my coffee..." (Trip, as Zho'Kaan kicks him awake)
"That's quite a trick." (Trip, to Zho'Kaan, after he shoots healing vomit at Trip's cut)
"I can't fix this. It's a lost cause. Maybe if you vomit on it, it'll fix itself." (Trip, to Zho'Kaan)
"Here. Come here. It's like talkin' to Porthos." (Trip, to Zho'Kaan)
"Karachjza!" "Aww, same to you." (Zho'Kaan and Trip)
"Don't give me that look!" (Trip, to Zho'Kaan)
"We can fight some more if you want to, or we can try to get the hell out of here. What's it gonna be?" (Trip, to Zho'Kaan)
"No. No Enterprise." (Trip) "Dammit." (Zho'Kaan)
"I even got pregnant once. Now there's a story. I'll bet you have stories, too. That's why we chose this life, right? To see things we've never seen before. Hell of a ride, though. Hell of a ride." (Trip, to nearly unconscious Zho'Kaan)
"I guess we won't be adding the Arkonians to our list of friends." (Archer, wryly, to T'Pol)
"You managed to establish better relations in a single day than the Vulcans have in a century." (T'Pol, to Archer)
"Trip, when I fired at your vessel, I'm grateful I didn't destroy it." "That makes two of us." (Zho'Kaan and Trip)
Rating: 9/10. A season two highlight. At least for this monkee!
Next Week: A repeat of 'A Night in Sickbay,' which I loved, but many others did not. No matter, though. I'll be sure to tune in for another look at The Great Bat Hunt...
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