Enterprise Flashback: Civilization

As a prequel to all Star Trek that had come before, Enterprise sometimes had a "throwback" quality to its episodes. The early season one episode "Civilization" was the purest example of this to that point.

When Enterprise detects signs of advanced technology in a pre-warp civilization, Archer orders a covert mission to the planet. There they discover a group of aliens working toward nefarious ends, and Archer finds himself drawn to one of the locals.

In this series' model of "becoming Star Trek," it seems early on like this episode is going to show us why the Prime Directive, a rule to avoid interfering with less advanced societies, is needed. Yet the episode becomes an unexpected subversion of that. It turns out that other aliens are interfering with these aliens, and it's incumbent on our heroes to interfere themselves to restore the status quo. Not that the episode spends much time contemplating the morality of the situation. Mostly, it's just an adventure very much in the mold of the original Star Trek series -- a Vulcan hiding their ears, cloak-and-dagger mischief on the planet, and an alien romance for the captain.

That's not necessarily a bad thing. I actually found this to be the most entertaining episode of Enterprise so far, in large part because it doesn't try for too heavy a tone. There's time for humor: jokes about alien abductions and UFOs landing in corn fields. There's time for action: shoot-outs, a face-peeling homage to the mini-series V, and a classic "which wire do we cut?" climax. And hey, there is light-touch morality in there too, as the problem of the episode ultimately turns on poisoning of ground water and the resulting health issues that causes.

Along the way are some nice little character moments. Hoshi is thrilled about the number of languages spoken in this alien society. Phlox is impressed at the scientific advances of the local apothecary. T'Pol takes command of the Enterprise and excels. (Best not think too hard about the moment where Trip flies off the handle, questioning her judgment.) And, of course, from beginning to end, the episode is a chance for Archer (and Scott Bakula) to engage in some classic Kirk (and William Shatner) swashbuckling.

Still, the episode is hardly top notch. Archer is so "Kirk" in this story that at times it plays too chauvinist and paternal. For the second time in just eight episodes, we've got a story about aliens with a hidden underground installation -- is Enterprise already running out of ideas? And some of the performances feel a bit extreme, low-key one moment and full-tilt the next. (Though there's context for that; see below.)

Other observations:

• The first day of filming on this episode was September 11, 2001. They'd just begun their day when news of the terrorist attacks came and filming shut down. Some of the people involved in the show have said that they feel the shadow of that all over this episode when they watch it, and I think perhaps they're right. Not that you'd ever put your finger on what exactly is going on, but sometimes the performances feel just a little off somehow.

• In a fun Trekker detail, the transporter is a new enough technology that the ability to do a "site to site transport" doesn't exist. They have to beam up the alien reactor to the ship, and then turn around and beam it into space.

I'd probably wish for Archer to be a little less Kirk-like, but I ultimately enjoyed the simple pleasures of this episode. I give "Civilization" a B.