Sleeping Dogs (episode)

While exploring a gas giant, the Enterprise finds the wreck of a Klingon scoutship sinking into the atmosphere.

Teaser
Hoshi Sato is performing combat training with Malcolm Reed in the armory. She's having trouble adjusting to the new phase pistol, which doesn't need to be compensated for particle drift as the older EM-33 does. Her practice is interrupted as the ship drops out of warp to survey a class 9 gas giant.

Act I
After launching a probe, Enterprise detects siren sounds and other radiation. They also discover a damaged ship sinking into the atmosphere with some bio-signs on board.

Malcolm, one of the members selected to investigate the vessel, visits Phlox to see about some kind of treatment for a cold he has picked up. In the meantime, Sato visits Captain Archer to request to be added to the team. She gives several arguments as to why she should be added. Archer agrees that they are valid reasons, and says that T'Pol had already requested that Sato be added to the team.

After suiting up and taking a shuttle, Sato, Reed, and T'Pol enter the atmosphere. Due to the rate at which the ship is descending, they will only have an hour to investigate the vessel. After detecting a breathable atmosphere, the crew removes their helmets. Sato remarks that Reed is lucky to have a cold and be unable to smell the stench in the vessel. They soon discover that this is a Klingon ship, a class never encountered by Humans before.

They find the crew unconscious. There is a debate about whether they should rescue the crew or not. Reed argues that they shouldn't let them die, but T'Pol explains that dying at their posts is exactly what they would want – and that they would kill the Humans if they found them on board. The team signals Enterprise and details the situation. The crew has been incapacitated due to some kind of airborne neurotoxin.

While this is happening, a Klingon female approaches the bridge and spies the away team. She moves quickly away from them, with Reed pursuing. She surprises him and knocks him down, then dives into the airlock and takes the shuttlepod just as T'Pol and Sato arrive. The away team is now stuck on a damaged Klingon vessel, surrounded by potentially dangerous enemies, and sinking into the core of the gas giant.

Act II
Back on board Enterprise, they are surprised as the shuttlepod flies past them into open space. The Klingon starts sending out a com signal which they are able to translate as a signal for any available warships to come and attack Enterprise, who the female believes has attacked. After grappling the shuttlepod back into their docking bay, they subdue the Klingon with their phase pistols. Archer makes the decision to take Enterprise into the atmosphere to rescue the away team.

Back on the Klingon vessel, the away team has the problem of decrypting the control panels and discovering a way of piloting the ship out of the gas giant. Sato manages to translate some of the consoles, including the weapons panel (which includes photon torpedoes, something Reed has never heard of).

Enterprise contacts the away team to inform them that they are attempting a rescue. The attempt is very quickly aborted, as a probe launched by Enterprise's is destroyed by a wave of pressure which begins to affect Enterprise itself, pushing its hull plating past the maximum pressure it can sustain. Archer informs the away team that they will attempt another rescue later.

Act III
In the medical bay, Phlox briefs the captain on the situation. The reason the Klingon female has survived is because she hid in a low-temperature environment, slowing the effects of the toxin. If untreated, it will kill her. Archer tries to talk to the Klingon, but is rebuffed.

After researching the Vulcan database, Travis Mayweather determines that the Klingon vessel is a scout vessel. It is very well designed, with a tough hull, and coherent molecular alloy reinforcement. Trip Tucker suggests a possible way to reinforce a shuttlepod to allow them to reach the vessel.

Sato, Reed, and T'Pol discover the crew logs, which reveal that after a raid on a Xarantine outpost, the crew had fallen ill. They also discover what's wrong with the Klingon ship's engines. They go down to the engine room to find the port fusion injector, which is malfunctioning.

On Enterprise, Archer discusses the situation with Tucker. He feels he's made a tactical error in talking with the Klingon woman by asking for her help. He felt she saw it as a sign of weakness. They discuss why the Klingons are always so determined to destroy the Humans when they meet them.

On board the Klingon vessel, Reed complains that he feels light-headed. T'Pol remarks that he is dehydrated, and suggests he drink some water. Sato and T'Pol set out for the galley in blue sector. When they get to it, they find it to be very different from what they were expecting. Sato is disturbed by the food, notably the gagh and live targs that the Klingons keep as food. T'Pol notes that the Klingons prefer freshly slaughtered food. Sato has a minor anxiety attack, and T'Pol walks her through a Vulcan meditation exercise to deal with it. She promises to teach Sato how to do it by herself once they are back on Enterprise. Just as she finishes saying this, the vessel begins to experience hull integrity failure.

Act IV
With the away team assembled in engineering, Reed explains a new plan. He intends to use the weapons systems to help get them up and out of the atmosphere.

Tucker updates Archer on the status of the modifications to the shuttlepod. Archer updates Tucker on his research into the Klingon society. He returns to the medical bay to talk to the Klingon. Phlox has developed a cure for the toxin. Archer explains the situation to the female, notably that the toxin comes from Xarantine ale. The female reveals that they had indeed attacked an outpost and consumed the ale they captured. Using the threat of dishonorable deaths for the crew, Archer convinces her to help in the rescue.

On the Klingon vessel, the away team has begun firing photon torpedoes into the atmosphere to raise their altitude. They manage to raise the vessel enough to allow the Enterprise shuttlepod, carrying Archer and the Klingon, to dock.

Act V
After the two enter through the airlock, Archer introduces the Klingon as officer Bu'kaH. He hails Enterprise from the Somraw just as two more Klingon vessels come into sensor range. As Archer retakes his command chair from Tucker, the Somraw hails them again and demands that Enterprise surrender. Archer calls the captain's bluff and demands that the Klingon vessel stand down or be destroyed. Archer orders the ship away before the reinforcements arrive.

In the decon chamber, the away team takes a much-needed break, relaxing in the warmth of the UV radiation. When Phlox tells them that they are ready to leave the chamber, they ask to be scanned again, just to make sure they didn't pick anything up. Reluctantly agreeing, Phlox closes the com channel. Sato and Reed both comments about how enjoyable the chamber is. T'Pol agrees, remarking that the chamber is pleasant.

Extended scene
For this episode, there is an extended scene that can be found on the ENT Season 1 DVD.

Scene 43, 44
As in the aired version of the episode, Archer and Tucker talk while they do some welding inside a shuttlepod. Archer admits that he may have made an error asking Bu'kaH for assistance and decides to appeal to her Klingon way of thinking. This version of the scene ends with Doctor Phlox contacting Archer with news that he has discovered a cure for Bu'kaH, although there is also an "interesting wrinkle" that he would like to discuss with the captain.

Memorable quotes
"You know, I read if they sense a leader's weak they'll try to kill him and take command."
 * - Trip Tucker, offering advice to Archer on how to deal with their Klingon captive

"Remind me to stop trying to help people."
 * - Archer, to Tucker, after a futile attempt at negotiation

"Ah, the one time we need our chief engineer is the one time we leave him behind."
 * - Reed, lamenting Tucker's omission from the away team

"It's called gagh. It's a Klingon delicacy, but only when they're alive."

"They look like worms."

"They are worms."
 * - T'Pol and Sato, searching the galley of the Klingon ship

"You're in a dangerous situation in an alien environment. Your anxiety is understandable."

"Don't you mean 'for a Human' ?"

"You can't deny your nature."
 * - T'Pol and Sato

"I decided to take your advice about thinking like a Klingon. The Vulcan database has about 900 pages on them."

"Learn anything?"

"Plenty. They're driven by a warrior mentality.  They tend to view anyone they meet as a potential enemy."

"That may explain why our guest is so irritable."
 * - Archer to Tucker

"This was your plan? To grope around in the darkness and hope to stumble upon my ship?"

"That's how we found it the first time."
 * - Bu'kaH to Archer

"I kept your seat warm for you."


 * - Tucker, to Archer, on his return to the bridge

"You wouldn't last ten seconds in a battle with us. You've got multiple hull breaches, your shields are down, and from what I'm told, you're fresh out of torpedoes. If I were you, I'd take what little honor I had left and go home. Fire one shot, and I'll blast you right back to where we found you."
 * - Archer to the Klingon captain

"Oh, it certainly feels nice to be clean again."

"It is...pleasant."
 * - Reed and T'Pol, enjoying their extended stay in decon

"Do you smell that?"

"I don't smell anything."

"Exactly."
 * - Sato and T'Pol

Background information

 * The episode title comes from the expression, "let sleeping dogs lie."
 * This is the only episode of the series to be directed by regular Star Trek director Les Landau.
 * This is the only appearance of the Klingon scout vessel. Tucker describes the Klingon vessel as a "tough little ship." This is a phrase used by William T. Riker and Thomas Riker, both referring to the USS Defiant (2370), in  and  respectively.
 * In this episode, Hoshi Sato has gotten over her fear of going on away missions, as seen in.
 * Chronologically, this is the first time that photon torpedoes, Star Trek's staple weaponry, are mentioned.
 * Chronologically, this is the first time that gagh, a Klingon delicacy, is mentioned and shown.
 * This is the first appearance of the entirely computer-generated Targ.
 * Vaughn Armstrong, who also plays Admiral Maxwell Forrest, was the second choice to play the Klingon captain. He filled in for an unknown actor, who was unable either to complete his work or do the re-shots. (Vaughn Armstrong ENT Season 1 DVD)
 * The lining of the EV suit worn by Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed was auctioned off in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction.
 * In Captain Archer's advocate Kolos turns the Klingon court's attention to how Archer had assisted the Empire in the past, referring to events in this episode.
 * Archer says that this is the third time Enterprise has run into the Klingons. This confirms that the only other canon appearances by the Klingons up until this episode were seen in and ; there were no encounters "off-screen."

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.7,.
 * As part of the ENT Season 1 DVD collection.
 * As part of the ENT Season 1 Blu-ray collection.

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 stars

 * Michelle C. Bonilla as Bu'kaH
 * Vaughn Armstrong as the Klingon captain

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Richard Bishop as Klingon engineer
 * Michael Braveheart as Klingon bridge officer
 * Amy Kate Connolly as a science division crewman
 * Ken Gruz as Klingon engineer
 * Jack Guzman as a science division crewman
 * Aldric Horton as an operations division crewman
 * John Jurgens as a command division crewman
 * Pablo Soriano as Klingon bridge officer
 * Mark Watson as an operations division crewman