STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE 09/10/'03: "The Xindi" (1 Viewer)

[Ockeghem]

We recently watched Chosen Realm, Carpenter Street, and (last night) Proving Ground. I didn't care too much for Chosen Realm, as I found the Triannon (sp.) to be too arrogant, and a bit annoying. I was pleased that they got their (albeit unintended from the perspective of the ENT crew) comeuppance.

I loved Carpenter Street. When the episode first aired, I was pleased that it was taking place (in part) in Detroit, Michigan. I thought they had some of the overall 'look' of the city down rather well. I loved the fast-food sequence, and the concept of the blood types being obtained for the purposes of the Xindi. I wasn't aware that there were eight blood types.

Proving Ground was first-rate. Jeffrey Combs truly plays whatever role he portrays in Trek (e.g., Weyoun, Brunt, Shran, or various other Ferengi) wonderfully. I really like what the writers have done with the backstory of the Andorians. The conflict with the Vulcans meshes nicely with Gav's animosity towards Sarek in Journey to Babel, and watching this conflict between the Andorian Imperial Guard and the Vulcans improve over time (thanks in large part to Shran) is very well done. How they became members of the Federation despite their feelings toward the Vulcans is very interesting, and IMO could easily have filled another season of ENT.

 

[Sam Favate]

I'd agree on those reviews of those episodes. The Andorians were a highlight of the series; I recall reading that if the show went to a 5th season, they were going to try to get Shran on the Enterprise somehow and have Combs be a regular.

I saw Doctor's Orders and Hatchery this week. Didn't care so much for the former (another "what is reality?" episode), despite the always good Billingsley; liked Hatchery - easily Trek's most direct tribute to Ridley Scott's Alien.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Sam Favate

I'd agree on those reviews of those episodes. The Andorians were a highlight of the series; I recall reading that if the show went to a 5th season, they were going to try to get Shran on the Enterprise somehow and have Combs be a regular.

I saw Doctor's Orders and Hatchery this week. Didn't care so much for the former (another "what is reality?" episode), despite the always good Billingsley; liked Hatchery - easily Trek's most direct tribute to Ridley Scott's Alien.

Sam,

No kidding? I'd never read that about Shran being a regular. How I would have loved to have seen that! It would have been interesting (canonically speaking) to see how TPTB would have worked that into the series. Spock was of course in TOS, and in TAS, having aliens as regulars was expanded a bit with Arex and M'Ress. Combs would have been a welcome addition to the regular cast IMO.

I agree with you regarding the Andorians being the highlight of the series. I can't really recall Doctor's Orders very well, but that's on the disc we are currently viewing, so it's right around the corner.

 

[Ockeghem]

This week we've watched Strategem, Harbinger, Doctor's Orders, Hatchery, Azati Prime, and Damage.

The intensity of this season is quite noticeable. I haven't seen some of these episodes in three or four years. Watching them a second (and in a few cases, a third) time reveals much that was lost on me the first time around. The episodes leading up to the final six or seven-episode arc contain IMO some of the finest writing of the series.

The 'duel' between Reed and Hayes in Harbinger was a very well put together scene. This had to occur, and I'm pleased that it did. (The dressing down of both by Archer was priceless.) For me, Reed has been extremely protective of his turf ever since Hayes came on board. Reed has in some cases been slightly annoying, which was another good piece of writing and helped to develop his character somewhat. I think Hayes has, for the most part, been on an even keel with Reed, and has tried hard to make the relationship work. From my perspective, Reed has been more difficult to convince of just about anything. (I appreciated the suggestion Hayes made to Reed regarding a weakness in the enemies' ship, and more than this, Reed's acceptance of the suggestion. It turned out to pay dividends when they went into combat and struck the segment of the ship suggested by Hayes.)

I enjoyed Hatchery. There is always a fine line (often times a semi-mutinous one) when subordinates question a superior officer, and what occurred in this episode was no different. T'Pol, Trip, and Reed were all extremely cautious about how they proceeded. I thought that T'Pol did the right thing about suggesting that Phlox be brought into the mix after the Captain started acting very strangely. One thing that I believe should have been done was to have Archer report to Sickbay whether he wanted to or not. Phlox was almost willing to go the extra step and try to restrain Archer, but when the Captain ordered one of the MACOs to his side, the Doctor and Trip relented, albeit begrudgingly.

Azati Prime is my favorite episode from the third season. I haven't looked it up, but I can't imagine the episode was cheap to produce. I recall that when I first saw it a few years ago, the damage caused to Enterprise was all but insurmountable. Knowing in retrospect what occurs after this episode lessened for me the blow to the ship somewhat. The tensions that were running high on the Xindi council were conveyed well, I thought. (I do want to slap around a few Reptilians every now and then, however.) And am I the only one that has grown to appreciate the work of Scott MacDonald in Trek over the years? Whether he's a TNG Romulan, Tosk in DS9, a human in VOY, or a Reptilian Xindi, that 'Zotarian' voice is unmistakable.

The ethical dilemma presented to Archer in Damage was quite challenging. I'd be interested to hear what others thought regarding how he handled it.

I thought that the Xindi choosing to construct the weapon underwater was a stroke of genius. And although I've read much criticism of the TDB on other Boards, I thought that introducing them at the point that they did in the series was not a bad idea. I also like the subversion between various members of the council, and the coversion of the TDB with the Xindi.

One slight nitpick: I wish we got to see the Aquatics and the Insectoids more than we have. They're scarcely seen in these episodes (unless one counts Hatchery, where they are but babies).

 

[Sam Favate]

You've caught up to me, Scott. I have watched through Damage (well, the first half; I conked out from sheer exhaustion last night). I agree that the final bunch in this season are among the best of the season. Azati Prime was the best so far. With so many competing interests, it was interesting to see that the story was much more complicated than originally believed.

The underwater sequences have been very good. A few weeks ago, I saw the James Bond movie Die Another Day on Blu-Ray (one of the two weakest Bond movies IMO) and we commented on how bad the water effects looked in the scene where Bond "surfs" to safety. Upon seeing the underwater scenes in Enterprise, I thought how strange it was that better water effects happened in a TV show on a smaller budget. This show made a lot out of what they had. (Supposedly, the budget was cut dramatically for season 4, and that ended up being the best year the show had.)

I have to rewatch the 2nd half of Damage and on from there.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Sam Favate

You've caught up to me, Scott. I have watched through Damage (well, the first half; I conked out from sheer exhaustion last night). I agree that the final bunch in this season are among the best of the season. Azati Prime was the best so far. With so many competing interests, it was interesting to see that the story was much more complicated than originally believed.

The underwater sequences have been very good. A few weeks ago, I saw the James Bond movie Die Another Day on Blu-Ray (one of the two weakest Bond movies IMO) and we commented on how bad the water effects looked in the scene where Bond "surfs" to safety. Upon seeing the underwater scenes in Enterprise, I thought how strange it was that better water effects happened in a TV show on a smaller budget. This show made a lot out of what they had. (Supposedly, the budget was cut dramatically for season 4, and that ended up being the best year the show had.)

I have to rewatch the 2nd half of Damage and on from there.

Sam,

Coincidentally, I too watched a Bond film that contains underwater sequences just the other night -- Thunderball.

The ethics applied in Damage were tough for me to swallow. I was hoping that the crew would eventually return and give back the warp coil/core to the ship from which it was stolen.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I must be suffering from a brain-fart but what is "TDB"?

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Kevin Hewell

I must be suffering from a brain-fart but what is "TDB"?

Kevin,

Trans Dimensional Beings.

 

[Sam Favate]

Watched the second half of Damage and all of The Forgotten last night; good stuff. Yeah, the choice in Damage was brutal, and not at all what you expect of Starfleet. The only similar thing I can think of in all of Trek is Sisko's actions in In The Pale Moonlight (one of DS9's best). Sisko's decision had much greater consequences - essentially misleading an entire people into war - than Archer's stranding of one ship, which was mitigated by the fact that he gave them enough supplies to survive in the Expanse and make it home, albeit in 3 years time. I don't recall if that ship is revisited in the remainder of the season. But still, Archer's decision was difficult for him, and I can't think of what other choice he had. If he didn't act, his mission would have failed and billions would die. Very interesting to see a story with our crew being the antagonists and seeing a terrible act - which in another episode might have happened to them - from such a desperate perspective.

The Forgotten was a good story as well; I enjoyed Trip's development.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

"Damage" was the type of ep and writing that I loved so much in DS9. Yes, it strayed from Roddenberry's vision but it was much more human. The fact the captain was played by Casey Biggs, whose character turned out to have a huge role in the DS9 universe, just drove the fact home.

 

[Ockeghem]

Kevin,

I loved Biggs in his role in ENT -- that unmistakable voice. And of course, as Damar he was superb.

"Very interesting to see a story with our crew being the antagonists and seeing a terrible act - which in another episode might have happened to them - from such a desperate perspective."

Sam,

Well said. That's the kind of thing I was thinking of when watching the episode. I had a very uneasy feeling in my stomach during Archer's anguish over making such a decision.

E2 was a compelling episode. I found it a bit interesting too how Lorian discusses (with Karyn Archer) his plan to steal the injectors from Enterprise so he can meet Degra. Although the ethics of this decision were not explored per se, it was intriguing that this occurred just an episode or two after Archer's decision to take the warp coil by force.

BTW, I too enjoyed The Forgotten. I'm not finding T'Pol's addiction to Trellium to be nearly as distasteful this time around. When I think back to her being violated much earlier in the series, my compassion overrides my initial uneasiness with her decision to continue. That being said, I'm pleased that she met with Phlox, and that he is monitoring her situation very closely from this point onward.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I was going to mention something about the Trellium addiction but I can't remember if you've seen season four.

 

[Ockeghem]

^^^

Kevin,

Please feel free to mention anything you like. I saw the entire series during its initial run (I own it all on VHS tape). But this is my first time through the series on DVD.

We watched The Council, Countdown, and Zero Hour tonight. I can't stress enough how much fun it was to watch those three episodes in about 2:15, one right after the other. I'll speak at length on them another time.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Earlier this afternoon I watched "Similitude" during SyFy's marathon. What a fantastic episode.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Kevin Hewell

Earlier this afternoon I watched "Similitude" during SyFy's marathon. What a fantastic episode.

Agreed. When watching it recently (less than a month or so ago), I recall that I thought of Tuvix (VOY) often. Perhaps those comparisons are a bit unfair, however. For me Similitude pulled at the heartstrings in a very different way.

I found it interesting too how succeeding episodes were to a degree influenced by what occurred in Similitude, particularly when Trip and T'Pol were having some serious interpersonal dialogue. What comes to mind is when Trip was uncertain of what 'Sim' had told T'Pol, and how much of what he actually was (his essence, if you will) as 'Sim' as opposed to the real 'Trip.' Good writing and an enjoyable episode for sure.

 

[Ockeghem]

The final three episodes from season three were very entertaining, and filled with a ton of action. Some episodes were IMO better than others, but all provided quite a lot of thought and discussion among members of my family.

I found The Council to be quite good. The first time I saw it, I enjoyed seeing the five Xindi species represented a bit more equally throughout the episode. I hadn't picked up on the Aquatics' exacting methodology of weighing everything as precisely as they do, and I thought that the writing for that particular Xindi was much better the second time through this episode.

The murder of Degra hit me hard the first time I saw it, so this time it was a bit of a letdown, since I expected it. But Scott MacDonald again shines as Dolim -- he must have thoroughly enjoyed his role in this one. (My son mentioned how Dolim reminded him of the fiercest of Klingon warriors. I can kind of see this comparison at times.)

I wish the Insectoids had been developed a bit further. They were to me the most interesting of the five species, and it would have been good to have seen a bit more on them. (The Hatchery was good, but I thought it centered too much on Archer.)

The first time through The Council, I thought that the Reptilians and the Insectoids were going to use part of Degra's remains (perhaps genetically somehow?) as the necessary third species for the required code. I thought the kidnapping of Hoshi was a pretty good piece of writing. I'm also pleased she was much stronger than she had been in earlier episodes (Fight or Flight comes to mind).

Countdown was superb in many ways. I couldn't really recall this one too well before seeing it last night. I do remember the persuasive talk given to the Aquatics by Archer. I liked the effect of the translated voices from an auditory standpoint -- very unusual and almost difficult to perceive in parts (which to me is a bit more realistic). This was another of the best parts of ENT to me, in that communication was not always a given (via the UT in TOS and succeeding series). Another shining example of this creativity occurred when we got to hear the 'sound' of the Tholians in Future Tense and other episodes.

As with most torture sequences (Bones and Kirk in The Empath, or TNG's Chain of Command), I found it to be a bit overdone. Still, the scene with Hoshi was in my estimation greatly enhanced (again) by the acting of MacDonald.

The best part of this episode for me years ago -- and last night -- was the relationship between Reed and Hayes, and the loyalty (and consummate professionalism) of Hayes. He told Reed he would bring Hoshi home, and he did just that. When Trip couldn't beam over the five of them simultaneously, Hayes (twice) sends his men through two-by two -- first one with Hoshi, and then two others (one of them wounded in battle with the Reptilians). When he is hit as he is beaming back to Enterprise, my heart sank, knowing the outcome. The camera work zooming slowly in on Reed while Phlox desperately tries to save Hayes was wonderful. One could only speculate as to the emotions Reed was feeling at that particular moment. Another fine segment was when Hayes was naming his successor to Reed just before he breathed his last breath. This is IMO what the very best sci-fi is made of, and in this instance, it was pulled off rather well.

Zero Hour was compelling as well. But I think it was slightly less intense than Countdown, as the previous episode was a hard act to follow. Some of the highlights for me were seeing Daniels and hearing his discussion with Archer regarding the UFP (it's neat how the canonicity of Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites was established); seeing Shran come on the screen unexpectedly; watching how the crew reacted to the supposed death of Archer; and hearing Phlox tell the MACOs to remodulate their weapons to a frequency that would be far more effective against the TDB. (N.B.: I must admit that I love Combs as Shran. The first time I saw Zero Hour, I did not see that Combs was guest starring in the episode, and had no knowledge that he would appear in it. When he first appears in this episode, it was a thrill to see him helping out his 'pink skinned' friend.)

Side note: Did anyone catch T'Pol's log entry in this episode? She says '2152' rather than '2154.' At first, I thought it was intentional -- thinking that it may have had to do with Archer's time-traveling to the Nazi camp as a prelude to Storm Front -- but it was probably just an error that was not caught during continuity screening.

After all is said and done, I found the Xindi arc to be very interesting, and a whole lot of fun. I've posted about many of the positive aspects of it previously. One of the negatives, I thought, was the acting of those playing the roles of the TDBs. I didn't mind the concept of the TDBs being worked into the script (I thought it was fair-to-good); however, I suppose I found them to be just a bit too close to the Founders on DS9 in some ways. I found the acting to be somewhat bothersome and pedantic (perhaps sterile is a better word) as well as a bit forced, which to me translated into an annoyance of sorts in parts. But their roles were, on balance, subordinate to the overall Xindi arc.

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched Storm Front (pts. 1 and 2) last night. I found it to be another good episode, and thought that most of the characters were solid. I particularly liked Vosk (Jack Gwaltney); I thought the way in which he delivered his lines was pleasing from an aesthetic point of view.

Seeing the P-51 Mustangs was a treat. I also found the alternate timeline -- with Germany in control of much of the eastern part of the United States -- to be both compelling and a bit chilling. The altered 'White House' was quite a sight, and John Fleck (Silik) is always a welcome addition to any episode of ENT.
The secondary characters (Alicia Travers, Sal, and Carmine) were an interesting lot. I thought Travers (Golden Brooks) brought a certain sincerity to her role that Archer bought into right from the start. The loan-sharking of Sal and Carmine probably prepared them quite well to be tough, and they needed to be in order to aid in fighting the alliance between Vosk and the Germans.

I fell for the 'fake Trip' angle again, and only became suspicious when Phlox began taking some readings of him back in Sick Bay. The reuniting of the crew with Archer was a nice touch, but the highlight of this two-parter five years ago and last night was the resetting of time. I actually replayed that segment a few times to see each of the visual 'events' that were being shown more clearly as Daniels conveys that the TCW has ended. Besides various dignitaries that I had missed acknowledging the first time around, I also saw whom I think was either Chopin or Liszt performing at the piano. That was quite a surprise. I'm guessing that someone has put together a list of all of the images that we see during the resetting of time. I am going to look for that, as I am interested in learning what all of them are. That was quite a fun segment.

 

[Ockeghem]

We watched Home last night. It was a welcome respite from the almost non-stop action in several of the Xindi arc episodes, as well as the two-part Storm Front.

I love episodes that deal with Vulcan. One of the treats for me (and it happens in very few Trek series) was hearing the Vulcan language spoken.

I am finding that I enjoy the relationship of T'Pol and Trip more so this time around than when it aired originally. I recall that when Home first aired, a special treat was in store for fans of TOS -- that of having Jack Donner appear in the episode (he plays the Vulcan Priest). We don't see all that many non-regular actors from TOS making appearances in subsequent Trek series. Along with Arn Darvin (Charles Brill) and Galt (Joseph Ruskin, who played a Klingon elder in DS9, among other Trek roles), Jack Donner makes a guest appearance. Fans of TOS will remember his role as Subcommander Tal in The Enterprise Incident.

Now it's on to the 'Augment' arc, beginning with Borderland tonight, followed by Cold Station 12 and The Augments either tonight or tomorrow. The relationship between Malik and Persis is quite an interesting one, and one I'm looking forward to watching a bit more closely this time around. (Side note: When I first heard that the title of the initial augment episode was Borderland, I remember thinking that this was also the name of an episode from the original The Outer Limits.)

 

[Sam Favate]

Watched E2, The Council and Countdown. Very good stuff. The show was on a roll at the end of the third season that felt close in spirit to the Dominion War arc on DS9. I also liked that Archer made a point of saying that when all this was over they'd get back to their real mission -- exploration. That's something I hope the keepers of the new Trek will embrace.

We'll likely watch Zero Hour tonight and then on to season 4, which has long been my favorite. I've probably said this before in this thread, but I'd put season 4 of Enterprise up against the best years that TNG or DS9 ever had.

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey guys- I've been meaning to make a post here. Glad to see you're enjoying Enterprise again, Scott! I recently had a binge on this show and ran the entire series, this would be the third or forth time I've watched each episode. I intended to skip ones I didn't care for, but I ended up watching them all except 2. And I agree, there was a lot of care and attention paid to details and story and character development. It is a very good and a well made series. It was robbed and just came out at the wrong time. It might do better today. The first 2 seasons had a lot of memorable episodes and some good thought provoking ones. As well as the exploration of the first time we make contact with new species and how it can go badly. Cogenitor for example, or Unexpected. And Fight or Flight was a great one. The Andorian Incident was a favorite, it started the Shran run of mostly really good episodes! Deadstop and Minefield are favs too. They did a good job of hiding the faces of the Romolan (As Hoshi pronounced it) Empire. So they managed to maintain the chronology of Balance of Terror. The Catwalk is also a favorite from the second year. Again, showing just how unprepared the Enterprise is compared to later ships. But really showing some fun and well done character bits. I was a little ambivalent to watch the 3rd year. But it went by faster then I expected and I hated to see it end, even though I knew it would. I even watched Extinction and Carpenter Street. So the season grabbed me again. Similitude was a standout and upon reviewing, I finally caught where this whole T’Pol-Trip romance thing started. That was a bit of a reach for me. Though I was willing to go for the ride and see how they handled it, I can see through-out the season, enough hints and situations to explain why T’Pol would be so emotionally open and willing to be so open to a relationship with a human. I even watched the Mission Impossible episode where Archer tries to trick Degra and it was sad to see Degra later killed. The fourth year is hard to watch because it was the last one and it just felt like it would fly-by way too fast. It had 2 less episodes. Plus it is very hard to watch knowing it was one of the best years of Star Trek and it’s a shame to see it cut off there. Home was another peak at Vulcan and Archer back on Earth dealing with the events of the Xindi and an emotionally strong one. On par with the TNG episode after Picard comes home after dealing with the Borg. Babal had a great series of shows that finally show the Federation’s birth. Observer Effect is a little out of the blue and could have fit into the first 2 years. I liked how it resolved and Archer willing to do what it took to save his crew. So perhaps it fit there as he was so invested in them. The surprise reveal at the end is a nice nod to us TOS fans. The Mirror episodes are great fun, a nice visit to the TOS universe. Affliction and how that arc ends is a nice contrivance, building on Soong’s work and explaining why TOS Klingon’s look like humans. It may take away the great line Worf has in Trials and Tribble-lations, but it gives us a reason for why Kor and Koloth and Kang and crews look as they do. If you add, These Are The Voyages, which I did not watch, then it’s 3 less episodes this year had! I just could not watch it again. I thought Terra Prime had a stronger send off for the series then what they did with the last episode. Though the very last sequence in the last episode is a nice scene to see Archer hug T’Pol and the evolution of the ships through Kirk to Picard. It was sad to see the series end. I suppose some could argue that it wasn’t necessary to see so much from unseen events in TOS spelled out in this series. But they did a great job. Which makes what they did with the new Star trek film, for me, a slap in the face. I know what they did and why as a way to rebirth Kirk and Spock as younger selves to begin new adventures, but sort of feels like, even in a parallel universe, “my” TOS has been deleted in a way.