“Oasis”

Well, the episode is watchable, but I could imagine better uses for a guest star like René Auberjonois!

I have a soft spot for mysterious stories centering around ghosts and unexplained mysteries. So it's a real downer when they're handled poorly. I think if you're going to a ghost or mystery do two things:
1) Make it spooky
2) Make it watchable to hold our attention
This episode started out doing that, then dropped the ball halfway through. It wasn't as bad as the abysmal "Terra Nova", but almost.

I liked this episode the first time I saw it, when it was called "Shadowplay."

I can see why Auberjonois was invited, because of the obvious link to the excellent "Shadowplay" which he was very good in and seemed to enjoy himself.

But - I had the "mystery" pegged as holograms before the half-way point, specifically when they walk into the computer room with what I thought were quite holodeck-like glowy things tiled around the wall like shining beacons of hologram-ness. Others probably realised even earlier. Because of that, it suffered, I thought.

It wasn't bad though. The equivalent "Shadowplay" was very good so of course this carries some of that success with it. It's just a little too familiar and the mystery wasn't one, at least for me.

It was a bit obvious, but I liked "what if she gets sick, will you program some sort of holographic doctor?" :)

I'm afraid Berman and Braga deserve a good dose of criticism for this first season. They were completely out of ideas - we've had a holodeck, a Ferengi episode, a hologram episode, a "Vulcan experiences intense emotions" episode....we've seen it all before. This episode might be pleasant enough - Trip and Lianna had a nice chemistry - but it's totally forgettable.

I watched a featurette on "Shuttlepod One", and had to laugh when Braga said how they'd become tired of space battles and wanted to do more character-driven shows. Shuttlepod One is a complete exception to a season where Enterprise and the characters have been firing phasers more often than not.

What a shame they only showed having "became tired of space battles" approximately once in the whole show's run then, heh.

More character-driven episodes would've been perfect! Especially since even by the end the most developed character is still the dog. I guess Braga and co had just become too jaded to press forward with such ideas at that point in Trek's history.

They missed a couple of tricks here. Why not make Ezrial or whatever his name is the ancestor of the inventor of Voyager's hologram Doctor?

Second, they must have thought this too, because I'm sure there is a knowing joke when Trip asks

'What will you do if she gets hurt? Create a holographic doctor?'.

Put those two together, it might have been good.

If people continue to make idiotic remarks about Porthos throughout these reviews, I'm gonna have to break something. PS This episode was yet another boring one, there's just no drama in these episodes.

Hmm, once again Jammer misses the point of the Trip/T'Pol scene, even after bringing up the related scene from back in "Unexpected." Isn't it obvious? Everytime Trip gets involved with a woman, T'Pol gets all miffed, pissy, n snarky. :D :D

I'm watching Enterprise for the first time, so I don't know how it'll play out, but it seems clear what the writers had in mind for these two at this point.

Jammer's too generous with 2.5 stars for this episode for it commits the cardinal sin of just being soooo boring plus we'd seen practically the same show before on DS9. B&B just ran out of ideas and should have turned the writing reins over to new blood.

I agree, 2.5 is far to high for this dreadful episode. Their bioscanners are total garbage, I don't think they've been accurate once. Here, they return no life signs, when in reality, there are two people on board. I don't recall them even dropping a line of technobabble to explain it away. The entire episode would have been resolved if their technology just worked like they say it does.

In their defense they did drop techno babble to explain the lack of bio signs. They placed a dampening field around the ship in order to prevent detection from outside forces.

Broadly that was pretty inoffensive, but again we're not really pushing the boundaries here and the story itself was both a familiar and predictable one. I for one was also being thrown out of the episode whenever 'Odo' appeared, but perhaps that was just me. The reveal I thought was coming toward the end only to find another 10 minutes to go - a measure of how slow this seemed.

There was something sweet about the Liana/Tucker relationship, and the knowing nod to the holographic doctor raised a smile, but really this was no great shakes. 2 stars.

The best part of Oasis was actually a bit of on set trivia I once read in an interview years ago. Apparently, Scott Backula was very excited about the episode, feeling it had a very original premise. When René Auberjonois heard this, he replied they had done pretty much the same thing years earlier on DS9.

That in a nutshell is the problem with Enterprise season 1 and 2. You could see the effects of "franchise fatigue", or at least that veteran Trek writers and producers were running out of steam. Oasis really is Shadowplay in HD, with less cheesy sets.

I was checking out IMdB and noticed that this episode was Annie Wersching's first credited TV performance. I thought she was awesome as Lianna and she's the only real reason I rewatch this one. That's one beautiful gal. It was nice to see Rene again, albeit in a kind of blah episode.

The first time I watched this the "reveal" was pretty cool.

Best line?

"TUCKER: You got a lot to learn about making friends.
EZRAL: I've made all the friends I need."

The best part about this one is the Trip/Lianna interaction.

Jammer's got it about right, 2.5 star from me.

I loved the "holographic doctor" line.

There is another similar nod when Ezral says it is strange being in space again after so long (great in-story, but an obvious a nod to Rene's time on DS9 too, albeit only three years hence).

Very predictable overall, though watching it for only the second time recently, I did not remember how it resolved.

It would've been awkward if the writers called this episode "Shadowplay Part II", but come on... B & B are killing me over here!

That's not to say I disliked the episode, it was as you said, "pleasant".

Rene does a great job as always, though it's funny seeing him in a copy of an episode that he had a major role in. The story of Bakula thinking they were doing an original story and Rene telling him otherwise has me sighing... the franchise's burnout was not obvious to the show's own actors.

2.5 seems right for this one, though you gave Shadowplay the same rating and I would assume that one is the better of the two.

The conceit has been done lots of times. All the way back to Captain Pike in TOS. But it still works and Trip and Lianna stuff is pretty good.

Odo to the holodeck (***)

I'd like to say that this the only time that the Star Trek universe has actually recycled a story from another show...
but I could be wrong.
(I mean another Star Trek show)

At this stage of ENT S1 I get the distinct impression the writers are running out of ideas after the inadequate "Rogue Planet", the awful "Acquisition" and now "Oasis" which has been done before. About the only thing worthwhile here is a natural and believable relationship between Trip and Liana that shows the engineer's a nice guy (and maybe the start of some jealousy from T'Pol) + Auberjonois as a solid guest actor.

Auberjonois tells the heartfelt tale of how he thinks he let his ship down by going for his baby daughter and not dealing with a plasma leak. This final conversation with Archer was good -- the character has to face the fact that it's time to leave his ship/home. Also have to wonder if he's over protective of his daughter to her detriment, but the episode didn't really go there.

The other thing I question is Enterprise's naïveté in volunteering to help so much without getting straight answers. Is it just there to do charity? Trip obviously develops feelings for Liana so he gives her a tour of the ship and doesn't get any answers from her in return and is then forced at gunpoint to fix their systems -- how do these supposed professionals get themselves into these pickles? And good luck winning a phaser fight against holograms. Anyhow without their generosity/naïveté, there would be no story.

2.5 stars for "Oasis" -- Not much of a mystery in this one -- another fairly predictable outing but with some nice character moments. A good Trip episode, but it avoided anything poignant or controversial -- kind of played it safe. Even if it is not a bad episode, it's really only worth watching once.

So I was right, it was Rene Auberjoinos, and that girl did look like Kes. Perhaps I imagined it because I recognized “Odo” but some of the music sounded as though it could have been from DS9. I am beginning to actually like Trip, yes he may be a bit unrestrained and a bit for a lack of a better word, “rural”. Also I am beginning to dislike T’Pol and perhaps feel sorry for her. When she stated she never felt fear and started pestering Trip about that incident where he got (ahem) pregnant I was certain she was acting out on him because he dared to ask her whether she felt fear and said it was nothing to be ashamed of. If she didn’t feel fear during her excursion in San Fransisco, her dream about it and when that vulcan guy tried to force her to relive it then what was it? Yes, it manifested itself as anger and becoming ill. I say she was so afraid she got sick. But then again I am no doctor.

2.5 stars. It’s okay. Pretty neutral

It started out pretty intriguing and spooky but the way it played out was a real disappointment. It had its moments but not enough to make me care one way or the other

My friend, harshly reviewing the episode and the series so far:

"You know you said it gets better in the third series? I hope so, cos it's absolute diarrhea!" He then mimed pooing his pants along with sound effects.

He thought the opening to the episode was excellent but it became very boring when they actually met the colonists. We also raised the point that this is a repeat of Trip's storyline where he met the female alien in an early episode.

This sums up his opinion of Enterprise as a whole really. It started off extremely well and gradually got bogged down with non-stories.

I'm watching Stargate Atlantis again side by side with Enterprise and the contrast between the two shows is stunning. ENT is slow, staid, with very likeable characters but no direction or urgency. People sort of stand there delivering lines. SGA is vibrant, action-packed, with terrific writing and even better acting. You feel the intensity, the peril, and as a bonus side effect the overarching storyline keeps moving. Every new enemy in the Stargate universe is introduced with an amazing flourish and the background music is always spot-on. In ENT, we don't really have an enemy, or a plot.

This one is a surprisingly good episode of Ent. It is a gem compared to most of the other previous episodes. It had a intriguing plot, good character moments a sense of action throughtout the episode.
Overall, it`s one of the better Ent episodes in season one with a 3.5/4.

Inoffensive episode, perfect to have on when folding laundry or cutting carrots. I mostly agree with the above statements, but had no serious problems with the episode.

The twist is too obvious to us who know about holograms. It’s weird that they largely copied a DS9 story with a DS9 actor, and then made Kes II his daughter. But this is one of the better one off guest star romances I’ve seen on all of Star Trek. I thought she and Trip had great chemistry, it was very believable, and there’s a believable happy ending too.

Pleasantly surprised by this one after a spotty run of episodes, even if it's mostly just alright. I think this first season has been somewhat unremarkable—many episodes either fail to live up to potential or just about scrape by (I think Dear Doctor is the only one to inspire anything close to a strong opinion), but this at least falls into the latter category. Nice to see Auberjonois in Trek again, especially since he's sadly no longer with us.

Quite a solid episode but it’s been done before, and better, in other series. I was hoping there would be an additional twist at the end, with the girl turning out to also be a hologram, but the father was in denial or something.

Episode had a deliciously spooky beginning, and then changed to a stranded crew. Not a bad one.

You know, I found Liana to be quite attractive here. It was Annie Wersching's first acting job. I don't mean this in a mean way, but it is uncanny how people can be made up. Every other single photo of her that I've seen, she looks TOTALLY different and not attractive at all! I think it is the hair, mannerisms, and I'm not sure what else. I mean she even looks different in the facial features than she does everywhere else.

Well, I just watched the show in its entirety. That was unexpected-it still had that spooky, mysterious element! Great!

I guess the only negative to it in continuity is the fact that the Enterprise crew could fix the computer with its holographic creations. I mean holograms in Starfleet only make an appearance 200 years later. I used this analogy earlier, but it's like a 19th century steam locomotive mechanic fixing a 21st century jet engine.

But that nitpick aside, I really liked the episode! I see T'Pol seems jealous of Trip! Hehe-that was amusing

Decent episode but it does get annoying to see Archer push help on people who obviously don't want it at first. As much as he dislikes help from the Vulcans you would think he'd be able to take a hint. Why are you in these people's business anyway? Digging into their story looking for inconsistencies then demanding answers? Who the hell do they think they are either help them or not. Idk as much as I love the Trek series I don't understand sometimes why they do the things they do in the name of helping others and making friends. Guess I'm no explorer. Though it was nice to see Rene back without his changeling makeup.

Always nice to see Rene Auberjonois on Trek. That's two former main-cast actors in a row, with Ethan Phillips on the last one.

Sean - I think the references to the Xyrillians in this episode was intended to explain why Trip can repair their systems. T'Pol needles him on it in the context of not falling in love with strange alien women, and I think that the "twist" - that they're holograms - was intended to have been foreshadowed by that reference too, as the last time Enterprise encountered sophisticated holography was back in "Unexpected" with the Xyrillians too.

And I spotted Annie Wersching straight away as I'd just finished watching her on Runaways. Not sure on what photos you're seeing, but she was very attractive in that series.

I just watched this episode again after a long while. I had forgotten that Rene Auberjonois was in it and it was a real pleasure to see him again. He is missed.

Have to concur with this review. Another middle of the road episode. Nothing wrong with it, it's fine. However, its not original and there is nothing to write home about. 2 stars.

Hey 20 years later she became the Borg Queen

Will noted: "The conceit has been done lots of times. All the way back to Captain Pike in TOS."

It feels like Shakespeare's The Tempest mixed with the twist from DS9's Shadowplay.

Still, not a bad episode. But as Jammer say's it's a little too familiar.

I would have sworn that the actor playing the alien trader D'Marr was played by John Glover, but, no, Memory Alpha says it actually Tom Bergeron. The similarity of voices and mannerisms is uncanny.

I'm watching Enterprise for the first time and just finished this episode. I can't help but be baffled by Rene's insistence on not leaving his ship once given the opportunity. He makes the argument that he and his daughter are happy there and that their crashed ship is their home. Now, that line of reasoning would make sense if his daughter was, say, five or ten or even fifteen years old. However, she's got to be nearing her thirties by the time of their discovery by Enterprise. The degree of selfishness displayed by her father is mindboggling. What if she wants to start a family or explore the galaxy or have a career? He's actively refusing to give her the chance to do those things simply because he feels guilty for failing to save the ship. It's actually insane. Starfleet propaganda notwithstanding, you can't really live a meaningful life surrounded by a bunch of holograms. Trip was right. If anything happened to the father, he'd essentially be damning his daughter to a life of intense loneliness or worse.

It's somewhat forgivable to borrow from Trek that came before. But it's unbelievable to me that they pulled a script that is so similar to "Shadowplay" and then thought "you know what this episode needs? A DS9 main cast member!"

It's not like Trek is known for having previous main case members show up on later shows playing different roles. Guest cast, yes, but having Rene show up as a character that is so obviously recognisable as the same actor? I'm flabbergasted that they had him on.

I could have seen them putting him on in a full-prosthetic alien like a Klingon or a Ferengi, even though his voice would be a dead giveaway - which was just one of the problems with the previous episode (Acquisition) - the clear familiarity of voice of Jeffrey Combs, Clint Howard and Ethan Phillips (and even the appearance of Clint) was enough to take me out of the situation entirely.

Similarly, how can I look at a group of aliens, with Rene being one of them and take them seriously as unfamiliar aliens? It's like when you are watching an episode of Law & Order, and you recognise and actor and immediately know that character is going to have some important role in the story even though they seem insignificant at first (they are probably the killer) - having Rene just sitting there as "just one of the aliens" immediately draws attention, where some random actor would not have. There are enough talented people in Hollywood that I know they could have gotten a quality actor to play the pat. The fact that Phillips was just in the previous episode clearly suggests they were going for either the "Trek nepotism" or the "stunt casting" to try to appeal to fans. I don't think either instance benefited the episodes.

I’m a big fan of Enterprise and all of Star Trek. I watched Oasis again today because Annie Wersching died this week at age 45. When watching her play the Borg Queen in Picard, Season 2, I found out that the role of Liana was her first screen appearance. May her memory be a blessing.

Just happened to have this on my view list when word of Annie Wersching's passing came. Her talent was obvious, as was her capacity for conveying emotional depth. In my opinion, there was an underlying sadness and vulnerability channeled into the character of Liana by Wersching which worked to greatly deepen the episode. So even something as simple as her eating ice cream and asking Trip what marshmellows are became a poignant demonstration of fragility. Jammer noted that there was a resemblance to TNG's The Survivors, but I also think it drew from The Dauphin of Season 2, and TOS's Requiem for Methuselah in the sense of presenting the tensions protectors feel for their youthful wards.

They could have saved it if they’d actually kept the characters around a bit, inject some fresh blood into the show. I liked the characters. Always good to see rene auberjois
I can’t see abandoning them to that death trap. Outside shot as they’re leaving makes it pretty clear it’s a rust bucket at this point

I agree with the first few comments, I wish the mysterious ghost encounters lasted alot longer through the episode and they more slowly built up to discovering they were only holograms. Started out good but ended up becoming a mostly boring episode after 2 to 2.5 stars.

@Sean J Hagins, Nov 24, 2020

Sean’s aforementioned comment made back in November of 2020 made so much sense regarding the continuity issue of this episode, I don’t know why I missed it while watching the episode for the first time.

I can’t recall off hand what the star date was supposed to be when Jonathan Archer was commanding this Enterprise on it’s first mission of exploration of the Alpha Quandant, but I pretty sure it’s set approximately 200 years before Picard’s Enterprise and his journey’s of space adventures begins.

So in between Jonathan Archer’s Enterprise and Picard’s Enterprise; you’ve got Captain April’s Enterprise; you’ve got Captain Pike’s Enterprise, Kirk’s Enterprise; and I’m assuming there had to be numerous other unnamed captains during those Federation 200 years.

At the start of TNG, “Enterprise” was apparently equipped, for the first time in a fleet commissioned starship, “Holodecks,” for the crew’s recreational use. Now this is supposedly 200 years after the incident that took place on the remote planet where Captain Archer’s Enterprise discovered the crashed and marooned HOLOGRAPHIC crew created by a simple civilian star freighter’s chief engineering officer, who’s been shipwrecked, in order to provide a world of people for his young daughter’s sake.

Now that elaborate complex holographic setup some here-to-fore unremarkable chief engineering officer stationed on an ordinary space cargo vessel conjures up from whatever wreckage or parts, limited tools and materials of the marooned space freighter is mighty impressive.

Especially when it’s such a big fat deal 200 years later when such similar new breakthrough devices are slapped into all the best and top line fleet starships.

Now…, I’m out in left field with this, or does anyone else see there may be a continuity problem that the writers did not consider here; Or is this particular civilian space freighter’s chief engineer the undiscovered Nicola Tesla of his era or what ?

His race may be a million years more technologically advanced than Earth for all we know. Throwing these holograms together may be the equivalent of Tom Hanks starting a fire in Cast Away.

No reason to think that alien races from different planets will advance at the same pace.

"Oasis" is based on a great idea. Structured as a ghost story, the episode watches as a father and daughter populate a derelict ship with the holographic "ghosts" of their dead friends and family.

A better writer would have turned this into something like the classic French film "Last Year at Marienbad", or Stanislaw Lem's "Solaris", exploring the twisted psychologies of a father and daughter who delude themselves into believing that they live amongst the resurrected.

"Oasis", however, is uninterested in these explorations. Instead it merely watches as Trip goes on a series of dates with the aforementioned daughter, while the crew of the Enterprise try to convince her father to fix his ship and return home.

The reason for this "going home" theme seems to be missed by most viewers. But note that when asked if she is afraid of ghosts or spiders, Tpol explains that she's only ever been afraid of the prospect of being recalled to Vulcan by the High Command.

Recall too that several episodes earlier, Archer - like this episode's father and daughter - was himself afraid of having to turn his ship around and heading back home. These fears are not fears of home planets - Earth, Vulcan and Kantara - but fears of leaving behind new families. The father and daughter don't want to abandon the connections they've made with their holographic family, much like Archer and Tpol aren't anxious to abandon their new Starfleet connections (Tpol specifically has a crush on Trip, which she can't act upon because she is unskilled at, and fears, fraternization).

"Oasis" flows better than DS9's similar "Shadowplay" and continues the season's trend of being tightly woven and subtly serialized. It features many cute scenes between Trip and actress Annie Wersching (they fittingly eat Rocky Road ice-cream), but a weak (IMO) performance by Rene Auberjonois. Twenty years ago the episode would rightly be regarded as bottom-of-the-barrel Trek, but post-nuTrek it now looks kind of classy.

2.9/5