This week's "special delivery" was at times unsettling, at the end somewhat unpleasant, yet certainly unforgettable overall. That's not unlike a birth when you think about it.

From the start it captivated me. Two months ago this column asked for a look at "real gravitational problems found in space" and wow! Did we ever get a good one. In what may be remembered as the next notorious scene of the series, Archer showers as the gravity fails. Delightful!

That put me immediately at ease. I'd been uncomfortable with the premise of "Unexpected" since it was first announced, for reasons ranging from the genetic issues involved to the dramatic duties of the actors. So we simply won't discuss the silly genetics. Let's talk about the incredible acting of Connor Trinneer instead.

I laughed loudly at the mannerisms in every scene that he stole, from hastily grabbing one last breadstick to instinctively "child-proofing" Engineering. Tucker's untucked shirt was far more effective makeup than any padding or bodysuit. (Why put the nipples on his arm - wouldn't swelling breasts make more sense? Oh yeah, we're not discussing that!)

Then I got to drool at new views of NX-01 and her innards, especially bridge station details. The mess hall(s) featured prominently, and apparently blueberries and catfish also stock the Enterprise larder. (As with birth, note the recurrence of water throughout the show. T'Pol receives sludge - Trip enjoys drops of water onboard the other ship - and of course the shower scene.)

Well-deserved credit goes for the makeup and design work on the Xyrillions. Their scaly skin, the food (if not eels!) on the walls, their holodeck, even their cheap engine tubing - all worked. The Treknobabble this week was mercifully kept down to "resequencing photons."

But ... Klingons again? (And how little the Empire's warship changes!) Not only that, but these Klingons trade warp technology - and maps of their homeworld! - to strangers they considered enemies only moments ago. Really?! It also looked like the ship-to-ship visual system was rearranging the lips of the Klingon so that they matched the English translation onscreen. It seems we should see some sort of funky "Kung Fu movie-speak" as the translation happens.

Trinneer's performance could have spun out of control at any moment and yet he pulled it off brilliantly. The writers appear to have taken favor with him, and his tent-pitching endears him to many fans. Maybe it's just me, but unexpectedly this show could easily end up shining more on Connor Trinneer than anyone else in the cast.


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