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Rogue Planet

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"Rogue Planet" was the 18th episode of Enterprise in the show's first season , first aired 20 March 2002 . The episode was written by Chris Black MA , Rick Berman MA and Brannon Braga and directed by Allan Kroeker MA .

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• 2.3 External link

References [ ]

Characters [ ], starships and vehicles [ ], races and cultures [ ], locations [ ], other references [ ], appendices [ ], background [ ], notable cast and crew [ ].

• Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer

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• " Rogue Planet " article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
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Rogue Planet

The crew explores a jungle planet that's been turned into a hunting ground by a race of stalkers called the Eska. They hunt indigenous creatures for recreation, one of which contacts Archer as a shadowy woman he imagined as a child. 

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Scott Bakula

John Billingsley

Jolene Blalock

Dominic Keating

Anthony Montgomery

Connor Trinneer

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Star Trek: Enterprise – Season 1, Episode 18

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Cast & crew.

Scott Bakula

Capt. Jonathan Archer

Connor Trinneer

Cmdr. Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Jolene Blalock

Subcommander T'Pol

Dominic Keating

Lt. Malcolm Reed

Anthony Montgomery

Ensign Travis Mayweather

Ensign Hoshi Sato

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Such Sweet Sorrow (Part 2)

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Rogue Planet

The crew of the starship Enterprise is thrown into a mysterious adventure when they come across a strange and seemingly abandoned planet. Unknown to them, the planet is home to a dangerous alien species, the sentient, shape-shifting Xindi, and they have been using the planet to hide from the relentless pursuit of the Humans.

Captain Jonathan Archer, along with his crew, soon discover the Xindi have been using the planet to hide from their enemies and are planning to launch an attack against the Humans. The crew must find a way to stop the Xindi before they can carry out their plan and they enlist the help of a mysterious and mysterious alien, Shran, to help them.

Archer and his team quickly learn the Xindi are using the planet to generate a powerful weapon which they can use against humans and they must find a way to stop it. With Shran, the crew begins to investigate the planet and discovers a mysterious underground laboratory where the Xindi are conducting their experiments. Unfortunately, they are also being watched by a mysterious figure known as the Observer, who is determined to stop them from interfering.

Meanwhile, the Xindi are close to completing their weapon and Archer and his team must hurry to find a way to stop them. As the crew searches through the laboratory, they discover a secret chamber with a powerful energy source. Desperate to prevent the Xindi from unleashing their devastating weapon, the crew decides to use the energy source to arm themselves and to use the planet as a battlefield.

With the help of Shran, the crew races against time to find a way to stop the Xindi and to protect the planet from destruction. They battle the Xindi in an all-out war and eventually emerge victorious. However, not everyone on the crew survives and the Enterprise is left with the knowledge that the danger is not over and that they still have to find a way to prevent the Xindi from attacking the humans again.

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS01E18RoguePlanet

Recap / Star Trek Enterprise S 01 E 18 Rogue Planet

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Archer is posing for pictures for Starfleet HQ and he isn't too happy about it. The Enterprise then discovers, well, a rogue planet, and the crew decides to take a closer look. T'Pol scans the planet and discovers that, due to geothermal activity, there are many animals on the planet. Despite there being no evidence of humanoids on it, a power signature is detected on the equator, meaning that a starship landed on it. Hoshi sends a hail, but no one answers, so Archer, T'Pol, Malcolm, and Hoshi go down to the planet.

They travel through a jungle and put on some night vision goggles, and discover what appears to be an abandoned campsite. They split up to investigate, when aliens attack T'Pol and Malcolm. However, realising they aren't dangerous, they let them go and bring them back to the campsite, where Archer has met their leader Damrus.

As it turns out, their species is called the Eska, and they explain that there are dangerous animals on the planet, which they call Dakala, and they've never seen humanoids there before. They reveal that, for generations, the Eska have come to Dakala to hunt and kill the native species, and they use sensing cloaks to prevent the hunted from seeing them. Malcolm expresses curiosity at the idea of the game needing such complicated technology in order to take down, so they (albeit reluctantly) invite him to join them on their next hunt.

Hoshi returns to the ship, but the guys and T'Pol stay and camp out on the planet. Everyone goes to bed, when Archer is woken up by a female voice calling his name from the plants. He goes out to investigate, finding a woman shrouded in light, and she disappears.

Archer comes back and tells everybody about the woman, giving a description of her and noting that she both knew his name and seemed familiar to him. The Eska, however, believe that his mind is just playing tricks on him, since it's always night on Dakala and therefore hard to see, it's unlikely he'd see an acquaintance on an unfamiliar planet, and she was wearing a skimpy nightie, so they think it was just wishful thinking. The Enterprise crew are also dubious.

The next "day", Malcolm gets ready for the hunt while the rest prepare to explore some geothermal sites, and the Eska tease Archer about the woman, assuming that he finds her attractive. While exploring, Archer is distracted thinking about the woman and worried that he was indeed hallucinating. He sees her again and they start a conversation, with her saying that she needs his help because he's "different", all the while appearing scared. When T'Pol and Trip come, the mysterious woman runs away in fear, and Archer doesn't tell them. Meanwhile, Malcolm and the hunters try to hunt a "Wraith", but one of them, Burzaan, is gravely injured.

Archer offers to take Burzaan to the ship for medical treatment, and Burzaan (reluctantly) agrees. He suggests that they all leave due to the danger, but Archer isn't giving up. While Phlox treats Burzaan on the ship, Archer tells T'Pol about his second encounter with the woman. She wants to accompany him to search, but he insists on searching alone, thinking the woman won't show herself with others around. Back on Enterprise , Phlox has finished treating Burzaan and notes that he has mutating cellular residues in his injuries.

Archer wanders into the jungle and finds the woman again, who reveals that she's a telepathic shapeshifter and that the creatures the Eska hunt are in fact her and her species. He asks why he feels he knows her, and she replies that he does , and again states that he was chosen to talk to because he's "different".

Back at the camp, with the help of some shared alcohol, Archer asks the Eska why they go all the way to Dakala just to hunt, rather than simply hunting on their own planet. Damrus explains that the Wraiths are more challenging to hunt, since they can sense people's thoughts and impersonate anything and anyone, even acquaintances. T'Pol notes that that hints at sentience, but Damrus believes that it's merely instinctual. Archer asks the Eska how they catch the Wraiths, and the Eska respond that when the Wraiths, especially the younger ones, are afraid, they emit a chemical signature.

Back on the ship, an angry Archer tells his crew that the Wraiths have asked for his help. However, his crew isn't so sure— Malcolm points out that the Eska are well-armed and know the terrain, and T'Pol, while she dislikes the practice as much as Archer, doesn't know how to stop it and isn't sure they have any business stopping an old tradition. Archer is determined to stop the hunt, but then T'Pol points out that nothing's stopping the Eska from coming back and fighting more Wraiths. Phlox, however, reveals that he's found a way of masking the Wraiths' fear-induced chemical signal, so while he may not be able to stop future hunts, he can "level the playing field". Trip tells Archer about a poem in which a fisherman falls for an elusive woman who shapeshifted from a fish, and Archer reveals that the form the Wraith woman took was based on how he imagined the lady in the poem.

On the planet, some Eska are hunting another Wraith. It takes the form of a tree, then the hunters try to scare it by firing their weapons. It attacks them and knocks one of them over, and they return to camp, believing their equipment must be malfunctioning. They are suspicious of the Enterprise crew, since this is their first failed hunt, but Archer just smugly says that he's "bad luck".

Tropes in this episode include:

• Ace Pilot : Archer claims that he can land a shuttlepod with his eyes closed.
• Always Night : Naturally, there's no daylight on a planet with no star.
• Camping Episode : Archer, Trip, Malcolm, and T'Pol spend the episode camping on the planet.
• Continuity Nod : Trip mentions how particularly important Vulcans get mummified .
• Creator's Culture Carryover : Archer says that he was an Eagle Scout when he was a kid. Malcolm also says he was an Eagle Scout, even though scouts in the UK are grouped by age rather than rank.
• Everyone Has Standards : The Eska may have no qualms about hunting wildlife on other worlds, but they don't go after primates.
• Hollywood Science : Trees and plant life, on a planet with no star!
• Hunting the Most Dangerous Game : The Eska come to Dakala specifically to hunt the Wraiths.
• Interspecies Romance : Downplayed; Archer has a minor crush on the Wraith-Woman as she is modeled after an imaginary woman from a poem Archer had read as a child.
• In Vino Veritas : With the help of some shared alcohol, Archer is able to get the Eska to reveal that they are on Dakala to hunt Wraiths.
• Night-Vision Goggles : Both the Eska and the Enterprise crew use them on Dakala.
• Noodle Incident : Trip mentions a poker game at Jupiter Station as an example of Archer doing something "really foolish."
• Paranoia Fuel : In-Universe —Hoshi tells Trip and Malcolm about bore worms that crawl into people's ears to lay their eggs.
• Rogue Planet : Dakala. It's in the title, after all.
• Series Continuity Error : At one point, Archer lectures the Eska on how hunting has been almost entirely abandoned on Earth for over a century. For one thing, it seems really implausible that hunting wouldn't see a resurgence following World War III and the virtual destruction of society. And for another thing, the TNG episode " New Ground " established that in the mid-22nd century (when this episode is set), hunting was still carried on to enough of an extent to render the white rhino extinct.
• Shapeshifting : The Wraiths can change form into humanoids, plants, etc.
• Starfish Aliens : The Wraith's true form is basically a giant slug.
• True Blue Femininity : The Wraith-Woman wears a blue nightgown.
• Unstable Genetic Code : Phlox gives Trip a report on the DNA of the Wraith. Phlox: The cells are in a state of chromosomal flux. They're mutating. It's as if they're trying to change into something but can't quite figure out what.
• With Due Respect : T'Pol says this when asking Archer if he'd be so interested in finding out about the mysterious woman if it were a scantily-clad male. Guess she's not a Yaoi Fangirl .
• You Have to Believe Me! : Archer has a hard time trying to convince anyone that the woman he saw was real.
• You No Take Candle : It takes a while for the Wraith-Woman to become fluent in English.
• Star Trek Enterprise S 01 E 17 Fusion
• Recap/Star Trek: Enterprise
• Star Trek Enterprise S 01 E 19 Acquisition

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Rogue planet

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A rogue planet was a planet that had broken out of its orbit around a star . However, such a planet may still be capable of supporting life due to geologic activities on it, such as hot gases venting from its interior, forming oases where lifeforms can thrive. The lack of a sun causes rogue planets to exist in a state of perpetual night .

The Founders' homeworld , a rogue planet inside a nebula

The Founders' homeworld in the Omarion Nebula in the Gamma Quadrant was an example of such a planet. ( DS9 : " The Search, Part I ", " The Search, Part II ", " The Die is Cast ")

Dakala , a rogue planet in interstellar space

In 2151 , Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of Enterprise NX-01 discovered a rogue planet named Dakala that was used as a hunting ground by the Eska , whose people had come to the planet for nine generations to kill the indigenous species. Using sensing cloaks which prevented them from being detected, the Eska were able to successfully track down their prey. Their main prey was a sentient species of telepathic shapeshifters , called wraiths by the hunters, who were being killed by the Eska for sport. ( ENT : " Rogue Planet ")

A rogue planetoid

In 2371 , the USS Voyager discovered a rogue planetoid that they thought contained dilithium deposits. In reality, however, it was being used by the Vidiians as an organ lab . ( VOY : " Phage ")

By 2373 , Q had taught his son how to knock small planets out of orbit. ( VOY : " The Q and the Grey ")

In 2381 , the USS Cerritos detected a Crystalline Entity that was in the process of consuming a rogue planet. ( LD : " I, Excretus ")

Rogue planets were among the hazards in the Devron 500 space race . ( LD : " Reflections ")

See also [ ]

• Rogue comet

External links [ ]

• Rogue planet at Wikipedia
• Class R planet at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Rogue Planet

While exploring an uncharted planet, Enterprise crew members encounter a group of aliens who are hunting down indigenous creatures for recreation. During their exploration, Archer is mesmerized by visions of a woman desperately attempting to communicate with him. The woman's ethereal distress signal informs Archer that she and others like her are actually the prey of the alien hunters. Heeding her call, Archer levels the playing field against the alien hunters.

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The 20 best sci-fi TV series

Posted: April 22, 2024 | Last updated: April 22, 2024

As a genre, science fiction has the power to force audiences to think outside the realms of what they believe is possible — to imagine worlds that do not yet exist but might in the future. While some of the most successful and well-known screen examples of sci-fi are movies, over the decades, television has also used the genre to push the boundaries of the medium. Indeed, the very best sci-fi television series are those that ask the audience to think about not just the possibilities of the future but also of what television can accomplish as a method of storytelling. 

'Star Trek'

If there’s one sci-fi series that looms above all others, it would have to be Star Trek .  Whether it’s the original series or its various successors, such as The Next Generation ,  the series has always pushed the boundaries of what could be shown on television, particularly racial representation. What’s more, the series has always tried to envision a more positive and benevolent future, which is in marked contrast to the pessimism so often on offer in the sci-fi genre. In the world of Star Trek ,  there is always hope, and this helps to explain why it remains so beloved.

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Frank Herbert's 'Dune'

Frank Herbert’s sprawling novel Dune   has proved notoriously difficult to faithfully adapt to the screen, but one of the most notable efforts was made by Syfy, transforming it into a miniseries. Though it might lack the operatic grandeur of some other versions of the tale, there is still much to enjoy about this offering. It’s a remarkably faithful rendition of the tale, and several members of the cast deliver outstanding performances as their characters, with Ian McNeice turning Baron Harkonnen into a figure of camp menace and villainy, while Alec Newman brings a remarkable maturity to Paul Atreides. 

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'Andor'

Andor is like almost nothing else from the  Star Wars universe. Though, in essence, a prequel to  Rogue One  —  focusing, as its title implies, on Cassian Andor — it is also so much more than that. Its deliberately paced story focuses on several key characters, including Mon Mothma, as they lay the groundwork for the Rebel Alliance that will ultimately bring about the downfall of the Galactic Empire. There’s a richness and depth to the storytelling in this series, which goes beyond almost anything else  Star Wars has ever attempted, and it is, in its own way, as devastating as the film, which succeeds it in the chronology.  

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'The Mandalorian'

Few franchises are as venerable or as popular as Star Wars ,  and The Mandalorian demonstrated that it was more than capable of leaping television. Focusing on the title character — played by Pedro Pascal — it follows his efforts to keep the tiny being known as Grogu safe from those who would use him for their own evil schemes. Part western, part space opera, and part buddy movie, there’s something for everyone in The Mandalorian . While its second and third seasons moved away from the popular episodic nature of the first season, there’s always a unique pleasure in seeing these two beloved characters share their adventures.  

'The X-Files'

If there’s one show that embodies the 1990s fascination with aliens and the supernatural, it would be The X-Files .  In part, the series’ enduring appeal stems from the chemistry between Gillian Anderson’s Dana Scully and David Duchovny’s Fox Mulder, who make one of the most dynamic duos in TV history. However, it was also a show that excelled at exploring the darker corners of the human psyche and the ever-present fear of the unknown and the unexplained. Ultimately, the series poses the uncomfortable idea that there might really be things out there that defy rational explanation, making it so pleasurable and unsettling.

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Some science fiction series really excels at plunging into the deepest, darkest parts of the present to make compelling and darkly disturbing futures, and Black Mirror   is one of the best. As an anthology series, every episode tells a self-contained story, and many of them are focused on the dangers posed by technology, whether streaming or artificial intelligence. Though the episodes can sometimes vary in quality, at best, the series shows the audience the perils of the future and how the things one takes for granted in the present can become a dangerous and terrifying threat in the future. 

'Man in the High Castle'

The latter half of the 2010s was certainly a period of turbulence and turmoil, so it makes sense that TV would reflect the concerns and anxieties percolating in society’s subconscious. In this alternative history, the Axis Powers actually won World War II, and the series follows several characters in the 1960s as they navigate this fraught and dangerous reality. The series cuts very close to the bone, given the resurgence of fascism in many parts of the West (including the US). For this reason, it remains gripping and often deeply disturbing science fiction television. 

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'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters'

Few monsters are as well-known as Godzilla, but the downside is that he tends to obliterate the human characters who appear in his films (often quite literally). In the Apple TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters ,  however, the focus is very much on a set of human characters as they try to unravel the history and mysteries of the central organization of the title, even as they also have to contend with various monsters (including Godzilla). The series exemplifies how a franchise can expand its cinematic universe using the serialized nature of TV storytelling.

'Planet of the Apes'

Though the TV series Planet of the Apes   might not be quite as famous as the 1968 film, it is still a remarkable piece of television history. Like the film, it focuses on a pair of human astronauts who crash-land on a planet ruled by apes. Given its serial nature, the series is a bit more expansive in scope, and it follows the two astronauts, Colonel Alan Virdon and Major Peter J. Burke, who join up with the renegade chimpanzee doctor, Galen. Though it only lasted one season, it nevertheless gives more depth and complexity to the world hinted at in the film, and it’s a pleasure to see Roddy McDowall return to the franchise where he's so beloved.

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'Battlestar Galactica'

The second iteration of Battlestar Galactica   has come to be regarded as a true masterpiece of science fiction television. It’s easy to see why, engaging with the sorts of heavy philosophical and political questions that are the bread and butter of the best of sci-fi. Helmed by Ronald D. Moore, the series focuses on a group of humans who attempt to find Earth while also fending off the attacks of the android Cylons. There’s a rich darkness to the series that makes for particularly compelling viewing, and its narrative and philosophical complexity is precisely what makes it such a compelling piece of sci-fi television. 

'Futurama'

Futurama is arguably the series that just won’t quit, having been canceled and revived several times. Despite its reversals of fortune, it has never lost its unique and quirky sense of humor, nor its ability to spoof some of the most common tropes in science fiction. However, the characters allow this show to continue year after year, whether it’s the lovable doofus Fry, the competent and no-nonsense Leela, or the irascible Bender. No matter how many years go by, rejoining these characters and seeing what adventure they will get into next is always a pleasure.

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'The Twilight Zone'

Few television series have had quite as much of a cultural impact as The Twilight Zone .  Created and hosted by Rod Serling, each episode was designed to be thought-provoking and terrifying. The series’ brilliance lay in its ability to draw on the contemporary anxieties of Cold War America, forcing the viewer to confront many of their assumptions and beliefs about the world and how it works. Like the best of science fiction, it managed to keep the viewer riveted throughout the episode, and the sting that often came at the end was like a bolt of lightning, shocking the audience out of its complacency. It’s easy to see why the show continues to have such a lasting legacy.

'Doctor Who'

Few sci-fi series have had as much longevity as Doctor Who ,  which is still going strong after several decades. The series succeeds for several reasons, but it certainly helps that it can cast different actors in the central role of the Doctor (with Ncuti Gatwa poised to take over the role). The series thrives on both change and continuity, and it’s one of those series that combines thought-provoking drama with genuine human warmth, pathos, and narrative stakes. More than that, it’s the kind of series that genuinely loves its characters and invites the viewer to lose themselves in its sprawling fictional universe.

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'Orphan Black'

Tatiana Maslany is nothing short of brilliant in Orphan Black ,  in which she plays several clones, including the main character, Sarah Manning. The series asks some tough questions about the nature of identity and the ethical questions of cloning, but the real highlight is Maslany’s varied and textured performances. It would be remarkable enough if she could create just one character with Manning's emotional depth. Still, she plays several individuals, teasing out their personalities and foibles. It’s the kind of science fiction series that forces the viewer to sit with some uncomfortable questions.

'Fringe'

Even though TV networks tend to be more risk-averse than their cable cousins, every so often, they are willing to take a gamble and produce something extraordinary. One notable example of this phenomenon is Fringe ,  which lasted for five seasons on Fox. After a bit of a rocky start, it soon grew into its own, and there was something remarkably addictive about its story focusing on a group of FBI agents studying a parallel universe. It certainly helps that it was anchored by a terrific cast, and John Noble is particularly extraordinary as the mad scientist Dr. Walter Bishop.

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'The Expanse'

The Expanse is arguably one of the best series to have appeared on the network Syfy. Based on James S.A. Corey’s series of novels, the show is very much invested in examining technology, politics, and personal agency. It’s a sprawling story, but it remains anchored by the characters at the story’s heart. Unlike some adaptations, it remains largely faithful to its source material, even as it also embarks on its own path, with cinematography almost unlike anything else seen either on Syfy or television more generally. It’s a testament to what science fiction can look like when it takes big and bold risks. 

'For All Mankind'

Apple TV has proved quite willing to be adventurous in its choices for series, leading to a flowering of thoughtful science fiction on the streamer. For All Mankind   is a fascinating alternative history series where the space race never ended, leading to numerous changes in American society and culture that did not happen in the real world. While the series is obviously very invested in building up this fascinating and wonderful new world, it also pays meticulous attention to its characters, allowing the viewer to become invested in this brave new world. 

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'Foundation'

Isaac Asimov’s sprawling and ambitious Foundation   series is the basis for the Apple TV series of the same name, arguably one of the most epic productions currently on American television. Focusing on the efforts of a brave group of researchers to protect the knowledge of civilization before an inevitable collapse, it is a fascinating rumination on the nature of history itself. It also features a truly dynamic and eclectic performance from Lee Pace, who plays a succession of cloned emperors who have to decide what actions to take when faced with the end of an entire way of life. Foundation is the perfect blend of majestic visuals and thought-provoking social commentary. 

'Scavengers Reign'

This is something of a golden age for thought-provoking animated series, and though Scavengers Reign   has somewhat flown under the radar, it is nevertheless worth a watch. It focuses on a group of survivors from a spaceship who struggle to escape the planet on which they have been stranded. The series is filled with exquisite visuals that illustrate how beautiful and deadly the planet is, and it excels at capturing the absolute strangeness of the environment in which humans find themselves. At once thought-provoking and disturbing — there’s more than a little body horror on offer — Scavengers Reign   manages to tell a self-contained story while leaving room for future seasons and stories. 

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'Raised By Wolves'

Raised by Wolves is one of the most compelling and innovative series to have emerged on HBO Max. Focusing on a pair of androids tasked with raising a group of human children on a distant planet, the series asks some fascinating and troubling questions about the nature of human consciousness, the role of science and religion in human societies, and artificial intelligence. The series can sometimes be a bit challenging, particularly once its story takes some unexpected turns in the second season. However, its ambitious scope makes it one of the more exemplary examples of what science fiction TV can accomplish.

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