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"Breaking the Ice"
Topic Started: Jul 11 2005, 09:21 PM (205 Views)
Fesarius
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Admiral
Breaking the Ice - July 11, 2005

As the episode begins, we are treated to drawings done by elementary school students. Looking at the drawings are Trip and Phlox. A few moments later they are joined by T'Pol.

Archer alerts the crew to move toward a window if they are not already near one. The view is of a very large comet moving through space.

Trip refers to the object as "Archer's Comet."

Although Vulcans do not share the same curiosity as humans do when it comes to exploring comets, the fact that this one is so large convinces Archer that a closer look is warranted.

We are informed by T'Pol that the comet is 82.6 kilometers in diameter.

While in her Quarters, T'Pol receives what appears to be a private transmission. The look on her face is one of concern.

Icilium is detected in the comet. According to T'Pol, this is an extremely rare element, and this comet apparently has large quantities of it.

A ship has been detected as shadowing the Enterprise. It is the Ti'Mur, a Vulcan ship, commanded by Captain Vanik.

After Archer and Vanik exchange opening pleasantries, Vanik asserts that the Vulcans are not interested in the comet. When Archer questions why the Vulcans are here, Vanik says that they are curious why Archer et al. are interested in the comet.

Trip consults with Hoshi about the transmission that was received by T'Pol. Then he brings the matter to the attention of Archer. When Archer learns of this, he asks Hoshi to decipher it, and he lists it as 'top priority.'

On the Bridge, Archer et al. are making a recording for Ms. Melvin's elementary school class, located in Ireland. The children have sent letters to the Enterprise, and in these letters are several questions that have been provided. The questions asked by the children pertain to what the crew eats (a hydroponic greenhouse providing fruits and vegetables is the answer given by Archer); how do they talk to aliens (Hoshi describes the principles behind the Universal Translator); how are toilets flushed (Trip explains that a biomatter resequencer is used to recycle waste); and whether germs can live in space (addressed by Phlox in a prolixic fashion, requiring Archer to cut him off mid-sentence).

We learn that Phlox is from Denobula Triaxa in this episode.

The transmission that was sent to T'Pol, and which was discovered by Trip, is of a highly personal nature. Trip has read it, and he brings this information to the Captain.

In Sickbay, Phlox converses with T'Pol about what it is he perceives is bothering her. She volunteers no information, and he gives her a simple analgesic to help her with her tension headache.

Archer invites Vanik to join he and a few senior officers for dinner, as a way of 'breaking the ice.' He asks Vanik how fast the Ti'Mur can travel, and Vanik responds by saying that it can travel as fast as warp 6.5. We also learn that Vanik has served with the Vulcans for seventy-six years, and that fifteen of those have been spent on the Ti'Mur.

The rotational axis of the comet shifted when Reed and Mayweather set off the explosive charges. As a result, calculations show that the temperature will rise some 200 degrees over the next few hours, requiring them to leave before that time.

We learn that T'Pol is betrothed (in the same way we discover that Spock was in Amok Time) to be married to Koss. This arrangement was decided when T'Pol was a child. The encrypted message mentions that T'Pol requested a postponement so that she could remain serving on Enterprise. This action insulted the family of Koss.

On the comet, the ice is beginning to melt quite rapidly. While trying to take off in the shuttlepod, Reed and Mayweather begin to sink, and according to Archer, they drop about eighteen meters.

The Ti'Mur hails the Enterprise. Captain Vanik would like to know if there is anything the Vulcans can do to assist. Archer's pride will not allow him to ask for help, even though the Vulcans possess a tractor beam that could easily pull Reed and Mayweather out of their predicament.

Archer calls for the grappler to be engaged, and when it is fired, there is one hit and one miss on the shuttlepod. We learn that the icilium deposits are somehow interfering with the mag locks of the grappler.

When the Enterprise attempts to pull Reed and Mayweather out (with only one grappler secured) they fail, and the shuttlepod drops another nine meters.

T'Pol asks Archer's permission to transmit a message to the Ti'Mur, and he grants it without hesitation. We learn that T'Pol is staying with the ship, and Archer asks what that (i.e., the cryptic nature of the request) was all about. Trip responds by saying it was personal, with a slight grin on his face.

The final clip of the episode cuts to T'Pol's Quarters. The camera pans from left to right, and we see several lighted candles, then T'Pol, and then a piece of untouched pecan pie.

Notable lines:

"Looks like we're going about warp 4.5." (Trip). Like Scotty, Trip has this innate ability which somehow enables him to see (or 'feel') the speed at which the ship is traveling.
"This rendering is crude ... yet surprisingly accurate." (T'Pol). T'Pol, Trip, and Phlox are looking at drawings which were drawn by the fourth grade class of which Trip's nephew is a member. One of the drawings is of a ship, another depicts first contact, while still another is of a Vulcan.
"Ever see anything like that in your astronomy books?" (Archer). Archer is referring not only to the comet, but specifically to the size of it as well.
"Caffeine has little effect on Vulcan physiology." (T'Pol).
"Then somebody told me Chef made a pecan pie, and suddenly my life brightened. It's been my favorite since I was a kid." (Trip). This is a particularly poignant line, especially when taken in conjunction with the conclusion of the episode.
"I'm fine, Commander. Good night." (T'Pol). It appears that Trip thinks something might be amiss with T'Pol. It is not elaborated upon at this point, but the signs are there that all is not quite right.
"I've only seen snow twice in my life." (Mayweather). The line is spoken while Reed and Travis are preparing to go over to investigate the comet.
"They're going to think I'm the sanitation engineer." (Trip). This is the response given by Trip after he is asked to describe how toilets are flushed on the Enterprise.
"The farther down you drill, the farther back in time you go." (Reed). This line is spoken as Reed and Mayweather begin to drill into the comet.
"So tell me. Who's the sculptor?" (Archer). Reed and Mayweather have carved a face into an ice block on the comet. Archer reminds them that they are being observed by the Vulcans on the Ti'Mur, and he clearly is not impressed with what they have done.
"It's in Vulcan. You'll have to run it through the translation matrix." (Sato). This line indicates that Hoshi most likely has not read the transmission received by T'Pol.
"I have more letters in my Quarters. Would you like to read those as well?" (T'Pol). T'Pol is being sarcastic, but it also looks like she is annoyed that Trip read the letter. Trip assures her that he didn't want to do it, and that he regrets having done so.
"The ears are a nice touch." "I thought so." (Mayweather and Reed). Pointed (Vulcan) ears have now been added to the ice sculpture.
"You're easily impressed." (Vanik). The line sounds somewhat arrogant, and is made after Archer mentions that he likes flying around in fast ships.
"We have this peculiar habit of actually talking during meals." (Archer).
"Our commitment to tradition outweighs personal choice." (T'Pol). This line is part of an intense discussion between T'Pol and Trip. Trip begins by mentioning casually that having lighted candles in one's Quarters is against regulations. T'Pol points out that she was given permission by Captain Archer. We learn that T'Pol has sought out the advice of Trip with regard to another matter--that of her impending marriage on Vulcan. Trip tries to convince T'Pol that she ought to have a choice in the matter of marriage, but she strongly disagrees, citing various Vulcan philosophies and traditions. Trip wonders why she would ask him for advice if she has no intention of changing her mind. She apologizes to him for having asked him for his advice. Before he leaves, he tells T'Pol that she is free to choose.
"She'll never ignite on thrusters." (Mayweather). After they dropped some eighteen meters, Travis remarks that igniting on thrusters alone is now out of the question.
"You're human. You are free to choose." (T'Pol). This line provides a nice parallel to the line spoken by Trip to T'Pol earlier in the episode, and its having been spoken by T'Pol does not go unnoticed by Archer. It is used here by T'Pol to suggest that Archer take Vanik up on his offer to help. T'Pol states that Vanik believes humans are arrogant and prideful, and she suggests that Archer, by accepting Vanik's help in this matter, could prove him wrong. Archer--after hearing that Trip also thinks a tractor beam is looking pretty good right about now--allows Vanik to assist, and the Vulcans pull Reed and Mayweather out with their tractor beam.
"As your Science Officer told you, we have little interest in comets." (Vanik). As a gesture of their appreciation that the Vulcans helped to save Reed and Mayweather, Archer offers to share their findings relative to the comet, and the response of the Vulcans makes it clear that they have no desire to share in the results.
"You've done more than enough. See you around." (Archer). The double entendre is intentional.
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