In the fourteenth episode of the first season of Enterprise, Hoshi faces her fears again, and I find a new ship. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Trigger Warning: For anxiety
So, there are two major things I want to focus on while discussing “Sleeping Dogs.” It’s a solid little thriller, but I wouldn’t say it feels all that different from the general Star Trek canon. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either; it’s just that this episode isn’t always memorable. HOWEVER. TWO THINGS. THEY MUST BE DISCUSSED.
Klingons
Let’s unpack this. I made mention of the state the Klingons are in while recording the video for “Sleeping Dogs,” but I think it deserves more attention. The Next Generation helped to mold the Klingons into a different type of character, and Deep Space Nine, through Worf and the Dominion War, truly helped to craft an interesting culture that became malleable and complex and challenging. At the start of Enterprise, I was excited at the idea that we’d get to see humanity interact with Klingons from the very beginning. They don’t understand one another at all, and the Khitomer Accords (I think that’s what they were called?) are still years away. So what were those early days like?
I’m coming to feel a little more complicated about all this. There’s far less potential than I originally imagined, namely due to the fact that the Klingons are fairly one-note in their characterization within the show. Bu’kaH was an interesting choice for a character, but it was in watching this episode that I realized how hard it’s going to be for the writers to maintain that.
At this point, the Klingons react in one way. As Archer puts it, they view everyone as a potential enemy, which explains about 99% of Bu’kaH’s behavior in this episode. It seems obvious to her that the Enterprise crew infected her ship and that they want to steal Klingon technology. I admit that it was cool seeing Archer navigate Klingon psychology/reasoning to get Bu’kaH to help his crew repair the ship, but then we get that ending: the Klingons as a whole culture have not changed. My worry is that they can’t change. The canon sticks their development to a specific point by the time The Original Series rolls around, and that show barely did anything to change the notion of who the Klingons were. So… how much can Enterprise actually do with the Klingons?
Hoshi
This is a lovely follow-up to “Fight or Flight,” which is fantastic since I complained that I’d been teased about this in an earlier episode. (When Hoshi was supposed to have a solo away mission.) I’m floored that we are also getting the chance to experience space exploration with a character who has anxiety!!! Hoshi’s anxiety manifests in different ways than my own, but I still found it refreshing to see her have to cope with things like claustrophobia and the fear she has around being useful on missions.
BUT LORD, I WAS NOT AT ALL READY FOR THE SCENES BETWEEN T’POL AND HOSHI. For the moment, let’s not focus on the FIERCE, BURNING SHIP THAT I NOW HAVE and instead talk about how meaningful this was. T’Pol recognized Hoshi’s panic, and she wasn’t condescending about it. Instead, she offered up sympathy and understanding. Then she offered a temporary solution! THEN SHE OFFERED TO HELP HER FIND A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION THAT HOSHI COULD USE WHILE ALONE! This is the friendliest I’ve ever seen T’Pol, and the fact that it was with Hoshi thrilled me to no end. I want this relationship explored further. How will Hoshi deal with her envy of T’Pol if T’Pol helps her with her anxiety and fears? What if Hoshi is the one who helps T’Pol understand humanity?
Oh my god, the fanfiction writes itself. HELP.
The video for “Sleeping Dogs” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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