Enterprise Flashback: Two Days and Two Nights

After several episodes of teasing, Enterprise finally does the episiode they've been talking up, "Two Days and Two Nights."

Enterprise arrives at Risa for shore leave. Everyone has different plans on how they'll spend it... and no one's trip goes quite according to plan. 

Every now and then, a Star Trek series will drop in a decidedly "low stakes" episode like this to cleanse the palate. (Unless that show is Discovery, of course, where the stakes are always galactic.) Risa in particular has been the setting for a couple of these lighter episodes. (And with Worf being the troublemaker in one, it's amusing that Michael Dorn is the director of this episode.) While I appreciate the change of pace overall, I found this episode to be a bit of a mixed bag.

I think one problem is how much they built it up. "Going to Risa" has been mentioned in at least two episodes leading up to this. I think it does a disservice to the "low stakes episode" to hype it up so much in advance. Another issue for me is the sort of "wish on a cursed monkey's paw" aspect to everyone's holiday. The people who actually want something out of their time off don't get it, while the one person with no aspirations at all has a great time. That feels like a weirdly judgmental commentary about seeking pleasure at a pleasure resort. Still, the various subplots do all have their fun elements if you separate them from that implied narrative whole.

Archer seems destined for a classic "Star Trek captain rendezvous with a beautiful alien." This trope is upturned in a fun way when his love interest turns out to be pumping him... for information... about the Suliban. (Ha!) It's cute that Porthos has such a big part in this storyline, since Archer has found a hotel that allows dogs. Archer's love interest has a dog too. (Porthos going to get some action?!) Cute beagle insert shots and a well-written, slow realization that "something's up with this woman" make for a satisfying subplot.

When Travis is seriously injured while rock climbing, Phlox must be awakened from hibernation to tend to him. John Billingsley gets to ham it up as a groggy Phlox, a weird fusion of mad scientist and drunkard. I wouldn't want him working on me if I were Travis, but the comedy certainly is fun for the audience.

The one person whose plans go un-awry(?) is Hoshi. She just wants to take in the local language, and winds up having a very close encounter with a cunning linguist. (Sorry, folks, but this is the mindset of this episode.) While I noted that this episode feels morally judgmental overall, I appreciate that it's not at all scolding in the Hoshi Sato storyline. She's a young woman who just has a fling for a couple nights before walking away without obligation. I would have been fine if this is how Hoshi had set out to spend her time, but it's fine that she experienced all of it with no consequence.

The one subplot with few redeeming qualities centers on Reed and Trip, who decide to spend their trip living "A Night at the Roxbury." This subplot was probably meant to be progressive, as we watch two guys out on the prowl get a come-uppance in the form of a mugging. But there are moments of dialogue along the way that to me read as a touch anti-gay and more than a touch transphobic. Is it enough that Reed and Trip are "punished" in the end by having all their stuff stolen and being left in their underwear? Meh.

What a treat this episode must have been for the set and costume departments! Or, perhaps more accurately, a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they got to build multiple sets for a relaxation resort, and got to costume nearly all their main characters in civilian clothes. Background players with alien makeups and costumes of their own make this a great-looking episode where every dollar spent is up on the screen. On the other hand -- they had to do all this in the same handful of days in which any other episode is filmed. Must have been a long week.

Other observations:

• A log tells us this episode takes place on February 18. So, a few days after Valentine's Day, if that means anything.

• The horga'hn-shaped light switch cover is a fun Risa detail for fans. Thankfully, they resisted the possible temptation to put a visible up-down switch protruding suggestively from it.

• Malcolm and Trip's clothes look a bit "Roxbury," but also a bit "Miami Vice."

• Even spending as much money on this episode as they clearly did, some things can't be shown, including Archer's date looking at sea turtles, and Travis' rock climbing accident.

I probably shouldn't get too caught up in the "mixed messages" this episode might send. It's likely this bit of escapism wasn't really meant to send any message. Still, I'd say "Two Days and Two Nights" deserves a B-.