While fires raged throughout Southern California and a brown haze enveloped the entire Los Angeles area, the Enterprise production team stayed safely inside the Paramount soundstages to film what could be one of the most controversial episodes of the series.

In "Chosen Realm," written by co-executive producer Manny Coto, the Enterprise crew is investigating one of the mysterious spheres that dot the Delphic Expanse when they receive a distress call from a crew of aliens called Triannons. It turns out this is a group of religious zealots who intend to hijack Enterprise and use it in a war against the "heretics" on their homeworld. These Triannons venerate the spheres, believing they were created by deities, and consider the Delphic Expanse to be "the Chosen Realm." The story is an unsettling look at religious extremism, paralleling many aspects of today's international climate.

Roxann Dawson was back in the director's chair for the second time this season, after "Exile." She presided over an atmosphere of some anxiety as the state's worst-ever natural disaster ravaged the outskirts of town and smoke literally obscured the sun, even over Hollywood. Several crew members had reason to worry about the overwhelming wildfires, and in fact, Dawson herself left early one day to make sure her own home was safe; she was back to work the next day. (Director of Photography Marvin Rush took over her duties that afternoon so things could stay on schedule.)

Having just come off a strenuous location shoot for "Carpenter Street" (related story), the company settled into a more normal routine for a show that took place almost exclusively on standing ship sets. There was a large guest cast of "Triannons," however, that required relatively simple alien makeup and costumes. Some also had "anomaly scar" prosthetics added on.

Conor O'Farrell plays "D'Jamat," the leader of the Triannon sect who maintains power over his followers with his absolutist beliefs. O'Farrell was in Enterprise two seasons ago as the hunter "Burzaan" in "Rogue Planet." You may also remember him as "Professor Jeff Carlson," a 20th-century human in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's "Little Green Men." Another Trek veteran in the guest cast is Gregory Wagrowski as "Ceris," the leader of a rival Triannon faction. Wagrowski was the Vulcan baseball player "Captain Solok" in DS9's "Take Me Out to the Holosuite." Newcomers filled in the several other speaking parts, plus there was a fair number of stunt players and at least a couple of dozen extras as NX-01 crewmen, MACOs and background Triannons.

The production schedule commenced Tuesday, October 21, overlapping for two days with final photography on "Carpenter Street." One simple set and a one-wall backdrop were used in a couple of scenes to depict the Triannon vessels. There was also a swing set for a short planet-side scene. Everything else was done on regular sets including Engineering, the Armory, Sickbay, the Command Center, the Ready Room, the Bridge, the Brig, the Captain's Mess, Crew Quarters, Access Tubes and Corridors, etc.

The Call Sheet which the cast and crew received Friday for the following Monday contained an announcement reading, "Temporal Anomaly Alert! Time distortion detected! Turn clocks BACK one hour Sunday!" Seems like that happens every year around this time.

Principal photography concluded Wednesday, the 29th. In post-production, the visual effects department will create shots involving a sphere, the Triannon ships, and some unique explosions on the NX-01.

This is Coto's second Enterprise script, the first being "Similitude" which is only two episodes prior and was also a strongly issue-driven story. Dawson herself is no stranger to controversy — she also directed "Bounty," which ruffled a few feathers. This is her seventh Enterprise episode overall.

"Chosen Realm" is tentatively scheduled to air January 14. UPN will air repeat episodes throughout December and the first week of January. More information about this show can be found at its Episode Detail page.

Please note: All production, story and scheduling information is subject to change.