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

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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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THE PLOT

As Enterprise continues to limp along, stolen warp coil in place, Archer makes his rendezvous with Degra. He shows Degra and another member of the Xindi council the evidence he has gathered about the reptilian bio-weapon and the spheres. He tries to convince these two council members the Sphere Builders are the real enemy of both humans and Xindi. But the negotiations are complicated when serious damage to the Enterprise leaves the ship all but helpless in space - just as a Xindi reptilian ship finds them!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: After a season of trying deceptions and ruthless gambits and making violent decisions, here Archer decides to... tell the truth. He deals with Degra in a completely honest manner, showing him the evidence the Enterprise has gathered within the Expanse. He openly admits that wiping Degra's memory was probably not a good way to earn the other man's trust. Here, he provides nothing but the truth, and trusts that Degra will realize that his earlier "misdeeds" were necessary. His openness pays off, and the scenes between Archer and Degra are consistently the best in a very good episode.

T'Pol: Continues to wrestle with the emotions brought to the surface by the Trellium. She finds her inability to suppress them to be overwhelming, and actually tells Trip that she envies humans their ability to deal with emotions. Though I continue to be uncertain about this direction for her character (her early scene with Phlox, restating exposition from the last episode, was more than a little tiresome), Blalock does well with the material. T'Pol actually doesn't do badly in dealing with her emotions, managing to retain professionalism and judgment in dealing with an exhausted Trip, and giving him some needed emotional support at the end.

Trip: In the wake of the attack, Trip has worked himself to the point of exhaustion. When T'Pol asks him how long it's been since he's slept, his estimate is two days. Connor Trinneer does an excellent job at showing a Trip running purely on adrenaline. At the same time, he is reacting to another loss, of a young woman who worked with him in Engineering. It's clear that this girl reminded him of his sister, or at least that her death has made her remind him of his sister. That and his lack of rest brings his anger toward the Xindi back to the surface, making him openly hostile to Degra. This is an effective plot thread, though it would be more effective if Crewman Taylor had been someone we had gotten to know, rather than simply being one of Trip's largely offscreen crew.

Dr. Phlox: Gets another terrific scene, in which he relieves Trip of duty and orders him to get some sleep. He first tries reason, pointing out to Trip how much worse off the ship will be if Trip works himself past the point of collapse. Then he simply pulls rank, ordering Trip to get some sleep, and then waiting - much like a parent or teacher with a recalcitrant teen - until he actually sees Trip leave for his quarters before going on to his appointment with the captain.

Degra: His guilt, when confronted with Trip's anger, is tangible, but it doesn't stop him from dealing honestly and occasionally bluntly with Archer. I was relieved that there was no reconciliation between Degra and Trip in this episode, and I actually hope there won't be such a reconciliation in the future. More interesting still is the episode's climax, in which Degra is pushed into making the same sort of tough-minded decision that Archer has been making repeatedly this season.

The Xindi: Though Degra's companion Xindi council member is more skeptical of Archer than Degra, he is open to reason. Like Degra, he recognizes that the Sphere Builders must have their own agenda. As Archer presents more and more evidence, he finally agrees that the council should hear the humans' case. As the episode ends, we are left with a divided Xindi. The insectoids and reptilians will clearly want war; the mammalian Xindi will clearly want peace. It will be up to the acquatics which way the council ends up going. Me? I'm still holding out hope that the intriguing mention of the avian Xindi way back in The Shipment might come into play by the season's end.

THOUGHTS

The end of the trilogy of episodes that began with Azati Prime, The Forgotten is fully up to the quality of its two predecessors. These three episodes form by far the strongest run that the series has seen to date, and the momentum is left running as we move toward the season's end.

It's striking how much this season is post-9/11 Star Trek, in a way that the first two seasons (which actually were post-9/11) were not. The parallels between the Xindi attack and the attack on the World Trade Center are blindingly obvious, of course. But there's also the changed state of the crew. Archer, dealing with the need to make harder and tougher decisions than in the past, sometimes compromising his own values. Trip, in a state of post-traumatic stress, which becomes particularly vivid in this episode as a new loss brings his old loss to the surface.

Crew and ship remain badly scarred at the show's end. As Archer says goodbye to Degra, we can see the bruises from the reptilians' beating beginning to yellow, a particularly effective bit of makeup. The ship still looks like it's falling apart from the inside, a far cry from the gleaming corridors of the past. The dim lighting and claustrophobic atmosphere all combine to make this a technically impressive episode, and dramatically effective at the same time.

Rating: 9/10.

Previous Episode: Damage

Next Episode: E2

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Previous Episode: Doctor's Orders

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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.

Next Episode: Azati Prime

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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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THE PLOT

The time-traveling Daniels (Matt Winston) returns with news for Archer. Three Xindi have gone back in time to Detroit, 2004, where they are developing a bio-weapon as an alternative to Degra's planet-killer. Daniels enables Archer and T'Pol to follow them into the past, to stop their experiments before it is too late.

It isn't long before Archer and T'Pol locate the Xindi, hiding in a warehouse. They also observe their human accomplice: Loomis (Leland Orser), a sleazy individual who is using his job at a blood bank to supply the Xindi with people belonging to each blood type. There are just three blood types left to be supplied. And Archer, who is AB-, decides that his best way in is to be the next victim!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: The absolute trust he has grown to place in T'Pol is shown by the simple fact that, allowed to take exactly one crew member with him, he chooses her. In the early days of the series, you know he would have opted for Trip. Mistaken for a police officer, he plays the role with relish, basically imitating the behavior of shady movie "tough guy" cops. He also shows his absolute determination by managing to stay still and feign unconsciousness even when the Xindi stick a needle into his neck.

T'Pol: Plays very entertainingly off Archer, as the two attempt to blend in and react to early 21st century Earth. She is even more amusing opposite Loomis. It is clear that she finds everything about Loomis to be foul, from his cigarette smoking to the food he orders at the drive-thru.

Scumbag of the Week: Leland Orser is Loomis, the chain-smoking, beer-swilling, drug-dealing kidnapper who, as T'Pol observes, represents all of the worst of humanity. He doesn't realize he's working for aliens determined to wipe out humanity; he just thinks he's working for Al-Qaeda or somesuch. That makes it all right, then. Orser is hilariously disreputable, and thus enormously entertaining in presenting a man with no redeeming features whatsoever.

The Xindi: The reptilian Xindi continue with their plan to create a bio-weapon. It's interesting that they choose to travel into the past to do this. They know that Degra opposes the bio-weapon, and that Degra still has the trust of the majority of the Xindi council. Likely, they are maintaining as much secrecy as possible in order to stop intereference with their work.

THOUGHTS

The Xindi arc continues to develop here, with the bio-weapon being followed up on, and the development of that weapon reaching a stage where it could impact 3/4 of the human race. We also see the Xindi reptilians using time travel for the first time, confirming that they not only have a source from the future but actually have the ability to travel into the past. That's an interesting development, one which could be used to various effects in future episodes. I hope it isn't forgotten and relegated to simply being a one-shot.

The arc also is advanced in that Archer now possesses that weapon, and the equipment used to develop it. I'm not sure what the season will do with that. But this season has been doing a good job so far of building on previous episodes (unlike, say, Season Two), so I'm actually feeling confident that will lead to something.

As to the episode itself? At its heart, it's a romp. A chance for Scott Bakula and Jolene Blalock to discard their sci-fi jumpsuits, dress in street clothes, and basically play at another genre. A couple episodes ago, it was western week. This time, it's a contemporary cop show. Too much of this sort of thing could get old, but it still works here, thanks to good acting and an entertaining script that works both as pastische and as a genuine episode of Enterprise. The drive-thru scene, with the garbled speaker providing the characters with endless upsells ("for just 75 cents more, we can add three strips of bacon") is a particularly amusing moment.

That said, I hope it will be a while before another "past Earth" genre is aped. Two in three episodes is already pushing it, and is only getting a pass with me here because I enjoyed both episodes. Barring something truly outstanding, I doubt I could give a pass to a third.

Rating: 7/10.

Previous Episode: Similitude
Next Episode: Chosen Realm

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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

The Enterprise goes to a sort of interstellar bazaar within The Expanse, where Trip and Archer negotiate for the formula to synthesize a material vital to protect the ship from the spacial distortions. While there, Archer picks up a lead on some Xindi. He follows it to a particularly unsavory merchant, who is auctioning off slave girls.

Though the beautiful Rajiin (Nikita Ager) does catch Archer's eye, he declines to bid on any of this "merchandise," walking away. Then Rajiin makes a break for freedom, pleading with Archer to take her with him. They rescue her from the merchant and bring her aboard the ship.

But Rajiin is hiding a darker purpose. It won't be long before Archer finds himself facing the Xindi head-on - a battle his ship simply isn't equipped to win.

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Climbs atop his white horse to play the knight errant, as he did many times in the first two seasons. This time, his attempt at being noble turns around and bites him - hard. Though outraged at the betrayal, the last look he exchanges with Rajiin indicates that he still has enough basic decency to care about what happens to her (though one could also interpret this as an unwillingness to let the Xindi have valuable information - take your pick, I don't think the two are mutually exclusive). His conduct does impress Rajiin, at least, though his decency is meaningless to the Xindi, at least at this juncture.

Trip: He has concerns about the visits he's making to T'Pol for the Vulcan neurotherapy. Apparently, other crew members have been taking note of his visits to her, and drawing the basest conclusions - something which makes Trip uncomfortable both on his own behalf and T'Pol's. Beyond that, we see him horse trading with the alien scientist to good effect, trading relatively minor bits and bobs (such as a canister of parica) while giving a sales pitch worthy of a tycoon. "On our world, wars were fought over this."

Hot Alien Space Babe of the Week: Nikita Ager is Rajiin, the slave girl Archer rescues who turns out to be more than she seems. At first, Rajiin appears to be a complete innocent, an abused young woman who has been passed from one master to another. But she hides abilities that will ultimately place the crew in danger.

The Xindi: Our second real look at them, and it is clear from both of the appearances of their ruling council that they are a heavily divided body. The insect and reptile Xindi appear to be the most aggressive and warlike, the more humanoid Xindi the most cautious, with the sea creature Xindi lying somewhere in between. Also, the Xindi scientist in charge of developing the weapon appears to have doubts about the course of action that has been ordered. Given the Xindi's obvious technological superiority, I doubt that we're heading for a purely military climax to this arc. With the divided council, and with both the season premiere and this episode clearly establishing individual Xindi who are not necessarily villainous, I suspect this plot will eventually be settled through negotiations. At least, I hope so. I would be very disappointed to have Archer fix everything through some superweapon.

ZAP THE REDSHIRT!

Redshirt count: Four (maybe five). A female security guard is shot in a confrontation with Xindi. She's still moaning when her comrades pull her away, so it's possible she lives. Another security guard definitely does not. Meanwhile, three other redshirts find themselves the victims of a particularly nasty (but cool) Xindi weapon whose discharge lands, in a gelatinous mass, on the wall behind them - then explodes in a shower of deadly energy rays. Like I said. Nasty, but cool.

THOUGHTS

Though my opinion of Extinction has not changed, it is at least nice to see its events acknowledged at the start of this episode. "You were transformed into another species. You cannot expect to fully recover overnight." In previous seasons - or in previous spinoffs, for that matter - that is exactly what would have happened, and it's refreshing to have something like that not entirely forgotten in the very next episode.

Though its starting point is fairly standard, Rajiin turns out to be anything but a filler episode. This episode is entirely about advancing the arc. The Enterprise ends the episode both better and worse off than before. Better: They have the formula for the substance which will protect their ship from the anomalies of The Expanse, even if Trip and T'Pol haven't quite gotten their sums right yet. They have more information about the Xindi, both in terms of biology and technology. They even have a Xindi weapon. Worse: They are down another four (maybe five) crew members, the Xindi have more information about them, and the Xindi are now pursuing two potential means of destroying the Earth. Call this one a "tie," though the Enterprise probably can't afford too many more such ties.

As an episode unto itself, it does its job. It moves along at a strong pace, with a climactic action sequence that's well above-average. I liked that the Enterprise came off far worse than the Xindi in this encounter. Given the Xindi's obvious technological superiority, it would not have been plausible had our heroes been able to beat them on this occasion. I also liked the alien nature of the Xindi weapon - a very effectively-shot and imaginative kill.

Not a great episode, with the "Rajiin seduces the crew" subplot one of those horribly trite sci-fi plots that one can't help roll one's eyes at. Fortunately, though, that subplot ends up occupying far less of the episode than at first appears likely. The episode as a whole is highly watchable, and it does its job of keeping the plot ticking over.

Rating: 6/10.

Previous Episode: Extinction
Next Episode: Impulse

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"Mercy is not a quality that will serve you well in the Expanse, Captain!"

THE PLOT

As the Enterprise moves deeper into the Expanse, the spacial anomalies cause greater and greater effects on the ship. When one anomaly costs them both warp and weapons power, they are left temporarily defenseless.

That's when the Osaarians come, using superior transporter technology to beam into the ship and attack, stealing everything they can lay their hands on before running off again. Archer, Trip, and the marines fight back, and capture a prisoner (Robert Rusler). Then, once the ship's engines are operational again, they pursue.

They follow the Osaarians' trail through a cloaking field, and find an ancient Sphere that the pirates are using to store their ill-gotten gains. But this turns from a simple recovery of stolen property into something more when the crew discovers that among the ships these pirates attacked was a Xindi vessel. One which left a lot of information in the Osaarians' database...

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: Wow. Archer has a scene in this episode that is unlike anything seen from a Star Trek captain in any Trek series or movie before. When he learns of the link between the pirates and the Xindi, all the anger he's been carrying comes out in one fiercely focused and controlled act, as he interrogates his prisoner. In an airlock. While it's decompressing. The scene is startling, because it's completely unlike anything Archer would have been willing to do before. It's also very disturbing, and deliberately so given that we go to commercial on Archer's very grim face at the end of this scene.

Trip: He continues to have difficulty sleeping, and it's now starting to affect his work as he injures himself while making a misjudgment. The ongoing anger of the past two episodes is settling, but leaving in its place a lingering bitterness. The eternally kind and good-humored Trip is now a pessimist, looking on the ship's current mission as "a one-way trip." At least he seems willing to start working with T'Pol regularly to help ease his sleep issues.

Hoshi: Gets a solid supporting role this episode, as she recognizes Xindi symbols among the material in the Sphere. She is also able to download (most of) a Xindi database from the Osaarians' computers.

ZAP THE REDSHIRT!

Enterprise gets its very first confirmed redshirt with Crewman Fuller, killed during the Osaarians' attack. Trip voices his suspicion that though they've been lucky so far in avoiding casualties, Fuller "won't be the last" to die on this mission.

THOUGHTS

Another good show in a run of good shows. It's a shame they waited until the brink of cancellation for this new direction. If they had shifted gears sooner - say, right at the start of Season Two - it might have made a huge difference in how this series is regarded.

As with the last episode, the plot itself is not that far removed from what we had been seeing. Enterprise is attacked by space pirates. Again. But the new setting of The Expanse, and the complications that come with that new setting, make a big difference in how dangerous the situation feels.

There is more excellent CGI here, as the Enterprise passes through a cloaking field to discover the Sphere. The Osaarians may be using it, but they obviously did not create it, nor did they create the cloaking field. The Sphere's presence and properties raise more interesting questions about the Expanse.

The episode ends with Enterprise having gotten more information about the Xindi, and with Archer viewing that information with an obsessed look on his face. With his face reflected in the green lighting, and in light of some of his actions during the episode, the effect is disturbing. This episode shows us that Archer and Enterprise really are willing to do "whatever it takes" in pursuit of their new mission - and there's something just a little bit frightening about that thought

Rating: 8/10.

Previous Episode: The Xindi
Next Episode: Extinction

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THE PLOT

Travelling deeper into the Expanse, the Enterprise follows up a clue from a freighter which takes them to a mining planet. They have been told that one of the miners is a Xindi, and try to bargain with the seedy mine manager (an enjoyably disgusting Stephen McHattie) to talk to the man. But once they are in the mine's lower levels, they discover that the manager has his own agenda - to lure Enterprise into an attack and enslave the ship's entire crew for additional workers!

CHARACTERS

Capt. Archer: He's still on edge in this episode. There's a sense that Archer is now perpetually holding back a fierce rage that wasn't there before. He always had a temper, but now there's something genuinely volatile beneath the surface. The increased edginess suits Bakula's performance, allowing our lead to help set the new tone of this series in a way that wasn't necessarily true before.

T'Pol: Asked by Phlox to help Trip, she shows surprising tact and delicacy in getting Trip to submit to "Vulcan neuropressure." She first tries to make Trip believe that he is helping her. When that doesn't work, she tells him the truth, then gets Trip to submit rather than prove that he is too stubborn to compromise.

Trip: He's still holding back a lot of rage following his sister's death. He is a little too eager to threaten violence against the Xindi prisoner. Combined with his lack of sleep and his eagerness to resort to drugs to help him sleep, there's a sense that Trip may be in a dangerous place. It would be interesting to see that developed.

Reed: The opening scenes find his position and Archer's from last season's Minefield reversed. Then, Reed wanted Archer to be more formal and militaristic. Now, when Reed is urging caution, Archer snaps at him and establishes a more crisp and military tone. Reed got what he wanted... via the worst possible route. Reed also has a minor turf fight with the commander of the space marines (Steven Culp), which could turn into either a friendship or a rivalry between the two characters, depending on how the season develops.

Dr. Phlox: With the other characters all in an edgier, angrier place, it's reassuring to see Phlox be pretty much the same person he was last season. He's still eternally cheerful, serious about his duties, and using all means at his disposal to see to both the physical and mental well-being of the crew. He is not traumatized - nor should he be, since his planet did not get attacked. Hoshi's one character scene also sees her behaving very much the same as she always has, reminding us that not everyone goes to a dark place in the face of traumas.

THOUGHTS

The title sequence gets a slight facelift, with "Star Trek" now added to the title. Probably a sign of desperation - a network executive figured that sticking the Star Trek in the series title might get the show a handful more viewers. I actually preferred the title being just Enterprise, but it's hardly a substantial change. More irritating is the change to the title music. A change was appropriate, given the change in tone of the series itself. But the new title music should be something darker and grimmer, perhaps an orchestral score. If they felt they absolutely had to stick with a rock song, they should at least have switched to a darker tune. Instead, they simply "jazzed up" the existing song, in a way that makes it quite grating to listen to.

As to the episode itself, it is another good one. There are some forced elements. Hoshi introduces herself to the marine detachment... a marine detachment that has been, per the previous episode, on the ship for months at this point! I understand the reason for this scene, as none of these characters had been created yet, let alone actors hired, when the second season finale was shot. But it does make a "ping" against my suspension of disbelief. A scene in which they interact with Hoshi and are already familiar with her would achieve the same thing in a less jarring way.

On the plus side, the marines are promising additions to a cast that's been in serious need of some non-command staff characters. With veteran television actors like Daniel Dae Kim and Steven Culp, it seems a good bet that these characters will have a role to play in the new season. This episode sees them in action, and sees some limited interaction between them and the regulars. One hopes for more of this as the season develops.

The episode's standalone plot (a breakout from a slave mine) is not terribly far removed from the types of stories we saw in Season Two. But the overall arc gives extra focus and purpose to the regulars' actions. Also, the execution is more textured. This mine is not a generic Trek prison, but a genuinely grimy place, peopled by nasty individuals. Archer and Trip are downright brutal in their treatment of both the mine manager and the Xindi they are there to meet. The Xindi's final actions may help to pull Archer back from going too far in that direction, as he is genuinely surprised to find that the man held up his end of the bargain in the end.

The episode is well-directed. It's also well-scripted by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, who use the standalone plot to establish a "new normal" for the crew, probably as a cue to writers for the rest of the season. CGI effects are used to create a more alien planet for the mine than most of the planets we've seen to date. Also, the brief scenes in the Xindi council chamber are effectively alien, and the set-up of this heavily divided council offers a lot of potential for future episodes.

Rating: 7/10. A promising start to the reformatted Enterprise.

Previous Episode: The Expanse
Next Episode: Anomaly

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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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