Detained (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Captain Archer and Ensign Mayweather wake up in a Tandaran prison. They are soon met by Major Klev, who orders them both to the office of Colonel Grat. Grat interrogates them in detail regarding their intrusion into Tandaran space and the Suliban, and says that they will have to appear before a magistrate in three days time. He also refuses to allow Archer to contact Enterprise, but does so himself and appraises them of the current situation. Upon hearing this, Commander Tucker advocates an escape attempt, but Sub-Commander T'Pol prefers to avoid provoking the Tandarans further, and orders Enterprise to Tandar Prime.

Later, Archer meets a Suliban called Danik, who tells him that they are in Detention Complex 26, an internment camp for Suliban imprisoned when the Cabal began attacking the Tandaran Sector eight years previously. In his office, Grat questions Archer in detail about the events of episode "Broken Bow", and also demands information about the Temporal Cold War. Archer wonders why innocent Suliban are being held prisoner, but Grat warns that delaying could result in Archer missing the transport to Tandar Prime. Grat contacts the Enterprise to report that the hearing has unfortunately been "delayed", allowing Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato to triangulate his signal and locate the prison.

That night, a communicator is beamed to Archer and Mayweather's cell. Archer tells Tucker he wants to help the Suliban escape, and Danik says his people can go to the Niburon Colonies, away from the Tandar Sector. The following morning Grat discovers the communicator and Archer is sent to isolation as punishment. Aboard Enterprise, T'Pol uses torpedoes to ward off the Tandaran defense-ships before clearing Tucker to launch in a shuttle-pod. Mayweather distracts Klev, allowing a Suliban-disguised Reed to activate charges and initiate the escape. As they flee, Grat argues that the Suliban will all go to join the Cabal, but Archer says that he doesn't know the Suliban very well, despite having been in charge for a long time.

Prior to Enterprise, main cast member Scott Bakula had appeared for several years in the American science fiction television series Quantum Leap alongside Dean Stockwell. Because of the relationship between the two characters, there were suggestions at the start of Enterprise that Stockwell could make an appearance. Bakula suggested that Stockwell should appear in the show, saying "wouldn't that be great if we could get him on? It has to be; we've got to do it."[1] However, at the start of the first season, this prospect was denied in interviews.[2]

In 2014, The A.V. Club gave this an honorable mention, in their list of recommended Enterprise television episodes.[3]

In 2016, "Detained" was ranked this episode the tenth most essential episode of Enterprise, noting how Captain Archer must deal with an internment camp.[4]

In 2016, Vox rated this one of the top 25 essential episodes of all Star Trek.[5]

• "Detained" at IMDb
• "Detained" at TV.com

• Detained at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

• Detained at StarTrek.com