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* BrokenBase: This is a strong contender for the most divisive ''Enterprise'' episode. Generally speaking, those fans who agree whole-heartedly with the Prime Directive tend to like the episode, while fans who are more critical of the directive (or at least how it was typically used in the latter stages of the Berman era) ''really'' don't like it. And in the middle, there are fans who do in general support the directive, but consider the episode a wasted opportunity for having Archer and Phlox behaving like it already exists, rather than showing Starfleet making the kind of mistakes that could have resulted in the creation of the directive (something that even ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had depicted).
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* BrokenBase: This is a strong contender for the most divisive ''Enterprise'' episode. Generally speaking, those fans who agree whole-heartedly with the Prime Directive tend to like the episode, while fans who are more critical of the directive (or at least how it was typically used in the latter stages of the Berman era) ''really'' don't like it. And in the middle, there are fans who do in general support the directive, but consider the episode a wasted opportunity for having Archer and Phlox behaving behave like it already exists, rather than showing Starfleet making the kind of mistakes that could have resulted in the creation of the directive (something that even ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had depicted).depicted, despite being in a setting where the directive had been established for decades).
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* BrokenBase: This is a strong contender for the most divisive ''Enterprise'' episode. Generally speaking, those fans who agree whole-heartedly with the Prime Directive tend to like the episode, while fans who are more critical of the directive (or at least how it was typically used in the latter stages of the Berman era) ''really'' don't like it. And in the middle, there are fans who do in general support the directive, but consider the episode a wasted opportunity for having Archer and Phlox behaving like it already exists, rather than showing Starfleet making the kind of mistakes that could have resulted in the creation of the directive (something that even ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' had depicted).
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* AlternateAesopInterpretation: The Valakians are holding the Menk species in hovels and keep them as a SlaveRace. Phlox's only comment is that on other worlds, the Menk would have been subject to a FinalSolution. The plague being allowed to ravage the Valakians would free the Menk from bondage.
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* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen this before?]]
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* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot:
** The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen thisbefore?]]before?]]
** Phlox and Archer find that a race is held in bondage to another one as well as kept from any sort of integration by a lot of dubious pseudo-science claims. However, the ruling class is the one suffering and to help them will keep them in power.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The Valakians holding the Menk as a slave race that lives apart from them otherwise goes unexamined and is a large argument to why they have to go.
** The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen this
** Phlox and Archer find that a race is held in bondage to another one as well as kept from any sort of integration by a lot of dubious pseudo-science claims. However, the ruling class is the one suffering and to help them will keep them in power.
* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: The Valakians holding the Menk as a slave race that lives apart from them otherwise goes unexamined and is a large argument to why they have to go.
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* EpilepticTrees: Website/SFDebris put together a theory as to what happened to the Valakians and the Menk in the greater scope of the franchise:
** The Valakians were discovered by the Romulans at some point before the end. With the stories of how humanity turned their back on them, the Romulans proceeded to help them with gene therapy that would require special suits. They believed they could groom the Valakians into an ally that would eventually be used in vengeance against Earth, but they were betrayed, leaving a new Romulan saying "Never turn your back on a Breen." Two hundred years later, the Breen would finally have their revenge... by joining the Dominion and launching a devastating attack on Earth, along with demanding that Earth be within their post-war borders once they had won.
** The Menk, the less intelligent species, would try to escape their world as the Valakians turned mad. Unfortunately, they were found and "employed" (i.e. enslaved) by the Ferengi, being forced into a life of backbreaking labor. Eventually, they were able to overpower their oppressors and gorged themselves on food after a lifetime of subsistence, becoming very fat and "always looking for things that make them go"...that is, [[LowCultureHighTech the Pakleds]].
** The Valakians were discovered by the Romulans at some point before the end. With the stories of how humanity turned their back on them, the Romulans proceeded to help them with gene therapy that would require special suits. They believed they could groom the Valakians into an ally that would eventually be used in vengeance against Earth, but they were betrayed, leaving a new Romulan saying "Never turn your back on a Breen." Two hundred years later, the Breen would finally have their revenge... by joining the Dominion and launching a devastating attack on Earth, along with demanding that Earth be within their post-war borders once they had won.
** The Menk, the less intelligent species, would try to escape their world as the Valakians turned mad. Unfortunately, they were found and "employed" (i.e. enslaved) by the Ferengi, being forced into a life of backbreaking labor. Eventually, they were able to overpower their oppressors and gorged themselves on food after a lifetime of subsistence, becoming very fat and "always looking for things that make them go"...that is, [[LowCultureHighTech the Pakleds]].
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* NeverLiveItDown: Phlox and Archer advocate '''''genocide''''' in this episode thanks to a complete misunderstanding of evolution. The fact that Archer even considered it a moral issue for deciding to let a species die cemented his DesignatedHero status.
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* {{Narm}}: The foreshadowing for the Prime Directive officially becomes silly with the huge emphasis Creator/ScottBakula gives the word "directive" while discussing a hypothetical future rule Starfleet will have. Some fans even found it so weird that they remembered him going even further and saying "a directive which is prime."
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen this before?]]
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen this before?]]
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* {{Narm}}: The foreshadowing {{foreshadowing}} for the Prime Directive officially becomes silly with the huge emphasis Creator/ScottBakula gives the word "directive" while discussing a hypothetical future rule Starfleet will have. Some fans even found it so weird that they remembered him going even further and saying "a directive which is prime."
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen thisbefore?]]before?]]
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* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The whole point of a prequel series was to explore a rougher, unrefined Starfleet still working out its kinks, but a potential conflict between Captain Archer and one of his officers is removed so as not to undermine the captain's authority. [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Where have we seen this
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* NeverLiveItDown: Critics of Phlox and Archer understandably do not forget this episode when criticizing them. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical. For many fans this is a MoralEventHorizon that cements their DesignatedHero status.
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* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: The episode heavily pitches by emphasis the conclusion of Phlox (and apparently the general Denobulan medical establishment) that interfering in an event considered to be an evolutionary process, even one that will result in the death of a sentient species, is unethical. This is stated to be against all of Archers principles (standing in for humanity in general as well), but he acquiesces nevertheless, leaving a moral that most humans disagree with as the conclusion of the episode.
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* NeverLiveItDown: Phlox and by extension Archer can be considered to have crossed it in this episode. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical.
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* NeverLiveItDown: Critics of Phlox and Archer understandably do not forget this episode when criticizing them. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical. For many fans this is a MoralEventHorizon that cements their DesignatedHero status.
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* MoralEventHorizon: Phlox and by extension Archer can be considered to have crossed it in this episode. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical.
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* MoralEventHorizon: NeverLiveItDown: Phlox and by extension Archer can be considered to have crossed it in this episode. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical.
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* MoralEventHorizon: Phlox and by extension Archer can be considered to have crossed it in this episode. Phlox comes up with a cure for the Valakians' condition that would prevent their extinction, and decides using it is unethical because it interferes with a species' natural evolution. Archer eventually agrees with him and decides saving the Valakians is unethical.
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* BrokenBase: One of the most controversial episodes of Enterprise, centered on the inaccurate biological conclusion and the related moral question of whether to cure an eventually terminal specieswide disease.
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* BrokenBase: One of the most controversial episodes of Enterprise, centered on the inaccurate biological conclusion and the related moral question of whether to cure an eventually terminal specieswide disease.
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* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Phlox actually uses the fact that the Valakians are suffering from a genetic disorder to support his argument, his implication being that since it was genetic, rather than a pathogen or infectious disease, then it was 'nature's will' for the Valakians are dying out. The real-life ethical implications of this line of argument, which the show seems to agree with, are rather ominous, to say the least.
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* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: The episode heavily pitches by emphasis the conclusion of Phlox actually uses (and apparently the fact general Denobulan medical establishment) that the Valakians are suffering from a genetic disorder interfering in an event considered to support his argument, his implication being be an evolutionary process, even one that since it was genetic, rather than will result in the death of a pathogen or infectious disease, then it was 'nature's will' sentient species, is unethical. This is stated to be against all of Archers principles (standing in for humanity in general as well), but he acquiesces nevertheless, leaving a moral that most humans disagree with as the Valakians are dying out. The real-life ethical implications conclusion of this line of argument, which the show seems to agree with, are rather ominous, to say the least.episode.
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* EpilepticTrees: Website/SFDebris put forth an actually compelling theory as to what happened to the Valakians and the Menk in the greater scope of the franchise.
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* EpilepticTrees: Website/SFDebris put forth an actually compelling together a theory as to what happened to the Valakians and the Menk in the greater scope of the franchise.franchise:
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** The Menk, the less-intelligent species, would try to escape their world as the Valakians turned mad. Unfortunately, they were found and "employed" (i.e. enslaved) by the Ferengi, being forced into a life of back-breaking labor. Eventually, they were able to over-power their oppressors and gorged themselves on food after a life-time of subsistence, becoming very fat and "always looking for things that make them go"...that is, [[LowCultureHighTech the Pakleds]].
to:
** The Menk, the less-intelligent less intelligent species, would try to escape their world as the Valakians turned mad. Unfortunately, they were found and "employed" (i.e. enslaved) by the Ferengi, being forced into a life of back-breaking backbreaking labor. Eventually, they were able to over-power overpower their oppressors and gorged themselves on food after a life-time lifetime of subsistence, becoming very fat and "always looking for things that make them go"...that is, [[LowCultureHighTech the Pakleds]].
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* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Phlox actually uses the fact that the Valakians are suffering from a genetic disorder to support his argument, his implication being that since it was genetic, rather than a pathegen or infectious disease, then it was 'nature's will' for the Valakians are dying out. The real-life ethical implications of this line of argument, which the show seems to agree with, are rather ominous, to say the least.
to:
* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: Phlox actually uses the fact that the Valakians are suffering from a genetic disorder to support his argument, his implication being that since it was genetic, rather than a pathegen pathogen or infectious disease, then it was 'nature's will' for the Valakians are dying out. The real-life ethical implications of this line of argument, which the show seems to agree with, are rather ominous, to say the least.
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