For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here
Overview – As the search for the Xindi home world
continues Hoshi is contacted by a telepathic alien named Tarquin. Tarquin has
information that Archer could use, and his only request is that Ensign Sato
remains with him while he acquires it. While Archer and the crew of Enterprise
explore the possibility of a second sphere, Hoshi stays with Tarquin in an
attempt to learn more about the mysterious alien and discover what she can
about the Xindi and their plans. Soon, she discovers that Tarquin has an ulterior
motive and she is faced with the choice of rejoining her crew on their
dangerous mission or staying with him for the rest of her life. Meanwhile, T’Pol
makes a startling discovery about the spheres that they have been discovering
in the Delphic expanse.
Score: 6/10 – This episode, occurring early in the
Xindi-arc third season, does fairly well as a stand-alone episode. Since this
entire season is based on a single, far-reaching storyline, it is difficult to
watch the episodes out of order, but this is one that can be viewed without
knowing too much about what has happened before. Having said that, it fits in
well with the overall Xindi arc as it provides the crew a valuable piece of the
puzzle. I have one major complaint about this episode, and that is the offer of
Tarquin to Hoshi Sato. He offers her companionship, a sense of belonging that
he feels she has never had yet in her life. Tarquin is lonely, having been
exiled by his own species because of his telepathic powers, and is also at
least four centuries old with little sign of him getting too old any time soon.
His motivation for having Hoshi stay with him is apparent. For some reason,
Hoshi has a particular mind that attracts Tarquin to her, although in more
platonic than romantic ways. What he offers Hoshi, however, is not anything
that she would remotely find appealing. There is no inner conflict evident in
her decision. She tells him she won’t stay, and never wavers in her desire.
Tarquin comes across as the geeky social outcast who is love-struck for the
cheerleader captain, but has absolutely nothing to offer that would make her
want to go out with him. He tries twice to have her change her mind. One, an
obvious ruse to make it seem like Archer wants her to stay, and a half-hearted
attempt to hold the lives of her crew hostage, for which Hoshi easily appeals
to his sense of decency. There is just nothing that makes the likelihood of
Hoshi remaining with him remotely possible, so the potential suspense in the
story is quickly deflated. I also was disappointed in the idea that Hoshi had a
special mind was glossed over too easily. It would have been nice to see it
explored a bit more. Otherwise, the story flows well, and it is nice to see
Hoshi get some attention. Tarquin is an interesting character, and his makeup
is quite extravagant. There are some fun moments with Archer and Tucker landing
on the sphere they discover, and there is finally some hope that they will meet
the Xindi soon.
Relevance - 1 point. This being my first review of
the third season of Enterprise makes this category a bit tricky. As the entire
season revolves around one large story, almost every episode has relevance to
the story. It would be easy to assign each episode a two or three due to this,
so I am looking at relevance for this season in a slightly different manner.
Because they make a major discovery about the spheres (there are at least 50 of
these mysterious orbs), this becomes relevant. We also get a smidge of hope in
finding a Xindi colony where a part of the super weapon is being built, but
other than that this episode can be skipped and a viewer can get the main info
from the token “Previously on Enterprise” sequence that opens almost every
episode this season.
Continuity - 3 points. Although I criticized the lack
of motivation or temptation for Hoshi to remain with Tarquin, the way she
reacts completely fits with the character, so a point is scored here. Universe
and story continuity also score points as nothing goes contrary to anything
pre-established.
Character Development – 1 point. Hoshi gets the focus
of the main story, which is rare and always welcome. The disappointing thing is
that we really do not learn much about her, nor does she develop much as a
character.
Social Commentary – 1 point. The desire to not be
alone, or to belong with meaning is likely the main theme in this story.
Tarquin, due to his exile, seeks companionship, even knowing that his
companions are likely to die long before he does. Yet with this longing, he is
looking for very particular individuals to share his existence with. During his
encounter with Hoshi, he makes it clear that it is her mind that draws him to
her. His attraction is never hinted at as being sexual in nature, which deepens
his motivation. He is willing to do almost anything to gain that special
connection with someone. On the other hand, Hoshi cannot find it within herself
to make such a sacrifice, preferring the friendship of her crewmates than a
life of shared exile. While the desire to belong is strong, the case would have
been stronger if the temptation for Hoshi to stay was real and existent.
Instead, it weakens the message when she has very little reason to stay.
Without any inner conflict, Tarquin comes across as a telepathically obsessed
stalker.
Cool Stuff – 1 point. The scene where Tarquin shows
Hoshi how to use his telepathic device that allows to see, among other things,
a reptilian Xindi is quite cool. Beyond that, nothing much else stands out.
Rank – Lieutenant (13
points). A
so-so episode that could have been more, but in the first third of the Xindi
arc, could get easily overlooked. Still, it is nice to see Hoshi front and center
to the plot. If you are wanting to watch the entire season then the story fits
well, but if you only want the highlights, this will likely not make the cut.
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