SPOILER ALERT!!! Warning: Information here may also spoil previous episodes!

For the first time in Trek history, we will get to visit the icy planet of Andoria, in the final installment of a trilogy dealing with a Romulan threat.

The episode is called "The Aenar," the 14th episode of Season 4 and the 90th overall. "The Aenar" (pronounced "EE-nar") refers to a subspecies on Andoria, one that lives underground in the arctic wastelands, isolated from the rest of their world. They are essentially albino Andorians with very pale blue skin (still with antennae though), and they are blind, and telepathic. In the story, the Enterprise crew has determined that the marauder ship which has been stirring up trouble in the region is an unmanned drone, operated remotely through "telepresence." The brainwave pattern found among data recovered from the ship by Tucker and Reed is identified with Shran's help as that of an Aenar. With this information in hand, Archer sets course for Andoria to try to find out who's controlling the marauder drone. (They have evidence pointing to the Romulans, but no specific knowledge.) Though this segment concludes a three-part arc, there is a startling twist ending that will have important consequences in upcoming shows.

This episode takes the opportunity to establish new canon of the Star Trek universe where Shran's homeworld is concerned, which we know practically nothing about thus far. The script calls for the icy M-Class world to be in orbit of a "huge, spectacular ringed gas giant" with a sun of slightly bluish hue (though sometimes the final digital effects shots turn out differently than the script, so you're aware). While the Aenar live underground in some of the more hostile regions, we learn that the entire planet is quite cold by Earth standards, and all Andorian cities are built underground to take advantage of geothermal energy. It all paints a picture of a world where an intelligent species with blue skin and antennae could credibly have evolved.

Soundstage sets representing icy canyons, tunnels, cliffs, and Aener dwellings were utilized in the final two days of the seven-day shooting schedule which began Monday, November 22, and concluded last Thursday, with two days off in the middle for Thanksgiving. Scenes shot on those icy sets with Scott Bakula and Jeffrey Combs will be merged with optical effects to show Archer and Shran beaming into a sweeping arctic landscape, then hiking through ice tunnels, encountering dangerous "ice bores" along the way, in search of the Aenar. Once they find them, a vast underground complex will be rendered in the background of the Aenar Habitat sets.

Two guest stars new to Trek will play the principal Aenar characters. Alexandra Lydon, best known for her role in the third season of 24 as "Jane Saunders," plays "Jhamal." Alicia Adams, a newcomer to the business in general, plays "Lissan." Several extras in the same pale-blue makeup with milky-white contacts portray non-speaking background Aenar. Paul Elliott and John Fifer were the behind-the-scenes "puppeteers" controlling the antennae of the key players by remote. Lydon as "Jhamal" actually started early in the schedule, for scenes aboard Enterprise, specifically Sickbay, the Transporter Alcove and Corridor. The Bridge, Mess Hall, Conference Room and Archer's Quarters were the only other standing ship sets used.

The Romulan players from the prior episodes of the arc reprised their roles for a day and a half. They were Brian Thompson as "Valdore," J. Michael Flynn as "Nijil," and Geno Silva as "Senator Vrax." We also see a couple of Reman Soldiers in the background. Their scenes, like before, were confined to the existing Romulan Command Center set.

Another guest star staying over from the previous show was Scott Rinker, who in "United" is identified only as "Pilot" but is now given a name: "Gareb." He is an Aenar, revealed to be the one controlling the drone ship through a Romulan telepresence unit.

Among the varied challenges faced by Makeup, Wardrobe, the Art Department and Set Construction, etc., was to depict Shran plunging down an icy embankment, slamming into a field of stalagmites and getting punctured in the leg by one. Kim Koski stunt-doubled for Combs in the uncomfortable fall. Rest assured there was plenty of blue blood on hand.

"The Aenar" was scripted by staff writer Andre Bormanis, with story credit going to showrunner Manny Coto. Bormanis co-wrote the first segment of the Romulan trilogy, "Babel One," and also wrote part 2 of the Vulcan trilogy, "Awakening," so far this season. The episode was directed by Mike Vejar, who has recently helmed "Cold Station 12" and "Observer Effect."

"The Aenar" is tentatively scheduled to air February 11, 2005. Updates will be posted in Episode Detail.

We have more changes in the airdate schedule from UPN for upcoming weeks. As it currently stands, the first two parts of the Brent Spiner trilogy will rerun in the next two weeks, then the show will be pre-empted altogether on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve*. The first Friday of January will be a repeat (to be determined). New episodes will resume January 14, for at least seven uninterrupted weeks. The latest schedule is as follows (subject to change):

12/10 Repeat of "Borderland"
12/17 Repeat of "Cold Station 12"
12/24 Pre-empted*
12/31 Pre-empted*
01/07 Repeat TBD
01/14 "Daedalus"
01/21 "Observer Effect"
01/28 "Babel One"
02/04 "United"
02/11 "The Aenar"

*Two episodes from Season 3, "Countdown" and "Zero Hour," will be available to UPN affiliates the weekends of 12/24 and 12/31, respectively, to air at a time of their choice. Check your local listings.