She's been a Vulcan, a Klingon, and a Q, and now she's an Andorian. Suzie Plakson joins the ranks of Enterprise guest stars as the first female Andorian seen in Star Trek, playing opposite Jeffrey Combs in his third stint as the thorn-in-the-Vulcans'-side "Shran."

Gary Graham and Vaughn Armstrong were also back on the Paramount lot reprising their roles as "Ambassador Soval" and "Admiral Forrest" respectively, for the latest episode to complete principal photography, called "Cease Fire."

In the story, a military conflict has erupted between the Vulcans and Andorians over a small terraformed planet that both sides make claim to. Shran believes the only one who can mediate a cease-fire is Archer, so the captain and his ship are called into action.

Plakson plays "Tarah," a passionate and indignant Imperial Guard soldier under the command of Shran. You no doubt remember her in Star Trek: The Next Generation as "Dr. Selar" in "The Schizoid Man," and as "K'Ehleyr," the mother of Worf's son Alexander, in "The Emissary" and "Reunion." She was also the Female Q in Star Trek: Voyager's "The Q and the Grey."

As for Graham, "Cease Fire" represents his biggest role yet in an Enterprise episode, as he worked five out of the seven days of production. The schedule began Thursday, November 21, with scenes in a shuttlepod between Graham, Scott Bakula and Jolene Blalock, which involved the use of sparks by the pyrotechnic crew. Armstrong had only one scene, which he shot first thing Friday morning. That was followed by sequences on the Bridge involving Connor Trinneer as "Trip Tucker" in temporary command of the ship, dealing with a Vulcan military aide named "Muroc" (played by John Balma) on the viewscreen. Those viewscreen shots were also filmed that day on Vulcan ship sets.

Combs reported to work the following Monday for scenes in the ship's Conference Room, with Bakula, Graham, Blalock and Balma. On Tuesday all the action moved to swing sets for the duration of the shoot, namely the "Bombed Out Building" and "Decimated Settlement" and other sets representing the disputed territory. Plakson spent the previous Friday having her makeup tested, but she actually reported to the set on Tuesday. Combs and Plakson were not alone in portraying their characters, though — they were shadowed by "puppeteers" who gave expression to their Andorian antennas. Paul Elliot was the "Shran Puppeteer"; John Fifer was "Tarah Puppeteer"; and Don Coleman was the general "Utility Puppeteer." Other people on the set included Zane Cassidy as a "Stunt Andorian," Katie Rowe as Plakson's stunt double, and stunt coordinator Vince Deadrick Jr.

Of course, the schedule was interrupted for two days so the cast and crew could spend Thanksgiving here on Earth. Things resumed on Monday, and concluded this past Tuesday. Besides the first Andorian female (who looks slightly different from the males), this episode will also give us our first look at Andorian starships, which will be created in post-production.

"Cease Fire" was written by co-executive producer Chris Black and directed by David Straiton. Black has previously written "Carbon Creek" and "Singularity," among other Enterprise episodes, and Straiton helmed "Vanishing Point," "A Night in Sickbay" and "Desert Crossing." This episode is tentatively scheduled to air February 12.

For more information about the second-season episodes, visit the Synopses and Cast & Crew sections of Production News.

Please note: All production information is subject to change.

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