Episode News

201 - Shockwave, Part II

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Official description: Intent on stopping Archer and Enterprise's mission, the diabolical Suliban take the crew hostage when it is discovered that Archer has mysteriously disappeared off the ship. While stuck in the decimated remains of the 31st century, Archer and Daniels work to find a way to get back to Enterprise; and Daniels worries that the future existence of The Federation may be in jeopardy as a result of his impulsive action to remove Archer from Enterprise, forever changing the course of history.

• Executive producer Brannon Braga commented on this episode by saying, "We're going to hint that someone out there doesn't want to see humans succeed in space, because it's going to eventually result in the formation of an interplanetary alliance. Take that as you will."

• Rumoured to feature Daniels and Archer looking through a library in the 31st century for mentions of the Federation - only to find out that the Federation doesn't exist in their timeline because Archer wasn't there. Meanwhile, on board Enterprise, the Suliban have taken over the ship, but Reed, Trip, and T'Pol formulate a plan to eject the aliens.

• The episode was directed by Allan Kroeker and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

202 - Carbon Creek

• Official description: T'Pol tells Archer and Trip a story about her great-grandmother T'Mir and three other Vulcans who made first contact with humans after crash landing in a small Pennsylvania town in the 1950s. T'Pol's story shocks Archer and Trip because her account is much earlier and very different from what history books reported.

• Archer and Trip refuse to believe T'Pol's tale of her great-grandmother's visit to Earth. The episode is set during Enterprise's regular 'crew evaluation' period, and as the representative of the Vulcan High Command onboard the NX-01, it is T'Pol's duty to assess Archer for her superiors. During the evaluations, Archer and Trip gather for a drink with T'Pol and they convince her to tell the story of her great-grandmother. As previously reported, T'Pol's ancestor was onboard a Vulcan ship observing the launch of Sputnik in 1957. According to executive producer Rick Berman, the Vulcans have a "little accident" and are forced to land in Pennsylvania, near the coal-mining town of Carbon Creek.
  
  As it turns out, the Vulcan from Star Trek: First Contact was not the first extra-terrestrial visitor to an Earth bar. While visiting Carbon Creek, the logical aliens apparently partake in "recreational activities" and play pool. T'Pol's great-grandmother even picks up a souvenir -- a red purse. Archer and Trip are incredulous at the thought that Vulcans visited Earth so long ago and accuse T'Pol of making the story up. However, when she returns to her quarters, T'Pol takes out the red purse, showing the audience that the tale was in fact true.

• According to executive producer Brannon Braga, 'Carbon Creek' relates a time in 1957 when Vulcans secretly visited Earth. The episode's flashbacks focus on T'Pol's great-grandmother, played by Blalock.

• "It's going to turn out that the Vulcans were keeping an eye on Sputnik when it got launched," says executive producer Rick Berman. "[The Vulcans] have a little accident and have to land in western Pennsylvania... It's going to turn out that Zefram Cochrane was not the first human to make contact with Vulcans."

• On a side note, there was an odd bit of synchronicity associated with this episode. At the beginning of July, scenes were shot depicting a coal mine accident at Carbon Creek, Pennsylvania, and the rescue of a trapped group of miners. Within the same month, a real coal mine accident occurred at Quecreek, Pennsylvania, where a group of miners were trapped for three days, but the real-life men emerged alive and relatively healthy (without help from alien visitors as far as we know).

• The episode was directed by James Contner and written by Chris Black (teleplay) and Rick Berman & Brannon Braga and Dan O'Shannon (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com, TrekToday, and SFX

203 - Minefield

• Official description: After unwittingly wandering into a minefield in Romulan territory, Enterprise becomes trapped when struck by an undetonated mine. When Reed takes a space walk to try to defuse the mine, he inadvertently gets pinned to the outer hull and Archer must chose between saving Reed or abiding by the Romulans orders to depart the airspace immediately.

• This episode promises to a heart-stopping hour of science-fiction, according John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox). "It [...] did something that I find is very tricky in television. We build to a climax and then the last ten minutes we need to really 'go, go, go, go go!' Sometimes television has a weird way of actually slowing down the last few minutes and oddly defusing the tension as if real time stops and television time takes over. There's always time for soul-searching conversation when it should really be 'go, go, go, go, go!'
  
  "I thought this episode did a pretty good job at keeping that sense of the clock ticking, ticking, ticking, ticking all the way through the end, which is something for me as a viewer of action/adventure shows I usually find to be one of the biggest problems of the genre."

• Anthony Montgomery (Travis Mayweather) recently dropped a few hints about what this episode will have in store for his character: "That's a really, really great flying episode for Travis. "Travis has to steer the Enterprise through a live minefield. And there's a mine attached to the ship."
  
  "That was a lot of fun for me to do, a lot of fun for me to do. It was incredible to shoot and really intense. It's my favorite episode for Travis so far this season and maybe going back to last season," he continued.
  
  He revealed that there were no shaky moments for his character. "I'm at [my post], and any shaking that was done was minor. We [the actors] did some shaking, and the camera did some shaking —but what are we talking about? Travis didn't hit any of the mines! Of course not. You don't have to worry about that. He pilots that thing nicely, if I can speak on behalf of Travis, as only I can."

• Dominic Keating's uptight armoury officer Malcolm Reed will be one of the first humans to encounter a very familiar alien race in the upcoming episode 'Minefield'. "We meet the Romulans for the first time, and I have no idea who they are!" Keating says. "I'm learning the lines like crazy at the moment - I'm outside the ship and trying to diffuse a mine. And then it all goes wrong man!" he joked. "I don't know if I'm coming back for episode four!"

• Executive producer Brannon Braga last week said the NX-01 crew would encounter the Romulans early in the season. According to The Original Series episode Balance of Terror, no human had ever seen a Romulan up to that point, but the writer emphasised there would be no continuity violation. "We've been very careful. The continuity is airtight. Believe me. We know. We know."

• The Enterprise encounters a minefield planted near a planet, and when one of the mines attaches itself to the ship's hull, Malcolm Reed steps out into the vacuum of space to disarm it. When he runs into trouble, Captain Archer takes it upon himself to save him.

• The episode was directed by James Contner and written by John Shiban (his first Enterprise episode).

• Sources: StarTrek.com, TrekWeb, and Sci Fi Wire

204 - Dead Stop

• Official description: Enterprise, in desperate need of extensive repairs, docks with a mysterious, high-tech, automated space station that inexplicably and amazingly fixes everything, making it almost too good to be true. While waiting for the repairs to be completed, the Enterprise crew searches the unmanned space station and discovers its unique and horrifying power source.

• John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox) recently discussed this episode, saying "The one we are just shooting now talks about how the ship is so terribly damaged that we need to get repairs done immediately. We go to a repair facility that turns out to have a secret."
  
  The episode deals with the aftermath of Minefield, in which the NX-01 sustains severe damage while far away from Earth. "It's a terrific episode," Billingsley said. "There is this space station that is used for repairs and we are desperately seeking someone to help us fix the ship because we're too far away from any known facility. We arrive and it appears to be computerized and they agree to fix the ship. They appear to be doing remarkable work and seem to be asking for little in return. And then of course there's a mysterious twist as we realize there is something sinister afoot!"

• The episode was directed by Roxann Dawson and written by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekWeb

205 - A Night in Sickbay

• Official description: Archer spends a fretful night in Sickbay with Dr. Phlox after Porthos, Archer's pet beagle, picks up a deadly virus on an alien planet. Meanwhile, crew members believe Archer's increased stress level is due to Porthos' illness, but Dr. Phlox suspects it has to do with Archer's repressed sexual tension and urges Archer to discuss it with T'Pol.

• John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox) recently discussed this episode, saying "Scott [Bakula] and myself, for reasons I don't yet know, we are in the sick bay together," the actor said. "I think... the captain's dog is ill. So it's sort of an 'Odd Couple' episode. I think it's revealed that I have a very long tongue. That's about all I know. But I assume we might learn a little bit more about Denobula."

• An episode that revolves around saving the life of Captain Archer's best buddy, Porthos. According to executive producer Rick Berman, the dog gets sick and has to stay overnight with Dr. Phlox. The worried father, Archer, takes up residence in Sickbay during that time, and it turns into a humorous "Odd Couple" scenario between the captain and the doctor.

• The episode was directed by David Straiton and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com

206 - Marauders

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Official description: When Enterprise is in need of fuel, Archer discovers a desolate mining colony that is being controlled by Klingon marauders who are bullying the colonists and hoarding their fuel. After Archer discovers the problem, the crew trains the colonists to defend themselves and prepare for a final showdown against their Klingon oppressors.

• Rumoured to feature the Enterprise heading to a Quonset mining colony to obtain deuterium supplies. Upon arriving, the Enterprise crew find Klingons are forcing the colonists to give up all their deuterium, and Captain Archer decides to help the colonists.

• The episode was directed by Mike Vejar and written by David Wilcox (teleplay) and Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

207 - The Seventh

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Official description: T'Pol brings Archer with her on a top-secret mission when she is dispatched by the Vulcan High Command to capture a fugitive that has eluded their authorities for nearly two decades. Meanwhile, T'Pol reveals to Archer a dark and violent secret that she repressed, and Trip, who fills in for Archer while he is away, finds the weight of being the Captain hard to bear.

• Archer, Mayweather and T'Pol travel to an arctic world to aprehend a fugitive, when T'Pol is contacted by Vulcan High Command. The mission takes a dangerous turn when T'Pol begins having flashbacks that suggest the events she remembers about a former mission may not accuratley relate to what happened.

• The episode was directed by David Livingston and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekWeb

208 - The Communicator

• Official description: Reed accidentally leaves his communicator on a pre-warp alien planet during a visit, and when he returns with Archer to retrieve the crucial technology, they are captured by soldiers who accuse them of being enemy spies. Meanwhile, Trip and Mayweather use the cloaking technology of the damaged Suliban Cell-Ship they had previously captured in an attempt to rescue Archer and Reed before they are executed.

• When the NX-01 crew goes undercover to survey a pre-warp society on the brink of war, Lt. Reed loses his communicator. He and Archer go back to retrieve it, and things do not go well.

• "This is the adventures and misadventures of going back down and trying to find it and being captured by soldiers and accused of being spies of an enemy force on the same planet", says executive producer Rick Berman. "It ends up being a Prime Directive type of episode," Berman continued. Archer has to decide how much he's willing to let a pre-warp culture learn and whether he is, in fact, willing to give his life to keep the fact that he's from another world a secret."

• The episode was directed by James Contner and written by Andre Bormanis (teleplay) and Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and Sci Fi Wire

209 - Singularity

• Official description: On a "typical" day on Enterprise, the crew finds their routine tasks turn into uncharacteristically strange obsessions over trivial matters. The crew's increasingly erratic and often humorous behavior includes: Archer's preoccupation with writing the preface of a biography about his dad; Trip's fixation on adjusting the Captain's chair to perfection; Hoshi's obsession with her cooking; and Reed's concern with a Tactical Alert.

• The episode was directed by Patrick Norris and written by Chris Black.

• Sources: StarTrek.com

210 - Vanishing Point

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Official description: Following her first experience in the transporter, a series of eerie events leads Hoshi to question whether she is the same person. Feeling fearful and helpless, Hoshi becomes unsure of herself wondering if she is losing her mind, or if the transporter has somehow changed her, or if there is an alien threat behind all of these bizarre happenings suddenly taking place.

• Ensign Hoshi Sato will be made to feel very insignificant, when an apparent transporter accident renders her invisible to everyone onboard.

• "We sort of follow Archer and the gang through a typical day on the Enterprise, but all of a sudden there's a rash of obsessive-compulsive behaviour going on", says Trek honcho Rick Berman. "T'Pol and Archer are teamed up in an effort to save everyone's lives. There's a lot of humour in it, but it's pretty scary as well."

• The episode was directed by David Straiton and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com, TrekToday, and Sci Fi Wire

211 - Precious Cargo

• Official description: When Trip rescues an exotic alien woman from her kidnappers, they find themselves on the run from her captors and, in the process, on an unexpected romantic adventure. Meanwhile, Archer holds one of the alien kidnappers captive on Enterprise and devises a scheme with T'Pol's help to pressure the reluctant prisoner to help them locate Trip.

• Enterprise answers a distress call from a Retellian cargo ship, and Trip goes aboard to repair a stasis pod holding Kaitaama in suspended animation. When the woman accidentally awakes, she reveals she's not a passenger, but a prisoner. The situation gets messy, and Trip attempts to rescue both himself and her, but Kaitaama's obstinate personality makes things difficult.

• Enterprise answers the distress call of an alien trading ship, and invites the crew onboard. Two rather grimy aliens - Firek Goff and Firek Plinn - emerge from the airlock and gratefully thank Archer for rendering assistance. Firek Goff reveals that their ship carries an unusual cargo - a young woman who is being kept in a stasis pod.
  
  The traders were hired to return the woman to her home world, but as the journey is so long, they put her in suspended animation. However after the pod began to malfunction, they were forced to divert power from other systems to keep the pod running. Firek Plinn tells Archer that it will still be another five months before they reach her home world, and they're concerned that they won't have enough supplies or room for the woman if she wakes up - the ship was designed to carry cargo, not people. Even worse for the traders, if they are unable to deliver the woman, they won't get paid.
  
  Commander Tucker is enlisted to help the traders with their difficulties, and Firek Goff asks if they could be permitted to "refresh themselves." Archer graciously agrees and offers them a shower and a meal.
  
  After Firek Goff has showered and his clothes have been cleaned, he visits Archer in his ready room. The Captain notes that the trading vessel can't maintain speeds much in excess of warp two, adding that Enterprise could arrive at the woman's planet in less than a week travelling at warp four point five.
  
  Goff politely declines, saying he couldn't inconvenience Enterprise anymore, but Archer presses the issue, telling the trader that it's part of their mission to make first contact with new civilisations. Once again, Goff refuses, and Archer tries to sweeten the deal by offering to house their ship in the cargo bay, allowing the traders and the woman the run of the NX-01.
  
  However, that is simply not an option, according to Goff. He says that the deal has been meticulously planned and the woman's family aren't even on their world at the moment since they aren't expecting her for another five months. The trader does accept Archer's offer of a meal, and the pair head off to the galley, leaving the captain puzzled...

• The episode was directed by David Livingston and written by David A. Goodman (teleplay) and Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

212 - The Catwalk

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Official description: When a lethal neutronic storm approaches faster than Enterprise can escape, the entire crew takes shelter in the most heavily shielded part of the ship -- the maintenance shafts inside the warp nacelles -- for several days. They also provide refuge to a group of aliens who aren't entirely upfront about themselves.

• When a "neutronic storm" (saturated with "radiolytic isotopes", i.e., really lethal) approaches Enterprise at a warp velocity faster than the ship can escape, the crew is forced to take shelter for several days in "The Catwalk" -- the term Trip Tucker uses to describe the maintenance shafts running the length of each nacelle, which are the most heavily shielded parts of the ship. Besides cramming 83 crewmembers into those tight compartments, Captain Archer also grants refuge to a group of aliens who aren't great company, and worse, are hiding a potentially dangerous secret.

• Enterprise will work an interesting new twist on the familar recapture-the-ship-from-invading-aliens plot in the twelfth episode of the year. The Enterprise's own warp engine compartments hold the crew prisoner while the ship makes its way through a lethal ion storm. But when intruders attempt to steal the ship and power up the engines, Archer and crew must find a way to beat the heat.

• The episode was directed by Mike Vejar and written by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekWeb

213 - Dawn

• Official description: Trip Tucker is alone on a test mission aboard Shuttlepod One when he is fired upon by a territorial alien and forced to land on the night side of a moon. As he tries in vain to contact Enterprise, he discovers his alien foe has also made an emergency landing nearby, and the two nemeses must contend with each other as the extremely hot rising sun threatens their survival.

• SYNOPSIS NOW ONLINE FOR THIS EPISODE!!! Click here to see it.

• Trip's shuttlepod is attacked by an Arkonian vessel while he is testing new autopilot controls. Both Trip and the Arkonian, called Zho'Kaan, crash on the moon after its atmosphere disables their engines. To make matters worse, Zho'Kaan steals Trip's transceiver.
  
  The moon is a hostile environment where the temperature soars to 170 degrees after the sun has risen. Facing the prospect of being roasted once dawn is upon them, Trip and Zho'Kaan eventually work together to build a transmitter to contact Enterprise - but the signal can only be deciphered with Arkonian technology. Therefore, Archer and his obstinate Arkonian opposite Khata'n Zshaar must join forces to rescue their downed crewmen.
  
  Once the Enterprise has received the signal with the help of the Arkonians, another problem emerges - the transporter won't beam Zho'Kaan back up to the ship. Fortunately, the Arkonians are able to modify their ship so they can fly through the moon's atmosphere, and the pair are rescued.

• Trip is testing upgrades to Shuttlepod One when a soldier from a territorial race fires upon him and forces him into an emergency landing on the night side of a moon orbiting a gas giant. The alien also crash-lands nearby, and the two get locked in a bitter struggle on the surface. They have only a short time before the sun rises and subjects them to extreme, life-threatening heat.

• Archer must collaborate with a militant alien species to rescue Trip after he crash-lands on a moon.

• The episode was directed by Roxann Dawson and written by John Shiban.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

214 - Stigma

• Official description: While Enterprise visits a planet where an Interspecies Medical Exchange conference is taking place, Dr. Phlox tries to obtain research on a terminal disease from the Vulcan contingency there. But he must not reveal that T'Pol has contracted this disease, because that knowledge would forever stigmatize her among her people.

• T'Pol is revealed to have contracted an incurable disease whose sufferers are outcasts from Vulcan society, the magazine reported. Doctor Phlox attends an alien medical exchange in the hope that he might discover better ways to treat her ailment. However, despite Phlox's good intentions, T'Pol's condition is revealed to the Vulcan doctors attending the conference.
  
  With the threat of recall to Vulcan looming over T'Pol, Archer orders a hearing, at which one of the Vulcan doctors confesses he has also contracted the disease. The doctor says T'Pol only became infected during a forced mind-meld with a carrier, and he is recalled to Vulcan instead of T'Pol.

• One of Phlox's three wives comes aboard Enterprise to help Trip Tucker install a new neutron microscope in Sickbay ... and the relationship between her and Trip gets rather interesting.

• The episode was directed by David Livingston and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com

215 - Cease Fire

• Official description: A military conflict erupts between the Vulcans and Andorians over a small terraformed planet that both sides make claim to. In the midst of the skirmish, the Vulcans announce they wish to discuss terms for a cease-fire, but Imperial Guard officer Shran believes the only one he can trust to mediate such a negotiation is Jonathan Archer, so the captain and his ship are called into the fray.

• The episode reportedly sees the return of the Andorians, who request a meeting with Captain Archer at one of their colonies. However, the shuttle, which is also carrying T'Pol and Ambassador Soval, is seemingly shot down by the Andorians as it makes its way down to the planet.
  
  Left in command of Enterprise, Trip must deal with a Vulcan officer, Commander Muroc, who is not particularly forthcoming. The Vulcan ship can't detect the location of the NX-01 shuttlepod, as their sensors are apparently being blocked by the Andorian technology.
  
  Trip demands to see the Vulcan ship's sensor logs, but Muroc insists they are classified. Muroc also informs the engineer that the Vulcan High Command has ordered him to take the necessary steps to rescue Ambassador Soval, although he can't reveal the details of their plan - they're also classified.
  
  Although Trip cautions Muroc that force may not be the best way to rescue the hostages, the Vulcan is adamant that the Vulcans "won't allow this provocation to go unanswered." With the Vulcans keeping him in the dark, Trip must work with Hoshi and Reed to rescue their missing crew members.

• The episode was directed by David Straiton and written by Chris Black.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

216 - Future Tense [Crash Landing]

• Official description: Far beyond where any Earth vessel has ventured before, the Enterprise crew is shocked to find a small craft adrift in space that contains what appears to be a human corpse. Trip Tucker and Malcolm Reed discover the craft holds some strange secrets, and the mystery deepens when the Suliban arrive making claim to the salvage. On top of that, Captain Archer is confronted by the Tholians, who also aggressively try to procure the enigmatic vessel.

• In the episode, the NX-01 crew discover a "futuristic vessel" containing a dead human pilot. The ship is brought onboard Enterprise for investigation, but a Suliban freighter turns up on the scene to claim the vessel for the Cabal.
  
  A Suliban soldier informs Archer that a cell-ship discovered the vessel three days ago, and he and his freighter crew were sent to retrieve it. Archer refuses to hand the ship over to the Suliban, stating that the vessel is an Earth ship with a human pilot. When the Suliban soldier threatens him with force, Archer tells him to talk to Silik. "He'll tell you I don't respond well to threats," the NX-01 captain says.
  
  Meanwhile, Trip and Reed investigate the futuristic ship, which is heavily damaged. Pulling back a melted panel, they discover an oblong box, which is is the source of a mysterious energy signature. Releasing the box from its braces, they take it down to engineering for analysis.
  
  Later in the episode, Enterprise is attempting to rendezvous with the Vulcan ship T'Yur when they come under attack by the Suliban freighter, now backed up by several cell-ships. The Suliban soldier threatens to board the NX-01 to retrieve the vessel, but he backs down when Archer says he has back-up from the Vulcan combat cruiser. The Suliban is sceptical, but Archer reveals his crew recently helped the Vulcans prevent a war. "They owe us one," he says. The viewscreen conversation ends, and the Suliban cell-ships continue their attack...

• The episode was directed by James Whitmore, Jr. and written by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

217 - Canamar

• Official description: Upon leaving the Enolian homeworld in a shuttlepod, Archer and Tucker are mistakenly arrested and placed on a prisoner transport vessel bound for the penal colony Canamar. Before the error can be rectified, one of the alien inmates engineers a takeover of the transport, leading Archer to engage in a dangerous gambit.

• The episode was directed by Allan Kroeker and written by John Shiban.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

218 - The Crossing

• Official description: Enterprise is swallowed by an otherworldly vessel occupied by noncorporeal creatures who invade the bodies of crew members and trade consciousnesses with them.

• The Enterprise is engulfed by an alien ship, and disabled. Unable to leave, a race of mist-like aliens -- who claim they mean no harm -- wish to merge with the crew as they can allow them to experience "great wonders". A number of the aliens enter the ship anyway, and begin to take over the crew's minds.
  
  The aliens still claim to mean no harm, and that they just wish to experience physical life again. Archer, however, is not convinced and confines affected crewmembers to their quarters. He also starts to forge a plan to rid the ship of the unwanted guests, a plan that proves dangerous for the crew.

• The NX-01 is approached and engulfed by a weird, otherworldly vessel occupied by wisp-like entities. The creatures start flying into the bodies of crew members and temporarily exchanging consciousnesses with them, sending the crewmen off into a blissful realm while the "wisps" get a taste of corporeal existence. They claim to be simply explorers like the humans, but Archer is not sure whether to trust them, and the situation ultimately gets out of hand.

• Enterprise is disabled by an alien ship, and their weapons systems and engines go off-line. As the alien ship sits motionless in space - unable or unwilling to respond to Hoshi's communication attempts - strange things start to happen to the NX-01 crew.
  
  While trying to restore power to the warp engines, Trip is taken over by an alien wisp, which enters through his forehead and leaves him dazed and confused. One of the engineering staff, Crewman Rooney, tries to talk to his superior, but Trip doesn't seem to take anything in and even calls Rooney "Sir." When Trip leaves, now possessed by the alien life form, Rooney contacts Archer on the bridge.
  
  Later in Act Two, Trip is back to his normal self, but other problems have arisen, with Malcolm Reed now incapacitated. As Trip works with Rooney on the engines, the crewman confesses he doesn't know how to carry out the tasks Trip has asked him to perform - clearly Rooney has also been possessed by the aliens.
  
  After polarizing the hull plating fails to keep out the alien life forms, the crew must work together to mount a defence before they are all taken over...

• The episode was directed by David Livingston and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (teleplay) and Rick Berman & Brannon Braga and Andre Bormanis (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

219 - Judgment

• Official description: Captain Archer stands accused before a Klingon tribunal of conspiring against the Empire, and his only hope of escaping a death sentence or life in the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe is an aging and disenchanted Klingon lawyer with little energy or enthusiasm for the case.

• Archer is sentenced to life imprisonment on Rura Penthe after being found guilty of aiding Klingon rebels and attacking a Klingon vessel.
  
  Archer's only defense is a Klingon 'lawyer', who although appears burned out at first, is in fact formidable. He recommends that Archer testify that he was helping starving colonists, and points to prosecutors that Archer has helped the Klingon empire more than once. It's this advice that at least saves Archer from the death sentence.

• The principal Klingon involved in the episode is called Duras, who was commander of the Battle Cruiser Bortas until he was reduced in rank. The name will be familiar to fans of The Next Generation - Duras was involved in the conspiracy which framed Worf's father, Mogh, as a traitor. Duras attacked and murdered Worf's mate, K'Ehleyr, before he himself was killed by Worf. Bortas, which means "revenge" in Klingon, should also be familiar - it was the name of Gowron's warship during the Klingon Civil War.
  
  In 'Judgment,' the 22nd century Duras is called to testify at an inquest, in which he recounts how he failed at his mission and was stripped of his command. Duras tells the prosecutor, Orak, that he was ordered to recapture a group of rebels from the Arin'sen colony. In a flashback, Duras recalls how he arrived at the colony, only to find the rebels' cargo ship docked with another vessel unfamiliar to him - Enterprise.
  
  Unimpressed with the NX-01's weapons capacity, Duras is all bluster when Archer initiates communications. Archer says he knows nothing of the people being rebels - only that they requested assistance, and refuses to hand them over to the Klingons.
  
  Later in the episode, Archer takes the stand and tells his story. The NX-01 captain recalls how they received a distress call from a ship in the Donatu system. In the flashback, Archer talks with a man named Asahf, who says the Arin'sen are trying to escape from the Klingons' control. Asahf talks about the despair of his people, telling Archer that the Klingons have been stripping their world of its resources. It is at that point that Duras arrives on the scene...

• The episode was directed by Jim Conway and written by David A. Goodman (teleplay) and Taylor Elmore & David A. Goodman (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

220 - Horizon

• Official description: When Enterprise reverses course to go investigate a planetary phenomenon, Ensign Mayweather takes the opportunity to visit the cargo ship where he was born and raised, the E.C.S. Horizon. But his father, the ship's captain, just recently died, and Travis finds that things at home haven't been the same since.

• Travis Mayweather visits the cargo ship he grew up on, the Horizon, for the first time since his father's death. His younger brother Paul is now in command of the ship, while his mother is chief engineer. Shortly after Mayweather arrives, the Horizon is attacked by a group of aliens who threaten to raid the ship's cargo. Mayweather wants to rig up some defenses, but Paul disagrees, leading to an argument between the two brothers. To his mother, Mayweather confesses he is thinking of rejoining the Horizon's crew. But when the alien cruiser shows up and demands not only the Horizon's cargo, but also the ship itself, Paul finally decides to fight. Using Mayweather's newly installed weapons the two brothers manage to cripple the alien cruiser, and this gives Paul enough confidence to stay on as captain of the Horizon. Knowing his brother will be up to the job, Travis is able to return to the Enterprise again.

• Ensign Travis Mayweather will reunite with his family during a visit to his old ship, the E.C.S. Horizon.

• In Act Two, Mayweather is walking along one of the Horizon's corridors with his mother, Sarah, who is the ship's chief engineer. She remarks how he and the crew of the NX-01 managed to solve the 'Terra Nova' mystery, adding that it would have taken the Horizon ten years to reach the colony.
  
  As they walk along the corridor, Mayweather is greeted by twenty-something crewman Daniel Stone, who says Mayweather still owes him a poker game. Stone then offers Mayweather his condolences - it turns out the ensign's father has died. He thanks his old friend, and then continues down the corridor with his mother. Mayweather asks Sarah how she is dealing with the loss, presumably revealed earlier in the episode. She says that she is thankful just to have him home, and has even moved some crew out of his old room.
  
  On the bridge of the Horizon, Mayweather's brother, Paul, is in command, having taken over the captaincy when his father died. The ship's helmsman reports that the port stabilisers have been "acting up," and their backups are in even worse condition. Sarah says they were planning to replace them when the Horizon docked at Sirius station.
  
  Mayweather is visited by an old childhood friend, Laurie, in his old quarters on the Horizon. They reminisce about old times and Mayweather's father, the Horizon's captain until his death. As they talk, Mayweather admits life on the NX-01 is very different from the 'Boomer' experience. "There isn't the same feeling," he says of his new life on Enterprise. As the ensign tries out his old bunk, the ship is rocked by weapons fire - the Horizon is under attack.
  
  As Act Three opens, Mayweather rushes onto the bridge. The aliens ramp up their attack, and Mayweather tells Paul he doesn't recognise the alien ships. Mayweather works with the crew to get their sensors working, but as he does so the aliens launch a device which latches onto the Horizon's hull, right behind the bridge. Paul, feeling the weight of command - this is his first major engagement - orders the rest of the crew to the lower decks. Suddenly, the alien ships warp away, leaving the device attached to the Horizon.
  
  By Act Four, the Horizon is being pursued by a larger alien vessel and the two smaller attack ships seen earlier. The Alien Captain demands the crew surrender their cargo and prepare for boarding. Paul refuses to give in and orders his helmsman to go to warp...

• The episode was directed by James Contner and written by Andre Bormanis.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

221 - The Breach

• Official description: Enterprise is asked to evacuate a group of Denobulan geologists from a world that has been taken over by a militant faction, and since they are located deep underground, the effort requires some treacherous spelunking by the rescue team. Meanwhile Phlox faces a dilemma when another evacuee, an Antaran afflicted with a fatal dose of radiation, refuses to be treated by a Denobulan because of very old bad blood between the two races.

• Trip, Reed, and Mayweather take a shuttlepod to rescue a group of Denobulan scientists that have been expelled by the new military government of the planet Xantoras. Problem is, the Denobulans don't want to leave the planet. At the same time, the Enterprise rushes to the aid of a damaged ship, and takes on a seriously injured Antaran. But when Dr. Phlox wants to treat him, the Antaran refuses to get any help from a Denobulan, a race the Antarans fought a bloody war with. Phlox has to find a way to convince the Antaran to receive treatment from him.

• The episode was directed by Robert Duncan McNeill and written by Chris Black & John Shiban (teleplay) and Daniel McCarthy (story).

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday

222 - Cogenitor

• Official description: While studying a star in the early stages of going supernova, Enterprise encounters a race called the Vissians. The two crews get along famously, until Trip Tucker gets a little too curious about a member of the species' third gender -- a nameless individual called a "cogenitor."

• Trip takes on the plight of the Cogenitor, a member of an alien race known as the Vissians. Concerned that the Cogenitor is discriminated against by the other Vissians, Trip teaches him to read and write. Eventually, the Cogenitor requests asylum at the Enterprise, infuriating the Vissians. Archer is furious with Trip, but does consider granting the request. However, eventually the Cogenitor is returned to the Vissians, and they part from the Enterprise on good terms -- only to send a message a few days later that the Cogenitor has committed suicide.

• The episode was directed by LeVar Burton and written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga.

• Sources: StarTrek.com and TrekToday