monkee reviews 'Proving Ground'
First Impression: Who da man? WHO da man? SHRAN'S da man!
Shran, Shran, Shran, Shran.
Lovely Shran! Wonderful Shran!
Shran, Shran, Shran, Shran, Shraaaaaan!
God, I love Shran!
Ahem. Oh. You came here for a review? Well, let's get on with it, then.
Sniveling Vulcan Cowards: Shran and his crew turn up in the Expanse just in time to pull Enterprise out of a deadly anomaly – pull them out literally, that is, with their tractor beam. They've been following Enterprise's trail for months, and offer their services as allies. Shran pointedly observes that they certainly don't have any OTHER allies, since the sniveling Vulcans won't help them. The Andorian/Vulcan conflict is a long-standing one, and it's good to see that the first steps towards understanding in last season's 'Cease Fire' haven't magically erased that antipathy. One of his crewmembers recommends that they abandon their search for Enterprise in the Expanse, and the suggestion is met with a disdainful 'What are you, some kind of Vulcan?' (or words to that effect). Shran's innate hatred of Vulcans pervades his every interaction with them, even with T'Pol, though she earns points for having thrown away her Vulcan career to help Archer. He's even forced to admit to a superior that she seems competent – high praise, indeed. This conflict comes into play later in the episode, too, but more on that later.
Conniving, Opportunistic Andorians: T'Pol cautions Archer not to let his guard down if he's going to accept help from the Andorians, and who can blame her? Her captain has an unfortunate tendency to trust people – alien sex slaves, religious pilgrims, you name it – even when prudence would seem to be indicated. With her, the wariness is not personal, but historical. She says that, in fact, the Vulcan/Andorian first contact went quite well. Only later did they discover that Andorians could be duplicitous, only honoring agreements that served their purposes. Archer agrees with her, but says they don't have much of a choice. They need Andorian help because the indications are that the weapon is at the testing stage.
The Proving Ground: The energy signature of the weapon, which matches the one found on the probe that attacked Earth, leads them to an uninhabited system, where the Xindi are preparing to test the weapon. The Xindi council is as antagonistic and divided as ever, but they do all show up to watch the test. The bickering is fun, and there is some talk about ending the 'human threat,' but until the nature of that threat is revealed to us, the Xindi remain a rather two-dimensional adversary.
The Andorian Mining Consortium: In order to get more detailed readings on what's going on, Shran takes his ship straight into the system just as the Xindi begin the firing sequence, and introduces himself as a member of the Andorian Mining Consortium looking for the rare mineral, Archerite. This is extremely amusing. Shran is obviously familiar with the Ferengi, because he models his bumbling mining Captain after them perfectly. What's especially funny is that even when he's role-playing, he bristles at being ordered out of the system by the Xindi. Only a warning look from Archer, standing on the sidelines, keeps him on the script. Jeffrey Combs is just wonderful as Shran. I'm delighted that we got a chance to see him this season, even in the Expanse!
The Super-Weapon Fizzles...What if, in Star Wars, Organia had only kinda sorta blown up when they tested the death star? Pretty anti-climactic, right? That's what happens here. Oh, their target planet is plenty damaged, but they're forced to abort the test when the weapon begins to develop an overload. The council is furious, but Degra says they'll be able to work it out. It was just the first test, after all. But Archer, witnessing the failure via Andorian sensors, smiles. He knows what really went wrong...
Splendid Continuity: Archer strongly suspects that Gralik, the Sloth Xindi that he befriended in a previous episode, is deliberately sabotaging the project, and I think he may be right. I have to give credit where it's due – Enterprise is doing a wonderful job with continuity. There's built-in continuity here with the Xindi and Andorian arcs, and also with the previous episode, 'Chosen Realm.' T'Pol and Sato have been trying to restore the Xindi database that the religious extremists deleted – they've managed to restore about thirty percent of them from back-up files.
Nice job on continuity, Trek PTB. Now, why couldn't you have done this with Voyager? Huh? Huh?
Reed and Talas: In an effective B story, Reed accepts the help of an Andorian weapons officer to repair the weapons systems damaged in the initial anomaly field. He doesn't trust her, and nearly refuses her help, but eventually comes around when she proves to really know her stuff. They bond a bit, and even flirt, when they discover that in addition to sharing a fixation with weaponry, they also both come from military families. Talas tells Reed that even if his father was originally disappointed that he went into exploring, he's probably quite proud of his son now, since he's on the all-important Xindi mission. Reed introduces Talas to coffee, probably a grave tactical error. Feisty women and caffeine can be a dangerous combination. Just ask anyone on Janeway's crew!
Bold Strategy: Archer decides that he's not satisfied with gathering information on the weapon via sensors. The data is helpful, but not nearly as helpful as the weapon itself would be. He wants to take it before the Xindi retrieve it, which won't be for several hours because it's emitting dangerous levels of radiation. There won't be enough shielding in Enterprise's cargo bay to protect the crew from the radiation, either, but the Andorian ship is more advanced. Shran volunteers his cargo bay, and even agrees, very reluctantly, to allow Archer to oversee the operation from the Andorian bridge. With some fancy flying, strategizing, and shooting, they are successful.
Complications: But, alas, things are not as they appeared to be. Naturally. As it turns out, the Andorians did have an agenda. They didn't want to be allies; they wanted the weapon for themselves. Shran tells Archer that it will be a deterrent against the Vulcans, with whom they still have hostilities and border skirmishes. He seems sorry about it all, and doesn't even retaliate when Archer punches him, but he boots Archer off of his ship in an escape pod, and leaves with the weapon anyway.
Complications to the Complications: This turn of events is no surprise. What IS somewhat of a surprise is that Archer, for once, was ready for it! Reed wasn't just bonding with Talas; he was keeping an eye on her, and therefore knew exactly what sensor systems she'd attempted to tamper with. Enterprise is able to track Shran's ship. In addition, when Shran transferred his sensor telemetry to Enterprise in order to watch the Xindi, Archer was surreptitiously gathering information. He is able, once Enterprise finds Shran's ship, to bypass security systems and activate the weapon. Archer would like to have it, but will give it up in order to keep it out of Andorian hands. This is a wise move, because even if they intend to only use it as a deterrent, you just know that eventually, they'll get ticked off at the Vulcans enough to use it against them in a big way. Shran is forced to jettison the device just before it detonates. The explosion severely damages his ship, but he 'graciously' refuses Archer's offer to help.
Common Ground in the Proving Ground: What's interesting about this episode is that although the two crews are bonding, we can't be sure how much of it is real. Reed and Talas find common ground, and genuinely seem to like each other, but some of that is an act. Likewise, Shran and Trip have some things in common. Shran, apparently, lost a brother in the Vulcan/Andorian conflict, and therefore empathizes with the loss of Trip's sister. He even agrees to give Trip some technology, although he initially balks, saying it's too advanced for humans. It's all quite interesting – this balance between deception and friendship. I think they all really do like each other, even though they have their jobs to do. And the most intriguing relationship of all? Archer and Shran.
I Might Have Called You Friend: In one of the best TOS episodes ever, 'Balance of Terror,' Kirk bonds with a Romulan Commander even though they only come face-to-face once, over a viewscreen. Over the course of an intense standoff, they come to respect and admire each other greatly. Before the Romulan Commander concedes defeat and destroys himself, he tells Kirk that it's too bad they met the way they did. "In a different reality," he says, "I might have called you friend." The same is very true here, with Archer and Shran. They never fully trust each other, yet they come to respect each other's strengths. When speaking to his superior via subspace, Shran expresses regret about what they're doing, implying that Archer deserves better. When Archer hauls off and slugs him after the deception is revealed, he doesn't retaliate, knowing full well that he deserved it. His apology is sincere, though he's still following his orders. And when Archer gets the better of him, and destroys the weapon, you can see begrudging admiration in Shran, along with the anger. He seemed, actually, to be half expecting it. In the end, Shran secretly sends him the data the Andorians managed to gather on the weapon in the short time it was in their cargo bay. I just loved this. Circumstances have forced them to be adversaries more than allies, yet they still have their own unique set of rules in dealing with each other – sort of a code of honor. It was terrific. It must have been. I wouldn't compare it to 'Balance of Terror' lightly!
Okay, on to the more mundane, and the regular review features...
Antennae! The Andorian Antennae are almost characters in their own right! They are fabulously expressive. They move around nervously when their owner is anxious, intrigued or angry, and they slump dejectedly when their owner is distressed. After Archer punched Shran, his antennae were practically drooping down to his eyes. It gives them a whole other element of expression. I love it! And they can move them out of the way at will, too, as Shran had to when going under low overhangs on Enterprise. My favorite antenna moment this week, though, was when Shran first hailed Enterprise. We saw the back of Archer's head as he answered the hail, and it was blocking our view of Shran on the screen. Except for his antennae, which appeared to be coming out of Archer's head. Hee!
A Quibble or Two: The Xindi sent only four ships into the proving ground with the weapon? FOUR? I mean, come on! And I found it unrealistic that Enterprise was able to track them, and get to the proving ground without being detected. As motivated as the Xindi seem to be to destroy humanity, you'd think they'd be tracking Enterprise and well aware of its every movement. Actually, you'd think they'd just go ahead and destroy it! Also, Shran's role as a captain of the Andorian Mining Consortium was funny, but wouldn't you think the word 'Archerite' might set off some alarms of recognition with the Xindi? Apparently not, though! Duh!
'shipper Watch: There was plenty for the discerning 'shipper to chew on this week. There was an adorable Trip and T'Pol scene in engineering. They were working closely on some piece of equipment, and Trip was flirting with her, just a bit. There was definitely a bit of spark between Reed and Talas, too. But the couple that was REALLY heating up the screen? Shran and T'Pol! I've been pulling for these two since the first season, so I was thrilled. He was circling her, and admiring her new clothing, and not just because it wasn't a Vulcan uniform! It's more than superficial, though. As with Archer, Shran has come to respect her, too, and given his feelings towards Vulcans in general, that's really saying something. I'm not sure the attraction is mutual, but T'Pol should consider it. If she were to ask me, that's what I'd tell her. Yes, sir, a girl could do a lot worse than Shran. He's a sweetheart!
Mayweather Watch: Not much action for the helmboy this week, sorry to say. He didn't have a whole lot of dialog, but hey – no one steers hard to port quite as well as old Mayweather!
Archer Watch: At first, I wondered. He seemed dismissive of T'Pol's concerns about the 'alliance,' and I was afraid he was being hopelessly naïve again. But no! He was listening after all! He was rightfully suspicious, proactive and bold. And one thing is for sure. I KNEW he wasn't bluffing with Shran there at the end. Not the 'new' hard-assed Archer, no way! Shran saw it, too, and just in time. And yet he still has a way of getting to people, making unlikely friends in unlikely places. You go, Jonathan!
Best Lines:
"Captain Archer. Look at the trouble you've gotten your pink skin into this time." (Shran, to Archer)
"She was forced to abandon her career to remain on your ship, a remarkable selfless act...for a Vulcan." (Shran, to Archer and T'Pol)
"We keep doing each other favors." "Isn't that how alliances are formed?" (Archer and Shran)
"What do you propose we do – fly up to them and ask them what they're doing?" (Shran, to Archer)
"If this system DOES contain Archerite, you just missed your chance to collect a generous percentage!" (Shran, to the Xindi)
"Take us out of the system. But not too quickly. The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one." (Shran, to helm)
"Are you saying this was a FAILURE?" "A spectacular one, but yes." (Shran and T'Pol)
"Excellent work, Commander. I'll see that you get a commendation." "With respect, General, I'd prefer that you didn't." (Andorian General and Shran)
"You like to talk about repaying debts. I've owed you that for a long time." (Archer, to Shran, after punching him)
"Why don't you and Trip join me for dinner tonight? I have some Andorian ale you might like to try." (Archer, to T'Pol)
Rating: 9.5/10. God, I love Shran! But this was an outstanding episode in its own right. A lot happened, and there were surprises along the way, and lots of nice character interactions. More of this, please!
Next Week: A repeat of one of the best Enterprise episodes to date, 'Twilight.' Be sure to tune in if you missed it the first time! And after that? February sweeps! Woo hoo!
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