ENT Episode - Cogenitor

Series :

Enterprise

Rating :

Disc No :

2.6

Episode :

First Aired :

30 Apr 2003

Stardate :

Unknown

Director :

LeVar Burton

Year :

2153

Writers :

Brannon Braga, Rick Berman

Season :

Guest Cast :

Andreas Katsulas as Captain Drennik	Becky Wahlstrom as Charles
F. J. Rio as Vissian Engineer	Larissa Laskin as Calla
Laura Interval as Veylo	Stacie Renna as Traistana

Plotline :

Enterprise is investigating a hypergiant star which is due to go supernova at some time in the future. Whilst there they encounter a Vissian ship and make first contact. The Vissians are a highly advanced, friendly people who are happy to exchange their culture and technology with the Humans. Trip is fascinated to discover that the Vissians have three genders - male, female and a "cogenitor" gender. But he he comes to think that the treatment of the cogenitors is unfair, and determines to do something about it..

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YATI :

The one failing of this episode is the attitude of Captain Archer towards Trip. Archer is furious with his engineer, angrily denying Trip's claim that he was only doing what Archer would have done. Well, in fact Archer has interfered in other cultures - who asked him to reveal the Vulcan observation post to the Andorians? Or to free the Suliban in "Detained"? Or to help the miners in "Marauders"? And let's remember that Archer is constantly ranting that the Vulcans don't help Earth enough... now he turns around and attacks Trip for helping at all. As Archer himself puts it "You did exactly what I'd do? If that's true then I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here." Well frankly yes, Archer, you have done a pretty lousy job of that. The episode would have been a bit more believable if Archer had made his decision based on politics and against his own feelings, then shared in Trip's guilt at the conclusion rather than ranting at him.

Great Moment :

It would have been very easy to ruin this episode either by having an unlikely happy ending or by demonising the Vissians. Instead Congenitor gives us a balanced and intelligent view of two cultures clashing despite their best intentions and efforts.

Body Count :

One.

Factoid :

Andreas Katsulas also played the Romulan Commander Tomalak in several TNG episodes, and was G'Kar on Babylon 5.

Quote :

"I might have expected something like this from a first year recruit, but not you. You did exactly what I'd do? If that's true then I've done a pretty lousy job setting an example around here. You're a senior officer on this ship, you're privy to the moral challenges I've had to face. You know I've wrestled with the fine line between doing what I think is right and interfering with other species. So don't tell me you know what I would have done when I don't even know what I would have done!" - Archer to Trip.

Datapoints :

Internals :	Vissian Ship Engineering, Vissian Ship Quarters, NX Class Phase cannon room, Vissian Stratopod Interior #1, Vissian Stratopod Interior #2
Food :	Alsatian muenster, Fruit and Cheese
People :	Charles Tucker III
Planets :	Vissia
Scitech :	Omicron radiation, Quantum inverters, Sarium micro-cells, Trinesium
Ship Classes :	Vissian Ship, Vissian Stratopod
Species :	Rigellian, Vissians
Weapons :	Cannon