Star Trek: Enterprise Episode Review
Season 3, Episode 10
After an accident leaves Trip in a coma, Phlox proposes an extreme procedure to save him by creating a clone to harvest tissue from.
At a point when the third season is struggling to justify its new direction, episodes like "Similitude" are welcome reminders that Enterprise has what it takes to put out a great episode. In fact, I would go as far as to say this is Enterprise's best episode so far. The series has attempted this type of thoughtful moral quandary episode before, but didn't get it right -- the controversial ending of "Dear Doctor" and offensive "Cogenitor" are two examples. "Similitude" gets it right by exploring its philosophic issue with more intelligence, thoroughly exploring the issue with intelligence rather than stumbling through to an unsatisfying ending.
And what a fascinating issue it is. In some ways, "Similitude" revisits the themes of Voyager's divisive "Tuvix," an infamous and flawed episode that garners attention to this day for posing the question of whether two lives are more valuable than one. "Similitude" slightly modifies this to whether a longer and more skilled life is more valuable than a shorter and less skilled one. The reason "Similitude" works and "Tuvix" doesn't is because it doesn't shy away from the disturbing consequences of the ultumate decision. Voyager chickens out, ending the episode immediately after Tuvix dies, not giving time for Neelix and Tuvok to react to the situation, or for Janeway to sit with what she's done. "Similitude" is deeply interested in exploring what would bring Captain Archer to such a decision and depicting the toll it takes on him, and Trip reflects on the situation deeply.
This is one of Enterprise's hardest-hitting episodes emotionally, and a lot of that is thanks to the outstanding performances from its actors, who jump at the chance to work with such mature material. Connor Trinneer plays Sim with Trip's same charm, but also a youthful earnestness that helps the audience clock that this is not Trip. Scott Bakula dives deep into the turbulent emotions felt by Captain Archer as he continues to slide down the slippery slope of justifying terrible actions for the sake of the mission. His conflicted Archer is more convincing here than in previous installments like "Anomaly" and "The Shipment," where it came across as forced. When his composure breaks and he shouts at Sim that he's willing to kill him, Bakula's performance gives us the sense that Archer's anger isn't really at Sim, but at himself. This is one of the darkest sentiments we have ever seen expressed by a Starfleet captain, and helps place "Similitude" firmly within the Xindi arc despite its standalone plot. Finally, John Billingsley as Phlox does a lot of emotional heavy lifting by so genuinely tapping into the emotions of fatherhood, having proven in last season's "The Breach" that he can crush this kind of material. This genuine emotionality helps ground the audience in the reality of this bizarre situation.
If there are flaws with this episode, they are in just how contrived everything is. How convenient that Phlox, mad scientist-coded though he is, would have a clone-maker in his menagerie, how convenient that Sim gains Trip's memories as he ages, and how convenient that Phlox's procedure turns out to be lethal. These are necessary for the drama to have maximum emotional impact, but it is too easy to see the hand of the author, so the episode sometimes comes across as manipulative and inauthentic.
There is also the fact while the episode does stir emotions with effective drama, the sci-fi problem is so out there that it loses real-life specificity. The script sufficiently explores the nuance and moral compromise associated with choosing one life over another, but there is no real-life social commentary here, just a philosophical thought experiment. This problem could have lent itself to an abortion allegory, but it's clear that Enterprise was more interested in the sci-fi scenario. This is why the expressive emotional performances of Trinneer, Bakula, and Billingsley are so key for giving the viewer something relatable to latch onto.
One of the most noteworthy aspects of "Similitude" is its writer: first time Trek writer Manny Coto. This script shows remarkable audacity and nuance for an Enterprise writer. There is a deep understanding on display of Archer, Trip, and Phlox, as well as of how the franchise crafts its morality plays. This debut script shows incredible potential, so it is fitting that Coto would soon rise to the role of showrunner for Enterprise's fourth, final, and highest-praised season.
