Archer embarks on a suicide mission to destroy the Xindi's nearly completed planet-killing weapon.
Production Report from StarTrek.com
Kroeker Directs Pivotal "Azati Prime"
Production Report from StarTrek.com
Kroeker Directs Pivotal "Azati Prime"
When Allan Kroeker steps in to direct, you know it's probably an important episode. Kroeker who usually comes around for season premieres and finales and epic two-parters took the helm of "Azati Prime," an episode which begins the culmination of the Xindi throughline which has defined the entire season.
In the story, scripted by Manny Coto, the NX-01 finally reaches the red giant star Azati Prime, where it was learned in a prior episode the Xindi superweapon designed to annihilate Earth is undergoing its final phases of construction. After the crew locates the massive object underwater on an ocean planet, they realize its destruction will require a suicide mission. Archer insists on doing it himself. But then Daniels shows up and throws a new wrinkle into the plans. The episode will answer substantial lingering questions about the Xindi story arc, while raising even new mysteries.
Matt Winston, of course, returns for the second time this season as temporal agent Daniels. The rest of the guest cast includes the usual Xindi suspects, namely Randy Oglesby as weapon designer Degra; Tucker Smallwood as the Xindi-Primate council member; Rick Worthy as a Xindi-Sloth or "Arboreal"; and Scott MacDonald, who this time is identified as a "Reptilian Commander" rather than just "Xindi-Reptilian."
The cast and crew returned from a two-week holiday break on Jan. 5 ready to embark upon one of the most pivotal episodes of the season. They got back into the swing of things by doing only Bridge scenes the first day with just the principal cast, then spread out into the Ready Room, Command Center and Corridors the second day. Starting the third day and extending throughout the schedule, quite a few scenes were shot inside the Insectoid Shuttle which was originally constructed for "Hatchery." When the Xindi guest cast came in, they performed on sets representing Degra's ship and a Reptilian prison cell. A new set representing a ship in the future was constructed for the Daniels scenes, consisting largely of a "greenscreen" where some astonishing visual effects will be inserted in post-production.
Most of the intense action was saved for the latter part of the schedule, when the Bridge and Engineering take the worst beating they've ever seen. Smoke, fire and sparks filled the sets, as well as stunt players taking falls right and left. Some scenes were even shot in slow-motion. When the script called for a crewman to be engulfed in flames, stunt coordinator Vince Deadrick Jr. took on that role himself. It was an exciting, adrenaline-charged moment on the Engineering set, but everything went smoothly.
Though the production schedule called for seven days, there was actually an overlap Tuesday and Wednesday with the next show, "Damage," directed by James L. Conway, as the action is continuous from one to the next. So Kroeker and Conway were both on set those two days, with "Azati Prime" actually wrapping on Wednesday.
As mentioned, the teleplay was crafted by Coto, but the story concept was developed jointly by him and Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Coto previously wrote "Similitude" and this week's "Chosen Realm." Kroeker was last on set for the Season 3 premiere "The Xindi," and also directed the Season 2 cliffhanger "The Expanse." He's also done "Shockwave, Part I" and "Part II" among other Enterprise episodes, on top of an impressive resumé from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager which includes the series finales of each.
"Azati Prime" the 18th episode of the season (with six left to go) and number 70 overall is scheduled to air on UPN on March 3.
In the story, scripted by Manny Coto, the NX-01 finally reaches the red giant star Azati Prime, where it was learned in a prior episode the Xindi superweapon designed to annihilate Earth is undergoing its final phases of construction. After the crew locates the massive object underwater on an ocean planet, they realize its destruction will require a suicide mission. Archer insists on doing it himself. But then Daniels shows up and throws a new wrinkle into the plans. The episode will answer substantial lingering questions about the Xindi story arc, while raising even new mysteries.
Matt Winston, of course, returns for the second time this season as temporal agent Daniels. The rest of the guest cast includes the usual Xindi suspects, namely Randy Oglesby as weapon designer Degra; Tucker Smallwood as the Xindi-Primate council member; Rick Worthy as a Xindi-Sloth or "Arboreal"; and Scott MacDonald, who this time is identified as a "Reptilian Commander" rather than just "Xindi-Reptilian."
The cast and crew returned from a two-week holiday break on Jan. 5 ready to embark upon one of the most pivotal episodes of the season. They got back into the swing of things by doing only Bridge scenes the first day with just the principal cast, then spread out into the Ready Room, Command Center and Corridors the second day. Starting the third day and extending throughout the schedule, quite a few scenes were shot inside the Insectoid Shuttle which was originally constructed for "Hatchery." When the Xindi guest cast came in, they performed on sets representing Degra's ship and a Reptilian prison cell. A new set representing a ship in the future was constructed for the Daniels scenes, consisting largely of a "greenscreen" where some astonishing visual effects will be inserted in post-production.
Most of the intense action was saved for the latter part of the schedule, when the Bridge and Engineering take the worst beating they've ever seen. Smoke, fire and sparks filled the sets, as well as stunt players taking falls right and left. Some scenes were even shot in slow-motion. When the script called for a crewman to be engulfed in flames, stunt coordinator Vince Deadrick Jr. took on that role himself. It was an exciting, adrenaline-charged moment on the Engineering set, but everything went smoothly.
Though the production schedule called for seven days, there was actually an overlap Tuesday and Wednesday with the next show, "Damage," directed by James L. Conway, as the action is continuous from one to the next. So Kroeker and Conway were both on set those two days, with "Azati Prime" actually wrapping on Wednesday.
As mentioned, the teleplay was crafted by Coto, but the story concept was developed jointly by him and Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Coto previously wrote "Similitude" and this week's "Chosen Realm." Kroeker was last on set for the Season 3 premiere "The Xindi," and also directed the Season 2 cliffhanger "The Expanse." He's also done "Shockwave, Part I" and "Part II" among other Enterprise episodes, on top of an impressive resumé from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager which includes the series finales of each.
"Azati Prime" the 18th episode of the season (with six left to go) and number 70 overall is scheduled to air on UPN on March 3.
