Star Trek: Decontamination Gel, Explained

by

Star Trek: Decontamination Gel, Explained

Key Takeaways

  • In the 23rd century, Starfleet equipped all transporters with a filtering program to remove contaminants.
  • Decontamination protocols in the 22nd century included UV lights, decon gel, and tricorder scans.
  • The episode “Starbase 80?!?” in Lower Decks humorously critiques Enterprise’s exploitative decontamination chamber scenes.

As a lifelong fan of the Star Trek universe, I can confidently say that the decontamination chamber has been a source of both intrigue and discomfort for many viewers over the years. In the early days of Enterprise, it was a crucial plot device, showcasing the crew’s lack of advanced technology compared to the TOS era. However, it also became notorious for its exploitative scenes, particularly those involving Subcommander T’Pol.

In the captivating world of Star Trek, my role as a spacefarer required constant vigilance against unknown pollutants when journeying to distant alien planets. Thankfully, by the 23rd century, our transporters were ingeniously designed with a protective filtration system, ensuring a safer exploration experience for all officers like myself.

Star Trek’s transporters function by disassembling an entity or item into its constituent molecules, transforming these molecules into energy, transmitting this energy to the desired location, and finally reassembling the molecules back into their original form as the entity or item. Since the matter being transported is dismantled at the molecular level, a scanning program can identify potential pollutants (such as bacteria, viruses, organic particles, etc.) and eliminate them before reconstructing the matter as the individual being or object being transported. However, this technology wasn’t flawless even in the 23rd and 24th centuries, so there was always a backup decontamination process needed.

The Old School Decontamination Protocols

Star Trek: Decontamination Gel, Explained

In the 22nd century, transporter technology was still in its experimental phase and posed significant risks. When the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 needed to travel somewhere outside the ship, they used a shuttlecraft instead. Upon their return, they were required to follow decontamination procedures.

Upon disembarking from their shuttlecraft, the NX-01 team promptly made their way to the decontamination room. This room was equipped with potent ultraviolet lights designed to eliminate any viruses or bacteria clinging to the crew members’ bodies or garments. Upon arrival, they were instructed to apply a special decontamination gel all over themselves, which necessitated the removal of much of their clothing. After application, they had to wait in the chamber until scans by tricorders confirmed that their bodies were free from potential contaminants. It’s worth noting that in Star Trek lore, the specific composition and function of the decontamination gel have never been explicitly explained; it is merely known as a topical gel used in decontamination procedures.

With the advancement of transporter technology and its integrated filtration systems becoming consistently dependable, decontamination procedures largely became obsolete – though not entirely so, given that even futuristic tech can occasionally falter, as Star Trek enthusiasts are well aware.

As a gamer, I often find myself in situations where the transporter’s purification system fails to identify harmful contaminants, resulting in the reconstruction of objects or organisms carrying these contaminants. Sometimes, it’s just one of those mysterious malfunctions that the creators don’t explain. Just like in the latest episode of “Star Trek: Lower Decks”, titled “Starbase 80?!?” – the transporter’s filtration system went haywire, causing Starfleet officers to return to a new ship, starbase, or Federation planet covered in old-school decontamination goop and required to spend time inside the decon chamber for proper sanitization.

The Infamous T’Pol Decontamination Scenes

In the inaugural episode of “Star Trek: Enterprise,” titled “Broken Bow,” the series introduced the decontamination procedures. This happened after the crew, particularly Subcommander T’Pol and Commander Trip Tucker, picked up a harmful microorganism on an alien world. As applying the decontamination gel over their bodies was vital, viewers of “Enterprise” were treated to several scenes that were initially uncomfortable, featuring members of the Enterprise NX-01 crew disrobing in a confined space and applying decon gel to each other.

In the storyline, the decontamination chamber served as a crucial element, highlighting that the team aboard Starship Enterprise NX-01 lacked technology familiar to Star Trek enthusiasts. Yet, it also provided the backdrop for some of Star Trek’s more intimate moments. A large portion of these scenes centered around T’Pol, the Vulcan first officer portrayed by Jolene Blalock, and she was often depicted in form-fitting underwear and a bra. These scenes typically involved her being gently massaged by one of her colleagues, usually Tucker (played by Connor Trineer) or Captain Jonathan Archer (performed by Scott Bakula).

The situations carried a heavy undercurrent of sensuality, yet failed to exude sex appeal. Instead, they made many viewers uneasy. Perhaps it was due to the blatant effort to inject sexuality into Star Trek, or maybe because these scenes were overly exploitative towards Blalock, reducing her character to a sexual prop rather than respecting her persona. To this day, the decon chamber scenes are widely criticized as one of the most problematic elements in Enterprise.

The Lower Decks Spin on the Decon Chamber

Star Trek: Decontamination Gel, Explained

Ever since its debut in 2020, the creators of Lower Decks have shown a remarkable ability to pay tribute to previous Star Trek series while also highlighting their problematic elements in a humorous manner. Instead of undermining the legacy of Star Trek, they are cleverly rewriting the script, making those questionable aspects more noticeable and aiming to reshape the storyline for the better.

In “Starbase 80”, the writers of Lower Decks opted against mimicking the well-known decon chamber scenes by placing characters like Mariner and Boimler or Tendi and Rutherford in an awkward half-naked scrubbing scenario. Instead, they decided to cast Commander Ransom in the part traditionally played by T’Pol.

It’s well-known among fans that Ransom holds a strong affection for his own physique, nearly equal to his devotion to Starfleet. Instead of merely preparing to apply decontamination gel, he seemed enthusiastic, even excited. This led to an extended, albeit unnecessary and incredibly amusing, sequence where Ransom sensuously rubbed the gel onto his body while making delightful sounds.

In this instance, Ransom’s behavior was consistent with his character and also served as a shrewd critique of the questionable, even sexist, decon chamber sequences in Enterprise. Once again, the writers of Lower Decks deftly navigated the balance between mimicking and commenting on the intricacies of the Star Trek universe.

Sources: Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Lower Decks

Read More

2024-11-27 18:06