As the Suliban take the crew hostage, Archer disappears off the ship. While stuck in the 31st century, Archer and Daniels work to find a way to get back to Enterprise and repair the timeline. (Season premiere)
Summary[]
[]
Jonathan Archer has disappeared from the Enterprise while it is under threat from Silik, who demands to take him captive and doesn't believe he's gone. Sub-commander T'Pol, now in command, chooses to allow the Suliban to board and verify her claim. Trip Tucker balks at the idea, but T'Pol deduces she doesn't have a choice.
Act One[]
In the 31st century, Archer and Temporal agent Daniels are stranded, as there is no technology that could be used to send Archer back. Daniels is still struck by the situation, with Archer hounding him with questions. Walking through the rubble, Daniels notes the lack of a monument to the Federation. Explaining to Archer that this Federation didn't exist in his time, it must have simply "ceased to exist" at any time. They make their way to a library to find some answers. Oddly, the library is not filled with electronically-stored records as Daniels expects, but, rather, paper books.
On the Enterprise, the Suliban search thoroughly every area of the ship. They do not find any trace of Archer, but they get their data disks back (which have not been duplicated) and detect a temporal signature at Archer's last known location (the turbolift). Silik questions T'Pol but seems convinced she isn't lying. The Suliban have control of the ship now, Silik ordering the crew to quarters.
Back on Earth, Ambassador Soval confronts Admiral Maxwell Forrest about the Enterprise being delayed three days. Soval decides to send the D'kyr to recover T'Pol since the Enterprise failed to be at the rendezvous point on time. Commander Williams asks if the D'kyr even detected them on long-range sensors. Soval reluctantly reports that the ship was joined by several unidentified vessels and left sensor range. Soval assumes this behavior is intentional, and, since T'Pol would never agree with it, that she is being detained. Williams immediately objects to this, but Forrest is confident there's a good reason and encourages the ship to pursue.
Act Two[]
The Suliban have brought Enterprise to a nearby helix facility. Silik and Commander Raan try to communicate with the Humanoid Figure for instructions to proceed, but the Figure isn't responding. Raan supposes that they technically failed in their mission, having not obtained Archer, and might be avoiding them for that reason. Further, they haven't destroyed Enterprise. Silik insists the presence of the temporal signature changes the mission, requiring new instructions. Raan wants to destroy the Enterprise now, but Silik instead wants to bring T'Pol under some medical procedure.
Back in the library, Daniels confirms events are correct up until the Warp Five program. Archer and Daniels argue a bit as Archer is trying to get more information, but Daniels is hesitant to say anything more than he needs. Archer sees a book on the Romulan Star Empire, but Daniels quickly turns him away. Daniels says that Archer's mission needed to be successful, but simply says it "led to others" instead of going into the Federation. Then, he realizes those that are directing the Suliban wanted Archer, not necessarily to stop the Enterprise. Daniels himself achieved that, against his intention. Archer recognizes a "chicken and egg" problem, since there's not even electricity where they are, but Daniels gets an idea. Daniels takes Archer's communicator and scanner and sends Archer for some raw materials. He intends to make a device from these to contact Enterprise on the same day Archer left.
Silik forcefully interrogates T'Pol to learn where Archer has gone, but realizes that she knows little. Meanwhile, the crew does what they can. From his quarters, Tucker is able to set up a communication link between his room and Malcolm Reed's, and continues to contact more. Eventually, T'Pol is returned to her quarters, but she's in a daze due to the torture and tries lying down. Archer then appears in her room, finally able to contact her. She can hear him, but is still disoriented, repeating the same lines she told Silik. Eventually, she focuses on Archer and answers his questions about where the ship is. He gives her instructions.
Act Three[]
Tucker makes progress on the communication, now able to talk to Reed, T'Pol and Hoshi Sato. The crew then formulates a plan to take back the ship, save the captain, and escape the Suliban. However, the locks on their room doors can only be opened on the outside, so someone has to crawl through the air vents and Hoshi Sato is the only one small enough. Despite her claustrophobia, she "volunteers" and is able to reach to Phlox's quarters, where he has prepared a hypospray to knock out the guards. She then makes her way to just outside Malcolm Reed's room. However, her shirt catches on a hook. As she tries to fix it, she falls and accidentally loses it in the crawlway. Fortunately, she isn't seen. She opens the door, with her hands over her chest, telling Reed to not say what he is about to say and to get her a shirt.
Later, the crew is free. Near the transporter, T'Pol sits down and acts delirious as two Suliban find her. While wrestling her up, they are injected into unconsciousness from behind by Reed and Tucker. They hide the bodies in Reed's room and leave Sato to watch them. Reed then goes to Daniels's quarters to get a device, but he is caught by the Suliban. In the following interrogation, he tells Silik that Archer gave him orders to destroy it to prevent Silik from contacting someone (he hasn't been able to do so since Archer's time transport). Silik appears to accept his explanation and takes the device to the temporal chamber to study it.
Cell ships surround Enterprise
Meanwhile, Tucker and T'Pol successfully subdue the Suliban in engineering and initiate a fake warp core breach. Raan informs Silik, who can't be bothered while he's studying Daniels' device. Raan sends more soldiers but, as they arrive, Tucker and T'Pol are gone but conduits start exploding. Silik orders Raan to get rid of the ship, but leaves Raan to take care of all the logistics. Raan succeeds in getting the Enterprise towed, but, as soon as they are freed from the helix, Enterprise goes to warp, soon pursued by the Suliban ships.
Archer holds Silik hostage
Silik believes Daniels' device can contact his master, who he desperately needs to hear from, and, indeed, it seems like it's working. Unfortunately for him, the person that he is contacting turns out to be Archer, whom the device transports back to the present directly into an attack on Silik. Archer takes Silik's sidearm and puts it to his head, warning him not to "shift shape or pull one of his chameleon routines," otherwise he'll blow his head off.
Act Four[]
Archer then takes him as an hostage and destroys Daniels' device, confirming that the Enterprise left and demanding Silik to recall the ships pursuing them. Meanwhile, the Enterprise is under heavy attack, though able to fight back and searching for the Vulcan ship. Then, suddenly, the ships stop firing. Then, they leave, to everyone's relief. Then, one cell ship approaches. T'Pol hails it, and everyone sighs with relief to hear Archer. He's taken Silik prisoner.
The Enterprise finally reaches the D'kyr and presents their proof to Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command. Soval, making an assessment of the Enterprise mission up to this point, concedes that Archer wasn't responsible for the colony's destruction, however, citing results of previous encounters, which include the incident at P'Jem, he still recommends to cancel the Enterprise's mission. Archer makes his final plea, comparing Humans' growth in space exploration to the development of a Human child, which occurs gradually instead of instantaneously, and promises that Humans will learn from their mistakes. Then, after Soval attempts to dismiss this argument, T'Pol interjects with a protest, adding her commentary about the Vulcans' historical need to learn from their mistakes as well. This unexpectedly causes Soval to leave the room abruptly. Admiral Forrest then promises that there will be further discussion in the council regarding these deliberations.
Later that night, Archer visits T'Pol to thank her for standing up for the Humans' right to explore space. Enterprise's mission will be allowed to continue, and Archer believes her speech to the Vulcans was what finally convinced the council. T'Pol tells Archer that despite everything, she still doesn't believe in time travel; however, Archer isn't so sure.
Log entries[]
- "Captain's starlog, supplemental. We've joined the Vulcan ship D'kyr. It seems that Starfleet and the High Command are eager to discuss the future of our mission."
Memorable quotes[]
"We brought you here to protect the timeline. Heh, we did quite a job."
- - Daniels, to Archer on a ruined Earth in the 31st century
"So I suggest we use some of them to figure out what you did to the last thousand years when you brought me here this morning."
- - Archer to Daniels, on the value of books
"If we find Captain Archer aboard this vessel, you'll all be – punished for lying to me."
- - Silik
"Confine all of them to their quarters. If anyone resists…"
"Understood."
- - Silik and Raan
"I know you don't think much of Archer, ambassador, but he is not in the habit of kidnapping Vulcans!"
- - Williams, to Soval when he suggests Archer is holding T'Pol against her will
(Looking at a book) "The Romulan Star Empire? What's that?"
"Maybe you shouldn't be reading that."
- - Archer and Daniels
"By taking you away from the 22nd century, I caused exactly what I was trying to prevent."
- - Daniels, to Archer
"Science Vulcan Directorate has determined that time travel is… not fair."
- - A very groggy T'Pol speaking to the "ghost" of Jonathan Archer
"Whatever it is you want to say I don't want to hear it. Just get me a shirt."
- - Hoshi Sato, telling Reed when she comes into his room with her hands over her chest
"I said you're an ugly bastard!"
- - Archer, after kicking and punching Silik when he emerges from the time portal
"Good to hear your voice, captain."
"Good to hear yours too. I feel like I've been away for… a thousand years."
- - Tucker, speaking to Archer after he returns from the 31st century
"We're going to stumble, make mistakes – I'm sure more than a few before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes. That's what being Human is all about."
- - Archer, defending the NX program to Soval
"I still don't believe in time travel."
"The hell you don't."
- - T'Pol and Archer
Background information[]
Story and script[]
- This episode is the season premiere of the second season of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Deleted scenes[]
- The first re-airing of this episode featured additional scenes that were featured in the trailer, including shots of Suliban soldiers searching Enterprise and Tucker pushing one of Silik's officers in defiance. (citation needed • edit)
Continuity[]
- In the 31st century library, Archer picks up a book bearing the name of the Romulan Star Empire. This marks the first mention of the race on the series. The Enterprise crew makes first contact with the Romulans two episodes later in "Minefield", however, they do not establish visual contact, in line with the events of TOS: "Balance of Terror", in which the appearance of Romulans is revealed to the Federation.
- This episode marks the beginning of T'Pol's dissension from the Vulcan High Command as she openly criticizes the hypocrisy they have been displaying towards Humans.
- While using Archer's communicator and scanner to create a method of contacting the past, Daniel's forehead displays ridges not previously seen. This shows that Daniel's was telling the truth when he said he is "Human... More or less" and is the result of generations of interspecies breeding. As they have just started to show it is possible he used a form genetic suppressant from the future as not to alarm Archer.
Reception and aftermath[]
- Several costumes and props from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a prop communicator circuit board. [1](X)
- The book Star Trek 101 (p. 260), by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode and the previous part of its two-parter as being, together, one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: Enterprise.
Video and DVD releases[]
- As part of the ENT Season 2 DVD collection
- As part of the ENT Season 2 Blu-ray collection
Links and references[]
Starring[]
- Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer
- John Billingsley as Phlox
- Jolene Blalock as T'Pol
- Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed
- Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather
- Linda Park as Hoshi Sato
- Connor Trinneer as Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Guest Stars[]
- John Fleck as Silik
- Matt Winston as Daniels
- Vaughn Armstrong as Maxwell Forrest
- Gary Graham as Soval
- Keith Allan as Raan
- Jim Fitzpatrick as Williams
Co-star[]
Uncredited co-stars[]
- Joey Anaya as Suliban
- Adam Anello as Starfleet Headquarters crewman
- Connie Bosmans as Vulcan delegate
- Amy Kate Connolly as civilian
- James Horan as Humanoid Figure
- Dieter Hornemann as Vulcan delegate
- Kim Huff as D'kyr captain
- Martin Ko as a command ensign
- Bobby Pappas as Starfleet Headquarters crewman
- Michelle Van Den Broeck as sciences crewman
- James Walker as Starfleet Commodore
- Unknown performers as
Stand-ins[]
- Louis Ortiz – stand-in for Matt Winston (splinter unit)
- J.R. Quinonez – utility stand-in
- Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Scott Bakula
- Mark Watson – stand-in for Matt Winston
References[]
31st century; analogy; Andorian; bicycle; boarding party; book; bookshelf; carrier wave; chameleon; chicken and the egg; claustrophobia; Command Council; cycle; D'kyr; data disk; dozen; Earth; East Africa; electricity; EPS grid; Federation; Fuller; gazelle; high school; high warp; ladder; lead ship; library; listening post; mass suicide; meter; millimeter; monastery; monument; Naiman; novel ("H.G. Wells novel"); P'Jem; Paraagan II; polarized hull plating; quantum discriminator; sanctuary; sensor range; spatial coordinates; Suliban cell ship (cylindrical); Suliban cell ship (spherical); Suliban helix; Temporal Cold War; time machine; time portal; time travel; utopia; Vulcan; Vulcan High Command; Vulcan nerve pinch; Vulcan Science Directorate; Warp Five program; Wells, H.G.
Abandoned library books and authors[]
Along Came a Spider; Annie; Body, The; Cahill, Mary; Carpool; Chapel of Saint-Christophe, The; Driving Force; Francis, Dick; Gangland; Hollywood; James, P.D.; Janova; Perfect Wife and Mother, A; Place Called Freedom, A; Princess, The; Romulan Star Empire, The; Rosenbaum, Ray; Slopes; Targets of Opportunity; Traveler, The; Vidal, Gore
External links[]
- "Shockwave" at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- "Shockwave" at Wikipedia
- "Shockwave, Part II" at the Internet Movie Database
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