“Fight or Flight” 20th-anniversary reflections.

In their first deep space encounter with an unfamiliar ship, the Enterprise crew makes a chilling discovery that tests their nerves and human instincts. The alien ship’s crew has been slaughtered and strung up to the ceiling, attached to a device that collects fluids from their bodies. It’s an especially unnerving finding for Hoshi Sato, who is already struggling with doubts about her ability to cope with the unknown and the risk that comes with life aboard a starship exploring deep space.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we discuss how “Fight or Flight” sets the stage for the series now that we’ve moved beyond the pilot and how the encounter with the Axanar exposes human naivety and highlights the challenge of adaptation. We also explore how human and Vulcan points of view are used to contrast reactions to the unknown and risk, as well as Archer’s evolving view of how human morals will apply in space.

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)