"Cease Fire"

Written by Chris Black
Directed by David Straiton


In which Archer is drawn into the middle of a conflict between the Andorians and the Vulcans, and must prove to the Vulcan ambassador that he has something to offer...

Synopsis - Analysis - Memorable Quotes - Observations


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Synopsis

As the episode begins, the Vulcans and Andorians fire at each other within the ruins of a city on a disputed planet. Shran, the leader of the Andorian forces, receives a grim report from his second, Tarah. Shran has heard that the Vulcans are willing to discuss terms, but Tarah is skeptical. Shran, on the other hand, believes that there is someone who might be able to intercede with a more even hand: Captain Archer.

On the Enterprise, Archer learns that the Vulcan ambassador Soval has requested his presence. The disputed world lies on the border between Andorian and Vulcan space, and has been a source of conflict for nearly 100 years. Despite his reluctance, Archer accepts his orders.

Archer speaks with T’Pol about the disputed world. The Andorians originally terraformed the planet and set up an installation, and the Vulcans concluded that it had to be a military base. When the Andorians refused to let the Vulcans inspect the colony, the Vulcans annexed the world and “removed” the Andorian population. An agreement was forged, and for 100 years, things were stable. Now, the Andorians have come back to claim the world once again.

After arriving at the planet, Soval meets with Archer and immediately asks why Shran would request Archer’s presence. Soval does not want Archer involved, seeing him as a nuisance. There are three Vulcan hostages, which is complicating the negotiations. But Shran will only deal with the Vulcans if Archer acts as mediator. Soval insists that Archer speak with Shran with a Vulcan observer, and Archer counters by insisting that it be T’Pol.

Archer is prepared for survival on the surface, which is hostile to non-Vulcans. During the procedure, Dr. Phlox observes that the Vulcans were unable anticipate how important humanity’s presence in deep space would be. He also warns Archer that battlefields can be unpredictable, especially under a flag of truce.

Archer and T’Pol take a shuttlepod to the planet. Communications are cut by an Andorian jamming field. T’Pol drills Archer on his diplomatic skills and research on the conflict, which Archer doesn’t appreciate. Archer points out that he’s not going to win points with the Andorians by quoting Vulcan policy. He just wants to give Shran a reason to trust him.

They land, and find themselves immediately captured by Tarah and her Andorian forces. Tarah is very unhappy about T’Pol’s presence, but Archer convinces them that Shran wouldn’t mind. They are blindfolded and brought to Shran’s command post. Archer asks to see the hostages, to make sure they are still alive and well.

Once that is established, Shran and Archer work out some starting points. The Andorians claim that the Vulcans placed their people into refugee camps following the annexion, and they want the Vulcans to cede the planet back. More than anything, though, Shran wants to speak with Soval directly, at the Andorian command post. Archer convinces Shran to let one of the hostages go, as a show of good faith.

Soval finds the entire proposal unacceptable, believing that the Andorians would simply take him hostage as soon as he stepped on the surface. Even worse, the Andorians are expecting reinforcements within several hours. The Vulcans would not allow that to happen. Soval finds Archer to be hopelessly over his head, but Archer believes that Soval is simply being intractable.

Soval agrees to the meeting, against his better judgment. Archer leaves Trip in charge while they are gone, since they will be out of contact. Meanwhile, Tarah argues that Shran shouldn’t have so much faith in Archer or Vulcan diplomacy. Shran puts Tarah in her place, making it clear that his decision stands.

On the way to the surface, the shuttlepod is fired upon, but T’Pol cannot pinpoint the source. Archer tries to pilot the pod back towards Enterprise, but the engines are hit. As Soval smugly comments on the situation, Archer brings the shuttle down within Andorian-controlled territory.

All three of them survive the crash with minimal injuries. Soval, aware of the layout of the city thanks to his past experience on the annexation force, suggests that they head for Vulcan-controlled territory. Archer argues that they don’t know who fired, they ought to try to keep their word and make it to the Andorian command post.

Back on Enterprise, Trip speaks with Muroc, Soval’s aide. The Vulcans have been ordered to conduct a rescue operation to retrieve Soval, with Archer and T’Pol as an afterthought. Having seen the Vulcan style of dealing with such situations (“Shadows of P’Jem”), Trip orders Hoshi to find Archer first. With the Andorians only three hours away, time is running out.

On the surface, Shran is incensed to hear that the shuttle was shot down, and accuses Tarah. Tarah claims innocence, and blames the Vulcans, as if they shot down the shuttle in a ploy to place blame on the Andorians. Once again, Shran orders Tarah to find Archer and the others, and bring them to the command post safely.

Meanwhile, Archer and the others find themselves near a firefight. Soval thinks they should contact the advancing Vulcan forces, but Archer insists on keeping the meeting. While Archer goes on scout, Soval chides T’Pol on her apparent emotional behavior and “contamination” from her time on Enterprise. At the same time, Tarah finds the downed shuttle, and correctly reasons that Archer would be trying to find Shran.

On Enterprise, Hoshi makes some progress isolating Archer’s biosigns, but she thinks she’ll need another hour. Unfortunately, the Andorian reinforcements have just dropped out of warp, and the Vulcan ships are moving out of orbit so they can act. Trip puts Enterprise on tactical alert.

On the surface, Archer and the others are fired upon, and Soval is hit in the shoulder. They manage to find some cover, but when Archer identifies himself, the firing continues. Archer identifies two shooters, and asks T’Pol and Soval to cover him while he sneaks up behind the shooters. Soval is unhappy to be using a weapon again, but he complies.

Archer manages to take out the first shooter, one of the Andorian soldiers loyal to Tarah. Meanwhile, with the Vulcans and Andorians moving to engage above the planet, Trip orders Mayweather to bring the Enterprise directly between the two fleets. On the planet, Archer confronts Tarah, forcing her to drop her weapon.

Archer doesn’t understand why Tarah would undermine Shran’s orders, and he intends to take her back to the command post. But he stumbles, giving Tarah the chance to take him down. After a long scuffle, Archer gets the upper hand, just in time for Shran and his people to arrive on the scene.

Above the planet, the Vulcans and Andorians both insist that the Enterprise get out of the way. The Vulcans intend to shoot down any Andorian supply ship that attempts to reach the surface. Trip ups the ante by informing them both that Enterprise will fire at any such vessel, Andorian or Vulcan. As annoyed as the Andorians are, the Vulcans are even more displeased.

On the planet, Tarah tries to convince Shran that Archer was the aggressor. But Archer points out that Soval was injured. Shran doesn’t believe that Tarah would lie to him, but the evidence is plain. With Tarah’s guilt admitted, Shran has her detained. Shran agrees to meet with Soval, and soon the situation above the planet is calmed when the Andorians allow Archer to contact all sides.

Shortly, on Enterprise, the negotiations begin in earnest. Archer’s input is critical, and Soval looks forward to the continued negotiations on Andoria. In the end, Soval grudgingly gives Archer the credit he is due.


Analysis

Finally, “Enterprise” has returned to form.

After an entire half of a season spent drifting aimlessly through endless Berman and Braga tripe, the series finally begins to show its strengths. With the future social ramifications of Federation hinted at in the last episode, the political and philosophical aspects take center stage. As one might have expected, the ongoing conflict between the Vulcans and Andorians provides the basis for the drama.

If the first appearance of the Andorians was presented as little more than an attempt to boost ratings, the resulting appearances have opened up the universe of “Enterprise” in ways that might otherwise have been impossible to explore.

Vulcans have always been portrayed as adverse to warfare, but those impressions come from events and characters more than 100 years into the future. The Vulcans of Archer’s time are more arrogant in their superior logic, still fighting on a subconscious level the darker part of their ancestry. Just as the Romulans retain some measure of the Vulcan intellect, the Vulcans struggle with the desire to dominate.

The best example of this very different Vulcan mindset is the peculiar mutagenic pathogen that Archer needs to be protected against. Phlox mentions that Vulcans are immune, and that is the last mention of it during the episode. But that suggests something almost impossible to believe: that Vulcans purposefully used biological weapons to drive the Andorians from the disputed world.

If true, that opens up a completely different perspective on the pre-Federation Vulcans. Their treatment of the species that they “foster” into the interstellar community has been shown to be less than enlightened, which might have been the first clue. But now it’s clear that the Vulcans feel as though they have the right to demand that other species do things their way.

This gives the Vulcans a more sinister edge, which is not nearly so divergent from the continuity as one might believe. Vulcans have always been viewed with a degree of mistrust, with humans as their closest allies. This is especially true in Kirk’s time, where Spock is regarded with a certain amount of guarded awe. Members of the crew don’t hesitate to point the finger at Spock during certain occasions, and those suspicions never entirely go away.

If the Vulcans were once a far more repressive force in the quadrant, then all of those reactions make sense. It’s not just the simple fear of that which is alien. It’s a matter of history, the tension that remains from the days when the Vulcans tried to keep humanity under control. Federation changes much of that, but it would never be completely erased.

Soval stands as the representative of this repressive Vulcan influence, which was not entirely clear in his first appearances on the series. But there are moments in this episode where Soval reveals a side to Vulcan society which is as ugly as it gets. His comments about T’Pol’s “contamination” speak volumes, and given the amount of power that the Vulcans wield, they are quite chilling. Humans are certainly seen as vastly inferior, and that begs the question of how far the Vulcans would go to keep them in their place.

As this episode ably demonstrates, Archer and his crew serve as humanity’s one chance to peaceably take their rightful place in the interstellar community. The Vulcans are intent on using the Enterprise as an example, pointing out every flaw and mistake as a basis for arguing that human space exploration should be limited under Vulcan control. But Archer has managed to keep moving forward, despite his mistakes, and other alien governments are becoming aware of humanity in the process.

Shran’s decision to request Archer’s services as mediator isn’t just a clever way to get everyone involved in the plot. It provides the perfect scenario for Archer to highlight humanity’s ability and willingness to work towards mutual understanding. Other alien governments must be aware of the Vulcan/Andorian conflict, and the standoff on this disputed world was probably being carefully noted by diplomats and politicians across the quadrant.

That makes Archer’s successful mediation something noteworthy. The Vulcans can no longer claim that humanity is too ignorant of interstellar politics to effectively deal with its complexities. It’s possible that other governments will want Archer to address their problems, and humanity could gain the reputation for being fair-handed in such matters. All of which, of course, would be critical in the formation of any federation.

Equally, such successes and growing respect for humanity among their peers would force the Vulcans to re-evaluate humanity’s potential. If the Vulcans see something of value in human society and behavior, then they would want to consider how aspects of human philosophy might benefit their own culture. T’Pol, of course, would stand as a central figure in that cultural revolution, having learned to respect Archer and the crew.

Soval, as the ambassador to Earth, would also be a strong voice for change, and it would also make sense in the long term. It’s clear from Sarek’s marriage to Amanda that the Vulcan ambassadors embody the embrace of human culture by Vulcans in subsequent decades, and T’Pol’s ties to the diplomatic mission are likely the beginning of that change.

What matters is that the Enterprise has taken a public step towards demonstrating their own purpose and intent, and it’s a unifying message. Those with similar views (and those simply believing they have something to gain from the cooperation) will likely be inspired to support Archer and human endeavors. It’s all part of the process, and it’s easy to see that this episode is laying the foundation.

The episode is deceptively simple, presenting a very clear situation while adding little details along the way to suggest that the future is not quite so simple. There are people on both sides of the conflict who will view Archer’s involvement with distaste, if not outright hatred. Such forces could easily work in secret over the next several years to undermine any attempts at Federation, and that is far more interesting than just the slow formation of a massive alliance.

Still, there’s no question that Federation will be achieved in less than a decade, so it’s all about the journey. Thanks to some strong writing by someone other than Berman and Braga, this episode takes a good step forward on that path, laying the groundwork for future exploration along the way. More episodes should relate to this plot thread, since it is more accessible than the Temporal Cold War. One would hope, of course, that the two plot threads eventually prove to be connected.

“Enterprise” has been weak this season, but this episode brings back some of the lost focus. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a more carefully considered stretch of episodes.


Memorable Quotes

TRIP: “And my underwear’s flame retardant. That doesn’t mean I’m going to light myself on fire to prove it!”

SHRAN: “The pink-skin sense of humor!”

SOVAL: “Didn’t you hear the captain? The ball is in our court…”

SOVAL: “Are you that naïve?”

SOVAL: “Not quite the warm welcome you were expecting, captain?”

SOVAL: “What is their fascination with our ears?”
T’POL: “I believe they’re envious.”

ARCHER: “I’ve never fired one of those before. I’m not sure if it’s set on stun.”
TARAH: “It doesn’t have a stun setting!”

SHRAN: “Join me in a drink…to celebrate our mutual dissatisfaction!”

SHRAN: “I think he likes you, pink-skin!”
ARCHER: “I wouldn’t go that far…”


Observations

- It’s always a joy to see Jeffrey Combs playing Shran on this series. He brings such a wonderful nuance to what could be a one-dimensional character!

- Interestingly enough, Graham Greene’s portrayal of Soval once seemed terrible, but with more insight into the Vulcans of the time period, it fits the bill perfectly…

- Nice to once again see Dr. Phlox use somewhat unconventional treatments to protect the crew!

- I like how neither side stops shooting during the “ceasefire”…very realistic!

- I wonder what Shran would think of Mayweather! “Shran, I’d like you to meet the whitest black man in the galaxy!”

- Suzie Plakson, who plays Tarah, also played some other memorable characters in the Star Trek franchise. Most notably, she played Khay’Lar, Worf’s ill-fated mate on TNG.

- And here we have the first example of the human penchant for “cowboy diplomacy”…

- There hasn’t been nearly as much Hoshi time in the last several episodes. That’s understandable, but something ought to be done about that soon!

- Soval’s comments about T’Pol’s accent are amusing, given the distinctive sound of Greene’s voice…

- As nice as it was, the battle scene seemed to take forever!

- Unless I’m mistaken, Archer tossed away the Andorian’s sniper rifle. So where did he get the one he was pointing at Tarah?

- Tarah’s parting shot is great…it leaves the entire situation wide open!

- Could Archer’s communications to Enterprise at the end have been more wooden?

- I wonder what Archer was serving at the negotiation table…

Overall, this episode provided the perfect situation in which to explore the Vulcan mindset prior to Federation. Even more, it was a solid outing for Archer, who has now put himself on the map in interstellar politics. Episodes with the Andorians are swiftly becoming the classics of the series.

I give it a 9/10.


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