Impulse (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Last updated
"Impulse"
Star Trek: Enterprise episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 5
Directed by David Livingston [1]
Story by Jonathan Fernandez
Terry Matalas [2]
Teleplay byJonathan Fernandez
Featured music Dennis McCarthy
Cinematography by Marvin V. Rush
Production code305
Original air dateOctober 8, 2003 (2003-10-08)
Guest appearance
  • Sean McGowan - Corporal Hawkins [2]
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Rajiin"		Next →
"Exile"
Star Trek: Enterprise season 3
List of episodes

"Impulse" is the fifty-seventh episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise , the fifth episode of season three. The episode was written by story editor Jonathan Fernandez from a story by Fernandez and Terry Matalas. It first aired October 8, 2003 on the UPN network in the United States. The episode was described by Paramount Pictures as "as close to a horror show as Star Trek gets". [2]

Contents

Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship Enterprise , registration NX-01. In this episode, while investigating the Delphic Expanse for a Xindi superweapon, the Enterprise responds to the distress call of a Vulcan ship. [3]

Plot

Captain Archer carries Sub-Commander T'Pol into sickbay, where he and Doctor Phlox strap her to a bed. She awakes and threatens to kill Archer, and Phlox sedates her. A day earlier, Enterprise received a distress call from the Vulcan cruiser Seleya, and found the ship adrift in an asteroid belt rich in Trellium ore. Archer decides to send in a shuttlepod as Enterprise is too big to maneuver among the asteroids. En route, T'Pol informs the other members of the away team that the Vaankara had been sent into the Expanse to find the Seleya, but the crew began to attack one another and the ship was destroyed. Meanwhile, Commander Tucker and Ensign Mayweather decide to mine some Trellium ore from an asteroid.

Lieutenant Reed, T'Pol and Archer board the Seleya and are attacked by zombie-like Vulcans. Soon T'Pol begins to show the same effects as seen in the other Vulcans. Archer and the away team fight their way to the Seleya's Engineering section, where they attempt to re-route the bulkhead controls on the ship so they can get back to their shuttle. They discuss a general override, which would unlock the bulkheads, but also shut down the containment on the warp core, and T'Pol accuses Archer of wanting to kill all the Vulcans.

Tucker and Mayweather retrieve the ore, but their shuttlepod is damaged in the process. After they return to Enterprise they begin repairs. Meanwhile, the Vulcan crew begins to gas Engineering, forcing Reed to activate the override. Archer's away team head back to the shuttle and arrive moments before the Seleya is due to explode, but find the docking clamps locked. Tucker and Mayweather then arrive on the second shuttle and shoot out the clamps and the two shuttles depart, as the Seleya is destroyed. Back on the Enterprise, Phlox treats T'Pol's symptoms, stating that Trellium is a lethal neurotoxin for Vulcans, but while the crew of the Seleya was beyond saving, T'Pol will slowly recover, having only briefly been exposed. Tucker announces enough ore was recovered to shield the forward hull, but Archer notes that it will harm T'Pol, and orders it stored in a bio-hazard locker until a cure can be created.

Production

The story was by Jonathan Fernandez and Terry Matalas, and Fernandez also wrote the script. [2] David Livingston directed a total of 62 episodes of Star Trek, including 15 episodes of Enterprise. "Impulse" was from a directing and visual standpoint, his favorite episode of the work he did on Enterprise. Everyone in all departments, especially director of photography Marvin Rush, understood that they were making a zombie movie, "so let's do a zombie movie." [1] Livingston explained that when filming, he tended to shoot fast and that, relative to page count, he would inevitably come up short and have to shoot additional footage with the second unit to make the episode long enough. In this case, Livingston sketched out a sequence shot-by-shot for the end of the episode, which the producers accepted. This became T'Pol's nightmare, and he believed it integrated well into the episode and did not feel like it was added on. Livingston was very pleased with how the final episode turned out and said he wouldn't change anything. [1] Blalock said she loved the episode. [4]

Reception

"Impulse" was first aired in the United States on UPN on October 8, 2003. It received a 2.8/4 percent share among adults. This means that it was seen by 2.8 percent of all households, and 4 percent of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. Enterprise was the sixth most watched program in the timeslot, behind Smallville on The WB. It was estimated that "Impulse" was watched by 4.17 million viewers, which was less than the previous episode, "Rajiin". [5] [6]

Michelle Erica Green of TrekNation was prepared for the worst based on the previews for this episode, but said it "is actually a well-done haunted ship story". She noted "script could have seemed really hackneyed were the visuals and the emotional focus not so perfectly controlled", and praised "a spot-on performance by Jolene Blalock and superb directing by David Livingston." [7] Jamahl Epsicokhan at his website Jammer's Reviews described the episode as "sort of a guilty pleasure" due to the "superficial visual qualities", but said that it lacked substance. He gave "Impulse" a rating of three out of four. [8] Television Without Pity gave the episode a grade A−. [9] In 2017 H&I noted this as an episode of Star Trek featuring scary or eerie content, and said "this is about as straight-up horror as Star Trek gets." [10] In 2018, TheGamer ranked this one of the top 25 creepiest episodes of all Star Trek series. [11]

In 2020, Den of Geek ranked this episode as the 7th most scary episode of all Star Trek franchise television episodes. [12]

In 2021, ScreenRant ranked "Impulse" the 5th scariest episode of all Star Trek franchise episodes up to that time. [13]

Home media releases

"Impulse" was released as part of the season three DVD box set, released in the United States on September 27, 2005. [14] The set included optional text commentary for "Impulse" from Mike and Denise Okuda. [15] The season was released on Blu-ray in the United States on January 7, 2014. [16] [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

"Harbinger" is the sixty-seventh episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, the fifteenth episode from the third season. "Harbinger" works together three plot lines in a single episode: the T'Pol-Tucker relationship, the Hayes and Reed tension and uncovering the nature of a mysterious alien discovered in an anomaly and its possible links to the expanse sphere builders. Guest star Thomas Kopache plays the alien guest and Noa Tishby plays Amanda Cole, the third in the T'Pol-Tucker love triangle.

"Chosen Realm" is the 12th episode from the third season of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. The series's 64th episode, it first aired on January 14, 2004. Enterprise is taken over by a group of religious zealots called Triannons and Archer must re-take it before it's too late.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trip Tucker</span> Star Trek: Enterprise fictional character

Charles "Trip" Tucker III, portrayed by Connor Trinneer, is a fictional character in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

"The Council" is the seventy-fourth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the twenty-second episode of season three. It first aired on May 12, 2004, on the UPN network in the United States. The episode was the fifth of the series written by Manny Coto, and it was directed by David Livingston, his fourth of the third season.

"Extinction" is the 55th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the third episode of season three. It first aired on September 24, 2003 on the UPN network in the United States. This was the first episode to include the prefix "Star Trek" in the title of the series. Set in the 22nd century just prior to the formation of the United Federation of Planets, the series follows the adventures of Starfleet's first Warp 5 starship, Enterprise, registration NX-01.

United (<i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i>) 13th episode of the 4th season of Star Trek: Enterprise

"United" is the 13th episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise and the 89th episode overall. It was first broadcast on the UPN network on February 4, 2005. It is the second of a three-part story which included the previous episode "Babel One", and the following episode, "The Aenar". "United" was written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens from a story idea by show runner Manny Coto. It was directed by David Livingston, his third of the season.

"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.

"Breaking the Ice" is the eighth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Maria Jacquemetton and Andre Jacquemetton. Terry Windell served as director for the episode. The episode was nominated for the 2002 Emmy Award for visual effects.

"Terra Prime" is the 21st episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on May 13, 2005. The story was developed by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, along with André Bormanis, and developed into a script by the Reeves-Stevenses and show runner Manny Coto. The episode is the second of a two-part story, which started in "Demons". The episode was directed by Marvin Rush, his second for the series.

"Bound" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, originally broadcast on April 15, 2005. It was written by showrunner Manny Coto, and directed by Allan Kroeker. The episode featured the return of the Orion slave girls, which had been originally seen in the original pilot of Star Trek: The Original Series, "The Cage".

"The Aenar" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on February 11, 2005. It was written by André Bormanis from a story by Manny Coto, and was directed by Mike Vejar. "The Aenar" was the third installment of a three-part story which concluded the events of episodes "Babel One" and "United".

"The Forge" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American science-fiction television Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on November 19, 2004, on UPN. Directed by Michael Grossman, the script was written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and formed the first part of a three-episode arc which continued in "Awakening" and concluded in "Kir'Shara".

"First Flight" is the fiftieth episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the twenty-fourth episode of the second season. It first aired on May 14, 2003, on UPN. It was written by John Shiban and Chris Black, and was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation actor LeVar Burton.

The Crossing (<i>Star Trek: Enterprise</i>) 18th episode of the 2nd season of Star Trek: Enterprise

"The Crossing" is the forty-fourth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the eighteenth of the second season.

"Cease Fire" is the 41st episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the 15th episode of the second season. The series, set in the 22nd century of the Star Trek universe, follows the crew of Earth's faster-than-light spaceship, Enterprise, as they explore the galaxy under command of Captain Jonathan Archer.

"Shuttlepod One" is the sixteenth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. In this science fiction television show, a faster-than-light spacecraft sets out from Earth to Explore the Galaxy. It is set in the 2100s of the Star Trek franchise science fiction universe, following the events a century after Star Trek: First Contact.

"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.

"Singularity" is the thirty-fifth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the ninth of the second season. The science fiction episode is set in the 22nd century of the Star Trek universe, where the NX-01 Enterprise with Captain Archer is exploring space.

References

  1. 1 2 3 STARTREK.COM STAFF (July 3, 2012). "David Livingston On Directing Star Trek Episodes, Part 2". StarTrek.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Production Report: Acting on "Impulse"". StarTrek.com. CBS Entertainment. August 27, 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-08-27.
  3. ↑ "Impulse". StarTrek.com.
  4. ↑ Ian Spelling (March 2004). "Vulcan Impulses". Starlog Magazine 320. p. 27.
  5. ↑ Krutzler, Steve (October 10, 2003). "Final Ratings: #6 "Impulse" Loses Viewers But Posts Gain in Household Figure". TrekWeb. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Episode List: Star Trek: Enterprise". TVTango. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  7. ↑ Michelle Erica Green (October 9, 2003). "Impulse". The Trek Nation . TrekToday.com.
  8. ↑ Epsicokhan, Jamahl. "Star Trek: Enterprise "Impulse"". Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  9. ↑ Keckler (2003). "Season 3 Episode 5". Archived from the original on 2004-01-17.
  10. ↑ "18 eerie, disturbing and downright scary Star Trek episodes". H&I. Retrieved 2020-04-20. this is about as straight-up horror as Star Trek gets.
  11. ↑ "25 Creepy Star Trek Scenes That Set Phasers To Stun". TheGamer. 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
  12. ↑ Juliette Harrisson (2020-10-12). "The Scariest Star Trek Episodes". Den of Geek . Retrieved 2021-02-13.
  13. ↑ Jake Dee (2021-02-01). "10 Scariest Episodes Of Star Trek, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2021-04-01.
  14. ↑ Douglass Jr., Todd (September 27, 2005). "Star Trek Enterprise – The Complete 3rd Season". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  15. ↑ Scultz, Paul (October 8, 2005). "DVD Review: Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Third Season". The Trades. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Enterprise Trekking To Blu-ray; Fans Helped Pick Covers". Star Trek.com. January 7, 2013. Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  17. ↑ Lambert, David (October 14, 2013). "Star Trek: Enterprise - 'Season 3' Blu-ray Announced: Date, Cost, Package, Extras". TVShowsonDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Star Trek: Enterprise - Season Three Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
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.