"Enterprise" Cogenitor (2003)

Director:

LeVar Burton

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator "Star Trek")
Rick Berman (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Enterprise" (2001)

Original Air Date:

30 April 2003 (Season 2, Episode 22)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Enterprise encounters a hyper-giant, the first to be studied by humans. While there, they make first contact with the Vissians...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Reference To Hamlet | Captain | Space | Prequel

Cast

  (Episode Credited cast)

Scott Bakula	...	Captain Jonathan Archer
John Billingsley	...	Dr. Phlox
Jolene Blalock	...	Sub-Commander T'Pol
Dominic Keating	...	Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery	...	Ensign Travis Mayweather
Linda Park	...	Ensign Hoshi Sato
Connor Trinneer	...	Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III
Andreas Katsulas	...	Vissian Captain Drennik
F.J. Rio	...	Vissian Chief Engineer
Becky Wahlstrom	...	Vissian Cogenitor
Laura Stepp	...	Veylo, Vissian Tactical Officer (as Laura Interval)
Larissa Laskin	...	Calla, Vissian Engineer's Wife
Stacie Lynn Renna	...	Traistana (as Stacie Renna)

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

Final Star Trek appearance of Andreas Katsulas, who plays the Vissian Captain Drenik in this episode, and best known for playing the Romulan Commander Tomalak on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): After placing her last stone in the go-game, the cogenitor proposes that she has won. Although she does have a comfortable lead, as seen in the long shot, the game is clearly far from over yet and could still change considerably.

Quotes:

Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker III: It'll be nice to have a first contact where no one's thinking about charging weapons.

Movie Connections:

Features The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

Original, Dramatic and Tragic- The Best Episode of the Second Season

While preparing the sensors to observe a hyper-giant that will be transformed in a supernova, the Enterprise makes first contact with the amicable and highly developed Vissians. The race of explorers is invited to visit the Enterprise and the crews exchange information about each civilization. Trip is intrigued about the third gender of the Vissians, necessary for their reproductive process, and Dr. Phlox explains that there are many races with more than two genders and T'Pol asks him to not interfere with the Vissian culture. When Trip finds that the Cogenitor, who does not have a name, is illiterate and treated like and object, has the same level of intelligence of the males and females of its race, he decides to secretly encourage it to learn how to read and expand its culture, tragically affecting the relationship between humans and Vissians.

"Cogenitor" is original, dramatic and tragic, and certainly the best episode of the Second Season up to now. The story is important to show that there are different cultures where the concepts of what seems to be right or wrong are different from the standards of others and must be respected, no matter in deep space or on Earth. In Brazil we have a saying that could be translated as follows: "the hell is full of people with good intentions". Trip seems to have learned the lesson through the most difficult way when he sees the consequences of his action. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Cogenitor"