“North Star”
Page 1 of 4Story by: David A. Goodman
Teleplay by: David A. Goodman
Directed by: David Straiton
Synopsis followed by review:
In a small, Old West-style town, somewhere in the Delphic Expanse, what appears to be humans dressed like cowboys and riding horses proceed to hang a man that they refer to as a Skag.
Later we see the body of the alien in a coffin. The sheriff asks who is paying for the box. The undertaker looks towards a woman. The sheriff tells her she better not have the body buried in the cemetery. She replies that the aliens don’t bury their dead but that the sheriff probably wouldn’t know that. The sheriff tells her he’s sorry he wasn’t there to stop the hanging as at least he would have liked the alien to have a trial. The woman replies that it would have no difference since the same people who hanged him would have been in the jury. The sheriff then addresses her as Bethany and tells her that the *Skag* killed a man and even if it was in self-defense, it is a hanging offense.
Archer, disguised as one of the townspeople meets up with T’Pol in disguise as well. Trip also dressed like a cowboy joins them and they confirm that the people there are human. Archer asks: “If these people are from Earth, how the hell did they get here?” He calls Enterprise. Reed informs him there are about 6,000 people on the planet and that they are mostly located in the area where they are. There are less than 1000 aliens as well in a nearby settlement. The quantum scans reveal that the oldest structures are over 250 years old and there are no signs of advanced technology. Archer sends T’Pol and Trip to check out the alien settlement.
T’Pol and Trip try to buy a horse. Trip trades his harmonica for the horse and leaves his gun behind for collateral as they decide to borrow the horse for a few hours instead. Trip mounts it and T’Pol asks him if he knows how to ride a horse. Trip replies: “I’ve seen every John Ford western.” T’Pol asks: “Who?” Trip replies: Look, how hard can it be?” He helps T’Pol get on and after a few moments the horse finally starts moving.
Archer goes to the saloon. He notices a painting on the wall and asks who it is? The bartender says it is Cooper Smith, his ancestor, who overthrew the Skags. Deputy Bennings come in with his men. He tells a Skag waitor to drink with them and toast the previous night’s lynching. The waitor wants to leave but the deputy taunts him. He offers his gun and tells him to shoot him. Archer intervenes and asks the waitor for more coffee. Benning asks who Archer is. The Sherriff comes in and talks to Archer who then leaves. He tells Benning to keep an eye on Archer and make sure he leaves town presumably to prevent any trouble between him and Bennings. He also tells the deputy to “leave the Skag alone.” Meanwhile, TPol and Tucker make their way to the alien settlement and find a wrecked ship that is at least two centuries old.
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