Show: Star Trek; Enterprise
Episode
Particulars: S2EP3, “Minefield”
Standalone
Thoughts: As a Malcolm fan, it’s hard to be objective about this episode.
Not only is this the only episode
where Malcolm gets the spotlight all to himself instead of having to share it,
it’s also one of the three episodes (alongside “Silent Enemy” and “Shuttlepod
One”) that really define him as a character. The opportunity to learn more
about him therefore makes it a very enjoyable outing for me. Not to mention the
possibilities for his character that can be explored by both canon and fandom…
However, that admission out of the way, I think I’m
objective enough to say that if you don’t have the same interest in Malcolm
that I do, the episode is interesting but not necessarily very strong. While Enterprise does hit the mine relatively
early on, it takes nearly a third of the episode before the real conflict—Malcolm
getting trapped by the second mine—occurs. And after that happens, there’s still no real sense of tension. Even though
we know Malcolm and Archer will eventually succeed, because that’s how this
show works, there could still be things that go wrong, like Archer nearly losing
his grip during a delicate extraction, or Malcolm being unsure of the next step
because his mind is clouded by pain. But we get very little of that, instead
focusing on learning about Malcolm’s character instead of the dangerous
situation he’s currently in. Again, it’s interesting stuff, but if you were
hoping for something dramatic, you’re probably going to be disappointed.
On a related note, the conflict that could have been
provided by the Romulans isn’t that great either. They basically just keep
showing up sporadically to verbally and non-verbally tell Enterprise to get out of their territory, but then obligingly leave
our heroes be long enough for them to make some progress. Having them keep the
pressure on while the rest of the crew tries to find ways to stall for time
might have given us more tension. Instead, it’s mostly banking on the audience’s
knowledge of the Romulans, which might work for some people but will no doubt
feel like a copout to others.
Basically, I think most people will consider this episode
on par with Season One, as something watchable with interesting ideas but an
execution that keeps it from being as good as it could be. If you’re part of
the Malcolm Reed Fan Appreciation Society like I am, it’ll probably rank higher
in your estimation. Either way, you’ll probably enjoy yourselves. It’s just
that one group will enjoy themselves a little bit more.
How it Relates to
the Whole: In addition to teaching us more about Malcolm, we’ll be getting
a direct followup to events here in the very next episode. Plus, it introduces
us to the Romulans, which won’t lead to anything now but will start coming into
play in later seasons (and, presumably, would have been a major component of
the hypothetical Seasons Five through Seven). So while it’s not as important as
it could be, I’d say it’s still pretty important.
Other: *It was
pointed out to me the first time I watched this episode that there’s a pretty
huge continuity problem between the events we see here and things we’re told
during the Original Series. Specifically, Romulans shouldn’t have cloaking
devices, yet we see two ships with them. While this is a case of poor research
by the behind-the-scenes crew, we at least have a reason to justify it
in-universe if it really bothers you; Temporal Cold War shenanigans. Someone
from the future obviously gave the Romulans some cloaking devices in the hopes
of changing the balance of power. Presumably this was dealt with and the timeline
restored later on. Hey, if you’ve got an out, use it.
*There is, unfortunately, no followup to the revelation
that Malcolm has aquaphobia (aka a fear of drowning). I say unfortunately
because this feels like the sort of character detail that normally gets
explored later on in a show (and there’s one episode in particular where it
would have been a perfect opportunity to be reminded of it), but it never was,
either because it wasn’t deemed important or because they were cancelled before
they got the opportunity. Though a small part of my disappointment is because I’m
sure any plot or subplot exploring this would have been great to watch for
Malcolm fans. But we’ll just have to make do with our imaginations.
*Malcolm also proves himself to be a bit of a hypocrite
today. Listen to his argument at the end of “Shuttlepod One”, then look at what
he says and does all throughout this episode. Yes, the circumstances are
slightly different, but I bet you Tucker made a few pointed comments after the
crisis had passed. I know I wouldn’t
have been able to resist, and I’m fond of the guy.
Badass Malcolm
Moment: I think I have to give it to the fact that he gets speared through
the leg and, after one initial yell, manages to speak coherently and focus on
the situation, even cracking a few jokes before he gets any sort of anesthetic
in him. With that sort of discipline, one wonders if he might not have a little
Vulcan blood hiding in there somewhere.
After the Fact
Update: While Memory Alpha doesn’t give too much insight into the creation
of this episode, it did reveal that someone else was aware that the Romulans
shouldn’t have cloaking technology, which they tried to explain away in one of
the Star Trek novels, though those
generally aren’t considered canon. Memory Alpha also revealed that the costume
department made the jumpsuits a little lighter in color (something I’d kind of
noticed but wasn’t a hundred percent sure about), which would become common for
most of the crew later in the season. Why they did this, though, I don’t know.
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