[7.9/10] Hooray, a Vulcan story! From Sybok’s group in The Final Frontier, to the Logic Extremists in Discovery, to the emotion embracing Vulcans we met seasons ago, I’m always intrigued by fissures within Vulcan society. As one of Star Trek’s oldest species, relations with the Vulcans have been one of Enterprise’s saving graces. “The Forge” gives us a deeper look at Vulcan society, and how it relates to humans, with promising things seemingly in the offing.
I was particularly intrigued by the conversation between Ambassador Suval and the now dearly departed Admiral Forest, which suggested that the consternation the Vulcans harbor for their smooth-eared counterparts stems from seeing a reflection of themselves in humanity. There is a fear that humanity could surpass the Vulcans in technology, given how far they’ve come so quickly, but that the savagery that nearly tore Vulcans in twain may not yet be stamped out of the humans who are now taking to the stars. That adds depth to the mutual complaints and recriminations between Vulcans and humans, and provides a compelling psychological rationale behind the Vulcan side of the disconnect.
That comes to a head when the Earth embassy on Vulcan is bombed right after Starfleet’s top officials met for a summit on potential joint military operations with them. It’s an inflection point in the relationship between the two people’s, given some extra meaning by the fact that Admiral Forest not only dies in the blast, but does so saving Soval from it. The experience seems to give Soval his clearest change of heart yet, turning deeply sympathetic to our heroes and willing to buck his own government, while the Enterprise crew is called in to investigate the terrorist attack.
The bomb forensics reveal DNA from a member of the Syrrannites, a breakaway Vulcan sect that believes the High Command has lost its way and is no longer following the ideals of Sarek. Things get especially tricky when T’Pol’s husband reveals that her mother is a Syrrannite, and is off hiding somewhere within the treacherous Vulcan Forge, a punishing desert where most technology doesn't work and where few dare to tread.
From there, the episode basically splits into two halves. One sees Archer and T”Pol descending into the Forge, in search of T’Les and in the hopes of making contact with the Syrrannites. The other sees Trip, Phlox, and Soval working together to get to the bottom of what looks to be a Vulcan conspiracy that runs all the way up to the High Command.
Both storylines are compelling in their own way. The Archer/T’Pol plot is rife with nods to other pieces of Vulcan lore, while adding some new details of its own. T’Pol is clued into her mother’s hiding spot thanks to an IDIC (which was originally an ironically crass piece of commercialism on Gene Roddenbury’s part). There’s references to Mt. Seleya, the place where Spock had his katra restored in Star Trek III. And we even get to see a sehlat in live action (or at least a photorealistic one), after references to the creatures on The Original Series and a glimpse of Spock’s pet I-Chaya on The Animated Series.
But as neat as those nods are, it’s more intriguing seeing Archer and T’Pol interact with the wizened Syrrannite, Arev, whose rolling through the desert. Not to mix franchises, but there’s a certain Obi Wan Kenobi vibe to the guide, wandering well-equipped through an unforgiving desert, acting as the last guide to a lost age, casting aspersions on the current regime as a corruption of something that was once pure. His (and by implication, his followers’) devotion to a different understanding of Sarek’s teachings, and the possibility that he can help Archer and T’Pol find them (and T’Les), makes their sojourn through the desert interesting.
Then again, so does the pure visuals of the episode. The return to outdoor settings in California makes this one feel a little extra special. The right red sheen makes The Forge seems distant and alien. And images of T’Pol and Archer running away while massive dust storms loom behind them creates a visual urgency that this show isn’t always adept at creating.
But the conspiracy work going on back on Enterprise is just as compelling, a rarity among split A- and B-stories on the show. In terms of pure mystery, it’s a neat twist that Phlox figures out that the bombing accusation is a setup thanks to the telomeres in the Vulcan DNA residue. That unravels into all sorts of interesting questions about who would frame the Syrrannites and why, made all the more intriguing and high stakes given that the head Vulcan investigator for the case appears to be involved in planting the bomb, and that the head of the Vulcan High Command is present and potentially implicated as well.
Beyond just the coolness of the whodunnitry here, I’m especially (and unexpectedly) interested in Soval. He’s willing to cross lines here, push boundaries, in a way that we’ve never seen from the steady-as-she-goes Vulcan before. His speech to Archer about the tragedy of the attack, and his unwavering support for wherever Archer wants to take the investigation is a staggering shift for the character. His willingness to not only engage in a mind meld, but admit it to the leader of the Vulcan government in order to both seek and expose the truth evinces a devotion and skepticism of his own people that we just haven’t seen before. The things being revealed here provoke a major reaction in one of the show’s most significant recurring characters, which helps them to provoke a reaction in us too.
And yet, “The Forge” is leaning into Vulcan spirituality and mythology, not just its politics. I’ll admit, I find it a little cheesy that Enterprise is leaning into the same katra schtick that the Original Series movies did with Spock and Bones. Still, the prospect of Archer infused with a Vulcan soul has potential, and the way he’s able to lead T’Pol to a group of hostile (but presumably eventually friendly) Syrannites is an exciting beat to end on.
For much of Star Trek’s history, the Vulcans were fairly monolithic, with Spock being one of only a few outliers to loosen up and expose some cracks in the foundation and differences among his people. Enterprise takes that notion to heart, exploring divergences in politics, philosophy, and religion among the Vulcan people, in ways that ironically bring them closer to their human brethren. It’s a strong theme for the franchise to dig into, as the series dives deeper into the heart of Star Trek’s most iconic alien allies.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2019-08-16T22:09:27Z
[7.9/10] Hooray, a Vulcan story! From Sybok’s group in The Final Frontier, to the Logic Extremists in Discovery, to the emotion embracing Vulcans we met seasons ago, I’m always intrigued by fissures within Vulcan society. As one of Star Trek’s oldest species, relations with the Vulcans have been one of Enterprise’s saving graces. “The Forge” gives us a deeper look at Vulcan society, and how it relates to humans, with promising things seemingly in the offing.
I was particularly intrigued by the conversation between Ambassador Suval and the now dearly departed Admiral Forest, which suggested that the consternation the Vulcans harbor for their smooth-eared counterparts stems from seeing a reflection of themselves in humanity. There is a fear that humanity could surpass the Vulcans in technology, given how far they’ve come so quickly, but that the savagery that nearly tore Vulcans in twain may not yet be stamped out of the humans who are now taking to the stars. That adds depth to the mutual complaints and recriminations between Vulcans and humans, and provides a compelling psychological rationale behind the Vulcan side of the disconnect.
That comes to a head when the Earth embassy on Vulcan is bombed right after Starfleet’s top officials met for a summit on potential joint military operations with them. It’s an inflection point in the relationship between the two people’s, given some extra meaning by the fact that Admiral Forest not only dies in the blast, but does so saving Soval from it. The experience seems to give Soval his clearest change of heart yet, turning deeply sympathetic to our heroes and willing to buck his own government, while the Enterprise crew is called in to investigate the terrorist attack.
The bomb forensics reveal DNA from a member of the Syrrannites, a breakaway Vulcan sect that believes the High Command has lost its way and is no longer following the ideals of Sarek. Things get especially tricky when T’Pol’s husband reveals that her mother is a Syrrannite, and is off hiding somewhere within the treacherous Vulcan Forge, a punishing desert where most technology doesn't work and where few dare to tread.
From there, the episode basically splits into two halves. One sees Archer and T”Pol descending into the Forge, in search of T’Les and in the hopes of making contact with the Syrrannites. The other sees Trip, Phlox, and Soval working together to get to the bottom of what looks to be a Vulcan conspiracy that runs all the way up to the High Command.
Both storylines are compelling in their own way. The Archer/T’Pol plot is rife with nods to other pieces of Vulcan lore, while adding some new details of its own. T’Pol is clued into her mother’s hiding spot thanks to an IDIC (which was originally an ironically crass piece of commercialism on Gene Roddenbury’s part). There’s references to Mt. Seleya, the place where Spock had his katra restored in Star Trek III. And we even get to see a sehlat in live action (or at least a photorealistic one), after references to the creatures on The Original Series and a glimpse of Spock’s pet I-Chaya on The Animated Series.
But as neat as those nods are, it’s more intriguing seeing Archer and T’Pol interact with the wizened Syrrannite, Arev, whose rolling through the desert. Not to mix franchises, but there’s a certain Obi Wan Kenobi vibe to the guide, wandering well-equipped through an unforgiving desert, acting as the last guide to a lost age, casting aspersions on the current regime as a corruption of something that was once pure. His (and by implication, his followers’) devotion to a different understanding of Sarek’s teachings, and the possibility that he can help Archer and T’Pol find them (and T’Les), makes their sojourn through the desert interesting.
Then again, so does the pure visuals of the episode. The return to outdoor settings in California makes this one feel a little extra special. The right red sheen makes The Forge seems distant and alien. And images of T’Pol and Archer running away while massive dust storms loom behind them creates a visual urgency that this show isn’t always adept at creating.
But the conspiracy work going on back on Enterprise is just as compelling, a rarity among split A- and B-stories on the show. In terms of pure mystery, it’s a neat twist that Phlox figures out that the bombing accusation is a setup thanks to the telomeres in the Vulcan DNA residue. That unravels into all sorts of interesting questions about who would frame the Syrrannites and why, made all the more intriguing and high stakes given that the head Vulcan investigator for the case appears to be involved in planting the bomb, and that the head of the Vulcan High Command is present and potentially implicated as well.
Beyond just the coolness of the whodunnitry here, I’m especially (and unexpectedly) interested in Soval. He’s willing to cross lines here, push boundaries, in a way that we’ve never seen from the steady-as-she-goes Vulcan before. His speech to Archer about the tragedy of the attack, and his unwavering support for wherever Archer wants to take the investigation is a staggering shift for the character. His willingness to not only engage in a mind meld, but admit it to the leader of the Vulcan government in order to both seek and expose the truth evinces a devotion and skepticism of his own people that we just haven’t seen before. The things being revealed here provoke a major reaction in one of the show’s most significant recurring characters, which helps them to provoke a reaction in us too.
And yet, “The Forge” is leaning into Vulcan spirituality and mythology, not just its politics. I’ll admit, I find it a little cheesy that Enterprise is leaning into the same katra schtick that the Original Series movies did with Spock and Bones. Still, the prospect of Archer infused with a Vulcan soul has potential, and the way he’s able to lead T’Pol to a group of hostile (but presumably eventually friendly) Syrannites is an exciting beat to end on.
For much of Star Trek’s history, the Vulcans were fairly monolithic, with Spock being one of only a few outliers to loosen up and expose some cracks in the foundation and differences among his people. Enterprise takes that notion to heart, exploring divergences in politics, philosophy, and religion among the Vulcan people, in ways that ironically bring them closer to their human brethren. It’s a strong theme for the franchise to dig into, as the series dives deeper into the heart of Star Trek’s most iconic alien allies.