Overview – While transporting a Tellarite delegation to peace talks at
Babel One, the Enterprise encounters the wreckage of the Kumari, and rescue
Shran and some of his crew. The Andorians claim that it was a Tellarite vessel
that attacked them. Tensions rise even further when an Andorian ship attacks
Enterprise. As Archer and his crew try to determine what happened, suspicions
between the Andorians and Tellarites continue to escalate. The crew discover a
strange, alien ship that appears to have the ability to project the appearance
of different types of vessels. They learn that the ship is Romulan, and Tucker and
Reed beam aboard to investigate. As distrust between the Andorians and
Tellarites mounts, matters become violent and Telas, Shran’s lieutenant and
mate, is severely injured. By the end of the episode, Tucker and Reed make a
startling discovery about the Romulan ship.
Score: 9/10 – “Babel One” is a perfect reason as to
why Enterprise was cancelled far too soon. Like many good shows of the day, it
often takes a few seasons to really build some steam, and the fourth season of
Enterprise was excellent. In this episode, we get what many fans had been
asking for, which is a glimpse into the beginnings of the Federation. We also
get action, humor, suspense, intrigue, and some twists and turns we were not
fully expecting. Shran has always been a popular character, and here Jeffery
Combs is given some great scenes. We also get some greater insight into both
Andorian and Tellarite culture. Another strength in this episode is how it
shows how much Archer has come as a diplomat, reminiscent of the cowboy
diplomacy that was often associated with Captain Kirk. T’Pol’s marriage being
dissolved is almost treated as an afterthought, and while it is handled in
typical T’Pol/Vulcan fashion, I thought it could have been fleshed out a little
more. Overall, an excellent episode.
Relevance – 3 points. Of course a point will be
scored for Babel, the famed peace location that served as the backdrop to the
Original Series classic “Journey to Babel”, which served as our introduction to
Spock’s parents. This is one of the things that I enjoyed about Enterprise, in
that we were able to weave in much of the Original Series lore. Another point
will be scored for the fate of the Kumari, Shran’s ship that he had commanded for
several previous episodes. A final point is scored for the advancement in the
relationship between Shran and Talas. This relationship will be important for
the development of the next episode. If that is not enough, we are given a
little tidbit of information from T’Pol, stating that her marriage has officially
ended.
Continuity – 3 points. Character continuity is of
particular interest here. One scene in particular that shows this is when T’Pol
informs her captain that her marriage has ended. Archer expresses sympathy,
while T’Pol brushes it aside in her typical fashion. It highlights how far
these two have come. Universe continuity is also intact. The Romulans have
always been trying to disrupt things from the shadows, and the remote-piloted
ship is a perfect example of this. Story wise, everything works here as well.
Character Development – 2 points. While T’Pol’s marriage is
dissolved in this episode, there is little else said about it. We also have
Tucker and Reed with some action on the Romulan vessel, but aside from how they
work together, nothing deeper is provided. No, this episode is mainly about
Archer and his growth as a diplomat. We see him wrestle with doubts about their
mission, while T’Pol patiently points out that he, Earth, and Vulcan have come
a long way in such a short period of time. It highlights the fact that Archer
has done a lot to foster relations between species that often were adversarial
towards each other. Of course, this is building towards the events of the next
episode, but it solidly establishes how much Archer’s leadership skills have
grown.
Social Commentary – 1 point. As is typical of some of these
action episodes, the excitement comes at the expense of a solid commentary on
our present-day world. This is partly due to the fact that “Babel One” is
setting up for the events of “United”, which actually carries a stronger
message. This is also due to the notion that a lot is happening, and sometimes
we just have to tell the story and not worry about saying something profound.
We can glean a little something from the importance of working together. Reed
and Tucker have to rely on each other as they explore the Romulan vessel,
Archer has to teach the Tellarites and Andorians that they have to work
together to defeat a common foe, etc. Star Trek is at its best when it makes us
think more, but that does not mean that it’s not excellent when it doesn’t.
Cool Stuff – 3 points. One point scored for showing
us a cool view of Romulus, which until this point has only been seen via matte
paintings. I also scored a point here for the ship, both in design and for it’s
part in the story-telling. I loved how it allowed us to see a few different models
of ships. And the premise of it being remotely piloted from far away was
interesting. I also liked how it was used to sow seeds of distrust among the future
founders of the United Federation of Planets. A cool story-twist. Finally, the
Tellarites are shown in a way that we have rarely seen, given far more
attention than in the past. While the Tellarites are not as iconic as the
Vulcans, Klingons, or even the Andorians, they had always been present in the
background of Star Trek, and here they are given the spotlight like never
before.
Rank – Admiral (21 points). I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,
Enterprise deserved more than it got, and “Babel One” is a perfect example of
it. I love how we see how the Tellarites and Andorians are brought together,
and we are given a fun ride as the story plays out.
If you would like to check out my other episode reviews for Enterprise, simply click here.
If you would like to read an episode review from any of the Trek series, click the following link to get to the series catalog. If the episode you want reviewed has not been done yet, then feel free to request it in the comments and I will see what I can do.
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