"Shuttlepod One" | |
---|---|
Star Trek: Enterprise episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 16 |
Directed by | David Livingston |
Written by | Rick Berman Brannon Braga |
Produced by | Dawn Valazquez |
Featured music | Jay Chattaway |
Production code | 116 |
Original air date | February 13, 2002 |
"Shuttlepod One" is the sixteenth episode (production #116) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise . It first aired on February 13, 2002 on UPN. [1] 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.
During a shuttlepod mission, Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed become convinced Enterprise has been destroyed and that their prospects of survival are slim. Much of the episode takes place in a Star Trek shuttlecraft, Shuttlepod One.
On Pod 1, Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed are attempting to locate Enterprise in an asteroid field that Captain Archer had intended to map. Just then, Reed spots an impact crater and debris; with only one piece large enough to be identifiable as part of Enterprise, they conclude that the ship has been destroyed. They are now alone, with only ten days' worth of air. Tucker orders Reed to head to Echo Three, a subspace amplifier, using the stars for reference as navigation is down. He intends to send a message to Starfleet, knowing they will not be alive when it reaches there, so that command will at least know what happened. Reed records messages to his family and friends, but Tucker becomes exasperated by Reed's pessimism.
On Enterprise, it is revealed that the debris that Reed and Tucker saw was from an explosion while a Tesnian ship was trying to dock with Enterprise. Thirty-four Tesnian survivors are on Enterprise. Ensign Mayweather reports that their ETA at Tesnia is twenty hours, allowing enough time to return to meet the shuttlepod. Archer and Sub-Commander T'Pol use a mini-shuttle to inspect the damage to the ship. Later, T'Pol presents her analysis to Archer – both ships were hit by a "micro-singularity", but he remains skeptical that such things exist.
The shuttlepod's hull is also breached by a micro-singularity. Reed and Tucker quickly seal the holes, but find that one of their oxygen cylinders was damaged, leaving them with less than two days' air. They lower the temperature to conserve power for the air recyclers. Later, the radio picks up a signal – it is Sato transmitting new rendezvous coordinates and gives an ETA of two days. Unfortunately, they only have one day's worth of air left and no way to communicate with the ship. They jettison and detonate its engine, attracting Enterprise's attention. Reed wakes up in Sickbay, relieved to see Tucker's sleeping form there as well.
Dominic Keating said this episode was an unexpected opportunity to stretch his acting muscles, and he really enjoyed the rhythm he was able to establish with Connor Trinneer. [2] The set was surrounded by an igloo constructed from six air-conditioning units and blocks of dry ice, so when the actors looked like they were freezing they really were, and it was so cold that were only able to film for about thirty seconds at a time. Keating also mentioned they were continually banging their heads on the low ceiling of the pod. [3] Despite the physical difficulties, Keating was positive about the experience and he did not want that week to end. [2] [4] In a 2015 interview Keating, said he thought it was one of the "finest hours" of the show. [5]
Trineer said it was as freezing cold as it looked, despite it being hot as hell outside. [6] Trinneer said director David Livingston was very thorough, and focused on "capturing a moment" even if that means shooting a scene repeatedly to get it. [7] The prop bottle of bourbon that Reed and Tucker drink is labelled "Dorton's Best" after the show's art director Louise Dorton. [8] [9]
The episode first aired February 13, 2002 on UPN. It had Nielsen ratings of 3.4/5 and was watched by 5.3 million viewers. [10] Low ratings were attributed to NBC's Winter Olympic coverage dominating the evening. [11] Among science fiction or fantasy genre shows that week Enterprise was beaten by Smallville . [12]
Aint It Cool News gave the episode 3.5 out of 5, and said this was "one of the good ones" and praised the "attention to texture and detail". [13] Robert Bianco of USA Today called it "one of the season's worst episodes" and said the actors "performances collapse under an overwrought script, and neither man should be asked to do a drunk scene again." [14] Keith DeCandido of Tor.com gave it 8 out of 10, in his 2022 rewatch, and called it "a wonderful two-person play." [8]
Shuttlepod One has been listed among the best episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise and of all Star Trek. Britt Ryan of Tor.com noted "Shuttlepod One" was one of the Enterprise episodes that held up as a "good Star Trek episode", despite the overall lukewarm reception of the series during its first run. [15] They note this episode as one that takes on some of the hard science challenges of surviving in space. [15] The A.V. Club gave this an honorable mention in their list of recommended Enterprise television episodes. [16]
The Guardian recommended this episode as one of six Star Trek episodes out of the entire Star Trek franchise up to that point. They noted how the episode uses the threat of air running out in a spacecraft to create a backdrop of tension as the characters try to find a solution and discuss the danger. [1] The Hollywood Reporter interviewed various cast and production crew of the Star Trek franchise to determine the "100 Greatest Episodes" from across the six series, ranking "Shuttlepod One" as the 98th best episode of all time. [3]
This episode was released as part of Enterprise season one, which was released in high definition on Blu-ray disc on March 26, 2013; [17] the release has 1080p video and a DTS-HD Master Audio sound track. [18]
Connor Wyatt Trinneer is an American film, stage, and television actor. He is best known for his roles as Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise, Michael on the series Stargate Atlantis, and Professor Moynihan on the web series Guilty Party Japan.
"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.
"The Xindi" is the 53rd episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the first episode of the third season. It first aired on September 10, 2003, on the UPN. The episode was written by executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and directed by Allan Kroeker.
"Home" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It first aired on October 22, 2004, on the UPN network in the United States. It was the second episode of the season directed by Allan Kroeker and the first in season four to be written by Michael Sussman.
"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.
"Unexpected" is the fifth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Brannon Braga and Rick Berman. Mike Vejar was the director.
"The Andorian Incident" is the seventh episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and was written by Brannon Braga, Fred Dekker and Rick Berman. Roxann Dawson served as director for the episode. As one of the most significant of the first-season episodes, the events of "The Andorian Incident" would continue to resonate into the third and fourth seasons. This would, in particular, affect Sub-Commander T'Pol and her family.
"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.
"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.
"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.
"Cogenitor" is the 48th episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the 22nd episode of the second season. It originally aired April 30, 2003 on UPN.
"Canamar" is the forty-third episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the seventeenth 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 the starship Enterprise, as they explore the galaxy under command of Captain Jonathan Archer.
"Fusion" is the seventeenth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. Set in the 22nd century, the science fiction television episode is about a spaceship exploring a galaxy filled with alien life. It aired on UPN on February 27, 2002.
"Oasis" is the twentieth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It was developed into a teleplay by Stephen Beck from a story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga and Beck. Jim Charleston was the director. It guest stars René Auberjonois, who previously starred as Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and marked the screen debut of Annie Wersching.
"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.
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.
it was a joy and I can't tell you what that week meant to me. I was exhausted, tired, thrilled and cold -- my god we were cold!
they'd built a structure inside the sound stage where the shuttlepod was and they had five industrial air conditioners going full blast the whole time. We had dry ice packed under the flooring of the shuttlepods and before each take they'd blast the shuttle pod with Nitrogen so it was exactly that cold all week.
He'll shoot the hell out of something, but his modus operandi is capturing a moment.