See Also: 'Cogenitor' Episode Guide

The crew of the NX-01 will discover a race which has a third gender in an upcoming Enterprise episode, entitled 'Cogenitor'.

StarTrek.com yesterday released the below official synopsis of the episode, currently scheduled to air on April 30:

While studying a star in the early stages of going supernova, Enterprise encounters a race called the Vissians. The two crews get along famously, until Trip Tucker gets a little too curious about a member of the species' third gender — a nameless individual called a "cogenitor."

'Cogenitor' was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation's LeVar Burton (Geordi La Forge), with the script written by Enterprise executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. Burton previously helmed 'Terra Nova' and 'Fortunate Son' in season one, and will soon direct Enterprise's fiftieth episode.

The episode's guest cast includes:

• Andreas Katsulas as Vissian Captain
• F.J. Rio as Vissian Engineer
• Larissa Laskin as Vissian Wife (Calla)
• Becky Wahlstrom as Cogenitor
• Stacie Renna as Vissian Woman #1
• Laura Interval as Vissian Woman #2

Andreas Katsulas is probably best known to genre fans for his portrayal of G'Kar on Babylon 5, a role he reprised in the recent 'Legend of the Rangers' telemovie. The actor also has a Star Trek background, having appeared as Romulan Commander Tomalak in four episodes of The Next Generation. Katsulas's other credits include roles in 'The Fugitive' and 'Executive Decision.'

F.J. Rio is also no stranger to Trek, having played Muniz in three episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Joleg in Star Trek: Voyager's 'Repentance.' Laura Interval appeared as Seven of Nine's mother, Erin Hansen, in the two-part Voyager episode 'Dark Frontier,' but was credited as Laura Stepp.

Larissa Laskin's credits include guest spots on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Earth: Final Conflict and Relic Hunter, while Becky Wahlstrom has appeared on Charmed and The Others. Stacie Renna's only credit listed on the Internet Movie Database is a voice role in 'Iria: Zeiram the Animation.'

Principal photography on 'Cogenitor' ran from Tuesday, February 18 to Wednesday, February 26. The first four days were spent filming in regular NX-01 locales, such as engineering and the bridge, with a few extra sets constructed to depict the interior of the Vissian ship. Scott Bakula (Jonathan Archer) and Andreas Katsulas spent the final day of shooting in a Vissian stratopod, which is "where Archer joins the alien captain in travelling deep into the photosphere of the hypergiant."

According to rumoured plot details, the Cogenitor is treated like a second-class citizen by the other Vissians (story). Trip strikes up a friendship with the being, encouraging it to expand its horizons, but the Cogenitor faces opposition from the Vissians and soon boards Enterprise asking to stay with Trip.

The original production report can be found here at StarTrek.com.

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