The Andorian Incident

Captain Archer tells Sub-Commander T'Pol that he had found a remote outpost on a planet a few light years off their current heading, and that he would like to visit this 3000-year-old Vulcan monastery, called P'Jem. En route, T'Pol describes it as an ancient retreat, a place for kolinahr and peaceful meditation. She also explains the strict visit protocols—they should not speak to anyone unless spoken to first, nor touch any relics. Arriving at P'Jem, a Vulcan elder tries to send the away team away, but Archer notices the reflected form of an armed intruder. Although they manage to subdue him, they are quickly captured by a larger group of armed Andorian Imperial Guards, led by Commander Shran.

Shran interrogates Archer, asking if they have brought more surveillance equipment for the Vulcans. The Andorians lock up the away team with the Vulcan monks, who explain that the Andorians, neighbors of Vulcan, believe that P'Jem conceals a long-range sensor array, and the arrival of T'Pol and Enterprise has unfortunately amplified their suspicions. When Enterprise attempts to contact the away team, Shran warns them not to interfere and destroys their communicators. During interrogation, wrongly disbelieving Archer's protestations of ignorance, the Andorians beat him.

Seeing Archer, the monks relent and take Commander Tucker to an ancient transmitter in the catacombs. After repairing the device, Archer manages to send a signal to Enterprise to tell them to wait. Soon, Lieutenant Reed and a security team transport into the tunnels, taking out most of the Andorians with explosive charges and phaser fire. Shran escapes into the Reliquary, where a firefight reveals a large modern door. Archer opens it, revealing a high-tech sensor chamber. With the Vulcan deception exposed, Archer lets the Andorians go with T'Pol's palm scanner as evidence of the installation. Shran remarks that he is now in Archer's debt.

File:Roxann_Dawson_2009_2.jpg

This episode was directed by Roxann Dawson, known for portraying engineer B'Elanna Torres on Star Trek: Voyager. At the wrap party for Voyager, Rick Berman told her she would be directing on Enterprise.Cult Times #94 July 2003 [https://web.archive.org/web/20081009145801/http://www.roxanndawson.net/culttimes.html Dawson's Cheek] Page 14 This was the first of ten episodes of Enterprise that she directed, and said she enjoyed the experience of making the episode as well as the story it told.{{cite web |date=May 16, 2011 |author=STARTREK.COM STAFF |title=Roxann Dawson's New Directions |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/roxann-dawsons-new-directions |website=StarTrek.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519065949/https://www.startrek.com/article/roxann-dawsons-new-directions |archive-date=2011-05-19 |url-status=live |quote=it was so much fun to be at the inception and to really explore what the series was going to be like and look like. }}{{cite web |date=January 2, 2018 |author=STARTREK.COM STAFF |title=Trek Directors' School: Roxann Dawson |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/trek-directors-school-roxann-dawson |website=StarTrek.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823014235/https://www.startrek.com/article/trek-directors-school-roxann-dawson |archive-date=2018-08-23 |url-status=live }}

Consulting producer and writer Fred Dekker explained that the idea for the episode came from Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, and together three of them broke down the premise into story. The message of the story was that "too much religion and politics, combined together, is self-serving and cloaked in subterfuge."{{cite magazine |date=2016 |author=Callum Waddell |title=Subspace Turbulence |url=https://archive.org/details/Star_Trek_Special_Edition_2016_USA/page/n33/mode/1up?q=too+much+religion |magazine=Star Trek Special Edition |pages=30–35 |issn=1357-3888 }}

Brannon Braga said they succeeded in taking "the goofiest aliens from the original" and making them believable and even threatening. He emphasized the importance of casting, and having Jeffrey Combs in the role of the Andorian Commander Shran, someone "you know is going to nail it and bring it dimension [...] Plus, the fans love him."{{cite magazine |date=2002 |author=Matt Saunders |magazine=Star Trek Communicator Issue 139 |url=https://archive.org/details/star-trek-communicator-issue-139/page/n23/mode/1up?q=Andorian+Incident |title= The Year in Review with Brannon Braga |page=24 }}

Production designer Herman Zimmerman described "The Andorian Incident" as the most challenging episode of season one with the exception of the pilot, "Broken Bow", because of the volume of work that was required to build the Vulcan monastery of P'Jem.{{cite web |title=Herman Zimmerman - Production Designer |url=http://www.startrek.com/launch/firstthoughts/zimmerman.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020320021516/http://www.startrek.com/launch/firstthoughts/zimmerman.asp |archive-date=March 20, 2002 |publisher=Star Trek.com |access-date=September 4, 2020 }}

Image:JeffreyCombs.20130427_(cropped).jpg makes his first appearance as the Andorian Commander Shran.]]

Jeffrey Combs plays the Andorian Commander Shran. Combs had previously appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as several characters such as Weyoun and the Ferengi Brunt. Combs was offered a guest starring role without having to audition. Before accepting, he wanted to know more, and was told the character was an Andorian and that he would not die at the end of the episode.{{cite web |date=July 28, 2011 |title=Star Trek's Mr. Everywhere – Jeffrey Combs interview, Part 2 |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/star-trekundefineds-mr-everywhere-undefined-jeffrey-combs-interview-part-2 |website=StarTrek.com }} Combs said the role was a gift, as Shran allowed him to play a very different kind of character: "I got to play a captain, someone with a real chip on his shoulder" and he imagined James Cagney as the basis for his character, "a tough little guy who holds his ground, and you've got to go through him, not around him."{{cite web |date=July 27, 2011 |title=Star Trek's Mr. Everywhere – A Jeffrey Combs interview, Part 1 |url=http://www.startrek.com/article/star-trekundefineds-mr-everywhere-undefined-a-jeffrey-combs-interview-part-1 |website=Star Trek.com |access-date=April 20, 2021 }}

Dawson praised the cast; about Combs performance as Shran, she said: "I think it established them as a permanent colour on this show - he's truly great" and of Bakula as Captain Archer she said "Scott Bakula is a fabulous dream. He sets the bar high and the cast follow him. The cast is extremely strong."{{cite web |date=October 24, 2001 |author=Caillan |title=Dawson Very Proud Of 'The Andorian Incident' |url=https://www.trektoday.com/news/241001_02.shtml |website=TrekToday.com }} Dawson had reservations about the Andorians, wanting them to be more believable and threatening than in the original series. She praised Combs, saying: "He was wonderful to work with," and "He really created an extraordinary character there, didn't he?"Star Trek: Communicator issue 143, [https://archive.org/details/star-trek-communicator-issue-143/page/n33/mode/1up page 32]

{{Anchor|Ratings}}

This episode was first broadcast on UPN on October 31, 2001. According to Nielsen Media Research, it received a 4.5/7 rating share among adults. This means it had an average of 7.19 million viewers.{{cite web |title=Episode List: Star Trek: Enterprise |publisher=TVTango |url=http://www.tvtango.com/series/star_trek_enterprise/episodes/sort/episodeNumber/type/asc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215235448/http://www.tvtango.com/series/star_trek_enterprise/episodes/sort/episodeNumber/type/asc |archive-date=February 15, 2016 |access-date=April 1, 2021 }}{{cite news |date=November 7, 2001 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41487325/the-los-angeles-times/ |title=National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 29-Nov. 4) |newspaper=The Los Angeles Times |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=April 1, 2022 }}{{free access}} The ratings drop was due to competition from the World series baseball coverage on Fox at the same time.{{cite web |date=November 8, 2001 |author=Christian |title='Ice' Rebounds From 'Andorian' Low |url=https://www.trektoday.com/news/081101_03.shtml |publisher=TrekToday.com }}{{cite web |date=11 October 2001 |author1=Marc Berman |title=The Programming Insider: Thursday 11/08/01 |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/buzz/columnists/berman_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1098655 |website=Mediaweek.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011109013946/http://www.mediaweek.com/mediaweek/buzz/columnists/berman_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1098655 |archive-date=2001-11-09 |quote=Enterprise (6.5/10) continues to score with a significant 76 percent advantage over the WB's tired Dawson's Creek |url-status=dead }}

This episode was streamed for free on April 5, 2021, as part of the First Contact Day event on Startrek.com, along with several other episodes and roundtable discussions with Star Trek actors.{{cite web |date=March 30, 2021 |last=Jacobs |first=Meredith |title=Paramount+ to Celebrate 'Star Trek' With First Contact Day: A Guide to the Panels & Marathon |url=https://www.tvinsider.com/993004/star-trek-first-contact-day-paramount-plus-panels-episodes-marathon/ |website=TV Insider }}{{cite web |date=April 1, 2021 |author=Scott Snowden |title='Star Trek' First Contact Day promises plenty of Trek news and nostalgia |url=https://www.space.com/star-trek-first-contact-day-2021-celebrations |website=Space.com }}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-05 |last=Hegedus |first=Eric |title=Get ready for 'Star Trek' First Contact Day's long voyage of streaming |url=https://nypost.com/2021/04/05/get-ready-for-star-trek-first-contact-days-streaming/ |website=New York Post |access-date=2021-05-04 }}

Entertainment Weekly gave the episode a positive review, and enjoyed the revelation at the end: "every series makes a valiant attempt at a surprise. But the results are rarely as successful" [as this].{{cite magazine |date=November 2, 2001 |author=Sunny Lee |title=Sneaky Vulcans tick off alien invaders |url=https://ew.com/article/2001/11/02/sneaky-vulcans-tick-alien-invaders/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly }}

IGN rated it 3 out of 5.{{cite web |date=2001-11-02 |author1=Jason Bates |title=SciFi: Enterprise, The Andorian Incident, Those sneaky Vulcans! |url=http://scifi.ign.com/articles/315748p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011205054535/http://scifi.ign.com/articles/315748p1.html |archive-date=2001-12-05 |url-status=dead |quote=And yes, I am still completely and totally against that cheesy song. }}

Keith DeCandido of Tor.com gave it eight out of ten in his 2022 rewatch, and wrote: "this is a fantastic episode of Enterprise, doing exactly the sort of thing a prequel can do well." He also praises the actors, particularly Blalock for her restrained and conflicted performance.{{cite web |date=3 January 2022 |last=DeCandido |first=Keith R. A. |author-link=Keith R. A. DeCandido |title=Star Trek: Enterprise Rewatch: "The Andorian Incident" |url=https://www.tor.com/2022/01/03/star-trek-enterprise-rewatch-the-andorian-incident/ |website=Tor.com |access-date=4 January 2022 }}{{cite web |date=23 May 2022 |last=DeCandido |first=Keith R. A. |author-link=Keith R. A. DeCandido |title=Star Trek: Enterprise Rewatch: First Season Overview |url=https://www.tor.com/2022/05/23/star-trek-enterprise-rewatch-first-season-overview/ |website=Tor.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523171523/https://www.tor.com/2022/05/23/star-trek-enterprise-rewatch-first-season-overview/ |archive-date=2022-05-23 |url-status=live |quote=Highest-rated episode: A three-way tie among “The Andorian Incident,” “Shuttlepod One,” and “Vox Sola,” all of which scored an 8. }}

SyFy Portal ranked the episode 38 out of the 40 greatest Star Trek episodes, and said episodes like this revealed the show's early potential, but that was not fulfilled with any consistency until Manny Coto and Season 4.{{cite web |date=June 7, 2006 |author=Bryant Griffin |title=There Is No Accident In The 'Andorian Incident' |url=http://airlockalpha.com/2657/there-is-no-accident-in-the-andorian-incident-html |website=SyFy Portal }} In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter ranked "The Andorian Incident" the 100th best Star Trek episode, noting how it established the story for the Andorians and Vulcans in the series.{{cite web |date=8 September 2016 |author=Aaron Couch |author2=Graeme McMillan |title='Star Trek': 100 Greatest Episodes |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/star-trek-episodes-best-100-924455/item/e2-star-trek-100-926162 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=2024-01-04 }} In 2016, Empire ranked this the 36th best of the 700 plus Star Trek television episodes.{{Cite web |date=2016-07-27 |author=Ed Gross |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/best-star-trek-episodes/ |title=The 50 best Star Trek episodes ever |website= Empire (film magazine) |access-date=2021-04-01 }}

In their binge watch guide, Wired recommended this episode as one to watch, calling it an example of "showing things that fans had long wanted to see".{{Cite magazine |date=2015-07-29 |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |title=WIRED Binge-Watching Guide: Star Trek: Enterprise |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/07/binge-guide-star-trek-enterprise/ |magazine=Wired |access-date=2019-06-24 |issn=1059-1028 }} In a 2015 interview with some of the show's cast, SyFy recommended this episode as an Enterprise cast favorite.{{Cite web |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/scott-bakula-and-dominic-keating-look-back-on-star-trek-enterprises-best-episodes-10-years |title=Scott Bakula and Dominic Keating look back on Star Trek: Enterprise's best episodes 10 years later |last=Granshaw |first=Lisa |date=2015-05-13 |website=SYFY WIRE |access-date=2020-06-04 |archive-date=2015-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514234813/http://www.blastr.com/2015-5-13/scott-bakula-and-dominic-keating-look-back-star-trek-enterprises-best-episodes-10-years |url-status=dead }} In 2016, Treknews.net had "The Andorian Incident" ranked as one of the top ten episodes of Enterprise; they note how Captain Archer must deal with an Andorian, Shran, who is introduced in this episode.{{Cite web |url=http://www.treknews.net/2016/07/27/10-best-star-trek-enterprise-episodes/ |title=10 Essential 'Star Trek: Enterprise' Episodes |last=Michelle |date=2016-07-27 |website=TrekNews.net |access-date=2019-06-24 }} In 2016, TrekNews.net rated it ninth on their top ten essential episodes of Enterprise.{{Cite web |date=2016-07-27 |first=Michelle |last=Toven |website=TrekNews.net |title=10 Essential 'Star Trek: Enterprise' Episodes |url=http://www.treknews.net/2016/07/27/10-best-star-trek-enterprise-episodes/ |access-date=2021-04-20 }} In 2021, The Digital Fix said this was the best episode in season one of Enterprise.{{Cite web |date=2021-03-01 |author=Baz Greenland |title=Star Trek: Enterprise Revisited - Season One |url=https://www.thedigitalfix.com/television/feature/star-trek-enterprise-revisited-a-look-back-at-season-one/ |website=The Digital Fix |access-date=2021-03-25 }}

This episode was released as part of Enterprise season one, which was released in high definition on Blu-ray disc on March 26, 2013;{{cite web |date=March 26, 2013 |author=Scott Collura |title=Remembering Star Trek: Enterprise with Scott Bakula|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/03/26/remembering-star-trek-enterprise-with-scott-bakula |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728171045/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/03/26/remembering-star-trek-enterprise-with-scott-bakula|archive-date=July 28, 2020|access-date=May 31, 2015 |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis}} it has 1080p video and a DTS-HD Master Audio sound track.{{Cite web |title=Star Trek: Enterprise - Season One Blu-ray Release Date March 26, 2013|url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Star-Trek-Enterprise-Season-One-Blu-ray/57323/ |access-date=2021-06-11 }}

• "Shadows of P'Jem", sequel episode later in the same season.

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb episode|id=0572247}}
• {{Memory Alpha}}
• {{StarTrek.com|andorian-incident-the}}
• Episode commentary: {{cite podcast |date=March 19, 2021 |author= Mark A. Altman |author-link=Mark A. Altman |title="The Andorian Incident" (ENT, Season One) w/ FRED DEKKER |publisher=Treksperts Briefing Room |via=Anchor.fm/Spotify |url=https://anchor.fm/s/4be66158/podcast/play/28807560/https://d3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net/staging/2021-2-12/066294e2-9ba5-5fe5-a4c2-ce31448d6b46.mp3 |format=mp3 |access-date=1 April 2022 }}

{{Star Trek: Enterprise episodes|1}}

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Category:Star Trek: Enterprise season 1 episodes

Category:2001 American television episodes

Category:Television episodes written by Rick Berman

Category:Television episodes written by Brannon Braga

Category:Television episodes directed by Roxann Dawson