Enterprise 1.16 FAQ

1.16? Wasn’t last week’s 1.14?

It was. For some reason UPN has been airing “Enterprise” episodes out of order.

What’s it called?

“Shuttlepod One.”

Who’s responsible?

Teleplay is credited to series creators Rick Berman & Brannon Braga (“Broken Bow,” “Fight or Flight,” “Unexpected,” “Terra Nova”).

That list of Berman-Braga credits is a pretty mixed bag. Is this a good one like “Broken Bow” or “Unexpected,” or a mediocre one like “Fight or Flight” or “Terra Nova”?

Tonight we get one of the good ones.

What does TV Guide say?

“Trip and Reed are dispatched on a shuttle mission to investigate an asteroid field and are cut off from Enterprise, thereby becoming convinced the starship has been destroyed and that their days are numbered.”

What is TV Guide not telling us?

Microsingularities play an important role this week. As does a quart of Kentucky bourbon.

The big news?

As the spectre of death nears, we learn Malcolm has special feelings for a crewmate. Very special feelings.

Are his very special feelings for Travis Mayweather?

They are not.

Why do Trip and Reed believe the Enterprise destroyed?

They take note of an enormous amount of wreckage strewn upon one of the larger asteroids. A particularly large piece of torn hull-plating bears the familiar NX-01.

How long do Trip and Malcolm think they’ll survive?

Their impulse-only shuttlepod, stranded light-years from any inhabited world, has less than ten days of oxygen – before its mishap.

What’s good?

This first Reed-centric episode turns out to be worth the wait. One appreciates especially the installment’s attention to texture and detail: Trip’s first-rate defense of the literary merits of Action Comics; the subtle clues we get about Earth circa 2151; the passing reference to Zefram Cochrane’s heritage; the fact that the Tesnians require six hours of Boran gas a day; the mystery of why Malcolm’s parents didn’t know he was on Enterprise; the tale of Ruby. Oh, and Herc defies anyone to not enjoy the most entertaining TV dream sequence of the young year!

What’s not so good?

The girls steer clear of the decon chamber, full as it is of Tesnians. And the episode ends much too abruptly -- one feels a bit used!

How does it end, spoiler boy?

With a shot almost identical to the one that ended “The Shadows of P’Jem” last week!

Herc’s rating for “Enterprise” 1.16?

***1/2

The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:

• ***** better than we deserve
• **** better than most motion pictures
• *** actually worth your valuable time
• ** as horrible as most stuff on TV
• * makes you quietly pray for bulletins

I am – Hercules!!

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