Dead Stop
Date: Unknown
Original Airdate: October 9, 2002
By Bonnie Malmat

The Story

Enterprise is in trouble, the ship took heavy damage from hitting the Romulan mine. Repairs would take months even at Jupiter Station, itself a long decade away now. Archer decides to call in a few favors and has Hoshi send out a general distress call. A Tellarite freighter hails them and informs them of a repair station, within reasonable distance. T'Pol tells Archer that the Tellarites are trustworthy and taking her word, Archer heads for the repair station.

Meanwhile, Reed is recovering from his injury sustained trying to disarm the mine. He still has a Regulan blood worm inside of him, but Phlox reassures him that the worm will eventually find its way out.

Enterprise reaches the station. While Enterprise's hails go unanswered, the station seems to prepare itself to welcome them, reconfiguring itself to accept the ship, and changing it's atmosphere so that humanoids can breathe it. In spite of the silence, Archer decides to dock and they disembark and go into the station. They find a room, where they see a representation of the Enterprise, with all the damage outlined. In fact, they see a representation of Reed, with his injuries outlined. All of the wording is found to be in English. The station speaks up, and asks them for a method of compensation, offering three choices. They consider this, and select two hundred liters of warp plasma, to be paid upon completion of the work. Once they choose, they are invited to take relaxation at the recreational facility. Repairs begin on the ship, a repair schedule is put up and crew is notified which part of the ship is off limits.

At the recreational facility, T'Pol, Trip and Archer are introduced to a replicator. Trip tests it out by ordering up pan-fried catfish, which he deems acceptable in taste. Archer is disturbed, as he realizes that the station must have scanned Enterprise's database.

Back on Enterprise, Reed's leg is totally healed, even the scar is gone and he has no pain. Archer watches the repairs continue (even that annoying floor squeak is finally gone) but he seems disquieted, something seems amiss with the station and the repairs and he is suspicious now.

Trip and Reed are curious about the computer at the repair station, and decide to sneak in and check it over. While they're doing this, Mayweather is called to an off-limits section by Archer, who reassures him that it is no longer off-limits. Trip and Reed trip a sensor and the station beams them
back over to the bridge of the Enterprise, where they end up being dressed down by Archer and being restricted to quarters. Archer gets a call from Dr. Phlox, Mayweather is in sickbay, and he's dead, victim of a relay overload.

Archer asks the station what happened, but gets nowhere. Meanwhile, while doing the final medical report, Phlox notices something odd about Mayweather, it turns out this is not Mayweather, but a clone. He informs Archer, who sets plans in motion. The repairs finished, Trip takes the warp plasma to the station, and converses, seeking to distract the station, while Reed, Archer and T'Pol try to access the main computer room. Reed trips the sensor and is transported back, while T'Pol and Archer are successful and find the main room, where they find a roomful of bodies, alive, but with severe neurological damage. The station had been using the brains to enhance its processing power.

They find Mayweather, rescue him and get out. The station traps Enterprise, and they use both torpedoes and the plasma which they delivered to the station (igniting it) to escape. However, as they escape, unbeknownst to them, the station suddenly begins to repair itself.

Review

THE GOOD

Continuity. Carrying over elements from Minefield, from the damage on Enterprise to Reed's injury. Even the squeak from early season one returned, plus a mention of the Tellarites again.
Archer's suspicion of the station. He realized that this wonderful station WAS too good to be true. It's good to see him not quite so wide-eyed and naïve.

THE VERY GOOD

Interesting story. Held the interest to the very end. And nice twist of an ending, one was NOT expecting that! Super ending!

THE BAD

Introduction to the replicators. Oh well, it COULD have been the holodeck again.
Archer sending out a distress call and trusting that someone nice would help. Uh…..still a little naïve. Wising up, as his suspicions with the station showed, but has a way to go.
The explanation of how Phlox could tell that Mayweather was a clone just didn't ring true. It seemed contrived.
Reset button. Yeah, like Mayweather was going to die. Zzz.

THE VERDICT

In spite of some small flaws, this was a humdinger of an episode. It had nice continuity; the story was interesting and held that interest until the very end. The ending was surprising and was not expected. One of the better episodes of the show.

GRADE: 9.5/10 A

Cast:
Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer
John Billingsley as Dr. Phlox
Jolene Blalock as T'Pol
Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery as Travis Mayweather
Linda Park as Hoshi Sato
Connor Trinneer as Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Creative Staff:
Director: Roxann Dawson
Written By: Michael Sussman & Phyllis Strong