Warp Five 236: This Old Chair / by C Bryan Jones

“Singularity” 20th-anniversary reflections

Running Time: 46 minutes 57 seconds
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When the crew of the NX-01 discovers a class-four black hole, they decide to investigate. But the closer they get, the more they lose grip on reality. As they approach the black hole, they each become obsessed with trivial matters. Reed searches for the perfect alarm to get everyone’s attention, Hoshi seeks to make the perfect dish, Phlox turns into Dr. Frankenstein, and Trip prepares to pitch his new HGTV series, This Old Chair. Thankfully, Vulcan physiology is unaffected by the phenomenon and T’Pol is able to pull everyone out of danger at the last second.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we continue Season 2 with “Singularity” as we discuss a story that’s been told many times before and ask how well it works this time around.

Chapters

Intro (00:00:00)
A Familiar Story (00:02:26)
This Old Chair (00:10:01)
Reed Alert! (00:12:59)
Getting Salty with Sato (00:20:08)
Archer the Author (00:25:44)
Dr. Phloxenstein (00:28:53)
Thank Goodness for T’Pol (00:35:29)
Final Thoughts and Ratings (00:37:36)
Closing (00:40:59)

Hosts

C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production

C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)

Featured
Warp Five 251: Proof of Concept
Warp Five 251: Proof of Concept

“First Flight” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story serves as a resounding proof of concept for the original idea for the series, meeting Trip, how Archer’s experiences with AG Robinson prepared him to be a leader, and more.

Warp Five 250: Popsicle Drones
Warp Five 250: Popsicle Drones

“Regeneration” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss using the Borg at a time long before they were known to Starfleet, how to do a prequel right, how the story sets up Archer and his crew for the challenges of Season 3, and more.

Warp Five 249: Linguistic Games
Warp Five 249: Linguistic Games

“Cogenitor” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss first contact, equal rights, cultural relativism, missed opportunities, and why we wish this important story had been expanded and revisited.

Warp Five 248: Bad Blood
Warp Five 248: Bad Blood

“The Breach” 20th-anniversary reflections. We explore caves and discuss lingering animosity, overcoming preconceived notions, Archer as the voice of reason, adding depth to Denobulans, and that very special guest star.

Warp Five 247: The Other Side of Life
Warp Five 247: The Other Side of Life

“Horizon” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss  family dynamics, what could have been for Travis, Archer’s leadership, T’Pol's book club, and the unxpected connection between the Mayweather and Janeway families.

Warp Five 246: Challenging the Empire
Warp Five 246: Challenging the Empire

“Judgment” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story revisits The Undiscovered Country, works to maintain continuity, and challenges the concept of Klingon society..

Warp Five 245: A Slice of White Bread
Warp Five 245: A Slice of White Bread

“The Crossing” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the story’s promising start, the Wisps, Archer’s actions, and missed opportunities to really explore the heart of Star Trek.

Warp Five 244: ’Tis a Scary Place
Warp Five 244: ’Tis a Scary Place

“Canamar” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss the frightening encounters humans have with aliens during these early days of deep space exploration, how the story came to be, and what it has to say about attempts to control people and curb crime in real world societies.

Warp Five 243: Stop Messing with Time!
Warp Five 243: Stop Messing with Time!

“Future Tense” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story reminds viewers that the Temporal Cold War storyline still exists while saving itself from filler status by delivering important chartacter growth for T’Pol, plus some fun with time along the way.

Warp Five 242: Toward the Federation
Warp Five 242: Toward the Federation

“Cease Fire” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story brings the Federation’s founding worlds closer together through a growing relationship and trust among unlikely players.

Warp Five 241: An Element of Ignorance
Warp Five 241: An Element of Ignorance

“Stigma” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how this story, which aired during Viacom’s HIV awareness campaign in 2003, advances the development of Vulcan society while deftly balancing serious and comedic stories to make a strong statement about cultural differences and unfounded prejudice.

Warp Five 240: Darmok Lite?
Warp Five 240: Darmok Lite?

“Dawn” 20th-anniversary reflections. We ask whether this story is just an attempt to recreate the magic of “Darmok,” a clone of the film Enemy Mine, or something much more.

Warp Five 239: Deep-Fried Crew
Warp Five 239: Deep-Fried Crew

“The Catwalk” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how a bag of Star Trek tropes is reassembled into a story which only this series could tell, and how the situation brings the whole crew together for the better.

Warp Five 238: It Happened One Night
Warp Five 238: It Happened One Night

“Precious Cargo” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss why the story is perfect for Trip’s character, try to explain away Padma Lakshmi’s cardboard delivery, revel in bad cop T’Pol, and consider why the creators themselves see this as one of the worst episodes they ever produced.

Warp Five 237: Eight Seconds of Insanity
Warp Five 237: Eight Seconds of Insanity

“Vanishing Point” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the mind plays tricks on us, boogeymen in the transport beam, and how the story’s mystery unfolds. We also debate what Mr. Sato’s confusion over physics and family says about how Hoshi views her dad.

Warp Five 236: This Old Chair
Warp Five 236: This Old Chair

“Singularity” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss discuss a story that’s been told many times before and ask how well it works this time around. We also search for the ideal klaxon, the perfect soup, and one kick-ass chair.

Warp Five 235: Peel-Off Prosthetics
Warp Five 235: Peel-Off Prosthetics

“The Communicator” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story takes a throwaway ending to an Original Series episode and addresses the real-world repurcussions of leaving technology behind on a less-advanced planet.

Warp Five 234: Secret Agent Pants
Warp Five 234: Secret Agent Pants

“The Seventh” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss what the episode has to say about Vulcan society, how it connects to the world 20 years after it was written, what is does for the Archer–T’Pol relationship, and more.

Warp Five 233: Seven Samurai
Warp Five 233: Seven Samurai

“Marauders” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story mirrors its Akira Kurosawa inspiration, Seven Samurai, grows the relationship between Archer and T’Pol, and gets the full crew involved.

Warp Five 232: T'Ponathan
Warp Five 232: T'Ponathan

“A Night in Sickbay” 20th-anniversary reflections. We take a look inside the heads of Archer and Phlox, chase bats, and explore sexy canines and shipping.

Warp Five 231: The Haunted House of Catfish
Warp Five 231: The Haunted House of Catfish

“Dead Stop” 20th-anniversary reflections. We enter a pristine house of horrors with offers that seem too good to be true—one that puts humanity in its place and proves that Roxann Dawson knows how to do eerie. Anyone up for a side of cornbread?

Warp Five 230: Dancing around Romulans
Warp Five 230: Dancing around Romulans

“Minefield” 20th-anniversary reflections. We get inside the heads of Reed and Archer to explore their relationship and discuss the value of simplicity in storytelling as well as the challenge of bringing the Romulans into the series years before that famous viewscreen moment.

Warp Five 229: I Love Lucy (And So Do You)
Warp Five 229: I Love Lucy (And So Do You)

“Carbon Creek” 20th-anniversary reflections. We explore the rewriting of history, diversity among Vulcans, how the writers turned a grab bag of Star Trek's greatest time travel hits into a delightful chance to decompress, and the franchise’s tribute to Lucille Ball.

Warp Five 228: I Have a Son and He Will Go to Saturn
Warp Five 228: I Have a Son and He Will Go to Saturn

“Shockwave, Part II” 20th-anniversary reflections. We explore a future in jeopardy, how portrayal of the future has changed over 20 years, the transformation of T'Pol, and how Jonathan Archer is so pivotal to the future of the Federation.

Warp Five 227: Let No Good Crisis Go to Waste
Warp Five 227: Let No Good Crisis Go to Waste

“Shockwave” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how this story moves the Temporal Cold War toward a hot one, Archer's guilt, the use of time travel, and the repercussions of the efforts of the Suliban and Future Guy to change history.

Warp Five 226: Intergalactic Florida
Warp Five 226: Intergalactic Florida

“Two Days and Two Nights” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss this fun shore leave story that brings some serious commentary, contrasting Hoshi's experience with that of Trip and Malcolm and discussing the portrayal of language, technology, and the ongoing Suliban plot.

Warp Five 225: Let’s Play Some Sand Polo!
Warp Five 225: Let’s Play Some Sand Polo!

“Desert Crossing” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the episode serves as a proto-Prime Directive story, Archer's reputation, shades of gray, and how the story could have benefited from more information and the mini-arc format found in Season 4.

Warp Five 224: So Much Unexpected Behavior
Warp Five 224: So Much Unexpected Behavior

“Fallen Hero” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how the story brings us an unexpected take on Vulcans and an ambassador who we wish we'd seen more of, as well as the realities of life in deep space and picking the right Hawaiian shirt.

Warp Five 223: It’s All About Communication
Warp Five 223: It’s All About Communication

“Vox Sola” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how this story approaches the importance of communication, the nuance of language, and cross-cultural misunderstanding from many angles, plus the attempt to bring a truly alien alien to Star Trek.

Warp Five 222: Timeless Allegory
Warp Five 222: Timeless Allegory

“Detained” 20th-anniversary reflections. We discuss how this story meant as commentary on the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II has a much more timeless message about wrongs repeated throughout history.