Episode 88: Babel One

The TOS retrospective continues with "Babel One", a clear homage to "Journey To Babel" from Kirk's era. Written by Mike Sussman, this episode chronicles the first Babel peace conference, with Archer invited to act as the mediator between the ever-warring Andorians and Tellarites.

The plot of this three-part adventure is quite complex. It involves a Romulan secret weapon, their attempt to destabilise the entire system by creating war among the locals (humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites especially), and Archer's attempt not just to keep the peace but to build a lasting alliance.

We are "treated" to a scantily clad female Andorian officer seducing a MACO guard, yet another discussion about T'Pol's bum, and a good old fashioned duel, where Archer manages to defeat Schran using an Andorian blade he's never seen before and a fighting technique that is new to him.

If I recall my Star Trek history correctly, the Romulans were said to have been behind Star Fleet in terms of technology when they first "burst out of their star system" 100 years before Kirk's era and, even in the seminal TOS episode "Balance of Terror", Romulans had simple impulse engines and were no match for NCC-1701's speed.

Yet here we are in the 22nd century and the Romulan empire is capable of building a ship that can be operated telepathically all the way from Romulus, that can mimic the configuration of any ship, that has weapons more powerful that those of the best Andorian ship, that can literally dance around space such that targetting scanners are useless against it and that can repair significant damage by itself in significantly less time than it would take a Star Fleet crew.

Miraculous. And yet they would lose a war to the neophyte Star Fleet just decades later?

The episode ends with the Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites and Humans in a fragile alliance, joining forces to hunt down the Marauder. The last scene offers the stunning revelation that the telepathic "pilot" of the Marauder is a white-skinned Andorian.

Despite its many many flaws, the episode is not without merit. The space battles are well depicted and the Tellarites come across as charmingly repugnant. Their conflict with the Andorians is believable.

I also continue to enjoy seeing the development of Schran, the Andorian Commander played so effectively by Jeffrey Combs. Seeing him in love is an interesting experience and they do a nice job with the relationship that has been developing since season one between Schran and Archer.