monkee reviews 'Cease Fire'
First Impressions: Jeffrey Combs and Suzie Plakson with antennae – what's not to love?
The Vulcan/Andorian Conflict: Continuity abounds in this episode when Shran requests Archer's presence as a mediator in a Vulcan/Andorian territorial dispute. After the events of 'Andorian Incident' and 'Shadows of P'Jem,' Shran has come to trust Archer regarding the Vulcans. In this case, the Andorians are trying to retake a planet that they initially settled, but turned over to the Vulcans over a century ago in accordance with the terms of a treaty. Apparently, they're no longer satisfied with those terms, claiming that the Vulcan's have misused their authority, herded Andorians into refuge camps and refused to address grievances in a timely manner, or at all. Both sides are feeling self-righteous, and the Andorians have taken three Vulcans hostage. They want to speak to Ambassador Soval, in person, so that something will get done for a change. With difficulty, Archer arranges it.
What I liked about this was that it wasn't all in black and white. The Andorians have some legitimate grievances against the Vulcans, but the Andorians are quite violent, and it's clear that they aren't completely blameless either. And although some of them, including Shran, want to find a permanent diplomatic solution to the dispute, others don't think it's possible. They just want to 'fight for what's theirs.' Members of this faction shoot down the shuttle carrying Archer, Soval, and T'Pol, and they must try to make their way, on foot, through a war zone to get to Shran.
What's interesting is that the two sides believe the very worst of each other when they're relying on rumor. The Andorians think it's not impossible that the Vulcans would shoot down their own Ambassador in order to start a war, and the Vulcans think the Andorians are too hot-tempered for diplomacy. It's only when Soval and Shran are face-to-face that they're able to get a true feel for each other. Small concessions are made by both parties, and they each begin to realize that the other really does have an interest in peaceful resolution.
Wouldn't it be nice if the real world were like that? I'm optimistic enough, or maybe naïve enough, to think that it could happen. Someday. Hey, I can hope.
Tarah's Betrayal: Shran's trusted 'First Lieutenant,' Tarah, is revealed to be a member of the faction that wants war. It's unfortunate for Shran, but it turns out to be a turning point in the dispute, because Soval is there to witness, first hand, the betrayal. I think it helps to convince him that Shran has problems of his own, but really does want to work for diplomacy.
Tarah is played by Suzie Plakson (TNG's K'Ehleyr, and VOY's female Q), and she ROCKS! I've always adored Suzie Plakson. Can anyone play this particular kind of character – smug, strong and sexy – as well? I don't think so!
First Steps: This is the first time I've ever even remotely liked Soval. Here, with Archer's help (and it kills Soval to admit that), he finally makes some diplomatic progress with the Andorians. Maybe it helps him to be in the heart of the action. Standing around at the High Council, or at the Embassy on Earth, he's just arrogant, but out in the field, he can see things more clearly. I think it was also useful for him to have some candid conversations with T'Pol. For the first time, we see that she was a protégé, of sorts, before she joined the Enterprise crew. He trusts her, and must therefore take her respect for Archer seriously. I think that these three Andorian episodes are part of a broader 'birth of the Federation' arc, and I'm sure we'll be seeing more of it. I'm looking forward to it.
Phaser Fights in the Darkness: There's a lot of action in this episode, and many people really like that. I'm not one of them. I guess I'm a character-driven sort of monkee, because the phaser fights and space battles usually don't interest me very much. And I can't tell you how sick and tired I am of watching people lurch around in the dark on this show. The episode just dragged interminably for me while Soval, Archer and T'Pol were making their way through the dark war zone, getting shot at. I was tempted to fast-forward right through it. YAWN. It's my only complaint about the episode, though.
Meanwhile, Back on Enterprise: Trip is in the big chair, and has to find a way to keep the peace between heavily armed Andorian and Vulcan ships while Archer is on the surface, out of contact, trying to negotiate. He does a fantastic job, too – much better than his stint as C.O. in 'The Seventh.' He physically moves Enterprise between the two parties, and threatens, convincingly, to fire on anyone who makes a hostile move. Fortunately, Archer comes through on the surface, and it doesn't come to that, but it's clear that he would have done it.
Character Interactions: The episode centered on the characters on the planet – Shran, Tarah, Archer, T'Pol and Soval – and I really enjoyed all of their interactions. There were competently done professional interactions on the ship, but nothing that really stood out. I did enjoy the conversation Archer had with Phlox in Sickbay, though. Phlox had some good advice about the unpredictability of battle zones – foreshadowing what was to come.
Archer Watch: He was TERRIFIC. No, really! He's beginning to realize that it's not all comet chasing and First Contact out there – there's a broader canvas. He handled the delicate negotiations with both sides with sincerity and finesse, and he seems to be open to forging a new relationship with Soval, which would be a good thing, for both of them.
'shipper Watch: Archer demonstrated, once again, that he trusts and respects T'Pol – no romantic overtones, but their developing friendship has become a highlight of the show for me. Sadly, there was no fuel for my odd fixation with the Shran/T'Pol pairing <g>, but one never knows. I'm sure Shran is to be a recurring character...
Best Lines:
"If you insist that I bring a Vulcan along, I'll take the one I know *I* can trust." (Archer, to Soval)
"Maybe we're not out here just to scan comets and meet new species. Maybe we're out here to prove that humanity is ready to join a much larger community." (Archer, to Phlox)
"Battlefields are unpredictable places, even under a flag of truce. Be careful." (Phlox, to Archer)
"Ambassador Soval clearly expects you to fail. I was hoping some advance preparation would help you prove him wrong." (T'Pol, to Archer)
"I imagined my first diplomatic mission would involve sitting around a big table, toasting with champagne, signing things with lots of pens..." (Archer, to Shran)
"For the record, the Vulcan High Council doesn't like me very much, and frankly, the feeling is mutual." (Archer, to Tarah)
"What is their fixation with our ears?" "I believe they're envious." (Soval and T'Pol)
"Just because Captain Archer has earned my respect doesn't mean I've been contaminated by his emotions." (T'Pol, to Soval)
"I'll fire on any ship that makes an aggressive move. Phase canons?" "Locked and ready." (Trip and Reed, to the Vulcans and Andorians)
"Join me in a drink...to our mutual dissatisfaction." (Shran, to Soval)
"Captain, your presence here has not been...overly meddlesome." (Soval, to Archer)
"I think he likes you, pink skin." (Shran, to Archer)
[Note: I missed the first five minutes or so of the episode. I don't think I missed any plot, but I may have missed a good quote or two. Do let me know!]
The Nature of Compromise: Shran and Soval are still arguing as the episode ends, which is realistic. Archer tells them, "I believe someone once defined a compromise as a solution that neither side is happy with." Shran says that, in that case, the talks have been successful, and Soval considers any negotiation that averts a war to be a success. (Now THAT'S more like the Vulcans we know and love...) When all is said and done, it looks like the path ahead will be rocky for these two factions, but at least they're on their way.
Rating: 9/10. There was a lot to like about this one, but I thought the pacing was a little off in places.
monkee Comment: I'm a bit mystified by the Enterprise bashing that I see on some of the online Trek bulletin boards. Can't we give the show a chance to find its legs here before we dismiss it? I think it's a good show! It's not perfect, by any stretch, but the potential is very much there. It seems to me that Enterprise is striking a nice balance between the 'all stand-alone episodes' rule of Voyager, and the sometimes-convoluted, arc-heavy Deep Space Nine. Enterprise already has several general arcs running – the temporal cold war, the Vulcan/Andorian 'birth of the Federation' thing, T'Pol's exploration of humanity. I think there's some kind of plan at work. It may not be specific, but some of these episodes are clearly just pieces of a larger story. I'm sincerely looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds. It could turn out to be fascinating! No, really!
Next Week: And speaking of the temporal cold war...what are they going to find in that mysterious ship? Time will tell, so to speak...
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