Awakening (episode)

"Awakening"
ENT, Episode 4x08
Production number: 40358-084
First aired: 26 November 2004
←  83rd of 97 produced in ENT  →
←  83rd of 97 released in ENT  →
←  712th of 911 released in all  →

Archer and T'Pol encounter the Syrrannites, the radical group supposedly responsible for a terrorist bombing on Vulcan.

Summary

Soval appears before the Vulcan High Command to answer for his use of a mind meld. Soval states that he needed to conceal his abilities for the best interests of Vulcan. He felt that the service he performed outweighed his crime. V'Las states that although Soval's record is impressive, there is no excuse for deception. Soval states that deception is no stranger to the high command. V'Las dismisses Soval from service and orders him to return all confidential material. In addition, V'Las reminds Soval that his oath of loyalty is still in effect.

On Vulcan, the mysterious people from the end of "The Forge" are revealed to be Syrannites under the de facto command of T'Pau. As T'Pol and Archer explain they befriended the late Arev while crossing the desert, they are welcomed with sorrow. As T'Pau explains, Arev was in fact Syrran, their leader.

After some time, T'Pol is brought to her mother. Their discussion goes nowhere as the daughter can't understand her mother's choice to join people she considers as extremists. Even after she hears T'Les' explanation, the High Council's propaganda still holds.

In his cell, Captain Archer has a vision about an old Vulcan. From what he tells the Syrrannites, they come to suspect that Syran transfered Surak's katra to Archer's mind before he died. This is confirmed when T'Pau mind melds with the captain. Even with the new facts, T'Pol is still skeptical.

A ritual to pass the katra from Archer to T'Pau is then accomplished, but Surak decides to stay with Archer for the time being, saying that the captain has to find the long lost Kir'Shara.

In the meantime, V'Las has been unsuccessful in getting Enterprise to break orbit and postpones his extermination plan against the Syrrannites.

Deciding not to leave crewmembers behind, Charles Tucker III sends Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather in a modified shuttlepod to attempt to recover Archer and T'Pol from Vulcan's Forge. Despite Soval's assistance in disabling a surveillance satellite, Vulcan patrol craft fire on them, and the shuttlepod is forced to return to Enterprise.

V'Las orders Enterprise to leave orbit, so there are no witnesses to his plan to destroy the Syrrannites. Tucker refuses to leave orbit, even after ordered to do so by Admiral Gardner. As a result, V'Las sends three Vulcan ships to intercept Enterprise. After Enterprise is damaged, Soval suggests retreat and Enterprise withdraws.

As soon as the Humans are away, bombardment of the sanctuary begins, forcing the Syrrannites to evacuate their sanctuary. Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol remain behind to attempt to locate the Kir'Shara. Archer leads them down a corridor and opens a door to the room where the Kir'Shara is kept. The Vulcans then begin to fire on the sanctuary. Archer then leads them out of the sanctuary, which is then shown reduced to rubble.

On Vulcan, T'Pol holds her mother T'Les in her arms. While Archer looks on, T'Les apparently dies. The event of death is portrayed implicitly, not explicitly.

Trip Tucker is in command of the Enterprise. Privately, Soval (who is on board) informs Tucker that Vulcan is planning to attack Andoria, believing they are developing a weapon based on the Xindi superweapon. Just before the close of the episode, Tucker orders a course set to Andoria at maximum warp (the order comes to his bridge crew as a surprise).

To be continued...

Memorable Quotes

"There's a great deal that needs to be said, Excellency, but no one's willing to listen."

- Ambassador Soval, to Administrator V'Las

"I'm here to find the person who bombed the Earth embassy. Her name is T'Pau, and she looks a hell of a lot like you!"

- Jonathan Archer, to T'Pao, on their first meeting

"Right before Arev died, he grabbed me, he put his hand on my forehead. I felt something inside... my head."
"Do you think he was trying to meld with you?"
"I don't know... but ever since I haven't been myself."

- Archer and T'Pol

"You don't trust Vulcans, Captain, and given your experiences with them, I can't say I blame you. The culture you've come to know isn't the one I helped to create. My people have strayed, and someone must restore them to the path."
"You've got the wrong man."
"Sorry Captain, there's an Earth expression: 'We're stuck with each other.' Don't fight what's been given to you. Open your mind and your heart and the way will become clear."

- Surak and Captain Archer

"I've had my fill of mind melds."
"The prospect doesn't appeal to me, either. I've never melded with a Human before. Your... unchecked emotions will, no doubt, prove distasteful."

- Archer and T'Pau, before she attempts to confirm that he is carrying the katra of Surak

"Mind if I ask you something? Why are you doing this? I never got the impression that you cared that much about Humans. Seems like... you were always finding something new to complain about."
"I lived on Earth for more than 30 years, Commander. In that time I developed an affinity for your world and its people."
"You did a pretty good job of hiding it."
"Thank you."

- Commander Tucker and Ambassador Soval

"Why did you launch a shuttlepod?"
"Why the hell did you fire on it?"

- Administrator V'Las and Commander Tucker

"You're presiding over a massacre."
"We are eliminating a threat."

- Minister Kuvak and Administrator V'Las

Background Information

• John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox) does not appear in this episode.

• This is the last episode of the series directed by Roxann Dawson.

• Bruce Gray previously played Chekote in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Circle" and the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Gambit, Part I".

• Several costumes and props from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including Jeff Doba's costume [1] and boots. [2]

Links and references

Starring

• Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
• Jolene Blalock as Commander T'Pol
• Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
• Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
• Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
• Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest Stars

• Robert Foxworth as V'Las
• Gary Graham as Soval
• John Rubinstein as Kuvak
• Bruce Gray as Surak
• Kara Zediker as T'Pau

And

• Joanna Cassidy as T'Les

Uncredited Co-Stars

• Dionne Anthony as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Larry Barnhart as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Bill Blair as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Mark Correy as Alex
• Jeff Doba as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Nikki Flux as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Scott Hill as Ensign Hutchison
• Dieter Horneman as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Ricky Lomax as W. Woods
• Jim Moorhouse as relief tactical officer
• Louis Ortiz as a Vulcan High Command member
• Ator Tamras as a Vulcan Syrrannite
• Unknown performers as
  • Two Vulcan High Command members
  • Vulcan commando (voice only)
  • Three Vulcan Syrrannites

Stunt doubles

• Vince Deadrick, Jr. as stunt double for Scott Bakula
• Boni Yanagisawa as stunt double for Jolene Blalock

References

Andoria; Andorian; Arev; atomic bomb; candles; catacombs; C-deck; chemical rocket; D'Kyr type; Earth; Earth embassy; Earth Starfleet; excellency; fever; Gardner; geomagnetic anomaly; geomagnetic field; helm control; hull breach; hull plating; katra; katric ark; Kir'Shara; kolinahr; Koss; launch bay; melder; mummy; nervous system; neurology; phase cannon; photonic weapons; P'Jem; plasma cannon; plasma relay; polarized hull plating; radiation sickness; sand fire; shock; shuttlepod; starboard wing; Stel; stick-and-rudder system; Syrran; Syrrannites; tactical alert; target lock; targeting sensor; telescope; T'Karath Sanctuary; T'Klaas; thrusters; Time of Awakening; time travel; Vulcan cruiser; Vulcan fighter; Vulcan High Command; Vulcan Intelligence; Vulcan loyalty oath; Vulcan master; Vulcan mind meld; Vulcan Science Academy; Vulcan Security Directorate; Vulcan security satellite; Vulcan's Forge; warp; Xindi

Previous episode: "The Forge"

Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4

Next episode: "Kir'Shara"