It broke my heart to see one of the crewmembers die, then at the end ... but I won't spoil it for you. Enjoyed hearing "B'Elanna's" voice (from "Voyager") as the repair station's computer. The tension really builds in this hour so that made it very unusual. And that final shot ... wow! Really good.
11 Reviews
Galactic Service Station
Hitchcoc16 March 2017
The Enterprise is reeling from the Romulan mine field damage. They are in the middle of nowhere with little prospect of repair. So they send out a distress signal and are coaxed to a sort of space repair station. The cost of doing these significant repairs is very small, relatively speaking, and soon the repairs are under way. The crew is also treated to some fine food and entertainment. The device heals Malcolm's leg, but it takes Trip about two minutes to get him into some really bad behavior. They start to head toward the main computer on the station but Malcolm is transported back to Enterprise. Everything seems too good to be true and Archer wonders why they are so blessed. We get that answer shortly when Mayweather answers a call. Nicely done episode.
The Enterprise Meets HAL the Mechanic
Samuel-Shovel24 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
After sustaining damage to the Enterprise in last episode's mine field debacle, Captain Archer and the gang find an autonomous repair station that may just be more than meets the eye.
This episode builds on what's really been a good season up to this point. The horror elements in play in this one almost remind the viewer of HAL as the repair station attempts to outwit the Enterprise crew.
The conclusion is fitting and I even enjoyed the little stinger scene we get of the station putting itself back together. I doubt we ever get to see this station again or even find out who built it, but I enjoyed this episode nonetheless.
This episode builds on what's really been a good season up to this point. The horror elements in play in this one almost remind the viewer of HAL as the repair station attempts to outwit the Enterprise crew.
The conclusion is fitting and I even enjoyed the little stinger scene we get of the station putting itself back together. I doubt we ever get to see this station again or even find out who built it, but I enjoyed this episode nonetheless.
Pure sci-fi glory. Superb episode!
BrickNash29 November 2014
Now this is more like it!
After the major canon faux pas of Carbon Creek it's great to see a return to some pure sci-fi.
The great thing about this episode is that it is completely self contained. No big story arcs running through it and no dangerous and disrespectful shoehorning in of races like Ferengi or Romulan that hadn't even been discovered by TOS crew as seen in previous episodes of Enterprise.
A very creepy vibe throughout as it is set on an unmanned and automated alien space station, the best part being that it is left open to speculation as to just who built it creating some great mystery.
This is pure Star Trek and pure sci-fi glory diving headfirst in to new territory and no relying on old gags.
Brilliant!
After the major canon faux pas of Carbon Creek it's great to see a return to some pure sci-fi.
The great thing about this episode is that it is completely self contained. No big story arcs running through it and no dangerous and disrespectful shoehorning in of races like Ferengi or Romulan that hadn't even been discovered by TOS crew as seen in previous episodes of Enterprise.
A very creepy vibe throughout as it is set on an unmanned and automated alien space station, the best part being that it is left open to speculation as to just who built it creating some great mystery.
This is pure Star Trek and pure sci-fi glory diving headfirst in to new territory and no relying on old gags.
Brilliant!
Good Episode, but Rip-off of a Great Idea
claudio_carvalho6 January 2008
Trip advises that the Enterprise needs to be repaired but he does not have the necessary components and parts. Archer releases a distress call and receives the coordinates of a fully automated repair facility. The Enterprise is scanned at its arrival, the dock station fits to her dimensions and the "compensation" informed is only 200 liters of plasma, including the repair of Reed's leg. Captain Archer's sixth sense tells him that something seems to be wrong. When Travis is found dead in a forbidden working zone, Archer unravels the secret of the repair station.
"Dead Stop" is another good episode of the second season of Enterprise, but there is a lack of imagination in the authors that resolve the mystery of the repair facility using a rip-off of the successful "The Matrix" (which uses the concept of the unknown "Abre los Ojos"). My conclusion: a good idea like Alejandro Almenábar and Mateo Gil had in "Abre los Ojos" should be patented in the world of cinema to make the authors rich, since many other writers will use it with some improvements and modification. Anyway, I liked "Dead Stop". My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Ponto Morto" ("Dead Spot")
"Dead Stop" is another good episode of the second season of Enterprise, but there is a lack of imagination in the authors that resolve the mystery of the repair facility using a rip-off of the successful "The Matrix" (which uses the concept of the unknown "Abre los Ojos"). My conclusion: a good idea like Alejandro Almenábar and Mateo Gil had in "Abre los Ojos" should be patented in the world of cinema to make the authors rich, since many other writers will use it with some improvements and modification. Anyway, I liked "Dead Stop". My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Ponto Morto" ("Dead Spot")
Finally, a new episode!
zmos9926 July 2021
Dealing with the Tellerites is like dealing with an ultra-sleazy used car dealer...look out for the hidden costs!
planktonrules25 March 2015
This episode is a follow-up to the previous one. After the Enterprise is damaged by a Romulan mine, Trip is worried that they cannot repair the ship themselves and have to travel back to Earth space to fix the ship...a very long voyage considering that their warp speed is compromised. However, when they send out a distress call, the Tellerites respond--with an automated repair station. The repairs it can make are incredible and the cost seems extremely reasonable...but Archer is worried that it's all too good to be true. And, in the end, it turns out he's true...the computer system that runs the place is truly nasty and has a very hidden agenda.
This is a very good episode. It's not a great one but it is original and the hidden agenda is pretty creepy. Worth seeing.
This is a very good episode. It's not a great one but it is original and the hidden agenda is pretty creepy. Worth seeing.
Dead Stop is really 'Minefield' Part 2 and much better than Part 1
snoozejonc2 September 2020
After the damage caused in the 'Minefield' incident Enterprise stops at a repair station.
This is a good episode with an intriguing plot that makes you want to find out what is going on. I also like the concept of the Enterprise being the ship that sends out a distress signal as it makes sense that the crew would require help from time to time.
The story unfolds in a compelling way and other than one plot point that presents something to you that you know is going to turn out to be untrue, it all builds perfectly to a creepy conclusion.
There are some decent character moments for Trip, Reed, Dr Phlox and Archer, but some of the dialogue they are given to work with is not the best. Thankfully, this one is very much plot driven so it doesn't drag the episode down.
What is a bit of a let down, is that the repair station doesn't tie in with anything that has been introduced or referenced in the franchise previously. It doesn't make the story any less enjoyable, but I think the episode would have been a classic if they had connected it to something familiar, making the final reveal that much more impactful. Maybe a bit of Borg technology that ended up disconnected ending up in the alpha quadrant somehow. That for me would have been so much better.
Some elements of the episode clearly take inspiration from 2001: Space Odyssey and The Matrix, but they come across as a homage more than a rip-off. Well done to Roxanne Dawson for a well made episode and lending her voice to the station computer.
This is a good episode with an intriguing plot that makes you want to find out what is going on. I also like the concept of the Enterprise being the ship that sends out a distress signal as it makes sense that the crew would require help from time to time.
The story unfolds in a compelling way and other than one plot point that presents something to you that you know is going to turn out to be untrue, it all builds perfectly to a creepy conclusion.
There are some decent character moments for Trip, Reed, Dr Phlox and Archer, but some of the dialogue they are given to work with is not the best. Thankfully, this one is very much plot driven so it doesn't drag the episode down.
What is a bit of a let down, is that the repair station doesn't tie in with anything that has been introduced or referenced in the franchise previously. It doesn't make the story any less enjoyable, but I think the episode would have been a classic if they had connected it to something familiar, making the final reveal that much more impactful. Maybe a bit of Borg technology that ended up disconnected ending up in the alpha quadrant somehow. That for me would have been so much better.
Some elements of the episode clearly take inspiration from 2001: Space Odyssey and The Matrix, but they come across as a homage more than a rip-off. Well done to Roxanne Dawson for a well made episode and lending her voice to the station computer.
One of the Better Ones
create24 February 2016
Warning: Spoilers
As a follow-up to episode 28, Minefield, Enterprise is damaged to the point of being ineffective. After initiating a general distress call, Capt. Archer receives a confusing message that leads him to a very mysterious space station.
There are a lot of horror film elements in this piece, including the death of a crew member; sparse uncomfortable sets; and the abandoned location. The addition of this type of genre only helps. It gives the show's regulars a lot more emotional space to act, and brings some believability to the performances. You could see from the whole that this was a professional cast dying for some meaty scripts.
Although the story - which seems to have borrowed heavily from another source - is stronger than many in the first two years; other elements lagged. The soundtrack is tame, not highlighting many of the creepy scenes. And the director, Roxanne Dawson, also needed to stretch some of the scenes out to bring some tension - which seemed unreasonably low throughout the episode.
As a whole there seems to be a factory quality to many of the stories coming from these first fifty episodes. It was probably why very few of these shows connected. There needed to be better sci-fi, and more risk in each episode.
Just something to remember for the next series...
There are a lot of horror film elements in this piece, including the death of a crew member; sparse uncomfortable sets; and the abandoned location. The addition of this type of genre only helps. It gives the show's regulars a lot more emotional space to act, and brings some believability to the performances. You could see from the whole that this was a professional cast dying for some meaty scripts.
Although the story - which seems to have borrowed heavily from another source - is stronger than many in the first two years; other elements lagged. The soundtrack is tame, not highlighting many of the creepy scenes. And the director, Roxanne Dawson, also needed to stretch some of the scenes out to bring some tension - which seemed unreasonably low throughout the episode.
As a whole there seems to be a factory quality to many of the stories coming from these first fifty episodes. It was probably why very few of these shows connected. There needed to be better sci-fi, and more risk in each episode.
Just something to remember for the next series...
Not Even One Star
dragonsfire6-131 October 2022
I have watched this episode several times, and I cannot understand how anyone could call this a "great" or "strong" ST storyline.
1 - Archer had no idea what he was dealing with. Looking for help, he acts like someone or something is out to get him. He's the one who reached out for help, and then he's going to bite at the hand that offered assistance? Horrible move.
2 - For those who think that Mayweather was "kidnapped",...really?! If not for Tucker and Reed (IMO, two of the absolute WORST characters ever written for a ST series, and that includes Neelix and Kim) going where they had no business being, messing around with another culture's effort to provide assistance to travelers in need, that is why the station took Mayweather!
3 - And lastly, if Archer was so suspicious, why even go through the process of accepting the assistance? He could have just left, limped back to Jupiter Station 10 years older, and not have left such a bad reputation behind them with whomever had built and ran the station.
This episode is only one of the many that really showed how ridiculous the series writers were in trying to conceive of the early years of Starfleet and the Federation.
1 - Archer had no idea what he was dealing with. Looking for help, he acts like someone or something is out to get him. He's the one who reached out for help, and then he's going to bite at the hand that offered assistance? Horrible move.
2 - For those who think that Mayweather was "kidnapped",...really?! If not for Tucker and Reed (IMO, two of the absolute WORST characters ever written for a ST series, and that includes Neelix and Kim) going where they had no business being, messing around with another culture's effort to provide assistance to travelers in need, that is why the station took Mayweather!
3 - And lastly, if Archer was so suspicious, why even go through the process of accepting the assistance? He could have just left, limped back to Jupiter Station 10 years older, and not have left such a bad reputation behind them with whomever had built and ran the station.
This episode is only one of the many that really showed how ridiculous the series writers were in trying to conceive of the early years of Starfleet and the Federation.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
