Unexpected (Star Trek: Enterprise)
"Unexpected" | |
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Star Trek: Enterprise episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
Directed by | Mike Vejar |
Written by | Rick Berman Brannon Braga |
Produced by | Dawn Valazquez |
Featured music | Jay Chattaway |
Production code | 105 |
Original air date | October 17, 2001[1] |
Guest appearances | |
| |
"Unexpected" is the fifth episode (production #105) of the
A ship feeding off
Plot
In Engineering, Commander Tucker is trying to solve ship-wide problems with power supply and life support. Sub-Commander T'Pol discovers a distortion in the wake of the Enterprise. Captain Archer ignites the plasma, revealing a cloaked ship. He hails the vessel and a Xyrillian, Captain Trena'l explains that they have been tapping the Enterprise's exhaust to recharge their engines. Archer offers assistance. Tucker is to visit for three days, and he is given injections by Doctor Phlox so his body can adapt to the alien environment.
Once aboard, Tucker meets Ah'len, the Xyrillian engineer. They become ever more friendly while repairing the ship. Ah'len takes him to a holodeck to show him Thera, a city on the Xyrillian homeworld. During the tour, Ah'len engages in a seemingly innocent game that allows them to share their thoughts and desires. When the repairs are completed and Tucker returns, he notices a strange growth on his wrist. He visits Phlox, who tells him that he is pregnant (though Phlox also states no genetic material is taken from the male involved). Tucker mentions the telepathic game and Phlox says that it might be the transfer medium for the alien fetus. Later, as the embryo grows, Archer asks T'Pol to locate the Xyrillian ship.
They discover it hiding in a
Production
Staff member
Michael Westmore created the nipple effect using gelatin, same as you can buy in the supermarket, as it offered greater luminosity than latex or rubber, and better resembled human skin.[4]
Reception
"Unexpected" was first aired in the United States on UPN on October 17, 2001. According to Nielsen Media Research, it received a 5.2/8 rating share among adults. It had an average of 8.2 million viewers.[5]
Sunny Lee of Entertainment Weekly said the comedic episode "mixed irreverent wit [...] with a bit of inter-galactic pondering about biological reproduction" but that it was resolved before things got too sentimental or serious.[6] Daryl H Miller of the Los Angeles Times called "Unexpected" "one of the cleverest episodes on any channel".[7]
In 2017, Screen Rant ranked the Xyrillians, the aliens featured in this episode, as the 14th most bizarre aliens in Star Trek.[11] This episode was noted for alien Xyrillian impregnating Trip, and for showing a nipple on screen, but not in the way the audience might expect.[12]
In 2011,
Home media
This episode was released as part of Enterprise season one, which was released in high definition on Blu-ray disc on March 26, 2013;[20] it has 1080p video and a DTS-HD Master Audio sound track.[21]
References
- ^ "Next on Enterprise: Unexpected". StarTrek.com. Archived from the original on 2001-12-18.
- ^ Krutzler, Steve (November 6, 2001). "Writer Andre Bormanis Talks ENTERPRISE In TrekWeb's Online Chat; Transcript Inside!". TrekWeb. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ "Connor Trinneer "Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker, III"". StarTrek.com. 2002-02-14. Archived from the original on 2002-02-20.
- ^ Benjamin Svetkey (September 7, 2001). "Keep On Trekkin'". Entertainment Weekly.
"They're nipples," announces Star Trek makeup artist Michael Westmore, proudly presenting three pink blobby things on a tray.
"Entertainment Weekly - Sept. 2001 - TrekCore 'Star Trek: ENT' Screencap Image Gallery". Trekcore.com. - ^ "Episode List: Star Trek: Enterprise". TVTango. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ Sunny Lee (October 19, 2001). "Alien female gets Trip Tucker pregnant". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
- ^ Daryl H Miller (May 22, 2002). "A Threat to 'Enterprise' Mission". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
- About.com. Archived from the originalon 2005-10-31.
- ^ Jason Bates (2001-10-23). "SciFi: Enterprise, Unexpected. Unexpectedly funny". IGN. Archived from the original on 2001-12-17.
- Tor.com.
- ^ Elizabeth Howell (2017-09-22). "15 of the Most Bizarre Alien Species Featured in 'Star Trek'". Space.com. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ Birch, Nathan (May 7, 2009). "Star Trek's 6 Most Ridiculous Alien Races". Cracked.com.
- Star Trek Magazine(2011) Volume #1 Issue #37 (UK #164) "The Ultimate Guide Part II" Page 78. ISSN 1357-3888 TMN 11714
- ^ Andrew Fisher (2011). "Star Trek: The Best And Worst Episodes: Enterprise". Empire. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
- ^ "Star Trek The Complete Manual 1st Edition". SciFiNow. 2015.
- ^ Kmet, Michael (2014-01-26). "Star Trek: 20 Worst Episodes Ever". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ Heller, Leejay (2018-06-16). "The Worst Star Trek Episode of Each Star Trek Series". Digital Fox. Archived from the original on 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
- ^ Roth, Dany (2016-07-20). "The 10 most hated Star Trek episodes that deserve a second chance". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
- ^ Michael Weyer (2018-12-12). "Star Trek: 20 Episodes So Bad They Must Be Seen". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ^ Scott Collura (March 26, 2013). "Remembering Star Trek: Enterprise with Scott Bakula". IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
- ^ "Star Trek: Enterprise - Season One Blu-ray Release Date March 26, 2013". Retrieved 2021-06-11.
External links
- "Unexpected" at IMDb
- Unexpected at Memory Alpha
- "Unexpected" at Wayback Machine (archived from the original at StarTrek.com)