Star Trek: Enterprise (2001 - 2005) - Random Musings

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Previous Episode: Countdown

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THE PLOT

The Reptilians have successfully armed the weapon, and are on their way to Earth. Archer has taken command of Degra's ship, which can navigate the vortex and can move faster than the Reptilians. His plan is to beam a team aboard the weapon, to destroy it from the inside.

Meanwhile, T'Pol takes command of Enterprise for its last mission within The Expanse. She will make good on Archer's promise to the Acquatics to break the Sphere Builder's hold over The Expanse by destroying one of the key Spheres in the network. But this time, the Sphere Builders will do more than just observe the outcome...

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: The usual grim determination and self-sacrifice. Scott Bakula is terrific, as he has been most of this season. Had the series been cancelled here, this would not have been a bad final bow for either the character or the actor. Thankfully, it's not quite the end of the series yet. Hopefully, Bakula's performance will continue to impress as it has since late Season Two, without slipping back to the intermittent awkward stiffness of the first season-and-a-half.

T'Pol: She no longer seems to be trying very hard to hide her new emotions. I'm still not sure I like the plot turn of giving T'Pol a full set of emotions. To me, this misses the point of having a Vulcan character. That said, I do like that T'Pol is gradually becoming comfortable in expressing them. It should also make for some interesting developments when she has to interact with Vulcans again in the future.

Dr. Phlox: Is able to create a compound that will allow the ship's crew to survive for up to 15 minutes in the space surrounding the Sphere. He is firm that at that point, the crew will begin to die. Though as a doctor he is devoted to life, when the Sphere Builders infiltrate the ship directly, he uses the knowledge he gleaned from the captive Sphere Builder to help the marines and ship security fight back against them. He also gets a couple of terrific quieter moments opposite T'Pol, scenes that bring out the best in both of these characters and actors.

Hoshi: Her ordeal has left her very weak. Her first scene of the episode sees her in almost a fugue state. She is simultaneously trying to decipher the weapon schematics for Archer, paralyzed with guilt over her failure to jump before the parasites she was injected with stopped her, and flashing back to being a prisoner of the Reptilians. She stabilizes after that scene, and does well during the mission, particularly when called upon to remember a critical sequence from memory.

The Xindi: The Reptilians are now open about wanting to dominate all of the Xindi. By the episode's end, the Insectoids have realized the Reptilians' duplicity and joined with the rest of the Xindi council. With only the Reptilians holding out, and the leader of the humanoids observing that they will eventually have to come back to the council, it would seem that Archer has accomplished what the Sphere Builders failed to do: He has unified the Xindi.

ZAP THE REDSHIRT!

An unspecified number of marines meet their makers when the Sphere Builders attack Enterprise. An additional two marines go into the weapon, but don't come out again.

THOUGHTS

And so the season-long Xindi arc... ends on a cliffhanger!?

In fairness, the story of the Xindi weapon is resolved. The cliffhanger is more of a tag at the end of the story - Less a case of the episode going unresolved than of the complication for the next season premiere being introduced at the end of this one. I'd assume that if the series had been cancelled here (a distinct possibility) that they'd have simply cut the episode a little shorter, ending with the arrival at Earth before it became apparent anything was wrong, probably with some stock footage of Starfleet headquarters and maybe a voice over from Bakula to close out the series. Thankfully, it did get renewed one last time, allowing for one of the more bizarre season cliffhangers I can recall. At the very least, I'm interested in knowing what happens next!

The episode itself is another good one. Berman and Braga return to the writers' chair, for yet another reminder that whatever people may have thought of them as showrunners, they are solid writers. The pace is relentless, with the cuts back and forth from the weapon to Enterprise's complications around the Sphere provoking strong tension. Before the action, Berman and Braga pause to allow Crewman Daniels to give Archer a glimpse of the future, a faraway glance at the founding of the Federation. It's a scene I suspect we'll be seeing again, with a little closer a view next time.

The episode does lack the multiple emotional layers of some of the previous episodes. This is a flat-out action piece, with no subtext to speak of. But that's not really a flaw. After a season's worth of build, this is our climax. It may come in the form of big action scenes and bigger explosions, but it's quite satisfying in doing so. And the epilogue (pre-cliffhanger) manages to evoke a fair amount of emotion.

It's also great fun to see Shran again. I wasn't expecting that. It would be even better if his credit could have been held back to the end credits, to make his arrival a genuine surprise. Still, his entrance is well done, particularly his triumphant cry of, "Tell Archer... Now he owes me!"

Rating: 8/10.

Next Episode: Storm Front

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THE PLOT

The Reptilians have taken the Xindi weapon, but they don't have all the codes needed to activate it. What they do have is Hoshi - whose linguistics skills in the Xindi council chamber convinced the Reptilian leader that she will also be able to decrypt the other races' codes. Hoshi initially resists, until all resistance is made useless by the injection of some Wrath of Khan-like parasites directly into her brain.

Archer manages to convince the Aquatics to join the Humanoids and Arboreals in chasing down the weapon and battling the Reptilians and Insectoids. But Archer's newfound alliance may not be strong enough to stop them when the Sphere Builders decide that the time has come to intervene directly!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Scott Bakula shifts his acting gears to "grim determination" and more or less keeps them there for the entire episode. Archer is largely left barking orders or demands from the Enterprise bridge while other characters get the bulk of the action, but his intensity does set the tone and anchor the episode's sense of urgency.

T'Pol/Trip: They continue their awkward progression toward the relationship that their E2 counterparts had before/parallel to them. Trip has noticed T'Pol's more emotional behavior. Though an outburst from her does put him on the defensive, when she admits her turmoil he instantly offers his support.

Reed: Gets another very good episode, particularly in his scenes with Hayes. His emotion following the death of Hawkins is further followed up on, as he confesses to Hayes that he knows that Hawkins was his responsibility. It's an admission that gains him a measure of respect from Hayes, and the two men seem to end this episode as friends.

Hoshi: Tries very hard to resist the Reptilians' attempts to use her to activate the weapon. Even when she is injected with the parasites, she manages to resist long enough to add another layer of encryption to the weapon's arming sequence, further delaying deployment. When this is discovered and a further "procedure" is ordered, she attempts to kill herself - though she hesitates, and the next wave of parasites forestalls all further resistance.

The Xindi: The Reptilians are now the outright villains, allying themselves with the Sphere Builders for the promise that they will be the rulers of the remaining Xindi. Any sense that the leader of the Reptilians still believes that he is acting in self-defense or doing what is right for the Xindi overall is totally abandoned. He is now The Villain, and all he needs is to twirl a mustache and kick a puppy (in Hoshi, he already gets to tie down and torture a damsel in distress) to complete the image.

ZAP THE REDSHIRT!

Major Hayes is brought back, after being barely referenced in the very eventful run of episodes that followed his last appearance. This time, he leads a mission to infiltrate the weapon and retrieve Hoshi. Naturally, he meets a suitably heroic end, complete with John Wayne-style last words of advice to Reed... which advice, as far as I could tell, Reed entirely ignores when putting together his new infiltration squad at the episode's end. Anyway, farewell Major Hayes. I'd like to say I'd miss you, but since you were never more than a 2-dimensional stereotype to start with, I'm afraid I'd by lying.

THOUGHTS

Countdown is not as outstanding an episode as The Council was. The script is less layered, with less of a sense of fully-rounded characters making weighty decisions and misjudgments perfectly in keeping with their nature. It's more of a straight action piece.

That said, it is a very good action piece, particularly once the action really gets going in the second half. The momentum of past episodes is kept running, and events barely pause to allow for breath. A lack of time for reflection and an absence of some of the shaded characterization of some of the previous episodes keep it from being as good as the Azati Prime trilogy or The Council. But in a run of shows that have ranged from "very good" to "outstanding," Countdown shouldn't be dismissed merely for falling on the "good" side of that scale.

The current run of episodes is easily the best Enterprise has seen, it is among the best of Trek - provided, that is, that the finale doesn't blow it.

Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: The Council

Next Episode: Zero Hour

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THE PLOT

Degra escorts Enterprise to the Xindi council, where he promises that Archer will have the opportunity to present his evidence against the Sphere Builders. The Reptilians and Insectoids would as soon destroy both Archer and Enterprise as listen to him, but the other three Xindi species join forces to enforce the issue. Archer has already secured the trust of two of the Xindi races. Now he'll need to win a third vote to stop the weapon from being deployed. With the Reptilians and Insectoids entrenched against him, his only hope is to focus his evidence on the Acquatics.

Meanwhile, T'Pol, Reed, and Mayweather lead a mission into the closest sphere. They penetrate the sphere's camouflaged entrance. But there are other defenses waiting for them...

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: It's fortunate that this mission came after he had already been blundering around in space for two years. The Archer of Season One, or even early Season Two, would have made a hash of things. This Archer is able to act as a strategist with Degra to persuade the council. He quickly ascertains that the Reptilians and Insectoids are a lost cause, and urges Degra to focus on convincing the Acquatics, in order to get the third of the five needed votes to stop the weapon.

Trip: Has difficulty working with Degra, but manages to be "cooperative," if hostile, in preparing the Sphere Builder's pod to be used as evidence for the Council. He later does make peace with Degra - something I would have preferred him not do, because it would have been more dramatically interesting for Trip to remain hostile, but I suppose the writers did not care to jeopardize his standing as the most easily relatable of the regulars.

Reed: When Random Marine Hawkins dies on the mission to the sphere, Reed has a private meltdown. "We've become too comfortable with losing people!" he declares. He draws on his military background when he reveals that "acceptable losses" for any mission are 20%... a percentage that, with Hawkins' death, Enterprise has now exceeded.

Hoshi: Emerges from the periphery to get a fairly good episode. She has become passably comfortable with the primary languages of both the Acquatics and the Insectoids, making her invaluable to Archer in the Council. She takes a moment as they fly in to appreciate the beauty of the Avian architecture, and has a couple of amusing exchanges with Archer on the way to the council chamber.

Degra: He is now absolutely convinced of Archer's claims against the Sphere Builders. When one of the Sphere Builders tries to convince him to change his course, Degra harshly rejects her, telling her, "You were never worthy of my faith." He also swears to Archer that he will be on his side at all times in the council chamber - a promise he makes good on.

The Xindi: After their home world was destroyed, they were saved from extinction by the Sphere Builders. Degra tells Archer that the Builders are all but worshipped in Xindi society. The leader of the Reptilians seems to be particularly under their sway, threatening his own lieutenant when he dares to so much as question "The Guardians."

ZAP THE REDSHIRT!

Reed selects a marine named Hawkins to accompany the shuttle team into the Sphere. That means the Away Team consists of T'Pol, Reed, Mayweather, and Hawkins. Guess which one ends up losing an argument with a robotic claw?

THOUGHTS

David Livingston directs this episode. I mention this at the start because I was thoroughly impressed with the way this episode was directed. The music, effects, design, and performances... They are all good individually, and Livingston puts them together so that they feed on each other. I said way back in my Season One reviews that Enterprise was easily the strongest of the Trek shows visually. This episode not only reminds me of how impressed I was by the early episodes' effects, but enhances that with real craftsmanship. I'd compare it to cinema... but lately, most of the directing work I've seen in recent bigscreen movies falls well short of this level of accomplishment.

The episode grabs attention from the opening shots, as we see the Sphere Builders communicating amongst themselves. We see them one Builder at a time, speaking inside a white void. The images seem to vaguely overlap, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. It's an arresting opener, one that declares up-front that this will be a visually stylish episode.

It also has a lot of momentum. The entire season has been building to this point, and there's a sense throughout that everything is now important. It ends with another strong action sequence, one that recalls the teaser for Twilight. As it cut away to black, I found myself very glad to be able to just move ahead to the next episode. Waiting for the resolution would have made for a very long week.

Rating: 9/10

Previous Episode: E2

Next Episode: Countdown

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Previous Episode: Hatchery

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THE PLOT

The Enterprise finally reaches Azati Prime, where the Xindi weapon is all but ready. Trip and Mayweather use the insectoid shuttle to fly through the Xindi defenses and locate the weapon. The two return with scans showing their target is vulnerable to a shuttle attack from within - but that such a mission would be strictly one-way.

Archer insists on volunteering himself for this suicide run. But before he can leave, the time-travelling Daniels whisks him off to the future, giving him information about the Sphere Builders. Daniels urges him to abandon his one-way mission and to make peace with the Xindi instead. Archer refuses, insisting that the weapon is too close to completion to try diplomacy at this point. But when he is found out and captured by the Xindi, he uses Daniels' information to arrange a meeting with Degra, desperate to convince the Xindi scientist that his people were misled.

Degra seems surprisingly receptive, but it may already be too late. The reptilians have located Enterprise in the space around Azati Prime. Fighers have now been launched. Their mission? Destroy Enterprise!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: With Enterprise in scanning distance of a Xindi outpost, Archer makes the hard but necessary decision, and orders it destroyed. We see that these kinds of decisions - torturing prisoners, ordering the death of Trip's clone, ordering the deaths of these Xindi - weigh heavily on him. He seems almost relieved to take command of a suicide mission, waving off other volunteers by stating that he will not watch anyone else die. When captured, he uses his knowledge of Degra to arrange a meeting with the Xindi scientist. He makes a good enough case for humanity not being the Xindi's enemy that Degra and the other Xindi council member are left feeling less than sanguine about the reptilians.

T'Pol: Accepting that Vulcans have been defined in this series (and indeed most of Trek) as beings who suppress their emotions, rather than actually lacking them, she nevertheless comes across as too emotional in this episode. Her blurting out that she does not want Archer to die, or excusing herself and shedding a single quiet tear in the ready room... That was fine, I had no problem with that much. But when she shuts herself away later, all but ignoring her duties, or when she snaps at a very reasonable Trip just before the Xindi attack - Those moments felt like a stretch. Not enough of one for me to deduct a point from the episode's score, particularly given that Jolene Blalock plays what she's given extremely well. But T'Pol's behavior in these scenes seems out of character. At least she snaps fully back to herself once the ship is under attack.

Degra: His characterization from Strategem is directly followed up on. We continue to see the mixed feelings with which he regards the weapon. On the one hand, he wants desperately to secure the future of his race and particularly of his children. On the other hand, he reflects his doubts as to how future Xindi generations will remember their actions. When Archer gives him an alternative explanation - that the future vision the Xindi were shown was a lie - he clearly wants to believe. At this point, it seems all but certain that Degra will emerge as a significant ally.

The Xindi: "The council is fracturing," we are told. This is consistent with what we saw in the season's early episodes, with the different Xindi races seeming very confrontational with each other. I do wish we could have seen some of this fracturing first-hand. Maybe we could have had a full episode entirely from the Xindi point of view? Ah, well. In any case, it seems clear that the reptilians are driving the Xindi on the warpath. By the episode's end, Degra and the other council member seem a lot less trusting of them, which I suspect will be followed up in the next episode.

THOUGHTS

Wow.

After a couple filler episodes of varying quality, the arc goes into what I'm assuming is its final act with the arrival at Azati Prime. Obviously, some of the season's budget was being saved for just this moment. Everything gets put into overdrive this episode. The result is the best Enterprise episode since Twilight.

Manny Coto's script does an excellent job of utilizing the many plot threads of the season. The sphere builders, an aspect of the season which really came into focus with Harbinger, are once again central. Daniels confronts Archer with the truth of the Sohere Builders and ties them into the lie used to put the Xindi on a war footing with Earth. Archer also references the things he has seen, done, and ordered over the course of the season when explaining why he is so willing to sacrifice himself. The plot even justifies Hatchery, as the insectoid shuttle gained in that rather weak episode is critical to this episode.

Coto, whom I'd currently place in a dead heat with Mike Sussman for the title of Enterprise's best writer, shares Sussman's expertise at structure. This is an extremely well put-together script. It gains momentum at the start, and just builds and builds to a finish in which everything seems lost. I doubt anyone saw the episode fade out without a howl at frustration, and I will be going straight from writing this review back to the DVD to continue watching.

Rating: 10/10. Outstanding.

Next Episode: Damage

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THE PLOT

Degra, the Xindi scientist in charge of developing the weapon, wakes up in an unfamiliar place... a shuttle, taking fire by Xindi insectoids. Piloting the shuttle is a slightly grizzled, long-haired Archer, who uses his natural authority to push Degra into helping him evade the insectoids. Archer then tells him something impossible: that Degra has lost his memory due to interrogation, and that he and Archer have shared a cell on an insectoid prison planet for almost three years!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: It is no spoiler to reveal that the entire shuttlecraft scenario is an elaborate deception. Having captured Degra, Archer realizes that he has a better chance at getting information by using guile rather than blunt force. He uses what he's learned of the Xindi, particularly about the divisions between the different species, to make Degra believe the scenario he has created. Bakula gives this version of Archer an amusingly roguish element, which he effectively drops at any point when Archer steps out of the simulator and stops playing the role.

Degra: Though the episode is not the two-hander it at first appears it will be, Degra is the only other character who gets any significant focus. There have already been hints that he had reservations about the Xindi weapon. Now we see that he is developing the weapon in large part because of a fierce devotion to his children's safety. That same love for his children caused him an emotional reaction when viewing the Xindi test, however. "7 million... I wondered how many of them were children," he confesses in a vulnerable moment. He is firmly devoted to the Xindi campaign, however, sharing the other Xindi's certainty that humanity will wipe out the Xindi in the future. I hope the absolute certainty of the Xindi fears is fully explained at some point. If their terror of humanity boils down to "a guy claiming to be from the future told them so," it will feel like a cheat.

THOUGHTS

Another Mike Sussman script, another good episode. I don't think he's actually written a bad one yet. Strategem effectively picks up where Proving Ground left off. The debris field from the weapons test is used. The script even makes use of the Andorian ale Shran left Archer. I do appreciate the way this season mostly feels like one unified whole. It gives the entire thing a much greater sense of momentum than was previously the case.

Scott Bakula seems to enjoy chances to step outside "Archer the Captain," and there's a relaxed and almost roguish quality to his scenes in the simulator with Degra that is quite different from his normal performance, and quite a bit of fun to watch. The Archer/Degra scenes are the core of this episode. They make up most of the episode's running time, and thankfully they are very well done in terms of showcasing both characters and in terms of telling the story.

I admit that I was initially hopeful that the episode would be a virtual 2-hander, a more adversarial version of Shuttlepod One. I did, at least, appreciate that the episode has enough confidence in the viewer being able to put the pieces together to allow more than a third of the episode to go by before revealing exactly what is going on. Indeed, the entire first 15 minutes of the episode is basically shown to us from Degra's point-of-view, which is an effective change-up. A part of me still wonders if the script couldn't have kept going with that, giving us the entire episode from Degra's viewpoint, at least until the end. But what we get works rather well, so I don't feel too inclined to complain.

Rating: 8/10

Previous Episode: Proving Ground

Next Episode: Harbinger

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THE PLOT

As the Xindi prepare to test the prototype of their new weapon, the Enterprise finally picks up the trail of the ship that Archer tagged. Following that signal means flying right through a series of anomalies, however, and it isn't long before the ship finds itself suffering damage.

That's when help arrives from a most unexpected source: Shran (Jeffrey Combs), the Andorian commander Archer has encountered several times before. With Shran's help, Enterprise's repairs go quickly enough for them to reach the site before the Xindi weapons test. That leaves Archer with an opportunity for an ambitious gambit: to steal the prototype!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Though wary about the sudden appearance of the Andorians, he is in a critical situation where he cannot refuse the offer of help. Plus, as he tells T'Pol, while he may not trust the Andorians he has developed a certain degree of trust with regard to Commander Shran.

T'Pol: After the revelations of Similitude, it seems that she may be trying to minimize contact with Trip - which is not unnoticed by the engineer. Her experience with Andorians has her urging Archer to be cautious about trusting them, but she backs up his decisions.

Reed: Security conscious to the point of paranoia, Reed is resistant to the idea of having the Andorians assist with repairs, fearing that they may steal the ship's secrets. He develops a strong bond with Lt. Talas (Molly Brink), Shran's tactical officer, and they have some highly entertaining scenes together. It's good to see him develop a brief friendship/flirtation with a "kindred spirit," without ever entirely letting down his guard.

Shran: The obligatory Shran episode of the season. Not that a Shran episode is ever a bad thing - His first appearance marked the series' first fully satisfying episode, and all of the episodes to feature him have been consistently watchable. A large part of that is the performance of Jeffrey Combs, who invests just the right touches of both brittleness and humor to make Shran interesting. His relationship with Archer is not quite a friendship, but it's built upon a lot of mutual respect, and watching their interactions is never anything but fun.

The Xindi: The various factions continue to quarrel, with the reptilian, insectoid, and acquatic Xindi seeming the most impatient about Degra's progress. That the weapons test - which all but bisects the moon on which it is tested - is deemed a failure shows just how seriously they take the "human threat." Archer credits the test's "failure" to interference from Gralik, showing the value of alliances Archer has already made.

THOUGHTS

After some episodes that were largely standalones, Proving Ground brings the Xindi arc back into focus. Archer and his people learn more about the weapon. Archer's successful theft of the prototype (at least as far as the Xindi are concerned) will probably also increase the Xindi fears about him, which may make them more active in their pursuit of Enterprise.

The Xindi prototype is very well portrayed by the CGI department. Its basic appearance and firing mechanism look very much the same as the final weapon, which we saw destroying Earth in an alternate timeline, but it's not quite identical. The fluid-like lighting is red, instead of the radioactive green, and it appears somewhat smaller. Also, portraying as a failure a weapon that would destroy Earth as a viable planet reinforces the threat the Xindi pose. That said, one does start to wonder why they aren't simply attacking with what they have - Their technology already suffices to devastate Earth. At this point, they seem to be holding off for the weapon to be "perfect" simply because the plot demands it of them.

In addition to furthering the Xindi arc, Proving Ground also continues the development of the Vulcan/Andorian story. To date, the series has tended to portray the Andorians more sympathetically than the Vulcans with regard to this conflict. Here, we see that the Andorians are just as capable of suspect actions as their pointy-eared foes. The Andorian High Command is willing to squander potential alliances for the sake of a tactical advantage over the Vulcans, with Shran's own objections to this dismissed and ignored. Shran flaunts the information he has gathered from the Andorians' monitoring of communications between Starfleet and Vulcan - the exact sort of surveillance that, when the Vulcans did it, led to the destruction of the Vulcan monastery at P'Jem. As T'Pol observes, though there may be movement toward some form of alliance with the Andorians, these are not people that Archer can trust.

It's another good episode, though in a season of mostly good episodes it isn't really a standout. Still, with a strong pace, the always-reliable guest performance by Jeffrey Combs, and strong arc development, this is definitely solid entertainment.

Rating: 7/10

Previous Episode: Chosen Realm

Next Episode: Strategem

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Sam Beckett wakes up in the future, to find his entire world has been destroyed. "Oh, boy!"

THE PLOT

Archer is awakened by the sounds of battle. He rushes into the corridor, only to be told by a security guard that he must stay in his quarters. He knocks out the guard and heads for the bridge, where he is greeted by the sight of the Xindi weapon, obliterating the Earth as the ship - under the command of T'Pol - watches helplessly.awakened by the sounds of battle. He rushes into the corridor, only to be told by a security guard that he must stay in his quarters. He knocks out the guard and heads for the bridge, where he is greeted by the sight of the Xindi weapon, obliterating the Earth as the ship - under the command of T'Pol - watches helplessly.

Twelve years later, the last few thousand survivors of the human race are hiding from the ongoing Xindi assault on Ceti Alpha V. Archer is still waking up each day, to rediscover that he is no longer captain of the Enterprise and that Earth was destroyed. T'Pol tells him (and us) what happened: Enterprise was struck by an anomaly, which left parasites in his mind. The parasites exist outside of time and space, and so resisted all of Phlox's attempts to treat them, and their existence prevents Archer from forming any new long-term memories.

Now Phlox has returned, having developed a treatment that he believes will cure Archer. But he may never get a chance to use it. The Xindi have tracked him to the human colony, and are moving in for the kill!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Scott Bakula's best performance in the series to date. He is terrific in playing the frustration and regret of each reminder of his unfitness for duty. Each new reminder of his condition is a little death for the character, but we see Archer trying his best not to show how crushing it is for him to be made useless. When the Xindi attack Enterprise at the end, we see Archer spring back to life - doing his part to fend off the attack giving him a renewed sense of purpose, as he effectively retakes command in these final minutes.

Capt. T'Pol: Accepted command reluctantly when Forrest decided Archer was not fit for command in his current state. As captain, she continued the search for the Xindi weapon. But a snap decision that was logical in the short term but disastrous long-term doomed the mission to failure. After the colony on Ceti Alpha V was founded, she left Enterprise to Trip and devoted the next 9 years to taking care of Archer, during which time her bond with Archer has grown steadily. Jolene Blalock is quite effective as a softer, less rigid T'Pol, and this is the only episode to ever posit a T'Pol/Archer relationship in which such a relationship does not come across as absurd.

Capt. Trip: In command of the Enterprise 12 years in the future, and those signs of confidence that we've seen when he has commanded Enterprise are very much in evidence. Future Trip is absolutely the ship's captain, deferring neither to T'Pol nor to Archer. When the Xindi attack, he is ready with a plan that may well have worked had they attacked in smaller numbers. He is massively outgunned, of course, but he still makes a good fight of it.

Capt. Reed: OK, Reed doesn't really get much in this episode. But I couldn't resist filling out the Captains' Quartet. Beyond that, his old age makeup largely consists of a scraggly beard, but he still likes to blow things up real good, showing that some things never change.

Phlox: In a strong supporting role, Phlox shows how seriously he takes his role as the chief medical officer to the Enterprise. His loyalty to the posting pushes him to work for more than a decade to find a cure for Archer's condition. When he sees the potential of that cure to not only help Archer, but all of them, he is willing to die (and - perhaps more critically for a doctor - to kill) to give Archer that chance.

Mayweather: The most hilarious use of him yet. Writer Mike Sussman doesn't waste any time dealing with just what a useless waste-of-space creation Mayweather is. We get, I believe, one shot of him - disposing of him.

The Xindi: By showing us the future in which the Xindi win, we are shown exactly how much is at stake. The Xindi are not satisfied with destroying Earth. Every human colony is destroyed. Every human convoy that attempts to flee is hunted down and destroyed. Presumably, other races are discouraged from hiding humans or allying with humans, given the power of the Xindi technology. It is clear that this foe will not be satisfied until it has hunted down every last human man, woman, and child in the galaxy. Though the episode does not address it, I can't help but suspect that the resulting collateral damage is high.

THOUGHTS

Twilight was an episode with every reason to be bad. From the moment we see Earth destroyed (in the teaser, no less), we know that this has to be a "reset button" episode. When we come back from the credits to see Archer 12 years older, it's very clear that a reset is the only option the episode has. And Trek reset button episodes have a very bad reputation, with very good reason.

Well, Twilight is a reset button episode. But it's a reset button episode that works.

Mike Sussman, who is arguably the show's best writer, has crafted a very smart script. For one thing, he knows the characters. We see the characters 12 years in the future, and they all are convincingly the people we know, with 12 more years of history behind them. His script flashes back to hit the highlights of how they got to this future, and all of the moments we see work.

That includes seeing how Archer becomes useless. He isn't initially completely useless. Even with no ability to form new memories, he still knows the ship and its crew, and can make recommendations as he is updated on the mission progress. It isn't until a few weeks later, as his suggestions start to repeat themselves, that he realizes that his ability as an advisor is at an end. Even then, we are told that his earlier suggestions were good ones.

The episode also serves a purpose within the arc. By showing us a future in which the Xindi win, we realize just how all-consuming their pre-emptive strike will be. It is not enough for them to destroy Earth, or even to cripple humanity. Humanity needs to be destroyed utterly for them to feel safe. None of the characters will retain what we see here. But because we see this future, we realize just how important it is for Archer's mission to succeed.

Overall, this is probably the best "reset button" episode the Trek franchise ever crafted. It's one of of a very small handful of outstanding Enterprise episodes, and a contender for the series' best.

Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: The Shipment
Next Episode: North Star

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Previous Episode: The Exile

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THE PLOT

Following Tarquin's coordinates, the Enterprise comes to a facility used to refine kemocite, a compound that was used in both the Xindi probe that attacked Earth and the weapon recovered from the attack on Enterprise.

The plan is fairly simple: Get into the complex, gather what information is possible, and then blow it up. But when Archer's interrogation of Gralik (John Cothran Jr.), the Xindi-Arboreal who is the facility's chief engineer, reveals that kemocite is not intended to be used for weaponry and that the people working here are completely innocent, he is faced with a dilemma. And when the Xindi warriors arrive to take their kemocite, that dilemma turns into a ticking clock - and possibly, an opportunity to gain still more information about their foes...

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Once he realizes that this is more than just a weapons facility, his anger at Gralik cools considerably. He begins to doubt the default course of action ("blow it up") and starts searching for alternatives. The one he finds does not remove the facility from danger, but is still effective in delaying the progress of the Xindi weapon. It also shows that Archer can make allies in The Expanse by showing the very "quality of mercy" that the space pirate derided him for. Mostly, it's nice to see Archer being recognizably Archer again. There's certainly some interest to seeing Archer erupt, as in Anamoly, and it can be compelling when used in a way that's believable in context (as it was in that episode). But if I really wanted to be watching a show in which the "good guy" was every bit as ruthless as the "bad guys," I would probably not reach for a Star Trek DVD.

Reed: In this episode, Reed represents the most "hawkish" response to the situation. When Archer shows doubts about destroying the facility, fearing that he might "start a war" and "confirm the Xindi's fears about (humanity)," Reed's instant response is to remind him that the Xindi struck first, and killed 7 million in doing so. When Archer makes the decision to trust Gralik, Reed voices his doubts - though he ultimately repsects Archer's right to make that decision.

The Xindi: In addition to Archer making a Xindi ally in the form of Gralik, we also see more of Degra (Randy Oglesby), the scientist in charge of the weapon. He continues to come across as anything but a villain. He truly believes that this course of action is for self-defense, against the threat posed by humanity. Meanwhile, the insect and reptilian Xindi continue to come across as the most warlike. We also learn some of the background of the fragile alliance between the five species. Gralik tells Archer that there was originally a sixth species, an avian species, that was (apparently) destroyed during the civil war that claimed the Xindi homeworld. This does raise an interesting question. What will it mean to the Xindi alliance if some of the avians survived? I can't believe the avian issue would be raised here if it was not going to pay off down the road, so I suspect that issue will be revisited.

THOUGHTS

After establishing an edgier Enterprise crew in the first few episodes of the season, this episode affirms that the basic Trek ethos still applies, even in The Expanse. Archer comes to the facility ready to kick butt, take names, and chew bubble-gum before blowing it all to hell. He ends up spending most of the episode in a Xindi engineer's living room, having a chat and ultimately making his first real ally in The Expanse. The edgier and more focused tone of Enterprise this season is good, as it makes it a plausible series to actually air in the same general time frame as series such as Farscape, Firefly, and the new Battlestar Galactica. But Trek is not a series that is about cynicism and acting like a bad guy to defeat even worse guys, and I'm glad that even in the sheer desperation that fueled this season's change of focus, the writers and creators knew better than to go too far in that direction.

From "The quality of mercy will not serve you well in the expanse," we've gone instead to "Remember - Not all Xindi are your enemies." It's a progression I approve of, because I really don't think this story can be convincingly resolved by Archer blowing stuff up. Archer can learn more about the Xindi, maybe learn how to counteract some of their technology. But in the end, I think he's going to have to settle this through negotiation. We see him make an ally of one member of a Xindi species here. We've seen him be pleasantly surprised by the final honesty of another member of a Xindi species back in the season premiere. If he can get a couple of Xindi races firmly on his side, he can approach that Xindi council from a position of strength.

This episode is pretty much all about advancing the arc. We learn more about the Xindi, both past and present. We learn more about their big weapon. We delay the weapon, so that the arc can be stretched out to the season's full length. We learn more about the technology powering their formidable infantry weapons, and get a hint of how to counteract that technology (though they can't currently do so safely). A tracer is put on a Xindi ship; and though the signal is lost when the ship goes into a vortex, they will pick the signal back up whenever the ship is in range. It's a good episode, both in terms of firmly supporting the basic Star Trek morality and in terms of advancing the arc.

Oh, and it's nice that some of the individual space marines are being re-used from one episode to the next, rather than simply being anonymous redshirts. But they also need personalities. What's the point in paying solid television actors like Steven Culp and Daniel Dae Kim, if they're just going to play G. I. Joe action figures? The marines need personalities - That's next on my wish list.

Rating: 7/10.

Next Episode: Twilight

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THE PLOT

An alien probe drops into Earth's orbit, cutting a thick line of destruction that runs from Florida to Venezuala. Enterprise is recalled to Earth to help study the situation.

Their trip back home is interrupted by a visit from the Suliban. Silik takes Archer aboard his ship for a meeting with his contact from the future, who tells Archer that the attack was orchestrated by a rival and carried out by an alien race known as the Xindi. Archer persuades Admiral Forrest to let him chase this lead into an area of space known as the Delphic Expanse. But the Vulcan Ambassador, Soval, warns Archer that previous expeditions into the Expanse have resulted in horrors, and urges him against this course - at the same time ordering T'Pol to leave Enterprise and return to Vulcan for reassignment!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: I've commented in earlier reviews how well Scott Bakula plays anger. Here, we have an episode in which Archer is on a slow burn through the entire run. He isn't actively shouting at people, but there's a definite tension in him in pretty much every scene, even the quieter moments. When Duras continues to attack Enterprise late in the episode, Archer is less inclined to talk and more inclined to resort to his ship's upgraded weaponry than he normally would be - which, along with his vow to Trip to do "whatever is necessary" once inside the Expanse, points to an Archer who's going to be even more volatile than usual in Season Three.

T'Pol: Put in the position of having to decide between her loyalty to the Vulcan High Command and her loyalty to Archer. Previous episodes leave very little doubt as to what choice she will make, but this is where she finally has to choose one, and let the other door close - probably forever.

Trip: Of the three leads, Trip is by far the most human, so it makes sense that he will be the one to have lost somebody in the attack. He gets a couple of very effective scenes with Reed, a quiet one in which he stands at the edge of the crater that was once his home and recalls where his sister's house and the town movie theater were while staring out into nothing, and an angry one in which he snaps at Reed when the other man encourages him to have a memorial service. He can't have such a service - not because of the lack of a body or because his sister "wasn't much into" such things, but because he's not ready to move on. This could lead Trip in an interesting direction in future episodes.

Dr. Phlox: He doesn't share the human characters' emotional reaction to the attack, nor does he have to make any substantial choice as T'Pol does. He stays because he's the ship's doctor, and he knows he will be needed. There's no other pull on his loyalties, so it is not a difficult decision. We do see his loyalty to the ship and his medical ethics when he reacts with evident anger to the Vulcan psychiatrist who is trying to examine Archer under false pretenses in Phlox's sickbay - in many ways, the inverse of the situation Phlox found himself facing in Stigma. He also has a quietly excellent scene with T'Pol, a conversation which pushes T'Pol further toward the decision we all know she will end up making.

THOUGHTS

Enterprise's second season comes to an explosive and surprising climax. I had heard that the second season finale was a change of direction for the too-often directionless series, and this episode certainly lives up to that reputation.

The Expanse opens with a probe dropping into Earth's orbit and cutting a swath of destruction with no warning and no reason given. The casualty figures start high (around a million) and are revised upward throughout the episode. The action takes place over a matter of months, as the regulars prepare for a mission completely unlike the one they have been carrying out. One major character is forced to make a choice about where her loyalties lie, another is given a trauma that will likely impact his future actions. It's the kind of episode that recalls Commander Sinclair's line at the end of Babylon 5's first season finale: "Nothing's the same anymore."

The Expanse works as a change of direction for the series, in that it creates a situation which cannot be simply "gotten over" in an episode or two. Short of going back in time to prevent the attack from ever having taken place (and I will take back every sympathetic word I've ever written about Berman and Braga if that ends up being the resolution), there is no way to hit the "reset" button on this situation. At the same time, it builds on many of the series' ongoing tensions. The Suliban and the Temporal Cold War are touched upon, as are the relations with the Klingsons and the Vulcans. It's not just a shift in direction, it's a shift in direction that uses what has gone before, leaving it all still feeling like part of the same series.

Equally important, it's a genuinely good piece of television. All of the major actors are given at least one scene, with only the terminally underused Hoshi and Mayweather given nothing to do. CGI work is excellent, from the opening attack to the edge of the abyss against which Trip stands while giving Reed a "tour" of his home town, to the expanse itself. The script is well-structured, with the quieter character scenes interspersed with a nicely ominous build-up about The Expanse itself, and some Klingon shenanigans on-hand to provide some action.

This is an episode where pretty much everything works, and I would point to this and Cogenitor being my only "10's" of the season as a suitable response to the "Berman/Braga are the devil!" hysteria within Trek fandom. They have their faults as showrunners, but they remain good television writers, something that fandom seems far too eager to forget far too often.

Rating: 10/10.

Previous Episode: Bounty

Next Episode: The Xindi

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