Stigma (Star Trek: Enterprise)

"Stigma (Star Trek: Enterprise)"

"Stigma" is the 40th episode (production #214) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

Synopsis

In the episode, it is revealed that T'Pol has a degenerative disease, Pa'nar Syndrome, contracted from her mind meld in "Fusion". She must face being ostracized by Vulcan society and losing her position on Enterprise.

Plot

Dr. Phlox tells T'Pol that his treatment of her possibly fatal Pa'nar Syndrome is losing effectiveness, and he'd like to make confidential inquiries about the disease with Vulcan doctors attending an interspecies medical exchange on the planet Enterprise orbits. She resists, but Phlox chooses to go anyway. Before he does, one of his wives, Feezal (Melinda Page Hamilton), arrives to help install a new microscope.

Phlox's inquiries with the Vulcans yields little information. When the Vulcans come on board Enterprise and interview Phlox and T'Pol, it is clear that his subterfuge had failed. The Vulcans trick T'Pol into giving a medical sample, which confirms to them that she has Pa'nar.

Archer is upset that he had to learn about T'Pol's condition from the Vulcans. It then comes out that T'Pol could lose her commission because Pa'nar is a stigmatized disease. It is only transmitted via mind meld, and the Vulcans have a low opinion of the practice. Archer then pays his own visit to the Vulcans—which is no more fruitful than Phlox's first visit. That is until one of the doctors, Yuris, sets up a secret meeting with T'Pol to give her the information she seeks. He is a mind melder, and feels a sort of bond with her. But she lets it be known that the infectious mind meld, her only experience, was forced. He tells her to tell the others before the Vulcan High Command is informed of her condition. She refuses.

Archer uses a loophole in Vulcan protocol to force a hearing. T'Pol stands by her silence, and Archer stands by his science officer, all the while arguing with the Vulcan doctors. Dr. Yuris then exposes T'Pol's secret, and comes out of the mind meld closet himself. As a result, he's suspended, but T'Pol is allowed to remain on Enterprise. T'Pol continues to take the high ground and will inform the High Command about the events—Yuris shouldn't be condemned without a fight.

While all of this was going on, Feezal was making constant amorous advances on poor Commander Tucker. He can't quite wrap his mind around a culture where polygamy from all sexes is the norm. He bows out as gracefully as he can, but Phlox and Feezal can only shake their heads and laugh in bemused wonder... "Humans."

Pa'nar Syndrome

Pa'nar Syndrome is a fictional neurological ailment, fatal to Vulcans, and transferred between them via a mind meld. At this time in the Star Trek universe, only a small portion of Vulcans are believed to have the ability to initiate mind melds, and melding by Vulcans is not accepted by Vulcan society in general.

T'Pol had contracted this relatively rare disease from a member of a rebellious Vulcan sect which had cast aside the rule of logic and experimented with mind melds and emotions. The event was seen in "Fusion", where T'Pol willingly participated at first, unaware of the risks, but later resisted to the progress and was telepathically raped by Tolaris. In the final-season episode "Awakening", T'Pol learned that the condition was in fact caused by an improperly trained melder and, contrary to the public declarations of the Vulcan High Command, it was in fact curable by the touch of an experienced mind (in T'Pol's case, a service provided by future Vulcan elder T'Pau).

Production history

In the fall of 2002, Viacom, the owners of the UPN network on which Enterprise was aired, mandated that all fictional programs on its schedule would, sometime during the 2002-2003 season, produce a special episode addressing the AIDS crisis.

The episode proved controversial, while some viewers have responded positively to the parallels between the episode and the intolerance in human society.

External links

• Stigma at Memory Alpha
• Pa'nar Syndrome at Memory Alpha