Review Text
In brief: A paper-thin, derivative plot, and yet reasonably amusing as "crew driven insane" episodes go. Call it a near-miss.
There will be no points awarded for originality this week, seeing as "Singularity" came straight from the book of derivative staple sci-fi concepts. There also will be no points awarded for plot, since "Singularity" has minimal plot. If you're looking for plot or originality, you are strongly advised to look elsewhere; they are not to be found here.
If, however, you want to see weird, nutty behavior — behavior that's as amusing as it is ultimately meaningless — you could do far worse than "Singularity," which has plenty of characters behaving weirdly, eventually to the point of bouncing off the walls.
How many times has this basic idea been done on Trek? A dozen, perhaps? Tell me this doesn't sound blatantly familiar: The crew is gradually driven to bizarre behavior because of the initially undetected radiation from a black hole. The black hole is just the specific device du jour. In episodes past it has been alien pathogens ("Dramatis Personae," "The Naked Time," "The Naked Now"), spatial anomalies ("Bliss"), telepathic Betazoids ("Fascination"), or even telepathic obelisks ("Memorial"). Naturally, the phantom radiation here will eventually pose a health risk. If you guessed that "health risk" means "lethal," you have just won today's special prize — half off the usual cover price of Jammer's Famous Reviews. This means you save $0.
There's another cliché at work, which is that of "crew member tells story in flashback with occasional log narration." This is a pointless device here, added, I suspect, to manufacture "suspense" at the beginning or to provide a storytelling shortcut to account up front for the emerging weird behavior.
The most redeeming quality of "Singularity" is that it's ... well, kinda funny. This is not an episode billed as a comedy, but it almost should be. Despite the fact the crew and ship are threatened, the tone suggests we are not to take any of this too seriously. The episode comes with a wink. When Hoshi starts fretting about her family's cooking reputation being on the line — while demanding, "CARROTS!" — how can we not assume there's a wink involved?
In this episode, the pathology is exhibited by strange obsessions over mostly unimportant minutiae. The trivial task that begins the day for a given crew member eventually becomes their focus of monomania. At the beginning, Archer asks Trip to look into an important area of engineering: the issue of the captain's uncomfortable chair. By the time insanity has crept in and seized the crew, the subject of adjusting the captain's chair has become Trip's single-minded fixation. All other priorities are rescinded.
And so it goes, with the captain fixating on writing the introduction to his father's biography, Reed on instituting new tactical procedures, Hoshi on getting her recipe just right, Phlox on diagnosing Mayweather, and Mayweather on not being demoted into an oblivion where he would have an even smaller impact on the Enterprise than he already does (if that's possible). There's a certain quirky amusement in watching these fixations (I was reminded of Sisko being obsessed with building a clock in "Dramatis Personae"). Eventually the whole situation takes on a colossal absurdity. The Enterprise is a chemistry lab of wacky characterization.
That pretty much covers the broad strokes. The entertainment value is in the details. Details like Reed's need to revamp tactical protocols and be ready for hostile situations. This obviously is documenting the road that will end with the invention of "Red Alert" (which is kind of a fun piece of trivial lore to explore). Reed's alarm concepts are hilariously annoying. "They both sound like a bag full of cats," Trip notes. I am in agreement; shut off that noise at once.
With everybody obsessing over their own thing, priorities come into conflict and the zaniness eventually crashes headlong into itself. Somewhat effectively depicted is how the loon factor begins subtly and escalates slowly. Well, for a little while, anyway; at some point the escalation accelerates spectacularly and the episode becomes a free-for-all. Finally we have characters shutting themselves into rooms, preparing unauthorized surgeries, shouting at each other, and even getting into shoving matches on the bridge.
This works if you can suspend disbelief and grant that this particular form of madness would cause this particular type of behavior (all while no one really notices the weirdness they are witnessing and/or participating in). The interaction between the characters benefits from some acerbic wit and good individual lines. There are a number of chuckle-worthy moments. The performances are solid. The actors carefully navigate the line separating sincerity and satire; look carefully, for example, at the early scene between T'Pol and Reed where his fixation on tightening security is acted sincerely even as the story knows it's ridiculously exaggerated to the point of humor (Reed wants to assign everyone a security code in case they are replaced by shapeshifting impostors). Later in the episode when things turn more heated, the actors go for broke with hyper, anger-edged energy. These scenes also work.
In the middle of the madness is T'Pol, a bastion of sanity in the face of absurdity spinning out of control around her. When Trip rants about being disturbed from fixing the chair, T'Pol doesn't react. There's something about her demeanor that I like; she's sizing up the situation and not responding to it, as if aware a response would be akin to gasoline on a fire. I think, however, she's a little slow to react to the larger situation. She doesn't do much of anything until the crew starts falling apart and the situation has become one of desperation. She notes odd behavior, but her slow reaction to it is motivated more by the story's needs to build a crisis than by T'Pol's need to prevent one.
Eventually, only T'Pol remains awake, leaving it up to her to plot a course out of the radiation field. She can't do it alone, so she hauls Archer out of a deep sleep, throws him into the shower and explains the situation so he can pilot the ship. I liked the T'Pol/Archer scene in Archer's quarters; it highlights their professional relationship and developing friendship.
Unfortunately, as a story, all of this adds up to jack squat. It's superficial — essentially just an exercise in goofiness. As such, it's something of a guilty pleasure that I sort of liked on that level. I cannot argue in favor of the premise or the events that arise from it. I can argue in favor of crew weirdness depicted entertainingly. It is what it is, and I guess it's well enough on those terms.
Just one last question: When do we get to meet Chef?
Next week: Transporter terror, in an episode that we absolutely cannot miss, by mandate of the trailer.
Previous episode: The Communicator
Next episode: Vanishing Point
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45 comments on this post
indijo
Imo, this episode was a fairly humorous departure from the routine. It felt good to get some laughs from an episode that wasn't dominated by assinine Ferengi stupidity.
Rachael
I actually thought this was one of Trek's funnier episodes. The acting was spot-on and never over the top, and reminded me again why I like Dominic Keating so much. The nuttiness emerged gradually and subtly, so that when matters came to a head, it didn't feel forced. The scene in the mess when Hoshi is freaking out over her "family's honor" and Archer starts fighting with her, and then Reed's obnoxious klaxon goes off was just a great comedic moment, played with perfect timing. No, you can't take this episode seriously, but I don't think that's the point.
Elliot Wilson
Isn't it a near-HIT? That's the same type of crap as in the airlines. A COLLISION is a near-miss! Watch George Carlin if you don't believe me. :D Regarding this episode... sounds funny. I have GOT to see it soon.....
Carbetarian
I was a little disappointed with the resolution to Trip's story line in this one. When Archer was talking to Reed in his ready room, I was just waiting for him to call Trip in and say "Trip, you've acted like an idiot for the last two days. But, man, that chair was f*cking sweet!". Missed opportunity.
All in all, this episode was well acted and really pretty funny to boot. I had been putting off watching it, on account of the tired old plot giving off a seriously lame "we ran out of ideas" vibe if you just look at the capsule synopsis. But, the actors pulled it off well! I might have even gone for three stars on this one.
Marco P.
It's really bad when the supposedly "unusual" behaviour of these characters is undistinguishable from their usual musings. This series has accustomed its viewers to a very basic idea: the Enterprise crew are so stupid and the script so moronic, that any attempt to increase the level of said stupidity one level higher goes by unnoticed. Indeed there is a big difference between 1 and 10, but not much between 1001 and 1010.
ARCHER: "You're lucky you're a good engineer, because you obviously don't know anything about writing"
TRIP: "I'm not the *only* one!"
No shi*! A golden self-referential nugget from Chris Black (the writer).
CeeBee
I thought it to be a funny episode showing the actors having fun to be (and look) as idiotic as can be. I liked the scene between Archer and T'Pol where he hangs over her and says "I'm busy" like a maniac.
High point was the scene in the kitchen.
Everyone is busy obsessed with him- or herself, not even listening to or arguing with the other. I know this theme has been done to death in Star Trek but it's fun all the same, more fun than the Naked Now or the Naked Time.
I wonder though what the Vulcans thought. After all, T'Pol sent them a distress call.
The plot device is idiotic but irrelevant.
I like it that the recurring theme for Mayweather has become sickbay, broken legs, allergic reactions, broken legs, broken legs and broken legs. And being duplicated and killed off. And a broken leg. And almost braindead.
And Phlox is one inch away from becoming a maniacal killer. Spooky.
Lt. Yarko
I liked this episode a lot. I especially liked Phlox becoming an evil doctor. Scary stuff. Lots of funny moments. The most I have laughed so far in the series.
@Elliot: A near-miss is what Jammer intended, I think. Unless I am mistaken, that means that it is a hit that almost missed which matches his star rating. Carlin would be happy with Jammer's careful verbiage.
Marco: 'It's really bad when the supposedly "unusual" behaviour of these characters is undistinguishable from their usual musings.'
They aren't normally that crazy. That's not an accurate assessment.
Nancy
Sure, it had its flaws, but this was one of the most entertaining episodes so far, IMHO. The crew's manias were well-acted and I liked the build-up. There was comedy, but also a layer of menace that gave the plot some suspense as well.
I too was a bit disappointed Trip never finished the mega-chair!
Ken
I am only 5:30 into the episode, but I'm already starting to see a big trend with the direction of the characters in season 2, and I think this probably what disgusted people so much about the series so much.
In this episode, Archer seems to care more about his chair than the impulse manifolds. He also can't take responsibility for writing a preface for a book he agreed to write, and even wants T'Pol to write it for him.
Reed, in the last episode, misplaced the communicator, and has been generally acting fairly immature many times in the season. Same with Trip.
A Night in Sickbay assassinates all of the characters.
I think the writers making the characters not behave like adults has had a tremendous impact on the quality of the series. Yes, the plots and safe, and many episodes are familiar territory. The show doesn't take risks, and most of the writing is average. But none of those problems are nearly as problematic as the childish behaviour we see from the Captain and other characters.
To be honest, the characters were written better in Season 1. Season 1 isn't that bad. It's not great, but it's not bad. Season 2 is the mark of when things really got bad. It's so difficult to separate these childish behaviours from the characters when things try to get "serious". It has permanently destroyed the credibility of the characters, and the enjoyment of the rest of the show.
The humour the writers are going for isn't even worth it most of the time, so they are assassinating the characters for basically no payoff.
I didn't know why the show was so bad back in 2002/2003 - I thought it was just bland storytelling, or plots that didn't cover the issues and plot lines I would have expected. But now all of that doesn't matter to me anymore - mostly because my expectations have been crushed already - I see that the real problem is behaviour these characters exhibit. I just don't like them.
Ken
And now that I've watched a lot more of the episode, I realize the point of the Singularity is having an effect on the crew. Some of the following scenes are funny, while others are a bit annoying or crinch-worthy.
Still, the Singularity doesn't excuse prioritizing the captain's chair and things like this, because that happened before they set a course to investigate in the first place.
And if memory serves me, this childish behavioural problem doesn't stop until season 3, where Trip and Archer over-compensate and go in the other direction, unnaturally.
David
I would rate this episode at least 3 stars. I only have 2 issues with it. 1. The slow buildup bothers me. It drags. Perhaps better pacing would have solved it. 2. I wish they had the extras exhibiting the same monomania. The radiation effects shouldn't happen to just the command crew. The extras shouldn't steal focus, but I would have appreciated seeing several in the background obsessing over something. All we see out of them is normal behavior while our stars obsess and then they are passed out.
I don't require plots to be original. I watch mostly for the acting. If it's engaging then I go with the actors and story.
Norvo
A fun episode very reminiscent of DS9's Dramatis Personae, though one minor point of logic still irks me. Once T'Pol realizes the radiation from the singularity is to blame for the crew's behavior, she claims she can't merely turn the ship around because that'd mean they'd still be exposed to it for the 48 hours it took them to get there... Yet, she manages to "plot a course that will get us clear within 17 minutes"? How does that work?
Capitalist
"Just one last question: When do we get to meet Chef?"
Hehe, it's funny to read these reviews years later and see when people picked up on certain things. I'm just watching Enterprise for the first time, but I guessed about halfway through the first season that this "invisible chef" character was going to be a running gag throughout the series.
They did something similar with Morn in DS9, where other characters are always talking about what he says, but you never actually hear him speak.
I chuckled all through this ep... 3* from me.
W Smith
Another episode that just went nowhere and made me dislike the characters more except T'pol. This ship is so important to Earth but they put a bunch of people on it who are so unprofessional that is belies any disbelief. Yeah, I get it that it was the singularity causing this behavior, but some of them should have noticed its effect at some point. And the plot device is one that Trek has done so many times before. This is why people eventually stopped watching Enterprise, it didn't boldly go anywhere new in Trek storytelling.
John G
I agree with Jammer's review. It takes the over done "crew goes crazy" plot but does it in a much more amusing and interesting way than most or all of the prior offerings.
I have been wondering the same thing about Chef. I think we will see him in an episode where the crew travels back in time to late 20th Century Boston and meets Vera Peterson from Cheers. The episode will narrated by Morn.
Diamond Dave
I find myself in fervent agreement with Marco P above - "It's really bad when the supposedly "unusual" behaviour of these characters is undistinguishable from their usual musings." It definitely took me a while to realise the crew were acting differently, and that can't be a good sign.
To me, this was another tired old riff on the 'crew act out of character' trope. Yes, we got the fan wank of the 'Red Alert' origin, but otherwise I thought this was trite, bland, and, ultimately, pretty boring. 1.5 stars.
dipads
Silly but amusing episode. The irrational behavior amongst the major crew members were fun to watch. But I would have liked a scene where an inhibited Archer forces himself unto T'Pol. Also, have Porthos become the unlikely hero who saves the day, it would have not been surprising.
Yanks
Diamond Dave, enjoy it for what it is. You weren't supposed to notice right away, that was kind of the whole point... it builds over time exposed to the radiation.
I thought all the actors played their parts very well in this one. It was also directed very well. The timing of all the shit hitting the fan at once at the end was classic!!
I personally think Hoshi killed it here. I was roaring... :-)
"HOSHI: You're relieved.
CUNNINGHAM: Ma'am.
HOSHI: Get out!"
"HOSHI: If you're so hungry, fix yourself a sandwich." - (speaking to Archer)
I also agree we are seeing a trend here with Travis... too much time being broke and in medical.
All in good fun.
3 stars from me.
Andrew
Pretty pedestrian but entertaining for most of the episode, then just boring in the last act.
Rahul
ENT's take on crew acting strangely - did eventually start to remind me of "The Naked Time". What's interesting is the craziness was slow to build - at first I'm wondering what the point of the episode is with the crew obsessed with trivial matters - started to think of "A Night in Sickbay" with ENT making another silly episode.
The one redeeming quality of this episode is the crew's crazy acting is humorous and well done. Though the fact that it took time to realize they were affected by radiation doesn't speak well for how they normally operate. Guess they could not realize something was wrong with them. Also liked T'Pol's observation of the crew degenerating and how she went about solving the problem.
Still - the lack of originality is tiresome for this series - lack of a real plot is a problem here for much of the episode. Tempted to give it 1.5/4 stars but due to the good acting about meaningless, trivial situations -- especially Hoshi screaming "CARROTS!!" I'd give it a weak 2/4 stars.
skuttles
I really enjoyed this episode. 3 1/2 stars from me.
My take on it was that the crew was already somewhat obsessive, that's why you didn't notice at first that their behavior was changing, until it became a little too over the top. That's why T'Pol didn't notice at first either. She thinks all humans are a bit obsessive and strange to begin with. That's why she says at one point that they are acting strangely 'even for humans'.
Also at the end of the episode, after they are cured, Reed was proud of the fact that Archer used his protocols, and Trip asks if he can still install the cup holder, and Archer asks T'Pol or whoever to read his introduction. Showing that they were and still are all a bit obsessive about things.
Nievesg
The bad point: Too repetitive.
The good point: correct portrayal of pathological perseveration (obsesive but increasingly defective repetition of routine work) which is typical at dementiae such as Alzheimer, so it was all well portrayed. And part of the work of Phlox and Reed turned out useful (not all, of course, just the part developed before their condition became too serious), which actually happens in the first stages of dementiae as well.
In fact, I always wondered "why can't certain shields and weapons get ready automatically if the ship is hit?", so this made my day.
A pity the duration: this plot was ok for a 30-minutes episode, not for about 45.
2,5 stars for me.
Lisa
I love this episode! I loved it when I first saw it, and I loved it again when it aired on the "Heros" Channel a couple of weeks ago. The crew going crazy was the best! Good, fun episode.
Jez
I like how "Reed alert" obviously evolves into "Red alert". Nice touch.
NCC-1701-Z
Well this episode was certainly entertaining on a surface level. (Kind of reminded me of the Big Bang Theory episode where Penny got addicted to online gaming) I also liked how T'Pol was framed as the neutral observer observing things slowly falling apart around her. And it gave us an origin story for the red alert.
That's all I have to say.
Jasper
I agree with the comments about childish behaviour. Especially Reed is really annoying, but Trip and Hoshi as well. Even the danger is trivial, radiation. Not really exciting. But some coffee and a shower snaps you of it. Poor episode. 1.5 stars from me.
NoPoet
Number of episodes where the characters are compelled to act out of character so far: 2.
Number of episodes showing how the Federation is formed and TOS comes about so far: 0.
**** you, Rick Berman.
Deborah
This is one of my favorite episodes of Star Trek and I come back to it again and again, if for nothing else than the well realized origin of Red Alert. Love the build-up, the comedic timing is spot-on, a testament to both the actors and the directing. Four stars.
Rahul
I don't think the main cast members (minus Travis) get the credit they deserve -- and while there's nothing really original here in terms of how they go crazy, their interactions and monomania are very entertaining -- a very well-acted episode. Even if the plot is uber-thin and some things seem farfetched (a zombie-like Archer navigating the ship through an asteroid field and not to mention the "unique" effects of the radiation), "Singularity" is a decent episode.
Have to upgrade my rating to 2.5 stars. It's inconsequential but for putting T'Pol's capabilities on display and, of course, seeing some basic traits exaggerated from the main cast members. Once one gets quite familiar with the series, an episode like this can be appreciated a lot more.
Cory
Did anyone else notice the sound that Reed selected as his "tactical alert", for all the crew's talk of how unbearable it was, is very similar to the sound Picard's Enterprise used for its own red alert?
"And if I have to listen to that alarm one more time, I'll have YOU taken out and shot!" -Archer, seizing Reed by the throat.
LOL.
Cory
Also, one more thought I had about this episode:
I wonder if it serves to show us, the audience who are used to seeing the Enterprise crew behave "normally", what humans behaving "normally" look like to the stoic Vulcans. As I was watching the episode, I had a moment where I thought: "Wow, how I feel about the crew's behavior right now must be EXACTLY what Vulcans 'feel' when they interact with humans when we're supposedly at our best."
Maybe that's a little too layered for Enterprise's writing, but this episode definitely helped me empathize with why Vulcans regard us as they do.
Ruth
Cory, I thought that too, not exactly but it’s like what other Vulcans must have been telling T’Pol about being so foolish as to serve on a mainly human ship. They’re all like this to them. And it’s actually her familiarity with humans that helps them all out - she knows they’re nothing like this.
This episode has already been done both in Enterprise with T’Pol in the cave and with Seven manning Voyager alone because the rest of the crew are laid low by radiation. But it’s pretty funny, whereas those episodes were quite serious. My favourite parts are Trip’s eye roll things he keeps doing, Sato shouting “carrots!” and Reed growling “water polo”. I think this is better than the last few episodes. It’s lightweight, but entertaining.
Ron
I really agree that this is a lot like D.P. from DS9. Also a nice chance for T'pol to put in a more varied, intense performance. While both are "comedy" episodes, such as they are within the Trek franchise, D.P. is a lot more funny in my opinion. Sisko vs. Kira is just a classic and the clock brings it all together. Glad to have these reviews during my first sequential viewing of ENT.
Quibbles
Personally, I judge these “crew going insane” episodes on one basis only: was it entertaining? That’s why I actually love “The Naked Now.” It’s insane, over-the-top, and ill-advised, but damn is it fun to watch. “Singularity” doesn’t hit those heights of lunacy, but it delivers. To this day, I still crack up when I think of Reed’s annoying alarm sounds. Hoshi’s “CARROTS!!” is a close second. I also thought Jolene Blalock was quite good. As the series goes on, she seems to be getting better at modulating that Vulcan reserve. In this ep, she picks the right moments to push for urgency, and her reactions to the crew’s crazy behavior are spot-on.
I also enjoyed the low-tech way T’Pol snaps Archer back to reality: just a cold shower and a cup of coffee! It makes for a more engaging scene than engineering some arbitrary injection or serum consisting of “X particle, which specifically counters the effects of Y radiation,” which is what Voyager would’ve done. A solid *** from me.
Bucktown
Braga: What if we did "The Naked Now" but instead of the crew acting drunk, instead they're acting jacked up from 5 lines of coke?
Berman: Perfect!
Alejandro
This episode reminds me of a crew comprised entirely of Dwight Schrutes.
Sean J Hagins
I really liked this one. It basically made everyone extremely OCD! I do think though that it would have been better for T'Pol to have fixed things herself. Even with the cold shower, I don't think Archer could have revived enough to do it in the state he was in
Jillyenator
Okay, I watched the last second three times to make sure, but take a look: T'Pol gives Archer a big smile (for her) when Archer asks her to take a look at his book preface. So cute. I'm going to choose to think this was her Amok Time moment, rather than the actress corpsing.
Phlox was scary in this ep. And the 'menacing' music reminded me of Time Squared when the TNG crew watches (Obs. Lounge view screen) the last moments before the Enterprise bows up. Same kind of ominous percussion. Memorable both times.
LOVED the kitchen scene with Hoshi holding down the pot lid as Archer is called to the bridge. Perfectly acted scene in a really nice episode. I don't care if the plot is redone. A three star comedy.
And remember, to T'Pol, she feels surrounded by human lunacy all the time. So her clueing in basically has to take this ship of fools to the next level. Well done, Enterprise.
Eskimo
I actually ADORED this episode. I found it especially amusing that future red alert system and the tactical chair came from like 12 hours of paranoia. Wonderful.
ZeroDave
Missed an opportunity for Travis to be in the ship's gym working on his one rep max, and searching for progressively heavier stuff while everyone around him lose their shit.
Neo the Beagle
Nice to hear Porthos utter a few lines! The normally silent Beagle barked twice!! Hope he got more than a piece of cheese for that dogged performance
Marlboro
CARROTS!
The stretch of episodes from A Night in Sickbay to Precious Cargo are pretty bad, and I really hate both the Naked Time and Naked Now, so it's really surprising that I like this episode so much. The humor works here where it didn't on TOS and TNG.
Being Enterprise it would have been easy for them to go with a cringy sex comedy like TNG did, but instead we got a really fun episode where the cast gets to show off their comedic chops. And it works because it isn't played as farce. Reed Alert, Carrots, the mother of all chairs, and a never ending preface - what's not to like?
Oh, and let's not forget a terrifyingly thorough Dr. Phlox. I would have hated to have a prostate exam scheduled that week.
p.s. IS the captain's chair too low? I kind of think it is. From a filming perspective it's too low compared to the helm. You can't get good shots unless you go in from a side angle or try to shoot over Anthony Montgomery and his console. TOS had a similar set-up, but it had a couple of advantages. One is that the chair was a little higher and could swivel. The other is that Kirk's chair seat didn't have a steep incline. Archer's chair is so deep it just swallows the actors up. It's hard to have dramatic shots when the captain is buried in a twenty-second century Laz-E-Boy. So you end up with Archer and T'Pol having to perch on the very edge of the chair which looks weird as hell.
Reed's and T'Pols stations are also odd. They both have those obtrusive supports that make them look like they are riding a bull or something.
zzybaloobah
OK. It's derivative. So what?
The acting sold it. Phlox was brilliant and terrifying ("Remove the top 12 mm of the cerebral cortex...."!!!!). Reed's obsession was perfectly in character. Trip's obsession was in direct response to Archer's orders.
Poor Travis.... not much from him. I would have rather seen Hoshi obsess over some untranslatable transmission, but OK, I can buy she has a thing for cooking. The only one who looks bad is Archer -- his obsession is so un-captain-like. Shouldn't he be obsessing over the ship, the crew, or the mission (it could still be some trivial detail -- perhaps a list of future upgrades at Jupiter station?)
T'Pol really sells her response. You know that she knows something is wrong, but she's observing and collecting data: "How abnormal is this for humans?"
Archer being able to pilot seemed a stretch, but OK, you expect the captain to be able to pull it together when no one else could.
Solid 3/4 stars.
@Marlboro
"Oh, and let's not forget a terrifyingly thorough Dr. Phlox. I would have hated to have a prostate exam scheduled that week." -- LOL!
Friend of Garak
I'll admit I'm not a big fan of the "plot contrivance makes crew go nuts" episodes in general, but this is easily the worst. Just really not entertaining to see the crew act petulant/short-tempered/psychopathic for 40 minutes. Also having the only reference to Hoshi's ethnic background so far be her manically recreating a family recipe over and over looks pretty bad now and wasn't really excusable in 2002 either. I'd say either take the "future is colorblind" approach and don't allude to a character's race at all (La Forge/the Mariners on LD) or find a more dignified way to do it (Sisko.)
Davidw
Now we know where SNW gets its immature and unprofessional characters.
The reason this is a good episode is simply because of T'Pol. She's the only real "Federation" character. She's not so different in this episode than is she is in many.
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