Star Trek: Enterprise
"The Forge"
Air date: 11/19/2004
Written by Judith Reeves-Stevens & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Directed by Michael Grossman
Review by Jamahl Epsicokhan
"Over the centuries, his followers made copies of his teachings."
"Let me guess: With the originals lost, whatever's left is open to interpretation."
"You find this amusing."
"I find it familiar."— T'Pol and Archer on the writings of Surak
In brief: An intriguing, jam-packed story that cares about the history of Star Trek. Of particular interest to culture aficionados.
Here's an hour packed wall-to-wall with political intrigue, plot exposition, conspiracies, Vulcan history/mysticism/cultural references, and half a dozen significant guest roles. On a series that often hangs its hopes on playing to the action crowd, "The Forge" seems almost like an act of radical scriptwriting. It's an appropriate first Enterprise writing assignment for Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who are new to the Enterprise writing staff but well-known veterans of the Star Trek book world. They approach this episode not just as storytellers, but as novelists — or archivists.
The episode has the texture and pace of a Bajoran-themed show that would be right at home in DS9's second season. The plot is a forensic deconstruction of the players, their actions, their beliefs, centuries of history, and what it all means. The story is enhanced by an abundance of references worthy of a Trek prequel series.
This, my friends, is a show for true Trek fans. It delivers on Manny Coto's mission statement for this season: to use Enterprise as the backstory for Star Trek. It also throws in relevant details established in previous seasons of Enterprise, like the destruction of P'Jem. Those hoping for third-season-like action/adventure may be disappointed. Those who aren't interested in Vulcan society will be lost. This is not for the uninitiated viewer. But I think it's safe to say the core Trek fans will be sufficiently absorbed.
I was particularly impressed by the sheer amount of material the show throws at us. But since volume isn't everything, it's a good thing that the show also does some worthwhile things with its characters.
One character who does not have good things happen to him — but whose story contribution is substantially important — is Admiral Forrest (the reliable Vaughn Armstrong), who is promptly killed in an early scene where the Earth embassy on Vulcan is bombed. Forrest saves Soval's (Gary Graham) life at the cost of his own. Just moments earlier the two were discussing the issues of trust between Earth and the Vulcan High Command, which has its doubts about humans in no small part because humans remind the Vulcans of their own ancient war-torn past, before the age of logic reformed their world.
The bombing death toll is 43, including 12 Vulcans. The Enterprise is ordered to Vulcan to open a joint investigation with the High Command. The High Command believes the bombing may have been committed by the Syrrannites, a Vulcan subculture that the High Command says follows a leader named Syrran, who teaches a "corrupted" version of Surak's beliefs. Surak was the father of modern Vulcan logic, a philosophy he birthed 1,800 years ago, bringing peace to a turbulent, devastated world. (Surak was mentioned in TOS, although a search of my old reviews reveals only one reference, in the awful "The Savage Curtain," an episode that also had the misguided audacity to resurrect Abraham Lincoln.) The High Command apparently sees the Syrrannites as a backward sect that would presumably bomb an embassy because they are wary of outsiders.
During the forensic investigation of the blast site, Reed and Mayweather come across an unexploded — but still very armed — bomb. Reed takes some scans (and offers the keen observation: "Look on the bright side: If it detonates, we'll never know"). The scans reveal DNA on the device that implicates a Syrrannite named T'Pau. Yes, that would be the same iron-willed T'Pau from TOS's "Amok Time," who presided over Spock's would-be wedding and was famous for being the only person to turn down a seat on the Federation Council.
About here is when T'Pol's husband Koss (Michael Reilly Burke) shows up to deliver a personal message from T'Pol's mother, T'Les. It seems that privacy is the first thing lost when an embassy is bombed and the High Command gets jittery; Koss came to deliver the message to T'Pol personally for fear that a ship-to-shore signal would be monitored.
T'Pol is cold toward Koss, making me continue to wonder why Koss would waste his time holding out for her. Koss presents her a Vulcan IDIC ("Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations," adding another to the tally of TOS references) that was given to him by T'Les. It seems T'Les is a Syrrannite and has gone into hiding in light of current events. It also sheds new light on why she was perhaps forced out of her position at the academy (see "Home").
The IDIC contains a holographic map of a famous Vulcan desert called the Forge, and a path through the Forge that, according to history (or is it myth, or legend?), is the same path Surak took on his road to enlightenment. Vulcans, particularly Syrrannites, walk this same path to achieve similar enlightenment. There's an exchange between Archer and T'Pol that I liked, where the story draws a parallel between Vulcan history and human history, and notes how these stories of biblical scope cannot be agreed upon because the records have been lost and transmuted over thousands of years.
One of the nice aspects of "The Forge" is that it shows Vulcan as a society that has its fragments and disagreements. There's more unity here than Bajor had, yes, but it's always nice to see a world in Star Trek other than Earth that is not necessarily comprised of only one society or point of view.
Indeed, the most interesting aspect of the plot is the fact that the High Command is possibly itself part of a conspiracy of deception. Soval finds he is out of the loop in regard to the bombing investigation and the High Command's politicking around it. In what is the story's most interesting character turn, Soval discovers his loyalties are more to Archer than the High Command. Soval, like Archer, respected Admiral Forrest, and Soval begins to suspect the High Command is not being straight with him, Starfleet, or the Vulcan people.
There's a strong scene on the Enterprise that takes place in a room full of flag-draped coffins. As Archer reflects upon Admiral Forrest, Soval enters the room and subtly turns a 180 from toeing the line of the High Command to becoming Archer's ally, telling him to find the truth in this investigation. "Whatever the High Command tells you, believe the opposite," he says.
Archer and T'Pol beam down to the Forge, which is like a technology blackout zone because of a dampening field. You can't beam in or out; you must start at the edge and walk miles through the desert. The plan is to walk along the path shown in the map in hopes of finding the Syrrannite sanctuary.
This leaves the rest of the investigation in the hands of Trip and the Enterprise. Phlox discovers that the DNA evidence on the bomb was faked, but this new development cannot be transmitted to Archer and T'Pol while they are in the Forge. The only living witness who might be able to identify other suspects is lying in a coma from the explosion, and is unlikely to recover.
Trip and Phlox suggest a Vulcan mind-meld to retrieve his memories. They turn to Soval for help, and in what is the show's most surprising and satisfying example of put-up-or-shut-up, Soval says that he himself will put his career on the line and perform the meld. Soval learns via the meld that Stel (Larc Spies), a high-ranking member of the High Command, was present before the explosion. Stel is an adjutant to the head of the High Command himself: V'Las (Robert Foxworth). When V'Las gets word of Soval's mind-meld, he promises severe consequences; Soval might very well be finished.
In the Forge, Archer and T'Pol must contend with desert creatures (the Sehlat, which wants to eat them), as well as violent desert storms (the Sandfire, which wants to bury them under tons of sand or boulders). Helping them survive is a desert traveler they encounter named Arev (Michael Nouri), who turns out to be a Syrrannite and tries to set the record straight on their beliefs, which he says have long been distorted by an increasingly intolerant High Command.
Arev is headed to the T'Karath Sanctuary, where the Syrrannites are hiding. He tells T'Pol that her mother is among them. He also explains the Syrrannite belief in returning to the basics of Surak's teachings. Furthermore, he claims Surak's Katra is being carried by one of the Syrrannites. You remember the Katra from Star Trek III. If not, you can watch "The Forge" (or Star Trek III) for yourself to figure out how it plays into Vulcan mysticism, and what it means when Arev is about to die and transfers the Katra to Archer. Holding the Katra of Surak can be no small feat. And it's a really neat story idea.
As you probably figured from this long and particularly synopsis-heavy review, "The Forge" is awfully heavy on exposition. Having Archer along is handy, since T'Pol and Arev can explain Vulcan things to him and, by extension, to us. If the show has a weakness, it's that there's so much explaining going on, and some of this might've been achieved with images or hints instead of talking. But that's not a huge problem, because this is a show that believes in the fictional events it is trying to sell us. And the information is mostly fascinating.
This is an intriguing outing. It's like a cross between Enterprise, The Original Series, and Deep Space Nine, all at once.
Next week: Just what does it mean when you carry the Katra of the father of Vulcan logic?
Previous episode: The Augments
Next episode: Awakening
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34 comments on this post
Sun, Dec 21, 2008, 11:37pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Mar 23, 2009, 12:34am (UTC -5)
Sun, Sep 6, 2009, 11:07am (UTC -5)
I loved this episode. Tighly plotted, insight on Vulcan society etc. Just one thing makes me cringe: Why God why does it have to be dumb *Archer* who gets Surak's katra transfered into his mind?? Archer? Are you kidding me, writers?
Tue, Aug 17, 2010, 12:35am (UTC -5)
Sun, Apr 24, 2011, 12:06pm (UTC -5)
Mon, May 16, 2011, 2:34pm (UTC -5)
During "Home" (S4E03) we had a brief glimpse of the true potential of Vulcan society portrayal in ENT. but "The Forge" represents its full realization. Finally Vulcans are truly given depth, background, politics, culture, as well as an interesting history replete with ideological ramifications. They act & perform like three-dimensional characters!
The most interesting character portrayed is Soval. Long after T'Pol, he represents the first Vulcan ready to truly embrace Human-Vulcan cooperation and his willingness to put his career (even *status* as Vulcan) on the line, in order to helo his deceased friend Admiral Forrest (and then later Jonathan Archer) is both surprising and very refreshing. Vulcans are truly no longer the suspicious beings holding humans back in their technological advancement and spatial exploration.
I think a big key to this episode's success are the multiple parallels drawn from our own Earth society: factions with different political/theological idelogy, conspiracies, differing interpretation of religious texts. The multiple nods to Trek continuity are just the icing on an already large and tasty cake.
A few nitpicking points and other comments, in no particular order:
• In one of the episode's opening scenes, THANK GOD the crew is playing basketball. If I see one more waterpolo footage I think I'll shoot myself.
• Why are Reed and Mayweather investigating the Embassy bombing?? What have Enterprise's PILOT and CHIEF OF SECURITY got to do with it? Shouldn't this be handled by a local StarFleet commission?
• Why didn't Reed/Mayweather beam off the bomb?!? For fear it might detonate? Contrary to episodes in other Trek series (where they specifically state some bombs are rigged to explode the minute a transporter beam attempts to dematerialize them), nobody said that would happen this time!
• Also and on more general terms, isn't it awfully convenient bombs on TV never blow instantly? They always start beeping increasingly faster giving the protagonists a chance to get away.
•T'Pol has been looking increasingly attractive this season. Within less than 6 episodes they have succeeded what ENT has failed to do over the course of 3 entire seasons: make T'Pol look sexy! All it took was an elegant white dress and slightly longer hair.
• Reviving a coma patient with extensive injuries (at the cost of possibly worsening) raised a big alarm medical ethics alarm bell in me. Fortunately they went with the mind-meld approach.
At any rate the overall feeling remains largely positive. "Worthy of a Trek prequel series" indeed.
Wed, Sep 19, 2012, 12:31pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Dec 9, 2012, 1:31pm (UTC -5)
Wed, Jan 16, 2013, 5:11am (UTC -5)
My only real nitpick: Why would the chief prosecutor deliver the bomb himself in an obvious looking box? And why would a regular human guard recognise him?
Whatever. This was entertaining, reverent and mature enough an episode to finally make me not care so much about the minutiae. Here's hoping it's resolved well.
3.5
Sat, Feb 16, 2013, 8:47pm (UTC -5)
I thought it was interesting that mind melds are considered to be deviant behaviour in Enterprise's time, but in TNG, they're just fine with them. How do they feel about them in TOS? Is there any stigma attached to them? I'd think that a society whose members live to be 350 would change their attitudes a little slower.
Sat, Mar 2, 2013, 7:40pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Mar 3, 2013, 9:54pm (UTC -5)
This trilogy reminds me of "Stormfront", in that a particular element of the series is finally being jettisoned. Douchebag Vulcans just didn't work, and the idea that their entire society could have changed so completely in the space of one Vulcan lifetime (the time between this show and TOS) really seems farfetched. I don't think this seismic change in the Vulcans was part of Berman and Braga's original plan, but was instead a quick fix by Manny Coto. Still, I won't complain, as this episode was one of only a handful in the entire series (the others being "Fusion" and "Carbon Creek") in which I didn't despise this show's version of the Vulcans. Too bad Manny Coto wasn't around from day one. It's also too bad Berman and Braga didn't have any real fondness for TOS. It certainly shows in their work.
Fri, Aug 30, 2013, 8:28pm (UTC -5)
Thu, Jan 2, 2014, 1:40pm (UTC -5)
"For people without emotions, you guys sure have a flair for the dramatic."
Mon, May 26, 2014, 5:58am (UTC -5)
Lots of red meat for longtime Trek fans, too. They practically referenced half the canon in just one episode, and did so nicely. Very well done and a shame it’s taken this long to get this far — which is not to say I didn’t like ST:E until now, in fact I’ve enjoyed it more than DS9 and far more than VOY, but now it seems to be really taking off. So much more the pity that the show was cancelled, because it was really beginning to show some serious promise.
My only nitpick was how Archer seems to hold up better with the katra than McCoy did in ST III. McCoy was practically insane, but Archer seems to be functioning pretty normally.
I think they were definitely dropping hints that T’Pol may be partly human, possibly from her great-grandmother’s sojourn on Earth. Certainly an intriguing premise.
As for Koss’ motivation for keeping the marriage to T’Pol, I think it’s fairly obvious. Not going through with an arranged marriage would bring great shame on both families, whatever the reason, and given that Koss’ family is very powerful and high-ranking, they would be nearly obsessed with putting on a good face. This sort of thing was quite common in Earth noble houses, and I think this is intended as something of a parallel. So Koss would have wanted to keep up appearances while also being willing to compromise with T’Pol to achieve that. I think it makes his character and the whole marriage story much more interesting.
As to why the Syrrannites would revere Surak like a prophet, again there is an Earth parallel — Buddha. Buddhists also regard him highly and have statues of him everywhere, even though he explicitly is *not* seen as a god and is not supernatural in any way. I think Surak’s religion is meant to be pretty much like Buddhism on Earth, basically a quasi-religious mystical philosophy. The level of reverence for Surak’s person makes perfect sense in that context, particularly if he really did bring an end to the wars and slaughter of early Vulcan history.
All in all an excellent outing. I’d give four stars and look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Fri, Dec 5, 2014, 11:32pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Feb 15, 2015, 4:32pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Feb 15, 2015, 8:56pm (UTC -5)
I don't think it's *too* far-fetched that a society could (largely, with outliers like Spock's bro) change so quickly, with a confluence of the right players and events. Contact with humans, and the resulting impetus for the Federation, ended up being as important to Vulcans as contact with Vulcans was for humans!
Sat, May 14, 2016, 7:47am (UTC -5)
Soval's change of sides does come a little out of the blue, and I could have done without the sub X-Files 'trust no one' conspiracy being so prominent, but that's a minor gripe I guess. 3 stars.
Sun, May 29, 2016, 11:25pm (UTC -5)
As for T'Pol, @John G, it's not hints that she was half human, but apparently (so I've read) that her father would be revealed (presumably just to the audience) to be an undercover intelligence officer for the Romulans! This would explain her heightened emotional state compaired to other Vulcans.
I so wish this show had gotten to the Romulan War. Romulans are to me far more interesting villans than the overused Klingons, and they've been seriously shafted in the franchise.
Sat, Apr 22, 2017, 1:14pm (UTC -5)
As noted, this episode is packed with plot and detail and exposition, and I can imagine many viewers who perhaps grew up with the Voyager style of doing things being alienated. I'm inclined to say 'too bad', but it's ironic that it may have been partly this long awaited evolution of the show which helped drive its ratings into the ground even further. I'll admit at times data was coming so thick and fast I felt a little inundated, but it's a nice feeling to have after three seasons of obligatory fire-fights at the end of most episodes.
Sovall finally becomes a three dimensional, likeable character, and in the process brings Vulcan culture with him, out from the fog of anonymous assholism which the writers had inflicted upon it til this point. Mystery, intrigue, historical and Trek references abound, and there is no horrid acting (I've meant to mention for a while that becoming a junkie turned out to be the best thing to happen to T'Pol. Well before season three's end she'd shed her infuriating lack of affect and become a genuine character).
The slow pace was like a breath of fresh air - even if I'm a little confused about what all this Syrranite business is ultimately about - and crucially thus is the first time that Enterprise has EVER felt like classic Trek (there have been numerous outstanding episodes, but this the first time it's felt really canon.)
The density and exposition stop this from being a four star episode, but in terms of what it brings to the series, it's priceless.
Thu, May 4, 2017, 1:56pm (UTC -5)
Mon, Jul 31, 2017, 4:15pm (UTC -5)
I was surprised to hear T'Pau's name brought up as being the one blamed for the bombing but ultimately it's not her as there's a conspiracy underfoot.
As the 1st part of a multi-part episode, obviously a lot of loose ends are left at the end of the episode -- but "The Forge" is more interesting than say the 1st episode about the Augments trilogy.
I'd give "The Forge" 3 stars -- a good story is underway, lots of moving parts so far. Soval's story is also a compelling one, doing the mind meld at great risk to his career. I like these political intrigue stories (much like DS9) with the Vulcan High Council having something against the Syrrannites.
Wed, Aug 16, 2017, 8:55pm (UTC -5)
Excellent episode
This was a quest done right with the smuggled pendant with the hidden holographic map. I loved the scope both geographically, historically and cast. The world building with Vulcan was fantastic-from the alien architecture in the cityscapes to the desolate Forge, the mysticism, the analysis of their culture. And The namedropping actually served a purpose other than being gratuitous. It enhanced the story rather than having a story built around them. The sehlat, T'Pau, Surak, The Awakening, Kate's and the mind meld between Soval and the injured officer felt truly alien and other-worldly in a way the act never has
The dialog was practically poetic( those who marched beneath Raptor's wings, Arev describing how green blood flowed through the Forge, the story of the IDIC etc)
Arev was THE perfect Vulcan and Remi see me in every way of my image of a Vulcan
The room full of caskets was powerful. No photon torpedoes but actual coffins. And with the loss of Adm Forest. And the unsettling events on Vulcan all perfectly got across that paving the way to the Federation would be not be easy, that in the 22'd century the Alpha Quadrant is in turmoil
Sun, Sep 10, 2017, 9:36pm (UTC -5)
Because she's a hot piece of @ss.
Mon, Oct 23, 2017, 1:59pm (UTC -5)
Heroism by Forrest, Soval paying his debt to him by risking his career for the sake of truth.
A good Vulcan background with intelligent criticism towards our own myths.
Conspirators on high levels of power.
Action and philosophy!
What's not to love????
Fri, Mar 30, 2018, 10:14am (UTC -5)
Wed, Apr 3, 2019, 1:49pm (UTC -5)
I was wondering why we needed Archer to be the carrier of vital Vulcan information, but they likely needed a human for it to work with the plot.
Mon, Feb 10, 2020, 12:05pm (UTC -5)
Sun, Aug 2, 2020, 12:20am (UTC -5)
Fri, Oct 2, 2020, 10:28pm (UTC -5)
I particularly liked the beginning discussion about humanity, how you can’t put us in a box. I think that’s the problem with people today, we’re too busy picking apart our differences when we should be celebrating our differences. That’s the true meaning of IDIC, I think. The reason the Vulcans fear humanity seems like the same reason the Q fears humanity: the unknown potential.
Mon, Feb 14, 2022, 5:34am (UTC -5)
But what really bothers me about this episode is the casting of Administrator V'Las. Robert Foxworth is a great actor, and has done some amazing work in Trek in the past, but he does not come across as a Vulcan AT ALL. Not even a corrupt Vulcan. Maybe, the series had not been cancelled, they could have revealed him to be a Romulan. But as it stands, he is one of the most emotional, illogical, characters in these 2 episodes.
Mon, Jun 20, 2022, 9:00pm (UTC -5)
Forrest discusses with Soval that humans and Vulcans can trust each other. The he proves it by sacrificing his life to save Soval. It isn't explicitly stated but this may have a lot to do with Soval's 180 degree turn, now willing to work against the Vulcan high command. Having hidden his mind melding for all these years, although only revealed now, helps explain his willingness to go against the establishment.
It probably would be more logical for Soval, given his apparent goals of assisting the humans and finding the truth, to keep his betrayal or opposition confidential in order to continue assisting, rather than openly admitting to the mind meld which mostly brought an end to his assistance.
When they discover the bomb, they should clearly tell Enterprise what's happening: "we found a bomb" in addition to asking to prepare for emergency beamout. Maybe take a picture and send it to Enterprise as evidence for their investigation. Maybe transport the recording device found alongside it back to Enterprise before scanning the bomb which triggered its destruction, and they knew that risk that scanning might trigger it.
The bomb is evidence, although dangerous, and when it detonates they lose much information that might have been preserved by a more cautious approach. It would seem that when finding a dangerous bomb, caution would be an appropriate measure.
I like that they never show the sehlat, unless I'm mistaken, and viewers are left to imagine what it looks like for themselves.
Mon, Feb 6, 2023, 12:55am (UTC -5)
1) Reed and Meriweather as investigators? Seems unlikely
2) Desert costumes? Archer in a BLACK baseball cap? Really? There's a reason traditional Arab/Bedouin costumes look the way they do.
And how about a full pack (not a daypack) -- consisting mostly of water.
But, seriously good stuff. 3.5, maybe 4 stars.
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