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{{realworld}}
  
{{realworld}}
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{{sidebar episode|
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{{sidebar episode
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| aSelf = The Communicator
  
| aSelf = The Communicator
 
| sTitle = The Communicator
  
| sTitle = The Communicator
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| sAirdateMonth = November
  
| sAirdateMonth = November
 
| nAirdateDay = 13
  
| nAirdateDay = 13
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| sImage = suliban_cell_ship.jpg
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| sImage = Suliban cell ship open.jpg
 
| wsWrittenBy =
 
| wsWrittenBy =
 
| wsTeleplayBy = [[André Bormanis]]
  
| wsTeleplayBy = [[André Bormanis]]
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|aPrevInUniverseTimeline = The Seventh (episode)
  
|aPrevInUniverseTimeline = The Seventh (episode)
 
}}
  
}}
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: ''This article is about the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episode; for the hand-held communication devices, see [[Communicator]]. For the fan club magazine, see ''[[Star Trek: Communicator]]''.''
 +
: ''This article is about the ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' episode; for the hand-held communication devices, see [[Communicator]]. For the fan club magazine, see ''[[Star Trek: Communicator]]''.''
−
During an investigation of a pre-warp alien planet, Reed accidentally leaves his communicator behind. When he returns with Archer to get the piece of technology, they are captured by soldiers who accuse them of being enemy spies.
 +
During an investigation of a pre-warp alien planet, Reed accidentally leaves his communicator behind. When he returns with Archer to get the piece of technology, they are captured by soldiers who accuse them of being enemy spies.
   
 
==Summary==
  
==Summary==
−
[[Jonathan Archer]], [[Malcolm Reed]] and [[Hoshi Sato]] are back from an [[away mission]] in a [[pre-warp civilization]]. Unfortunately, Malcolm lost his [[communicator]] on the mission and they must go back to prevent any cultural contamination.
 +
[[Jonathan Archer]], [[Malcolm Reed]], and [[Hoshi Sato]] are back from an [[away mission]] in a [[pre-warp civilization]]. Unfortunately, Malcolm lost his [[communicator]] on the mission and they must go back to prevent any cultural contamination.
   
−
When Archer and Reed go back, the communicator has already been found and they fall into a trap set by the local military. This time, a lot of technology is found on them, including a [[phase pistol]] and [[scanner]]s. While interrogating them, a [[General]] named [[Gosis]] also finds that Archer and Reed are not of the same species as they are.
 +
When Archer and Reed go back, the communicator has already been found and they fall into a trap set by the local military. This time, a lot of technology is found on them, including a [[phase-pistol]] and [[scanner]]s. While interrogating them, a [[general]] named [[Gosis]] also finds that Archer and Reed are not of the same species as they are.
   
−
On [[Enterprise (NX-01)|''Enterprise'']], a plan is made to rescue the [[Captain]] and Reed. [[Charles Tucker III|Trip]] suggests using a [[Suliban cell ship]] to rescue them, but says that he will need a little time to get the [[cloak]]ing device working. He has a little accident in the process, and his forearm becomes "long-term" cloaked.
 +
On {{NX|Enterprise}}, a plan is made to rescue the [[captain]] and Reed. [[Charles Tucker III|Trip Tucker]] suggests using a {{dis|Suliban cell ship|spherical}} to rescue them, but says that he will need a little time to get the [[cloak]]ing device working. He has a little accident in the process, and his forearm becomes "long-term" cloaked.
   
 
On the [[planet]], Archer and Reed manage to explain their situation without going out of the local social context; they are spies, genetically enhanced prototypes and equipped with prototype devices as well. Following that, a [[doctor]] suggests killing them to study their enhanced organs.
  
On the [[planet]], Archer and Reed manage to explain their situation without going out of the local social context; they are spies, genetically enhanced prototypes and equipped with prototype devices as well. Following that, a [[doctor]] suggests killing them to study their enhanced organs.
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{{pna-episode}}
  
{{pna-episode}}
   
−
== Memorable Quotes ==
 +
== Memorable quotes ==
  +
"''My communicator...''"<br />
⚫
"''You won't be seeing your friends in The Alliance for a long time''"
  
  +
"''What about it?''"<br />
  +
"''It's gone.''"
  +
: - '''Reed''' and '''Archer'''
  +
  +
  ⚫
"''You won't be seeing your friends in The Alliance for a long time.''"
 
: - '''Pell'''
  
: - '''Pell'''
  +
  +
  +
"''We came down to retrieve my communicator. Now, we've lost two of them. Not to mention my phase-pistol ''and'' a pair of scanners!''"
  +
: - '''Reed'''
  +
  +
  +
"''Visitors from another world? There's no way to know how they'd react.''"
  +
: - '''Archer''', when Reed suggests they tell Gosis who they really are
  +
  +
  +
"''Someone calling herself T'Pol seemed very concerned about her captain's well-being.''"
  +
: - '''Gosis''', when he receives a transmission from T'Pol on Archer's confiscated communicator
  +
  +
  +
"''You've been surgically altered!''"<br />
  +
"''General, his blood - it's'' red.''"
  +
: - '''Gosis''' and '''Pell''', after taking off Archer and Reed's alien disguises and seeing Reed's wound
  +
  +
  +
"''Guard towers, gun emplacements - it's not a hotel.''"
  +
: - '''Mayweather''', when Sato locates where Archer and Reed are being held
  +
  +
  +
"''Are you all right?''"<br />
  +
"''Ugh. Just got the wind knocked out of me a bit.''"<br />
  +
"''Maybe a little more than that...''"
  +
: - '''Mayweather''', when '''Tucker'''{{'}}s hand and part of his arm disappear while working on the cloak for the Suliban cell ship
  +
  +
  +
"''Can you, uh, move your fingers?''"<br />
  +
(Moves his invisible hand) "''How's that?''"<br />
  +
"''You tell me.''"
  +
: - '''Phlox''' examines '''Tucker''' after the accident
  +
  +
  +
"''If... I were to extract the organs, I could study them in more detail.''"<br />
  +
"''You'll be in charge of the execution. I'll inform the prisoners.''"
  +
: - '''Temec''', on Archer and Reed's biological "mutations" and '''Gosis''', to Pell
  +
  +
  +
"''It might be helpful on movie night if you bring a date... ''(Tucker looks at him)'' In case you wanna steal some popcorn!''"
  +
: - '''Mayweather''', to Tucker on the advantages of having an invisible hand
  +
  +
  +
"''You don't have to leave technology behind to contaminate a culture.''"
  +
: - '''T'Pol'''
   
   
Line 60: Line 112:
 
: - '''General Gosis''' and '''Dr. Temec''', interrogating Reed and Archer
  
: - '''General Gosis''' and '''Dr. Temec''', interrogating Reed and Archer
   
−
==Background Information==
 +
==Background information==
−
===Story===
 +
===Script===
  +
* The final draft of this episode's script was issued on {{d|7|November|2002}}. The script specified that, during the scene in which the Suliban cell ship first appears in this installment, Tucker and Mayweather had "been working for over an hour," and that the episode's penultimate scene, with Archer and T'Pol in the captain's ready room, was set "a day later" than the scene before it.
⚫
* According to the [http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/331.html production report], this episode "''explores a premise hinted at in the original ''Star Trek''". In the end of {{e|A Piece of the Action}} when Dr. [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]] confessed to leaving behind his communicator on the [[Sigma Iotia II|gangster planet]], and [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] joked that it "''upsets the whole percentage''". "The Communicator" picks up on this idea, but with a far more serious tone. When the NX-01 crew goes undercover to survey a pre-warp society on the brink of war, Lt. Reed loses his communicator. He and Archer go back to retrieve it, and things do not go well.''"
 
  +
⚫
* This episode explores the importance of not introducing technology to civilizations which are not yet warp capable. This would eventually be adopted by The Federation as one of its highest laws, The [[Prime Directive]]; a topic, coincidentally, explained in "A Piece of the Action".
  
  +
===Continuity===
  ⚫
* According to this episode's {{brokenlink|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/331.html|text=production report}}, this installment "explores a premise hinted at in [[Star Trek: The Original Series|the original ''Star Trek'']]." This, more specifically, was in the end of {{e|A Piece of the Action}}, when Dr. [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]] confesses to having left behind his communicator on [[Sigma Iotia II]], and [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] jokes it "upsets the whole percentage." "''{{'}}The Communicator' picks up on this idea, but with a far more serious tone,''" the production report commented.
  ⚫
* This episode explores the importance of not introducing technology to civilizations which are not yet [[warp-capable]]. This would eventually be adopted by the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation]] as one of its highest laws, the [[Prime Directive]], a topic, coincidentally, explained in "A Piece of the Action".
  +
* Somehow, the Suliban cloaking technology used to rescue Archer and Reed was lost to the Federation by the time of Kirk's Enterprise.
   
 
===Costumes and props===
  
===Costumes and props===
 
* The weapons the alien soldiers use was a {{w|Heckler & Koch MP5}} sub-machine gun, modified with a drum magazine, fixed stock, and either a sound suppressor or extension to the barrel.
  
* The weapons the alien soldiers use was a {{w|Heckler & Koch MP5}} sub-machine gun, modified with a drum magazine, fixed stock, and either a sound suppressor or extension to the barrel.
 
* The civilian costume worn by [[Linda Park]] as Hoshi Sato was auctioned off in the [[It's A Wrap! sale and auction]]. {{stala|2902}}
  
* The civilian costume worn by [[Linda Park]] as Hoshi Sato was auctioned off in the [[It's A Wrap! sale and auction]]. {{stala|2902}}
  +
* The chairs in which Archer and Reed are sitting during the interrogation are the same design as [[Julian Bashir]]'s interrogation chair on [[Romulus]] in the [[DS9]] episode {{e|Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges}}.
   
 
==Links and references==
  
==Links and references==
 
=== Starring ===
  
=== Starring ===
−
*[[Scott Bakula]] as [[Jonathan Archer]]
 +
*[[Scott Bakula]] as [[Captain]] [[Jonathan Archer]]
−
*[[John Billingsley]] as [[Phlox]]
 +
*[[John Billingsley]] as [[Doctor]] [[Phlox]]
−
*[[Jolene Blalock]] as [[T'Pol]]
 +
*[[Jolene Blalock]] as [[Sub-Commander]] [[T'Pol]]
−
*[[Dominic Keating]] as [[Malcolm Reed]]
 +
*[[Dominic Keating]] as [[Lieutenant]] [[Malcolm Reed]]
−
*[[Anthony Montgomery]] as [[Travis Mayweather]]
 +
*[[Anthony Montgomery]] as [[Ensign]] [[Travis Mayweather]]
−
*[[Linda Park]] as [[Hoshi Sato]]
 +
*[[Linda Park]] as [[Ensign]] [[Hoshi Sato]]
−
*[[Connor Trinneer]] as [[Charles Tucker III|Charles "Trip" Tucker III]]
 +
*[[Connor Trinneer]] as [[Commander]] [[Charles Tucker III|Charles "Trip" Tucker III]]
   
−
=== Guest Stars ===
 +
=== Guest stars ===
 
*[[Francis Guinan]] as [[Gosis]]
  
*[[Francis Guinan]] as [[Gosis]]
 
*[[Tim Kelleher]] as [[Pell]]
  
*[[Tim Kelleher]] as [[Pell]]
 
*[[Dennis Cockrum]] as [[List of Gosis' species#Barkeep|Alien Barkeep]]
  
*[[Dennis Cockrum]] as [[List of Gosis' species#Barkeep|Alien Barkeep]]
   
−
=== Co-Stars ===
 +
=== Co-stars ===
 
*[[Brian Reddy]] as Dr. [[Temec]]
  
*[[Brian Reddy]] as Dr. [[Temec]]
 
*[[Jason Waters]] as [[List of Gosis' species#Bar soldiers|Alien Soldier]]
  
*[[Jason Waters]] as [[List of Gosis' species#Bar soldiers|Alien Soldier]]
   
−
=== Uncredited Co-Stars ===
 +
=== Uncredited co-stars ===
 
*[[Ron Balicki]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Bar soldiers|alien soldier]]
  
*[[Ron Balicki]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Bar soldiers|alien soldier]]
−
*[[Solomon Burke, Jr.]] as [[Billy (Starfleet)|Billy]]
 +
*[[William Bebow]] as [[List of Gosis' species#Soldier|alien soldier]]
  +
*[[Solomon Burke, Jr.]] as {{dis|Billy|Starfleet}}
 
*[[Evan English]] as [[Tanner]]
  
*[[Evan English]] as [[Tanner]]
−
*[[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]]
−
*[[Joseph Jagatic]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Soldier|alien soldier]]{{stala|7909}}
+
*[[Joseph Jagatic]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Soldier|alien soldier]] {{stala|7909}}
−
*[[Paul Zies]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Soldier|alien soldier]]{{stala|8826}}
 +
*[[Paul Zies]] as an [[List of Gosis' species#Soldier|alien soldier]] {{stala|8826}}
   
 
=== Stunt double ===
  
=== Stunt double ===
Line 100: Line 158:
   
 
===References===
  
===References===
−
[[Alliance (nation)|Alliance, The]]; [[Battle of Britain]]; [[blood]]; [[Winston Churchill|Churchill, Winston]]; [[Communicator]]; [[cloaking device]]; [[cultural contamination]]; [[Epsom salts]]; [[genetic engineering]]; [[Gosis' species]]; [[hemoglobin]]; [[iron]]; [[kidney]]; [[Kultarey]]; [[lungs]]; [[liver]]; [[Suliban]]; [[Suliban cell ship]]; [[World War II]];
+
{{dis|Alliance|nation|Alliance, The}}; [[Battle of Britain]]; [[blood]]; [[bloodhound]]; [[blue giant]]; [[carrier wave]]; [[Winston Churchill|Churchill, Winston]]; [[Communicator]]; [[cloaking device]]; [[cultural contamination]]; [[diffraction relay]]; [[Earth]]; [[Epsom salts]]; [[flogging]]; [[genetic engineering]]; [[Gosis' species]]; [[Gosis' species homeworld]]; [[hemoglobin]]; [[hotel]]; [[iron]]; [[kidney]]; [[kilometer]]; [[Klaang]]; [[Kultarey]]; [[lung]]s; [[liver]]; [[polarized hull plating]]; [[pre-warp]]; [[propaganda]]; [[Suliban]]; [[Suliban cell ship (spherical)]]; [[Suliban helix]]; [[thoracic vertebra]]; [[Vulcan]]s; [[World War II]]; [[X-ray]]
   
 
{{ENT nav|season=2|last={{e|The Seventh}}|next={{e|Singularity}}}}
  
{{ENT nav|season=2|last={{e|The Seventh}}|next={{e|Singularity}}}}
  +
   
 
[[cs:The Communicator]]
  
[[cs:The Communicator]]
 
[[de:Der Kommunikator]]
  
[[de:Der Kommunikator]]
 
[[es:The Communicator]]
  
[[es:The Communicator]]
−
[[fr:The Communicator]]
 +
[[fr:The Communicator (épisode)]]
  +
[[ja:ENT:危険なコンタクト]]
 
[[nl:The Communicator]]
  
[[nl:The Communicator]]
 
[[Category:ENT episodes|Communicator, The]]
  
[[Category:ENT episodes|Communicator, The]]

Revision as of 22:43, 4 April 2016

Template:Realworld

This article is about the Star Trek: Enterprise episode; for the hand-held communication devices, see Communicator. For the fan club magazine, see Star Trek: Communicator.

During an investigation of a pre-warp alien planet, Reed accidentally leaves his communicator behind. When he returns with Archer to get the piece of technology, they are captured by soldiers who accuse them of being enemy spies.

Summary

Jonathan Archer, Malcolm Reed, and Hoshi Sato are back from an away mission in a pre-warp civilization. Unfortunately, Malcolm lost his communicator on the mission and they must go back to prevent any cultural contamination.

When Archer and Reed go back, the communicator has already been found and they fall into a trap set by the local military. This time, a lot of technology is found on them, including a phase-pistol and scanners. While interrogating them, a general named Gosis also finds that Archer and Reed are not of the same species as they are.

On Enterprise, a plan is made to rescue the captain and Reed. Trip Tucker suggests using a Suliban cell ship to rescue them, but says that he will need a little time to get the cloaking device working. He has a little accident in the process, and his forearm becomes "long-term" cloaked.

On the planet, Archer and Reed manage to explain their situation without going out of the local social context; they are spies, genetically enhanced prototypes and equipped with prototype devices as well. Following that, a doctor suggests killing them to study their enhanced organs.

Back in their cell, Archer and Malcolm discuss the implications of their actions, concluding that it is better never to tell the truth to the aliens (at the expense of their lives) and that T'Pol will certainly be able to retrieve the technology and their bodies when they are dead.

When she learns of the execution plan, T'Pol decides to rush things a little and Trip has to finish his work on the cloak on their way to the planet, confusing three local aircraft they encounter in the process. They finally rescue Archer and Reed and get all their technology back.

Back on the Enterprise, Archer and T'Pol have a conversation about the recent events in which they both conclude that they contaminated the civilization no matter what they tried, making the faction they had contact with believe that their enemies were far more advanced than they were. T'Pol also informs the captain she would not have expected them to sacrifice their lives to protect the inhabitants of the planet, suggesting that she is impressed by Archer's selflessness.

This episode or film summary is incompleteThis episode summary has been identified as lacking essential detail, and as such needs attention. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.
  • Note: Please obey copyright policy; do not copy material from other sources without permission.

Memorable quotes

"My communicator..."
"What about it?"
"It's gone."

- Reed and Archer


"You won't be seeing your friends in The Alliance for a long time."

- Pell


"We came down to retrieve my communicator. Now, we've lost two of them. Not to mention my phase-pistol and a pair of scanners!"

- Reed


"Visitors from another world? There's no way to know how they'd react."

- Archer, when Reed suggests they tell Gosis who they really are


"Someone calling herself T'Pol seemed very concerned about her captain's well-being."

- Gosis, when he receives a transmission from T'Pol on Archer's confiscated communicator


"You've been surgically altered!"
"General, his blood - it's red."

- Gosis and Pell, after taking off Archer and Reed's alien disguises and seeing Reed's wound


"Guard towers, gun emplacements - it's not a hotel."

- Mayweather, when Sato locates where Archer and Reed are being held


"Are you all right?"
"Ugh. Just got the wind knocked out of me a bit."
"Maybe a little more than that..."

- Mayweather, when Tucker's hand and part of his arm disappear while working on the cloak for the Suliban cell ship


"Can you, uh, move your fingers?"
(Moves his invisible hand) "How's that?"
"You tell me."

- Phlox examines Tucker after the accident


"If... I were to extract the organs, I could study them in more detail."
"You'll be in charge of the execution. I'll inform the prisoners."

- Temec, on Archer and Reed's biological "mutations" and Gosis, to Pell


"It might be helpful on movie night if you bring a date... (Tucker looks at him) In case you wanna steal some popcorn!"

- Mayweather, to Tucker on the advantages of having an invisible hand


"You don't have to leave technology behind to contaminate a culture."

- T'Pol


"Dr. Temec has a theory about where you come from. I found it hard to believe until I saw this; it was taken by one of our reconnaissance pilots early this morning. He said the craft was traveling at very high speed."
"None of the other planets in our system is capable of supporting life. Where do you come from?"
"Our scientists tell me it's unlikely a craft of this size could have traveled from another star system. They suspect a larger craft must be nearby, perhaps even orbiting our planet. TELL ME YOUR ORDERS! Have you made contact with The Alliance?"

- General Gosis and Dr. Temec, interrogating Reed and Archer

Background information

Script

  • The final draft of this episode's script was issued on 7 November 2002. The script specified that, during the scene in which the Suliban cell ship first appears in this installment, Tucker and Mayweather had "been working for over an hour," and that the episode's penultimate scene, with Archer and T'Pol in the captain's ready room, was set "a day later" than the scene before it.

Continuity

  • According to this episode's Template:Brokenlink, this installment "explores a premise hinted at in the original Star Trek." This, more specifically, was in the end of "A Piece of the Action", when Dr. McCoy confesses to having left behind his communicator on Sigma Iotia II, and Kirk jokes it "upsets the whole percentage." "'The Communicator' picks up on this idea, but with a far more serious tone," the production report commented.
  • This episode explores the importance of not introducing technology to civilizations which are not yet warp-capable. This would eventually be adopted by the Federation as one of its highest laws, the Prime Directive, a topic, coincidentally, explained in "A Piece of the Action".
  • Somehow, the Suliban cloaking technology used to rescue Archer and Reed was lost to the Federation by the time of Kirk's Enterprise.

Costumes and props

Links and references

Starring

Guest stars

Co-stars

Uncredited co-stars

Stunt double

References

Alliance, The; Battle of Britain; blood; bloodhound; blue giant; carrier wave; Churchill, Winston; Communicator; cloaking device; cultural contamination; diffraction relay; Earth; Epsom salts; flogging; genetic engineering; Gosis' species; Gosis' species homeworld; hemoglobin; hotel; iron; kidney; kilometer; Klaang; Kultarey; lungs; liver; polarized hull plating; pre-warp; propaganda; Suliban; Suliban cell ship (spherical); Suliban helix; thoracic vertebra; Vulcans; World War II; X-ray

Previous episode:
"The Seventh" 		Star Trek: Enterprise
Season 2 		Next episode:
"Singularity"
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