'Fusion' Is A Vulcan '9 1/2 Weeks,' Says Braga

See Also: 'Fusion' Episode Guide

Brannon Braga says his attempts to introduce an undercurrent of sexuality into Enterprise will come to a head in the upcoming 'Fusion,' which he describes as a "Vulcan '9 1/2 Weeks'."

"We have a show coming up where T'Pol gets nasty with a Vulcan. And that's a real sexy show," Braga told Cinescape's Anthony C. Ferrante about 'Fusion,' which airs tomorrow night on UPN.

"We're going to try to continue dipping into the Vulcan aspects of the show, but in different ways," the producer continued. "We're going to meet some Vulcans who are trying to put emotion into their lives. And T'Pol is going to become enmeshed in a twisted tale of seduction, like a Vulcan '9 1/2 Weeks'."

These sexual themes are part of an attempt by Braga and co-creator Rick Berman to make Enterprise stand out from the other post-Roddenberry series by imprinting it with their own unique vision. "Sensuality is sexual tension," he said. "And there's a lot of sexual tension between Trip and T'Pol and Archer and T'Pol.

"Hopefully the sensuality runs through the show. You see our people in their underwear. You see Archer in the shower. There's an episode ['Acquisition'] where the Ferengi take over the ship and Trip spends the entire episode in his underwear, running around the ship like Bruce Willis. Sensuality can be humorous. It can be obvious and it can be subtle. Rick [Berman] and I have been allowed to bring our own sensibilities to the show in a more natural way, which we haven't been allowed to do in some of the other shows."

Braga also dropped some hints about the episode 'Detained,' which will feature Scott Bakula's (Jonathan Archer) Quantum Leap co-star Dean Stockwell. "Dean Stockwell is going to play a big villain opposite Scott Bakula," he said. The Oscar-nominated actor will portray Colonel Grat, a member of a new species.

"He runs the prison where the innocent Suliban are being held. Archer and this guy have a series of very philosophical scenes. It seems like the perfect episode to ask Dean Stockwell to do, and he was very generous to agree to do it."

Franchise head Rick Berman has also been out and about promoting the series - in this case, dropping tantalising hints regarding familiar Trek aliens. "I would also not be surprised that, within the next six to twelve months, we will have our first run-in with Romulans," he told the Star Trek Communicator (via TrekWeb).

Many fans have been busy speculating on what may happen in Enterprise's season finale, but Berman stayed mum. As to whether the episode will be a cliffhanger, the producer said "Brannon [Braga] and I have been talking about that and I think the answer will most likely he 'yes.'"

To read more from Brannon Braga, head over to Cinescape, while the full interview with Berman can be found the latest issue of the Star Trek Communicator. Alternatively, a transcript is available here at TrekWeb.

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