Star Trek: Enterprise (TV Series) Shuttlepod One (2002) User Reviews

The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship

[sexonlegs-inc · 8/10 · 11 August 2006]

This episode is one of my favourites, not only of "Enterprise", but out of all the Star Trek series. It is what can be labeled an 'elevator episode'; one in which the action takes place in a fairly limited area to cut back on costs. But this fact does not detract from it, rather it ensures that more emphasis is placed on the characters and their development.

This episode is very much character driven and really progresses both Trip and Malcom's characters individually, but also helps shape their friendship for the remainder of the series. The episode does not rely on fancy special effects or superfluous action sequences to maintain viewer interest but on the connection that is formed between two people when they face a threatening and stressful situation together. I feel that it is in this episode that Trip and Malcom's friendship first starts.

Character assassination by the writers

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 23 August 2020]

Tucker and Reed are adrift onboard the shuttle after seeing evidence the Enterprise was destroyed by an asteroid collision.

I wasn't keen on this one and the problem lies with the writers decision to humiliate one of the main characters. As a production it is fine.

Malcolm Reed was previously set up as a relatively mysterious loner who we knew very little about. This generated intrigue and made me want to find out more about him. I have no idea what the original intention was with this episode, whether it was to just characterise him as a cynic, but they succeeded in portraying him as a sad, negative, whiny pessimist and throw in some bumbling Englishman cliches for good measure. Also, the dream sequence and discussion about T'Pol's body are quite poor.

There should have been more consideration given to the tone and timing of Reed and Tucker interactions. Personally, I think it should have started off with them mildly worried and then the tension racks up as the episode moves on and they find out how difficult it is going to be for them to be found. Also I would have added some 'gallows humour' to indicate Reed is a cynic, then establish rapport between them and at least let us enjoy their company for 45 minutes. Maybe as things reach a climax there could have been a moment when they confront each other about the contrasting attitudes but face impending death together with dignity.

Ultimately it is the writers decision what to do with characters and all my whinging above is a just matter of personal taste.

All that being said Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating do a good job with the material, and the production values are solid.

Covers Old Ground

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 10 March 2017]

I have to agree somewhat with the responses of others, although I wasn't so disturbed by the byplay between the two characters. Malcolm is always tiresome. He's competent but boring and has almost no personality. It was funny the way he kept sending goodbye notes to different women, which seems out of character for him. But the problem is that this tired plot has been done more than once, with the characters baring their souls. One thing that bothered me. It would seem that with the delicacy of a pod like this, there would be more effort to stay in touch. I realize that the Enterprise was occupied with the survivors, but it still seemed a bit much. Also, lack of oxygen seemed pretty ridiculous. These escape pods could easily malfunction and need to have a bit more longevity.

Loved it

[bendoverr · 10/10 · 6 February 2019]

Light hearted but at the same time emotional. A great episode

A great bottle episode

[vamwene · 9/10 · 27 April 2021]

Most of the episode took place in a shuttle and the interaction between Trip and Malcom was incredible. Learnt a lot about Malcom who's turning out to be a fav character for me.

In Case You Havent Noticed, We Have Crashed!

[heddebie60 · 6/10 · 27 July 2018]

Wouldnt you panic if your shuttle crashed, and you were not sure when you were going to be rescued. Like trip, I think I would be too, obsessed with the notion of dying, especially by the horrible way of suffocation. However I think the writers turned the situation to a comic advantage. Both of them, recording their last obituaries, then getting on each others' nerves and wanting to get some sleep to fill in time. On finding the bottle of bourbon, they use this as an escape mechanism, to dull the pain of their slow pending suffocation.

This soon generates into both of them recalling certain things and therefore asking each other some well hidden questions...until then. I found this rather light and comic, considering the situation

Just say no....

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 21 March 2015]

So far in the series, "Shuttlepod One" is by far the weakest episode. It has the barest of plots, is plodding and makes you really hate one of the characters.

Malcolm and Trip are off on some mission using a shuttle. When they return to rendezvous with Enterprise, it appears as if the ship was destroyed. Ironically, the same happens with Enterprise--they think the shuttle was lost. So, the two officers hang out in the shuttle and wait and hope SOMEONE comes to rescue them. During this time, Malcolm is insufferable and Trip wants to kill them (as do the viewers) and eventually they are rescued and that is that.

By the way, in addition to being a crappy and dull episode, Trip says that when people die, their hair and nails continue to grow. This is a myth...and the writer should have known this.

Boring and Forgettable

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 25 November 2007]

While returning in Shuttlepod One, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed and Commander Tucker believe that the Enterprise has been destroyed. Without communication and with limited quantity of oxygen, they have no expectation of being rescued in deep space. To make things worse, micro-singularities hit the shuttlepod, damaging it hull and one tank of oxygen, reducing their autonomy to less than three days.

"Shuttlepod" is a boring and forgettable episode and certainly the worst episode of the First Season up to now. It is only funny to see that Malcolm has a crush on the gorgeous T'Pol. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Nave Auxiliar" ("Auxiliary Vessel")

Pointless Episode

[Samuel-Shovel · 3/10 · 24 May 2017]

Coming into this episode, Reed was one of the most intriguing characters for me. His lack of character development, mixed with his taciturn nature, made for an interesting, mysterious figure aboard the Enterprise. But after completing this episode, I'm starting to come to the realization that Reed is not complex, just dull, quiet, and a tad annoying.

This episode was hard to get through, a cheap bottle (well, almost) episode without any real plot or character development to speak of. The script tries to make Reed come across as relatable and insecure but he instead comes across as needy and arrogant. Also his dream sequence was bizarre and not funny in the slightest.

This episode is definitely skippable and I have no plans to rewatch it anytime soon.

Final Thought: If they knew their com systems were down and thought the Enterprise crashed, shouldn't they have stayed near the wreckage in case the Enterprise sent out an SOS before they crashed. That way Reed and Trip might be saved by someone coming to investigate?

Confused. Why did they think that the crashed ship was enterprise?

[wwcanoer-tech · 2/10 · 13 November 2021]

The premise was lost on me. Why did they think that the crashed ship was the Enterprise? There's no way that the lead engineer would not recognize his own ship! It didn't even look like enterprise. Sure there was "01" but there was a red stripe that I don't see on any photos and the hull shape didn't seem correct.

The B plot has an alien ship hitting Enterprise and then crashing. So, we are to believe that a random alien ship has a hull and markings similar enough to fool the lead engineer. No way!

Far better would be if everything in the crash site was pulverized too small to recognize, except for that cargo bay door. Trip could see that and say "That's definitely our cargo bay door! No mistaking it!" Or some other part that got sheared off of the Enterprise. Most logical would be the communications array. That could be the only surviving recognizable piece. Plus, it would explain why there's no communication.

Or, they could select someone less technical to be lost in the shuttle, someone who could plausibly make that mistake.

My pet peeve for all space shows is "seal a hole with a finger" trick.

Anyone who's ever been in a car knows that you couldn't seal a bullet hole through the car by placing you finger over the hole in the headliner or door trim, yet in space shows they do it all of the time.

A Senior Trekker writes.....................

[celineduchain · 5/10 · 26 April 2022]

An absolutely classic Star Trek episode where the necessity to save money on a production acted as the creative stimulus for some highly enjoyable dialogue. This was delivered with great enthusiasm by two popular cast members, Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keeting, who's off-screen camaraderie apparently continues to this day (the two often appear at conventions together).

Yes, of course the science is fairly ridiculous but I am surprised how many reviewers have felt the need to point this out. We have seen so much worse over the years and at least Trip uses a fairly plausible method of finding out where the leak is coming from. Anybody remember the Dr Pepper scene from Mission to Mars?

Quite a bit of the back story is a re-run of the Original Series episode the Galileo Seven. The Captain being put under pressure to abandon the search for the missing shuttlecraft and the last desperate ignition of fuel to send out a distress flare were both used to good effect in that episode. Here they are exploited more as a set up for the two crew-mates to get on each other's nerves as they exhaust any ideas for escape and wait for the oxygen to run out.

Underneath the comedy, there are a few serious things being said about how people react differently to the proximity of death. However certain we are that these regular characters will be rescued by the end of the episode, the prospect that they may not escape with their lives this time is at least up for discussion.

Senior Trekker scores every episode with a 5.