Introduction

“Daedalus” is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

In this episode, as the crew of Enterprise help Doctor Emory Erickson (Bill Cobbs) conduct experimental transporter tests, a dangerous anomaly is detected on board.

“Daedalus” was a bottle episode which used only the standing sets. Show runner Manny Coto had sought to create an origin story for the transporter with “Daedalus”, but was not pleased with either the script or the completed episode. The episode originally aired on 14 January 2005, on UPN, and received a Nielsen rating of 1.9/4 percent. Critical reception was mixed, but the relationship between Doctor Erickson, his daughter Danica (Leslie Silva) and Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) was received positively due to the character development.

Outline

Old family friends of Captain Archer, Doctor Emory Erickson and his daughter Danica, beam aboard Enterprise to test new sub-quantum transporter technology Erickson has developed. Catching up, Danica confides in Archer that her father has not been himself since the loss of her brother, Quinn, some 15 years ago in an early transporter experiment. After they arrive in “the Barrens” – a sub-space node void of starlight for a hundred light years – in order to test Erickson’s new work, a strange anomaly is detected on the ship. Crewman Burrows is sent to investigate but is found dead, having been exposed to high levels of Delta radiation.

In the meantime, Commander T’Pol takes time to rediscover herself in the light of recent events: the teachings of Surak held in the Kir’Shara; the death of her mother; the annulment of her marriage; her apparent cure from Pa’nar Syndrome; and her relationship with Commander Tucker. Tucker assists Erickson with the test, but is brushed aside when he seeks to learn more about the technology. Following a successful trial-run, which sets a new record for the longest transport ever conducted, Tucker confides in Archer that many of the upgrades and modifications to the ship’s power systems were not necessary for the test.

The “photonic ghost” reappears, and T’Pol manages to visually scan it, revealing that it is Erickson’s long-lost son. Archer now realises that his old family friends have misled him, and are simply using the ship to somehow rescue Quinn from the node. Erickson freely admits the deception, and asks Archer to trust and help him. Despite the deception, he agrees, aggressively ordering a reluctant T’Pol and a dissenting Tucker to comply. Finally, Tucker and Erickson manage to recover Quinn, but he suffers severe cellular degeneration in the process and dies soon after. Erickson, aware of the consequences he may now face, is happy to finally bring him home and put him to rest.

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Production & Filming Details

• Director(s): David Straiton.
• Writer(s): Ken LaZebnik and Alan Brennert.
• Release Date: 14 January 2005.
• Running Time: 45 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.