Episode 95: In a Mirror Darkly, Part II

At least we get to see a re-interpretation of a Tholian and a Gorn. That's pretty fun.

Tucker and T'Pol manage to get Defiant operational and, with its 23rd century weaponry, Defiant makes short work of the Tholian base and its fleet. They pick up the survivors of Enterprise and, with a crew now numbering 47, streak off (probably at Warp Seven or so) to intervene in the Empire's efforts to put down the rebellion.

Defiant arrives in time to save Avenger, an NX class starship, from about a dozen enemy vessels (representing Vulcan, Andorian, Tellarite and several other designs). Archer goes out his way to pursue and destroy a fleeing Vulcan ship, to T'Pol's anguish, only to permit a Tellarite ship to escape so that it can warn the rest of the rebels of the Empire's new weapon.

Archer continues to show his xenophobic stripes and T'Pol and a bearded Commander Soval (yes, that's where the poor dead Ambassador has ended up, on the bridge of the Avenger) begin to plot against him. The Gorn, meanwhile, starts to kill crew and damage Defiant in order to force Archer to release him in a shuttle. Archer, however, is goaded on by a bizarre imaginary representation of himself, into hunting the Gorn down himself.

Archer then decides to remove every non-human crew member from Defiant and transfer them to Avenger, to avoid any further interference. Dr. Phlox is the only non-human permitted to remain (apparently, Avenger does not have a human doctor who could take his place).

T'Pol and Soval then entice Phlox (with promises of riches, power and, of course, "females") to join their cause. He goes back aboard Defiant to do the exact same damage to her that the Gorn did (you know, to save on the cost of sets).

Phlox  fails, and Defiant destroys Avenger. Then, in a final twist, Sato poisons Archer and, with Mayweather's support, takes over Defiant. She pronounces herself "Empress Sato" and demands Earth's surrender. Fade out.

And I mean, fade out. Episode 2 ends with Sato's pronouncement and there is no third episode in the series to say what happens next.

It doesn't matter. Not to the writers, not to the creative team, not to the viewer. The past 84 minutes of Enterprise might as well have been a dream. A teenage masturbatory nightmare, to be honest.

I will give kudos to Linda Park, however. She brings real seduction and menace to her alt-universe character. And to the people who build, decorated and presented the sets -- they are impressive.

But the alt-universe story line comes across to me as a cheap ploy to try to draw Star Trek loyalists back to Enterprise. Nothing more. The story is fun but not particularly well designed nor well written. There is absolutely no tie back to the "real" universe that would warrant viewers to become invested in the story line or the characters.

There is just... an over-sexed, over-violent indulgence of anti-Trek disguised as good Trek.