Archer and Mayweather are captured by the Tandarans, an alien race at war with the Suliban. The two are housed in a Suliban detention camp while they wait for Enterprise to retrieve them... where they quickly learn that Tandaran claims about the Suliban are overbroad, and the conditions in which Suliban civilians are kept are truly immoral.
This episode is a direct allegory to American internment of Japanese citizens during World War II, and it wants you to know that; one of the real-world camps, Manzanar, is referenced by name in dialogue. It's history worth being direct about, and not as widely known as it should be. (And I think perhaps less still in 2002, when the episode was released.) In fact, at the time, this episode may well have been intended as a cautionary message about Islamophobia in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks: do not judge the many by the acts of a few.
Unfortunately, there are aspects of the episode that dilute the good message. One is how much the narrative centers on Captain Archer, a (checks notes) straight white guy. This is an episode about Archer learning that "not all Suliban" are part of a cabal, or have genetic enhancements. If you're going to be direct enough to mention the real-world historical analog at the heart of this story, I feel like you are obligated to include more of a minority perspective. Mayweather is right there on the planet with Archer, but really gets just one notable scene in the episode -- and it's a scene that clangs pretty hard, as he rails at the Suliban detainees, "I just don't understand this concept of racism!" (Alright, not in exactly those words, but close enough to them to be awkward.) Meanwhile, if you want to be direct with this episode, Hoshi Sato is right there in your main cast of characters, and could have wound up in the camp with Archer.
Another issue for me is that any message this episode might convey feels secondary to the loud stunt casting of Dean Stockwell as Grat, the head of the detention camp. While I'm sure plenty of viewers of Enterprise had never actually watched an episode of Quantum Leap, the vast majority had to have at least been aware of the series -- and the fact that this episode represented a reunion for Stockwell and Scott Bakula. Plus, extra fun: here on Star Trek, they're adversaries!
Don't get me wrong, I think all of that is fun. And I appreciate that they brought Stockwell in to play a meatier role. He gets to throw around all the autocratic weight of his character's position, playing at being nice while ultimately being evil. It's a good character, and he's good playing it. But his presence and what it represents winds up feeling like the point of this episode; this isn't the "Japanese internment episode," it's the "Quantum Leap reunion episode."
Even though Archer quickly finds his way to the moral high ground of this story, his decision making seems poor. He could avoid rocking the boat with Grat, be released, and then turn around and use Enterprise's full resources to go back and free the captives in the camp. I suppose we're meant to see this as noble, his refusal to give an inch in this situation -- but he's lucky the Enterprise crew found this planet on their own and showed up in time to lend a hand.
Other observations:
- When T'Pol suggests delaying the Tandarans to give time for a Vulcan lawyer to come, Trip says "They'd be better off getting the electric chair." In an episode very much about racism, it's a pretty ugly look for the character.
- There are a lot of background actors in Suliban makeup -- which seems costly and time-consuming. But I'm glad they made the effort. The episode benefits from seeing so many prisoners unjustly incarcerated.
- When Reed infiltrates the camp, disguised as a Suliban, Archer recognizes who he is immediately. How?
In case it seems like I'm overly down on this episode, let me make clear: I like the way it spotlights a real-world injustice. Dean Stockwell may be stunt casting, but he's great in this episode. So all told, despite some reservations, I give "Detained" a B.
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