1x23 Fallen Hero

[7.7/10] The biggest thing that Enterprise has going for it is its politics. The premise of the contentious relationship between Starfleet and the Vulcans, who both need and disdain each other, fuels a lot of essential intrigue beyond the “crisis of the week” episodes. It provides a framework for continuing character actions, and a meaningful backdrop to every time the two peoples have to interact with one another.

But we know, inevitably, that this relationship warms. The Vulcans becomes full-fledged allies. Seeing how that happens, gradually, is a strength of “Fallen Hero”, where personal bonds are reforged and secured, and that level of trust on a personal level leads to strengthened diplomatic ties and mutual trust between humanity and their pointy-eared guides to the stars.

That all takes place when a legendary Vulcan ambassador named V’Lar hitches a ride with the Enterprise, after being expelled from a planet called Malar for alleged crimes. Her arrival has interesting consequences, first because it means the Enterprise crew has to give up their designated shore leave time to ferry her to a Vulcan transport, and second, because she’s one of T’Pol’s idols. The former means there’s a bit of grumbling, particularly when the Vulcans are cagey about the need for such urgency. The latter means that steady T’Pol is clearly starstruck, and then a bit disillusioned, when she gets to meet her hero as something closer to a peer.

Both results are heightened when a Malarian ship starts chasing and attacking the Enterprise. Archer refuses to accede to their demands and hand over the Vulcan ambassador, but is frustrated that he’s once again kept in the dark as to what’s really going on with her. As much as I tweak the Captain on this show, this is actually a really good Archer episode. He is almost Picard-esque in his moral principles and tactical calls here (even if Scott Bakula is no Patrick Stewart in the acting department).

From a pure tension standpoint, it’s interesting to see Archer aiming to outrun the Malarian ships. Star Trek often benefits from the sense of a ticking clock (it was something The Original Series relied on extensively). Having Archer pushing the Enterprise’s warp drive to its limit in order to make the rendezvous with the Vulcan ship in time adds both a “beat the clock” sense to the proceedings, and the risk that all this overclocking of the engine will shake the ship to its core.

The stalling tactics are a lot of fun too. Once they’re caught, Archer tries to delay the Malarians with a scheme suggesting that V’Lar has been injured and is in the medical bay. It features some good misdirection, some great playacting by Phlox and T’Pol, and a nice twist when the Malarians realize the ruse. Sure, it’s a little dumb that they just fire into the medical bay without ever checking to make sure the body’s in there (their mafia boss skills leave something to be desired apparently), but the tricks are fun, and the scheme working just long enough for the Vulcan ship to show up and save the day is rousing as all hell.

But the other side of the episode is personal, centering on T’Pol’s admiration for V’Lar and, eventually, her relationship with Archer. While it’s a little glancing, T’Pol’s disillusionment in her idol is compelling. From a distance, V’Lar was so impressive that she spurred a young T’Pol to follow in her footsteps. But from up close, V’Lar is not only looser and more expressive than a typical Vulcan -- shaking hands and trying iced tea and even making jokes with the humans -- but she doesn't deny the Malarian charges against her. It’s all a bridge too far for T’Pol, who sees the woman who inspired her to be the officer she is today plummeting into ignominy in her eyes.

Naturally, though, it’s all part of the plan. V’Lar confides in T’Pol that the charges against her are phony, and there’s a bigger more important mission at play. The episode sort of “yadda yaddas” its way past T’Pol’s re-admiration of her hero, but for good reason. It leads to a great scene where the audience doesn't know what the truth about V’Lar is, only that T’Pol knows it and trusts her, and that she has to convince Archer, and implicitly the audience, to do the same.

There is an urgency and earnestness to T’Pol’s entreaties that we don’t normally see from her. At this point in the episode, the Captain has, wisely, chosen to take V’Lar back to Malar rather than risk the lives of his crew trying to outrun the alien ships. T’Pol urges him to reconsider. She tells him that she’s never asked him for anything, but she’s asking him for one thing now: to trust her judgment. It’s a great way to dramatize both T’Pol’s reaffirmation of her devotion to her idol (who, contrary to expectation, remembers her last interaction with T’Pol), and to dramatize the growing trust between Archer and T’Pol.

Eventually, as things get more tense, V’Lar reveals that the charges are all a ruse of her own, since she plans to testify and expose corruption in the Malarian government. That spurs Archer to further action and the exciting chase and misdirect that eventually wins the day. Archer’s trust in his first officer is validated. V’Lar lives to (presumably) unleash her information. And there’s even a big brother-esque bro nod vibe between Archer and the Vulcan captain that signifies that, despite their tensions, this success is an important event for warming the relationships between the two peoples.

The episode isn’t perfect in all of this. The actress who plays V’Lar, while a regular Star Trek guest star, is a little hammy, and the “growing bond” business is signposted a little too hard in the final scene. But still, “Fallen Hero” tells the story of how the usual mistrust and resentment between the humans and the Vulcans is overcome through an unexpected victory in a tight spot, and how the personal connection between Ambassadors and science officers and captains, is what makes that happen, with a thrilling chase and diversion to boot. It’s rare that Star Trek, let alone Enterprise, is able to marry action, diplomacy, and personal stakes that well.