Affliction

On 27 November 2154, the chief-engineer Trip say goodbye to Enterprise to work with Captain Hernandez in the sister ship Columbia. Meanwhile in San Francisco, Dr. Phlox and Hoshi are attacked by three aliens after having dinner and Phlox is kidnapped. Archer asks Reed to investigate any trace of transport activity in that area and when Reed checks the satellite logs, he is contacted by an acquaintance that schedules a meeting with him. Trip uses his experience to keep the scheduled launch date of Columbia and Hernandez questions why he quit his position in Enterprise. Archer convinces T'Pol to perform a mind melding with Hoshi and they discover that the abductors were Klingons. They seek the Rigelian cargo ship that transported Phlox in the space, but find only debris. Meanwhile Phlox is brought to a Klingon laboratory to work with Dr. Antaak in the research of an antidote to a deadly virus created from a Kinglon experiment with Augments that were not able to stabilize human DNA. When the Enterprise is attacked by four mutant Klingons that sabotage the ship, Captain Archer discovers that Reed is not telling the truth and he loses his faith on his lieutenant. The subroutines Klingon planted in Enterprise system affect the reactor and the Enterprise needs to keep more than warp 5 to avoid the explosion of the reactor and only Trip is capable to purge the viral subroutines.

In this show, Archer loses his doctor, his chief-engineer and his chief of security at once. With the reduced complement, T'Pol and he need to work hard to resolve the problems in Enterprise. The unexplained treason of Reed that is sent to jail in Enterprise is the most intriguing part of this episode. The transference of Trip to Columbia is the sad part of this episode. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Doença Rara" ("Rare Disease")

Veers all over the place.

From SFs Chinatown to Rigellian space to... a Klingon planet we saw in the "Arguments" trilogy.

And Section 31 even.

John Shuck has become way more than that "pompous arse" from Star Trek IV, he was well on his way to being less of that in Star Trek VI.

Here he is a talented but disrespected member of the Klingon medical corps, what little they have.

Meanwhile, Trip is having side effects from previous engagements with T'Pol, and somehow Hoshi gets sucked into it.

And then, "those old scientists" era Klingons show up, what?

This pair of episodes was a good example of Star Trek not wasting a set of previous episodes. They totally mined the Arguments trilogy and they begin answering a conundrum that has bothered Star Trek fans ever since the motion picture.

As one who considers "Enterprise" an unfairly underrated series, I feel compelled to comment on segments of the sub-par fourth season such as this two-episode arc, that was, in effect, created for the sole purpose of explaining why Klingons in the original series didn't have the distinct "cranial ridges" featured in Klingons in ENT, TNG, DS9 and VOY.

Even though this "mini-arc" is an exciting and well-crafted tale, the rationale behind it is part of the reason that "Enterprise" failed as a series. Using the series to "set-up" the other Star Trek series that took place in the "future" was a sad waste of a good cast, excellent directors, and talented writers. It ultimately does a disservice to them all to use this series as little more than a device to explain events and distinctions found in the series that follow chronologically, even though they were produced years ago.

Like the much maligned series finale of "Enterprise" that employed members of TNG's cast, thus cheating the audience and the cast of a chance to make their finale about...well, about THEM, this arc is an artistic slap in the face of the Enterprise cast, writers and crew, as it wastes two episodes that could have been used to explore the relationships and develop the characters of Enterprise, instead of just "explaining" a matter of extremely minimal concern, i.e., why the Klingons in Kirk's era had smooth foreheads.

(I guess the producers felt it would have been too much to just trust that the fans of the series would understand that the reason that TOS's Klingons lacked cranial ridges was a simple matter of less developed make-up skills, and not a viral infection from a genetic augmentation experiment gone awry.)

Nevertheless, I gave it a seven (7) for some great action and good writing. The transfer of Trip by tether from the Columbia to the Enterprise at warp speed, alone, makes the two-parter worth watching!

This episode has a ton of plot compared to a typical episode of "Star Trek: Enterprise"--so hold on tight and be prepared for a heck of a ride!

It begins with Enterprise and the crew back on Earth. Trip has inexplicably asked for a transport to the Enterprise's sister ship, the Columbia. He seems to be dealing with his feelings for T'Pol by running. Soon things get much worse for the crew, as Dr. Phlox is soon kidnapped by Klingon agents. Why would the Klingons go to all this trouble to get the guy? What gives?!

What follows is a very interesting episode about Klingon augments, Reed being sneaky as well as a horrific virus that threatens to possibly kill every Klingon unless Phlox can find a cure. It's all very exciting and complex--hence it's a two-parter. Well worth seeing.

Phlox is kidnapped on earth and events involving Malcolm Reed start to get a bit cloak and dagger.

This is an enjoyable episode with a lot going on and some strong performances, however it needs to be watched with knowledge of several other Enterprise episodes and Star Trek shows, along with a desire for an explanation why the Klingons look different to the one shown in original series.

Thankfully the plot is pretty intriguing, with connections to other events in several other episodes of Enterprise, the original series and Deep Space Nine. The stories involving the Klingons and Reed are pretty compelling and make me want to find out what happens next. There is a sub-plot involving the Trip/T'Pol romance which is better than what has come before, but it still hasn't got an emotional investment from me in whether they end up together or not.

All performances are spot on and for me, as always in Enterprise, it is the guest stars that steal the show. James Avery, otherwise known as Uncle Phil from "Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" seems like he was born to play a Klingon at some point in his career. John Schuck is also excellent as a Klingon doctor in several scenes with Avery and John Billingsley, who is great as always as Phlox.

A lot of thought seems to have gone into the explanation for why the Klingons portrayed in the original series look different to the ones with the cranial ridges developed as the make-up effects modernised. This is a good enough explanation for me, but I hope this is not all the two-parter boils down to in the end. Overall, though it's a good start.

For me the episode is 7.5/10, but as always I round upwards.