“Civilization” 20th-anniversary reflections

In the first encounter with an Earth-like planet that is home to a full-fledged pre-warp civilization, the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 faces a situation tailor made for the Prime Directive. Excited to explore an alien world and society that reminds them of their own roots, the crew pioneers the trademarked Starfleet plastic surgery and heads down to the surface. But they find themselves in the middle of an alien infiltration that puts their morals to the test and delivers a story worthy of The Original Series.

In this episode of Warp Five, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing continue our 20th-anniversary retrospective that takes you through all of Star Trek: Enterprise, one episode at a time. In this installment, we explore “Civilization” and how the story captures the pure excitement of early space exploration as well as the feel of The Original Series. We also discuss the early seeds of what will develop into the Prime Directive, Phlox’s house of cosplay, Captain Archer as a first impression of humanity, and debate how the universal translator works.

Hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer)