Jammer's Review
Star Trek: Enterprise
"Cogenitor"
Air date: 4/30/2003
Written by Rick Berman & Brannon Braga
Directed by LeVar Burton
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"You knew you had no business interfering with those people, but you just couldn't let it alone. You thought you were doing the right thing. I might agree if this was Florida or Singapore, but it's not, is it? We're in deep space, and a person is dead — a person who would still be alive if we hadn't made first contact." — Archer to Trip
In brief: Yes. This is what I want to see.
Now here's the sort of episode that suggests the true potential of Enterprise as a series — an episode that takes every correct turn where it could've compromised itself by taking the safer road where human values automatically trump all else. It does not take the safer roads, for which I am grateful. By the end, it emerges as the best and most probing episode of the season. This is what is possible when a story takes a risk; that risk can pay off.
The grossly inaccurate trailer, which is played on an inappropriate note of ha-ha levity, makes this show out to be some sort of sci-fi sex comedy. It certainly is not. What was advertised is not even close to what they are selling. This story is no lightweight. By the end, it is dead serious.
What "Cogenitor" offers is some tough questions, tough answers, and surprisingly tough consequences. The last act is nothing short of a revelation (for this series, anyway), as we see exactly how badly good intentions can go wrong.
The episode begins on a refreshing note: first contact with a friendly race of explorers called the Vissians, who for once seem like real space travelers rather than artificial constructs for the sake of conflict. "It'll be nice to have a first contact where no one's thinking about charging weapons," Trip notes tellingly. The thing about aliens on Star Trek is that they're so often used as a shortcut source for shallow conflict. But conflict in real drama should be about situations and circumstances, not about "us" versus "them." Here is an episode that knows this. It also knows that the conflict is not just about two opposing groups of people, but about the multiple approaches to questions, opinions, and actions.
The Enterprise crew and the Vissians team up to study a star in the early stages of supernova. Archer quickly develops a pleasant rapport with Vissian Captain Drennik (Andreas Katsulas, who will be familiar to many genre fans) and the two take a specially shielded Vissian pod on a three-day survey of the star up close. T'Pol takes command of the Enterprise. The human crew and the Vissian crew socially interact and begin learning about each another.
Tucker befriends the Vissian engineer (F.J. Rio) and his wife (Larissa Laskin), and meets a mysterious individual called a "cogenitor" (Becky Wahlstrom). The cogenitor lives with the couple in their quarters on the Vissian ship. The cogenitor is actually a third sex that is required for Vissians to conceive children, providing, as Phlox explains, a crucial enzyme to enable conception from the male and female. In Vissian society, the cogenitors make up a very small percentage of the population (there is only one cogenitor on this ship), and have little standing in society, serving only the purpose of aiding in conception.
Phlox and T'Pol are familiar with three-sexed species, but this is a new one for Trip and, for that matter, for the Star Trek audience in general. The cogenitor here is a quiet individual. The other Vissians refer to this nameless person only as "it," which quickly arouses our suspicion in regard to the status of these people in Vissian society. "They treat her like a pet," Trip notes unhappily.
One of the pleasures I had during this episode was seeing how the show and I were constantly on the same wavelength. As the story established its elements and planted its seeds, I found myself thinking about how things would play out given what I knew about the situation and the characters. On more than one instance, as I was thinking something, the show's progress would follow in the direction of my own feelings. This should not be mistaken for predictability, but rather a show that lays out a logical story arc and prompts our intuition, and then moves in the direction that properly follows the story's logic.
Consider, for example, the way the story sets up Trip's concern for the rights of this individual. The treatment of the cogenitor is depicted as a questionable and possibly troubling issue, but in a subtle way. The Vissians treat the cogenitor with casual indifference — neither friendly nor unfriendly, but simply regarded neutrally as an object. Trip becomes the voice for our own developing troubled feelings regarding the cogenitor.
Then, in its slick and subtle way, the story turns the tables on us and we begin to see the potential disaster of Trip taking matters of this situation into his own hands. He starts telling the Vissians lies about where he is going and what he is doing. He spends time with the cogenitor without the Vissians' permission. He teaches the cogenitor to read and puts human ideas of independence and growth in her head. He tells her that she has the same mental capacity as the other Vissians, and he even proves it with a neural scan that hints at the cogenitor's true potential.
We understand Trip's feelings and why he is doing what he is doing, but we gradually see that it's the wrong thing to do and the wrong way to go about it. We see that this could blow up in his face. I like how the story hints at consequences for Trip's poor choices and then delivers on them, plausibly and forcefully. Given the nature of the dilemma and the central question of the cogenitor's "human" rights, the story could've let Trip off the hook for his actions. Much to my satisfaction, it does not. In the end, the show comes to the sober realization that this is not a story about human rights for a Vissian cogenitor. It's about the issue of human interference in alien cultures.
When Trip teaches the cogenitor to read, she's able to learn in a single day. Is this plausible? I don't think so, but I'm not too concerned about it. That the cogenitor can learn to read so quickly is simply a matter of narrative shorthand. The point here is that Trip's actions open an individual's eyes to completely new possibilities — possibilities that are wonderful and awesome and quite likely to change this individual's life ... before then being taken away as quickly as they were given. It's like "Flowers for Algernon," but with a central figure that's painfully aware of exactly what it's being forced to give up.
There's another question here, one that I'm struggling with. How could the cogenitors in Vissian society really not know what they're missing? If they have the same intellectual potential as the rest of the Vissians, how is it they haven't realized this potential before, even in small numbers? Surely what Trip unleashes here has previously happened internal to their society with their own cogenitor sympathizers. How couldn't it? And logically, a subjugated subset of a population with this sort of intelligence would know they are being subjugated and would in some way revolt, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. The Vissian cogenitors don't seem to be aware of their subjugation, and the Vissian males and females don't seem to be aware that what they are doing is subjugation. It's simply an internal cultural fact, one that perhaps is impossible to understand in human terms. (Are we a product of only what we're permitted to experience? If so, Vissian cogenitors apparently are not permitted to experience much of anything, short of brainwashing and built-in repression.) But given how "Cogenitor" plays out — with the cogentior's eyes being opened and her desire to keep them open — this accepted belief by all the Vissians seems impossible. Not that this hurts the story; it simply makes me even more curious to explore the story points.
It also brings up that difficult issue of cultural moral relativism. The Vissians are right when they explain that we know nothing of their culture. But are they right to treat the cogenitors as they do? On human terms, of course not, but as Captain Drennik points out, "We're not on your world." It's not a particularly satisfying answer, but it is 100 percent true.
Putting all the moral questions aside, the real point here is that Trip interferes where he has no business interfering. The story strikes a fascinating balance between Trip's intentions to right what he believes is a wrong (in human terms), with the fact that he is so calculating in his efforts to do so without anybody else finding out. Just watch the way Trip carefully drops hints to the Vissian engineer to invite him to a meal in their quarters, so Trip can meet the cogenitor and take medical readings. Look at how he ignores T'Pol and walks away when she suggests he not get involved. Deep down, Trip knows he shouldn't be doing what he's doing (sneaking around, hiding things from the Vissians, etc.), and yet he forges ahead anyway, damn the consequences — and there are severe consequences — because he thinks he is doing the right thing. When the Vissians discover what has happened, they're not happy, and they demand the return of their cogenitor, which Archer grants despite her request for asylum. The cogenitor later commits suicide, apparently knowing her existence in society will henceforth be an empty one.
So because of Trip's meddling, a person is dead and a couple will not be able to conceive their child. I guess that's what they call a cautionary tale.
Like last season's wonderful "Dear Doctor" (among other episodes), "Cogenitor" is yet another episode that shows why the Prime Directive will be necessary. When you have a situation like this that's full of gray areas and potentially disastrous consequences, you begin to realize why dealing with such situations will require something more absolute than a judgment call.
The final act of "Cogenitor" is a potent one, well acted and directed, where Archer calls Trip on the mat to answer for his actions, and the news of the suicide is revealed. The strength of the language here surprised me: Archer has two tirades that do not go easy on Trip, with some potent lines including:
- "We're out here to meet new species, not to tell them what to do."
- "You did exactly what I'd do? If that's true, I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here." And, "Don't tell me you know what I would've done when I don't even know what I would've done."
- Trip: "I'm responsible [for the cogenitor's death]." Archer: "You're damned right, you're responsible."
- "You knew you had no business interfering with those people, but you just couldn't let it alone. You thought you were doing the right thing. I might agree if this was Florida or Singapore, but it's not, is it? We're in deep space, and a person is dead — a person who would still be alive if we hadn't made first contact."
It's also notable that, throughout all this, the Vissians, particularly Captain Drennik, are endlessly reasonable. Indeed, the Vissians are novel because they come across as real explorers trying to make friends. The genuine chemistry between Archer and Drennik during the survey mission in the Vissian pod (featuring some good FX sequences, by the way) is reassuring, particularly because of Katsulas' affable persona.
"Cogenitor," while excellent, isn't perfect. I'll briefly mention the subplot between Lt. Reed and the Vissian woman who invites Reed to sleep with her. Her rationale is that Vissian customs say a woman will choose to have dinner with a man only after he has proven his worthiness in bed. No pressure. (I'm now imagining the resulting sitcom where sex is shown as the precursor and the drudgery, while talking over a candlelit dinner is the long-sought payoff.) Odd, how this story thread is created and then hastily dropped as if it had been an afterthought. (It also features at least one groaner of a line when Reed says, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Notable is that Reed himself can barely bring himself to say this without pausing in doubt.)
On the whole, "Cogenitor" is an Enterprise-specific episode of Trek that takes advantage of this series' premise. It's brave enough to show something that we need to see in this first Starfleet mission: humans screwing up and creating messy problems that are their own fault. The crew isn't perfect and human morality is not absolute. We don't have all the answers. It's to this story's credit that it takes a strong position on the interference issue while offering up other questions that are tough to come to terms with. This show has meat on its bones.
The last shot of a disappointed and remorseful Archer is, to me, of particular interest. I think it shows Archer's realization that, in a way, the failure is his own and he blames himself. He hasn't set a solid or consistent enough example on the interference issue, and he hasn't gotten through to Trip or his crew. There is work to be done. Starfleet has a lot to learn about dealing with other societies. That is what "Cogenitor" is all about. And that's where Enterprise has an opportunity to say something new.
Next week: Helmet! So, at last, we meet the Borg for the first time for the last time!
Previous episode: The Breach
Next episode: Regeneration
Season Index
37 comments on this review
There is a (to me) rather obvious parallell in human history: The way women have traditionally been treated in most societies. They have been (and in some societies still are) banned from getting an education, they have been banned from most meaningful occupations, and have frequently been seen as having no value except to provide (male) children. And the reason they haven't revolted (and possibly why the cogenitors haven't) is that they themselves are dependend on their subjugators for continued existence. You can theoretically have a society where one skin color revolts against the other, or where one religion tried to exterminate the other, but one gender cannot rise in rebellion to eliminate the other. Resolving that kind of conflict is extremely difficult - and in the trek example, the cogenitors were even severely inferior in numbers, unlike women the real world example. In short this episode seemed to me to be the perfect feminist parable, where 'Stigma' utterly failed to be the same for hiv/aids.
So I guess any child born on their planet could be either male, female, or cogenitor. I wonder what the chief engineer and his wife would say if their much awaited child would turn out to be a cogenitor. Even though the probability is extremely low, there is still a possibility of that happening.
The Enterprise encounters a friendly advanced species and Trip is barely interested in the engineering marvels they're willing to share. I couldn't buy this, and so found Trip's ever increasing interference difficult to believe.
The production company should have provided some supervisors to ensure the writers stayed on their medication. There are unparalleled levels of doublethink going on in this series.
There is no continuity between Archer's actions over the previous seasons and his dressing down of Trip at the end here. As was said above, he has made much worse first contact blunders.
Also, Trip playing GO? He is way too much of a dunce to be so good as to be undefeated at the game, as he claims.
Even something as small as these aliens' preference for a meal's aroma rather than its taste seems altogether too subtle (to say nothing of reasonable) a development for the typically sledgehammer-like cultural differences they've dreamed up for other aliens (e.g., "you eat like you have sex," or whatever that nonsense was).
I watched this episode several years ago out of context, having never seen any other ENT ep. I thought it was really good. In context, it rings sort of hollow in light of the character inconsistency. I would much rather ENT was this way, but it hasn't been.
Makes up for some (but not all) of the garbage so far. Not the genocide though. And not the execution of the non-corporeals just trying to survive.
Still, Trip's actions were implausible. Like there wouldn't be established guidlelines for this type of thing on a starship? They're out there to meet aliens. You'd think someone would have thought about potential pitfalls beforehand, based on historical problems between cultures on earth.
Another anoying thing for me is that the Vissians were basically Americans in space. The way they expressed themsleves ("Thank you for the invitation, Captain. We would be honored"), their willingness to talk about intimate things, their desire to become close friends after just five minutes, all of this made the encounter basically like meeting people from Milwaukee.
What could be easier than meeting some dude from Milwaukee? The fact is, these Vissians had more in common with Americans than Candians do. Compared to the Vissians, Swedes might as well be the rock people from TOS. Nobody, I mean nobody talks the way Vissians do except us.
And if the Enterprise can't even meet Americans in space wthout screwing it up, maybe their mission should be recalled.
The whole idea of a third sex, and an individual deprived of the ability to fulfill its potential because of the reproductive role he holds within an alien society is an interesting one. It isn't ORIGINAL mind you... (this story was taken from the "Alien Nation" episode "Three to Tango", 1989, as I found out from www.firsttvdrama.com/enterprise/e48.php3 )... but at least it's interesting.
Unfortunately while the theme & idea had great potential, this episode falls horrendously short on two levels for me.
Firstly, as ippolite stated, the "unparalleled levels of doublethink" going on in this series. With every major fu**-up Archer has been involved in since the show began, he has no business giving that talking-to to Trip. He has done way worse. "If that's true, I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here". Yes you have, douchebag.
And secondly... why does Trip always have to be such a moron??? I mean, good intentions aside, why did the writers feel the need to make his attempt at fighting for the cogenitor's basic rights feel so awkward? Midway through the episode, why can't I help but cringe at the obvious negative impact Trip's actions will have by the time credits roll? WHY is every character from TNG, DS9, and even Voyager a role model of sorts (despite a few shortcomings), while for every major player in Enterprise I can only feel disdain or indifference?
Dare I think how more graceful this entire episode would have been, if the crusader for the cogenitor's existential rights had been someone like... Picard, Riker, or Troi?
Good God these writers suck.
Am I reading too much into it?
My main problem is this- the cogenitor killed themself because it didnt want to live the way it was- could anyone really say that the cogenitor was properly alive as it living was before Trip intervened? I think I would rather live for a weekend and die than live out my existance as a pet. The only people inconvienced were the Vissians not being able to have a kid.
And as said above, this show's problem is that the characters are so unlikeable and are not good as role models like you would see on other ST series over the years.
Doesn't the prime directive (once it is officially established) only, or at least primarily, apply to pre-warp species? With that distinction in mind, I think a request for asylum like this would be taken much more seriously, and possibly granted, by Picard (in my mind the preeminent defender of the prime directive). Arguably the advanced Vissians "should have known better" than to not anticipate some attempt at interference from the new-to-space humans (perhaps even on this particular issue considering that they know that three genders is not the norm in the galaxy).
Without a doubt Tucker should be reprimanded for his deceptive tactics and even for his interference. However, once the damage was done, with the cogenitor rethinking its existence and making such an explicit, clear, and legitimate request for asylum, denying the request is not the moral choice. It is only the political choice. Although how he went about it was wrong, Tucker gave her a chance for life. Her death is on Archer's conscience. Her suicide is evidence that the request for asylum was real and was warranted under the situation.
I don't even think the political fallout would likely have been that large. While granting the asylum would not have endeared humans to the Vissians, I also cannot imagine it causing irreparable damage considering the relationship already developed between Archer and the Vissian captain and how reasonably the captain was taking the asylum request. At best Archer might have appealed to the captain's logic that the cogenitor had already been "corrupted" beyond redemption and would only spread rebellion among other cogenitors. At worst you would have had one inconvenienced couple and maybe the Vissians considering a prime directive of their own (it seems surprising they don't already have one, if they are worried about interference with their culture, and/or haven't run into situations like this before). Nor can I imagine this incident (especially with no other cogenitors on their ship) making much an impact on the treatment or political consciousness of other cogenitors.
I also think many commentors reactions to it are indicative of some really clever writing as well, summarised I think by RussS' "Americans in space" quote. See, I didn't think the Vissians were 'Americans in space' - the thing is, they looked like they were, their mannerisms were similar, so was the food, the layout of the ship, the living arrangements...everything but, well, their culture.
I find it a bit ironic that for years and years we've had crazy looking aliens with all sorts of appendages, but whose culture and society are identical to ours but for superficial deviations ("we investigate all anomalies before talking to our superiors!"); but here for one of the first times on Trek we have a society, that is superficially familiar to us but has standards and concepts are truly alien - and the first thing everyone thinks to do is judge them by our own standards, assuming Trip is 'correct' and that the cogenitor is being 'denied' basic 'rights'.
Archer says as much in his tirade.
No one on here can say the cogenitor (or their gender) was being abused or subjugated - not just because we know nothing about this species and how it works - but because we don't even know what the meaning of these words are in their society.
I think the episode did such a good job of getting everyone to see the issue through Trips eyes, not even Archer's awesome truth smackdown at the end was enough to break the illusion!
No, in fact human rights ARE universal in scope, because according to Kant and other Enlightenment philosophers they properly apply to ALL rational beings, and beyond that to all sentient, intelligent beings who are individuals. The Cogenitor qualifies; thus her / its rights are inalienable, they cannot be taken away arbitrarily. I have to agree with Trip on this and disagree with T'Pol and Archer. He did the right thing by coming to the aid of a fellow sentient, intelligent being (human or not), trying to help her have autonomy of the will, liberty, freedom.
To reduce morality as T'Pol does by calling it an "opinion" is quite wrong and really reflects poorly on Vulcans in general. Morality must have a universal foundation that applies to all, or else it is arbitrary, it becomes moral relativism, and that quickly leads to nihilism -- the belief that morality doesn't matter at all.
For example, enlightened aliens could look at humans in the 19th century and say we had human slavery but it is none of their concern -- well, in fact it would be their duty to say something against this injustice if they knew about it, because it is wrong. Rights are universal, not to be withheld because of geography.
- I was awaiting the OH SHI- KABOOM
"It'll be nice to have a first contact where no one's thinking about charging weapons"
- I was awaiting weapons fire
I knew we were in for a good episode when both of those clichés were averted. Nice! How wonderful that they were friendly, too!
(You know when a show about peaceful exploration has been going wrong for a long time when this is so refreshing)
Trip's face when he found he couldn't directly mate with the blondes he picked up :P But hey, he gained noble intentions (if rather badly implemented, with the consequences that they had). And I was infinitely glad that the slight reminders I had of Riker in that episode with the non-gendered species weren't followed through with the same quality - there were some similarities but this was so much better.
It's very easy to judge Trip based on already coming from a future series where non-interference is very much set in place and this kind of thing is a bit closer to common sense (though those days also of course had their substantial debates). For a moment I was honestly hoping/expecting for Archer to pull a Janeway and rip one of his collar pips off in an angry demotion, and let's be honest, for a first officer to be sneaking around and interfering like this knowing he's doing wrong he'd absolutely deserve it. His intentions were great, and he could've started some good debates/talks with these people to try and influence their culture, but instead his implementation was to blunder in and sneak around and act - frankly - like an idiot.
But it's not so clear cut, now, is it? They haven't _had_ all these lessons and directives yet, and even Picard admitted that he didn't want a crew who would blindly follow orders and ignore their own morality. Then you get to the obvious question: is Archer really in the position to be throwing stones from the moral high ground, having not only the history of worse things behind him but also having refused asylum and thus the responsibility for his subordinate's effects on the cogenitor? Or indeed as Jammer says, he also has kind of failed as a leader to get this through to everyone. It's all debatable and there are many grey areas - that's what I love about it.
I also rather feel sorry for Trip, that he's been left to deal with the full responsibility and conscience. It's certainly not something I'd deal with easily even if there hadn't been all the wrongdoing involved. Meaty stuff indeed.
As an aside, the cogenitor learning so quickly felt plausible enough to me because of their captain being able to read and memorise so quickly, and that concept itself was introduced in a wonderfully natural way as part of cultural exchange between the captains. Far beats the exposition or "they just learn fast, ok?" technique.
"Enterprise-specific episode of Trek" - this is what we needed more of. There's no point of having the prequel if it's just going to be treated as the same thing with slightly different terminology, but luckily episodes like this keep me watching.
Excellent - can't argue with 4 stars at all. Biggest textwall comment I've made for quite some time says it all.
And no he's disturbed over the death of one individual. His speech to Trip is beyond belief.
More annoying is that there's no subtlety in the supposed message the writers tried to convey. These people on the Enterprise don't act out of their underbelly, they practically live there. I wonder what that training of theirs back on Earth consisted of.
When Trip said that, I basically yelled at the screen: NO SHIT SHERLOCK.
Same thing when Archer said he hadn't set a very good example to his crew about how to conduct affairs with other cultures.
I constantly expected in this episode for the writers to fuck it up and end with a firefight. I was almost certain it would happen in the last ten minutes. When it didn't I was absolutely shocked. And very pleased. This is what Enterprise should have been. I honestly can't believe that B & B wrote this, given their love for stripping T'Pol and Hoshi and relying on unnecessary action. There's just no way B & B wrote this. I can't imagine them resolving a story like this without a firefight at the end.
This episode is what a First Contact/Prime Directive episode should really be about. This is the reason the Prime Directive was invented. Not that bullshit immoral episode that I refuse to accept into continuity, "Dear Doctor." This is what a Star Trek prequel should be about: the knee-jerk reaction to help as a human versus the high-minded morality of non-interference. These are the sorts of issues that are worth exploring in a Star Trek prequel. Unfortunately most of Enterprise doesn't particularly care. But this is a gem in an otherwise horrible horrible season and show. A diamond in the rough.
And yes, taken out of context, the actions of the characters are very much so out of character. That's because B & B couldn't possibly have written it. This script requires competent writers. But taken on its own simply as a Trek episode, it is very good. Ignore the rest of the idiocy in Enterprise. It's mediocre at best and immoral at worst.
This kind of episode would be an average episode by TNG or DS9 standards. But it's ironic that when it's an Enterprise episode, we all get excited. Just goes to show how utterly bad this series is so far. Especially by Star Trek standards.
"Didn't let Archer die a whole race in Dear Doctor because he thought it unethical to interfere with other cultures and their "natural way of living"?
And no he's disturbed over the death of one individual. "
In both scenarios he was on the side of noninterference, so it's consistent.
I also very much agree with Eric's comments above, particularly the points about Archer's decision to send the cogenitor back. As he says; "once the damage was done, with the cogenitor rethinking its existence and making such an explicit, clear, and legitimate request for asylum, denying the request is not the moral choice. It is only the political choice."
So during the 'Archer chewing out Tucker' scene, there should have been a throwaway line about Archer having contacted Starfleet and them ordering him to release the cogenitor on politcal grounds. If they'd just rectified that issue I would rate this as a real Trek Classic.
Anyway, as is, it's still a first-rate, thought-provoking episode.
Note: I'm willing to give the writers the benefit of the doubt and assume that Archer was indeed expressing some genuine guilt when he said "You did exactly what I'd do? If that's true, I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here."
When it comes to sticking to a principle you are right, of course. But my main point is again that it shows how convoluted Archer's ethics are.
His implicit message to Tucker was: had you not interfered, we wouldn't have had a death on our hands. If the reason Archer is so upset over one death due to some decision, then why wasn't he disturbed about those millions he left dying back then due to his own decision?
And we know how consistent his ethics are.
Visiting a medieval world (Civilizations) he dispenses medication to cure a few people that didn't ask for help, obviously not making him feel bad. Result: many lives saved through interference.
In Dear Doctor he withholds an advanced civilization medication that specifically asked him for help. He let them die without as much as shedding a tear. Result: millions of deaths through non-interference.
In The Communicator he sends a civilization into a deadly war because these people shouldn't discover three advanced transistors and two futuristic condensors in a piece of equipment. Result: possibly millions of deaths through non-interference.
And now again he refuses to interfere again, sending a sentient being into death. Remember: it was HIS decision to _stop_ interfering here, not Tucker's. If he had interfered and given it refuge it would not have commited suicide. Result: one death through non-interference and he's upset about that death because it's the result of interference.
If you see time and again that non-interference leads to death and destruction, sometimes millions of people at a time, and interference leads to lives saved, you should reconsider your non-interference ethics. Archer couldn't be bothered. In his arrogance he even lectures other about these genocidal ethics.
It has been said so often: Archer is written as a psychopath and it's totally unclear how future Star Trek ever came to embrace such a non-interference "prime directive" if it gives such a repeated and guaranteed high death toll. In my opinion viewers shouldn't be pointing out those gaping flaws of ethic and logic.
www.astro.umd.edu/~avondale/Reviews/B5/s1-believers.html
Maybe 8abylon 5 isn't Trek, but renamed Star Trek: The Birth of Federation or Star Tek: Babel 5:
foolquest.com/star_trek_the_ship_of_fools/foolquest.htm
with cosmetic changes (another names, another aliens' characterisation) it will makes Trek prequel far better then ENT.
And... yes, I know that B5 plagiarised TOS "Journey to Babel" (partially it was Fontana's self-plagiarism), and DS9 later plagiarised B5, but I like it, as I like Trek and Star Wars "allusions" and cliches in Firefly/Serenity or Wormhole Aliens... err.. wormhole builders in FarScape. It looks as parallel timelines in one BIG universe (you know, TNG "Parallels") or side effects of (in)famous Temporal Cold War ;D.
BTW. You can find very good arguments for Prime Directive in written Eastern SF fiction. I mean: Strugatskys' "Hard to be God" and Lem's "Eden".
You say this in a world where fertility treatments are considered evil and ban worthy by a church that holds 1 billion members as its followers. I wouldn't be so sure of your assertion.
Having friendly aliens was refreshing, the experience shown between the two captains was excellent (and A. Katsulas was such a great actor).
There are more questions than answers and that's a good thing, it lets our imagination run.
But like I said, there's something that doesn't ring true about two characters: Trip and Archer. Not everything is wrong, it's just insidious and is forced for the sake of the story, but it bothered me. Especially Archer's speech: it would have rung true from any other captain.
So, Trip is right but the way he tried to uncover the potential of the cogenitor was wrong. I'd have liked a little more insight about why this race chose to treat sentient beings like objects, or pets. I'd have liked to know the true reason for Archer to not grant asylum: was it for political reasons ? To keep theses aliens as friends ? Because he thought the loss of the cogenitor would have severe repercussions on the society ? Or was it because he didn't recognize the cogenitor as a sentient being with the right to claim asylum ?
What I mean is that was one of the points of the episode. It would have been nice to explore the dilemma further and let Archer acknowledge that he truly hasn't been a stellar example for the crew when it comes to non-interference. That would have made his shouting at Trip much more powerful and believable.
They probably could, if they wanted to. But there's lots of reasons they might not want to. Maybe 'un-natural' reproduction is a revolting idea. Maybe the scarcity of cogenitors is long sanctified as a means of population control.
I *didn't* agree with the outcome (meaning Archer's position), but I thought it was a fantastic story nonetheless. I am perfectly comfortable with the idea that sometimes our heroes do the wrong thing.
I agree with Arachnea that there were more dimensions that could have been explored. This could have been a two-parter.
Let's not sugarcoat this decision with ridiculous talk about the moralities of alien civilizations. There are no alien civilizations that we know of at this point in time. This is a work of fiction. The only moralities we can look to in this situation our human moralities. And by those standards Archer's decision to return the cogenitor is morally wrong.
And please no more talk about the prime directive. As a 40 plus year fan of Star Trek I can say with certainty that the prime directive does not apply to warp capable civilizations. Captain Archer is within his rights to consider a request for asylum from the cogenitor as he himself points out to the Vissian Captain. His big mistake was not to grant asylum in this instance.
Trip was wrong to interfere in Vissian affairs without getting the permission of the Captain or the First Officer. But he was not ultimately responsible for the death of the cogenitor. The Captain was responsible. It was his decision. The buck stopped with him. He made a command decision as Captain and he has to live with the consequences. To throw all the blame on Trip was cowardly and reflected very poorly on his leadership ability.
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