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| {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} | |||
| '''Kir'Shara''' is the name of the 85th episode from the television series '']''. "Kir'shara" first aired on ], ] on the ] television network ]. | |||
| {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} | |||
| {{Good article}} | |||
| This episode is entitled ''Kir'Shara'' for the mythical ] that was claimed to contain the only surviving writings of the revered ], father of ] logic. | |||
| {{Infobox television episode | |||
| | series = ] | |||
| | image = | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | season = 4 | |||
| | episode = 9 | |||
| | production = 409 | |||
| | airdate = {{Start date|2004|12|03}} | |||
| | writer = ] | |||
| | director = ] | |||
| | music = | |||
| | guests = | |||
| * ] – Administrator V'Las | |||
| * ] – Commander ] | |||
| * ] – Minister Kuvak | |||
| * ] – Ambassador ] | |||
| * ] – Koss | |||
| * ] – ] | |||
| * ] – Talok | |||
| * ] – Vulcan Priest | |||
| | prev = ] | |||
| | next = ] | |||
| | season_article = Star Trek: Enterprise season 4 | |||
| | episode_list = List of Star Trek: Enterprise episodes | |||
| }} | |||
| "'''Kir'Shara'''" is the ninth episode of the ] of the American ] series '']''. It was writer ]'s third episode of the season, while it was director ]'s second. The episode was the third in a three-part story arc, following on from the episodes "]" and "]". The title "Kir'Shara" refers to a Vulcan religious relic, and the three part Vulcan story arc explored themes relating to the ] resulting in comparisons to books such as '']'' and '']'', while the Kir'Shara itself was compared to the ]. | |||
| ==Plot summary== | |||
| :''Note: This episode is part of a three episode arc involving ] clandestine journey through planet ]. To follow the full plot, see the other two episodes of the arc "]", and "]"''''. | |||
| {{spoiler}} | |||
| As the ] under the temporary command of ] is diverted to ], the ] begins planning for a large scale pre-emptive strike against Andoria based on the falsified report that the ] is planning to adapt their vessels with a powerful ] weaponry. Furthermore, the Vulcan High Command, under the leadership of the villainous Administrator ], is working under the assumption that the Andorians will "sooner or later" make use of their new weapon, and wonder "Is it logical for us to wait to that day?" | |||
| Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first ] starship '']'', registration NX-01. In this episode, ''Enterprise'' attempts to avert a war, and is caught in a crossfire between ] and ] starships. Meanwhile. Captain ], Commander ] and ] aim to take the Kir'Shara to the Vulcan capital, and use it to reveal Administrator V'Las' plot to the rest of the ]. | |||
| Back at the forge, Captain Archer, his science officer ], and the leader of the ] ], have found the sacred Kir'Shara and begin on their journey to take the ancient relic back to the Vulcan capital. We learn from T'Pau that the discovery of the Kir'Shara would have an enermous impact on the High Command and all of Vulcan. | |||
| In addition to the guest stars returning from the previous arc episodes, or the episode "]", ] returned as ]. The episode was shot across seven days using mostly standing sets, with only an Andorian ] built specifically for this episode. | |||
| Meanwhile, onboard the Enterprise, ] raises the concerns of some of his fellow crewmates whether Commander Trip's plan to disobey Admiral Gardner's direct orders, and warn the Andorians of the impending Vulcan pre-emptive strike is in the best interests of ]. | |||
| "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of the ], a weapon which had been first introduced in the '']'' episode "]". The episode originally aired on December 3, 2004 on ]. It received a ] of 2.1/4 percent, which equalled the highest ratings seen during the fourth season. It was warmly received by critics who praised Combs' performance and noted that this episode was an indication of the improving quality of the series. However, there was mixed opinion regarding the ending of the episode. | |||
| ==Plot== | |||
| Enterprise's long time friend in the Andorian military, Commander ], has been hiding his military task force inside a nebula. Upon contact with Enterprise and it's temporary occupant, Ambassador ], Shran learns that the Vulcan High Command has been assembling a massive fleet near Regulus, beyond the range of Andorian listening stations. However, Shran does not fully trust the words of a Vulcan, even if it is from the highly respected Ambassador Soval. Therefore, to be certain that the mobilization of the massive Andorian Imperial fleet is not in vain, Shran abducts Ambassador Soval, secretly teleporting him from the Enterprise. | |||
| ''Enterprise'' heads to ] after Ambassador ] informs them that the ] believe they have been developing ] weapon technology. Soval guides ''Enterprise'' to a nebula where the Andorian fleet is hiding. Commander ] is dubious, and abducts and tortures Soval. After believing him, ''Enterprise'' joins a fleet of six Andorian ships to intercept the Vulcans. Commander ] attempts to buy time by ordering ''Enterprise'' directly between the two fleets — this works for a while until Administrator V'Las orders them to be targeted too. | |||
| A device that lowers Vulcan emotional threshold is then used on the Ambassador as Shran repeatedly asks the actual location of the Vulcan invasion fleet. | |||
| Meanwhile, at The Forge, Captain ], Commander ] and T'Pau, having found the sacred Kir'Shara{{Efn|The Kir'Shara is a religious relic in the shape of a ], or triangular pyramid, approximately three times as tall as it is wide at its base. It has ancient Vulcan writing carved on its three sides.}} (which the Syrrannites believe will usher a Vulcan enlightenment), endeavor to take it to the capital. En route, T'Pol and T'Pau discuss the ] of ]s, and T'Pau offers to mind-meld with T'Pol. She states the meld is safe when performed by those trained in the art, and that ] is merely the by-product of an improperly conducted meld. The trio are then attacked by Major Talok and Vulcan commandos, and T'Pol is captured while the others escape. She tells her captors that they are headed to ] in order to mislead them from their true destination. | |||
| Upon the discovery that their guest, Ambassador Soval, has been abducted by the Andorian fleet, Enterprise pursues Shran's lead ship into the nebula and begins firing. Upon this act, Shran orders his ships out of the nebula and agrees to return the Ambassador back to Enterprise. Shran does not fire back at the human ship, afraid to "make enemies of the humans." | |||
| She is then taken to the capital. Archer and T'Pau also arrive after T'Pol's husband, Koss, provides transporter security codes. They present the Kir'Shara to the High Command and reveal that the embassy bombing was merely a pretext to weaken the pacifist Syrrannites prior to the Andorian strike. Visibly angered, V'Las lunges for the Kir'Shara, but is stunned by High Minister Kuvak, who orders the fleet to stand down. ''Enterprise'' returns to Vulcan, and Koss visits to release T'Pol from their marriage. Meanwhile, the ] is dissolved, granting Earth greater autonomy, and the ] of ] is transferred to a Vulcan high priest. V'Las, relieved of his post, meets secretly with Talok, revealed to be a ] agent, who states that the ] is only a matter of time. | |||
| Still at the forge, T'Pol and T'Pau engage in a heated discussion over the logic of following the leadership of Captain Archer - a man who claims to be in posession of Surak's ]. During the exchange, T'Pol becomes emotional, and quickly apologizes, saying "My mother's death has affected me more than I realized." She also discloses that during a forced mind-meld several years ago, she was infected with Pa'nar syndrome. T'Pau explains that Pa'nar syndrome is caused by melders who have been improperly trained and, further, that one with great experience can correct the neurological imbalance. Presumably, T'Pol's Pa'nar syndrome is then cured when T'Pau performs a mind-meld with her. | |||
| ==Production== | |||
| As Archer's journey to the Vulcan capital is progressing, a team of commandoes with direct orders from the High Command to take the Kir'Shara from the Syrranites, tracks down Archer and his team. In the brawl that follows, T'Pol is injured and is taken prisoner by the commandoes while Archer and T'Pau narrowly escape. Upon interrogation, T'Pol claims that the Kir'Shara is being taken to Mount Seleya, thus diverting the commandoes from Archer's true destination -- the Vulcan capital. T'Pol further declares to her captors that "I am a Syrranite. We don't lie", although this in itself was a lie. | |||
| Like "]", "Kir'Shara" was written by ] and was his third script during the fourth season. ] directed the episode, which was his second episode of the season having previously directed "]". Most of the guest stars had appeared in the previous episode "Awakening", including Robert Foxworth as Administrator V'Las, Kara Zediker as T'Pau and John Rubinstein as Kuvak. In addition, Michael Reilly Burke resumes his role as Koss for the third time, having appeared in the role both in "Home" and "The Forge". Also appearing, having appeared in "Home", was Jack Donner as a Vulcan priest.<ref name=prodreport/> Donner appeared in ''The Original Series'' episode "]" as the Romulan Commander Subcommander Tal.<ref>{{cite web|last=Leao |first=Gustavo |title=TOS Romulan Jack Donner Talks 'Home', Says Coto Wants to Recapture The Essence of TOS (SPOILERS) |url=http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4172aafe1ca5b |publisher=Trekweb |date=October 17, 2004 |access-date=December 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051124201445/http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=4172aafe1ca5b |archive-date=November 24, 2005 }}</ref> "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of Jeffrey Combs as the Andorian Commander Shran for the sixth time as well as Gary Graham as Ambassador Soval, who has appeared as a recurring character in ''Enterprise'' since the pilot episode "]".<ref name="prodreport">{{cite web |title=Production Report: Combs Returns for Climactic "Kir'Shara"|url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/7645.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041207054842/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/7645.html|publisher=Star Trek.com|date=October 18, 2004|archive-date=December 7, 2004|access-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> ] plays Talok, later known for his role as Captain Shaw in the third season of '']''.<ref name="DeCandido">{{cite web |date=25 September 2023 |last1=DeCandido |first1=Keith |author1-link=Keith DeCandido |title=Star Trek: Enterprise Rewatch: "Kir'Shara" |url=https://www.tor.com/2023/09/25/star-trek-enterprise-rewatch-kirshara/ |website=Tor.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025230900/https://www.tor.com/2023/09/25/star-trek-enterprise-rewatch-kirshara/ |archive-date=2023-10-25 }}</ref> | |||
| Filming began on October 4, 2004 and continued until October 12. Despite the desert locations, all filming took place on soundstages. These represented a variety of places throughout the Vulcan desert-like Forge. The remaining sets used were either standing sets, or those which had been constructed for the previous two episodes. The exceptions to that were two sets to represent scenes on board Commander Shran's Andorian vessel. The Andorian bridge set, which had been used previously in the series, had a single wall brought out of storage in order to appear as a backdrop for Shran when he appears on the ''Enterprise'' viewscreen. The Andorian ] was built specifically for this episode for scenes with Shran and Soval.<ref name=prodreport/> | |||
| Captain Archer and T'Pau, in a daring plan to free T'Pol, lure the commandoes to Gallicite deposits where their metallic weapons act as lightning rods and incapacitate the commandoes. Archer then learns that, unfortunately, his first officer is not with the commandoes, instead, she is being taken to the Vulcan High Command. | |||
| Re-appearing in "Kir'Shara" were the traditional Vulcan weapon, the lirpa, which was first introduced in ''The Original Series'' episode "]". The lirpa is a long shaft with a crescent blade on one end and a spiked cudgel on the other. Brand new props were built for this episode, modifying the original design by making them more lightweight. They were wielded in "Kir'Shara" by Vulcan commandos, who were all played by stunt actors in non-speaking roles. Additional stunt doubles were required for Archer, T'Pol, T'Pau and Talok while two puppeteers were needed for the Andorian antennae seen on screen.<ref name="prodreport"/> | |||
| Back at the Enterprise, Ambassador Soval has been returned, and remains at the ] where his former captor, Shran, pays him a visit to check on his condition. To the pleasure of Shran, the Ambassador is expected to recover. | |||
| ==Themes== | |||
| Meanwhile, Enterprise and six other alien ships have taken position near the Andorian system, directly in the path of the Vulcan strike fleet. They have learned that twelve Vulcan cruisers are approaching, and unfortunately, allied ships are too far out of range, and they will be on their own for the subsequent confrontation with the Vulcan fleet. | |||
| "Kir'Shara" followed up the events of the previous two episodes in the story arc as well some of the elements seen earlier in ] in the episode "]". "]" sees Captain ] (]) and ] (]) travel into the Vulcan desert known as the Forge in order to find a renegade faction of Vulcans, known as the Syrrannites. During the journey, Archer has the katra of Surak transferred into him. In "]", the duo meet the Syrrannites and find out they are peaceful. After ''Enterprise'' leaves orbit, the Vulcans start bombarding the caves where the Syrrannites are located, killing T'Pol's mother, T'Les (]). | |||
| Speaking about "Awakening", ] ] had previously said that he envisaged the story arc to be about a Vulcan reformation as a metaphor to the real-world 16th century ] with T'Pau playing the role of ].<ref name="tidbits">{{cite web|title=Producers Reveal Tidbits about Season 4 |url=http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/6193.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041014015107/http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/6193.html|publisher=Star Trek.com|date=July 21, 2004|archive-date=October 14, 2004|access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> This view was supported by the 2010 book ''Star Trek As Myth'', which saw the original Vulcan religion prior to the Reformation arc seen from "The Forge" onwards as equating to the ] while the Syrannites were the ]s.<ref name="kappell2010">{{Cite book |last=Kapell |first=Matthew Wilhelm |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hWS7v3pGynUC |title=Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier |date=16 March 2010 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=9780786455942 |pages=172–175 |access-date=23 May 2024}}</ref> In doing so, Administrator V'Las is therefore linked to the ] in much the same way that the Protestant Reformation saw the ] as the Antichrist. In this role, the Romulans in the story take the place of the subversive devils to form an unholy alliance.<ref name=kappell2010/> | |||
| Once the Vulcan fleet meets the Andorians, Commander Tucker orders the Enterprise directly between both fleets, saying, "If the Vulcans want to start a war, they're going to have to get through us first." The Vulcans begin their attack nonetheless. Although at the first, the Vulcan fleet only targets the Andorians, they are ordered by the High Command to destroy Enterprise after Enterprise opens fire on one of the Vulcan ships to protect a damaged Andorian ship. | |||
| It was also suggested that the Kir'Shara itself was similar in context to the ],<ref name=kappell2010/> which was a collection of thirteen ] found in ], ], in 1945 that date back to between the 2nd to 5th centuries.<ref>{{cite web|title=Excerpt from: The Gnostic Gospels|url=http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/Pagels-Gnostic-Gospels.html|publisher=The Gnostic Society Library|access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=About the Nag Hammadi Library (The Nag Hammadi Scriptures)|url=http://gnosis.org/naghamm/nhl.html|publisher=The Gnostic Society Library|access-date=January 1, 2014}}</ref> Unlike those codices, the Vulcan High Council attempts to suppress the revelation of the Kir'Shara in a similar manner to the Catholic Church's suppression seen in other fictional works such as ]'s '']'' or ]'s '']''.<ref name=kappell2010/> | |||
| Archer and T'Pau reach the Vulcan capital and T'Pol's husband, Koss, helps the duo transport into the Vulcan High Command by providing them with the required access codes. Thereupon, they present the Kir'Shara to the High Council and reveal that the bombing of Earth's embassy was an excuse by the High Command Administrator to round up the Syrranites. Minister Kuvak, a member of the High council, quickly takes control of a hand weapon and fires on Administrator V'Las, who is attempting to destroy the Kir'Shara. Kuvak also immediately orders the Vulcan fleet commander to cease the attack on the Andorians and withdraw. | |||
| ==Reception== | |||
| Koss comes aboard the Enterprise to inform T'Pol that he is releasing her from their marriage, saying "I know you only bonded with me to help your mother." Soon afterwards, the katra that had been hosted by Captain Archer is transferred to a Vulcan priest (coincidentally the same priest who conducted Koss and T'Pol's marriage ceremony). | |||
| "Kir'Shara" was first aired in the United States on ] on December 3, 2004. The broadcast saw the episode come in fourth place during the timeslot, with a ] of 2.1/4 percent. This means that it was seen by 2.1 percent of all households, and 4 percent of all those watching television at the time of broadcast. It gained higher ratings than ], who aired '']'' and '']''.<ref>{{cite news|title=NBC Skates Away with Friday Win |url=http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272_617%7C92175%7C1%7C,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051205023535/http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1%2C1002%2C272_617%7C92175%7C1%7C%2C00.html |archive-date=December 5, 2005 |access-date=December 31, 2013 |newspaper=Zap2it |date=December 4, 2004 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ratings equalled the highest ratings of the season so far, which were previously achieved by "Borderland", "]" and "]".<ref>{{cite web|last=Krutzler |first=Steve |title="Kir'Shara" Ends 2004 With Fast National Rating Matching Season-High |url=http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=41b20923a34d1 |publisher=Trekweb |date=December 4, 2004 |access-date=December 31, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205084240/http://trekweb.com/stories.php?aid=41b20923a34d1 |archive-date=December 5, 2012 }}</ref> | |||
| '']'' listed "Kir'Shara" on its Hot List for the day.<ref>{{cite news|last=Donnelly|first=G.J.|title=Tonight's TV Hot List|url=http://tvguide.com/tv/hotlist/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204051247/http://tvguide.com/tv/hotlist/|archive-date=December 4, 2004|access-date=December 31, 2013|newspaper=TV Guide|date=December 4, 2004}}</ref> '']'' gave the episode 4.5 out of 5 and said that the show "finally grows up and becomes a ''Star Trek'' series this week". It described "Kir'Shara" as "far from a perfectly executed ''Trek'' story but they get enough right to make it a lot easier to overlook the few things they miss." It said that there had been an overall improvement in the fourth season, and that "this could become some of the best ''Star Trek'' ever made".<ref name="ignreport">{{cite web |author=KJB |date=December 3, 2004 |title=Trek Report: Kir'Shara Helps Put Enterprise Back on Track |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/03/trek-report-kirshara-helps-put-enterprise-back-on-track |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204144836/http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/570/570425p1.html |archive-date=December 4, 2004 |access-date=April 20, 2021 |website=]}}</ref> | |||
| The far reaching consequences of these events include the fact that Administrator V'Las has been relieved of his position and the conflict between Vulcan and Andoria appears to have been averted. Even more substantial, the Vulcan High Command is dissolved. This means that the Vulcans would no longer be watching over Starfleet's every move, as T'Pau explains, "It's time for Earth to stand on its own." | |||
| Herc, in his review for '']'', praised the reliability of Jeffrey Combs as Shran, but thought that there were no major surprises. Herc did say that the biggest shock was the revelation that the Romulans were behind the bombing of the Human Embassy. He gave it a rating of three out of five.<ref>{{cite web |last=Herc |title=Star Trek: Enterprise 4.9 FAQ |url=http://www.aintitcool.com/node/18934 |publisher=Ain't It Cool News |date=December 3, 2004 |access-date=December 31, 2013 }}</ref> | |||
| The end, however, does not come until former Administrator V'Las meets with Talok, the officer in charge of his former commando team - and we find that Talok is actually a ]. V'Las asks to be allowed to leave Vulcan with Talok (who is returning to Romulus), but Talok refuses, claiming that V'Las' disappearance would draw suspicion. V'Las asks Talok what will happen now that their operation has failed; Talok replies, "The reunification of our people is only a matter of time." | |||
| Michelle Erica Green reviewed the episode for ], calling it an "absolutely gripping episode" except for the "ludicrousness of the ending". She made the admission about the ending that, "I suppose the Romulans had to show up at some point, I guess Vulcan is as good a place as any." She thought that the torture scenes were "pointless", but was pleased with the characterization seen in Archer, T'Pol and Tucker.<ref name="greenreview">{{cite web |last=Green |first=Michelle Erica |title=Kir'Shara |url=http://www.trektoday.com/reviews/enterprise/kirshara.shtml |publisher=TrekNation |date=December 4, 2004 |access-date=December 31, 2013 }}</ref> | |||
| ''This storyline is expected to resume with the episode "]".'' | |||
| Jamahl Epsicokhan at his website '']'' rated "Kir'Shara" of three out of four, noting it was "not perfect, but good" with an "intriguing" ending. Epsicokhan praised Jeffrey Combs as Shran, and thought that the torture scenes were potent but that the ending was rushed.<ref name="jammer">{{cite web |last=Epsicokhan |first=Jamahl |title=Star Trek: Enterprise "Kir'Shara" |url=http://www.jammersreviews.com/st-ent/s4/kirshara.php |access-date=December 31, 2013 |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| ==Guest cast== | |||
| *Robert Foxworth as ] | |||
| *] as ] | |||
| *John Rubinstein as Kuvak | |||
| *] as ] | |||
| *Michael Reilly Burke as Koss | |||
| *Kara Zediker as ] | |||
| *Todd Stashwick as Talok | |||
| *Jack Donner as Vulcan Priest | |||
| *Melodee M. Spevack as Andorian Com Voice | |||
| In Matthew Kappell's 2010 book ''Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier'', he said that he felt that the revelation that the previous Vulcan administration was working with the Romulans all along "suddenly makes sense of years of previously incomprehensible Vulcan policy" and linked to ''The Next Generation'' episode "]".<ref name="kappell2010" /> | |||
| ] | |||
| '']'' praised casting actress Kara Zediker as the Vulcan character T'Pau.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/star-trek-enterprise-casting-decisions-saved/ |title=Star Trek: 10 Casting Decisions That Hurt Enterprise (And 10 That Saved It) |date=2018-09-20 |website=ScreenRant |access-date=2019-07-10 }}</ref> James Whitbrook of '']'' highlighted this episode as a "must watch" episode of the series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Star Trek: Enterprise's Must-Watch Episodes|url=https://gizmodo.com/star-trek-enterprises-must-watch-episodes-1843248830|access-date=2021-06-13|website=Gizmodo|date=6 May 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref> ''The Digital Fix'' said this was the best episode of the fourth season, calling it a "well-paced, satisfying resolution" to the Vulcan storyline in the series. They felt the episode successfully capitalizes on the story elements established the previous episode "The Forge".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-21 |author=Baz Greenland |title=Star Trek: Enterprise Revisited - A Look Back At Season Four |url=https://www.thedigitalfix.com/television/feature/star-trek-enterprise-revisited-a-look-back-at-season-four/ |website=The Digital Fix |access-date=2021-04-24 |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423124838/https://www.thedigitalfix.com/television/feature/star-trek-enterprise-revisited-a-look-back-at-season-four/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
| == Home media release == | |||
| The first home media release of "Kir'Shara" was in the season four DVD box set of ''Enterprise'', originally released in the United States on November 1, 2005.<ref name="dvdrelease">{{cite news |last=Douglass Jr. |first=Todd |title=Star Trek Enterprise – The Complete Fourth Season |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/18391/star-trek-enterprise-the-complete-fourth-season/|access-date=February 3, 2013|newspaper=DVD Talk|date=October 24, 2005}}</ref> The ] edition was released on April 1, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Final Season Enterprise Blu-ray Set Available April 1|url=http://www.startrek.com/article/final-season-enterprise-blu-ray-set-available-april-1|publisher=StarTrek.com|date=December 18, 2013|access-date=October 11, 2014|archive-date=December 28, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131228012435/http://www.startrek.com/article/final-season-enterprise-blu-ray-set-available-april-1|url-status=dead}}</ref> | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| {{Reflist|group=lower-alpha}} | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{refbegin}} | |||
| * {{cite book|last=Kapell|first=Matthew|title=Star Trek As Myth|year=2010|publisher=McFarland & Co.|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=9780786455942|ref=kapell2010}} | |||
| {{refend}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * {{IMDb episode|0572222}} | |||
| * {{Memory Alpha|Kir'Shara (episode)|"Kir'Shara"}} | |||
| * {{StarTrek.com|kirshara|"Kir'Shara"}} | |||
| {{Star Trek: Enterprise episodes|4}} | |||
| {{Star Trek Romulan stories}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Kir'shara}} | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 01:36, 5 January 2025
9th episode of the 4th season of Star Trek: Enterprise
| "Kir'Shara" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek: Enterprise episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 9 | ||
| Directed by | David Livingston | ||
| Written by | Michael Sussman | ||
| Production code | 409 | ||
| Original air date | December 3, 2004 (2004-12-03) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
| |||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| Star Trek: Enterprise season 4 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Kir'Shara" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It was writer Michael Sussman's third episode of the season, while it was director David Livingston's second. The episode was the third in a three-part story arc, following on from the episodes "The Forge" and "Awakening". The title "Kir'Shara" refers to a Vulcan religious relic, and the three part Vulcan story arc explored themes relating to the Protestant Reformation resulting in comparisons to books such as The Da Vinci Code and The Celestine Prophecy, while the Kir'Shara itself was compared to the Nag Hammadi library.
Set in the 22nd century, the series follows the adventures of the first Starfleet starship Enterprise, registration NX-01. In this episode, Enterprise attempts to avert a war, and is caught in a crossfire between Vulcan and Andorian starships. Meanwhile. Captain Archer, Commander T'Pol and T'Pau aim to take the Kir'Shara to the Vulcan capital, and use it to reveal Administrator V'Las' plot to the rest of the Vulcan High Command.
In addition to the guest stars returning from the previous arc episodes, or the episode "Home", Jeffrey Combs returned as Shran. The episode was shot across seven days using mostly standing sets, with only an Andorian brig built specifically for this episode. "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of the Vulcan lirpa, a weapon which had been first introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Amok Time". The episode originally aired on December 3, 2004 on UPN. It received a Nielsen rating of 2.1/4 percent, which equalled the highest ratings seen during the fourth season. It was warmly received by critics who praised Combs' performance and noted that this episode was an indication of the improving quality of the series. However, there was mixed opinion regarding the ending of the episode.
Plot
Enterprise heads to Andoria after Ambassador Soval informs them that the Vulcans believe they have been developing Xindi weapon technology. Soval guides Enterprise to a nebula where the Andorian fleet is hiding. Commander Shran is dubious, and abducts and tortures Soval. After believing him, Enterprise joins a fleet of six Andorian ships to intercept the Vulcans. Commander Tucker attempts to buy time by ordering Enterprise directly between the two fleets — this works for a while until Administrator V'Las orders them to be targeted too.
Meanwhile, at The Forge, Captain Archer, Commander T'Pol and T'Pau, having found the sacred Kir'Shara (which the Syrrannites believe will usher a Vulcan enlightenment), endeavor to take it to the capital. En route, T'Pol and T'Pau discuss the taboo of mind-melds, and T'Pau offers to mind-meld with T'Pol. She states the meld is safe when performed by those trained in the art, and that Pa'nar Syndrome is merely the by-product of an improperly conducted meld. The trio are then attacked by Major Talok and Vulcan commandos, and T'Pol is captured while the others escape. She tells her captors that they are headed to Mount Seleya in order to mislead them from their true destination.
She is then taken to the capital. Archer and T'Pau also arrive after T'Pol's husband, Koss, provides transporter security codes. They present the Kir'Shara to the High Command and reveal that the embassy bombing was merely a pretext to weaken the pacifist Syrrannites prior to the Andorian strike. Visibly angered, V'Las lunges for the Kir'Shara, but is stunned by High Minister Kuvak, who orders the fleet to stand down. Enterprise returns to Vulcan, and Koss visits to release T'Pol from their marriage. Meanwhile, the Vulcan High Command is dissolved, granting Earth greater autonomy, and the katra of Surak is transferred to a Vulcan high priest. V'Las, relieved of his post, meets secretly with Talok, revealed to be a Romulan agent, who states that the reunification of their worlds is only a matter of time.
Production
Like "Home", "Kir'Shara" was written by Michael Sussman and was his third script during the fourth season. David Livingston directed the episode, which was his second episode of the season having previously directed "Borderland". Most of the guest stars had appeared in the previous episode "Awakening", including Robert Foxworth as Administrator V'Las, Kara Zediker as T'Pau and John Rubinstein as Kuvak. In addition, Michael Reilly Burke resumes his role as Koss for the third time, having appeared in the role both in "Home" and "The Forge". Also appearing, having appeared in "Home", was Jack Donner as a Vulcan priest. Donner appeared in The Original Series episode "The Enterprise Incident" as the Romulan Commander Subcommander Tal. "Kir'Shara" also saw the return of Jeffrey Combs as the Andorian Commander Shran for the sixth time as well as Gary Graham as Ambassador Soval, who has appeared as a recurring character in Enterprise since the pilot episode "Broken Bow". Todd Stashwick plays Talok, later known for his role as Captain Shaw in the third season of Star Trek: Picard.
Filming began on October 4, 2004 and continued until October 12. Despite the desert locations, all filming took place on soundstages. These represented a variety of places throughout the Vulcan desert-like Forge. The remaining sets used were either standing sets, or those which had been constructed for the previous two episodes. The exceptions to that were two sets to represent scenes on board Commander Shran's Andorian vessel. The Andorian bridge set, which had been used previously in the series, had a single wall brought out of storage in order to appear as a backdrop for Shran when he appears on the Enterprise viewscreen. The Andorian brig was built specifically for this episode for scenes with Shran and Soval.
Re-appearing in "Kir'Shara" were the traditional Vulcan weapon, the lirpa, which was first introduced in The Original Series episode "Amok Time". The lirpa is a long shaft with a crescent blade on one end and a spiked cudgel on the other. Brand new props were built for this episode, modifying the original design by making them more lightweight. They were wielded in "Kir'Shara" by Vulcan commandos, who were all played by stunt actors in non-speaking roles. Additional stunt doubles were required for Archer, T'Pol, T'Pau and Talok while two puppeteers were needed for the Andorian antennae seen on screen.
Themes
"Kir'Shara" followed up the events of the previous two episodes in the story arc as well some of the elements seen earlier in the season in the episode "Home". "The Forge" sees Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) travel into the Vulcan desert known as the Forge in order to find a renegade faction of Vulcans, known as the Syrrannites. During the journey, Archer has the katra of Surak transferred into him. In "Awakening", the duo meet the Syrrannites and find out they are peaceful. After Enterprise leaves orbit, the Vulcans start bombarding the caves where the Syrrannites are located, killing T'Pol's mother, T'Les (Joanna Cassidy).
Speaking about "Awakening", show runner Manny Coto had previously said that he envisaged the story arc to be about a Vulcan reformation as a metaphor to the real-world 16th century Protestant Reformation with T'Pau playing the role of Martin Luther. This view was supported by the 2010 book Star Trek As Myth, which saw the original Vulcan religion prior to the Reformation arc seen from "The Forge" onwards as equating to the Catholic Church while the Syrannites were the Protestants. In doing so, Administrator V'Las is therefore linked to the Antichrist in much the same way that the Protestant Reformation saw the Pope as the Antichrist. In this role, the Romulans in the story take the place of the subversive devils to form an unholy alliance.
It was also suggested that the Kir'Shara itself was similar in context to the Nag Hammadi library, which was a collection of thirteen codices found in Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945 that date back to between the 2nd to 5th centuries. Unlike those codices, the Vulcan High Council attempts to suppress the revelation of the Kir'Shara in a similar manner to the Catholic Church's suppression seen in other fictional works such as Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code or James Redfield's The Celestine Prophecy.
Reception
"Kir'Shara" was first aired in the United States on UPN on December 3, 2004. The broadcast saw the episode come in fourth place during the timeslot, with a Nielsen rating of 2.1/4 percent. This means that it was seen by 2.1 percent of all households, and 4 percent of all those watching television at the time of broadcast. It gained higher ratings than The WB, who aired What I Like About You and Grounded for Life. The ratings equalled the highest ratings of the season so far, which were previously achieved by "Borderland", "Cold Station 12" and "The Augments".
TV Guide listed "Kir'Shara" on its Hot List for the day. IGN gave the episode 4.5 out of 5 and said that the show "finally grows up and becomes a Star Trek series this week". It described "Kir'Shara" as "far from a perfectly executed Trek story but they get enough right to make it a lot easier to overlook the few things they miss." It said that there had been an overall improvement in the fourth season, and that "this could become some of the best Star Trek ever made".
Herc, in his review for Ain't It Cool News, praised the reliability of Jeffrey Combs as Shran, but thought that there were no major surprises. Herc did say that the biggest shock was the revelation that the Romulans were behind the bombing of the Human Embassy. He gave it a rating of three out of five.
Michelle Erica Green reviewed the episode for TrekNation, calling it an "absolutely gripping episode" except for the "ludicrousness of the ending". She made the admission about the ending that, "I suppose the Romulans had to show up at some point, I guess Vulcan is as good a place as any." She thought that the torture scenes were "pointless", but was pleased with the characterization seen in Archer, T'Pol and Tucker.
Jamahl Epsicokhan at his website Jammer's Reviews rated "Kir'Shara" of three out of four, noting it was "not perfect, but good" with an "intriguing" ending. Epsicokhan praised Jeffrey Combs as Shran, and thought that the torture scenes were potent but that the ending was rushed.
In Matthew Kappell's 2010 book Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier, he said that he felt that the revelation that the previous Vulcan administration was working with the Romulans all along "suddenly makes sense of years of previously incomprehensible Vulcan policy" and linked to The Next Generation episode "Unification".
Screen Rant praised casting actress Kara Zediker as the Vulcan character T'Pau. James Whitbrook of Io9 highlighted this episode as a "must watch" episode of the series. The Digital Fix said this was the best episode of the fourth season, calling it a "well-paced, satisfying resolution" to the Vulcan storyline in the series. They felt the episode successfully capitalizes on the story elements established the previous episode "The Forge".
Home media release
The first home media release of "Kir'Shara" was in the season four DVD box set of Enterprise, originally released in the United States on November 1, 2005. The Blu-ray edition was released on April 1, 2014.
Notes
- The Kir'Shara is a religious relic in the shape of a tetrahedron, or triangular pyramid, approximately three times as tall as it is wide at its base. It has ancient Vulcan writing carved on its three sides.
- ^ "Production Report: Combs Returns for Climactic "Kir'Shara"". Star Trek.com. October 18, 2004. Archived from the original on December 7, 2004. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- Leao, Gustavo (October 17, 2004). "TOS Romulan Jack Donner Talks 'Home', Says Coto Wants to Recapture The Essence of TOS (SPOILERS)". Trekweb. Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- DeCandido, Keith (September 25, 2023). "Star Trek: Enterprise Rewatch: "Kir'Shara"". Tor.com. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023.
- "Producers Reveal Tidbits about Season 4". Star Trek.com. July 21, 2004. Archived from the original on October 14, 2004. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- ^ Kapell, Matthew Wilhelm (March 16, 2010). Star Trek as Myth: Essays on Symbol and Archetype at the Final Frontier. McFarland. pp. 172–175. ISBN 9780786455942. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- "Excerpt from: The Gnostic Gospels". The Gnostic Society Library. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- "About the Nag Hammadi Library (The Nag Hammadi Scriptures)". The Gnostic Society Library. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
- "NBC Skates Away with Friday Win". Zap2it. December 4, 2004. Archived from the original on December 5, 2005. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- Krutzler, Steve (December 4, 2004). ""Kir'Shara" Ends 2004 With Fast National Rating Matching Season-High". Trekweb. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- Donnelly, G.J. (December 4, 2004). "Tonight's TV Hot List". TV Guide. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- KJB (December 3, 2004). "Trek Report: Kir'Shara Helps Put Enterprise Back on Track". IGN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2004. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
- Herc (December 3, 2004). "Star Trek: Enterprise 4.9 FAQ". Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- Green, Michelle Erica (December 4, 2004). "Kir'Shara". TrekNation. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- Epsicokhan, Jamahl. "Star Trek: Enterprise "Kir'Shara"". Jammer's Reviews. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
- "Star Trek: 10 Casting Decisions That Hurt Enterprise (And 10 That Saved It)". ScreenRant. September 20, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- "Star Trek: Enterprise's Must-Watch Episodes". Gizmodo. May 6, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- Baz Greenland (April 21, 2021). "Star Trek: Enterprise Revisited - A Look Back At Season Four". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- Douglass Jr., Todd (October 24, 2005). "Star Trek Enterprise – The Complete Fourth Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- "Final Season Enterprise Blu-ray Set Available April 1". StarTrek.com. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
References
- Kapell, Matthew (2010). Star Trek As Myth. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. ISBN 9780786455942.
External links
- "Kir'Shara" at IMDb
- "Kir'Shara" at Memory Alpha
- "Kir'Shara" at Wayback Machine (archived from the original at StarTrek.com)