monkee reviews 'The Breach'
First Impression: This is my kind of Star Trek!
Summary: Three Denobulan geologists are exploring the caves of Zantoras when a new military faction takes control of the planet and demands that all off-worlders leave within three days or face dire consequences. Denobula is out of contact with the geologists and unable to get to Zantoras on time, so Phlox asks Archer for his help. Mayweather, Trip and Reed take a shuttle down and go off in search of the geologists. Meanwhile, Archer assists a transport ship that has an accident while leaving Zantoras. One of the injured is an Antaran, Hudak, who refuses a life-saving treatment when he sees Phlox, a Denobulan. Centuries ago, the two species were at war and the Denobulans killed twenty million Antarans. There's been bad blood between them ever since. Phlox says he can't treat the Antaran against his will even if Archer orders him to, but Archer points out that nothing's stopping Phlox from trying to change the man's mind by challenging his preconceptions. Eventually, he does just that. The geologists are rescued, and everyone gets away just before the Zantoran faction loses what's left of their miniscule patience.
Challenge your Preconceptions: In last season's 'Strange New World,' Trip speaks of the first Vulcan he ever met, a science teacher who told him, "Challenge your preconceptions, or they will challenge you." Over the past two years, I've come to see that as one of Enterprise's main themes and it pleased me more than I can say. As far as I'm concerned, it's a message you can never get enough of. This episode is an outstanding treatment of it, and it's almost more powerful because it's just two individuals. In the end, sweetness and light doesn't prevail between all Antarans and Denobulans – I'd find that difficult to believe even if Picard were involved. No, it's just two men, seeing in each other the personification of everything they were raised to hate and fear, and then seeing PAST that. And who knows? Maybe it's a start. Phlox and Hudak are supposedly the first Denobulan and Antaran to come face to face in six generations. Reconciliation isn't going to happen overnight, but someone has to be the first to say, 'Hey, wait a minute...' That's how these things start.
Difficult Progression: The scenes in which Phlox and Hudak learn to challenge their preconceptions are a treat to watch – both Billingsley and Henry Stram (Hudak) are to be commended. Hudak is sarcastic, stubborn and suspicious, and Phlox is frustrated, and even angry at times. Before they can even consider cooperation and understanding, they have to get past the pain, posturing, and the desire to hurt. Phlox also has some pivotal scenes with Archer (a mixed bag, there – more on this later) and a wonderful scene with T'Pol in the mess hall.
More Father-Son Angst: We already knew from a previous episode ('A Night in Sickbay?') that Phlox had a troubled relationship with his youngest son – now we find out why. Phlox, who was raised in part by a grandmother who loathed all Antarans, tried to teach his children tolerance. His youngest son, Medis, however, fell in with a crowd who wanted to cling to the old hatreds. A chasm now exists between them. This may be an indication that Denobulan society is on the cusp of change with regard to their attitudes about Antarans. We know that there is, at least, some movement towards letting go of the guilt and anger. An effort is being made to embrace understanding instead, and perhaps in the future, they will be able to reach out.
Moving on to the B story...
We Just Look a lot Better in the Blue Light...
(Identify that lyric! Let's play a game. The first person to email me and correctly identify that song lyric will be the winner! I'll announce the name of the winner in my next review, which, in this case, will be my season two general review. Good luck!)
The blue light – yes, finally a cave set I can't complain about! Trip, Mayweather and Reed head deep into some caverns to look for the Denobulan geologists, and the climbing and rappelling scenes are terrific. Most of these scenes are illuminated only by the bluish glow of the away team's helmet lamps. Very cool! And suspenseful, too, since there's a near-fatal accident. Only Mayweather's poor leg prevents them all from falling to their deaths. Unfortunately, it keeps him out of the action for the rest of the episode, but at least he got something interesting to do for the first half. And his interest in rock-climbing has been seen before ('Two Days and Two Nights'), so there was even some continuity!
Not-so-Doomed Geologists: Geologists ROCK – they really have their schist together! Bwahaha! (Sorry. A little bit of geologist humor, there. Ahem. An extremely little bit of geologist humor...) This monkee was trained as a geologist, many years ago, and I can't help it – I get a kick out of Trek geologists. In the TOS years, whenever a geologist appeared, they were usually wearing a red shirt. It was a sure bet they'd be dead by the end of the hour. My love of Trek, coupled with my geology major, earned me the moniker 'doomed geologist' in college.
Precious Speleothems: These three (Yolen, Zepht, and Trevix, the chick geologist) are considerably more fortunate. It's touch and go there for a little while, though, because they absolutely do NOT want to leave their samples and their research, and bristle at Trip's references to their 'bunch of rocks.' He has to threaten them to get them to leave, because they are so focused on their work that they aren't able to understand the seriousness of the political situation on the surface. I was probably more sympathetic to their seeming stubborn stupidity than most viewers. To have to abandon good samples and years of unique research...Ouch!
On the Transport: After Hudak decides to allow Phlox to operate, and the two men come to terms with each other, Hudak returns to the transport, which Enterprise has helped to repair. The three Denobulan geologists are going to be aboard, too. I think it will go well. Geologists may be a bit anal about their work, but they are socially open-minded, in general.
It would be interesting to revisit the Denobulan/Antaran story later in the series.
Bambi Meets Godzilla: Shriek! What a brilliant teaser! Before Hoshi gives Phlox the message about the geologists, he gives her a tribble to hold. She loves it! She pets it, it purrs at her, she asks questions about it – and then Phlox takes it back and tosses it unceremoniously into the Pyrillian bat cage! I thought this was a hilarious homage to TOS, and it didn't damage continuity at all. And oh, mercy – the look on her face!
Ensemble: And this is another great thing about this episode. EVERYONE got at least one really good scene. Hoshi's was short, but memorable. She didn't have many lines, but like I said – the look on her face...it was worth a million lines of dialog!
Character Interactions: Phlox's interactions with Hudak and T'Pol stood out, and I enjoyed the buddy rapport between Mayweather, Trip and Reed in the caves.
Archer Watch: This was the only serious flaw in an otherwise outstanding episode. Why does Archer have to be so heavy-handed all the time? Is it the writing, Bakula, or some combination thereof? Even now patients have the right to refuse treatment for any number of reasons, from the sublime to the ignorant. Why is this such an alien concept for Archer? He ORDERS Phlox to treat his reluctant patient and Phlox refuses. Fortunately, Archer's cooler head eventually prevails, and he tries a different approach. He's able to convince Phlox to try words instead of force. Archer is a bit too blustery in other scenes as well. I suppose he needed to be firm with the unstable political faction in charge on the planet, but I didn't believe he'd actually open fire on them when they wouldn't put a stop to their skirmish near the mouth of the cave. They fell for it, though, which is a good thing, since Archer would have endangered his own people if he'd actually had to go through with it. I worry about the character of Archer sometimes. His angry bluster isn't the same as Kirk's assertive competence. I hope we'll see a change over the course of the series.
'shipper Watch: Nothing going on at all on the 'shipper front this week.
Best Lines:
"It won't bite. It's called a tribble." (Phlox, to Hoshi)
"SHRIEK! (Help!) SQUEAL! (Run away!)" (the tribble)
"CHOMP!" *smack, smack* (the bat)
"I'd rather die than be treated by him." (Hudak, to Archer, regarding Phlox)
"Hippocrates wasn't Denobulan." (Phlox, to Archer)
"I'm giving you an order." "I'm sorry, Captain, but I'm afraid I can't follow it." (Archer and Phlox)
"If you spent some time with him, it might change your perception of them." (Archer, to Hudak)
"A few hours in our historical archives might change yours." (Hudak, to Archer)
"Don't sacrifice your life for preconceptions." (Archer, to Hudak)
"It wasn't our proudest moment, but we've done our best to put it behind us." (Phlox, to Archer)
"Your ethics may keep you from treating him against his will, but nothing's stopping you from talking to him." (Archer, to Phlox)
"You'll be all right." "Respectfully, sir, it's not me that I'm worried about." (Trip and Mayweather)
"You're the reason we haven't been able to put the past behind us. You have kept this hatred alive. No Denobulan would WANT to be in the same room with you!" (a frustrated Phlox, to Hudak)
"I realize that your work is important, but you can't risk your lives for these rocks!" (Trip, to the geologists)
"ROCKS! This is the most remarkable collection of speleothems I've ever seen!" (geologist, to Trip)
"I can tell you what Medis would think. He would be happy for me to grant your request and let you die. But that's not the example I tried to set for my children. Why not live, and set an example for yours?" (Phlox, to Hudak)
"If you don't start moving in the next five seconds, I'm gonna take my phase pistol and shoot you in the ass!" (Trip, to geologist) (And what is it with asses on this show? Archer's always threatening to knock people on theirs, and now this...)
"I've had an experience that has opened up a lot of old wounds. As painful as it's been, it's also changed something in me. I hope, if you're willing to listen, it might also change something in you." (Phlox, in a letter to Medis)
Rating: 9.5/10. Outstanding.
Next Week: Since I'm reviewing this after the end of the season, there IS no next week. Do check back, though. I will be reviewing the season as a whole soon.
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