Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x01 — The Xindi

Aired 2003-09-10

SpaceOpera.com rating:4

Average reader rating:4.65

Synopsis

Captain Archer and his crew set out to gain information about the mysterious and antagonistic Xindi race.

Remarkable scenes

The cargo containers bouncing off the walls.
T'Pol: "Delicate is not a word I associate with Mr. Tucker."
Tucker freaking out at the Xindi slave.
The MACOs rescuing Archer and Trip.

Review

My primary complaint was addressed here. The Xindi aren't exactly as stupid as I originally thought. It seems the rather ill advised move (sending the prototype to Earth) I commented on in the problems section of the last episode was caused by the remarkable disunity of the Xindi council. The Xindi themselves are sufficiently interesting for a multi episode arc; their council reminded me somewhat of the Jedi council from the Star Wars films. It's remarkable how there can be five distinct species of Xindi, especially when it's a rarity for even two distinct species to be native to a single planet. Unfortunately, the episode itself was similarly flawed to Ent: The Expanse. I liked the Trellium-D mining complex though. The administrator was most amusing. What I disliked was Archer's bad attitude and especially the Vulcan neural pressure scenes. Somehow I doubt either will go away. Hopefully they can be presented with better taste in the future.

3 reader comments

I thought this episode was reasonably good, but then the neuropressure scene happened. Oh dear God! I laughed out loud at the sheer awfulness of that scene. Apparently Enterprise was meant to be more "adult" than previous Treks, well this gave the lie to that!
by Chris Baldwin | 09/21/2009 at 6:00 pm

And now, for your maximum discomfort, I will transcribe T'Pol's actual lines from the Vulcan neural pressure scene:
"Right there. Little closer together. Harder. Harder. Just like that. Please continue. <contented sighs>"
Seriously. An adult wrote that dialogue, and Jolene Blalock had to read that script and then perform it in the scene in an emotionless Vulcan monotone. Now the secret is out: now everyone knows the writer of that scene (who I presume is a horny fifteen year-old in an adult's body) harbors a secret Vulcan love slave fantasy. Aaaaaawkward!
by Dstyle | 09/30/2015 at 8:11 pm

I don't know which I hated more, Archer being a complete asshole to a slave and continuing to be a complete hypocrite and all around terrible character or that 10 minutes of the episode was porn.
by Zorak | 10/07/2016 at 8:37 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x02 — Anomaly

Aired 2003-09-17

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:5

Synopsis

Enterprise starts experiencing effects of the spatial distortions pervading the Delphic Expanse, and falls victim to predatory aliens.

Remarkable scenes

The anomalies in the teaser.
Archer's coffee cup still just floating there in his ready room.
The decompression chamber scene.
The battle with the Osaarian ship.

Review

Ent: Anomaly brings us some excitement after a dull and cliched season finale and season premiere. While little more than an action episode, this episode establishes a number of interesting facts regarding the current arc. The action is sprinkled generously across the episode, but all of it is well placed. I'm pleased to note that all of the characters got a good showing in this episode, which is the exception rather than the rule. We now know that it is impossible or at least difficult to leave the expanse once you've entered it, creating a situation similar to Voy: The Void. The Osaarian pirates in this episode certainly reinforced that tone. Speaking of the Osaarians, we learn from them that Trellium-D is necessary to protect a ship against the spatial anomalies of the expanse. I wonder when Enterprise will finally procure some.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x03 — Extinction

Aired 2003-09-24

SpaceOpera.com rating:3

Average reader rating:3.04

Synopsis

On a mission to investigate an abandoned Xindi vessel on a jungle planet, Archer, Reed and Hoshi succumb to a virus that mutates them into a primal life form.

Remarkable scenes

The crew transforming into the Loque'eque
Archer dreaming of the Loque'eque city.
Archer, Hoshi, and T'Pol discovering the destroyed Loque'eque city.
Archer: "This was created as a final effort to preserve a civilization of people. That species we became, they cease to exist the moment this virus is gone."

Review

What we have here is the first filler of the new season. Granted Archer justifies this deviation by saying that he's discovered evidence that a Xindi ship visited this planet, which I liked, I personally feel we just didn't need to sit through an hour of the crew acting like alien neanderthals, complete with Alpha Male Archer beating up Reed, especially when it's been done better by episodes like TNG: Identity Crisis. It's remarkable how much Archer's opinions have changed since Ent: Dear Doctor. Phlox refused to cure the Valakians, for "natural selection" reasons and uses the same logic to justify the eradication of the Loque'eque. In this case, the Loque'eque were already extinct long before this episode. This virus that was created is totally unethical and never should have been created. In this respect, I agree with Phlox. Yet Archer does an about face on his morals and orders it preserved. Moral strike two Archer! I wonder why the writers have a fetish for bad ethics? DS9 did some morally shady stuff, but this is getting downright ridiculous.

2 reader comments

I thought when I first saw this episode that Archer might be saving that virus to use as a bio-weapon against the Xindi. Of course he knew he'd never get Phlox to cooperate so he just lies to him and makes up a reason to preserve the virus, one that sounds noble instead of calculating. If the writers had this in mind, I wish they would have brought it up at some future time as a desperation option… it could have been done in one of the "reset button" episodes that came later, such as the one with the duplicate past/future NX-01 or the one when Archer loses his memory due to parasites and Earth is destroyed, but then it all didn't happen… no harm in using the viruse since that timeline didn't "really" exist anyway.
by TashaFan | 10/15/2008 at 1:06 am

I laughed out loud when the alien captain said:
"Your vessel is under quarantine. Prepare to be boarded"
Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Then the captain has a whole scene with Phlox where he details how easily the virus spread and the horrible consequences. The whole time they're standing in sickbay with no protective equipment.
PHLOX: The Decon chamber's sealed. I assure you there's no danger. TRET: You wouldn't be so confident if you knew how easily this virus can spread. It infected tens of millions of people on my world. They all had to be destroyed.
To top it off, he goes back to his ship!!
Good stuff. Reminds me of all those high energy weapons tests from TNG that were done in engineering right next to the warp core, or with Data standing directly behind a phaser target while it's firing.
by Nick Counts | 06/04/2017 at 2:15 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x04 — Rajiin

Aired 2003-10-01

SpaceOpera.com rating:4

Average reader rating:2.29

Synopsis

The NX-01 gets closer to a showdown with the Xindi when Captain Archer takes on an enigmatic passenger: a beautiful slave named Rajiin.

Remarkable scenes

Archer still suffering from his experiences in Ent: Extinction.
Archer winning a fight!
Trip and Reed trading Earth spices to the chemist for the Trellium-D formula. I loved his silly little laugh.
T'Pol, observing the destroyed lab: "Some of our calculations may have been slightly off."
Rajiin's interesting athletics in the engine room.
The Xindi boarding Enterprise.

Review

Ent: Rajiin was a better episode than I thought it would be. But this is largely due to the parts of the episode that didn't deal with Rajiin. She seemed largely unnecessary to me. If the Xindi needed scans of humans, why didn't the reptilians and the insectoids just abduct one, then scan it all they wanted? They certainly seemed more than capable. Some things I liked were the Xindi and their unique weapons when they boarded Enterprise. I also enjoyed the scene when T'Pol and Trip tried to synthesize Trellium-D. Finally, the chemist on the trading colony was just great. These are the details which make a Trek episode great. They do a lot to enhance this rather ill conceived episode.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x05 — Impulse

Aired 2003-10-08

SpaceOpera.com rating:2

Average reader rating:5.38

Synopsis

When Enterprise responds to a distress call from a Vulcan ship stranded in the Delphic Expanse, Archer and his boarding team are attacked by insane zombie-like Vulcans.

Remarkable scenes

The sight of the chaotic asteroid field.
The transporter malfunction.
T'Pol explaining the history of and reason for the Vulcan emotion suppression to Corporal Hawkins.
Archer: "I can't try to save humanity without holding on to what makes me human."
Trip: "Part of the fun of a mystery is trying to solve it before it ends. Using logic. You of all people should appreciate that." T'Pol: "Then use logic more quietly."

Review

I found this episode largely appalling. Most importantly, it was violent to an extreme. The brave crew shooting Vulcan zombies left and right sounds more like something out of a bad fanfic than a real Star Trek episode. Secondly, all that incessant flashing is enough to induce an epileptic seizure. Finally, T'Pol's character is abused once again. Jolene Blalock sports an amazing performance, making the blatant abuse of her character not so bad, but it's still annoying. Finally, far too much time was spent on that dreadful A plot concerning the crew stuck trying to escape Vulcan zombies; that extension at the end was just awful, and not nearly enough time was spent on studying the Trellium-D. Fortunately, the time mismanagement doesn't disadvantage the B plot too much. There's a decent amount of continuity here, we learn that Trellium-D poisons the Vulcan mind and that it's likely that the reason the crew of the Vankara from Ent: The Expanse went crazy was due to the Trellium-D. I was also liked Archer's declaration that he won't use the Trellium-D if it hurts T'Pol. These two details are what scores the episode two points, nothing more.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x06 — Exile

Aired 2003-10-15

SpaceOpera.com rating:4

Average reader rating:4.73

Factoids

Among the images Hoshi saw using Tarquin's telepathy device were stock footage of the Klingon homeworld (x2), the image of a moon Reed used for target practice (x4), the image of Jupiter used int Ent: First Flight, an image of the aliens from Ent: Silent Enemy (x2), an image of the alien ship from Ent: The Crossing, the Klingon ship from Ent: Sleeping Dogs, a targ from Ent: Sleeping dogs, the sphere from Ent: Anomaly, an image of the storm that hit Enterprise in Ent: The Catwalk, an image from the planet Trip was on in Ent: Dawn, an image of an alien ship from Ent: Civilization, an image of the battle between the two aliens from Ent: Fight or Flight (x2), pictures of some Xindi, a number of other images I couldn't identify, and some which were repeated.
Shuttlepod one is now insulated with Trellium-D

Problems

None

Synopsis

A powerful telepath makes contact with Hoshi and offers to help Enterprise find the Xindi ... for a price.

Remarkable scenes

Archer: "Did you bring a phase pistol?" Hoshi: "I'll keep it under my pillow."
Tarquin the describing the circumstances of his exile.
Archer's water polo ball getting stuck to the wall due to an anomaly.
Anomalies occurring throughout the ship.
Hoshi using Tarquin's telepathy device. Holy stock footage batman!
Tarquin: "No one will ever understand you the way I can."
Archer and Trip almost losing shuttlepod one. Hilarious.
T'Pol discovering that there are dozens of spheres.

Review

Ah, my thoughts exactly. I was wondering if they'd ever use the Trellium they found on a shuttlepod and just order T'Pol to keep away. ;) Speaking of that shuttle, the scene when Archer and Trip almost lost it was just too cute. One of the more memorable things I've seen on Star Trek lately. Unfortunately, we have another case where the A plot isn't very interesting. Linda Park did a wonderful job playing Hoshi in this episode, just like Jolene Blalock did a great job playing her dreadful role in Ent: Impulse just one episode ago. But good acting doesn't save poor writing. Tarquin was an interesting alien, but his ulterior motive and his attempt to force Hoshi to stay with him was just petty. The whole plot just reeked of "Beauty and the Best" in space too. We get a good deal of progress though, such as more information on the spheres, and the location of a Xindi colony. Hopefully the future of this arc holds less filler and more getting to the point.

2 reader comments

I thought it was rather silly that Hoshi, packing a suitcase to spend a few days with a creepy space guy, decided to pack nothing but her uniform and seductive underwear.
by carsonist | 08/01/2010 at 2:50 am

Not a good episode by any means, like all of season 3 so far. This one seemed a bit more neutral though, a bit less offensive.
I think I would have actually liked this episode if it weren't for what I see as a missed opportunity. I really didn't mind the aliens ulterior motive and I really started to feel for the guy. I liked how he seemingly decided to take the high road and bow out when he could not convince Hoshi. He gained my respect and the thought that he would continue to be alone was painful and would have made for a bittersweet end to the encounter. Unfortunately, Enterprise writers must always have a bad guy and they messed up the ending by having him use coercion and force. Then they come up with the ridiculous solution that Hoshi would smash his space snow globe which made no sense at all since all leverage would be gone the moment she put it down.
A real missed opportunity for what otherwise would have made for a nice, though still not particularly good, episode.
by Zorak | 10/09/2016 at 1:21 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x07 — The Shipment

Aired 2003-10-29

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.76

Synopsis

Archer, Reed and Major Hayes infiltrate a Xindi-Sloth industrial colony to learn more about the weapon of mass destruction that will be used against Earth.

Remarkable scenes

Archer, Reed, and Hayes eavesdropping on the Xindi in their own lab.
Archer, Reed, and Hayes forcing their way into Gralik's home.
Archer interrogating Gralik.
Trip and Phlox examining the Xindi weapon.
Gralik and Archer finding some common ground and Gralik telling Archer a bit about the history of the Xindi and their conflicts.
Gralik: "I'm proud of my craft, captain. I've practiced it for many years. I won't let my work be corrupted in this way. Seven million people. if I'd chosen my clients more carefully that tragedy might not have happened. I don't intend to let it happen again."
Trip frantically running to the transporter to beam the weapon off the ship.
Gralik freaking out at the Xindi reptilian.

Review

This episode was progress of exactly the type that I was hoping for. Obviously with the level of disunity among the Xindi, there are going to be those that either don't agree with a preemtive strike against an unknown species based on questionable intelligence, or at least don't agree with how its being handled. In this episode, Archer meets a Xindi who doesn't want to see his work used to murder innocent people. I complained about Archer's bad attitude before. In this episode, it's Reed and Major Hayes that annoy me. They're quick to offer their opinions, claiming that blowing up the Xindi colony is what Archer must do. Instead, Archer keeps a cool head and makes a Xindi friend. After all, Archer's absolutely right their mission is to stop the Xindi weapon from destroying Earth and/or make peace with the Xindi. Not to start a war.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x08 — Twilight

Aired 2003-11-05

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:6.22

Synopsis

A spatial distortion leaves Archer unable to form any new long-term memories. Years in the future, he wakes up one morning and is stunned to learn the outcome of the human-Xindi conflict.

Remarkable scenes

The teaser, depicting the sight of Earth's destruction... wow.
Archer: "I suppose there's not much point in thanking me. A few hours from now I won't remember."
The Xindi attacking Enterprise. I loved the scene when Archer fought the reptilian in his quarters, stabbing him with the statue of Zefram Cochrone.
T'Pol's collision course maneuver.
Trip laying into T'Pol for her collision course maneuver.
Trip and Reed interrogating the Yridian. Nice connection with TNG and DS9.
The space battle with the Xindi.
The bridge of Enterprise being destroyed.
Phlox' and T'Pol's death.
The destruction of Enterprise.
Phlox: "How do you feel?" Archer: "Like a shuttlepod landed on my head."

Review

This episode is kind of a hybrid of TNG: All Good Things, DS9: The Visitor, and Voy: Before and After. There's a little Voy: Year of Hell in there too, regarding Archer's sacrifice. Yes, the episode is a conceptual rehash, but easily forgiven. I'd say episodes like this are less a rehash and more a tradition. Besides, the four episodes I previously mentioned were all spectacular, two of them even receiving a rating of ten. Well, one thing's for sure. T'Pol and Trip sure made bad captains! T'Pol permanently wrecks a warp nacelle and Trip gets the ship destroyed! Gold star! ;) We've seen Earth in jeopardy many times, even destroyed offscreen. But we've never seen Earth downright explode in an episode before. An interesting stunt to pull. Additionally, I was fascinated to see the bridge of Enterprise shot off during this episode, much the same way the viewscreen of the Enterprise E was blown out and the bridge was exposed to space in Star Trek X: Nemesis. Indeed, this episode features a myriad of wonderful visual effects. Aside from that, an obvious discussion point about this episode concerns the Archer / T'Pol relationship. We know, painfully, from Ent: A Night in Sickbay how much Archer is attracted to her, but this episode presents the information much more tastefully. Their relationship isn't elaborated a great deal though. It's hard to get someone to fall in love with you if they can't form any new long term memories. My one complaint about this episode is that it doesn't end the way DS9: The Visitor does in the sense that Archer did not retain a memory of the events. If he had, this episode could have easily been worth ten points.

2 reader comments

Eh, a 9 is a bit generous for a Reset Button Episode. I think this was mainly an excuse for them to blow up Earth and the bridge of Enterprise. I would not put it in the same category as The Visitor (DS9).
by Pete | 01/05/2011 at 3:25 am

It took the destruction of Earth, the near genocide of the human species and what is truly one of the most heartbreaking of medical conditions to make me feel some level of sympathy for Jonathan Archer.
I have always been fascinated and quite moved by cases of loss of long term memory formation. I was pretty shocked to see them explore it here. I was even more shocked that the story centered around it was actually quite coherent, not to mention interesting and moving.
It's a nice change of pace to see Enterprise tackling an issue other then "-ism's are bad" and do something challenging.
The only thing that really bothered me was the (inevitable) use of the only way to make Archer seem like a good captain, which is to make the people around him incompetent by comparison. This is why T'pol and Trip had to be "bad captains". I understand they had to lose to the Xindi and I don't even blame them for writing this into the episode. It's just a reminder in a great episode that I am still watching a poorly (often, not always) written series.
I agree though, this was a great episode. I don't even mind that it is a "reset button" episode. They tried to make "The Inner Light" and "The Visitor", and for Enterprise, they did a good job of it. I also agree that it would have been nice to have Archer retain some shadow of a memory of what happened. A total reset was uncalled for (a bit ironic though, now that I think about it.. given the premise).
by Zorak | 10/09/2016 at 9:28 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x09 — North Star

Aired 2003-11-12

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:5.54

Synopsis

When a settlement of humans living a 19th-century Western lifestyle is discovered on a Delphic Expanse planet, Archer and crew set out to learn how they got there.

Remarkable scenes

Trip attempting to ride a horse
Archer using the transporter in front of all the bewildered townspeople.
Archer regarding the Skagarans: "They kidnapped the wrong people."
Archer landing a shuttle in front of the bewildered townspeople.
The gunfight, and Archer getting shot.
Reed's "shoot the hostage" trick! Genius!
Archer won another fight, even after being shot!

Review

Just when you think that this episode is gonna make some real progress, Bennings starts shooting people randomly! Then again, it's not much of a Western cameo without a gunfight, is it? ;) The action wasn't excessive, only the timing was a bit strange. Then again, the episode was going too well to have the timing get much better. What I liked the most about this episode is the parallel to Voy: The 37s. The society Voyager discovered was a kind of new Earth founded on the other side of the galaxy. Like the people of this episode, the 37s overthrew their oppressors and created an independent society. The 37s though continued to evolve and didn't suffer from the fear mongering that the people of this episode succumbed too. They weren't as advanced as the Federation, but they were pretty advanced. In contrast, this society never grew out of the old west and had to be helped by the crew of Enterprise and eventually others from Earth. My only complaint about this episode is the timing. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Xindi. Why was it done? Between this episode and the last one, we've had two in a row that are technically filler, and we've not even seen very much advancement in the Xindi arc! Time shouldn't be wasted in such fashion. If this episode had been done in season 1 or 2, and it showed us other Earth ships later arriving at this planet helping / relocating these people, it would have been worth more points.

1 reader comment

An oddly placed episode, considering the urgency of their Xindi mission. I agree that it would have been better suited for the first or second season.
I too liked Reed's "shoot the hostage" trick, but I think they screwed the whole thing up by making the victim T'Pol. As soon as I saw her flailing ineffectively as the cowboy held her at gun point the whole thing lost all believably. C'mon, T'Pol, you're like four times stronger than that guy, trained in crazy-effective Vulcan martial arts, and can knock him unconscious simply by pinching his neck. Maybe stay cool instead of flailing about and you'll remember you're not just a helpless sexpot. Seriously, any other person on this mission would have worked better in that scene. Hell, use one of the nameless female military people if you need it to be a "damsel in distress" situation. But not T'Pol. She should be cool, calm, and kicking cowboy butt.
by Dstyle | 10/08/2015 at 4:03 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x10 — Similitude

Aired 2003-11-19

SpaceOpera.com rating:10

Average reader rating:5.18

Synopsis

When Trip suffers a catastrophic injury, his only hope for survival is a transplant from a "mimetic simbiot" which Phlox grows from one of his exotic creatures.

Remarkable scenes

Phlox growing a Trip clone.
Sim asking hard questions.
Sim playing with Archer's model starship, breaking a nacelle just as Archer did in Ent: Broken Bow.
Sim using the phase cannons to fire at Enterprise's hull so as to reveal the shuttle bay doors.
Phlox revealing that Sim won't survive the transplant after all.
Archer declaring that he'll kill Sim to save Trip.
Sim, after T'Pol kissed him: "I couldn't have asked for a better going away present."
Sim voluntarily giving his life to save Trip.

Review

I usually hate episodes that reveal the ending in the teaser, such as Ent: Impulse, but this one uses that trick more skillfully. It wasn't Trip in the teaser, it was Sim. This is the first episode in a long while to really touch me. Far moreso than Ent: Twilight did. There are similarities to Voy: Tuvix in the plot, in which another new crewmember was "created" and had to be sacrificed to save others likewise. The difference here is that there was every intention to let Sim live out his normal lifespan in this episode. It was only discovered later that he would have to be sacrificed, whereas with Tuvix, we knew it would be necessary all along. One of the big reasons this episode worked better than Voy: Tuvix was the way in which the sacrifice was handled. Sim went through phases. First he did the Tuvix thing accusing Archer of being a murderer for not letting Phlox try to extend his life, then he tried to escape, then he finally though painfully saw Archer's point. Sim sacrificed himself more honorably than a thousand Klingons. Another thing I liked was that the story didn't trivialize itself by saying "hey, whatever, he was only gonna live a week anyway." I got the impression that Sim was on to something regarding the proposal to extend his life. If Phlox was right at the beginning, and Sim wouldn't have had to have been sacrificed to save Trip, I'm sure Archer and Phlox would have tried Sim's idea. Then they'd have two Trips! Pretty trippy episode, huh? ;) In the end, Ent: Similitude is a profound look at the ethics of cloning as a means to save lives.

7 reader comments

I had a really hard time getting over the ethical problems that I felt this episode had. I was not necessarily opposed to the idea of creating another being who only lives fifteen days in order to save Trip. I was opposed to forcing him to give his life to do so, which Archer clearly showed that he was going to do. ("Even if it means killing you!") I don't feel that Sim gave his life voluntarily. He noted that one reason he opted not to escape was "Where the hell would I go?" He shouldn't have had that lack of option. He should have been allowed to live out the rest of his life (albeit very short… or perhaps longer) on the ship.
The idea that Trip had to be saved in order for the mission to succeed was a bit absurd to me, too. First of all, if Trip had just died, that means that all hope would be lost for their mission? That seems silly. And with another being with all of his memories and abilities on it, it's even sillier. If you watch the episode with commentary, the writer says about Sim's delimma, "Would you give your life to save billions? Most people would." Sorry, but I'm not convinced that Sim saved anyone except Trip by dying. I don't know why Archer and everyone else seemed to see the mission as a failure without Trip around.
The commentary in itself is a little odd. The writer has a strange perspective, in my opinion, which is maybe why the episode itself sits so poorly with me. For instance, he says that to him, the episode is not about cloning; he was more interested in examining a being whose entire life span is seven days. It is about that, of course, but it seems much moreso about an ethical delimma. It seems like the writer didn't notice the delimma. To him, there was only one possible outcome. To me, that outcome is not acceptable.
by Abigail Chappell | 03/15/2009 at 1:11 am

I agree with Abigail's commentary. I found most aspects of this episode to be morally offensive. In fact, it is fair to say that the episode disturbed me. All the morals were backwards. The eulogy at the end felt fake and creepy, given that Captain Archer had mere hours earlier told him to his face that he was prepared to kill him--essentially that Sim's life was objectively worth less than Tripp's. How can any person's life be worth more than another's?
If Archer and Phlox were living on Earth NOW, they would certainly be tried and convicted of crimes against humanity for their actions in this episode. And this is supposed to be "the future"?
by Pete | 01/06/2011 at 2:50 am

Great Episode! I think it's pretty clear how much Archer and Phlox were struggling with their decision. But as Archer said, it was all about the mission: "Desperate times call for desperate measures". As for the importance of Trip, sure, sometimes the role of someone can be exaggerated in movies or tv series. But in this case, Earth only had Enterprise, and Enterprise needed Trip (as Archer said). When Trip is on Columbia (season 4), it's clear how important he is. Or when Archer is ill (twilight), when things start to fall apart. It can be true in real life. Sometimes only a certain doctor can perform a certain surgery. The Bulls wouldn't have won anything without Michael Jordan.
by Kyle | 07/07/2012 at 4:48 pm

An even more moving episode then Twilight, indeed. Contrary to a few things I've read from other people, I feel Trip is the strongest and most likeable character on this show. Early on it was T'pol, but they've degraded her character too much and Trip overtook her a while back. That being said, I was definitely concerned to think they killed him off here.
The actor that brings us Trip gave another compelling performance as Sim. I also really liked the actor who played Sim as a kid (the one flying the model starship). They did a fine job making Sim relatable and sympathetic.
A fantastic episode.
However, the thing that stands out for me most is the possible long term implications of Archers development. Archer is not a man with the highest of moral codes. He's a giant immature space baby who thinks every issue is black and white and his side is always righteous and pure. The show constantly rewards this behavior and lauds him as bringing justice to the galaxy.
By now making Archer desperate and giving him an "anything for the mission" attitude, perhaps they are setting the stage to drop the ridiculous pretense that everything he does is morally justified. I don't even care about the actual morality of his actions anymore. That ship sailed long ago. I just want them to stop insulting our intelligence by trying to convince us that he is right.
by Zorak | 10/09/2016 at 11:02 am

I know almost from the beginning that Archer is a hypocrite and moron, this opinion won't change:) Now I have another antihero in this series - Phlox - he's just future Mengele, amoral and purely evil. First denying to help whole species, because of cruel darwinistic babble, now this - creating a sapient being just for ripping of part of its brain. What next? Making a soap from aliens? He's disgusting… Jim! I'm a doctor not a murderer!
by McCoy | 07/24/2017 at 9:53 am

I think the above commenters are underselling the importance of Trip and this mission.
You really think that four days of a person's life is worth risking the death of 10+ billion people?
Of course in a vacuum it is a morally and ethically wrong decision. As Archer said in an earlier episode, "I cant let my morality get in the way."
He is right.
by Rick | 03/06/2019 at 12:21 am

Only a few episodes ago he self-righteously proclaimed: "I can't try to save humanity without holding on to what makes me human.", and now he openly supports a procedure that is forbidden by the very society it originated, and considers murdering a sentient being without regards for its wishes or inherent rights because he deems its life less important than that of another. A better Starfleet captain once asked, how many people it would take, admiral, to make it wrong. If only he had been there. A part of me wishes that Sim had refused to undergo the operation until the very end, and that Archer would then have to be forced to show his true colours. That then would have been the end of me watching the show at least.
by Urdomen | 04/21/2022 at 10:02 pm

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x11 — Carpenter Street

Aired 2003-11-26

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.94

Synopsis

Archer and T'Pol travel back in time to 2004 Detroit to stop a Xindi plot.

Remarkable scenes

Loomis going around abducting people.
Daniels' appearance.
Archer and T'Pol walking through a door, suddenly appearing in Detroit. I like how even after that, T'Pol still didn't believe in time travel!
T'Pol: "Have you ever operated a vehicle from this period?" Archer: "I can pilot a starship."
Archer hacking an ATM.
T'Pol: "Were they aware at this time that Earth's supply of fossil fuel was nearing depletion?" Archer: "They had been for 30 years, but it wasn't until 2061 that they finally--"
Loomis suspecting that the Xindi are Taliban terrorists... hah.
T'Pol Vulcan Neck Pinching Loomis.
Archer having T'Pol untie Loomis so he could hit him because Archer didn't feel comfortable hitting a man who was tied up. ;)
T'Pol: "In one individual we have managed to find the worst qualities of this era. Greed, violence, moral corruption."
The drive through scene. I love how they kept asking to super size everything. ;)
Loomis: "Nice ray gun. Am I supposed believe that thing's for real?" T'Pol shoots the wall with it. Loomis suddenly got cooperative. :)
T'Pol to Loomis: "You've been abducting people for money, and you're questioning our honesty?"
T'Pol quickly incapacitating Loomis.
Archer and T'Pol returning to Enterprise.
Loomis getting arrested and the cops not buying his stories.

Review

Although the episode was poorly received by most fans, I thought Ent: Carpenter Street was a clever, entertaining episode. There are several nice details going for it. The Xindi bio weapon that was being discussed in Ent: Rajiin is in its final stages in this episode, but the Xindi need samples of the 8 human blood types. This is where Loomis comes in. I found his involvement in the story to be the best part. His nonchalant attitude toward kidnapping and his blatant display of greed was quite realistic; I can see people actually doing this for modern day terrorists if sufficiently motivated as Loomis was. There's a great deal of humor sprinkled about the episode. The fast food scene was probably the most amusing. Finally, the episode featured some interesting camera work. There wasn't anything special in this episode setting too much apart from previous "time travel back to present day" episodes, but it was at least a decent offering.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x12 — Chosen Realm

Aired 2004-01-14

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.29

Synopsis

Religious zealots hijack Enterprise to use it as a weapon against the enemies of their faith.

Remarkable scenes

D'Jamat and T'Pol having a science vs. religion debate.
The human bomb demonstration.
Archer faking out D'Jamat with the transporter.
Archer: "These people you're fighting, what makes them heretics?" Yarrick: "We believe the Makers created the Chosen Realm in nine days. They believe it took ten." Archer: "For that you've been at war for over a century?"
Reed throwing his gun at one of the aliens when it ran out of power.
Archer: "Go ahead, try to blow yourself up. I'll wait."
Archer showing D'Jamat the aftermath of his war.

Review

This episode is a rehash of TOS: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. While a decent episode to do over again, I should point out that this is yet another filler episode with nothing to do with the Xindi. In fact, this episode erases progress (literally) made in Ent: Anomaly by having D'Jamat delete data regarding the spheres from Enterprise's computer. This annoys me greatly. Some other complaints, this episodes focuses entirely on Archer. Phlox and Reed get a good showing, but T'Pol, Trip, Hoshi, and Travis all get severely neglected. Fortunately, the episode manages to do fairly well for itself. The science vs. religion controversy is made very clear at the beginning of the episode and then the episode spends most of its time pointing out the hypocrisy and stupidity of religion as it proceeded further. If there was still any doubt that Star Trek was anti religion, that doubt is gone now. The demonstration culminates nicely at the end when Archer shows D'Jamat the result of his religious zealotry. I wonder if even that is enough to make him change. Furthermore, I wonder if Archer just left the Triannons on their planet after the episode ended.

7 reader comments

I'd say all doubt that Star Trek was anti-religion was gone after TNG "who watches the watchers", but this episode does certainly build on that. It's far less subtle, though.
by Pete Miller | 07/29/2007 at 3:20 am

Perhaps Star Trek is anti-religion in the sense that none of the human characters in any of the series professed a faith or participated in religious services, however I think the main point of this episode is that a religion based on fear, violence and a disregard of scientific fact is no religion at all.
by Kblur9 | 11/08/2007 at 4:33 pm

I guess you could call it a rehash of Last Battlefield, I think update or tribute is more appropriate. This is the kind of thing I watch Star Trek for, a way of externalizing the problems that plague us in the present. I think Roddenberry would have enjoyed this episode a lot. Did diverting from the Xindi plot affect your score that much? It's one of the weakest war stories ever done in Star Trek anyways so I looked past it.
by szycag | 05/25/2009 at 2:17 pm

it's most unlikely that D'Jamat after seeing Archer's personal logs still don't know what transporter is.
and one other thing. why didn't the deleted files about spheres go to the recycle bin, and if they did, the data could have been restored
by fan ive | 12/28/2009 at 10:54 am

Indeed, many episodes of Star Trek seem to express an anti-religious attitude of the writers and directors. I think they mostly attack irrationalism, religious intolerance and tyranny, which is close to racism and political suppression. However, in several DS9 episodes the Bajoran religion is presented largely as positive, depending on the individual believers. Of course, there were negative examples such as the bigot Kai Winn, but the majority of Bajoran religious people were sympathetic. The most interesting feature of Bajoran religion was that it was based on facts, which had "scientific" explanations, like the orbs and wormhole aliens existing outside of time. This sort of religion is completey different to D´Jamats self-made religious dogmas, which only served his greed for power.
by peterwolf | 09/12/2012 at 6:45 pm

Sure, we look at these foolish zealots with pity and disdain now, but just wait until you die and it turns out the Triannon are right about everything.
<horrible car accident, no survivors, fade to black, then fade to white>
You: "Woah, is this what Heaven looks like?" The Makers: "Welcome to the afterlife. Did you cherish the spheres? Did you protect the Chosen Realm?" You: "Huh? Wait, what?" The Makers (growing ominous): "But most importantly: how many days do you believe it took us to create the Chosen Realm?"
by Dstyle | 10/13/2015 at 8:27 pm

It is such a bummer that Trek keeps introducing new species which we never hear of again, because it would have been interesting to see how these guys will handle what happens at the end of Season 3.
by bodner | 01/27/2020 at 10:46 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x13 — Proving Ground

Aired 2004-01-21

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:6.05

Synopsis

An Andorian ship led by Commander Shran arrives in the Delphic Expanse to help Enterprise hone in on the Xindi superweapon.

Remarkable scenes

The teaser, showing us Shran and the inside of his ship!
Shran's antennae appearing over Archer's head... hah!
The Xindi testing their weapon.
Shran: "We are looking for a rare element... Archerite!"
Shran: "Take us out of the system. But not too quickly. The Andorian mining consortium runs from no one!"
Talas and Reed starting to get along.
Archer crediting Gralik (Ent: The Shipment) for the Xindi prototype weapon's spectacular failure.
The Kumari stealing the weapon.
Shran betraying Archer.
Archer threatening to use the Xindi activation codes to blow up the Xindi prototype while it's still aboard Shran's ship.

Review

Well, my complaint about wasting time that could be used on the Xindi arc with filler has finally been put to rest here. We get to see a new prototype for the planet killer weapon in action, we get to see an Andorian ship strut its stuff, and we get to see humans and Andorians working together, even if there is an ulterior motive for the Andorians. The ulterior motive was actually quite cool. The Andorians were totally in character the whole time and the cameo was more than welcome; this episode was just as good as the last Andorian showing, Ent: Cease Fire. My only complaint was that Shran was too loyal to the corrupt Imperial Guard. I would have liked to have seen a permanent human-Andorian alliance after this episode. Oh well. Hopefully they'll play a role again. I want to see more of Shran! What an awesome character.

1 reader comment

Another good episode. Enterprise sure goes up and down a lot. I quite like the Andorians.
One thing I have to disagree with is your complaint about Shran's loyalty and the assertion that the Imperial Guard is corrupt, as well as the hope for a permanent alliance. I feel they handled it quite well. Shran is a patriot (almost Cardassian like) and does what he does for his people as a proud member of the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard is not corrupt. They are just an organization trying to serve the best interests of their government. A people and a government with deep seeded fear of the Vulcans. It's no surprise to me that Shran would not let his personal feelings toward Archer interfere with his duties even if he questions them. This makes him a far more realistic character in my eyes. I actually really appreciate Enterprises approach here of a "two steps forward one step back" relationship between the Andorians and Humans.
by Zorak | 10/10/2016 at 5:45 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x14 — Stratagem

Aired 2004-02-04

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:6.24

Synopsis

Archer finds himself face-to-face with Degra, the designer of the Xindi superweapon, and tries to trick him into revealing its location.

Remarkable scenes

The teaser. One of those "what the hell?" moments. :)
The revelation that the whole devastated future story was just a ruse to gain intelligence from Degra... wow!
Archer referring to the Xindi insectoids as "overgrown grasshoppers."
Archer faking out Degra one last time.

Review

Like Ent: Anomaly, Ent: Stratagem provides sufficient entertainment and nicely advances the Xindi arc. Once again the crew is shown to be clever, using well their limited resources and taking advantage of the circumstances. I'm quite fond of the continuity with the previous episode, Ent: Proving Ground regarding Degra's ship being damaged by the malfunctioning prototype and the fake shuttle rouse was absolutely incredible; and an ingenuous way to rehash the "lets fake out some aliens using the holodeck" idea without actually introducing a holodeck. Indeed, the whole plot was a wonderful way to gain intelligence information from Degra. I was surprised by the originality and I was pleased that the episode didn't turn into another Ent: Twilight, even if it seemed to have shades of Voy: Counterpoint. In short, Ent: Stratagem is another above average episode and a nice contributor to the current arc.

2 reader comments

A good episode, definitely. Enterprise seems to have found its feet again. It would have been a great episode if not for the last 5 minutes. Did Archer really need to gloat? He should have left Degra uninformed in case he needed to trick him further. Also, why would they let the HEAD of the weapons project for the very thing he's trying to stop go on his merry way? Ridiculous.
Also a thought for your Problems section if you think it's significant: The viewscreen TV that was showing the star field outside of the shuttlepod window was about 3 feet away from the window itself. There's no way that would have even covered the whole view when looking strait on, let alone looking out of the window at an angle. A silly mistake, really.
by Zorak | 10/10/2016 at 6:51 am

Zorak, they obviously wiped his memory again after the gloating ^^ And they had to let him go as to not tip their hand.
by bodner | 01/28/2020 at 2:52 pm

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x15 — Harbinger

Aired 2004-02-11

SpaceOpera.com rating:4

Average reader rating:5.25

Synopsis

As Archer tries to unravel the mystery of a rescued alien, long-simmering feelings explode among his senior officers.

Remarkable scenes

Anomalies floating around the bridge.
Trip and Reed getting hostile over Reed's conflict with Major Hayes and the Vulcan neural pressure thing.
T'Pol and Trip discussing Sim declaring his love for T'Pol.
Trip: "I can't believe this... I'm jealous of myself?"
T'Pol offering herself to Trip.
Reed and Hayes sparring.
Reed and Hayes disabling the alien.
T'Pol writing off her sexual encounter with T'Pol as an experiment in human sexuality.
Archer laying into Reed and Hayes for their fighting.

Review

This has got to be the most juvenile episode of Star Trek I've ever seen, but it was reasonably entertaining. I know some fans complained that Ent: Harbinger was needlessly childish, that Trip and T'Pol's long awaited sexual encounter was handled poorly, that Reed and Hayes' showdown was immature, and that the alien plot in this episode was inadequate at best. All of these things I agree with, to a point. First there's Trip and T'Pol. I think their relationship was handled well for the most part. There was some immaturity to it, but it was mostly Trip in my opinion. T'Pol was just dropping herself to his level, in their little verbal pissing contest. After all, she has to endeavor to become more human in order to have a human sexual encounter. Then there's Reed and Hayes. This was much more easy to swallow. Their poor relations was hinted on as early as Ent: The Xindi but was never followed up on. I'm glad it resurfaced here. I've been waiting for this kind of conflict for a while. I'm glad they had a chance to fight and a chance to realize how stupid it is to compete with each other. Finally, there's the alien plot. I think it's obvious that their involvement in the arc will be elaborated further later, so I don't want to discuss the fact that we learned next to nothing about them. In short, this episode was a decent contributor to the current arc. Yes, it was juvenile, but everyone is a little immature now and then, even the crew of a starship. I'm much more forgiving of this episode than others may be; hell I genuinely enjoyed it. So there.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x16 — Doctor's Orders

Aired 2004-02-18

SpaceOpera.com rating:1

Average reader rating:5

Synopsis

The fate of Enterprise is in Dr. Phlox's hands as the rest of the crew must be induced into a coma in order to survive a trans-dimensional disturbance.

Remarkable scenes

Phlox seeing a Xindi insectoid.
Phlox: "I'm a physician, not an engineer!" Count 36 for "I'm a doctor, not a (blah)" style lines, which McCoy was famous for.
Phlox realizing that his T'Pol was an hallucination.

Review

This episode is blatant rehash of Voy: One, and a combination of the bad elements of other episodes. First of all, Phlox' the hallucinations were just as boring as Hoshi's dream in Ent: Vanishing Point. It was all too obvious that he wasn't himself and that nothing bad actually was happening to the ship. The rest of the episode is comprised of elements from Ent: Dear Doctor and Ent: A Night in Sickbay. Suffice it to say, bad combinations. I was glad that this episode contributed to the "I'm a doctor, not a..." running joke, and John Billingsley is a remarkable actor. But the writing for this particular bottle show as unbelievably boring, perhaps moreso than any other Enterprise episode.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x17 — Hatchery

Aired 2004-02-25

SpaceOpera.com rating:5

Average reader rating:4.6

Synopsis

Archer goes to extreme lengths to save an abandoned nest of Xindi-Insectoid eggs ready to hatch.

Remarkable scenes

The crew exploring the insectoid ship.
Reed and Hayes hauling the insectoid shuttle back to Enterprise.
Trip and Travis trying to figure out the insectoid shuttle.
T'Pol disobeying Archer's orders.
Enterprise destroying the Xindi insectoid ship.
Archer relieving Reed.
The mutiny.
Archer letting baby insectoids crawl around on him.
Trip shooting Archer.

Review

This episode is a missed opportunity to show something really profound. Instead of having Archer take a general interest in the welfare of these infant insectoids, a mind control story is fed to us instead, as if caring for these infant Xindi is unquestionably stupid. I found that notion offensive, and slightly disturbing. My only comfort is that Trip begins to see Archer's point even if he doesn't agree with it. He only starts to get a little nervous when Archer starts doing truly irrational things. The mutiny was well presented, but again, it would have carried more weight if Archer wasn't under the weather. Instead, the personal conflicts that could have arose were extinguished before they began. Even Reed and Hayes began to settle their differences in this episode. I guess the writers just didn't want to repeat Ent: Harbinger. Maybe they thank keeping the crew unified in their struggle against the Xindi makes for better episodes or something... I don't agree. The episode was otherwise successful though. Enterprise stole an insectoid shuttle! And the space battle was quite something, even if short. Not bad.

5 reader comments

I agree with most of this review. There are a lot of good things here--we finally get a close look at the Insectoids, the MACO/Starfleet tension comes to head, etc. But the ethics of this episode bother me.
After Gene Roddenberry's death, the franchise began to get away from its philosophical roots a little. DS9 got uncomfortably religious-y toward the end, Enterprise seems to reflect the neo-con mindset of the times that spawned it, often in direct opposition to earlier incarnations of the franchise. Though his actions are eventually irrational, he is absolutely morally right in the beginning. And though he acted to protect the ship, Malcolm was out of line in destroying the Insectoid ship without at least alerting the captain. At this point in the series, I'm in uncharted territory in that I have only the vaguest notions of what's going to happen. Episodes like this one make forging ahead seem less inviting.
by JRPoole | 12/22/2011 at 5:09 pm

Two things. First, I believe that the morals of this episode are spot on. Sacrificing critical resources and time should be a numbers game. Say getting rid of the supplies reduces their mission success percentage by X%. X is going to be multiplied by the however many humans are in existence which is at least 11 figures. If that number is greater than the number of little guys to be saved then dont do it. The calculations above obviously do not even need to be spelled out because intuitively, the risk clearly outweighs the reward.
Secondly, to the above poster, yes, trek was originally liberal but it came out of predominantly liberal times. It does not follow to say that the show is not staying true to its roots because it is evolving into a more conservative mindset. This is a common misconception. Just because one looked for change and progression at one point does not mean they need to do so perpetually to be consistent. The change and progression originally sought may have been largely accomplished to the point that the actual consistent viewpoint would become conservatism.
by Rick Siehr | 01/31/2012 at 7:04 am

To be honest, Enterprise is the one series were some deviation from the Roddenberry ideals would make perfect sense. You shouldn't expect the 22nd century crew to be as enlightened as Picard or even Kirk.
Doubly so, when they are at war.
This is, actually, one of the things I like best about Enterprise: It shows as a realistic transitionary phase between present day humanity and the "perfect" 23rd/24th century.
I think they did this remarkably well, especially during the Xindi Arc. Sure, Archer and company did some questionable things. But they still seem far more moral (and more competent) than any present-day leader on earth.
by OmicronThetaDeltaPhi | 11/16/2015 at 11:01 am

I'm not sure how to feel about this episode.
I'm often left feeling like the crew is incompetent, and this one is a bit of a shining example. Archer was right at the beginning when he considered the impact this could have on diplomatic relations.
I didn't quite understand the technobabble of what it was they were trying to do, but it does seem it would have cost Enterprise some precious needed resource (anti-matter fuel?) in order to power the hatchery.
In the end, the hatchery was just fine for some reason (??) even though they took back all the anti-matter… so, what was the point?
The aforementioned incompetence though, comes from what they talked about, but seemingly did not do. Regardless of the morality of the situation, this was a huge diplomatic opportunity to gain a more favorable reputation with the Xindi. Did they not at least leave the Xindi a note letting them know they helped the hatchlings survive?
I don't know.. I think this episode just left me conflicted. Everything about it. I especially dislike that it became Starfleet vs Marines and that no attempt was made to reason with Hayes.
But as a side thought, it was also a good episode……. sort of.
by Zorak | 10/11/2016 at 8:55 am

Archer was correct. It is a terribly sad betrayal of the ethics that the best of Trek should uphold.
Progressives -- true progressives -- don't upon progressing stop and become fucking conservatives; this is the act of faux-progressive opportunists or simple-minded bandwagoneers.
Archer was correct in wanting to save the sentient beings. Archer was correct in wanting to save the sentient beings FIRST AND FOREMOST because they are -- FFS! how many more times; another truth not actually ever understood by simple-minded bandwagoneers -- worthy of being beings.
Secondly -- way-down-the-line, but if another reason is necessary to convince some folks… Archer was correct in wanting to save the hatchery, yes, as "PR".
Archer was correct in wanting to save the sentient beings. The implementation of the cop-out "he was out-of-his mind" is a disgrace. Weak disgrace. Weak and cheap "writing".
Cogenitor was almost enough to turn me off. But I just decided to go forth with the understanding that Archer is a confused, conflicted ass quite often…
Hatchery could have redeemed The Cap'n quite a bit. He said and did all the right things! …And then they scuttled it…
by QuasiGiani | 04/10/2020 at 11:07 am

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x18 — Azati Prime

Aired 2004-03-03

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:6.73

Synopsis

Archer sets out on a suicide mission to destroy the Xindi superweapon as Enterprise faces a brutal attack.

Remarkable scenes

Travis and Trip grazing the Enterprise hull with the insectoid shuttle.
Archer destroying the remote Xindi lunar outpost.
The sight of the underwater complex and the weapon.
Daniels bringing Archer to Enterprise-J.
Archer's interrogation.
Dolim: "Is this a preemptive strike?" Archer: "I thought that was your specialty." Dolim: "You don't want to know my specialty." Archer: "Let me guess, stinking up the room?"
Archer telling Dolim about the Earth dinosaurs and turtle soup.
Archer meeting with Degra.
The Xindi ships devastating Enterprise.

Review

A real thriller, but brings up some important questions. We learn that the sphere builders are transdimensional aliens who are terraforming the expanse to suit their needs. But if they can go back 1000 years and build the spheres, why can't they go back 1000 years and destroy Earth? Did they simply communicate with a species 1000 years ago and instruct them to build the spheres like they're instructing the Xindi to destroy Earth? If so, why didn't they instruct that species 1000 years ago to destroy Earth while it was still totally helpless? Furthermore, what's going on with T'Pol? Her blatant displays of emotion over the last several episodes have been not very Vulcan. One wonders if this is leading up to something or if the writers are just abusing her character again. Other than this, Azati Prime is a satisfactory climax for the Xindi arc. I'm a little annoyed that we get another overdose of time travel, but it doesn't really spoil the fun of Archer's capture and the Xindi nearly destroying Enterprise. Lots of eye candy, lots of fun to watch.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x19 — Damage

Aired 2004-04-21

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:5.9

Synopsis

While dissension among Xindi ranks festers, Enterprise tries to recover from a devastating attack.

Remarkable scenes

The attack suddenly stopping.
T'Pol and Reed surveying the damage.
Archer aboard an aquatic ship.
Hoshi analyzing the aquatic language.
T'Pol using the Trellium-D like a narcotic.
T'Pol arguing with Archer.
T'Pol revealing her Trellium-D to Phlox.
Archer and crew boarding the Illyrian ship.

Review

This episode is a fair sequel to Ent: Azati Prime, but technical and logical problems spoil some of the fun. The sudden stop of the attack on Enterprise and the return of Archer to the ship by the Xindi struck me as far too convenient. Explanations for these unlikely events are satisfactory at best. Conversely, the revelation that T'Pol's been trying to develop a tolerance for Trellium-D so that the crew can line the hull with it as an explanation for her emotional behavior is very cool. I'm glad the writers weren't just making her inexplicably emotional. I also enjoyed the "dark Trek" DS9 style attack Archer ordered on the Illyrian ship. Complete with a DS9 guest star! ;) So while Ent: Damage fails to capture the spirit and adventure of Ent: Azati Prime and leaves far too many loose ends, it works well on its own. Hopefully the Xindi arc will stop neglecting itself. A final note, I was impressed by the level of damage and the repair efforts. It all looked very realistic and was visually impressive.

1 reader comment

A comment for the reviewer. You state "Conversely, the revelation that T'Pol's been trying to develop a tolerance for Trellium-D so that the crew can line the hull with it as an explanation for her emotional behavior is very cool."
Actually, I would have loved that to be the reason she was ingesting Trellium, but we get this: "T'POL: The initial effects were overwhelming, but as they began to wear off I discovered I was able to access certain emotions. I wanted more. I began to experiment by ingesting small amounts of Trellium. I devised a way to inject it into my bloodstream. PHLOX: You must have known it was dangerous. Trellium exposure is deadly to Vulcans. It eats away at the neural pathways. T'POL: I thought, in small amounts, it would be safe. At first, I was able to control the new emotions. My interactions with the crew improved."
She was just exploring her emotions. A selfish act, opposed to attempting to tolerate Trellium D so they could line the hull - a much more "Vulcan" (the needs of the many…) act.
by Yanks | 05/15/2010 at 4:22 pm

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x20 — The Forgotten

Aired 2004-04-28

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:5.01

Synopsis

Two high-ranking Xindi offer to stop the launch of their superweapon if Archer can prove they've been manipulated. Meanwhile, the crew mourns their lost mates.

Remarkable scenes

Archer meeting with Degra and Jannar.
Trip laying into Degra.
Trip and Reed repairing the plasma fire.
Degra destroying the reptilian ship.

Review

Another slightly above average episode. Less exciting than Ent: Damage, but a little better thought out. The meeting between Archer and the Xindi was well handled, and used well the continuity of the previous episodes. But this is Trip's show. All of his scenes, everything from his difficulty writing the letter, to his confession to T'Pol, to his mouthing off at Degra was great. Some of the finest acting I've seen for his character in quite some time. The plasma fire was also a nicely interesting diversion that couldn't have been done before the ship was damaged so, finally I really like how the ship seems to remain in perma-damaged mode. I'm glad we get to see the realistic effects of such a brutal attack. A closing remark, Degra says that a hostile species preys on ships attempting to use the shortcut he gave Archer to reach the Xindi council chamber... gee... isn't that some rather obvious foreshadowing?

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x21 — E²

Aired 2004-05-05

SpaceOpera.com rating:7

Average reader rating:5.85

Synopsis

An attempt to use a Xindi subspace corridor leads the Enterprise crew to a bizarre encounter with their own descendants.

Remarkable scenes

Enterprise meeting Enterprise!
Archer visiting the other Enterprise and meeting aged T'Pol.
Reed, Hoshi, and Travis discussing who they married on the other Enterprise.
Trip and T'Pol arguing about the complications to their relationship that Lorian presented.
Enterprise battling Enterprise.
Archer using the transporter as a weapon.
Archer: "This is captain Archer. Looks like we've got some things that belong to each other. Why don't we call a truce and return our respective property?"
T'Pol meeting T'Pol.
Enterprise and Enterprise fighting the Corvallens side by side.
Archer and T'Pol discussing whether or not the other Enterprise never existed.

Review

Well, the episode is more filler. But it's up there on the quality level of other Xindi filler such as Ent: Twilight and Ent: Similitude. There's some plot logic in this episode that doesn't make any sense, such as how the future Enterprise could have possibly fouled up their attack on the Xindi probe, or why they made the remarkably stupid decision to not interfere with Earth's timeline. But then again, if they'd done either of those things, it would have brought a most anticlimactic end to the Xindi arc. In short, this episode shouldn't have been done in the manner that it was, because it had reset button written all over it. Ent: Twilight, on the other hand, was a marvelous way to execute such a reset button style episode. This episode tried too hard to be like Ent: Similitude, and failed. That said, if you forgive the problems with plot logic, the episode is exciting and well played. It offers insight into Trip and T'Pol's relationship and as all reset bottom episodes do, offers us a fascinating what-if style episode. There are shades of DS9: Children of Time in this episode, but I like how the ending was open ended. It's fairly certain that the other Enterprise was destroyed, but was it due to their never existing or that they were destroyed? Who knows.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x22 — The Council

Aired 2004-05-12

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:6.53

Synopsis

Archer and Hoshi stand before the Xindi Council as T'Pol and Reed lead a team into the heart of a Sphere.

Remarkable scenes

Degra profiling the members of the Xindi council.
Archer, Degra, and Hoshi appearing at the Xindi council.
The Xindi insectoid throwing Archer on the table.
Degra making an appeal to Trip, trying to get him to lose his grudge.
Archer presenting a holographic representation of a sphere builder.
Trip and Degra finally making up.
Dolim murdering Degra.
Trip talking to Phlox about his weight loss.
T'Pol: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
The battle at the end.
Hoshi being abducted.

Review

This episode was extraordinarily exciting. I complained a number of times about the Xindi arc not advancing sufficiently... well here it gets a kick in the pants! I was sorry to see Degra go, as he was a character I was really beginning to enjoy. The killing of the MACO redshirt was a bit obvious from the beginning as well. Reminds me of the old Family Guy episode when they reenacted Star Trek. Kirk: "The landing party will consist of myself, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Ensign Ricky." Ricky then says, "aw crap" foreseeing his fate. In this episode, the landing party on the sphere consisted of T'Pol, Reed, Travis, and minor character Corporal Hawkins. How stereotypical! The reptilians and insectoids betraying the council didn't surprise me in the least; it even kind of annoys me. I would have rather have seen the insectoids as and reptilians as the good guys and the arboreals and primates as the bad guys, but the arc is as I've said stereotypical, portraying the reptilians and insectoids as less intelligent, emotional, and confrontational to an extreme which is obviously supposed to be the norm for their species. I think it's racist and unnecessary. Both entire species were totally two dimensional. Only the single reptilian lieutenant even questioned the motives of the sphere builders. One wonders how the reptilians and insectoids didn't end up like the aviens with such arrogance, bigotry, and zealotry in their ranks. It certainly explains the war and why they destroyed their own homeworld.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x23 — Countdown

Aired 2004-05-19

SpaceOpera.com rating:9

Average reader rating:4.47

Synopsis

With help from Xindi allies, the Enterprise crew attempts to stop the arming of the Weapon aimed toward Earth.

Remarkable scenes

Dolim explaining to Hoshi why he needs her.
Dolim injecting Hoshi with neural parasites.
Archer meeting with the aquatics.
Hoshi trying to kill herself rather than help the reptilians.
Trip: "Can you imagine the look on Soval's face when he sees her in a Starfleet uniform?" Heh... I can. Remember Ent: Twilight?
The battle at the weapon.
The destruction of the aquatic vessel.
Hayes: "I could use a change of scenery!"
Hayes taking injury during transport!
Hayes' death.
The reptilians betraying the insectoids.

Review

Ent: Countdown is an amazing action thriller, a wonderful climax to the Xindi arc. Yet another great character dies... Hayes. And we're left with yet another cliffhanger. But overall, I didn't really care because the episode was just so much of a fun ride. I complained in my last review about the reptilians and insectoids being shown as too stereotypically evil with the single exception of the one reptilian officer who questioned the sphere builders. I was pleased to see that the insectoids were beginning to question the sphere builders as well at the end of this episode. This means that only Dolim is a ridiculous, overzealous, arrogant moron and not the entire reptilian and insectoid Xindi species. The Xindi arc comes to a head here, of course. The space battle shown here is even more spectacular than any of the previous ones. We don't know the aquatics very well, but the destruction of their ship was downright sad. As much a loss as Hayes and Degra were. There were two scenes in particular where (good guy) Xindi ships were destroyed that were unbelievably visually impressive. And of course the way that Hayes died is an interesting point of discussion as well. It's always nice to see that 22nd century technology isn't infallible. I was annoyed that the transporter was sufficient to beam in four people at once, but the episode kind of redeemed itself when Hayes was able to be shot during transport. I'm not sure how all the mechanics of that work out, but I'm sufficiently convinced it's at least possible, even if the same thing happened to Archer (among other people) earlier in the series and he wasn't hurt. A final remark, Linda Park did an excellent job playing Hoshi in this episode and I thought it was an excellent use of her character, for once.

Star Trek: Enterprise — 3x24 — Zero Hour

Aired 2004-05-26

SpaceOpera.com rating:6

Average reader rating:5.37

Synopsis

Archer puts his life on the line in a risky gambit to intercept the Xindi superweapon and disarm it from within.

Remarkable scenes

The reptilians eating mice.
Archer working with a confused Hoshi.
Enterprise entering the anomaly field.
The weapon reaching Earth.
The reptilians destroying Yosemite 3.
Shran showing up to help.
Shran: "Go! And tell Archer, we're not even anymore! He owes me!"
The battle aboard the weapon.
The destruction of the sphere network.
Archer battling Dolim.
Archer blowing up Dolim.
Trip: "You look nice like this. Kind of like an old oil painting." T'Pol: "I'm not old. I will only be 66 years old on my next birthday."
The shuttlepod being shot at by ancient Earth aircraft.

Review

Well, first the good things. This episode is marvelously successful as the ending to the Xindi arc (on most fronts). The space battle stuff was toned down a bit, but the overall level of action and conflict was even higher. Shran showing up to save Archer's ass was really cool, and Archer's fight with Dolim was even better; I'd say the greatest moment of the episode. I only wish I could have seen Sisko blow up Dukat into tiny little bits like that. ;) But that ending was just atrocious. Now, I'm not an oversensitive German citizen trying to forget 12 years of Nazi dictatorship or anything, but don't you think three stories about evil Nazis on Star Trek is just pushing it? TOS: Patterns of Force was already easily obnoxious. The use of Nazis in Voy: The Killing Game was better, but still unnecessary. (They could have used any number of conflicts in Earth's history for that episode. The battle of Wolf 359 would have been perfect!) Finally there's this. Not only are alien Nazis annoying and offensive, but it totally destroys the ending of a great episode at the same time. At the end of this episode, I was just waiting to get a hail from the Kumari with Archer standing next to Shran on his bridge; Shran yelling triumphantly to T'Pol, "we beamed him out just in time!" Then with the remaining time, victory celebration on Earth ensues. The season 4 premiere could then have Earth meeting with the Xindi, Enterprise being repaired, and Enterprise resuming its original mission; possibly then we could finally get on with the Earth-Romulan wars or getting some real Klingon conflicts started. But instead of properly wrapping up the Xindi arc, the writers confusedly and enigmatically throw us in the middle of yet more Temporal Cold War nonsense. So to recap, we've got more offensive alien nazis (-1), an anticlimactic ending to the Xindi arc (-1), and more Temporal Cold War nonsense (-1). An episode that would otherwise receive a 9 is reduced to a 6. Why has Star Trek been consistently delivering poor season finales for the last few years?

5 reader comments

"Why has Star Trek been consistently delivering poor season finales for the last few years?" Hmm, maybe because Rick Berman and/or Brannon Braga wrote them?
by Jakob M. Mokoru | 11/12/2008 at 11:15 am

Yes, yes, and yes. Your review hit the nail on the head. Bermaga just cannot help themselves.
Because what would make a fitting endcap to the Xindi arc? Oh of course, silly me--World War II!
They have to remind you who the showrunners are every now and then.
by Pete | 01/11/2011 at 1:54 am

I actually feel the same way! I was really excited about the Xindi story arc and it got better and better! I even loved the final solution! But then, the last two minutes of the episode just suck so hard, that it kinda destroyed the whole feeling of season 3. If they only let out this stupid cliffhanger! I had to recover from the shock almost a week before watching the two-parter (!) with Alien Nazis.
by Lee | 04/11/2012 at 9:10 am

Okay, this ending. It needs to be reckoned with.
I'm actually not too upset that they keep the Temporal Cold War alive a little longer, because, honestly, they still have a bunch of loose ends that haven't been tied up. A couple episodes back, when they pulled one of the Sphere-builders out of that anomoly, my first reaction was, "Oh yeah, the Suliban!" because hey, remember the Suliban? And their mysterious future shadow person, who could only communicate through time? I don't care if it's not tidy, just wrap that storyline up for us so we can move on.
So I can't fault them for keeping the Temporal Cold War going, at least for a couple more episodes. The problem, of course, is the fact that they decided to do it with some damn Nazis. I have thoughts on that, but I'll save them for my comments on the season 4 two-part opener, which I just finished watching. Seriously: Nazis. C'mon, Trek.
by Dstyle | 10/23/2015 at 2:13 pm

I agree with you about the ending, but not much else. I don't even know what led to the ending because I was so bored by the episode, I stopped giving it my full attention. As far as I'm concerned, this was 45 minutes of Archer running down a hallway while a fireball chased him interrupted on occasion by people having fistfights, grandstanding "we're not gonna let you do thing" one liners, and explosions.
by Zorak | 10/13/2016 at 2:58 pm