Cogenitor

It took me awhile, but I finally warmed up to Enterprise. My least favorite character was Capt. Archer. He struck me as exceedingly arrogant and narcissistic. This episode epitomizes that perception. At the end of the episode when Captain Archer is berating Commander Tucker, Tucker tells the Capt that he was just doing what the Captain would have done, and that is absolutely true. The Captain replies "If that's true, then I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here", also absolutely true.

Let's recount some examples of Archer's escapades:

Archer get's involved in "championing" the rights of the downtrodden in "Detained" (Season 1 Episode 20). He decides he "must" free the captive Suliban, even though he and Mayweather were going to be released.

Season 1 Episode 6, The Andorian Incident, he decides to go against the wishes of the Vulcans at the P'Jem sanctuary. Why? It is their facility; they have been through raids by the Andorians before; the Vulcans want to let the Andorians look until they're satisfied and leave. Archer won't respect the wishes of the Vulcans and his interference results in the destruction of the sanctuary.

Season 1 Episode 16, Fusion, Archer "orders"/strongly "suggests" T'Pol to spend time with the visiting Vulcans, even though she is clearly uneasy at the thought. The result, she is assaulted by one of the Vulcans and develops Pinar Syndrome.

Season 1, Episode 17, Rogue Planet, Archer interferes on behalf of the downtrodden creatures that are being hunted. He interferes in the culture, on a "first contact" mission, by providing a masking agent so the creatures can evade the hunters.

Season 2, Episode 6, Marauders, Archer interferes on behalf of the downtrodden because he's never liked "bullies".

Season 2, Episode 21, Breach, Archer orders Doctor Phlox to perform medical treatment on a patient, against the patient's wishes. He says "On Earth, we don't let people die when we could save them." Really? I thought, even on Earth, a doctor must receive patient consent.

I'm not saying I agree or disagree with the actions taken by Archer or Tucker, just that, throughout this series, Archer will take certain actions, the consequences be damned, but chastise others for doing the same type thing. Like I said, overall I like the series, but I never learned to like Captain Archer.

This was a really interesting idea, and a neat little compact morality play.

The idea of three genders was an interesting, one, and it shows that we shouldn't consider everyone is like us.

There were lots of interesting themes in this ep, and the ending was unexpected.

Rather than take a particular predicatable line, the story showed that things don't always work out how you expect them to... and sometimes there are unforseen consequences of ones actions.

I thought the cogenitor role was great, but also it was good that the crew encountered a race that were happy and wanted to assist.

However, probably the best thing was trip getting dressed down - showing the crew aren't all perfect and do make mistakes.

Great episode, said by the actor who plays Malcolme Reed as his favorite.

This episode is heartbreaking and positively perfect in every conceivable way. The acting, the writing, the direction, cinematography, the pacing... perfection, just perfection. LaVar Burton's contribution is felt heavily, though pales in comparison to Connor Trinneer's work. He has me believing it wholeheartedly... I felt my heart ache, and watched his heart break. I simply cannot lay enough praise at the feet of this episode. I feel the this episode stands up with the very best of the very very best in what Star Trek has to offer. This is the epitome of storytelling at its finest, and I don't feel it has ever been paid the respect it is due.

I thought this was quite a provocative episode. Archer is being seen by some as lacking in concern for human rights and almost Hitler like. Unfortunately, he is between a rock and a hard place here. He is thrilled that a friendly species has hooked up with Enterprise and is interested in sharing what they have. The problem is that while he is having a great time, Trip is back at the ship, trying to teach a creature whose sole purpose in life is to aid in reproduction. When he realizes that she/he/it has potential to be more than a facilitator of producing children, he disobeys his captain. The problem is that many see Archer as a sellout because he has been rebellious in the past. I think the problem here is the speed with which everything happens. No study of the culture. No more deliberation before entering on disruption. Archer is on a short leash. One thing no one mentions is that without the cogenitor, this race dies. Another question is, give a little negotiating time, perhaps there could be a cogenitor that has other possibilities other than the primary role. Just food for thought.

We have to remember this was 2003 - 17 years ago - and I hope a different time than today (heavy emphasis on HOPE). The lost potential here was to really make a statement about GENDER. What if the performer cast to play the Cogenitor was a cis-gendered male actor? (This could be seen as an allegory for transgender rights as well, so what about a transgendered actor?) How would that have changed the dynamic of Trip trying to "rescue" the Cogenitor? T'Pol asked Archer the same question in Rogue Planet (2002). How would the story change if it were played by a male actor? Consider, The Outcast (1992), what if Soren was played by a male actor? That would have made for an interesting twist and would make the conversation much more relevant. The other reviewers have mentioned the dubious morality of Archer and that is not my issue here (as I agree with the double standards he sets for Trip). What do you think?