Synopsis: The Enterprise is ordered to extricate a Vulcan ambassador, who was a personal role model for T’Pol, from a planet after she has been expelled by its government.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of the relationship between the Senex, or wise sage archetype, and that of the Puer, the archetype of the eternal youth.
In “Fallen Hero” the Enterprise is ordered to take Vulcan Ambassador V’Lar from her post on Mazar to the Vulcan vessel Sh’Raan. As V’Lar has been a role model for Sub-Commander T’Pol, she instructs Captain Jonathan Archer on how the crew should behave around a person of such high status. However, when Enterprise arrives at Mazar and is hailed by the Mazarite High Council, Archer and the crew are informed that V’Lar has been expelled from their world after being accused of abusing her position and criminal misconduct. The crew treats V’Lar with respect but T’Pol questions her about the charges. A Mazarite vessel then hails Enterprise and says that V’Lar is needed back on Mazar for questioning. After T’Pol speaks with V’Lar, she tells Archer that V’Lar is not guilty of the crime she was accused of and is on a secret mission of great importance. Enterprise is then fired upon by three Mazarite ships. Outgunned, a group of Mazarites board Enterprise and Archer tricks them into believing that V’Lar is dead until the Vulcan vessel Sh’Raan arrives. Now the Mazarite vessels are outgunned and V’Lar appears to them to let them know that that she will testify against them, to end their corrupt ways. As she leaves she tells Archer and T’Pol that she senses a bond between them.
In this episode, there are several instances where the relationship between T’Pol and V’Lar, and for that matter between V’Lar and Archer, change. First, T’Pol wants to make everything just right for when V’Lar arrives, as one would for an esteemed visitor. Then when T’Pol learns of the charges against V’Lar, her attitude changes and she looks down on her. T’Pol, feeling more equal in status to V’Lar now, tells her former mentor that she should tell her and Archer the real reason for her presence. She also reveals that Archer feels resentment for Vulcans because he believes they delayed humans developing warp drive. When T’Pol learns the truth, she then regains the respect she first had for V’Lar. V’Lar also tells T’Pol of the respect she has for her. After this exchange, T’Pol goes to Archer and tells him that he must ensure that V’Lar completes her mission. But after Enterprise is attacked again, V’Lar wants to stop the assault by surrendering herself to the Mazarite vessels. Archer says no, he has a plan, and V’Lar follows his guidance. Respecting that he is captain of the ship. The continuing change in levels of respect between V’Lar and T’Pol, and V’Lar and Archer can be compared to how the relationship between the Senex archetype and the Puer archetype are in a constant state of flux in one’s psyche. James Hillman believed that the give and take between these two types of archetypal energy could be used to understand the complementary aspects of all the different types of archetypal energy contained in one’s unconscious.
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