Rogue Planet (Star Trek: Enterprise)
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| "Rogue Planet" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 18 |
| Directed by | Allan Kroeker |
| Story by | |
| Teleplay by | Chris Black |
| Produced by | Dawn Valazquez |
| Featured music | Paul Baillargeon |
| Cinematography by | Marvin V. Rush |
| Production code | 118 |
| Original air date | March 20, 2002 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Rogue Planet" is the eighteenth episode (production #118) of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise airing on the UPN network.
While exploring an uncharted planet, Enterprise crew members encounter a group of aliens who are hunting down indigenous creatures for recreation.[1]
Plot
A planet appears on sensors, adrift and without a solar system, so Captain Archer has Sub-Commander T'Pol scan the planet. Lieutenant Reed detects a ship near the equator, and an away-team find the remains of a camp-site 200 meters from the alien shuttle. T'Pol and Reed return to the shuttle while Archer and Ensign Sato stay. As they walk through the jungle, they are surprised by two aliens. Both parties return to the camp, where they find Archer and Sato with another called Damrus. The 'Eska' call the planet Dekala and they permit the away-team to spend the night. Over dinner, Damrus explains that they have been visiting Dekala for nine generations to hunt the wildlife.
As the away-team turn in for the night, Archer hears a woman's voice calling his name. He finds a blonde woman in a clearing, but she runs away. Later, no one reports seeing anything unusual. In the morning T'Pol goes to investigate a geothermal shaft and Archer sees the woman again, looking distressed, but again she disappears. Meanwhile, Damrus and Burzaan detect their quarry, a "Wraith" which attacks Burzaan. Archer has Burzaan sent back to Enterprise for treatment, and Doctor Phlox reports that he has found cellular residue in Burzaan's wound.
By the steam vents, Archer encounters the woman again. She says that her kind can assume the form of anything on the planet, and that her kind want the hunting to stop. Later, Damrus explains that the reason they visit Dekala is because the prey can sense their thoughts, making them challenging to hunt and kill. Back on board Enterprise, Archer asks Phlox if he can find a way for the wraiths to mask their chemical signature, and soon, on Dekala, the hunting-party begin having problems detecting them. Damrus wonders why, but Archer merely blames it on bad luck. The Eska depart and Archer encounters the woman one final time. As she moves off into the forest, she assumes their natural form, a large gastropod.
Production
Chris Black was the sole credited writer but noted that many others contributed to creating the episode. The episode began as pitch from science advisor Andre Bormanis who suggested an orphan planet without a sun, that managed to support life because of its extreme geo-thermal vents. It was combined with other ideas, the premise of doing some kind of a "safari show", and producer Rick Berman added the idea of using a poem by William Butler Yeats.[2] Black explained the episode was not intended to be an anti-hunting story, as his family would hunt, and that it was about finding a way to explore the character of Lieutenant Reed and his interest in the tactical elements of hunting and tracking. It was only when the species was revealed to be sentient that it became a moral issue.[3]
In this episode actress Stephanie Niznik guest stars as the wraith alien. She had previously been cast in the 1998 Star Trek movie Star Trek: Insurrection as Kell Perim, a Starfleet Ensign.[4]
Reception
Rogue Planet was first aired in the United States on UPN on March 20, 2002. According to Nielsen Media Research, it received a 3.3 rating share among adults. This means it had an average of 4.7 million viewers.[5]
Michelle Erica Green was critical of the familiar premise but praised the "interesting camera work and strong performances -- the two biggest things Enterprise has going for it."[6] Aint It Cool News gave the episode 2.5 out of 5 and criticized the episode as "too simplistic" comparing it to past Star Trek episodes.[7]
References
- ^ "Rogue Planet". StarTrek.com.
- ^ Star Trek: Communicator issue 143, page 30
- ^ Star Trek: Communicator issue 143, page 31
- ^ "Stephanie Niznik, Actress in 'Everwood' and 'Star Trek,' Dies at 52". Variety. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ^ "Episode List: Star Trek: Enterprise". TVTango. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
- ^ Michelle Erica Green (21 March 2002). "The Trek Nation - Rogue Planet". Trek Nation. TrekToday.com.
- ^ Hercules Strong (20 March 2002). "HERC's Seen The 18th ENTERPRISE!!". Aint It Cool News.
