2.10: Vanishing Point

[Dave]

via SCIFI WIRE -- Rick Berman: "We've also just finished the script for an episode called 'Vanishing Point. It's an episode that's hard to talk about without giving away the secret, but it's based around a transporter accident and it features Hoshi, who's in virtually every scene of the show. That's episode #10."

Edit: Production took place mainly on standing sets from Wednesday, October 2, to Friday, October 10.

According to www.treknation.com, this is rumoured to feature Hoshi Sato changing into a 'ghost,' turning invisible and gaining the ability to pass through walls. Although the entire crew thinks she's dead, she needs to find a way to communicate with her crew and warn them about an alien plot to blow up the Enterprise.

Wasn't this the plot of the TNG episode 'The Next Phase'? (La Forge and Ro were thought to have died, but were really just 'out of phase' and could pass through walls, but couldn't let anyone know that a Romulan was trying to destroy the ship.)

Actually, Kirk was thought to have died in the TOS episode 'The Tholian Web', and appeared as a ghost, but he was just out of phase too, and the Tholians were about to destroy the ship.

If they've run out of stories already......?

 

[Bota99]

lol, actually yes, it does sound remarkably similiar?? Hope they already are not running outta ideas.. what's next? A visit from Q??

 

[Mariel]

The first thing I thought about was that episode of TNG where La Forge and Roe are out of phase.
As I watched the episode I realized Hoshi must be dreaming. Well I was sorta right. Hoshi get's traped in the pattern buffer of the transporter and imagines the entire thing. Not the most origional episode but it was still pretty good.

 

[Neo]

mich2brian says it all... not the most enspiring trek episode yet.. too much like tng.

 

[Dave]

Actually, I was enjoying it -- the back-story on Transporter experiments, the historical transporter accident, the way Hoshi tried unsuccessfully to alert Archer -- then reset button and it all turned out to be in her mind.

So, none of that really happened?

Does the Enterprise really have a gym? Is Dr Phlox really so incompetent that he misses obvious details on scans that he takes? Was that man really Hoshi's father?

I hate reset button episodes! I feel cheated!

 

[Brit Chick]

I wasn't sure what was going on here, whether it was a dream or reality until Hoshi disappeared in the Gym - if it was really a transporter problem messing with her molecules then why did the outfit she was wearing disappear as well - that was when I knew it had to be imaginary

The scenes where nobody could see her were very reminiscent of The Next Phase, but thats ok - I mean if you are invisible/out of phase people are gonna walk thru you!

I kinda liked the way they were setting that up, with Hoshi walking up to a table in the mess and being ignored initially, like we were supposed to think, ah yes, she's done the invisible thing - then we find out they can still see her

 

[Dave]

I did notice the clothes problem too, but I thought they had just made a mistake. I was planning on complaining about it until it all turned out to be imaginary.

 

[skoon]

ok not my most well thought out post but personally I wish they cut the power or what ever & axed her. Oh well, there goes Hoshi. Can't remember but has anyone EVER got lost for ever with the transporter?

 

[Dave]

A transporter accident claimed the life of Vulcan Enterprise Science Officer, Commander Sonak; paving the way for Spock's return to active Starfleet duty in 'The Motion Picture'.

There is a list of the various malfunctions here:
http://deepspace93.com/transpor.html

No one ever dies in Star Trek (apart from Spock of course, who came back, and Tasha Yar, obviously, and she came back too, and (spoiler for 'Nemesis')

Spoiler

Data, but I'm sure he will have all of his memories re-activated in B4)

And that untried and untested technology, known as the Transporter, never kills any main characters. It only splits them in two.

 

[Brit Chick]

Scotty got 'lost' for 75 years or something in the TNG episode Relics - although they found him again so I spose that doesn't count - but it did make for an entertaining episode IMO

 

[Highlander II]

Watched this last night -- mostly I'd given up on Enterprise b/c it was getting stale, but the transporter accident caught my attention and I stuck around to see if they would do it differently -

well.... this ep was good and bad -

good - some character development, what ppl thought of Hoshi, how the characters / crew reacted to her 'death' - even tho their reactions were all in her head - they *were* in character - meaning either Hoshi knows her crew members well, or the writers didn't remember this was Hoshi's POV - and were too concerned on it looking 'authentic' -- I dunno; and the 'overcoming the fear' of the transporter thing was good too

bad - the reset button! ACK! I wanted to cry! I hate that! This episode was totally interesting until she stepped on that transporter pad, hearing Trip's voice and materialized in the transporter on Enterprise - ugh! I wanted to smack someone. That is my absolute LEAST favorite plot device! The only one that ever worked out well was the one they did on Angel this season -

*sigh* can someone please BAN the reset button plot!?

 

[ray gower]

Originally posted by Highlander II
good - some character development, what ppl thought of Hoshi, how the characters / crew reacted to her 'death' - even tho their reactions were all in her head - they *were* in character - meaning either Hoshi knows her crew members well, or the writers didn't remember this was Hoshi's POV - and were too concerned on it looking 'authentic' -- I dunno; and the 'overcoming the fear' of the transporter thing was good too

*sigh* can someone please BAN the reset button plot!?

I suspect a lot of the way things were presented were aimed at trying to maintain a veneer of suspense.

For a long time I thought we had blundered into another alternative universe job (we must be due one by now?), as Archer and the rest of the crews reactions to Hoshi were completely different. Even ending with Archer effectively relieving her of duty and placing her under open arrest.

Then I hoped it was one of those episodes where her life flashed past her eyes before she popped her clogs!

It does raise some odd (and old) questions and irritations:
Are you conscious when being transported and being stripped into molecules and converted into an energy stream?
And why doesn't hurt?

How did Archer notice a new flashing pattern in the LED?
It must have been flashing before Hoshi started mucking about, because it was flashing after she stopped! At least they didn't fall for it.

Why is the transporter so much more reliable than a shuttle in a lightening storm?
Given that much electrical interference in TNG, we would have had at least two spare Rikers appearing!

The ease by which the Enterprise and the foreigners began to chat and come to peace terms when Hoshi was relieved.

Then the fact that a number of aliens appeared aboard ship and started to string up long lengths of string with mines on the end without an alarm, or anybody noticing, remembering of course that normally not only do they know when people get aboard, but where, who and what they are!

These are, on the whole, minor irritations that stopped it becoming a really good episode. Most of which could happily be explained by your life flashing past your eyes.

One final thought. Would you want to serve in Star Fleet if their idea of support for your nearest and dearest in case of bereavement, is some clown phoning from half a galaxy away to say you had snuffed it?

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by ray gower
It does raise some odd (and old) questions and irritations:
Are you conscious when being transported and being stripped into molecules and converted into an energy stream?
And why doesn't hurt?

In reality, you are annihilated then reconstituted elsewhere. So, you actually die and are then reborn everytime. If we have a soul, I can't see how it could survive. Does it hurt? I expect so! OUCH!

 

[Eway]

It's hard to believe it is almost 10 years since this episode aired. I was also somewhat disappointed in the retread episodes but this...on my 1st re-watch of the series...I thoroughly enjoyed this episode on its own merits. I suggest some give it a 2nd chance as I'm sure many are starved for a little more Trek these days.