Strange New World (Star Trek: Enterprise)

Enterprise passes a previously unknown Minshara-class planet with an Earth-like atmosphere and surface. Captain Archer orders a shuttle to be prepared for an away mission. After an afternoon studying the planet, Sub-Commander T'Pol, Commander Tucker, and Ensign Mayweather request further time on the planet, and do so with Archer's approval. Crewmen Cutler and Novakovich are also allowed to remain on the surface to study nocturnal life. The Captain and Lieutenant Reed then return to Enterprise.

Later that evening, a violent storm front approaches so Tucker suggests that the landing party use the cave that T'Pol discovered earlier for shelter. Once there, Mayweather goes back to the original camp-site to recover food, and notices three humanoid life-forms wandering around, but T'Pol's scans reveal no unusual bio-signs. In the confines of the cave, Crewmen Cutler and Novakovich begin seeing and hearing humanoids too. Tucker also reports to Archer about seeing a mysterious alien life form too. Searching for these other lifeforms, T'Pol takes a phase pistol and walks deeper into the cave. In her absence however, the landing party then become increasingly suspicious of her behavior, thinking that she is withholding information about the aliens from them.

Concerned, Archer and Reed attempt to reach the landing party in a shuttlepod, but cannot do so until the wind dies down. Novakavich is emergency beamed up due to his erratic behavior and bio-sign, and Doctor Phlox finds he has been exposed to tropolisine, a hallucinogenic compound found in pollen. Phlox also discovers he is near-death, poisoned by an unexpected side-effect of the chemical. On the planet, Tucker is increasingly suffering from hallucinations. T'Pol reports to Archer that he is irrational and that Mayweather and Cutler are nearly unconscious. Reed beams an antidote down to the cave, and despite Tucker's interference, T'Pol is able to administer it. The next morning, the storm blows over, and everyone is fine.

"Strange New World" marked the first occasion in which Anthony Montgomery participated in stunt work, finding that his previous work in the television series Awesome Adventures proved beneficial. He explained in an interview shortly after that he wanted to participate in as many stunt activities as the producers would let him.[1]

"Strange New World" was noted by USA Today as an interesting episode of the franchise, pointing out the tension between humans and vulcan aliens in the Pre-Federation setting of this show.[2] They note the fresh take on the Star Trek universe is a "whole lot of fun" highlighting the tension between first time space-explorer Captain Archer and Vulcan T'Pol.[3]

For the first showing of this episode, Time Warner Cable had the following description in their channel guide.

"The crew of the Enterprise encounters pollen."

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Strange New World

• Strange New World at IMDb

• Strange New World at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

• Strange New World at StarTrek.com