Enterprise The Augments
original airdate: 11-12-04
“The
Augments” marks the end of Enterprise's first
three part story line. While three weeks may be a little longer
then the average narrative to resolve, it’s a stroll
through the Promenade compared to what we sat through last
season: a 23 week long story. "The Augments" plot
had its merits as well as its penalties. And with season four
promising a at least two more three part clump stories, Fanboys
have to wonder if this is a worth while way to enjoy Star
Trek.
Three
part storylines force their audiences to be loyal viewers.
If you missed the first episode of this trilogy, “Borderland,”
you may have been asking: How did Data fly back in time
and become human? For shows like Lost or 24
audiences have been trained to catch EVERY week. Or at least
TiVo it. But Star Trek is rooted in TV history,
meaning we expect it to be a bit old school. While the shows
have changed, the formula hasn’t altered much. We’re
still watching a space adventure.
Deep
Space Nine was structured into a seven season narrative
arc. But look how popular that was. The stories ran deep,
but the audiences where thin. With Enterprise flying
through troubled space all ready, shouldn’t they be
looking to pick up new viewers every week, not every three
weeks?
Of course,
Enterprise has dared be different from any other
Trek since episode one. The first seasons weren’t
even labeled Star Trek. The continuity is thick
and the characters are more “real.” So when
a strong personality like Arik Soong hit the screen, he
fit right in.
Brent
Spiner graces the screen as an ancestor to the creator of
Data. Unlike his great great great… grand child, Arik
could be classified as an evil genius. He’s obsessed
with bio-technology and the left-over weapons from the Eugenics
war. Despite all of his ambitions, he harbors an actual
deep love for his genetically created super children.
“Augments”
features the climax of Arik’s relationship with his
most devious child, Malik. So many times on TV we as an
audience know what is going to happen. It’s hard to
create honest suspense and not just stomp down the same
old plot line paths. And Star Trek is notorious
for rehashing old stories. Malik’s constant defiance
of Arik’s orders is so believable you have to keep
asking, what is he going to do about this? It’s like
watching an episode of American Chopper. Instead
of building bikes they’re fighting space wars.
Actually,
a space war would’ve really spruced up this episode.
Aside from Arik and Malik’s tug of war for power,
there isn’t much else going on. Enterprise hunts down
Arik and his stolen bird of prey in Klingon space. They
find them and Arik drops a hostage in a planet’s atmosphere.
Really, nothing else happens for 45 minutes.
Except
Archer’s stunning radio performance as a Klingon Captain.
Improvising a lie to a nearby Klingon ship smells of a trick
they’d have pulled off in the first season. Nice to
see Enterprise use some good old subterfuge. There’s
also a fun and necessary reference to Botany Bay and Khan.
After
the final space dogfight, Enterprise saves a Klingon world
from Malik’s bio weapon. Arik is brought into custody.
He’s realized the error of his ways. Genetic tampering
is too dangerous and ethically wrong.
But just as Archer
locks him back in his cell Arik’s brainstorms about
Artificial Life. “I doubt I can finish the work myself…”
Wink wink. Is this really necessary? Maybe one line would’ve
been enough, but instead he goes on and on about how a few
generations will have to work to master AI. He should’ve
just said, “My great great great grandson will build
an android named Data who will join Star Fleet.”
But
aside from the wacky taffy ending; “Augments”
and its trilogy have been a success. If Enterprise
will be forced into dry dock after its fourth season then
at least we have this fun memorable story line worthy of
being called “Star Trek.”
The
new three part story clump may just work after all. And
no time like next week to test it out again again. Let’s
see if a Vulcan three parter can hold up to the post Eugenics
war…
