Future Tense

When the show begins, Enterprise encounters a very odd space capsule. Inside they find a dead man--and he'd been dead for a long time. However, Dr. Phlox's autopsy discovers something that shocks them all--the human has traces of Vulcan DNA! And, later, Phlox also finds evidence of other alien DNA. Slowly they come to realize that the capsule is from another time--1000 years in the future and the dead man inside was a time traveler!

Soon, Suliban ships show up and insist that Archer turn over this capsule. When he naturally refuses, more Suliban ships appear and begin attacking. Enterprise takes off in space and soon finds that their support, a Vulcan ship, has been attacked by Tholians--and now the Tholians want the capsule as well!! Is there any way out of this mess?

This is a pretty exciting episode and I liked the idea of them finding a dead Dr. Who-like being. But the show also suffers from two things--too many occurrences where scenes are repeated again and again due to 'spatial anomalies' and this is quite annoying. Also, by the end of the show, nothing is really accomplished. Worth seeing but a bit weak.

The time travel episodes are excellent IMHO. Loops happen. We're going to need more time! Say it again. How many times have we done this?

Nice nod to Heinlein's The Number of the Beast.

The Enterprise retrieves a small vessel into its cargo bay before the Suliban and Tholians take an urgent interest.

This is a plot driven episode that is excellently paced with exciting, suspenseful action sequences broken up with some nice character exchanges. There are also some pretty cool sci-fi concepts included and nice nods (if not exact continuity) with The Original Series episode 'The Tholian Web'.

There are no really big character moments as most of the exchanges are there to service the plot, although there is a strong scene with Phlox and T'Pol and one moment of slight conflict between Archer and T'Pol.

Rather than spoil any of the plot, I'll just say that I thoroughly enjoyed this one from start to finish and have no complaints.

The Enterprise finds a pod drifting in the space, and after opening it in Bay Launch 2, Archer discovers a human body. While investigating the interior of the pod, Trip and Reed find a mysterious stairway and conclude that somehow the ship is bigger inside. Meanwhile, Dr. Phlox finds that the DNA of the pilot has Vulcan and other alien genomes. When the hostiles Suliban and Tholian threaten the Enterprise with their warships demanding the deliver of the pod, Archer calls T'Pol and they go to Daniels' cabin. They unravel that the commission of the pod is nine hundred years ahead in the future.

"Future Tense" has interesting concepts and is full of action. The idea of a vessel bigger inside is revolutionary and original, against the existing principles of physics and therefore very intriguing. The reluctance of T'Pol in accepting that the pod is from the future is acceptable based on the logical principles of the Vulcan culture. However, how can she explain or contradict what she saw in Daniels' cabin? My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Futuro do Presente" ("Future of the Present")

...Tesseract Ship.

The Senior Senior Trekker Writes.

This ep is a direct reference to a short story by Robert Heinlien, except it is not a house, but a ship.

But it's basically the same thing, as Tripp and Malcom stumble upon the mystery of mysteries.

And if that is not bad enough, the ship emits some kind of Tachyon Radiation- which attracts pesky Suliban and Tholians.

They could have included even more participants of the Temporal Cold War, But Suliban and Tholians are bad enough. Reading the trivia, it was suggested that instead of this Tesseract ship, they find the USS Defiant, which would have made the Tholians' interest more appropriate, but then they would not have the Tesseract ship, so it is better like this.

The Tesseract-Ship was interesting enough, I don't really care that much about aliens fighting over it, but this is just something that happens: Enterprise finds something cool and unique, and then of course somebody shows up to take it away from them.

Of course, there was a little twist added. Not gonna tell you, watch it.

And then find a book of Robert Heinlein short stories, and read "...and he built a crooked house" followed by "... All you zombies".

Nuff Said!