The Enterprise encounters a spacecraft which contains members of a race of people dying from a planetwide plague. Can Dr Phlox manage to cure the illness, and should he even be allowed to do so?

The best episodes of Enterprise so far have been those that are quite slow yet thought-provoking, and this is one of them. Serving to reveal more about Phlox and his people, these little snippets are merged neatly rather than heavy-handedly into a story about just how much the Enterprise and its crew should be allowed to meddle in the affairs of other cultures. While the Prime Directive has in the past been difficult to understand, this episode gives a simple breakdown of just why it is eventually invented: however much a culture may want advanced information, it's no use if it will disrupt the established order of things.

Here, the planet visited is inhabited by two different species, one dominant over the other. While one species is dying, this could eventually lead to a whole new lease of life for the other. Phlox argues that Archer has no right to interfere with the natural order of things, however difficult if may be to look away as people suffer. It's a harsh lesson but reasonably put, as is that of advanced technology, which could pose an even greater danger than a planetwide epidemic if those with warp technology have no idea how to safely harness it. The way it also gives Archer some insight into why the Vulcans made the choices they did about Earth is a neat little sideline to the whole thing.

Meanwhile, it's an excellent story to get to know Phlox and some of his eccentricities. As the first big story for his character, John Billingsley does a fine job, retaining a sense of calm composure throughout, even in the face of an emotional response from Archer. He handles patients with skill, and the introduction of a would-be romance with Crewman Cutler is fun as well, demonstrating that in his own field of expertise, Phlox is exceptional, but he can still be flustered by human cultural conventions. It's another one of those episodes that's actually quite slow, but it doesn't matter because you become so engrossed in what is happening; it's the kind of story this show does exceedingly well and will hopefully continue with.

****

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