2.03: Minefield

[Dave]

-- The first episode to be written by former X-Files scribe John Shiban, now Enterprise co-executive producer.

-- StarTrek.com originally suggested Reed would be trapped by an alien mind in this episode.

-- Dominic Keating's uptight armoury officer Malcolm Reed will be one of the first humans to encounter a very familiar alien race.

"We meet the Romulans for the first time, and I have no idea who they are!" Keating told the audience at last weekend's Vulkon convention in Tampa, Florida, according to a report at TrekWeb.

Keating told the site's Steve Krutzler he will feature prominently in the episode, the third instalment of Enterprise's sophomore season. "I'm learning the lines like crazy at the moment - I'm outside the ship and trying to diffuse a mine. And then it all goes wrong man!" he joked. "I don't know if I'm coming back for episode four!"

"We're shooting it right now," Keating said. "It's a great episode, it really bonds Captain Archer and Malcolm Reed, we have a lot of scenes together. It's kind of 'Shuttlepod One' but with the captain outside rather [than trapped together with Reed]. I haven't seen the sets, [but] it's a great episode, you're going to like it!"

Executive producer Brannon Braga only broke the news last week that the NX-01 crew would encounter the Romulans early in the season. According to the Original Series episode 'Balance of Terror,' no human had ever seen a Romulan up to that point, but the writer emphasised there would be no continuity violation. "We've been very careful. The continuity is airtight. Believe me. We know. We know."

 

[Dave]

John Shiban: "In my first episode, we're playing up the Archer and Reed dynamic. We don't know a lot about Reed, which makes him a very interesting character. We know what his favourite food is, and we know a little bit about his relationship with his parents. He and Archer don't have a friendship that Archer and Trip have. We've got a situation in mind where they're forced together, so what do they learn about each other, and how do they work well together, how don't they?"

This episode finds Enterprise encountering a minefield planted near a planet, and when one of the mines attaches itself to the ship's hull, Malcolm Reed steps out into the vacuum of space to disarm it. When he runs into trouble, Captain Archer takes it upon himself to save him.

The episode's schedule started Friday, July 19, with a half day on the Bridge set. It then kicked into full gear the following week with four days of shots on miscellaneous ship sets, including a practically full day on Thursday in Sickbay, where a number of extras made up as injured crewmen were treated by Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley).

Then on Friday, a special set piece built to represent the external hull of the ship was put into service. For the rest of the schedule (through yesterday, the 31st), the only cast members reporting to work were Scott Bakula and Dominic Keating, along with Stunt Coordinator Vince Deadrick, Jr. Bakula and Keating had the difficult task of acting in the bulky environmental suits we've seen in such episodes as "Fight or Flight" and "Breaking the Ice," trying to relate to each other as characters while also portraying the nerve-racking effort of diffusing an intricate piece of machinery in zero-gravity.

"Minefield" is directed by James Contner, who also helmed last year's "Dear Doctor." Contner's other directorial credits include The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dark Angel, Roswell and Smallville.

 

[Highlander II]

This aired last night --

I watched it - it was pretty interesting -- and it was definitely a 'character development' episode -- not a lot of action - but a lot of info about Reed -

he's aquaphobic - very afraid of drowning - actually, he tells a story and a relative of his drowned to save the crew of his submarine (relative was an engineer - and also afraid of drowning) --

Reed is caught by a spike from the mine that slams through 1st his leg, then the hull plating of the ship --

So - Archer comes out to help disarm the bomb - and the whole time, Reed is telling him to leave -- Archer won't leave -

There is some really good insight into Reed - and it really helps you understand him better - and stuff that we saw him do last season makes more sense now ---

 

[Lonewolf89]

I liked the interaction between Reed and Archer. It was pretty funny in the beginning when Reed was invited to breakfast.

I was kind of disappointed though that after all of that time that they spent trying to disable the bomb they weren't able to finish they job.

I have a new found respect for Mayweather's piloting abilities. I would really like to see more back story on him.

 

[Mariel]

Good episode and Malcom is finally starting to open up a little more.

Something that bugged me...
They used the quantum beacons again (to detect the cloaked mines.) Where did this tecnology go? Why didn't Kirk or Picard have it too?

:blpaw:

 

[Boranon]

Minefield

Surely is a bound to be a classic episode - very good in depth story- filling in details and such.

As for the quantum technology- well I guess all of that will be explained as Enterprise develops.

My theory is: "Because of the meddling in the time line" by whom some believe to be Romulins, in the future, the time line as we know it will be re-written and TOS, TNG, DS9, and Voyager will not have happened- at least not in the same way.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by mich2brian
They used the quantum beacons again (to detect the cloaked mines.) Where did this tecnology go? Why didn't Kirk or Picard have it too?

I haven't seen this yet. Probably, it will be shown here early next year, but I think I can answer this from the way they handled cloaking technology in the TOS, the TOS films and TNG.

Each improvement in Cloak Technology was matched by an improvement in the detection systems. So while the Enterprise, equipped with the same new scanners as the Excelsior has for gaseous emissions, detected the Cloaked Klingon ship in 'The Undiscovered Country', due to 'emissions from it's tailpipe', this fault was later rectified by the Klingon scientists, and could never be used again.

This is the way ballistic missile technology progressed during the Cold War between East and West in the '60's and '70's, and is the way that weapons and defensive systems usually progress: very slowly -- swords and shields --> chainmail and armour / Castles and battering rams --> ramparts and ditches.

Only rarely do you have the large fundamental jumps that come with guns and cannons, that make them obsolete. Usually, it just requires a small upgrade.

So, I'm sure the Romulans will find out how they managed to detect the mines, and correct it, making the next version harder to detect still.

 

[skoon]

I lived the interaction between Archer and Malcolm. Just kinda emphasises that "hey, we're new at this whole space thing" I guess after a while of being out in space relieing on each other relationships will eventually change to less ...strict? destinctions. Captain Arture is the Captain but suggestions are welcome...or am I wrong?

 

[Annette]

This aired here in the UK last night. Very good episode. Was nice to learn something of Reeds background. I understand his feeling about drowning. Hate to be out of my depth while swimming. That said nice interaction between Reed and Archer. I always felt that sometime Reeds character is underused. We generally just see him sitting on the bridge. I loved the way that they used the shuttlecraft doors to protect themselves from the blast of the mine. Someone was using their brains with that one.


annette

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by mich2brian
They used the quantum beacons again (to detect the cloaked mines.) Where did this tecnology go? Why didn't Kirk or Picard have it too?

This was actually covered in the episode. They said that the mine cloaks must be more primitive technology than the Romulan ships.

Only that still doesn't sit right with me, because the quantum beacons are 'future technology'. Designed to detect the Suliban cloak which was also 'future technology'. So how can it be primitive? I know that Starfleet never developed cloaking technology (apart from in TNG 'The Pegasus') but that was always explained as because of the "Treaty of Algeron" at the end of the Romulan Wars. We signed away our right to develop it.

They have never said that the technology was too advanced before.

Anyway, the episode itself....

Malcom Reed is trapped by an alien mine's magnetic leg that has attached itself to the ship's hull. This is humanity's first encounter with the Romulan Star Empire, but that means nothing to them. Except Archer who saw a book last week in the 31st Century Library, and T'Pol who reveals nothing.

The casualties from the earlier explosion are pouring into sickbay, and Dr. Phlox is still working with alien herbs, osmotic eels and relatively primitive instruments. He doesn't yet have the Starfleet medical 'pepperpot' to wave over wounds.

This is a really slow episode as in the B story Archer insists on trying to get to know his stand-offish Armory Officer, first over breakfast, but later, even while attempting to defuse the mine. Reed wonders if this is altogether the appropriate setting for a conversation; and I have some sympathy with him. It gets steadily worse as the conversation turns to the reason Reed went into space rather than into the British Royal Navy, then on to Archer's style of command.

I do like character development, but I like Reed's character, and this made him a little unlikeable. Also, it was mainly just background facts. People are who they are, what they do by their actions, not just the stories they tell.

I also wondered why they couldn't use the Transporter to solve the problem in some way. i.e. cut the mine loose then Beam Reed inside, or Beam the mine away.