Star Trek: Enterprise introduced the decontamination chamber, which became a controversial symbol of the first Star Trek prequel series. Created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, Enterprise (its original title in seasons 1 and 2) was set in the 22nd century, retconning Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the NX-01 Enterprise as the first starship of that name to explore the galaxy. Enterprise's decontamination chamber was one of the ways the prequel set itself apart from its predecessor series set later in Star Trek's timeline.
One of Rick Berman and Brannon Braga's goals with their prequel was for Enterprise to lack much of the traditional technology Star Trek had taken for granted. The first starship capable of warp five travel, Captain Archer's NX-01 Enterprise was built more like a cramped submarine, and it was considerably underpowered compared to later incarnations of the Starship Enterprise. Instead of deflector shields, the NX-01 had polarized hull plating, and without a tractor beam, Enterprise relied on grapplers. Transporter technology was available, but it was new, and Enterprise's crew didn't trust it not to kill them. The limits of Enterprise's transporters also necessitated the decontamination chamber.
Why Star Trek: Enterprise Had A Decontamination Chamber
Decon chambers became obsolete after the 22nd century
Star Trek: Enterprise's decontamination (or decon) chamber was a small, closet-like facility used to decontaminate the NX-01 crew from dangerous and potentially lethal viruses, microscopic lifeforms, airborne bodies, and potential diseases they might have contracted during landing party missions. In later Star Trek, transporters' biofilters would automatically decontaminate people and objects while starships' filtration systems could excise airborne diseases. But in Enterprise's 22nd century, the decon chamber was necessary.
In the decon chamber, Enterprise's crew members would need to apply topical gels on their skin and spend hours in the room's ultraviolet radiation light to be fully decontaminated. However, the decon chamber also had other uses. Commander Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer) used the decon chamber as a panic room to protect himself from a sedative gas used by Ferengi marauders to incapacitate Enterprise's crew. Occasionally, the decon chamber substitutes as a holding cell when Enterprise crew members contract viruses requiring their isolation from the rest of the ship.
Why Star Trek: Enterprise’s Decontamination Chamber Was Controversial
Enterprise's decon chamber leaves a lasting impression
It's no secret that Enterprise's decon chamber was the setting of some of the most salacious moments ever seen in Star Trek. Enterprise's creators, Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, amped up the sexuality of the prequel, pushing the limits of Star Trek's TV-PG rating by showing as much nudity as UPN would allow. The lasting impression left by Enterprise's decon chamber scenes is of Subcommander T'Pol (Jolene Blalock), Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park), Trip Tucker, Captain Archer, and other crew members sensually rubbing each others' scantily-clad bodies with gel in the decon chamber's azure glow.
The D-Con Chamber is also the name of the Star Trek podcast hosted by Enterprise 's Dominic Keating and Connor Trinneer.
Enterprise's decontamination chamber scenes are exploitative, especially towards Jolene Blalock's T'Pol. Enterprise's blatant sexual content feels antithetical to Star Trek's reputation as an enlightened series about exploring moral and ethical quandaries. Decon chamber scenes were unabashedly provocative and sexually-charged on purpose. However, by Star Trek: Enterprise season 4, the decon chamber scenes were toned down, and Enterprise's characters would now be fully clothed going through decon.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Brought Back Enterprise's Decontamination Chamber
Lower Decks finally parodies Enterprise's decon chamber
Since Enterprise was a prequel created after Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and their 24th-century spinoffs and movies, the decontamination chamber has been the sole province of Star Trek: Enterprise. However, the sexually charged antics of Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the youthful Starship Enterprise crew in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies owe a debut of inspiration to Star Trek: Enterprise and its decontamination chamber. But before 2024, decon chamber scenes haven't take place in any other Star Trek besides Enterprise.
For the first time since Star Trek: Enterprise was canceled, the decontamination chamber has returned thanks to Star Trek: Lower Decks. A scene in Star Trek: Lower Decks' final season on Paramount+ is set in a decon chamber, with the scantily clad crew of the USS Cerritos hilariously aping the application of topical gels, complete with Lt. Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) boasting he's a "regular T'Pol." It's been a long road for Star Trek: Enterprise's decontamination chamber to make a comeback, but it was always ripe for parody, and the time is finally near thanks to Star Trek: Lower Decks.
