THE PLOT
As the Enterprise nears Azati Prime, they detect a crashed Xindi ship. When they investigate, they find that the insectoid crew has died, but not before transferring all life support to the ship's hatchery. The life support in the hatchery is starting to fail and, while examining it, Archer is sprayed in the face.
At first, it appears that the spray was a mild neurotoxin, easily controlled by Dr. Phlox. Archer continues business as usual, insisting that Trip assign a team to repair the hatchery's failing life support. Though Trip has objections, Archer's reasoning seems sound. But when setbacks make it clear that the only way to effect the repairs is to significantly deplete Enterprise's own waning reserves, Archer continues to obsessively prioritize the hatchery over the larger mission. When he begins confining senior officers to quarters in response to objections to his plans, the bridge crew and Dr. Phlox see only one possible way to get the mission back on track: Mutiny!
CHARACTERS
Capt. Archer: Though there's nothing wrong with Scott Bakula's performance here, his "crazy" acting never quite fully convinces. I think he's trying to subtly increase Archer's irrationality, making Archer more or less his normal self at first and then pushing him just a little off-center. But he never quite goes far enough. Here's an episode where Shatner-style ham would probably have been preferable, as Bakula just seems "off," and not in an entertaining way, in an episode that you'd reasonably expect him to turn into a four-course meal.
T'Pol: Has no objections to Archer's initial insistence on repairing the hatchery. She probably views Archer's reasoning at the start sound, and Trip's observations about extra time to study the Xindi insectoids, logical. But when Archer's irrationality grows, and finally results in him giving the first order to genuinely imperil the mission - the order to deplete the antimatter reserves - she balks, refusing to obey the order and later helping Trip and Reed to coordinate the mutiny.
Trip: His friendship with the captain initially wins over all else. He goes along with Archer's reasoning that it's important to show that the humans are not the barbarians the Xindi take them for. He is even willing to go along with Archer's temporary relieving of T'Pol and the depletion of the antimatter reserves. It is only when Archer's irrationality becomes glaringly clear that he finally acts, and he feels extreme guilt for it afterwards, even when Phlox verifies that it was the right thing to do.
Reed/Hayes: Though their working relationship is less strained in the wake of Harbinger, Reed still doesn't entirely trust Hayes. He reproaches the other man, groundlessly, when Hayes takes the initiative to run some simulations with the data gathered from the insectoid ship. Those same simulations end up allowing Reed to fairly easily destroy an insectoid ship shortly thereafter. Reed doesn't trust Hayes with the mutiny plan, either... though Hayes acknowledges that he probably would have sided with the captain - and the "strict chain of command" that his marine code has ingrained in him - regardless of the full situation.
THOUGHTS
Enterprise does The Caine Mutiny! The results are oddly unsatisfying. Hatchery has the feel of a last bit of filler before the run up to the season end. The concept of the alien hatchery is promising, the set and lighting design is well-done, and the focus on Hayes and the MACOs is welcome. It just never quite gels in a fully satisfying manner.
Part of the problem is that the MACOs, despite getting added screen time, just don't come into focus as characters in their own right. Daniel Dae Kim is back, for the first time since the very early part of the season. But he still has no role to speak of, and is basically a walking prop. The other MACOs are similarly interchangeable, and only Steven Culp's Hayes has anything resembling a personality. I'm assuming MACOs will start dying pretty regularly in the last set of episodes. Thus far, Hayes is the only one I can put a character name to, though, so I don't anticipate caring very much when the inevitable reaches them.
The episode does, at least, tie the bridge crew into a team. T'Pol, Trip, Phlox, and Reed are the main actors of the plan. But when push comes to shove, Hoshi and Mayweather do back them up, Hoshi respectfully but firmly refusing Hayes' orders while Mayweather physically attacks. Our regulars are confirmed as a unified team, which I hope is something that is used in the last run of episodes.
In the end, though, this is one of the least satisfying episodes of the season. It's not bad... but it feels like something that could have been and should have been much better.
Rating: 4/10.
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