First Flight (episode)

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"First Flight"
ENT, Episode 2x24 Production number: 050 First aired: 14 May 2003
←	49th of 97 produced in ENT	→
←	49th of 97 released in ENT	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 97 released in ENT Remastered
←	678th of 726 released in all	→

Written By John Shiban & Chris Black Directed By LeVar Burton
Unknown (2153/2143)
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When he is told of the death of an old rival, Archer reflects on his days in the NX test program.

[edit] Summary

The Enterprise detects a nebula of what they believe to be dark matter. But Captain Archer's excitement at discovering the nebula is dampened when Admiral Forrest contacts him and informs him that an old comrade, A.G. Robinson, had died in a mountaineering accident.

After Trip Tucker loads six warheads onto a shuttlepod to excite the dark matter, Archer and T'Pol take the shuttlepod out to the nebula. After departure, T'Pol inquires about Robinson. Archer begins to tell her of when they had served in Starfleet together.

[edit] Past

Commander Jonathan Archer meets with Commodore Forrest and proudly announces that he achieved a 92% efficiency in the warp reactor simulation. But he is disappointed when Forrest tells him that Robinson had been selected to pilot the NX-Alpha.

Jonathan Archer supervising the flight of the NX-Alpha in 2143

The next morning, however, Robinson easily breaks the warp 2 barrier. But when he ignores orders to drop to impulse, he accelerates and the ship explodes shortly after reaching warp 2.2. Robinson, fortunately, survived by jettisoning an escape pod while at warp.

The Vulcans immediately claim that this proves that Humans are progressing in warp technology too quickly, and that the warp program will have to be postponed and the warp engine built from scratch. Archer expresses outrage at the idea, and he is joined by Charles Tucker, an engineer working on the NX program.

Later in the 602 Club, Archer and his new friend Trip Tucker agree that it isn't the engine at fault, but rather the intermix ratio. Further adding to Archer's anger is that Robinson admits that he faced the Vulcans and blamed the destruction of the NX-Alpha on Henry Archer's warp engine design. Archer and Robinson get into a fight which is shortly broken up.

Later, Archer discovers Robinson in the locker room packing, and convinces him that if they could get the intermix right, the ship would achieve stable warp flight. Robinson suggest that they test the theory by stealing the NX-Beta. Archer reluctantly agrees.

With the assistance of Tucker on the ground, Archer and Robinson launch the NX-Beta and enter warp. As Starfleet Security realizes that the ship has been stolen, the NX-Beta encounters similar problems that destroyed the NX-Alpha. However, just as security moves in on Tucker, Archer proudly announces that they are maintaining a steady warp 2.5, thus proving the engine design works.

[edit] Present

Archer tells T'Pol that the Vulcans grounded the warp ships until every possible simulation could be run. After a year, however, they admitted that the engine was sound after all.

They launch the final two warheads, the previous four having failed, and are rewarded with a nebula appearing before their eyes.

Back on the Enterprise, T'Pol makes the suggestion to Archer that the dark matter cloud be named the Robinson Nebula, after A.G. Robinson.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"You remember what Buzz Aldrin said when he stepped onto the moon?"
"No."
"Nobody does. Because Armstrong went first."

- Archer and Ruby

"Optimism doesn't alter the laws of physics."

- T'Pol, to Archer

"One thing I learned from A.G.: You're never going to get anywhere without taking risks."
"You obviously admired this man."
"Quite a bit."
"And yet he cracked your molar?"
"Yeah, Humans can have funny ways of forming friendships."
"To say the least."

- Archer and T'Pol

"When the first warp five starship is built, its captain won't be able to call home every time he needs to make a decision. He won't be able to turn to the Vulcans. Unless he decides to take one with him."

- A.G. Robinson, to Archer

"Don't worry, you'll get out there some day. If I had my own ship, I'd sign you up in a second."
"I'm going to hold you to that!"

- Archer and Tucker

"We didn't build this engine to make test runs around Jupiter. We built it to explore! If my father were alive today, he'd be standing here asking: 'What the hell are we waiting for?' "

- Archer, to Commodore Forrest

[edit] Background Information

This is the 50th episode of the series produced.
Dr. Phlox (John Billingsley), Lt. Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating), and Ensign Travis Mayweather (Anthony Montgomery) do not appear in this episode. Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) appears in one scene and has only one line.
Trip Tucker refers to Captain Jefferies, an engineer who worked on the NX program in the 2140s who later helped designed the NX class. This is a reference to Matt Jefferies who was the art director of Star Trek: The Original Series and designed the Enterprise, the D7-class Klingon battle cruiser, the Romulan Bird-of-Prey and many other ships. The Jefferies tubes are also named after him. He died on July 21, 2003, two months after this episode first aired.
In the 602 Club there are paintings and patches of many of the spacecraft mentioned on Star Trek, including the DY-100 class (possibly Khan Noonien Singh's ship), the Phoenix, the NX-Alpha, and the USS Enterprise (XCV 330). A patch of the Earth-Saturn probe, featuring Christopher, and added astronauts O'Herlihy and Fontana, named after the director and writer of "Tomorrow is Yesterday", the episode where it was mentioned.
Also in the bar is the Rings game from VOY: "Fair Haven".
Vaughn Armstrong, Michael Canavan and Victor Bevine all guest-starred in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Armstrong played Danar in "Past Prologue" and Seskal in "When It Rains..." and "The Dogs of War". Canavan played Tamal in "Defiant" and Bevine played Belar in "Things Past". LeVar Burton directed Bevine in the latter episode and this one.
This episode marks the first appearance of a commodore in Star Trek since the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode "The Counter-Clock Incident". The only other mentions have been Commodore Probert in radio chatter in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a brief appearance in the council chambers in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and a dubious mention in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Enemy".
The NX hangar exterior was previously seen in the sci-fi series Seven Days as the Never Never Land facility.
Among the items from this episode which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay were two Pilsner glasses [1], Keith Carradine's uniform and boots [2], and a 602 Club menu card. [3]

[edit] DVD releases

As part of the ENT Season 2 DVD
As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Captain's Log collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] References

602 Club; Aldrin, Buzz; Alice Springs; Armstrong, Neil; beer; bourbon; Bread Salad; Burger and Fries; Caroline; Chester; Columbia (NX-01); court martial; Cyrus; Duvall; Enterprise, USS (XCV-330); escape pod; Fontana: Gardner; Holmes, Sherlock; Italy; Jefferies; Jupiter; Jupiter, moons of; Luna; Mount McKinley; midnight oil; mushrooms; New Berlin; NX Control; NX program; NX-Alpha; NX-Beta; NX-Delta; NX class; pretzel; O'Herlihy; Potato Gratin; Robinson Nebula; Rosalie; Rosti a la 602; Sandwich de Jour; San Francisco; Starfleet Mission Control; Starfleet Museum; Steamed Veggies; Tycho Base; Vulcan; Vulcan Advisory Council; Vulcan database; Vulcan Science Directorate; warp 2 barrier; warp barrier; warp drive

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