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Is there a point where all franchises begin to look exclusively inward? Is it simply a function of surviving to a certain point that demands a franchise begin to focus on the past and its own history as opposed to looking forward? And if so, is “Affliction” the keystone turning point for the Star Trek franchise?
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Affliction”:
Enterprise returns to Earth in time for the launch of the second NX class starship, Columbia, and Commander Tucker prepares for his transfer. Meanwhile, Ensign Sato and Doctor Phlox are attacked in San Francisco, and Phlox is kidnapped. Captain Archer and Lieutenant Reed investigate the scene, and Reed is given a secret assignment by a secretive agent that he seems to know. Commander T’Pol, seeking information from Sato, conducts her first mind-meld, and the two realize that the attackers spoke Rigelian. They discover that a Rigelian freighter recently left orbit and head off in pursuit.
On Columbia, Tucker ruffles a few feathers of his new team, and Captain Hernandez asks the reasons behind his transfer. Later, T’Pol, in her quarters, begins to meditate and mentally goes to her white cloud quiet place only to have a slightly confused, but still amused, Tucker show up there and start arguing with her. The moment of the shared vision (despite being on different ships) is broken when a disoriented Tucker appears to come out of a momentary daydream on Columbia. Enterprise locates a destroyed Rigelian ship, and while investigating, they are suddenly attacked and boarded. MACOs repel the attack and a captured alien is taken to Sickbay, where scanners show that despite his human appearance, he is in fact Klingon. Archer then discovers Reed’s complicity in evidence tampering and confines him to the brig. Archer also learns that the boarders sabotaged the ship, and he orders maximum speed in order to prevent the warp core from overloading. The ship increases speed to warp 5.2, the fastest it has ever been.
Phlox is taken to Qu’Vat, a Klingon colony where General K’Vagh and Doctor Antaak seek his help to cure a Klingon plague. To Phlox’s horror, K’Vagh kills an infected Klingon so that an autopsy can be performed. Phlox determines that the victim’s DNA has been supplemented with that of a genetically augmented human. Phlox also learns from Antaak that they experimented with augmented DNA after the events seen in “Borderland“, but it self-mutated and escaped. Antaak and Phlox are told that they have five days to cure the outbreak before it is too late. Antaak suggests that the only course of action is to create stable augmented Klingons, but Phlox refuses to assist further.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Affliction” and the solution to Clay’s most annoying and consistent complaint. Plus! The guys chat about the ultimate fashion solution, Klingon protocols, and pulsating lights.