Logline
Starfleet commandeers the Enterprise for an alien pursuit that grows far beyond its original orders.
Written by: Alan B. McElroy
Directed by: Sharon Lewis
Starfleet commandeers the Enterprise for an alien pursuit that grows far beyond its original orders.
Written by: Alan B. McElroy
Directed by: Sharon Lewis
I really enjoyed this one. The core moral dilemma of orders versus morals, captured in a strong A story and a decent B story. Genuine character growth, and an out for M’Benga that made sense, was in character, and felt justified. The direction was really nice, it captured the tense nature of the episode. The treknobabble for the A plot was pretty decent, and in the B plot I enjoyed the cave set - it felt used and full, not bare like they sometimes do. I really enjoyed the acting here - the Andorian leader gave me a hint of cardassian in his analytical takedown of humans, and the badmiral was really enjoyable from his upbeat arrival to steady decline into madness. The two Kirks getting along really well was enjoyable, and the synchronised walk and talk at the end was a nice way to wrap up the episode.
From this season’s approach, I’m guessing this episode drawing from old war films, in particular I am getting flavours of submarine hunts, chasing after wakes, and handling big questions of WMDs, the sanity of the chain of command. This is exactly the way I like those references embedded, allowing the trek to shine through, rather than the gimmick taking over.
My only immediate quibble in this episode was when Uhura went Rambo in the caves, it did feel like the Andorians went down a little easy, but I wasn’t that bothered by it. A’Sha leaving is fine, I guess, she didn’t feel very present throughout the season anyway.
Please, more of this type of episode.
Maybe it’s just because the writers of the (alleged) next Trek film have been talking about it, but I did think of “Crimson Tide” several times during this one.
I can’t help but think there’s still more to come with her - they haven’t dropped her off yet, after all. Something about it seems unfinished, somehow.
I enter the discussion post after watching the episode, did a Ctrl+F to Crimson Tide and I see I’m not the only one thinking about it.
As soon in the episode as the Admiral says, “Here there is only one voice, mine” or something like that I knew they were ripping off the plot of Crimson Tide, and I was not wrong.
I think an important difference is the characters’ motivations, though - for Reeger, it’s personal, while Ramsey in “Crimson Tide” is merely hawkish and reckless.
I have to disagree, Ramsey (Gene Hackman) in “Crimson Tide” gives during all the confrontation scenes a very good arguments about why they have to launch, for me as good as Denzel Washington character ones. He is hawkish and violent, but even at the end he says, let’s sit down and see who is right. He was acting on good conscience even if his position was brutal and could cause a World War. That’s why his character is so good, because his motivations were right.
Here the Admiral is never right, he is just looking for revenge, even if he denies it, until is drugged. That’s why the episode pales in comparison, because there is someone who is right and someone who is not. Yeah, we still maybe have to see that mysterious cloacking ship again, and then maybe someone, Kirk, can feel some remorse, but I don’t think so. He did the right thing, everybody knows
Maybe she was an undercover romulan, sent to report if enterprise go too close to finding the cloaked ship, and now that Reeger is likely no longer a threat, and enterprise probably isn’t going to want to follow up, her job’s done so she’s off.