Review Text
In brief: A solid outing that covers a good amount of ground, although the cliffhanger concept seems a little unnecessary.
One nice aspect of "Affliction" is that the varied story ideas allow the episode to breathe. Often on this series, the focus is so narrowly put upon a few key characters and situations that it's either success for their specific arc, or bust. With "Affliction," there's a central plot line, yes, but there are also enough other things going on and enough people involved that we become interested in the characters and little details as well as the plot they inhabit.
And it never hurts to get back to Earth, which itself opens the series up to breathe a bit. The Enterprise has returned for the long-delayed launch of the Columbia, where Trip has been transferred to serve as chief engineer. Early in the episode, as he packs up to leave, T'Pol asks him if he's leaving the ship because of her. The answer is obviously yes, but he tersely tells her otherwise. What's a smitten man in this situation to do? I don't know, but it is kind interesting to see that the not-credible hooking up of these characters last season has now resulted in messy consequences. Let this be a lesson to future Star Trek generations: Don't sleep with your superior officer.
While on shore leave, Phlox and Hoshi are confronted on the street by ominous men in hoods. There's a brief scuffle (in which Hoshi's martial arts knowledge — as suddenly/retroactively revealed in "Observer Effect" — is exploited), and Phlox is shot and carried away. An investigation into Phlox's abduction is launched, beginning with interviews at the crime scene. With a little tweaking and additional insistence, perhaps this could've played as a teaser for CSI: San Francisco 2154. Or maybe Law & Order: Starfleet Security Unit.
As the investigation begins to sprawl, we're taken into some familiar Star Trek places. Hoshi's witnessing of the kidnapping doesn't turn up enough conclusive facts, so Archer suggests T'Pol perform a mind-meld to help Hoshi remember all the details. I guess this is like hypnosis, only better. When T'Pol expresses concern over her ability to initiate a mind-meld, Archer tells her, "I can walk you through it." I'm not sure what I think of that. It certainly makes sense on a plot level, arising from the events of "Kir'Shara," but do we really want the human teaching the Vulcan how to mind-meld?
The mind-meld produces a lead that has the Enterprise chasing a Rigellian ship to a space station that the Enterprise crew finds destroyed by the time they arrive. Destroyed by whom? Reed knows, but he's not saying.
On the other end of the plot, we already know that Phlox is in the hands of the Klingons, who are forcing him to help one of their doctors, a man named Antaak (John Schuck, not new to Klingon roles), research a cure to a deadly contagion threatening the Klingon population. Refreshingly, Antaak is not depicted as a villain but as a man of integrity — in spite of his adherence to accepted Klingon medical protocol, which permits the theft of data and resources and the "euthanasia" of live Klingon test subjects (a brutal notion played for mild laughs).
Through his search for a cure, Phlox learns that the outbreak began when the Klingons attempted to create genetically enhanced subjects from embryos discovered in the wreckage of the ship hijacked by the Augments (see "The Augments"). In terms of self-reference without literal self-reference, this will evidentially provide the explanation for the difference in appearance between the TOS Klingons and the Klingons from the feature films onward. The tie-in with the Augments arc is fairly clever.
Lt. Reed's investigation comprises the other major strand of the story, and the most intriguing. He discovers Starfleet's security grid was down at exactly the time of Phlox's kidnapping. When he tries to find out why, he's contacted by a mysterious agent (Eric Pierpoint, of Alien Nation fame). The show doesn't come out and say it, but this is clearly intended to be some version of Section 31 (their uniforms apparently won't change during the next 200 years; for the DS9 uninitiated, see "Inquisition"). Furthermore, Reed turns out to be a former Section agent. Because of the plot involving Phlox's kidnapping, Reed is reactivated by the Section, and ordered to thwart the Enterprise's investigation, for reasons we cannot yet be certain of.
Reed's conflict makes for the show's best drama, because it involves loyalty and betrayal. He's forced into hiding key evidence from Archer on the orders of an organization that he was apparently affiliated with before Starfleet. When he tells his Section contact that he's uncomfortable hiding things from Archer, the response comes back, "I suggest you adjust your comfort level." Eventually, a trail of clues leads T'Pol back through Reed's interference. Archer dresses him down and has him thrown into the brig as a traitor, which makes for some potent scenes.
Aboard the Columbia, Trip cracks the whip and tells the other engineers that the ship's engines will be online and ready for launch within the week. (He comes across as so inflexible that several engineers request transfers off the ship.) This is before he even reports to the captain for duty. The truth of these scenes are in the simple details of a man moving to a new post, and especially in the quiet observation of Captain Hernandez (Ada Maris), who seems to silently size Trip up while coming across as both professional and friendly. Maris' subtle and internalized performance is one of the show's highlights. Perhaps it's too early to say until we also see the action side of her character in command, but Hernandez already seems like a character that I could see as an anchor for its own series. Show me more.
In keeping with the show's effective "do a little bit of everything" approach, there's also a bizarre daydream involving Trip and T'Pol, which they both seem to share. The sharing goes even further: Hoshi has dreams of Trip, evidently because something spilled over from the mind-meld.
Then there's the action, where human-looking Klingons board the Enterprise and plant a computer virus, which has the effect of forcing the ship to accelerate out of control. Although one of the Klingons is captured, the MACOs still seem way too incompetent as security forces. As for the notion of the ship speeding out of control: Do we really need this as a cliffhanger, and isn't there something vaguely silly about it? (It begs someone to shout out: "We're going too FAST! We're gonna BLOW!")
My biggest fear is that the interesting stuff here will be all too casually reset in the follow-up. I'm speaking specifically of the fallout from Reed's betrayal and Trip having transferred to the Columbia. It seems to me that Reed can't remain in the brig forever, and we're not about to see Trip on an ongoing, parallel Star Trek: Columbia. Hopefully, however they resolve these matters will be worthwhile.
Like many outings this season on Enterprise, "Affliction" is solid and entertaining, but with no real signs of greatness. This, unfortunately, limits my review to another where I basically say "here's what happened in the episode" and "I mostly liked what I saw." Deep analysis or heavy thought doesn't really seem to be required. Not that that's a problem.
Next week: The Enterprise keeps accelerating until it explodes. Okay, probably not.
Previous episode: The Aenar
Next episode: Divergence
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33 comments on this post
Cloudane
Ugh, think I prefer either an ongoing saga, ideally (DS9) or single episode stories with two parters being for special occasions (Voyager/TNG/TOS). Trilogies - I'm guessing this is another - are getting old, fast.
Speaking of getting old, T'Pol and Trip. We had all the dancing around each other stuff before - then they finally admitted things, then she got married, then she got divorced, and now we have to sit through it again from square one? We know Trip's not going to be transferred permanently, it's not late enough in the season... so for goodness sake, just bang their heads (and other things) together already. Sheesh.
Other than those rants, good stuff. Interesting to see Reed working for section 31.... that certainly came unexpectedly! Now the slightly overused but generally interesting "where do your loyalties lie" story.
Yes, got to agree on their uniform, I guess such a seedy part of Starfleet needs Sinister Looking Leather Clothing regardless of the year, hehe.
I'm really liking this explanation for the Klingon transformation. When it's mentioned in DS9, Worf said "we don't talk about it" with a very 'this-is-awkward' look on his face, indicating a high level of embarrassment amongst the Klingons about it. This embarrassment is projected very well by the guest Klingons here. You can see the sheepish look quite a lot while he's explaining how "we kind of um.. tried to augment ourselves and didn't really think it through..." (not exact words). It's done brilliantly! They're like the poor guy in hospital explaining how he ended up with a vacuum cleaner nozzle hanging from his groin.
"Hernandez already seems like a character that I could see as an anchor for its own series. "
Man, that would've been awesome. She's got a great presence as a captain... an air of authority but with a lot of friendliness, and better than Janeway on a first impression as female captains go. I'm just already afraid of the subtle chemistry between her and Trip. Must we have a love triangle?
Arachnea
A nice episode and like you, I think Hernandez shines. What a great captain she would have been for Enterprise: she's subtle, sensitive and sensible. She doesn't go into histrionics to resolve a crew problem, but offers an ear and then hints about what's inappropriate. (We had already seen her having instinct and insight about what was wrong with Archer).
Mahmoud
Agreed on Hernandez; she reminds me very much (despite the huge differences) of Admiral Caine from BSG - high praise, for those who haven't seen it/her.
tlb
Section 31 ---- nice!
Snooky
Does Trip have chemistry with EVERY female? Geez! I also felt the chemistry, and he was only with Hernandez in a couple of scenes. More sparks than Hernandez with Archer, her friend/boyfriend. A good actress and good character.
LOL over the comment above about the Klingon transformation, and the vacuum nozzle!
I also want to knock Trip and T'Pol's heads together -- mostly T'Pol's. Obviously she's got a thing for him; pretending it doesn't exist isn't going to work. They were almost there, then she got religion. *sigh*
Peter
Hernandez like Cain?
Wow,I hope not. Mind you Archer got a bit like Cain in the middle of series 3.
Nice try to sort out the human looking Klingons and the FASA rpg / John Ford Human/Klingon fusion idea which is a very similar 'fun with DNA' concept is honoured, deliberately or (probably) coincidentally.
However this would be a 'by the numbers' episode except for the Section 31 spooks who belong in the darker DS9 universe and not in Enterprise I am afraid.
Diamond Dave
I'd agree that the prospect of another arc fills me with something of dismay. And this isn't that successful as an opener. As an examination of people forced into doing things they don't want to do - Trip/Phlox/Reed - it rings fairly hollow and as a rule doesn't really shake things up despite the welcome appearance of Section 31 and the human Klingons.
I kind of feel there's a good story in here but not convinced it's going to find it's way out at this point. I share the view that Hernandez is good news, however. Star Trek: Columbia might have been an interesting way to go. 2 stars.
Nolan
Not really sure why people are hating on the mini-arc format. But then, this is a rewatch for me. I still think it's an intriguing storytelling format for TV. It's not as throw-away as one-and-dones threaten to be, it also doesn't have the threat of "arc fatigue" where the story goes to long the writers and audience lose the plot *coughtemporalcoldwarcough* but it also does feed into and build on the series ongoing narrative which, had it continued, would likely have gone to very interesting places, perhaps even the Federation's founding itself, and not the the cobbled together "TATV" way either.
Also since no one's mentioned it, I'm fairly certain that one of those klingons was Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince.
And nor do I feel that the revelation of the change in Klingon appearance undercuts Worf's comments in DS9, which was basically the writers at the time avoiding a can of worms. I don't feel the explanation is as necessary, but it's clever, and does at least give an in-universe reason.
Yanks
Nolan,
"I'm fairly certain that one of those klingons was Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince."
You are correct. General K'Vagh was played by James Avery. .... and a damn fine job he did too...
Lupe
I find myself picking one episode to comment on with from these trilogies, for some reason. As it is, I don't really have a lot to add. This is the best episode of a trilogy which is weaker than the previous ones (though stronger than the silly damned two-parter that kicked off the season).
One question: during their mind-meld, how does T'Pol manage to see things that happened AFTER Hoshi was either unconscious, or at very least lying on the ground face-down, away from the action? I suppose it would be possible if she were sharing reconstructed memories (if you can see yourself in a memory, it's a reconstructed, not a true memory, unless you're looking in a mirror) but then I thought the whole point of mind melds was that they were precise and not reconstructive.
Also thought Malcolm got back in Archer's good books too easily (this wasn't proven til the start of that slave-girl episode, but it was implied) and can you just walk away from Section 31 like that? For that matter, Malcolm's walking away also seemed a bit of a sudden change after his obdurately refusing to reveal a thing to Archer for so long. At least we got to see a bit more of him. He got some really solid episodes in the latter part of season three and has been rather underused again since.
Agree with Cloudane about Trip and T'Pol. Enough, already. Of course we went through this with Kira and Odo, and I guess that did pay off eventually, but if this is going anywhere, I wish it'd arrive.
Trek Joy
I'm sorry but Malcom as a S31 agent is totally unbelievable to me. He just doesn't have have the smarts, personity or characteristics of a covert agent. Trip or even Mayweather would be more believable. As a matter of fact giving this storyline to one of the less developed characters would have a been nice background story addition. Loved seeing James Avery in this role.
Person012345
To correct you, the ship wasn't accelerating out of control. There was technobabble resulting in the engine overheating when going slower. They said something about some flaps so I imagine the idea is similar to cowl flaps on aircraft. Obviously cowl flaps don't make sense on a spacecraft, hence the technobabble.
Intrinsic Random Event
Enterprise's predicament at the end of this episode reminds me of a Homer Simpson joke...
"...I saw this in a movie about a bus that had to speed around a city, keeping it's speed over 50, and if it's speed dropped, it would explode! I think it was called... The Bus that Couldn't Slow Down..."
Rahul
Kind of a messy but interesting episode with lots of moving parts -- I don't think it works as nicely as Jammer says it does. The best part of "Affliction" are the scenes between Archer and Reed with the captain confronting a traitor. I wasn't sure what this prior affiliation Reed has -- don't have enough info as to why he's acting as a total traitor so the episode falls apart a bit there for me.
It makes sense that the Klingons would try to come up with their own Augments -- but how that releases a plague that threatens millions of Klingons from just a few Earth Augment embryos seems as bit of a stretch. Anyhow, it is good to see Phlox in that environment with a half-decent Klingon scientist under pressure from the more military types. I liked the tie-in with that mini-saga from earlier in S4.
I also liked how the Columbus captain and Trip get started off -- it was well done in terms of how she approached Trip's style while maintaining her professionalism and coming across as a true captain.
Many loose ends here -- like what is up with the Klingons who look like humans, infiltrating Enterprise and making the ship warp out of control, Reed's prior allegiance -- the kind of things that plague the first part of a 2- or more-parter.
"Affliction" gets 2.5 stars -- definitely plenty of interesting parts to a good story, but have that feeling that it all gets resolved in a convenient way. Hard to believe Trip will stay on the Columbia or Reed remains in the penalty box. Plenty of loose ends to tie up. Good moments between Reed and Archer -- well acted.
artymiss
Another decent episode. Powerful scenes between Reed and Archer.
I like these mini trilogy episodes and the fact they still tie into a wider story arc (or arcs even).
The explanation for the different appearance of the Klingons in TOS is really clever, now we know why Worf didn't want to talk about it! I liked the Klingon doctor and his version of Porthos (I forget what those Klingon beasts are called).
Trip is learning the hard way that it is generally a Very Bad Idea to have a relationship with someone you work with. I view T'pol's behaviour as someone very keen to regain her Vulcan equilibrium after some very turbulent times, who can blame her?
People above complaining that Reed is an unlikely Section 31 agent and Section 31 doesn't belong in Enterprise, if Enterprise had continued for another 3 seasons I'm guessing the murky world of the Section would've been explored further.
Dave
It's hilarious that in both of Seth MacFarlane's appearances on Enterprise, he basically plays Guy That Trip Yells At.
Gooz Chos
Klingon: Asking for help in curing a disease isn’t the Klingon way.
Phlox: Well, then, it seems like your people don’t deserve to continue existing. Please show me to the nearest airlock. The loss ofone life is a minor price to pay to ensure the end of such a horrible, xenophobic, and aggressive species. Bonus: Worf will never have existed.
Franco
I am a Section 31 enthusiast since DS9. Why? Because the PD sucks. I can't see them as the "bad guys". I'm glad that we are going to hear more from them in Discovery season 2!
Brian
I loved the explanation of the Klingon augments as to why the they looked human in Kirk's time. In the DS9 episode "Trials and Tribulations" where Worf avoids the explanation by saying that Klingons don't discuss the issue, its notable that O'Brien and Bashir ask him if its due to "genetic engineering" or maybe a "viral mutation" and the writers of Enterprise actually take both ideas and combine them into the actual explanation...awesome!
Lupe
Can't believe I missed Seth MacFarlane the first time I watched this. After seeing a couple episodes of 'Orville' he stood out like dog's nuts.
Rahul
I don't think Kinnear gets enough credit for his portrayal of Reed -- he's excellent in this episode in not betraying his old obligations while also conveying regret/remorse for the situation the ship is in. Archer is also excellent in taking a tough stance against Reed.
Pretty riveting stuff here upon further examination -- plenty of moving parts but it still flows much better than the DSC episodes which are too jarring.
ENT has put together a complex but very intriguing episode here that plays off what prior episodes have established quite nicely, not to mention trying to fill in some of the changes in the Klingons between TOS and the later Treks.
I also got a greater appreciation for the subtleties of the various character interactions - Trip/T'Pol and even T'Pol/Hoshi as they discuss the romantic dream of Trip. And even if Captain Hernandez had relatively little airtime, I really liked how the actress portrayed a subtle intelligence and awareness in her interactions with Trip.
3 stars for "Affliction" -- really appreciated this episode much more from my initial review in 2017. Again, plenty of good exposition in this 1st part with a number of subplots somehow inter-related -- which, of course, means the resolution is too demanding for the writers to pull off effectively.
Startrekwatcher
3 stars.
Season four feels like it has good ideas that are fun in how they play into the larger Trek mythos but the actual execution into an episode are met with mixed results
Here for example the writers come up with a pretty clever and cool idea to explain the changes in the Klingon appearances and include Section 31. Unfortunately the plot details come across as convoluted and contrived
For instance, the Klingons claim they kidnapped Phlox via the Rigellians to keep their distance so as not to appear weak to enemies. Yet they are in an alliance with Section 31 and S31 knows of their situation so why not just have Section 31 take Phlox aside or get Soo g released on the down low and come up with a harmless explanation as to Phlox being on leave thereby avoiding the very thing they’re hoping to avoid namely a bunch of unwanted attention and ENT going to track Phlox down?
So in hindsight the whole kidnapping and mystery of it feels pointless and unnecessary other than to supply the episide with some suspense and intrigue it didn’t need
I initially thought Section 31 was not partnering with the Klingons but actually the ones responsible for the plague as a way to reduce the obvious threat the Empire posed to Earth which would have made more sense and made the Klingons actions in kidnapping Phlox hold more logic
I also thought the explanation regarding the plague was poorly explained and confusing. At first it sounded like the flu that one of the test subjects had was enhanced by the augment dna and had become virulent and agressive not responding to standard treatment. But I guess the flu did incorporate the augment dna making it more virulent as well as incorporating the changes physically into those it infected. I think it could have been explained more clearly the way TNG would in their episodes to the audience
All that said, I did find the Klingin colony scenes the best in the hour and the most interesting.
I also likes seeing Captain Hernandez and Columbia however briefly.
The trip and T’Pol stuff did nothing for me
It was cool seeing TOS looking Klingons on a modern Trek series
Mal
Come on, three and a half stars! That euthanasia was laugh-out-loud hilarious!
Enjoyed so much of this episode.
Loved seeing a young Captain Mercer from the Orville, when he was just an Ensign reporting to Tucker on the Columbia.
Agree @Rahul, Malcolm Reed was fantastic! I actually shed a tear when he was in the brig and told Archer that he had some loyalties beyond the Captain and this crew. And then Archer sprung his father and the Royal Navy. The look on Reed's face!
The scene with ninja Hoshi fighting hooded kidnappers is weirdly similar to Star Trek: Picard and Soji fighting hooded kidnappers ( https://youtu.be/PsJHlpp8Meg?t=45 ).
Maybe TPTB just don't have very many new ideas for nuTrek?
Hernandez would have been a much better lead for the show than Archer.
And can we just stop to say, this episode of Enterprise ("Affliction") is a much more Star-Trek-like story than the 2013 "Into Darkness", which also had Augments and Klingons.
Truly TPTB behind nuTrek have no new ideas.
H
Plenty to like here, but I feel the same about the Klingon virus as I did when I first heard about this storyline, which is to say that the exchange in Trials and Tribble-ations was all the explanation we ever needed. I know this season has been largely about building toward TOS, but fixing the Vulcans and forming the Alliance were story threads, while this is purely a production/behind the scenes matter. Like what's next, are we gonna explain why the Romulans don't have their ridges again until Next Gen? Or why the warp core looks different?
RonB
Such a delight to watch Many Coto episodes after the B&B dross we had to endure in previous seasons.
You can tell this guy not only has respect for Trek and its original philosophy/ideals, but he also has vast knowledge of the entire lore and makes good use of it, either by clever references or when he tries to tie up loose ends (like the klingon appearance discrepancy).
There was a lot going on in this episode, perhaps a tad too much, but it is so refreshing to have to THINK through an episode as opposed to the boring action that we had to get used to previously.
3.5 stars from me (also because seeing mcfarlane is now a cool cameo).
Daya
@H: Actually, it is Worf's line in DS9 that makes it imperative that there be an in-world explanation. All the other changes you speak of (and the hilarious change in the Tellarites appearance) do not need to be explained because we can allow ourselves to give differences in production a certain leeway. But once its commented on IN DIALOGUE, the change in appearance becomes canon, which means an explanation has to be provided!
@RonB: Surprisingly, I like both the B&B and Manny Coto eras of ST:Enterprise. If not for you guys, I'd have imagined it was all a natural flow; a single narrative, and a good one at that: a natural growth from bumbling small-stakes idiocy to the surefooted founding of the Federation. And even though I love all four seasons till now, I love that there are only four!
Tarkalean Tea
Hernandez has the command presence that Archer is lacking. My theory is that those casting the show and writing the characters, once they'd cast Bakula as captain, they couldn't allow any other character to upstage him. Which means the crew is mostly lacking in charisma, and certainly there's an absence of the striking personalities we saw in DS9. Trip is the only one who comes close to eclipsing Archer. The fact that Trip is such an ordinary character makes this sad.
Seeing Hernandez handle Trip with tact, wisdom and confidence makes me sorely regret that we didn't have her as the captain of Enterprise.
David
@H - Interestingly, by the time you made that comment we’d already had an in universe explanation for the Romulan forehead ridges, in episode 3 of Star Trek Picard. Ridged Romulans are “northerners”. Of course, it’s still messy that we apparently only saw Romulans from the south for years, then Romulans from the north for years, but there you go. It might reflect some sort of factional shift in power, if I was going to fan-splain it.
Booming
Yeah and the actual our universe explanation is that the 249 producers wanted Picard's love interest to look more attractive.
Chrome
@David
Did they actually explain it? I read once that they added the ridges for TNG to distinguish them from Vulcans on set. But Abrams was not pleased with the TNG look and changed it back to a more TOS-style.
Then there's the Remans, which, I don't know, they needed Space Orcs to compete with LotR? :-)
zzybaloobah
@Booming: How about Spock's "love interest"? Not that Spock was tempted, but I liked the Romulan Commander in TOS: The Enterprise Incident much better without ridges. She was probably the most human-looking female of any Romulan in TOS (she may be the only female Romulan in TOS....) and more human-looking than many Vulcans in TOS.
KiminAsia
On the eighth rewatch. Trip is so emotionally ... frustrating, underaged, immature?
Longtimefirsttime
I enjoyed seeing Hoshi break out her martial arts skills, but should note that there aren't really kicks in aikido, in which she has a black belt. But she never said she didn't also do a few belts in, say, tae kwon do, so there's some more fansplaining.
I laughed when Archer offered to help T'Pol with the meld. I'm glad they didn't forget about his time with the Surak katra. And it appears that Surak's writings have finally lifted the taboo on melding. Quite the impact that man is having 1,800 years later!
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