Detained (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Last updated
"Detained"
Star Trek: Enterprise episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 21
Directed by David Livingston
Story by
Teleplay by
Produced byDawn Valazquez
Featured music Jay Chattaway
Production code121
Original air dateApril 24, 2002 (2002-04-24)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Oasis"		Next →
"Vox Sola"
Star Trek: Enterprise season 1
List of episodes

"Detained" is the twenty-first episode of the first season of the American television series Star Trek: Enterprise . The episode was developed into a teleplay by Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong from a story by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. David Livingston served as director. It guest stars Dean Stockwell and is the first time he had worked with Scott Bakula since they had starred together in the series Quantum Leap . [1]

Contents

Captain Archer and Ensign Mayweather are detained by the Tandarans in a Suliban internment camp. Learning of the Suliban's persecution by the Tandarans, Archer enlists the aid of Enterprise and his crew. [2]

Plot

Captain Archer and Ensign Mayweather wake up in a Tandaran prison. They are soon met by Major Klev, who orders them both to the office of Colonel Grat. Grat interrogates them in detail regarding their intrusion into Tandaran space and the Suliban, and says that they will have to appear before a magistrate in three days time. He also refuses to allow Archer to contact Enterprise, but does so himself and apprises them of the current situation. Upon hearing this, Commander Tucker advocates a rescue attempt, but Sub-Commander T'Pol prefers to avoid provoking the Tandarans further, and orders Enterprise to Tandar Prime.

Later, Archer meets a Suliban called Danik, who tells him that they are in Detention Complex 26, an internment camp for Suliban imprisoned when the Cabal began attacking the Tandaran Sector eight years previously. In his office, Grat questions Archer in detail about the events of episode "Broken Bow", and also demands information about the Temporal Cold War. Archer wonders why innocent Suliban are being held prisoner, but Grat warns that delaying could result in Archer missing the transport to Tandar Prime. Grat contacts the Enterprise to report that the hearing has unfortunately been "delayed", allowing Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato to triangulate his signal and locate the prison.

That night, a communicator is beamed to Archer and Mayweather's cell. Archer tells Tucker he wants to help the Suliban escape, and Danik says his people can go to the Niburon Colonies, away from the Tandar Sector. The following morning Grat discovers the communicator and Archer is sent to isolation as punishment. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol uses torpedoes to ward off the Tandaran defense-ships before clearing Tucker to launch in a shuttle-pod. Mayweather distracts Klev, allowing a Suliban-disguised Reed to activate charges and initiate the escape. As they flee, Grat argues that the Suliban will all go to join the Cabal, but Archer says that he hasn't been at the camp very long and doesn't know the Suliban very well, but he knows a hell of a lot more about the Suliban than Colonel Grat does. He knows that the Suliban will attempt to join the Niburon Colonies and that they have no interest in being genetically altered and joining the Cabal.

Production

Dean Stockwell previously starred alongside Scott Bakula in the television series Quantum Leap Dean Stockwell 01 (6940352648).jpg
Dean Stockwell previously starred alongside Scott Bakula in the television series Quantum Leap

Prior to Enterprise, main cast member Scott Bakula had starred for several years in the television series Quantum Leap alongside Dean Stockwell, and there were suggestions at the start of Enterprise that Stockwell could make an appearance. Bakula suggested that Stockwell should appear in the show, saying "wouldn't that be great if we could get him on? It has to be; we've got to do it." [3] At the start of the first season, this prospect was down-played in interviews. [4] In a January 2002 interview, Bakula said that he missed working with Stockwell and that they would both love do an episode together, but that "They would have to be clever about it or just ignore it, so that it wouldn't be a distraction, but add to the show." [5] [6] Stockwell did not actively pursue a role in the series and waited to see what might happen. When an offer was made he contacted Bakula to check large amounts of prosthetic makeup was not required. [7] Stockwell noted that Colonel Grat had a handheld computing device that was a clear reference to the supercomputer Ziggy from Quantum Leap . [7] Guest stars Dennis Christopher and Christopher Shea, who play the Suliban Danik and Sajen, both previously appeared as Vorta on Deep Space Nine. Shea would return as an Andorian the season 2 episode "Cease Fire." [8] John Fleck who plays the Suliban leader Silik is friends with Dennis Christopher and warned him what to expect with the green pebble-dash makeup. Christopher appreciated the nuances in his part of the story, the difficulty of a father surviving in an internment camp, while teaching his child not to hate their captors. The makeup was very constricting and concealed their facial expressions, so the performance and emotion had to come through in the voice, so he was impressed by how well the child actor performed. [9]

The episode was written by Mike Sussman and Phyllis Strong. Sussman was critical of the episode, because he disliked the obvious allegory of "message shows" and said "if it's intelligent, interesting, surprising—it doesn't need some hit-you-over-the-head message." [10] Brannon Braga praised the performances of Bakula and Stockwell, he said "It's very different from their Quantum Leap dynamic, and it turned out wonderfully." [11]

Reception

Detained was first aired in the United States on UPN on April 24, 2002. [12] According to Nielsen, it received a 3.0/5 rating share among adults. It had an average of 4.9 million viewers. [13] It seemed to have struggled to attract audiences after two weeks of reruns, ratings were only slightly higher than "Fusion" which had the same rating and was the ratings low point of the season. [14]

Aint It Cool News gave the episode 2.5 out of 5, with positive comments about the scenes featuring Stockwell but criticism for the heavy handed allegory. [15] Michelle Erica Green of TrekNation called it "timely" and although it does not have the moral complexity of Voyager's "Remember" or Deep Space Nine's "Duet" the simple message of not prejudging a whole group of people comes through loud and clear. [16] Keith DeCandido of Tor.com gave it 7 out of 10, in his 2022 rewatch. He was disappointed "that the metaphor was sledgehammered a little too heavily" and prison break was not more action-packed but the Bakula-Stockwell reunion, was "worth the price of admission all by itself" and "Stockwell is never not wonderful." [8]

In 2014, The A.V. Club gave this an honorable mention, in their list of recommended Enterprise television episodes. [17] In 2016, "Detained" was ranked the tenth most essential episode of Enterprise, noting how Captain Archer must deal with an internment camp. [18] In 2016, Vox rated this one of the top 25 essential episodes of all Star Trek. [19]

Home media

This episode was released as part of Enterprise season one, which was released in high definition on Blu-ray disc on March 26, 2013; [20] the release has 1080p video and a DTS-HD Master Audio sound track. [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Quantum Leap</i> (1989 TV series) American science fiction television series

Quantum Leap is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who involuntarily leaps through spacetime during experiments in time travel, by temporarily taking the place of other people to correct what he consistently discovers were historical mistakes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Bakula</span> American actor (born 1954)

Scott Stewart Bakula is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on Quantum Leap – for which he was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards – and as Captain Jonathan Archer on Star Trek: Enterprise. From 2014 to 2021, he portrayed Special Agent Dwayne Cassius "King" Pride on NCIS: New Orleans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Archer</span> Fictional character from Star Trek: Enterprise

Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is one of the protagonists of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he was portrayed by Scott Bakula.

"Broken Bow" is the two-part series premiere of the science fiction television series Enterprise. It originally aired as a double-length episode, but was split into two parts for syndication, though releases on home media and streaming maintain its original one-episode format. A novelization of the episode, written by Diane Carey, was published in 2001. The episode won the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series, and was also nominated for sound editing and make-up.

"Twilight" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, originally broadcast on November 5, 2003. It was the sixtieth episode of the series overall. It was written by co-producer Michael Sussman, and directed by former Star Trek: Voyager actor Robert Duncan McNeill.

"Storm Front" is the title of the first and second episodes of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. They were first broadcast on October 8, and October 15, 2004, respectively, on the UPN network within the United States. They were written by executive producer Manny Coto, and directed by Allan Kroeker. The episodes resolved the cliffhanger at the end of the third season finale, "Zero Hour". It was Coto's first episodes as the new show runner for the series.

"Shadows of P'Jem" is the fifteenth episode of television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Mike Vejar served as director for the episode.

"Marauders" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the 32nd episode overall. It first aired on October 30, 2002, on the UPN within the United States. The story was created by executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga with a teleplay by David Wilcox. A similar premise had been included in the original pitch for Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry.

"Strange New World" is the fourth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise and was written by Mike Sussman Phyllis Strong based on a story from producers Brannon Braga and Rick Berman. David Livingston served as director for the episode.

"Civilization" is the ninth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Phyllis Strong and Michael Sussman. Mike Vejar served as director for the episode.

"Cold Front" is the eleventh episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Stephen Beck and Tim Finch. Robert Duncan McNeill served as director for the episode. The episode reveals more about the Temporal Cold War story arc first introduced in "Broken Bow". Captain Archer is confronted by a member of his crew who claims to be from nine hundred years in the future – and is there to capture a Suliban operative who has boarded Enterprise.

"In a Mirror, Darkly" is the eighteenth and nineteenth episodes of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on April 22 and 29, 2005. This installment was developed to be a sequel to The Original Series episode "The Tholian Web" and a prequel to "Mirror, Mirror". The decision to set an Enterprise episode in the mirror universe originated with a pitch to enable William Shatner to appear in the series. The teleplays for both parts of the episode were written by Mike Sussman, with Manny Coto contributing the story for the second part.

"Anomaly" is the 54th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the second episode of the third season. The episode was written by co-producer Mike Sussman and directed by David Straiton, his fifth for the show.

"Silent Enemy" is the twelfth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by André Bormanis. Winrich Kolbe served as director for the episode, which has music by Velton Ray Bunch. Several guest stars include Jane Carr, Guy Siner, Paula Malcomson, and John Rosenfeld. This episode first aired on UPN on January 16, 2002.

"Desert Crossing" is the twenty-fourth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. Set in the 22nd century of the Star Trek universe, Captain Archer commands the NX-01 Enterprise on a mission to explore the galaxy.

"Two Days and Two Nights" is the twenty-fifth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. The episode won the 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Hairstyling For A Series. The television show episode first aired on UPN on Wednesday May 15, 2002. This episode was directed by Michael Dorn, with the story by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and the teleplay by Chris Black.

"Shockwave" is a two-part episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. Part one is the first-season finale, the twenty-sixth episode, and part two is the second season opener, the twenty-seventh episode. Because of this, common to the Star Trek franchise in this period, part one aired on UPN on May 22, 2002, with a cliffhanger ending, but it was nearly four months before the second part aired on September 18, 2002.

"Fallen Hero" is the twenty-third aired episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

<i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i> season 1 Season of television series

The first season of Star Trek: Enterprise, an American television series, began airing on September 26, 2001, on UPN. The season concluded after 26 episodes on May 22, 2002. The series was developed by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, who also served as executive producers. Season one regular cast members include Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Linda Park, Anthony Montgomery and John Billingsley.

References

  1. ↑ Raftery, Liz (November 24, 2014). "NCIS: New Orleans' Scott Bakula Teases the Quantum Leap Reunion: "It Was a Good Day for the Old Guys"". TV Guide . Retrieved April 1, 2021. We talk on the phone. I've seen him over the years, but we've only worked one other time, shooting an episode of [Star Trek: Enterprise]
  2. ↑ "Detained". StarTrek.com.
  3. ↑ "Journalists Have an Audience with Bakula, Part II". StarTrek.com. September 4, 2001. Archived from the original on October 31, 2001. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  4. ↑ Spelling, Ian (December 2001). "Leap of Faith". Starlog . Vol. 1, no. 293. pp. 55–59. Retrieved May 15, 2015– via Archive.org. At the moment, there are no plans for Dean Stockwell to pop in as Al Calavicci or any other character
  5. ↑ "Interviews - Scott Bakula". ENTERPRISEUK.TV. 11 June 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-06-11. I'd love it for Dean to do an episode, as would he. I miss working with him; we had such a good time. They would have to be clever about it or just ignore it, so that it wouldn't be a distraction, but add to the show.
  6. ↑ Caillan (February 11, 2002). "Dean Stockwell To Appear In 'Enterprise'". TrekToday.com.
  7. 1 2 Kate O'Hare (Apr 12, 2002). "Taking a 'Quantum Leap' Onto 'Enterprise'". Zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 2002-12-21.
  8. 1 2 DeCandido, Keith R. A. (11 April 2022). "Star Trek: Enterprise Rewatch: "Detained"". Tor.com. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12.
  9. ↑ StarTrek.com Staff (April 28, 2017). "Talking With DS9 & ENT Guest Star Dennis Christopher". StarTrek.com (Interview).
  10. ↑ Larry Nemecek. "Enterprise scribe" (PDF). LarryNemecek.com.
  11. ↑ "Enterprise Year One". Star Trek Communicator Issue 139. August 2002. p. 27.
  12. ↑ "NBC Stays on Top of Wednesday". Zap2it.com. Apr 25, 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-06-14.
  13. ↑ "Episode List: Star Trek: Enterprise". TVTango. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  14. ↑ ""Vox Sola" Improves in Overnights, Final Numbers for "Detained" Match Season Low". TrekWeb.com. May 2, 2002. Archived from the original on 2004-12-28. slightly larger audience than the only other first-run ENTERPRISE to score a season low 3.0/5, February 27th's Fusion.
  15. ↑ Hercules Strong (April 24, 2002). "HERC's Seen the 21st ENTERPRISE!!". Aint It Cool News .
  16. ↑ Michelle Erica Green (April 25, 2002). "Detained". TrekNation .
  17. ↑ Wilkins, Alasdair (2014). "Enterprise was forever torn between our future and Star Trek's past". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  18. ↑ Toven, Michelle (2016-07-27). "10 Essential 'Star Trek: Enterprise' Episodes". TrekNews.net. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  19. ↑ Siede, Caroline (2016-09-06). "Star Trek, explained for non-Trekkies". Vox . Retrieved 2022-02-22. an early example of Enterprise's interest in political allegory
  20. ↑ Scott Collura (March 26, 2013). "Remembering Star Trek: Enterprise with Scott Bakula". IGN . Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Star Trek: Enterprise - Season One Blu-ray Release Date March 26, 2013" . Retrieved 2021-06-11.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.