Synopsis: The Enterprise crew captures the Xindi Council Chairman Degra, and through deception try to gain information from him.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of Jung’s concept of projection, how projecting upon another positive traits from one’s Eros-driven irrational unconscious can lead to friendship.
In “Stratagem,” The Enterprise crew captures the Xindi Council Chairman Degra. In order to try to extract from him information about the location of the weapon that he is creating to destroy Earth, Captain Jonathan Archer poses as someone that he has just broken out of prison with, after they have been in the custody of one of the other Xindi species for over three years. This charade is taking place in a simulation of a vessel that is really located in one of Enterprise’s cargo bays. It nearly works until there is a malfunction in the simulation, and Degra tells Archer that the information he gave to him was false. Another simulation is created to reveal that the information that was given was true, after which Degra and his crew are returned to their vessel, where Dr. Phlox injects them with a substance which will erase their memory of the incident.
In this episode, when Archer works to convince Degra that they have been friends for over three years and have just broken out of a Xindi prison, he is trying to place upon Degra his inner feelings of trust and friendship. In turn, Archer hopes that Degra will feel that they have a friendship and reveal to him information that he would not give his enemy. Even though this was a simulation, it illustrates the power of projection and also what happens when the individual refuses to accept it.
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