Minefield
Date: Unknown
Original Airdate: October 2, 2002
By Shadowfyre
Summary
This episode opens with Reed joining the Captain for breakfast,
during which it is painfully obvious how uncomfortable Malcolm
is with the arrangement. Before Archer can dissuade Reed from
discussing ship business, T'Pol interrupts and announces
they have discovered an uncharted system with a Minshara class
planet. Archer orders the ship out of warp to investigate.
As Enterprise approaches the planet an explosion rocks the ship,
injuring at least seventeen people and tearing a gaping hole
in the forward port section of the ship. Soon after Mayweather
detects something striking the ship and a close scan reveals
a cloaked mine attached to the hull, no doubt of the same variety
which caused the explosion. Archer orders the grappler arm, which
is still mounted with the Suliban cloak sensing beacon, lowered
to scan the immediate vicinity. At first nothing is revealed,
but T'Pol adjusts it and it reveals an entire field of
cloaked mines- with Enterprise right in the middle of them.
Reed suits up and ventures out onto the hull to take a closer
look at the mine while Trip begins working on a plan to detach
the affected hull plates. A mysterious vessels uncloaks and Enterprise
is hailed, but they are unable to decipher the language. A couple
warning shots from the alien craft convinces Archer to set course
out of the system, giving Travis the job of navigating through
the minefield.
Outside Reed unexpectedly trips something on the mine and a
magnetic arm is released and impales him through the leg as it
affixes itself to the hull. Archer joins him and has Malcolm
talk him through the disarming procedures. During this time the
two men talk and Reed discusses his reasons for feeling uneasy
at Archer's overtures at friendship.
Hoshi soon translates the message they received earlier and
identifies the ship as representing the Romulan Star Empire – a
species T'Pol seems to have heard of in the past. The Romulans
soon return and demand that Enterprise detach the affected hull
segment and leave their territory, even at the expense of Malcolm's
life. Archer devises a plan to accomplish both relatively quickly.
The hull section is detached and as it floats away, Archer severs
the magnetic arm from Reed's leg, triggering the detonation
sequence. They push off and use shuttlepod hatches to shield
themselves when the mine explodes.
The Romulans swoop in for what appears to be an attack, but
Enterprise manages to scoop up Archer and Reed and warp away
to safety.
Analysis
"Minefield" is a study in contrasts. It simultaneously
imparts to the audience what both skillful and sloppy writing
can accomplish. As with most of Enterprise as a whole, it's
strength is in the characterizations and it's flaws are
in the detail – or more specifically, lack of attention
to particular details.
This story is at heart about two men from different walks of
life, finding a common ground and understanding. A theme that
is often used in Star Trek with Humans and Aliens in the major
roles, but here those slots are filled by Archer, the commanding
officer with the open personality and Reed, the junior officer
who seems to keep to himself. These segments are where the real
meat of the story can be found, as we get to learn more about
Malcolm's mindset and what drives him. The Romulan story
thread seems thrown in just too tantalize some fans and enrage
others. More on that later.
Reed's predicament - trapped on the hull and his willingness
to sacrifice himself for the crew is compelling, but any true
sense of danger or drama is overshadowed by the fact that we
the audience know that Reed will not be allowed to die. Trek
has always played it safe in these situations and this episode
isn't any different.
Still, viewed within the dramatic parameters that the franchise
seems to have set for itself, the story is engaging enough to
rank it as one of the better episodes of the series. After the
initial plot driven beginning, the story is carried along by
the characters. We are there as Reed relates to Archer the reason
he joined Starfleet rather than the Royal Navy, as well as what
it is that sparks the heroic and pragmatic fire within himself.
His insistence that he be allowed to die in order to safeguard
the ship, and Archer's stubborn refusal to let him do this,
followed by Reed's acceptance of the captain's more
optimistic view, all unfolds in the exchanges these two have
while on the outer hull. This is where the story slows down some,
but still retains that Human element that draws us in.
The Romulans on the other hand, were completely superfluous
to this story. Any mysterious alien of the week could have filled
this spot, and indeed it may have been better if it had been
one of those other species, for in this episode not only is continuity
bent – it's shattered in such magnitude and to such
a degree that only Voyager was ever able to duplicate.
At the heart of the issue is the cloaking device. More specifically,
it's the Romulan vessels and mines employing a cloaking
device. Now, after watching this episode I only have two questions
for the producers: What kind of idiots do you take the audience
for, and what kind of idiots are you?
I know that seems harsh, but up until now I was willing to give
the producers the benefit of the doubt when it came to the continuity
issue. They at least seemed to be trying, harder than they did
so with Voyager. This story comes along and completely obliterates
any notion whatsoever that these people care about continuity.
For them it is obviously an abstract concept, something to ponder
over but never take too seriously.
"Balance of Terror" from The Original Series has
been brought up a lot recently, and in preparation for this review,
I hauled out my DVD and gave it another, scrutinizing look. In
it we hear Spock comment that cloaks were theoretically possible.
Now, the word ‘theoretically" implies, at least to
me, that while the concept is thought possible, no instances
of it being put into practice have been executed. Cloaks were
a new variable when Kirk squared off against the Romulans in
that episode.
Now, it's true that Enterprise has already violated the
cloaking continuity factor. We've seen two species so far
who employ it, and Archer and crew have even been given the means
by which to penetrate it at times. That's bad enough in
that it seems to directly contradict Spock's statement.
However, one can still make an argument that such early encounters
with cloaking technology were at some point classified and a
century later, even Spock would not have known. That's
all fine and dandy.
However, Romulans with cloaking devices at this point in history
defies all sense of logic. The Earth-Romulan war is just a few
years away and the producers are now expecting the audience to
believe that during that conflict the Romulans never utilized
what could potentially be a decisive technological advantage?
It's bad enough that the primitive atomic weapons Spock
referred to have turned into beam weapons, but now we are supposed
to buy into the idea that the Romulans mysteriously lost the
ability to cloak their vessels during the war? A war they lost?
That must be the case because when speaking of that war, Spock
never mentioned cloaked ships. Indeed he was as surprised as
everyone else that the Romulans had made, what was to him just
a concept, into reality.
What is truly sad is that too often, the producers try to put
forth the idea that continuity is bent or violated in order to
tell a good story. This episode is a classic example of continuity
being needlessly broken, yet the story would have worked just
as well had it been adhered to in the first place. The Romulans
seem to only be there as a way to tease the audience. Nothing
is done with them…but then again, what CAN be done with
them without plowing another starship sized hole in continuity?
At this point, why not? The producers have made it clear they
don't care. I wouldn't be surprised to see Archer
fistfighting (and losing) with Romulans at some point. This story
has caused a shift in my perspective. I can longer give the producers
the benefit of the doubt. It seems clear to me that this series
will never live up to it's potential, not if this is the
approach the producers are taking.
The Good
The mention of the World Cup and Archer's referring to
the sport as Soccer, as opposed to the more world wide accepted
name Football, which Reed uses in reference to it.
The Romulan vessels. Their design reflected the look encountered
by Starfleet in Kirk's day. A nice touch.
No one saw a Romulan.
The Bad
Cloaks – enough said.
Phlox, Mayweather and Hoshi being regulated to the background
as usual.
The Curious
Over a year in space and Archer is just now inviting Reed to
breakfast?
How did the ship make it so far into the minefield unscathed
when it took Travis' fancy Atari skills to get them out?
Why did Archer or T'Pol never order "on screen" when
the Romulans hailed? The Romulans may have refused to communicate
in such a manner, but the Enterprise crew should have noted this.
Overall
A well written and acted character piece that was unfortunately
set amongst the most gargantuan continuity error this side of
the galactic core. The elements for one of the series best episodes
are there, but they are overbalanced by the producers obvious
uncaring approach.
Final Grade: 6.5/10
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
Guest Cast:
Tim Glenn as Med Tech
Elizabeth Magness as Female Crewmember
Creative Staff:
Director: James A. Contner
Written By: John Shiban
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