Changes: Fortunate Son (episode)

Revision as of 04:05, 4 April 2016

Template:Realworld

The Enterprise is sent to assist the Fortunate, an Earth freighter that has been attacked by Nausicaan pirates. But the Fortunate may not be as innocent as it seems.

Summary

The ECS Fortunate cargo ship is attacked by Nausicaan pirates. Before their communications system goes down, someone aboard sends a distress signal.

Enterprise, being the only ship in the area, is ordered to investigate. The contact with the crew of the Fortunate is uneasy at first, as they are used to doing things on their own, and they decline the help offered. Even when Archer is finally able to convince them to let the Enterprise crew help, they still feel like Starfleet has no reason to be aboard the Fortunate. Unknown to the Enterprise crew, Fortunate personnel are hiding a Nausicaan hostage without the knowledge of the Fortunate's captain. This is discovered later by T'Pol, and the relations between the two commanding officers deteriorates.

ECS Fortunate surrounded by the Nausicaans — *Fortunate* is surrounded by Nausicaans

Matthew Ryan, the first officer on the Fortunate, is in command since the captain has been injured, and he is seeking revenge against the Nausicaans. His quest for revenge is motivated by a desire to return the hostilities, but as we see in the end he is willing to go much farther than his fellow crewmen. Even if they are not too much of a threat, he still wants to go after them, a point of view Archer doesn't agree with.

After Archer requests to see the Nausicaan, Ryan traps Archer, Reed, T'Pol, and Phlox in a cargo compartment, and ejects it, first causing a leak. The Fortunate fires on Enterprise and escapes to warp. Ryan then interrogates the Nausicaan again, and is given a set of shield codes.

The Fortunate tracks the Nausicaan vessel and attacks them, finding an asteroid apparently used by a number of Nausicaan pirates to stage raids and drop off stolen merchandise. Fortunate attacks, but the shield codes do not give them the ability to bypass the Nausicaans' shielding. Instead, ECS Fortunate is attacked and boarded by the Nausicaans, intent on rescuing their captured crewmate.

The episode ends with Archer preventing anyone from being hurt by explaining his point of view to Ryan. He is helped by a little speech from Travis Mayweather who, having also been raised on a freighter, explains to Ryan that the consequences of his actions won't only affect the Fortunate, but every other freighter.

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Log entries

"Captain's starlog, supplemental. We've picked up a faint warp trail that could be the Fortunate, but we won't know for sure until our long-range sensors are back on-line."

Memorable quotes

File:MayweatherMakesAFunny.jpg

Mayweather explains a side benefit of traveling in a ship with a top speed of Warp 1.8

"The Earth Cargo Ship Fortunate. Y-class freighter. Maximum Speed: Warp 1.8. Crew complement: 23."
"Not counting newborn babies."
"Ensign?"
"I grew up on a J-class. A little smaller, but the same basic design. And one thing I can tell you is that at warp 1.8, you've got a lot of time on your hands between ports... That's how my parents wound up with me."
"Do you have any helpful information on this vessel beyond its... recreational activities?"

- T'Pol and Mayweather, as T'Pol gives a dry briefing on the Fortunate

"Ready or not, here I come! Have you seen Nadine?"
"I'm sorry. I don't know which child is named 'Nadine'."
"Thanks!"
"I just told him the truth."

- Boy, T'Pol, and Nadine during a game of hide and seek as Nadine hides

"I want those codes!"

- Matthew Ryan to his Nausicaan prisoner

"They say that for a split second, you can actually feel yourself in both places at once."
"Why do you think I wanna try it?"

- Ryan and Mayweather on Enterprise's transporter

"Warp 1.8 works just fine for us. Any faster and there'd be no time to enjoy the trip."

- Ryan after Tucker tells him things are going to change when faster engines get installed in freighters

"You ever think about doing something else?"
"You mean join Starfleet?"
"The food's not bad."

- Mayweather and Ryan

"Get down!"
"Under the circumstance, I defer to your experience."

- Reed and Phlox in the middle of a firefight

"Ryan, you're making a big mistake!"

- Archer, when Ryan and Fortunate personnel fire at him and the away team

"The Nausicaans. Ryan's after revenge, sir."
"A very primitive emotion but it would explain his irrational behavior."
"It's rational to him."

- Mayweather and T'Pol trying to determine Ryan's motive

"Just because someone wasn't born on Earth doesn't make them any less Human."

- Archer, explaining to Mayweather why the crew of the Fortunate can't kill Nausicaans as a matter of revenge

"Any other orders of mine you'd like to question?"
"Not today, sir."

- Archer and Mayweather

Background information

Script, cast, and production

The final draft of this episode's script was submitted on 21 September 2001. The end of the episode vastly differed between this script and the final version of the installment.
Lawrence Monoson, D. Elliot Woods, Danny Goldring, and Vaughn Armstrong all appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Monoson played Hovath in "The Storyteller" and Woods played a Klingon officer in "Sons of Mogh". Goldring played Legate Kell in "Civil Defense" and Chief Burke in "Nor the Battle to the Strong". Armstrong played Danar in "Past Prologue" and Seskal in "When It Rains..." and "The Dogs of War".
The sets used to depict the Fortunate were redressed NX-class sets commonly shown as areas of Enterprise. The hallways of the Fortunate were redressed corridors from Enterprise, with a new lighting scheme and several new additions to the walls. Similarly, the cargo bays of the Fortunate were the shuttlebays of Enterprise, filled with several types of cargo tubs and boxes.

Continuity

Mayweather mentions to Ryan that Starfleet has plans to build three more NX-class ships in the near future (Enterprise itself, the lead ship of the class, having launched only four months previously). The next NX-class ship, Columbia NX-02, was seen when it was introduced later in the series: first while still under construction in the season two finale "The Expanse", as well as when it was ultimately launched, in the season four episode "Affliction".
This episode features the first on-screen appearance of the Nausicaans in Enterprise. The outing also depicts the first official contact between Starfleet and the Nausicaans.
Admiral Forrest references the scans Enterprise took of the comet in "Breaking the Ice" as being "incredible."
The end-of-transmission screen from Admiral Forrest references the signal as relayed from Relay: Echo 1/Transponder 4. A Relay that hadn't been deployed yet.

Reception

This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 3.8 and was watched by an average of 6.11 million viewers. [1]
Star Trek Magazine's "Ultimate Guide" rated this episode 3 out of 5 arrowhead insignia. (Star Trek Magazine issue 164, p. 78)
The unofficial reference book Beyond the Final Frontier (p. 362) calls this installment, "A nice episode, a rare Star Trek story where both sides in a dispute are equally wrong and equally hot-headed."

Video and DVD releases

UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.5, 1 July 2002
As part of the ENT Season 1 DVD collection
As part of the ENT Season 1 Blu-ray collection

Links and references

Starring

Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
Jolene Blalock as Sub-Commander T'Pol
Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest stars

Co-stars

Stand-ins

Michael Muñoz as stand-in for Daniel Asa Henson
Nancy Muñoz as stand-in for Elyssa D. Vito

References

47; able crewman; Archer's Comet; away team; batter; bioscan; Chef; Columbia NX-02; debris; dilithium; dilithium ore; distress call; Draylax; Draylaxian whiskey; Earth; football; Fortunate, ECS; Fortunate, ECS personnel; freighter; hide and seek; Horizon, ECS; hydroponics; ice cream; inorganic; J-class; Jupiter Station; kiloton; Mayweather, Rianna; meatloaf; Milky Way Galaxy; "mystery meals"; Nausicaa; Nausicaans; Nausicaan pirate ship; North Star, ECS; NX-class; NX-03; NX-04; nutri-pak; pet skunk; pirates; plasma cannon; polarized hull plating; quartermaster; "boomer"; Starfleet Command; steak; subspace amplifier; Teneebian skunk; transporter; Vega colony; warp three engine; Y-class

Previous episode:
"Civilization"

Star Trek: Enterprise
Season 1

Next episode:
"Cold Front"

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{realworld}}
-{{sidebar episode|
+{{sidebar episode
-<!-- See [[Memory Alpha:Episode data project]] -->
+|<!-- See [[Memory Alpha:Episode data project]] -->
 |          aSelf = Fortunate Son
 |         sTitle = Fortunate Son
@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 == Memorable quotes ==
 [[File:MayweatherMakesAFunny.jpg|thumb|Mayweather explains a side benefit of traveling in a ship with a top speed of Warp 1.8]]
-"''The Earth Cargo Ship ''Fortunate''. [[Y class|Y-class]] freighter.  Maximum Speed: [[Warp]] 1.8.  Crew complement: 23.''"<br />
+"''The Earth Cargo Ship ''Fortunate''. [[Y class|Y-class]] freighter. Maximum Speed: [[Warp]] 1.8. Crew complement: 23.''"<br />
 "''Not counting newborn babies.''"<br />
 "''Ensign?''"<br />
-"''I grew up on a [[J class|J-class]].  A little smaller, but the same basic design. And one thing I can tell you is that at warp 1.8, you've got a lot of time on your hands between ports... That's how my parents wound up with me.''"<br />
+"''I grew up on a [[J class|J-class]]. A little smaller, but the same basic design. And one thing I can tell you is that at warp 1.8, you've got a lot of time on your hands between ports... That's how my parents wound up with me.''"<br />
 "''Do you have any helpful information on this vessel beyond its... recreational activities?''"
 : - '''T'Pol''' and '''Mayweather''', as T'Pol gives a dry briefing on the ''Fortunate''
@@ Line 62: / Line 62: @@
 "''Ready or not, here I come!  Have you seen Nadine?''"<br />
-"''I'm sorry.  I don't know which child is named 'Nadine'.''"<br />
+"''I'm sorry. I don't know which child is named 'Nadine'.''"<br />
 "''Thanks!''"<br />
 ''"I just told him the truth.''"
@@ Line 120: / Line 120: @@
 * This episode features the first on-screen appearance of the Nausicaans in ''Enterprise''. The outing also depicts the first official contact between [[Starfleet]] and the Nausicaans.
 * Admiral [[Maxwell Forrest|Forrest]] references the scans ''Enterprise'' took of the comet in {{e|Breaking the Ice}} as being "incredible."
+* The end-of-transmission screen from Admiral [[Maxwell Forrest|Forrest]] references the signal as relayed from Relay: [[Echo One|Echo 1]]/Transponder 4. A Relay that hadn't been deployed yet.
 === Reception ===
@@ Line 135: / Line 136: @@
 *[[Scott Bakula]] as [[Captain]] [[Jonathan Archer]]
 *[[John Billingsley]] as [[Doctor]] [[Phlox]]
-*[[Jolene Blalock]] as [[Subcommander]] [[T'Pol]]
+*[[Jolene Blalock]] as [[Sub-Commander]] [[T'Pol]]
 *[[Dominic Keating]] as [[Lieutenant]] [[Malcolm Reed]]
 *[[Anthony Montgomery]] as [[Ensign]] [[Travis Mayweather]]
@@ Line 154: / Line 155: @@
 === Uncredited co-stars ===
-*[[Amy Kate Connolly]] as a [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Female science division crewman (2151/52)|science division crewman]]
+*[[Amy Kate Connolly]] as a [[EnterpriseNX sciences crewman 001|science division crewman]]
 *[[Mark Correy]] as [[Alex]]
 *[[Evan English]] as [[Ensign]] [[Tanner]]
 *[[Hilde Garcia]] as [[Crewman]] [[Rossi]]
 *[[Mark Ginther]] as a [[Unnamed Nausicaans#Nausicaan pirates|Nausicaan]]
-*[[Jack Guzman]] as a [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Science crewman (2151)|science division crewman]]
+*[[Jack Guzman]] as a [[EnterpriseNX sciences crewman 005|science division crewman]]
-*[[Aldric Horton]] as an [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Security crewman|operations division crewman]]
+*[[Aldric Horton]] as an [[EnterpriseNX operations security 002|operations division crewman]]
-*[[Martin Ko]] as a [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Male command division ensign|command division ensign]]
+*[[Martin Ko]] as a [[EnterpriseNX command ensign 003|command division ensign]]
-*[[Carmen Nogales]] as an [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Female crewmember (2151)|operations division crewman]]
+*[[Carmen Nogales]] as an [[EnterpriseNX operations crewman 009|operations division crewman]]
 *[[Carrick O'Quinn]] as a [[Unnamed Nausicaans#Nausicaan pirates|Nausicaan]]
 *[[Prada]] as [[Porthos]]
-*[[Mark Watson]] as an [[Unnamed Enterprise (NX-01) personnel#Relief tactical officer (2151/52)|operations division crewman]]
+*[[Mark Watson]] as an [[EnterpriseNX operations tac officer 001|operations division crewman]]
 *[[Scott Workman]] as a [[Unnamed Nausicaans#Nausicaan pirates|Nausicaan]]
@@ Line 173: / Line 174: @@
 === References ===
-[[47]]; [[able crewman]]; [[Archer's Comet]]; [[away team]]; [[batter]]; [[bioscan]]; [[Chef (Enterprise NX-01)|Chef]]; {{NX|02}}; [[dilithium]]; [[dilithium ore]]; [[distress call]]; [[Draylax]]; [[Draylaxian whiskey]]; [[Earth]]; [[football]]; [[ECS Fortunate|''Fortunate'', ECS]]; [[ECS Fortunate personnel|''Fortunate'', ECS personnel]]; [[freighter]]; [[hide and seek]]; [[ECS Horizon|''Horizon'', ECS]]; [[hydroponics]]; [[ice cream]]; [[inorganic]]; [[J class|J-class]]; [[Jupiter Station]]; [[kiloton]]; [[Rianna Mayweather|Mayweather, Rianna]]; [[meatloaf]]; [[Milky Way Galaxy]]; "[[mystery meal]]s"; [[Nausicaa]]; [[Nausicaan]]s; [[Nausicaan pirate ship]]; [[ECS North Star|''North Star'', ECS]]; [[NX class|NX-class]]; [[NX-03]]; [[NX-04]]; [[nutri-pak]]; [[pirate]]s; [[plasma cannon]]; [[polarized hull plating]]; [[quartermaster]]; "[[boomer]]"; [[Starfleet Command]]; [[steak]]; [[subspace amplifier]]; [[Teneebian skunk]]; [[transporter]]; [[Vega colony]]; [[warp three engine]]; [[Y class|Y-class]]
+[[47]]; [[able crewman]]; [[Archer's Comet]]; [[away team]]; [[batter]]; [[bioscan]]; [[Chef (Enterprise NX-01)|Chef]]; {{NX|02}}; [[debris]]; [[dilithium]]; [[dilithium ore]]; [[distress call]]; [[Draylax]]; [[Draylaxian whiskey]]; [[Earth]]; [[football]]; [[ECS Fortunate|''Fortunate'', ECS]]; [[ECS Fortunate personnel|''Fortunate'', ECS personnel]]; [[freighter]]; [[hide and seek]]; [[ECS Horizon|''Horizon'', ECS]]; [[hydroponics]]; [[ice cream]]; [[inorganic]]; [[J class|J-class]]; [[Jupiter Station]]; [[kiloton]]; [[Rianna Mayweather|Mayweather, Rianna]]; [[meatloaf]]; [[Milky Way Galaxy]]; "[[mystery meal]]s"; [[Nausicaa]]; [[Nausicaan]]s; [[Nausicaan pirate ship]]; [[ECS North Star|''North Star'', ECS]]; [[NX class|NX-class]]; [[NX-03]]; [[NX-04]]; [[nutri-pak]]; [[Pets Teneebian skunk|pet skunk]]; [[pirate]]s; [[plasma cannon]]; [[polarized hull plating]]; [[quartermaster]]; "[[boomer]]"; [[Starfleet Command]]; [[steak]]; [[subspace amplifier]]; [[Teneebian skunk]]; [[transporter]]; [[Vega colony]]; [[warp three engine]]; [[Y class|Y-class]]
 {{ENT nav|season=1|last={{e|Civilization}}|next={{e|Cold Front}}}}