North Star

I liked this episode quite a bit. Although I enjoy the Xindi arc, stand alone episodes are nice too. I think the fact that it is a western should let you know from the beginning not to take it too seriously, but that is why I enjoyed it. Like many other episodes, it does wrap up somewhat quickly, but I thought it was a decent ending. It's worth watching if you enjoy westerns, but if you only care about the Xindi story arc you can skip this one without missing anything. I thought it was good though, a lot better than many other stand alone episodes.

I definitely disagree with others' opinion that this is the worst episode of the season, but that is their opinion and that is fine. I just wanted to agree with the first review to balance out the other two reviews.

As we make our way toward Xindi and their horrors, we suddenly find ourselves in a classic Western. What's the motivation? What's the point in the progression? Anyway, there are two races in a small space on a planet. One is dominant and cruel. The other is the oppressed. They have ties to Earth and have evolved very little. The episode begins with the lynching of one of the oppressed society (called Skags). Archer and the gang infiltrate the town, hoping to keep a low profile. He demands it of them and then becomes the center of attention when he plies his contempt for the baddies. Yes it's entertaining, but it's hardly Star Trek.

Residents of a 19th century town straight out of a spaghetti western were abducted by aliens hundreds of years ago and brought to a planet in the expanse to serve as slave labor. By the time Archer and crew get there, they have turned the tables. The Skags (their alien abductors) live in segregated towns and are not allowed to receive an education, and vigilante bullies are permitted to run amok among them. But there is a teacher who wants to change all of this.

Noteworthy for its originality, good cinematography and acting performances, North Star is a solid entry in the Enterprise Catalog. it is also a nice stand-alone break from the Xindi story arc which dominated the 3rd season. It is also another contribution to the series' thematic examination of pre-prime directive space exploration. Fans of TOS might enjoy Archer's Jim Kirk-like approach to the problems he encounters.

Archer, T'Pol and Trip visit a planet with six thousand humans still living in the Wild West style and one thousand Skagaraans living marginally. They disclose that humans had been abducted three hundred years ago to slave work, but they have reverted the situation and killed most of the Skags. The alien survivors presently does not have right to education and they a loathed by most of the population. When Archer and the teacher Bethany are arrested for teaching Skags, he decides to interfere in the society.

"North Star" is so far the most inconsistent and the worst episode of this Third Season. The story is not original, and Archer violates the principle of not interfering in other societies. Further, the writer shamefully forgets the "Father of Aviation" Alberto Santos-Dumont, the first man to build and fly experimental aircraft, giving the credit to the Wright Brothers. Maybe a side effect of the Delphic Expanse. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Estrela Polar" ("North Star")

I didn't find too many X-Files references though...

It was basically a Star Trek episode in a western setting. But not an imaginary western setting like "specter of the gun", The premise of this would probably be "what if people from the 1800s were uprooted from earth and then brought to an alien planet"?

Unfortunately an alien planet that looked more like Westworld... there should have been alien beasts. A few are referenced, but not shown.

Apparently a group of aliens called The Skagarans kidnapped the wrong people from Tombstone... and the whole thing backfired on them.

This plotline is similar to the Star Trek Voyager episode "the 37s", where more intelligent people had been taken during World War II, including Amelia Earhart. So this episode of Enterprise in the Delphic expanse is a contrast to the episode of Voyager, on the other side of the galaxy in the Delta quadrant.

It is as if these people in the town of Northstar decided to continue living in the 1800s, this is a completely non-progressive society. All of their laws are intended for suppression and for keeping status quo and preventing any kind of progress from occurring. Whereas in "the 37s", the progressive descendants of those kidnapped by aliens for practically the exact same purpose, lived in "three beautiful cities". It is a good contrast to show: similar origins, different fates. Watch both episodes and compare. And it makes you wonder: the aliens in "the 37s", were those also Skagarans, but with a different name? Because the backstory between the two episodes is practically identical.

Archer meets some interesting people, first off there is Deputy Bennings (James Parks, Son of Michael Parks, "Edger McGraw" from Quentin Tarantino films).

That was perfect casting right there. Of course this was another opportunity for Glenn Morshower to play a sheriff.

And Emily Bergl (From the Spielberg-Produced mini series "Taken"), as a girl who does not know her own heritage.

Although this episode does not progress the Xindi story, it is a typical Star Trek episode, Archer finds something on a planet that is offkilter and he figures out a way of making it right without interfering too much.

Except for the gun fight involving the MACOs and Benning's deputies... but that was also good contrast, one group using pistols, the other group using phase pistols and phase rifles with a sniper scope... Shades of Unreal Tournament!