S4E15
Affliction (1)
⚠ Spoiler alert This recap gives away what happens in this episode.
Episode Summary & Review
Summary
Enterprise visits Earth for the launch of its sister vessel Columbia, where Trip prepares for her maiden voyage as her new chief engineer. Meanwhile, Klingons kidnap Phlox and force him to help them find a cure for a mutated virus that threatens their species.
Our Take
The Klingon storyline gives this one real momentum, with Phlox getting his best material in ages as a doctor forced into an impossible ethical corner. The Trip transfer subplot feels like filler by comparison, and the Earth-based scenes drag a bit. Still, it’s a solid setup hour that earns the “to be continued.