The Communicator (Star Trek: Enterprise)

"The Communicator"
Star Trek: Enterprise episode
Reed is captured when he returns to retrieve a lost communicator
Episode no.	Episode 34
Directed by	James A. Contner
Written by	Rick Berman Brannon Braga Teleplay by: André Bormanis
Production code	208
Original air date	November 13, 2002
Guest stars
Francis Guinan Tim Kelleher Dennis Cockrum Brian Reddy Jason Waters
Episode chronology
← Previous "The Seventh" Next → "Singularity"
List of Star Trek: Enterprise episodes

"The Communicator" is the 34th episode (production #208) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

Synopsis

Reed and Archer retrieve a communicator left behind on an alien planet, but are captured in the process.

Plot

After returning from an exploratory mission to a pre-atomic era society on the brink of war, Reed discovers that he's lost his communicator. Archer and Reed return to the planet to try and find it so as not to contaminate the culture with high tech, but instead manage to walk into a trap set by the local military who have already found the communicator. Now they also have scanners and a phase pistol as well.

When T'Pol's attempt to contact the away team actually divulges the captain's identity, Archer and Reed are interrogated. After a mild beating, it's discovered that not only are Archer’s and Reed's foreheads not the same as the locals, but they bleed red blood. A physical examination reveals that they have vastly different internal organs, so Archer and Reed improvise a story about being genetically-altered prototypes (with prototype equipment) from the Alliance. While delaying suspicion that they are aliens, the military commander decides to hang Archer and Reed so that autopsies can be performed to discover more about their "enhancements".

On Enterprise, a rescue mission is planned. They plan to use the captured Suliban cell ship under cloak to mount the rescue. While trying to get the cloak to work, Trip's arm is irradiated and rendered invisible. With the execution imminent, the rescue is on—cloak ready or not.

Archer and Reed muse on how it's better that they sacrifice themselves rather than do any more damage to the culture. As they are about to be hanged, the Suliban ship arrives cloaked, which enables Archer and Reed to escape and retrieve the captured technology. Back on Enterprise, Archer reflects on the ramifications of what happened on the planet. T'Pol is impressed that Archer was willing to sacrifice himself—it’s more than she expected of him.

External links

• The Communicator at the Internet Movie Database
• "The Communicator" at TV.com
• The Communicator at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• The Communicator at StarTrek.com