Star Trek Randomized Rewatch: Civilization

ENT "Civilization"

"Civilization" comes at a time when the Enterprise crew are still excited to find an undiscovered inhabited planet. Again, the things later Star Trek shows take for granted are unfolding for the first time in Enterprise. Archer and a landing party observe the pre-industrial civilization on the planet, but the situation is complicated by the fact that other aliens have already set up shop there, mining and consequently poisoning the local water.

So the premise of Enterprise crew walking amongst their first new alien civilization takes a left turn into fighting a shadow war against other more exploitative visitors (the Malurians), unknown to most of the indigenous people (the Akaali). I understand that stories need conflict, but making this the focus of the episode turns it from exploration to pulpy punch-the-reptilian adventure. Which is fine, but it makes the episode more generic.

The one Akaali who gets wrapped up in all this is an apothecary named Riann, who is framed as exceptionally intelligent given the context of her society's development. As such, she takes the news of multiple types of aliens interfering in her city in casual stride. That choice reflects her intellect, but it also leads events to seem ho-hum, or not so big a deal.

Stray observations:
- Enterprise represents a pre-Prime Directive Starfleet, though as T'Pol makes clear, the future Directive is based on a Vulcan policy.
- Unlike the Enterprise crew, who get a touch of makeup to look Akaali, the Malurians (Mal - bad, in the Latin) wear Mission: Impossible-esque masks.

A lightweight episode. Without the appealing Riann tagging along, it would be even more of a basic runaround. 5/10.