The Forge (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Last updated

"The Forge"
Star Trek: Enterprise episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 7
Directed by Michael Grossman
Written by Judith Reeves-Stevens
Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Featured music John Frizzell
Production code407
Original air dateNovember 19, 2004 (2004-11-19)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"The Augments"		Next →
"Awakening"
Star Trek: Enterprise season 4
List of episodes

"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".

Contents

Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship Enterprise , registration NX-01. In this episode, the crew investigates the bombing of the Earth embassy on Vulcan. The evidence led them to suspect a group called the Syrrannites, and Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol seek to cross an unforgiving Vulcan desert, known as "The Forge", to find them. Meanwhile, on the ship, the crew discovers that the evidence was planted by elements linked to Vulcan High Command.

The episode picks up on several references from Star Trek: The Original Series and The Animated Series . Scenes were filmed in Simi Valley, California to represent the Vulcan Forge itself, which was augmented with additional CGI to represent the firestorm and a Vulcan animal called the sehlat. The ratings for "The Forge" had a decrease from the previous two episodes.

Plot

Enterprise is ordered to Vulcan after 12 Vulcans and 31 humans die in the bombing of the United Earth Embassy, including Vice-Admiral Forrest, who is killed saving the life of Ambassador Soval. Captain Archer meets with the head of the Vulcan High Command, Administrator V'Las, who concedes that the Syrrannites, a Vulcan faction, might have been responsible. This is possible since, although they claim peaceful tenets, they follow a "corrupted" form of the teachings of the Vulcan philosopher and father of Vulcan logic, Surak. Further, initial video and DNA evidence lead to a Vulcan named T'Pau, a known Syrrannite.

Koss arrives on board Enterprise to speak to his wife, T'Pol. He gives her an IDIC pendant from her mother, who he explains is also a Syrrannite. The pendant projects a map showing a path across a desert on Vulcan called "the Forge", which Archer believes will lead them to both T'Pau and T'Pol's mother. T'Pol and Archer leave the ship and begin to make the crossing, following the map. They soon encounter another traveller, calling himself Arev, who assists, but remains distrustful of them. A sand-fire storm kills Arev, but before he dies, he forcefully performs a mind meld with Archer to transfer his katra. After burying him, a focused Archer leads T'Pol directly to the concealed T'Karath Sanctuary, where they are quickly captured.

Back on Enterprise , Doctor Phlox discovers that the DNA was planted. Commander Tucker and he, then examine security scans near a checkpoint in the embassy and single out a hooded man holding a suspicious package. Furthermore, they notice that the guard at the checkpoint seems to already know who the bomber is. Unfortunately, the guard is in a coma from the blast, and Archer and T'Pol are incommunicado. Though it violates standard Vulcan ethics, Phlox and Tucker consider a mind meld, and Soval decides to perform it himself. To his surprise, he discovers that the suspect is Stel, a Vulcan investigator attached to V'Las. Soval then resolves to inform the High Command.

Production

Production on the episode began on September 14, 2004, and ran through to September 22. The standing sets were used for the first three days of filming. Further sets were created to represent the Vulcan Embassy and portions of the Forge. The final two days were filmed on site in Simi Valley in southern California, which doubled as the main areas of the Forge. The property used in the valley was owned by mining company P.W. Gillibrand, which was near property owned by Vulcan Materials Company. Optical effects were added to represent the firestorm and the sehlat. [2] The CGI sehlat was based on one which previously appeared in Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "Yesteryear". Visual effects producer Dan Curry said that the team "looked at the animated series and it just looked nice and pleasant, so I did a couple of sketches to do a reinterpretation of it to make it look scary, but not be too radical a departure from the original". [3] Eden FX modelled the CGI under supervision by staff visual effects supervisor Art Codron. Additional care was taken to create the fur so that close-ups could be used if required. [3] The only physical portion of the sehlat to be created was a single paw. [2] "Yesteryear" was set in the Vulcan city Shi'Khar, which reappears in "The Forge", and it is also the first mention of the area on Vulcan called the Forge. A further reference was made to "Vulcan's Forge" in the Deep Space Nine episode "Change of Heart". [2]

Simi Valley, California, doubled as the desert-like Forge on Vulcan Simi Valley.jpg
Simi Valley, California, doubled as the desert-like Forge on Vulcan

"The Forge" and the following two episodes make reference to a time of savagery in Vulcan history known as the "Time of Awakening". This had been previously mentioned in the original series episodes "Balance of Terror", "All Our Yesterdays", and "The Savage Curtain", as well as The Next Generation episode "Gambit". [4] The story mentioned the Vulcan T'Pau, who had previously appeared in The Original Series episode "Amok Time" presiding over the fight between Kirk and Spock, with the elder T'Pau portrayed by Celia Lovsky. [5] Michael Reilly Burke returns as Koss, having previously appeared in the role in the season-four episode "Home". Robert Foxworth appears as Administrator V'Las, having previously appeared as Admiral Leyton in the Deep Space Nine episodes "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost". [2]

Husband and wife duo Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens had previously written a number of Star Trek-related novels and books, [6] [7] including a series of collaborations with William Shatner and the novel Federation . [8] They had also written several nonfiction books on the behind-the-scenes productions of the Star Trek series such as Star Trek: Phase II - The Lost Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission. "The Forge" was their first script together for a Star Trek series, but they had previously written scripts for other shows, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World and Once a Thief . [9] They joined the Enterprise writing team shortly before working on the story for this episode which formed the first part of a planned "Vulcan arc". The arc was created to address the differences between Vulcans seen in the early seasons of Enterprise and those seen in Star Trek series set in later periods. Executive producer Manny Coto said that during the storyline, "we will begin to see Vulcans approaching what they were in the later eras". [8] In Enterprise, Vulcans were more emotional and deceptive than they had been seen in earlier aired series. [10] The storyline was one of several in the fourth season of Enterprise which Coto sought to connect the series to The Original Series. [11] "The Forge" was director Michael Grossman's second episode of Enterprise, having previously directed the third-season episode "Hatchery". He went on to direct the episode "Affliction" later in season four. [12]

Reception

"The Forge" received a 1.9/3% share among adults between the ages of 18 and 49. This means that it was seen by 1.9% of all households, and 3% of all of those watching television at the time of the broadcast. This resulted in UPN placing last out of the major networks, with NBC leading during the timeslot with a 6.3/11% rating for Dateline . Joan of Arcadia on CBS was close to NBC's numbers with a rating of 6.2/11%. [13] "The Forge" had a decrease from the 2.1/4% share received by the previous two episodes "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments". [14]

IGN gave the episode 3.5 out of 5, and wrote "If Enterprise continues to make these kinds of strides towards becoming a decent series, it might just be worth trying to save". [15] Michelle Erica Green of TrekNation approved of the episode with some reservations. She said that it "beautifully melds together threads from every Star Trek series in a way that's deeply satisfying to this lifelong Trekker", [16] However, she was disappointed at the lack of anything for Hoshi Sato or Travis Mayweather to do, and the obviousness of the use of some green screens in some scenes. [16] Jamahl Epsicokhan of the website "Jammer's Reviews" described the episode as a "jam-packed story that cares about the history of Star Trek". [17] He gave it a score of 3.5/4, saying that it was "an intriguing outing. It's like a cross between Enterprise, The Original Series, and Deep Space Nine, all at once." [17] When later summarising the fourth season, he described "The Forge" as "easily Enterprise's best episode of the season". [18]

Home media release

The first home media release of "The Forge" was in the season-four DVD box set of Enterprise, originally released in the United States on November 1, 2005. [5] The Blu-ray edition was released on April 1, 2014. [19]

Related Research Articles

Vulcan (<i>Star Trek</i>) Fictional extraterrestrial species in Star Trek

Vulcans, sometimes referred to as Vulcanians, are a fictional extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe and media franchise. In the various Star Trek television series and films, they are noted for their attempt to live by logic and reason with as little interference from emotion as possible. Known for their pronounced eyebrows and pointed ears, they originate from the fictional planet Vulcan. In the Star Trek universe, they were the first extraterrestrial species to make contact with humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T'Pol</span> Character in Star Trek

T'Pol is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. Portrayed by Jolene Blalock in the series Star Trek: Enterprise, she is a Vulcan who serves as the science officer aboard the starship Enterprise (NX-01).

"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".

"E²" is the seventy-third episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the twenty-first episode of season three. It first aired on May 5, 2004, on the UPN network in the United States. The episode was the fifth of the season written by Mike Sussman, and it was directed by Star Trek: Voyager alumnus Roxann Dawson, her fourth of the third season.

"Kir'Shara" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It was writer Michael Sussman's third episode of the season, while it was director David Livingston's second. The episode was the third in a three-part story arc, following on from the episodes "The Forge" and "Awakening". The title "Kir'Shara" refers to a Vulcan religious relic, and the three part Vulcan story arc explored themes relating to the Protestant Reformation resulting in comparisons to books such as The Da Vinci Code and The Celestine Prophecy, while the Kir'Shara itself was compared to the Nag Hammadi library.

"Awakening" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, and originally aired on November 26, 2004 on UPN. The script was written by André Bormanis and the episode was directed by Star Trek: Voyager alumna Roxann Dawson. The episode was the first of the season for both Bormanis and Dawson. The episode is the second of a three-part episode arc which started in "The Forge" and concludes in "Kir'Shara".

"Observer Effect" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise and the eighty-eighth overall. It was first aired on January 21, 2005, on UPN. It was written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and directed by Mike Vejar. Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship, Enterprise, registration NX-01. This episode sees alien entities test the Enterprise crew by observing their reactions to a deadly silicon-based infection. Actual first contact with these aliens – the Organians – would occur about a century later, during the events of the original series Star Trek episode "Errand of Mercy".

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.

"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.

"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.

"Divergence" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It originally aired on February 25, 2005 in the United States on UPN. It was the fourth episode of Enterprise to be written by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and was the first episode of a Star Trek series directed by David Barrett. "Divergence" is the second part of a two part story, following on from "Affliction".

"Bounty" is the 51st episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, the 25th episode of the second season. It presents the Tellarite aliens, seen previously in "Journey to Babel" of the original series. There is a Pon Farr sub-plot with T'Pol.

"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.

"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.

"Stigma" is the fortieth episode of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the fourteenth of the second season. This science fiction episode has a story about a spacecraft crew in the 22nd century, dealing with an alien disease, and also a morality play about sexually transmitted diseases.

"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.

"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.

References

  1. ↑ "Star Trek: Enterprise Series 4 - 7. The Forge". Radio Times. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Production Report: "The Forge" Begins Three-Part Vulcan Saga". Star Trek.com. September 27, 2004. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Cinefantastique. 37 (2): 37.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ↑ DeCandido, Keith (January 15, 2013). "Star Trek: The Next Generation Rewatch: "Gambit, Part II"". Tor.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Douglass Jr., Todd (October 24, 2005). "Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Fourth Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ "An Interview with Trek Writers Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Pt. 1". StarTrek.com. 2004-11-12. Archived from the original on 2005-02-06.
  7. ↑ "Reeves-Stevens, Judith". Star Trek.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Reeve-Stevenses Forge Vulcan Arc". TrekToday. September 28, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Reeves-Stevens, Garfield". Star Trek.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Vulcans". Star Trek.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Catching Up with Star Trek Writer Mike Sussman". Star Trek.com. September 30, 2010. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Grossman". Star Trek.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  13. ↑ "'CSI: NY' Gives CBS the Lead on Friday". Zap2it. November 20, 2004. Archived from the original on November 16, 2005. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  14. ↑ "'The Forge' Fails to Ignite Ratings". TrekToday. November 20, 2004. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ KJB (18 Nov 2004). "The Trek Report: Blalock Blasts Berman - IGN". IGN .
  16. 1 2 Green, Michelle Erica. "The Forge". TrekNation. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  17. 1 2 Epsicokhan, Jamahl. "Star Trek: Enterprise "The Forge"". Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  18. ↑ Epsicokhan, Jamahl. "Star Trek: Enterprise "Fourth Season Recap"". Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Final Season Enterprise Blu-ray Set Available April 1". StarTrek.com. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
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.