Kir'Shara (episode)

Archer and T'Pol try to recover an artifact as Enterprise gets involved with a standoff between the Vulcan and Andorian fleets.

Summary

 * The episode continues where left off.

When arrives in Andorian territory, it stops near a nebula. Soval and Trip Tucker telecommunicate with Shran, who has apparently concealed his own presence inside the nebula. Later, Soval, Tucker, and Shran meet aboard Enterprise. Soval and Tucker inform Shran that a Vulcan fleet is planning to attack Andorian space near Regulus. Shran is not totally convinced.

A conflict arises when Shran orders the abduction of Soval. The abduction is successful, and Shran tortures Soval using a device that affects Soval's nervous system, causing Soval to lose control of his emotional barrier. Shran, suspicious of the information Soval has given him about the impending invasion, demands that Soval reveal the truth. Soval, even under this severe emotional stress and torture, insists that he has told the truth. Enterprise fires on Shran's ship, and Shran relents, accepting Soval's information as true and returning him to the Human ship. The torture leaves Soval in a coma in Enterprise's sickbay, where Shran visits him to examine his condition.

On Vulcan, Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol continue on towards the Vulcan High Command. T'Pau and T'Pol discuss the death of T'Les, and T'Pol reveals her Pa'nar Syndrome. T'Pau tells T'Pol that Pa'nar Syndrome was known in Surak's time, and is caused by an improperly performed mind meld. It can be cured by an accomplished melder. T'Pau melds with T'Pol, and presumably cures her Pa'nar Syndrome.

Archer, T'Pau, and T'Pol encounter resistance along the way by members of the High Command, causing Archer and T'Pau to separate from T'Pol. T'Pol pretends to be a Syrrannite to convince the High Command officials to go to Mount Seleya. While the officials continue on, T'Pol is sent to the High Command. On the way to Mount Seleya, Archer and T'Pau attack the officials, and learn that T'Pol is at the High Command. Archer then performs a Vulcan nerve pinch on one of them; T'Pau says he's improving.

Enterprise and the Andorian fleet mobilize outside of the Andorian system, and encounter the Vulcan attack fleet. Minister Kuvak acknowledges V'Las that the Andorian fleet is only equipped with particle weapons and there is no evidence of Xindi technology – they should call off the attack. V'Las says that their forces are committed and they must destroy Andoria. V'Las orders the battle to commences; the Vulcans outnumber the Andorians.

Cmdr. Tucker orders Enterprise to move between the two fleets, where it is quickly caught in the crossfire. Eventually, when the Enterprise fires on a Vulcan cruiser to aid a wounded Andorian ship, the Vulcans are ordered to destroy them by V'Las. During the firefight, the Kumari takes a hit for Enterprise, causing Shran to inform Tucker that Archer now owes him two favors.

Back on Vulcan, Archer and T'Pau enter the High Command chamber. V'Las attempts to contact security, only to have Kuvak to pinch a sublieutenant and grab his weapon. Archer reveals to the council that V'Las bombed the Earth embassy as part of his plan to round up the Syrrannites so they wouldn't find the Kir'Shara. Despite V'Las' insistence that the Kir'Shara is a myth, Archer activates it, showing the holographic teachings of Surak. T'Pau reinforces that quantum dating will prove to the assembled Council that it was from Surak's time. V'Las tries to destroy the Kir'Shara only to be stunned by Kuvak. He then contacts the assault fleet to call off the attack.

Aboard Enterprise, Koss releases T'Pol from her marriage. At the Vulcan High Command, a Vulcan priest removes Surak's katra from Archer. Soval informs him that the High Command will be disbanded and T'Pau says that "it's time for Earth to stand on its own."

In a cave, V'Las meets clandestinely with a Romulan. V'Las is angry that they didn't kill Archer. The Romulan tells him to wait, that forcing freeing him will cause his disappearance to be noticed. He says that the "re-unification" is only a matter of time.

Memorable Quotes
"Tell Archer that's two he owes me!"
 * - Shran

"I'LL TEAR THE ANTENNAE FROM YOUR SKULL!!"
 * - Soval to Shran

"How do you feel?"
 * - Shran to Soval when Shran turns the torture machine on

"Open a channel."

"To who?"

"The nebula."
 * - Soval and Tucker

"Your technique has improved."
 * - T'Pau, on Archer's use of the Vulcan nerve pinch

"Where is your fleet?!"

"Do you know the story of Nirak?"

"What?"

"He was a soldier who lived a long time ago. He was standing watch over the gates of the city of Gol and he saw a cloud on the horizon moving toward him. He thought it was a sandstorm, so he told no one. It was an army. They destroyed the city, but they let Nirak live. His name now means "fool" in our language, just as yours will in Andorian!"
 * - Commander Shran interrogating Soval, not believing in his truthful answers

"How do you feel, captain?"

"Like a giant weight's been lifted"


 * - Soval and Archer, at the Vulcan High Command

"It's time for Earth to stand on its own."
 * - T'Pau

Background Information

 * The damage report PADD which Tucker holds in his hand during the meeting with Reed in the ready room lists various appearances of the number 47.
 * The Vulcan priest who extracts Surak's katra from Archer also performed T'Pol and Koss' wedding ceremony in . He was portrayed by Jack Donner, better known for his role as Tal in . Donner's appearance in this episode makes for the longest time period between an actor's first and last appearances in a Star Trek television series (1968 and 2004).
 * Tucker tells V'Las that by putting themselves in the middle of the fight between the Vulcans and the Andorians, Earth (via Enterprise) is returning the favor owed to the Andorians (specifically Shran) for helping them save their home planet. This is a reference to Shran's actions in . The notion of being in each other's debt began in season one's.
 * The final scene in which V'Las meets clandestinely with a Romulan operative almost didn't make it into the finished episode for budgetary reasons. Originally, the Romulan was to have been a new, never-before-seen character, but there was no money left in the budget to pay for another speaking role. Writer Mike Sussman adjusted the scene so that the Romulan became the character Talok, a Vulcan role that had already been cast. The re-use of a Romulan uniform from allowed the scene to be included in the finished episode. Had the scene been cut, as it very nearly was, the Romulans' role in the Vulcan Civil War would have remained completely hidden, even from the audience. (Information provided by Mike Sussman)
 * The final scene of this episode foreshadows the events of and, in which an attempt at re-unification was initiated by Ambassador Spock in the 24th century.
 * The upper portion of a Vulcan capital building is a reuse of the Sarajevo model first featured in as an Earth ship escorting Enterprise to Earth.
 * The Andorian antennae in this episode were operated by special effects make-up technicians Allan A. Apone and Paul Elliot.
 * A Vulcan High Command display table used in this episode was sold off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for US$466.00. Additionally, a Vulcan energy pistol used in this episode was auctioned off. The item features portions of a Kazon raider's hull.  Other items which were sold off include a pair of boots worn by Jeff Smolek.
 * In, T'Pol stated that the Andorians did not have transporter technology. It is possible that they developed it in the four years between that episode and this one, or the writers may have forgotten that fact when they used it to abduct Soval.
 * The book Star Trek 101, by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block, lists this episode as one of the "Ten Essential Episodes" from Star Trek: Enterprise.
 * John Billingsley remarked that the story arc that culminated in this episode was "very strong".

Starring

 * Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
 * John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
 * Jolene Blalock as Commander 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 stars

 * Robert Foxworth as V'Las
 * Jeffrey Combs as Shran
 * John Rubinstein as Kuvak
 * Gary Graham as Soval
 * Michael Reilly Burke as Koss
 * Kara Zediker as T'Pau
 * Todd Stashwick as Talok
 * Jack Donner as the Vulcan priest

Co-star

 * Melodee M. Spevack as Andorian Com Voice

Uncredited co-stars

 * Joey Anaya as a Vulcan commando
 * Glen Hambly as an Andorian officer
 * Dieter Hornemann as a Vulcan High Command member
 * Louis Ortiz as a Vulcan High Command member
 * Jeff Smolek as a Vulcan commando
 * Tim Storms as a Vulcan commando
 * David Venafro as an Andorian officer
 * Unknown performers as
 * Vulcan High Command member
 * Vulcan commando (voice only)
 * Vulcan sublieutenant

Stunt doubles

 * Vince Deadrick, Jr. as stunt double for Scott Bakula
 * Diana Lee Inosanto as stunt double for Kara Zediker
 * Jeff Wolfe as stunt double for Todd Stashwick
 * Boni Yanagisawa as stunt double for Jolene Blalock

External link


Kir'Shara (epizoda) Kir'Shara (Episode) Kir'Shara Kir'Shara (épisode) Il Kir'Shara (episodio) ja:ENT:バルカンの夜明け Kir'Shara (aflevering)