Star Trek: Enterprise's Poorly-Timed Nude Scene, Explained
By CAMERON ROY HALL
In February 2004, "Star Trek: Enterprise" aired Season 3, Episode 15, "Harbinger," which centers on the romantic tension between T'Pol and Trip, and ends with them having sex.
The sex occurs off screen, but there is some nudity before the scene shifts. The shot depicts T'Pol from behind as she disrobes, exposing her bare back and a hint of what's below.
Although this is tame compared to more modern media, the episode caused a notable stir in the Star Trek community as the franchise hadn't previously included anything like it.
Many believed Star Trek went too far. Worse still, "Harbinger" aired 10 days after the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.
For those who don’t know, the infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime show ended with Justin Timberlake ripping Janet Jackson's outfit and exposing her right breast on live TV.
The event isn’t directly tied to Star Trek, but the U.S. FCC guidelines allowed networks to censor content that lacks "serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."
There are two edits of "Harbinger." The first version, which aired in America at the time of the episode's original release, crops the nudity so that only T'Pol's back is seen.