North Star
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 12 November 2003
- ON
- UPN
- STARDATE
- None given
- DIRECTED BY
- David Straiton
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 061
WRITTEN BYWritten by David A. Goodman
Deep in the Expanse, Enterprise discovers a frontier town straight out of the American Old West, populated by humans who should not be there, and an alien underclass.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
Enterprise finds around 6,000 humans living on a planet in the Delphic Expanse in the style of the 1860s American West, alongside an alien people, the Skagarans. Archer, Tucker and T'Pol beam down in period clothes. When Deputy Bennings humiliates a Skagaran waiter, Archer steps in, drawing the attention of Sheriff MacReady. Archer befriends Bethany, a teacher, who takes him to the wreck of a spacecraft three centuries old. Historical records reveal that the Skagarans abducted humans from Earth long ago, but the humans rebelled and now treat their former captors as second-class citizens. Bennings arrests Bethany for teaching Skagaran children, and she is shot while Archer helps her escape. Phlox treats her aboard Enterprise and finds she is a quarter Skagaran. Convinced Archer is helping the Skagarans, Bennings shoots MacReady and starts a gunfight, and Archer beats him hand to hand. Before leaving, Archer gives Bethany a PADD about Earth's history, and MacReady agrees the old laws must change.
- 01The town scenes were filmed on the Six Points Texas Western set on the Universal Studios backlot, the season's first location shoot.
- 02Director of photography Marvin Rush achieved the sepia look with bleach bypass, a photochemical film process.
- 03David A. Goodman first imagined a medieval setting, and Brannon Braga suggested a Western instead.