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Archer and Tucker are mistakenly arrested and placed on a prison ship bound for the infamous penal colony of Canamar. In a Star Trek version of “Con Air”, Archer and Trip find themselves in a prisoner rebellion and having to find a place in the new order. As the prisoners run the show, Archer is forced to maintain an image as a smuggler with a knowledge of warp ships. Trip, unfortunately, is stuck in the hold with a very talkative seat-mate. Can the most action oriented Star Trek series find a way to make a very action plot work in its favor?
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Canamar”:
Upon leaving the Enolian homeworld, Captain Archer and Commander Tucker are mistakenly identified as smugglers and arrested. They are placed on a prison transport headed for the penal colony known as Canamar. Among their fellow prisoners is a man named Kuroda, and a hulking Nausicaan. Back on Enterprise, Sub-Commander T’Pol, having found the abandoned shuttlepod, manages to convince an Enolian official that Archer and Tucker are innocent. Just as they are about to be released, however, Kuroda breaks free and takes down the guard and pilot.
When the vessel comes under attack from Enolian patrol ships, Archer convinces Kuroda to allow Tucker to assist them. Tucker manages to create a plasma cloud diversion, allowing the transport to jump to warp. Kuroda is impressed with Archer’s ploy. In fact, Kuroda has come to respect Archer and asks him to join him on his next endeavor. As the two men talk, Kuroda reveals that he was 14 when he first spent time in a penal colony. He was innocent, but he still spent five years in prison, and started making a living as a criminal after he was released. Kuroda also finally reveals that they will rendezvous with another ship at Tamaal and destroy the transport. Archer, determined to save the other prisoners, enlists Tucker’s aid.
Tucker is freed under the pretence of fixing a docking hatch, and manages to render the Nausicaan unconscious, but draws the attention of Kuroda, who realizes that Archer has been plotting against him all along. The transport soon docks, but when the doors open, Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Mayweather appear. The crew evacuate the transport, which is now in a decaying orbit, but Kuroda refuses to leave. Back on Enterprise, the Enolian official demands a report for his superiors. Archer, however, tersely informs the official that he and Tucker were falsely arrested, and wonders how many others on their way to Canamar don’t belong there.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Canamar” and action plots done well. Plus! The guys talk about imparting a moral lesson in the last 5 seconds, gross aliens, and many “oh look it’s that guy” reactions.