The Andorian Incident

This Story: Season 1 Episode 7 (production code 107)
ENT Overall: Episode 7
Trek Overall: Story 598, Episode 635
Airdate: 31 Oct 2001
Story by Rick Berman, Brannon Braga & Fred Dekker
Teleplay by Fred Dekker
Directed by Roxann Dawson

Notes

• Running Decon Gel Scene Appearances: Trip (1), T’Pol (1) – none this episode.
• The first of ten episodes directed by Roxann Dawson, Voyager’s B’Elanna Torres.  One other person (David Straiton) would direct ten and only three would direct more than this (Mike Vejar (11), Allan Kroeker (13), and David Livingston (15)).
• This episode has a direct sequel later in Season 1 – “Shadows of P’Jem“.  It is not directed by Roxann Dawson.
• It is stated on screen that nine weeks and four days have passed since the events of the series pilot.
• The first time we’ve seen an Andorian on screen since a brief appearance in TNG’s “Captain’s Holiday” in 1990.  They appeared briefly in two episodes of the original animated series, and very minor cameos in three of the TOS era movies.
• Supposedly the Gorn were supposed to be an enemy here and not the Andorians.  Not sure how that would have worked given they don’t talk.
• The first of ten appearances of Jeffrey Combs as Thy’lek Shran (mostly just called Shran) in Enterprise.  He has played many characters across many Trek series (TNG, DS9, VOY, ENT, LD), but he’s mostly known for his appearances as the recurring villain Weyoun on Deep Space Nine.
• The catacombs in this episode were the same sets used in the prior episode, “Terra Nova” (albeit enlarged).
• The monastery door was re-used from it’s proper appearance at the Klingon High Command in “Broken Bow“.
• Only three of the Andorians seen on screen (Shran, Tholos, & Keval) had movable antennae.  Not a huge surprise there.
• This episode establishes first contact with the Andorians.
• It also follows up on something from a DS9 episode that implies that Vulcan and Andoria are neighboring planets.
• One of the Vulcan elders is played by Bruce French.  He was also a Son’a officer in Star Trek: Insurrection.  He was also an Ocampan Doctor in Voyager’s “Caretaker“, and Genestra in TNG’s “The Drumhead“.
• The Andorian Tholos was played by Steven Dennis.  He would reprise this character in “Shadows of P’Jem“.  He was also two different unnamed aliens in Voyager’s “Night“, Fennim in Voyager’s “Think Tank“, Onquanii in Voyager’s “Warhead“, and Crewman Thompson in Equinox Part I & Part II.
• The Andorian Keval was played by Jeff Ricketts.  He was also the Axanar captain in the episode “Fight or Flight“.
• An unnamed tactical crewman is played by Jamie McShane.  He would later appear as the Vulcan Zhaban in three episodes of the first season of “Star Trek: Picard“.
• The Vulcans here feel much different to what we have known Vulcans to be in Trek prior to this.  This eventually is explained but for right now it’s a “Why are they doing that?” feel to the race.

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