3.19: Damage

[Dave]

This episode continues on immediately from the events in 'Azati Prime'

from StarTrek.com

A brutal attack on the ship and its aftermath define the aptly named "Damage," continuing a multi-episode arc that brings the Xindi-human conflict to a head, directed by James L. Conway and guest-starring Casey Biggs.

Conway is notable for having gotten this series off the ground in the first place, by directing "Broken Bow." Biggs made a name for himself in Trek lore as the Cardassian Damar, one of richer recurring characters in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In "Damage," he returns to Star Trek Row as an "Illyrian" captain.

Spoiler

The story, written by co-producer Phyllis Strong, opens in the midst of the space battle that started in "Azati Prime." The attacking Xindi vessels stop short of delivering a final fatal blow to Enterprise, but leave it virtually helpless with extensive damage and several crewmembers dead. An Illyrian vessel nearby has also been crippled from spatial anomalies, and the two crews attempt to strike up a collaboration. Meanwhile, dissension is festering among the ranks of the Xindi council over their plans against the human race. In another throughline, the ship's bleak situation forces T'Pol to reveal a personal secret.

As mentioned in the previous production report, there was an overlap for two days in the filming of "Azati Prime" and "Damage," since the action is continuous between the episodes. The sets remained in a severely battered state, and every single day of this shoot employed at least some degree of smoke and sparks work, and the lighting of all the ship scenes remained in "emergency" mode throughout. Most of the action - and the repair efforts afterwards - took place in the "Damaged Bridge," "Engineering-Damaged," "Armory-Moderate Damage" (as the call sheets and script referred to them), etc. Jolene Blalock found herself in an EV suit crawling through an Access Tube into a dark Cargo Bay where T'Pol contends with precarious stacks of containers. The scene required some stunt work, so she was doubled by Michelle Sebek.

Swing sets were constructed for the Illyrian ship, where an entire day was spent filming (that ship is also badly damaged, so the cast couldn't get away from the smoke & sparks for even a day). The Xindi Council Chamber and Degra's Ship stayed in place from previous episodes for more camera work there. There's also an interesting new Xindi setpiece: an Aquatic ship, where Archer finds himself in an Air Chamber, face-to-face with the water-dwellers through a Plexiglas barrier (the Aquatics, of course, will be computer-generated in post). Scott Bakula went through the ringer on this episode, as he had to go through various stages of being bloodied, bruised and swollen - and soaked.

Principal production concluded last Thursday, January 22, though a few scenes were carried over into B-unit photography on Friday, which also included pick-up shots for "Doctor's Orders" and "Hatchery" under the direction of visual effects producer Dan Curry. The second unit overlapped first day of production of the next episode, "The Forgotten" directed by LeVar Burton.

Besides Biggs, the guest stars include the recurring Xindi players: Randy Oglesby, Tucker Smallwood, Rick Worthy and Scott MacDonald. We will also meet another mysterious figure in the Xindi scenario, a character referred to as "Sphere-Builder," played by Josette DiCarlo, a Trek newcomer. Several of the recurring MACO stunt players continued on, including Dorenda Moore, Paul Sklar, Kevin Derr and Zane Cassidy, and other stuntpeople and extras were employed for the non-speaking Illyrian roles.

Besides the series pilot, Conway also directed "Judgment" and some very memorable episodes from the previous shows including "The Neutral Zone," "Duet" and "Death Wish." Strong, the writer, also has an extensive Trek resume, her last script being "Exile."

 

[Mariel]

We get to meet the mysterious future influence. A lady alien form the species that built the spheres. She is summoned by the Xindi councel, all except the reptiles and insects. She tells them that she isn't the enemy the humans are. Degra has trouble believing this and lets Archer go. He gets to see some Aquatics one the ride to Enterpise. Degra leaves Archer a message to meet him. Enterpise has taken a pretty bad beating and has no warp drive, the warp coil is fried. In his desire to get there, Archer decides to take a the warp coil from a passing ship by force. We also find out that T'Pol has been taking drugs so she can feel emotion.
:blpaw:

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Mariel
We get to meet the mysterious future influence. A lady alien form the species that built the spheres.

So, 'The Future Guy' was actually a gal!

I've not read all the spoilers, so it came as a surprise to me that 'Future Guy' was from the 'Sphere Builders' race.

Another piece of info that might have passed you by: In 'Azati Prime' Daniels told Archer more about the Federation. He said that the Federation was formed from an alliance of Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Illyrians and others. The Illyrians are the aliens on the ship they steal the Warp Coil from.

I knew I had seen the Illyrian captain somewhere -- he was Damar on DS9.

I'm sure we are going to see the Illyrians again. Archer can't just leave them behind with a three year journey home.

There is a kind of symmetry here with Voyager -- left in the Delta Quadrant with seven year journey home (really 70 years but no one believed they wouldn't get back before the series ended )
I expect you felt that the Caretaker was unjust in what he did, but his reasons were probably as good as Archers are here: the future of an entire race (Ocampa) was at stake.

 

[ray gower]

One can almost forgive some of the lame-brain episodes, if they can finish the season on this sort of rolling high. Almost..

That a few irrational bits have been drawn to a head, is no bad thing, and perhaps our fault for watching and judging as we see them. Except most of those bits were done dusted and never re-occured anywhere else.

The revelation that T'Pot is a drugy is a bit lame, but as unexpected as her miraculous cure is not going to be. Archer is becoming even more variable in his outlook on life than Janeway ever was and I'm still none too clear on why the Xindi just let him go.

But to be honest, I don't care! There was plenty going on with little or no pontification and people were trying. Looking forward to nest weeks effort now

 

[Nick 0208 Ldn]

I have to echo an earler comment of how good it was that Sky One decided to do these two eps back to back. They could've easily left it till next week which would have been a pain in the ass but the didn't. I didn't know about it until it came on, pleasant surprise.

Another piece of info that might have passed you by: In 'Azati Prime' Daniels told Archer more about the Federation. He said that the Federation was formed from an alliance of Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, Illyrians and others. The Illyrians are the aliens on the ship they steal the Warp Coil from.

I knew I had seen the Illyrian captain somewhere -- he was Damar on DS9.

I'm sure we are going to see the Illyrians again. Archer can't just leave them behind with a three year journey home.

Right, so as those are the founding Federation member races of note we should also expect to see more of Commander Pren isn't it in the coming seasons as i'm sure the whooe Vulcan/Andorian thing will come up again sooner rather than later.

Illyrians are they? hmm didn't know that; ascifi.com, always an education .

14 crew lost though, that is what, just over 1/8 of the crew of the Enterprise or am i a bit off with my maths there?

One further question though, in regard to T'Pol, so with her having been suffering from some sort of addiction over the past few months and how that affected her emotions, how she acted on them and now with her telling the Doc and now dealing with the issue; how do you lot see T'Pol and her relationship with certain members of the crew developing in the future?

Come to think of it, i coul've just said the last sentence in that question instead of so much waffle, oh well, stupid me

Nick,

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by Nick 0208 Ldn
14 crew lost though, that is what, just over 1/8 of the crew of the Enterprise or am i a bit off with my maths there?

I hadn't spotted that. You would think that would lead them a little short-handed wouldn't you? On the other hand, I don't understand what all the crew actually do, most activites seen to be automated.

Originally posted by Nick 0208 Ldn
One further question though, in regard to T'Pol, so with her having been suffering from some sort of addiction over the past few months and how that affected her emotions, how she acted on them and now with her telling the Doc and now dealing with the issue; how do you lot see T'Pol and her relationship with certain members of the crew developing in the future?

She did say earlier in the season that she wanted to explore her emotions, so I don't think she disliked the experience of having them, just the fact that she has become addicted to Trellium-D (sp?) If she could have the emotions without the drug I'm sure she still would. Don't forget her mind-rape with the renegade Vulcans and the aids-like mind disease she contracted. I'm sure that that will play a part in this too.

Trip or Archer though? -- she can't seem to decide from week to week.