Proving Ground (Enterprise episode)

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"Proving Ground" is the title of an episode from the third season of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. Its episode number is 065, and it first aired on 21 January 2004 (Paramount Pictures, n.d.).

[edit] Plot summary

Archer views an unlikely ally

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The episode begins with the Enterprise traversing a series of spatial anomalies in the Delphic Expanse. When confronted with a particularly dangerous anomaly, the Enterprise is rescued by Andorians using a tractor beam. The Andorians claim they are interested in helping Enterprise in its mission to subvert the deployment of a Xindi weapon against Earth, in the interest of forming a close alliance with humanity. In the end, however, it is revealed that the Andorians actually have no interest in helping the humans, but rather are self-interested: they merely want to acquire the weapon to give them an upper hand in a border conflict with the Vulcans (Black & Livingston, 2004).

Before the Andorians reveal their true motives, they work together with the humans to locate the site of testing of the Xindi weapon. In an armed battle with the Xindi, the Andorian/human alliance captures the weapon and stores it aboard the Andorian vessel. Archer then learns of the Andorians' real plan, and back aboard the Enterprise, he threatens to detonate the weapon unless the Andorians release it from their ship. This ultimatum is resisted by Shran (Paramount Pictures, n.d.), the commander of the Andorian ship. When Archer orders the initiation of the detonation sequence, however, Shran obliges and releases it. The weapon explodes, damaging the Andorian ship but leaving the Enterprise virtually unharmed. Finally, the Enterprise's encounter with the Andorians is over—for now (Black & Livingston, 2004).

In an interesting side note, the audience learns more about the Vulcans' first contact with the Andorians, in a conversation between T'Pol and Archer: T'Pol described the Andorians as having been initially benevolent toward the Vulcans, but later becoming more "duplicitous" (Black & Livingston, 2004).

Preceded by:
" Chosen Realm "

Star Trek: Enterprise episodes

Followed by:
" Stratagem"

[edit] References

Black, C. (Writer), & Livingston, D. (Director). (2004). Proving ground. [Television series episode]. In Berman, R. (Producer), & Braga, B. (Producer), Star Trek: Enterprise. Hollywood: Paramount Pictures.
Paramount Pictures. (n.d.). Proving ground. In Series & movies. Retrieved January 26, 2004 from http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/3480.html