So was
this a two-parter or what? The opening of this week's episode
of Enterprise was a quick recap of the
previous, rather hum-drum episode. In less than a minute
we're reminded of the alien telepath who used a super crystal
to locate a secret Xindi compound.
This week
we visit the compound in an attempt to learn more about the
foul Xindi's Earth-bound weapon. But why the one minute update?
Because this whole season has focused on the hunt for the
Xindi. Since its second episode, Enterprise has been
an ever weaving tapestry of stories. The continuity from episode
to episode is almost overwhelming, perhaps to the point where
new viewers can't catch on.
Will every
episode begin with, "Last time on Enterprise?"
We'll have to find out next time. In the meantime Enterprise
is running out of time searching for the Xindi weapon…
just in time.
Every
week T'Pol disagrees with Archer's gut decisions to investigate
some planet, and this week is no exception. And just like
every time before, Archer is right. It seems the alien telepath
was telling the truth, and on some remote planet one of the
five Xindi species has set up a kimosite refinery.
Archer
sets down with a small away team (of people who actually belong
on an away team, for a change). They mask the shuttle pod's
signal and fall to the planet like a meteorite, or maybe a
really lame firework.
Once on
the ground they trap the lead Xindi engineer, Gralik (John
Cothran Jr.) in his own home. His alien hut looks like something
from the Forest Moon of Endor. Actually, this branch of the
Xindi could be cousins to the Wookies. Officially they're
called the Xindi-Sloth, but that doesn't seem very politically
correct. In fact, none of the five Xindi species have very
PC names. They're the sloth, the reptilians, the insectoids
and the prime-mates. We haven't yet learned what the underwater
manatee race is called. But it'll probably be something clever,
like "mer-folk."
According
to Gralik there once was a sixth Xindi race. They were wiped
out after the "great war." More than likely because
they were the only race that wasn't identified by their generic
creature form. Unless there is some creature called the Abi.
Or whatever.
It's really
hard to take the Xindi seriously with their pentagon shaped
family tree. (Shouldn't it really be sextagonal?) On one hand
you have to admit that in space there are infinite possibilities
and no reason why five or six incredibly different races couldn't
evolve on the same world at the same time. On the other hand,
it sure does seem convenient. At least the make-up folks are
paying attention. All five, even the insectoids, have the
same shaped eye sockets… Is that even worth noting?
Back to
what matters. Archer and the Wookie Xindi, Gralik, wrestle
back and forth. Archer accuses him of arming the Xindi with
a weapon to eliminate humanity. Gralik denies the whole thing
and keeps trying to reach Han Solo.
Meanwhile
in the B-Story line… Trip works with Phlox to break apart
one of the reptilian Xindi's weapons. They discover the gun
is powered by a brain worm that instantly reproduces when
it's removed. Phlox studies the brain worms, hoping to find
a way to kill them. If he's successful, any future reptilian
Xindi invasion could be halted.
Viruses
and bacteria don't affect it. And just before he tries exposing
it to hours of senseless reality TV shows, he discovers that
delta radiation renders it useless. A good thing, too, because
The Joe Schmo Show just finished this week.
But much
like Alice learned that one half of the mushroom makes you
big and the other small, Phlox warns Trip that delta radiation
kills the brain worm and omicron makes it lethally reproductive.
We're talking tribble speed here.
We don't
get to see an omicron backfire this week. In fact we don't'
even get to see a delta radiation experiment, because when
Trip pulls the trigger on the alien gun a timer starts ticking.
They frantically look for a safety switch - as if they hadn't
been examining the thing for two days - and in a last second
move of "quick thinking" Trip runs the gun down
the hall, knocking down extras, and uses the conveniently
placed teleporter to beam it out in space, just before it
explodes.
Why is
the teleporter in the middle of a hallway? What if something
was beamed in and exploded? No force fields. No reinforced
walls. Just kaboom. Who designed this ship, anyway?
Back on
the surface Archer begins to believe Gralik. The rest of the
away team think he's mad to trust the Wookie-Xindi, but instead
of killing him and destroying the compound they head for the
hills. The reptilian and prime-mate Xindi come looking for
the rest of their kimosite and want Gralik to give his final
chemical blessing. So they send "seekers" into the
woods. These leftovers from the "great war" jet
at lighting fast speeds, are equipped with the same brain
worms, and look like green versions of Darth Maul's seekers
in The Phantom Menace.
The away
team evades the "seekers" and strikes a deal with
Gralik. If he can lie to the reptilian and prime-mates then
Enterprise won't destroy their compound. Seems fair enough.
So while Gralik distracts the bad Xindi, Archer sneaks into
their ship and secretly replaces their regular kimosite for
new and improved tracking kimosite with added flavor crystals.
In a trite
goodbye Gralik reminds Archer that not all Xindi are the same.
And that they don't all want to destroy his home world. Despite
their alien sub-species, each individual Xindi is different,
and you can't judge a book by its cover.
For more
on racism and hate crimes, visit your local library.
Next week
Enterprise magically speeds forward in time in a Star
Trek version of Memento. Hopefully this will be
a much needed vacation from the hunt for the Xindi. Only time
will tell…
On
the alien species scale this week's episode scores a…
You guessed it. Wookie. (Yeah, yeah, Star Wars, Star Trek,
it's all the same. Happy Life Day.)
