The Forge

This Story: Season 4 Episode 7 (production code 183)
ENT Overall: Episode 83
Trek Overall: Story 672, Episode 711
Airdate: 19 Nov 2004
Written by Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Directed by Michael Grossman

Notes

• The first of a three part Vulcan arc – which mostly exists to deal with the complaint in fandom then about “Why do these Vulcans act differently?”.
• The final episode for Vaughn Armstrong as Admiral Forrest, who is killed in this episode.
• Two of the questions asked of Archer by the Vulcan Arev are the same that Spock was asked by a computer in the training session part of Star Trek IV.
• The first time we see a sehlat in “live action”.  The last time one appeared in any fashion was in 1973’s “Yesteryear“.
• Travis Mayweather uses the transporter for the first time.
• Robert Foxworth plays V’Las for the first of the three episode arc.  He was also Leyton in the DS9 episodes “Homefront” & “Paradise Lost“.
• We also get our first appearance of the character T’Pau.  This character was only ever seen once before, in the TOS episode “Amok Time“.  T’Pol was originally supposed to be T’Pau, but it was decided to create a new character when they didn’t want to pay Theodore Sturgeon royalties for every episode.
• T’Pau is played by Kara Zediker.  She only appears in this episode in a photograph. She appears in person in the following two episodes, however.  Zediker was cast in the role while this episode was in production, which is why she only appears as a photograph here.
• Archer’s NX-01 baseball cap makes a re-appearance here.

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