Star Trek Host: Welcome to today's STARTREK.COM chat with Scott Bakula. Scott is here to chat about this week's all-new episode, "Extinction."

Scott Bakula: Hi folks, how's everybody?

Star Trek Host: Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about "Extinction"?

SB: Without giving away too much, I'm very excited about this week's episode, "Extinction." Our search for the Xindi leads us to a planet where three of us — Linda [Park], Dominic [Keating], myself — contract a virus from a race that lost the ability to reproduce a long time ago. Jolene [Blalock] also is affected, but of course, because she's Vulcan, she's only partially infected. And there is another species trying to exterminate us because we're infected. We spent about three to four hours in make-up, alien make-up, each day and from what I'm told, it's the first time cast members have spent almost an entire episode in alien disguise.

Q: What do you feel that Mr. Burton brings to the episodes he directs which is unique to his style?
SKa

SB: It's always wonderful having LeVar on the set. He has great energy and a great sense of fun. In this particular episode, he was extremely turned on by the flame-throwers. That kinda got him going.

Star Trek Host: For "Extinction," is this the most make-up you've ever had to wear?

SB: No. When I did an episode of Quantum Leap where I played my father, we started that makeup appliance at 11:00 p.m., and I walked on set at 7:00 in the morning. So that was an eight-hour appliance. The second time we did the make-up, when I played my father again, it only took us six hours. But that was in the old days.

Q: Hey, I'm Melinda from Australia! I would like to know, what was it like to have tons of make-up on your face while shooting "Extinction"?
Melinda

SB: The most challenging part for me are the contact lenses. And once I get used to them, then there's really nothing that's too much of a problem. I'm always impressed with how the make-up artists practice their craft. My make-up artist, Suzanne Westmore, did a beautiful job. Sometimes you do wake up in the middle of the night feeling like you still have the appliances on your head. But that usually goes away after a few days.

Q: When you had to put on that make-up for "Extinction," did John Billingsley ever turn to you and say, "Ha ha, now you know what it's like!"
lurianprince

SB: No, John couldn't make fun of us because we were in make-up longer than he is. And we also did it six days in a row, and John is very seldom in six days in a row! He tried a little bit, but we shut him down.

Q: I've noticed, and enjoyed, the new darker side of your character this season. Do you think (or know) if this will begin to affect the Captain's relationship with the crew, and, more specifically, with Trip, T'Pol and Malcolm?
emily

SB: I'm not exactly sure long-term how it's going to affect my relationships with those three characters, but I'm definitely sending a different message to the crew and to all of my officers and the sense of no-nonsense and whatever-it-takes should be passed on to all of them.

Q: Scott, thanks for doing this chat. Is Archer aware of the extent of Trip's insomnia and emotional problems and will he be helping him? Or is he so caught up in the mission that he is oblivious to what is happening with his best friend?
bandy

SB: Although we haven't dealt with that specifically, I think there's a sense that the captain is less involved in the day-to-day problems of his crew. I also think that from last year, since "Cogenitor," that their relationship, Trip and Archer's relationship, has been slightly more on a professional level.

Q: Which do you enjoy more: episodes that are related to a general story arc (like episodes about the Xindi) or stand-alone episodes? Why?
demorasulu

SB: Well, I think there's room for both. I've been a big proponent of doing more arcs with the show. I think that we have such a loyal fan base that it's more enjoyable to continue to put together these pieces of the puzzle. It's fun to do the stand-alones, but I'm almost always more driven by a through-line and this whole season's mission doesn't seem like we can just leave it for four episodes and come back to it.

Q: Archer seems to be angry all the time this season. Do you think this will make him stronger, or do you think it will lead to a downfall?
Shockaree

SB: I think blind anger can certainly lead to mistakes, errors in judgment. It can allow you to miss the obvious and certainly my character is experiencing stronger emotions and a greater sense of desperation than he has in the past. Hopefully these are new elements that, if and when we survive the Expanse and the Xindi, these character flaws or adjustments will all add into Archer's character and his ability to captain a ship.

Q: While we've seen Star Trek captains make someone think they're going to torture a prisoner, it's always been a trick, but last week ["Anomaly"] was the first time we've ever actually seen it happen. Even if Archer never intended to let the pirate die, he still caused him pain. Will we be seeing more of this? Do the ends justify the means?
interloper

SB: Well, first of all, in terms of what the character was going to do, we don't really know because the air didn't run out and he didn't die. Whether or not Archer would have let that happen is an element of the character that I hope is intriguing and exciting for the fans, as do the writers. We're definitely pushing the envelope in all aspects of the show this year. I think it's important that Archer leads the way. When you're playing a character and the audience isn't sure what that character's going to do, then the writers have succeeded in making good television.

Q: Thank you for a wonderfully powerful performance in last week's episode, "Anomaly." As an actor, do you find Captain Archer to be a more satisfying role now that he has started down a somewhat darker path?
TerakRall

SB: Well, I was not dissatisfied with Archer in the first two seasons. I felt like he was learning as he went along and was developing his skills as a captain along with his crew and ship. In my opinion, it's a lot different to be captaining a starship in your own back yard, so to speak, than when you get out into deep space and are facing the unknown. So getting a big curve in Year Three is really just an actor's good fortune, because it allows you to approach each episode with a different thought and different ideas and makes everybody work harder and better.

Star Trek Host: How has filming been going this past week, with director Robert Duncan McNeill ["Twilight"]? (Who, by the way, turned up to shoot on Friday wearing one of his old Voyager uniforms!)

SB: Well, Robbie is a great director and he also is a great deal of fun to be around. The episode before, David Straiton was directing and on his last day he showed up in a coat and tie, which is very out of character for the surfer guy that he is. So Robbie heard about that and lo and behold, he showed up on Friday for his last day of shooting, he was in his Voyager suit, and even more lo and behold — and this is the really good news — it still fit him. Which he reminded us all day. Robbie was also directing possibly our most interesting, complicated, compelling episode to date, called "Twilight." I can barely explain it myself, but it does involve time travel into the future, parasites in my hippocampus, and Xindi and subspace implosions.

Star Trek Host: Tell us a bit about this week's shoot ["North Star"], some of it on location.

SB: Yes, we're shooting an episode called "North Star." It has the earmarks of being a very classic Star Trek, sci-fi episode. We're heading out to location, which is always fun, and the episode is a western. I don't want to give away too much more than that, except that it's going to be quite wonderful and it's going to be quite classic Star Trek. We're all in western wear and horses, the works.

Q: We haven't yet gotten to really know the extra troops on the ship yet, are any of them going to be regular, specific characters? Will any of them join the main cast?
wotcha 

SB: Well, you'll see more of Steven Culp, he has a big part in the Xindi-Sloth episode ["The Shipment"] and Hawkins is back again — he was in "Anomaly" last week. He has a big part in "Impulse," which is the Vulcan Zombie episode. And I just read that Chang is back, from the opening episode. They'll come in and out; there's not an overall attempt to make them "regulars" but the idea is to feel their presence and keep that alive in the series. I asked for them [the soldiers], but I don't know their orders from Starfleet, so I don't know if there's something dark about them.

Star Trek Host: "Twilight" will air on 11/05.

Q: Do you think that the introduction of the Xindi was necessary for the future of Enterprise? I once read that a hero or, in this case, a heroic crew is only as good as their evil counterpart. Do you agree?
Pete (Switzerland)

SB: I think that's certainly true. You think about a lot of classic movies and you remember the villain as much as, if not more than, the hero. I don't think the Xindi were essential to the survival of our show. I do think that it was important that in Year Three we take a more serious look at the issues we were coming into contact with in the universe, i.e. the Suliban, the Temporal Cold War ... Let's not forget that there's a large bounty on my head from the Klingon Empire, so there are a lot of ways that they could have gone this year. That's not to say we're not going to go back and revisit those issues, but this change has felt good to everyone and, from our understanding, the fans too. We sincerely hope, the cast and I and everybody, that you're all enjoying it. It's a much more difficult show to make this year, we're working much longer hours, the studio's spending more money, but at the end of the day you want people to enjoy what you're creating and we hope you do.

Q: Is this season's whole arc keeping in line with current events, i.e. the attack on Earth at the end of last season being similar to 9/11 and is the journey into the Expanse like the War on Terror, with the Xindi like Osama Bin Laden and the Al-Qaida terrorist network?
xwoman

SB: I can't say that we've sat down as a group and had that conversation or that Rick [Berman] and Brannon [Braga] have said that this is how we're going to proceed. Sometimes I wonder if we all as humans find the parallels where we need them or where they can comfort us. So obviously you can draw parallels if you want to. The history of Star Trek has been to parallel the human condition in other worlds, but I can't say that the intent from day one was, "How can we mimic or copy those incidents?"

Q: So when Archer and Enterprise actually find the Xindi, what's the plan? Kill them all? Is Archer acting on orders from Starfleet to take over their planet?
tongorad

SB: I wish I knew. Again, I think we're hoping to captivate the fans with that question. And they'll feel compelled to watch, but right now you'll have to wait.

Q: Has it been determined if Enterprise will be in the Expanse beyond the third season of the show? Are they ever going to go back and finish dealing with the Temporal Cold War? You're a great man, keep up the good work!
Live long and prosper, Captain Archer!
Derek C.

SB: It hasn't been determined if we're going to be in the Expanse for the entirety of this year, to my knowledge, so I'm in the dark there. But it seems like the storyline is holding up well. The writers are all excited about it and my sense is, as long as that's working, we'll continue. But there is a ticking bomb here and we can't just wander around.

Star Trek Host: Scott has been called back to work, so this will be our last question.

Q: [As an actor] are you allowed to appear on any shows of your own volition?
Pam from Boston

SB: You can appear on talk shows, certainly. I think contractually you're allowed to appear on two or three episodic shows during the year, but I think that the studio has approval of what shows they are. I think Anthony [Montgomery] has done some shows, Jolene shot a movie, John finished a movie. There's an effort from the studio to allow the actors to do other things.

Heading back to the set, see you next week. Enjoy "Extinction," it's crazy!

Star Trek Host: Be sure to come back next week! Scott will be chatting with us on Wednesday, October 1 about the upcoming episode "Rajiin." Time to be announced.