The Breach (episode)

While Enterprise rescues three Denobulan scientists from a planet under a new xenophobic government, Dr. Phlox must treat a patient with racist views against his people.

Summary
The Denobulan Science Academy asks the Enterprise to find three of their geologists in the caves of Xantoras, where the new government has just declared that all strangers must leave within three days. Captain Archer sends Trip Tucker, Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather on the mission.

While the three are in the caves searching for the scientists, the Enterprise helps a ship which has problems with a reactor leak. One of the wounded people happens to be an Antaran, the traditional enemy of the Denobulans. Even if Phlox is able to overcome his first impression, the Antaran, Hudak, refuses to receive medical care from him, even at the expense of his life.

The Denobulan-Antaran wars set the two species apart 300 years ago and neither side has tried to reconcile since that time. At the time, Denobula's military tactics resulted in 20 million Antaran casualties and, for that reason, Antarans are raised to fear and hate the Denobulans. Symmetrically, the Denobulans are raised to believe that Antarans are evil.

Back on Xantoras, the away team seems to be making progress when finding some Denobulan rock samples, but then Mayweather breaks his leg and they have to leave him behind. Tucker and Reed eventually find the scientists, but the three Denobulans refuse to leave, saying that the government changes often and that is not enough to interrupt their current research. Tucker has to threaten to tie them up and drag them before they finally decide to go.

Back on the Enterprise, in the mess hall, Phlox has a discussion with T'Pol about his situation. From what he says, she understands that he did everything possible to prevent his children from having the education he had about Antarrans, to make them embrace other cultures. It becomes clearer why he is so upset by the irrational behavior of his patient.

On the following discussion with the Antaran, Phlox tells him about his children. He also says that he created a rift with his youngest son, Mettus, about these beliefs. He concludes, saying that Hudak should do the same and accept the treatment to set an example for his children and Hudak finally does, after some reflection.

Hudak returns home on the same transport as the three geologists, clear progress in his perception of the Denobulans. On his side, Phlox realizes that indifference to hatred also had its part to play in the continuation of the myths about the Antarrans and decides to try once more to bring his son to a more tolerant position by writing him a letter.

Memorable quotes
"The last cave I was in had handrails... a gift shop, and a snack bar."
 * - Trip Tucker

"We're already behind schedule, ensign. We can't have you slowing us down.  Thanks for getting us this far."

"You'll be alright."

"Respectfully, sir, it's not me that I'm worried about!"
 * - Reed, then Tucker, to Mayweather

"I have tried to treat you with respect, but I refuse to listen to these insults. You're the reason we haven't been able to put the past behind us. You've kept this hatred alive. No Denobulan would want to be in the same room as you."
 * - a heated Phlox, to the Antaran Hudak

"If you don't start moving in five seconds, I'm gonna take my phase pistol and shoot you in the ass!"
 * - Trip Tucker to Yolen

Background Information

 * The first and only appearance of a tribble in the series takes place during the opening sequence of this episode. Phlox hands the tribble to Ensign Sato to hold for a moment, then takes it away from her and feeds the tribble, much to Hoshi's dismay, to one of his other animals.
 * The containers carrying the Denobulans' rock samples are actually spacemaker pencil cases used by children for school.
 * The backpack used by the Enterprise crew in the caves is the Boblbee Megalopolis backpack.
 * John Billingsley had mixed feelings about this episode. He noted that while Phlox was created with a "Zen-like placidity", it was understandable that the writers would try to find some more conflict. However, he argued that "I think coming up with an episode where Denobulans were once war criminals, there was still this credible anger that had not been resolved, it seemed to me at least – and maybe some of the fans too – a little too jarring, a little too difficult to jive with what we knew about Phlox. A little bit had been alluded to in the first seasons, hearing in one episode that he'd been a medic in the Denobulan infantry. But there were aspects of that script that didn't quite work for me."
 * Billingsley praised director Robert Duncan McNeill, stating that he "did a terrific job in that episode keeping all from us getting overly mawkish". Likewise, he thought guest star Henry Stram was "terrific, and I think it allowed us to find some good stuff.".

Starring

 * Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
 * John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
 * Jolene Blalock as Subcommander T'Pol
 * Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
 * Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
 * Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
 * Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest Star

 * Henry Stram as Hudak

Co-Stars

 * Mark Chaet as Yolen
 * Laura Putney as Trevix
 * D.C. Douglas as Zepht
 * Jamison Yang as a Crewman

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Solomon Burke, Jr. as Billy
 * Daphney Dameraux as an operations division ensign
 * Evan English as Ensign Tanner
 * Scott Hill as Ensign Hutchison
 * Aldric Horton as an operations division crewman
 * Aouri Makhlouf as a medical crewman
 * Cricket Yee as a science divsion crewman
 * Unknown performers as
 * Transport captain (voice)
 * Xantoran surface contact (voice)
 * Xantoran governor (voice)

Stunt doubles

 * Shawn Crowder as stunt double for Connor Trinneer
 * Kiante Elam as stunt double for Anthony Montgomery