Horizon (episode)

While Enterprise diverts to observe an unusual planetary event, Travis Mayweather takes time off to visit his family on the cargo ship where he was born and raised, the Horizon.

Summary
Enterprise makes a detour to gather scientific data on a planet that recently shifted orbit to relocate between two gas giants and where there is a lot of volcanic activity to be expected due to the new gravitational environment. Since they will be passing near the Horizon, the ship that Ensign Travis Mayweather was both born and grew up on, the helm officer asks for a leave.

Mayweather has a surprise when he first contacts the Horizon: his father died six weeks previously and, since the ensign left on bad terms when he departed for Starfleet, it is even more shocking. Captain Jonathan Archer tells Mayweather what his father said to him when he was doing a background check on him, a pretty good comment suggesting that Travis' father didn't quite disapprove his choice even if he wouldn't admit it.

On the Horizon, everyone is happy to see Travis again except for his brother, Paul, now captain, who greets him coldly. When Travis tries to make some upgrades to the ship's navigational sensors and port stabilizers, the coldness changes into sarcasm. Even though it appears that Paul still likes Travis, he apparently feels a little insecure with his new responsibilities and is under a lot of pressure. At some point, the Horizon is attacked by unknown aliens in a ship using Mazarite engines who leave a beacon/mine on the freighter.

When Travis decides to make upgrades to the ship's weaponry against his brother's wishes, Paul becomes openly hostile, throwing irrational accusations at his brother. Fortunately, after a conversation with his mother, Travis understands that only time will help his brother, that Paul is now in a worse situation than his father was in when he first took command of the ship, and that no upgrades or extended leave (for Travis) will make it faster or easier.

When the aliens return for the Horizon, they want every crewmen to get out of the freighter, and Paul decides to make use of the new weapon system – to protect not only his ship, but the whole freighter fleet in general. With Travis at the helm, the mooring clamps disengage from the cargo section and the light J class tug section outmaneuvers the aliens' ship and using the enhanced plasma weapons disables the alien ship's weapons. Paul allows to leave so that they can warn their fellow pirates that ECS freighters were the wrong ships to attack. Paul is much more friendly at the end as he finally understood that Travis was not trying to undermine his authority and he leaves his brother with his best wishes.

On Enterprise, Archer finally gets T'Pol to go to a movie night by using arguments about crew fraternization. However, the captain and his chief engineer are both surprised by the conclusions the Vulcan pulls out of the movie, Frankenstein. She makes an analogy between the villagers' reactions to the creature and the reaction Humans had when the Vulcans first arrived on Earth. She says that she will suggest to Ambassador Soval that he show the movie to every Vulcan newly arrived on Earth.

Memorable Quotes
"Well, they'd better post a psychologist on board because I'd need one if my parents were roaming the corridors."
 * - Reed, on Mayweather's idea of putting families on starships

"It might be a good idea for you to go, too. It might be fun, and a little fraternizing couldn't hurt."

"I don't understand how sitting silently in a darkened room constitutes fraternizing"
 * - Captain Archer and T'Pol, regarding Trip's invitation to movie night

"This Dr. Frankenstein, his technique is not dissimilar to a practice on B'Saari II."
 * - Phlox, to Commander Tucker

"We can stop the film if it's disturbing your conversation."
 * - T'Pol to Phlox

"Captain, I'm reading bio-signs on the planet. To quote Dr. Frankenstein, "It's alive.""
 * - T'Pol to Captain Archer

Background Information

 * Shortly prior to the filming of first season finale, Mayweather actor Anthony Montgomery gave an interview for Star Trek: The Magazine in which he expressed an interest in seeing both the sweet spot make a return appearance – after debuting in Star Trek: Enterprise's pilot episode, – and Mayweather's parents appear in the series, most of which occurs in this episode. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 3, p. 19)
 * During Mayweather's conversation with Nora in his old quarters on board the Horizon, a copy of Chicago Gangs can be seen on a bookshelf in the background. This was an homage meant to reference, in which a book with a similar title, Chicago Mobs of the Twenties, was left on a planet by crew members of the Horizon.
 * Nicole Forester previously played a dabo girl (in Julian Bashir's mind) in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode.
 * Mayweather and Reed's conversation about allowing families to live aboard Starfleet starships, and Reed's subsequent comment that a ship's psychologist would be necessary, is a reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), which showed both regular family life aboard a Starfleet vessel and the role of a ship's counselor in detail.
 * The bridge of the Horizon was built using a redressed Enterprise bridge set.
 * Travis states that Enterprise has traveled 150 light years and seen twenty-two inhabited worlds in eighteen months.
 * This episode marks the second instance of T'Pol breaking the Vulcan taboo of refusing to touch food with one's hands; she partakes in popcorn during movie night. She previously broke that taboo during the events of.
 * The tables in the Horizons mess hall are actually from the USS Voyagers mess.
 * In Travis' old room on the Horizon, a model of the Phoenix can be seen in the background.
 * The music was composed by Mark McKenzie.

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

 * Joan Pringle as Rianna Mayweather
 * Corey Mendell Parker as Paul Mayweather
 * Nicole Forester as Nora

Co-Stars

 * Adam Paul as Charlie Nichols
 * Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as Juan
 * Ken Feinberg as the Alien Captain

Uncredited Co-Stars

 * Adam Anello as an operations division crewman
 * Mark Correy as Alex
 * Jared Patrick Cox as a Horizon crewman
 * Evan English as Tanner
 * Nikki Flux as a command division crewman
 * Glen Hambly as a operations division ensign
 * Scott Hill as Hutchison
 * Aldric Horton as an operations division crewman
 * Amina Islam as a command division ensign
 * Roy Joaquin as a science division crewman
 * John Jurgens as a command division crewman
 * Aouri Makhlouf as a medical crewman
 * Rene Marentes as a Horizon crewman
 * Marnie Martin as an operations division crewman
 * Michael McAdam as a command division crewman
 * Marlene Mogavero as an operations division crewman
 * Bobby Pappas as an operations division crewman
 * Lidia Sabljic as a command division crewman
 * Jan Shiva as a science division crewman
 * Monika Spruch as a science division crewman
 * Scott L. Treger as a Horizon crewman
 * Unknown performers as Nine Horizon crewmembers


 * Archive footage
 * Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein
 * Dwight Frye as Fritz
 * Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster