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When was the last time you watched “Beauty and the Beast”? In “Exile”, Star Trek: Enterprise takes a stab at the classic tale of beauty and disfigurement as Hoshi is left behind on an alien planet with a alien who can read her mind. Unfortunately, the alien is also desperate for companionship. Will his promise of information about the Xindi be enough to convince Hoshi to stay with him for the rest of her life?
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Exile”:
Sub-Commander T’Pol, examining gravitational anomaly patterns, calculates the location of a second sphere within the Delphic Expanse (similar to the one previously seen in “Anomaly“), and Enterprise diverts course to investigate. Meanwhile, Ensign Sato reports to sickbay, explaining to Doctor Phlox that she has been hearing voices and feels like she is being watched. She is later contacted telepathically by Tarquin, an alien that appears in human form. He explains that he can telepathically read objects, and suggests that Enterprise bring him part of the weapon used to attack Earth (in “The Expanse“).
Enterprise soon arrives at Tarquin’s planet. He welcomes Archer and Hoshi and soon agrees to work on reading the weapon fragment, but only if Sato agrees to remain with him. They agree, and Enterprise departs to investigate the second sphere. Tarquin and Sato discuss many subjects and initially the alien seems trustworthy. She also discovers that he had been watching her telepathically for some time and that she is not the first person to be brought here to provide companionship for him.
Meanwhile, Enterprise approaches the sphere, but has to halt its approach due to damage from the spatial anomalies generated by it. The ship sends down a shuttlepod coated with Trellium-D (retrieved in “Impulse“), and is able to approach close enough to take readings. Archer and Trip return to Enterprise and set course to retrieve Sato. Meanwhile, Tarquin attempts to trick her into staying with him permanently, but she refuses and threatens to destroy a device which enhances his telepathic abilities. He reluctantly agrees to let her go, and later provides Enterprise with the co-ordinates for the Xindi colony that is building a part of the weapon. T’Pol’s analysis reveals that there are at least fifty spheres in the expanse region.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Exile” and our lack of knowledge regarding Hoshi’s dreams, interests, and fears. Plus! The guys break down being truthful about your graveyard, bouncing shuttlecraft, and metaphors about the interaction between fans and stars.