Enterprise 2.23 FAQ

An “Enterprise” review? When was the last time Coax put up one of those?

2.10 “Vanishing Point,” way back at the end of November sweeps. (It was the one with ghostly Hoshi in the sleeveless purple belly-shirt.)

What’s tonight’s called?

“Regeneration.”

Who’s responsible?

Teleplay is credited to Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong (“Future Tense”).

What does TV Guide say?

“Enterprise searches for a party of missing scientific researchers who vanished from the Arctic after discovering a crashed spacecraft and its dormant cybernetic crew.”

The big news?

It turns out warp-drive inventor Zephram Cochrane, long before he disappeared into deep space (and met Kirk, Spock and McCoy), spoke openly of Picard and the Borg’s visit from the future – during a commencement address at Princeton. Everybody just assumed he was kidding and/or drunk, and Cochrane completely recanted the story soon after!

Is T’Pol still beating the Vulcan Science Directorate’s “time travel is impossible” drum?

T'Pol remains a tough room when it comes to time travel. When Archer shows her Cochrane’s references to visitors from the future, it is T’Pol who points out Cochrane’ predilection for alcohol consumption.

If the Borg are found frozen on Earth, how does the Enterprise get involved? Does Starfleet’s flagship finally return home this week?

No. The thawed Borg quickly cobble together a super-fast warp vehicle by cannibalizing contemporary Earth technology and bits of the crashed Borg craft. Rather than stick around and start assimilating the planet in earnest, they coincidentally elect to speed out (at warp 3.9) to within half a dozen light-years of the Enterprise’s current position.

So do we spend a lot of time on Earth?

A lot of time. The entire teaser and first act are devoted exclusively to providing a nifty homage to “The Thing From Another World,” as isolated Arctic scientists stumble upon a broken alien sphere embedded long ago in polar ice. (By the second commercial break, you’ll begin to wonder if we’ll see Archer, T’Pol, Phlox, et al at all this week.)

When does the action move out to space?

We first see the Enterprise at the beginning of the second act, about 15 minutes into the episode.

What else is TV Guide not telling us?

The galaxy’s cause is not helped by Archer’s reluctance to spill blood – especially since assimilated humans quickly became components of the menace. (T’Pol, happily, supports a less forgiving posture.)

What’s good?

The Pandora’s-Box feel – established in the lengthy Arctic sequence – continues as the Enterprise inherits the Borg problem. Audiences may find themselves caught up in a genuine sense of dread and alarm: The 24th century cybernetic organisms begin to assimilate elements of the comparatively backward 22nd century so quickly and brutally and efficiently, it begins to look as if they’re going to be running the entire Alpha Quadrant within days. Performances are strong all around, but John Billingsley and Linda Park turn in some especially sharp work.

What’s not so good?

Phlox’s specific dilemma is compelling, to say the least, but it does strain credulity to suggest that he would be able to outmanuever the future’s Borg nanotech so speedily.

How does it end, spoiler-boy?

“Until what?” asks Archer. “The 24th century?”

Herc’s rating for “Enterprise” 2.23?

***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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