monkee reviews 'The Xindi'
First Impression: Nothing earth-shattering here (so to speak), but a good introduction to all of the new elements of the series.
The Truly Important Stuff: First things first. The updated version of the theme song? I'd like the added percussion better if it didn't sound so synthesized, but it's nothing I can't adapt to. I'm just very, very grateful that they kept the space travel montage. The verdict on T'Pol's 'new look?' I like the hair, but not the new wardrobe. The dusty orange catsuit was all right, but the blue one just looked silly. I think it's the contrasting silver belt at the hip. It makes her look like she belongs in 'Lost in Space.' Okay, with that out of the way...
The Xindi United Nations: We get introduced to the Xindi right off the bat, in the episode's teaser. As the prisoner Xindi tells Archer later, "there are five distinct species of Xindi, and five distinct opinions on which one is dominant.' They did a good job of showing us the differences – it's clear that the only reason they are even in the same room is to deal with the human 'threat.' The Xindi humanoids and the Xindi Sloth seem to be the most businesslike and reasonable. The Xindi insects are paranoid and trigger-happy, and seem to have the support of the Xindi reptiles. The Aqua-Xindi are the ones who prefer cooperation and the status quo. So far, I kinda like them as a new Trek 'enemy.' There's a lot of story potential here, and I'm no FX or make-up expert, but they all looked pretty good to me.
[Quibble: The viewers are outsiders looking in on this meeting. There is no universal translator in the room. Unless they're speaking English, shouldn't ALL of it have been subtitled, not just the X-insects and Aqua-X? I'm just saying…
I know, I know. Creative license, and all that. I'll shut up now. I did like the subtitling. At least we get some sense that these are really aliens.]
The MACO's: There are hot new studs and stud-ettes on board, in the special 'military assault command operations' group assigned to back up Enterprise's crew. They're going to add some interesting conflict, some of which we've already seen. The Enterprise personnel, explorers at heart, know they need the help, but are sure to balk at the military mindset of their new colleagues. Major Haye's tells Sato that the sooner the Enterprise crew finds the Xindi, the sooner the MACO's will be able to 'take care of them,' an assertion that leaves Sato looking pensive and disturbed. It was a good scene – it and all of Haye's interactions with Reed were highlights of the episode for me.
Oh, and I really liked the tough girl MACO. She rocked! You go, girl! I hope she gets a name soon, and more screen time! Enterprise really needs another strong woman!
The New Trip Tucker: Trip lost his sister in last season's finale, 'The Expanse,' and his grieving process continues here. He has horrible dreams in which he stands by helplessly while she is killed in the Xindi attack. He's not sleeping well, and has flashes of almost uncontrollable anger. I'm enjoying this more than I thought I would, if only because it's nice to see some psychological repercussions in Trek for a change. His reactions are completely understandable, but you can still see flashes of the old Trip, too, which gives me hope that ultimately he'll get back to his smiling self. Not too soon, though, if they're smart.
T'Pol and ???: Back in the spring, there were rumors that Archer and T'Pol would become involved in the new season. During the summer, the rumors started to lean more towards Trip and T'Pol. The verdict is in – it's Trip, although the extent of their involvement remains to be seen. This subplot is introduced this week as well, as T'Pol reluctantly agrees to teach the engineer some Vulcan neuro-pressure techniques to help him sleep. I'll discuss this more in the 'shipper Watch' section, but so far, the idea (if not the execution) is more acceptable to me than Archer and T'Pol. I think they have better chemistry, for one thing. Also, captains just shouldn't get involved with anyone on their senior staff. (Unless, of course, they're stranded in the Delta Quadrant, a lifetime away from…oh, never mind!)
TIRED OLD PLOT: Unfortunately, the episode's B, C, D and E stories can't make up for the utterly predictable main plot. Enterprise discovers that a Xindi works in a local Delphic Expanse mine, and they want to question him. The mine foreman turns out to be unethical and intends to commandeer Enterprise and force its crew to labor in the mines. Oh, THERE'S A BIG SURPRISE! Every single viewer sees that coming a light-year away, so it just makes Archer look phenomenally stupid when he doesn't. Sigh. They have a lot of great new stuff to offer us – why couldn't they come up with a better story for it?
Gritty Realism: Well, if they had to do something so unimaginative, at least it was packaged well. The mine foreman – hacking, wheezing, conniving and constantly reaching for his inhaler – was a terrific character. It's almost too bad that one of the MACO's plugs him in the end. And the mine itself was a quality set – a far more convincing unpleasant place than, say, the caves in Voyager's 'Friendship One.' The raw sewage tube was especially…um…gritty and realistic. And poor Trip had to practically submerge in it. EW, EW, EW!
Xindi Prisoner: The Xindi prisoner/miner is hostile and uncooperative, since the foreman hacked off one of his fingers to confirm his identity for Archer. Even after Trip roughs him up a bit, he's an unreliable source of information. Something about our noble captain and his quest must get to him, though, because after he's mortally injured during Reed and the MACO's rescue operations, he uses his dying breath to give Phlox the coordinates of the Xindi homeworld. I liked this guy, even though the ease with which Archer bonds with 'hostile' aliens is starting to be laughable. Mercurial Andorians? Hardened criminals? Bounty hunters? Reluctant prisoner/miners? Not a problem for Jonathan Archer! Everyone likes him!
Temporal Paradoxes: "The future is the past, the past is the future – it all gives me a headache," Janeway tells Chakotay in Voyager's 'Future's End.' I feel her pain, and can't help but agree with the Vulcan Science Directorate that time travel is illogical and impossible. But it's a lot of fun in a sci-fi show, so who cares? The Enterprise goes to the coordinates given, only to discover that the Xindi homeworld has ALREADY BEEN DESTROYED, and over a hundred years ago, despite the fact that the shadowy future guy (SFG) with the Suliban said it was to be destroyed by earth humans four hundred years in the future. This is a nice twist, which will put this story line squarely into the hub of the temporal arc.
Deeper into the Expanse: Since the Xindi are clearly not manufacturing their fearsome new weapon of mass destruction on their home planet, Archer opts to head blindly farther into the expanse. This defies logic, but I suppose he doesn't have many options. And apparently he's on the right track; we see the Xindi council again at the end of the episode, and they're plenty concerned. So, now we're set up for the continuation of the arc...
Character Interactions: As I mentioned, I enjoyed the MACO's interactions with both Sato and Reed. I'm looking forward to getting to know them better as the season progresses. Phlox and T'Pol have a nice scene in which he encourages her to reach out to a colleague (Trip) in need. Okay, aggressively encourages her, but it's consistent with their previous interactions in the first two seasons.
Archer Watch: Hmmm. Well, this isn't my favorite Archer. I don't care for him in pissed off, hard-ass mode, but I can't see how he could be anything else under the circumstances, so I'll just have to deal with it. Still, his sarcastic dismissal of Reed's very legitimate concerns was inappropriate no matter how frustrated he was. And I'd laugh at his naivete – tromping into a prison/mine with no plan for escape if things go wrong – but maybe this ignorance is supposed to be intentional. Maybe it's a little bit endearing that despite everything, he still expects the aliens he encounters to be good at heart. And he still manages to bond, at least a little bit, with the worst of them. He had a couple of really nice moments with Trip, showing concern for him in sickbay, and understanding for his temper flare-up with the Xindi in the mines, even as he stopped him from crossing the line.
'shipper Watch: I suppose this is just one of those times when I'm going to have to sigh and shake my head. I need to face the fact, finally, that Berman and Braga are never going to manage a subtle, believable, mature relationship on this show. Ever. I'm surprised, but I actually find myself liking the IDEA of T'Pol and Trip under these circumstances. She wants to explore human emotions, he's hurting – the concept is appealing. I think Trinneer and Blalock have nice chemistry, and some of the dialog was amusing, but they ruin these scenes by forcing sexuality into them when it would be so much more effective to be understated about it. So we get rushed back massages and gasping, and a really good look at T'Pol's breasts. Sigh. Whatever. I can only hope that should the writers decide to pursue this relationship, at least SOME of the scenes will be good.
(Incidentally, I also like the idea of Vulcan neuro-pressure techniques and postures, which seem similar to traditional Chinese massage and acupuncture and Indian yoga. It makes sense to me that Vulcans would be aware of the control they can exert over their bodies.)
Are there any other 'shipper possibilities? Nothing overt, but the MACO's could make things interesting. Perhaps Sato might get closer to Sergeant Kemper from Duluth. And Reed is sure to adore the tough girl MACO. He'd better not make her mad, though – one 'nice bum' comment, and he's toast!
Best Lines:
"Our future is at stake. This council must not be divided." (Aqua-Xindi, to the council)
"We don't have the luxury of being safe or cautious anymore. And if the only lead we can find is from a freighter pilot of 'questionable character,' that's good enough for me. Understood?" (Archer, to Reed)
"You may have left Duluth, but there's plenty of Duluth left in your inflections." (Sato, to Sergeant Kemper)
"Trust me, Captain. It's not the grav plating." (Trip, to Archer, regarding a bizarre Expanse-related anomaly in the cargo bay)
"The instruction of neuro-pressure is a very intimate act." "And he's suffered a very intimate loss. He needs your help." (T'Pol and Phlox)
"Try not to breathe." "Yes, sir." (Archer and Reed)
"You know, I'm not sure why, but I'm just itchin' to kick the hell out of you!" (Trip, to the Xindi prisoner)
"Trip – take it easy." (Archer, to Trip)
"You fell right into their trap!" (gleeful Xindi prisoner, to naïve Archer)
"Something doesn't smell right." (Reed, to T'Pol)
"Indeed – it's YOU, you idiot! I keep telling you people..." (T'Pol, to Reed. Not really.)
"Sewage takes on a whole new meaning when it comes from a dozen different species." "Thirty-one, to be exact." (Archer and Xindi prisoner. EW!)
"You gotta admit, their team did a pretty impressive job down there. Not that your guys couldn't have done just as well..." (Trip, to Reed)
"I don't know about that." (Reed, to Trip. And you have to admire him for admitting it!)
"Are you implying I'm making sexual advances?" "NO. No, no, no – not at all!" (T'Pol and Trip)
"He knows how intransigent you can be." "Intransigent?" "Unwilling to compromise." "I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS!" (T'Pol and Trip. Hee.)
"Finish the weapon quickly, or *I'll* destroy the ship, whether the United Nations...um, council...approves or not!" (Insectoid-Xindi, to the council. He didn't have a name, so let's just call him George…)
(Ahem. Sorry. No politics in the Trek reviews, monkee...)
THE Best Line:
"Are you a Xindi?" "A nine-fingered Xindi. What do you want?" (Archer and the Xindi prisoner)
Rating: The main plot was pedestrian, but they introduced the new elements well, and they're well set up to continue with the arc. I'll go with an 8.5/10.
Next Week: Wow! It looks like Archer's going to go Equinox Janeway on us. He was squeamish about a little ol' severed finger this week, so it'll be interesting to see how he goes from that to being willing to watch someone explode in a decompressed airlock next week. Should be interesting…stay tuned...
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