The Breach

Planet Xantoras is undergoing yet another regime change--and a violent one as usual. However, there are some Denobulan scientists working there and Dr. Phlox has asked the Captain to mount a rescue mission, as the new Xantoran leader vows to capture and most likely kill all the foreigners in three days. However, when the mission begins, they also discover folks who are the dreaded enemies of the Denobulans and there is a bit crisis because an injured Antaran refuses to let Dr. Phlox help heal him because he is a Denobulan.

This is a decent episode. The problems between the Doctor and the Antaran are quite interesting--sort of like between Jews and Germans or Japanese and Chinese folks. But the other plot about the three scientists is actually pretty dull. Overall, watchable but not great.

Two significant plot elements. There is a takeover of power on a planet and the new power has decided that anyone but his race will be eliminated. There are scientists on the planet and Archer and his men need to get them out. Travis, Tripp, and Malcolm have three days to get these geologists out from the bowels of the planet. They risk their lives. On board the Enterprise are beings who have been caught by radiation. Phlox treats them but then runs across a man who is of a race that fought his people in bloody battles some 300 years previously. These two societies despise each other and this comes into play in sick bay. Phlox, a moral man, wants to save this man, but the man would rather die than be treated by a Denobulen. This soon gets us into a classic argument about bigotry and xenophobia and old grudges.

Enterprise goes to rescue Denobulan geologists working on planet Xantoras.

This is one of those Star Trek episodes where characters from two races with a history of war act in a confrontational way towards each other and it's up to members of the Enterprise crew to help them change their xenophobic ways. Not exactly original, but on this occasion the issues are dealt with via the theme of medical ethics.

A big positive of this episode is Dr Phlox has a large amount of screen time. He is one of the better characters of the show and John Billingsley makes average dialogue quite enjoyable with his performance. The problematic father-son relationship is addressed as we have seen in many Trek incarnations but this time we have it from the father's perspective.

There is also a pretty decent sub-plot with Trip, Malcolm and Mayweather going caving to rescue some geologists that don't want rescuing. Trip has some great moments during this mission.

I mostly enjoyed it, but do find myself growing tired of these types of plot lines.

Dr. Phlox receives a message and asks Captain Archer to rescue three Denobulan researchers from the underground caves in planet Xantoras since the government decided to expel all the aliens due to a civil war. Trip, Reed and Travis travel to the planet with a schedule of three days to bring the scientists to the Enterprise. Meanwhile, the Enterprise helps a ship with a breach in her reactor, and Dr. Phlox faces an ethical dilemma when an Antaran patient, a race enemy of the Denobulan, does not accept his treatment.

"The Breach" is an episode divided in drama of intolerance, ethics and action. Dr. Phlox faces the order of Captain Archer, based on the human Aristotelian ethics code, and his beliefs on the Denobulan ethics code, based on the will of the patient. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Ruptura" ("The Breach")