Changes: Breaking the Ice (episode)

Revision as of 05:55, 15 May 2010

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The Enterprise discovers the biggest comet ever seen by Man or Vulcan and decides to investigate. A Vulcan ship observes, and T'Pol receives an encoded message from them which Tucker intercepts and reads. There are complications, and eventually Captain Archer breaks the Human stereotype Vulcans have for Humans and accepts their help.

Summary

Enterprise discovers the biggest comet ever observed by Humans (or Vulcans). An away team consisting of Malcolm Reed and Travis Mayweather is sent to collect samples, as the comet is found to contain a rare substance under the surface.

Meanwhile on Enterprise, Trip Tucker discovers that T'Pol has received secret encrypted transmissions from the nearby Vulcan ship Ti'murand is suspicious. With Hoshi Sato's help, he discovers the personal nature of the message (concerning, as he later discovers, T'Pol's marriage arrangements), and informs Captain Archer that the message was a letter and that it was a very private matter. Archer does not ask Tucker to reveal its contents.

A recording to some Earth children, who go to a school in Kenmare, County Kerry, Ireland, is dispatched, containing comments about ongoing events on Enterprise and answers to the many questions the popular crew previously received. Tucker is extremely uncertain about answering a "poop question", as he is worried that he will be assumed to be a sanitation engineer.

Tucker apologizes to T'Pol for reading the letter. The impending marriage is causing some concern for T'Pol, since she would have to leave Enterprise immediately and remain away for at least one Vulcan year. At Phlox's suggestion, she agrees to discuss it with Tucker, to prevent her secret from spreading. The cultural gap makes the conversation difficult, resulting in each person only promoting their own culture and way of seeing things.

Also, there is a tentative effort by Captain Archer to make things clear between him and the captain of the Vulcan ship following Enterprise, as Archer invites the Vulcan captain to dinner aboard Enterprise. He is not successful; he is only able to prove to the Vulcans that Human stereotypes seem to be right. Archer concludes the meal by accusing the Vulcan captain of spying on Enterprise.

Archer notes that an explosion triggered on the surface of the comet by the away team has altered the comet's axis of rotation. This will mean that they would eventually come into direct sunlight. However, they continue to collect core samples.

The conclusion eases the cultural tensions between the Humans and Vulcans. As the away team runs into complications, Archer sacrifices his pride in Human independence for the good of the imperiled survey, letting the Vulcans help with their tractor beam. Also, T'Pol chooses to reconsider her marriage, showing that her discussion with Tucker wasn't as fruitless as it first seemed.

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Memorable Quotes

"Once he realizes we're not going to blow up the galaxy maybe he'll leave us alone."

- Archer

"Wow! That's one big snowball!"

- Tucker, on Archer's comet

"It might not be good for the body... But it sure is good for the soul."

- Tucker, defending his favorite dessert – pecan pie – to T'Pol

"A POOP question, SIR?!"

- Tucker

"I always wanted to chase a comet."

- Archer

"You are human. You are free to choose."

- T'Pol, trying to convince Archer to ask the Vulcans for help

"If Vanik's the kind of guy who likes to watch... let him."

- Archer

Background information

File:Vulcan snow man.jpg

The Vulcan snowman

This episode features the Ti'Mur, the first major Vulcan High Command starship seen in all of Star Trek.
Koss, who will later appear in "Home", "The Forge", and "Kir'Shara", is first mentioned in this episode.
This episode effectively begins the T'Pol/Tucker personal relationship, and its title is thus a double entendre. It is the first time Tucker enters T'Pol's quarters, and the first time she shares personal information with him. The pecan pie she has in her quarters at the end of the story is also the first time T'Pol is seen to eat unambiguously Human food for her own enjoyment. It is noteworthy that she signals her personal rebellion from Vulcan tradition with one of Tucker's favorite desserts.
This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for its visual effects, but it lost out to the pilot episode, "Broken Bow".
This is the first episode of Enterprise which did not have Rick Berman or Brannon Braga writing the episode or its story.

Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.4, 24 June 2002.
As part of the ENT Season 1 DVD collection.

Links and references

Star Trek: Enterprise
Season 1

Next episode:
"Civilization"

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 "''Once he realizes we're not going to blow up the galaxy maybe he'll leave us alone.''"
 : - '''Archer'''
+"''Wow! That's one big snowball!''"
+: - '''Tucker''', on [[Archer's comet]]
@@ Line 61: / Line 65: @@
 "''A POOP question, SIR?!''"
 : - '''Tucker'''
+"''I always wanted to chase a comet.''"
+: - '''Archer'''

Changes: Breaking the Ice (episode)

Revision as of 05:55, 15 May 2010

Contents

Summary

Memorable Quotes

Background information

Video and DVD releases

Links and references

Starring

Guest Star

Uncredited Co-Stars

References