So how did they get Shran into the Expanse?
From startrek.com:
Quote:Andorian Imperial Guard Commander Shran and his warship track Enterprise down in the Delphic Expanse to offer Captain Archer help as an ally, and together, the two former adversaries plan to steal a prototype of the Xindi's planet-destroying superweapon. As a confrontation with the Xindi looms, Lt. Reed gets help fixing the NX-01's damaged weapons systems from a striking Andorian female, Lt. Talas, a contentious officer with her own agenda.
REUSED PROP OF THE WEEK:
Shran's captain's chair is quite clearly the captain's chair from the USS Voyager.
EXCELLENT REFLEX OF THE WEEK:
When Shran first meets with Captain Archer, he walks around the room and his antennae flip back almost instantaneously to avoid a low beam. That's quality sensory perception of the week.
FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEK:
This award goes to Shran for his space hick request for Archerite! It was absolutely delightful. Jeffrey Combs' abilities were put to fantastic use here.
INATTENTIVENESS OF THE WEEK:
Degra knows who Archer is. Shouldn't he be suspicious when Shran asks for Archerite? (Although perhaps he didn't pick it up in the translation or something) He should at least have scanned the Andorian ship and found a human and Vulcan lifesign.
LOUSY BACKUP OF THE WEEK:
They could only salvage 30% of what was lost in last week's episode? Haven't these people ever heard of floppy disks? (Or did those religious nuts get to those too?)
QUALITY STRATEGY OF THE WEEK:
I rather enjoyed the capture of the Xindi weapon. Very swift and intelligent.
HISTORY LESSONS OF THE WEEK:
I liked learning about Shran's brother. It gives his character a lot more depth.
It was also interesting to learn that Andorian first contact went well at first. It explains why the Vulcans are so skeptical of humans.
ARCHER WATCH OF THE WEEK:
Now that's a Starfleet Captain. His face off with Shran was tense. I really didn't know what was going to happen. (Was Shran going to give it up or was he going to be able to get away with it somehow?) I definitely want to see more of Shran. He and Archer have a remarkable chemistry together.
OVERALL OPINION OF THE WEEK:
What the heck, I give it an A! I thoroughly enjoyed it! Jeffrey Combs gave his best performance on this series yet. I can't wait until the Andorians' next appearance.
TUE
Oh, a much better episode than last week. Memo to the writers: isn't it fun when you're not going by rote formula? I agree that bringing in Shran was a great move-- more Jeff Combs = more betterness!
Three things I liked:
3) The shot with Shran's antennae sticking out from behind Archer's head was pretty delightful. Kudos to whomever thought that up.
2) I really enjoyed the Shran/Trip scene in the middle of the episode. Like TUE said, it helped flesh out Shran's character and provided us with a touchstone on how much Trip has mellowed over the course of the season. Yay!
1) Similarly, I enjoyed the fact that Archer came up with a backup plan after Shran's ship got away with the prototype. I saw it as a sort of "Scorpion"-like situation, where Archer and T'Pol concoting a backup plan in case Shran turned out to be untrustworthy. Fortunately, he did it.
Three things I didn't like:
3) So, seriously, it seems like every time the Enterprise hosts aliens, it backfires somehow. How long until Archer gets wise?
2) The Xindi seemed rather displeased with the fact that the prototype only split the moon in two. And yet, I'm thinking that if you launched a similar attack on say, Earth, the results would be pretty devastaiting, especially since Earth has an active mantle you could disrupt.
1) So... let's talk about the Xindi's approach to this weapon. Here, they abandon a test simply because the Andorian ship had entered the system. Seems like a good idea, what with the type of power they were going to be displaying. And in fact, Degra seems to be extremely cautious when it comes to the device's construction. Why on Earth would they send the first prototype directly against Earth? Had they not done so, it's likely Archer and co. wouldn't be in the Expanse at this point, trying to stop them! This just doesn't make any sense to me...
Other notes:
Geez o' Pete, what a long "previously." Was all of that info really necessary?
One of the Xindi councilors said that the attack on Earth was meant to annihalate humans "in one stroke." So, I guess those colonies on Mars and Alpha Centauri really don't mean anything?
Once again, the Xindi completely manage to lose track of Enterprise, letting it sneak up on the proving ground unmolested. Why aren't they keeping closer tabs on the ship?
So... since they were sharing the same data, how did the Andorians manage to miss the Xindi code data?
I didn't quite buy that the Xindi didn't have enough radiation shielding in place to go retrieve the prototype right away.
At one point, T'Pol accuses Shran and the Andorians of monitoring communication between Earth and Vulcan, claiming that this must have been how the Andorians found out about the Xindi attack. I know she's supposed to be super-paranoid about the Andorians, but she couldn't figure that maybe the word got spread about humans themselves? I doubt all the cargo ships' crews have been keeping quiet about the attack all this time!
Well, like I said, I enjoyed it. I think that the continuing Andorian intrigue is one of the better arcs the series has going, and plus it looked like we are finally getting some payoff in regards to the Xindi arc. Grade: A-
Heyst - So how did they get Shran into the Expanse?
In a ship. 
Enterprise is pulled out of an anomoly by a tractor beam. Isn't it amazing that the tractor beam wasn't affected by the anomoly?
So are the Andorians going to stick around in the Expanse hoping for another chance to get a weapon they can use against the Vulcans?
Why didn't Shran just try to find the Xindi weapon himself without first finding Enterprise? Did he suspect that Archer would know where it is?
If Archer were still alive they, presumably, would have more information on the region.
Also I think Shran likes Archer & wanted to know if he were alive or dead.
I also liked the scene where Shran slugs down the Andorian ale, and his antennae quiver. The prop guys must have had a ball with this episode.
TUE: Shouldn't [Degra] be suspicious when Shran asks for Archerite? (Although perhaps he didn't pick it up in the translation or something). . .
:: . . . which raises the question, How does the UT translate made-up words in the first place? (Of course, we learn later that someone's UT is malfunctioning when Shran tries to protest that he doesn't serve at Archer's pleasure, but it comes out "leisure.")
Reed must have a very strong bladder if he doesn't have to take a bathroom break for 12 hours, or he wears Depends under his uniform.
The Undesirable Element wrote:
REUSED PROP OF THE WEEK:
Shran's captain's chair is quite clearly the captain's chair from the USS Voyager.
And I believe helm console comes from USS Equinox 
OK, there's one thing that troubles me... From previous episodes I've got the impression that Xindi vessels are more than a match for the Enterprise; similiary, they seem to be concerned about the odds in the beginning of this episode (in addition to being concerned about firepower of the pocket DS)
And yet, Enterprise easily disables one of the Xindi ships here and we are told later that they "disabled both ships" without "apparent damage".
So, I don't see why Enterprise would need Andorian help in "liberating" weapon - they seemed quite capable of retreving it themselves.
---Critique:
---Possibly the best episode of the season’s arc. A nice combination of two different ongoing premises, and possibly the first time we see Archer actually show some caution in the face of someone trying to take advantage of him.
---I liked how this episode simultaneously advanced both the Xindi arc and the tension of the Earth-Vulcan-Andorian triangle. I also like how the Xindi arc is one that is able to lend itself to a versatile set of “side story” episodes, like the classic time travel of Twilight to the Andorian entry of this episode. Now I wasn’t fooled into not considering that the Andorians had something up their sleeves, because I was willing to allow for the possibility that their generosity in helping Archer was an actual Andorian cultural thing that the creators wanted to develop (much like Vulcan profit, Klingon honor or Ferengi profit), and which was set up by Shran’s earlier disdain of unpaid debts. What made me far more suspicious was how both Shran and Talas just happened to have so much in common with Trip and Reed, as far as Shran’s dead brother and Talas’ military family. While the end of the episode never comes out and says that these were ploys, and it’s possible they were telling the truth, the notion that both of them had these sympathetic pasts seemed a bit too much like what Commander Quentin Stone did to the entire Enterprise crew in Peter David’s TNG novel A Rock and a Hard Place. This didn’t make this plot point a failure mind you, since I was genuinely unsure whether it was a ploy or not.
---Possibly the most successful aspect of the episode was how the Enterprise crew was finally able to beat an enemy that took advantage of them through duplicity not by brute force or firepower, but by outmaneuvering them. The second Shran told Archer he would take the Xindi weapon onto his ship, I knew what was going on, I prayed that Archer anticipated this and had the good sense to plan ahead to foil Shran’s plot, and was relieved when he finally played his hand with the Xindi weapon.
---Other miscellaneous thoughts: I’m glad the creators didn’t feel an obligation to castrate Shran’s character following the events of Cease Fire by making him a totally friendly character, but instead used the end of that episode to their advantage by fooling the audience, and instead making him a bit more complex. Seeing Shran show-off his playacting skills when posing as a miner, and having to bite his upper lip when having to act deferential to Degra, was fun to watch. More gratifying was Archer finally punching Shran in payment for the beating he gave him in The Andorian Incident, and explicitly referencing it as well.
No one is discussing the question of who sent the encrypted data on the weapon to Enterprise. I thought this was left a bit mysterious or certainly unstated. Was it Shran, helping his pinkskin friend Captain Archer, or maybe Talas out of newfound respect for Reed, or some other Blueguy that we don't even know?
---Notes:
---In the teaser we see the bridge of an Andorian ship for the first time ever in Trek. We find out from Shran in Act 1 that Andorian ships are “considerably faster” than the Enterprise, that their weapons and sensors are also more sophisticated, and we learn in Act 4 that Andorian ships have force fields. We find out from T’Pol in Act 1 that First Contact between Vulcans and Andorians was promising, but that the Andorians were eventually seen as duplicitous. Shran tells Trip in Act 2 that when he was in school, his older brother joined the Imperial Guard and was killed while manning a forward surveillance unit during border skirmishes with the Vulcans, but this may have been a ploy for sympathy on her part. We learn in Act 4 that Andorians have blue blood, when Archer punches Shran.
---While we know that Reed comes from a military family, I believe this is the first time he’s mentioned that he’s the third generation of it.
---Terms:
Lieutenant Talas Shran’s tactical officer, who introduces herself to Reed in the Mess Hall in Act 1. Talas tells Reed in Act 2 that she comes from a military family of which she is the fourth generation, and that her mother, who has a higher security risk than she does, commanded an Imperial Infantry unit, but this may have been a ploy for sympathy on her part.
Kumari The Imperial Andorian warship that Shran commands, which Talas mentions in the Mess Hall to Reed in Act 1.
Bikini Atoll An island in the Marshall Islands where the United States tested nuclear weapons during the 1940’s and 1950’s, as Archer mentions to Shran in the opening scene of Act 2.
variable compression nozzles Components used by the anti-matter injectors on Andorian ships, as Trip indicates to Shran in the second scene of Act 2 is more sophisticated than the Earth equivalent, on which the information Shran says is sensitive. Shran gives Trip an injector.
Andorian Mining Consortium Organization of which Shran falsely claims to be a part when carrying out reconnaissance on Degra’s test of the Xindi weapon in Act 2.
Archerite Fictional substance that Shran tells Degra he is looking for when carrying out reconnaissance on Degra’s test of the Xindi weapon in Act 2.
And the “Gift Horse in the Mouth” Award goes to…
Isn’t it interesting that in the previous episode, the Triannons were allowed to stroll around the Enterprise with no apparent security detail, blow a hole in the hull of the ship and pose the same threat to the warp reactor, but in this episode, when Shran, a friendly face from the other side of the Expanse arrives to offer his crewmen to help them, T’Pol suggests assigning a security team?
Shran: “Knock, knock.”
Degra: “Who is it?”
Shran: “Andway calling.”
Degra: “Who?”
Shran: “Andway. It’s the Andorian version of Amway.”
Degra: “No thanks.”
Shran: “Knock, knock.”
Degra: “What?”
Shran: “Andvon calling.”
Degra: “What’s Andvon?”
Shran: “It’s the Andorian version of Avon. I’m selling blue makeup.”
Degra: “We don’t need blue makeup. Go ask the Xindi Amphibians.”
Shran: “Knock, knock.”
Degra: “WHAT?!!”
Shran: “Land shark.”
In Act 2, Shran conducts reconnaissance on Degra’s test of the Xindi weapon by passing himself off as a miner looking for a rare element called “Archerite,” and his ship as a mining ship working for the “Andorian Mining Consortium.” First, doesn’t he think that Degra will recognize his ship as a warship when he scans the propulsion, weapons and sensors on his ship that he and Talas indicated in Act 1 were far more sophisticated than Enterprise’s? Second, if he’s going to say he’s looking for rare element, why not mention a real one, or at the very least, not use Archer’s name when making up a fake one, since, following the events of Rajiin, the Xindi know at this point who Archer is? Moreover, shouldn’t such a scan pick up a human and Vulcan lifesign?
Geez, these guys make Reed look like a pacifist
Why is the Xindi Sloth the only member of the Xindi Council who sees the test as a sign of progress? So what if it didn’t split the planet in two? Massive chunks of the planet came right off it! Wouldn’t such a result destroy all humanoid life on the planet?
And the “Wolf in the Chicken Coop” Award for worst delegation of a crucial task to a duplicitous thug goes to…
If the radiation posed by the weapon makes it impossible to keep in the Enterprise’s Launch Bay for the first six hours after the failed test, why doesn’t the Enterprise simply grab it with the grappler, and drag it away? They wouldn’t even have to stay close to it the entire trip; they’d only have to drag it in the direction they want and let the momentum do the rest until six hours pass. Why let the Andorians do it?
It’s not the size of your planet-destroying weapon, it’s how your “fire” it
Also, if this is a prototype, how can it be small enough to fit inside either ship, when the actual operational weapon seen in Twilight was many times larger than an entire Starfleet vessel? Aren’t prototypes the first version of the operational product?
And the “Burning Your Bridges” Award from dumbest act of interstellar Diplomacy goes to…
Shran tells Archer in the opening scene of Act 4 that the only thing that has prevented a full-out invasion of Andoria by the Vulcans is the threat of massive retaliation, and that the Xindi weapon will keep them in check. Okay, first of all, what happened to the peace treaty signed at the end of Cease Fire? Second, if this were true, Shran, then why haven’t the Vulcans conducted such an invasion thus far if they’ve had 200 years to do so, during which you haven’t had such a weapon? By stealing the weapon, the Andorians have themselves enemies of the Xindi as well as Earth.
Archer: “Why did it blow up? Who was in charge of deactivating it?!!”
Everyone: “REED.”
Archer: “You left REED in charge of making sure something didn’t blow up???!!!”
Reed: “My bad.”
If the Enterprise accessed the Xindi weapon’s activation codes from the Andorians’ sensor telemetry during Degra’s test, why didn’t they also its deactivation codes so that they could keep it from detonating after the Andorians released it? For that matter, why couldn’t the Andorians use these codes to do this? We know there are such codes, because Degra used them to shut down the weapon during the test.
No one is discussing the question of who sent the encrypted data on the weapon to Enterprise. I thought this was left a bit mysterious or certainly unstated. Was it Shran, helping his pinkskin friend Captain Archer, or maybe Talas out of newfound respect for Reed, or some other Blueguy that we don't even know?
I assumed it was Shran. Look at his arguments with his superior.
---While we know that Reed comes from a military family, I believe this is the first time he’s mentioned that he’s the third generation of it.
I thought it was mentioned in Breaking the Ice. The story about the submarine? (or do I have the wrong episode).
Pardon me. I meant to say Reed's story about the submarine.
Ah... it was Minefield.
Shran is definitely a prime, and obvious, suspect in the sending of the data but how would he have done it? Talas seemed to be acting a little odd the last time we saw her on the bridge and didn't she have access to the sensors and communications? Is Shran the only Blueguy who would be willing to help the Pinkskins? That seems unlikely.
Luigi Novi: ACK!!! Richie, I did it again. Sorry. Could you delete the first post (and this one) and keep the second one? (The second one is the proofread one.) Thanks.
"...I was willing to allow for the possibility that their generosity in helping Archer was an actual Andorian cultural thing that the creators wanted to develop (much like Vulcan profit, Klingon honor or Ferengi profit)..."
The "proofread" one? Of course we have heard all about those money-grubbing Vulcans! I assume you meant "Vulcan logic". Perhaps ask Richie to edit that in? (One reason I wish we had an edit feature on these boards -- those "slap the head" moments).
I have the feeling Luigi is really busy this week.
I'm sure that's a plot point that they'll be picking up in Season 4. Oh, wait, there probably won't ever be a Season 4. Well, never mind, then.
Of course, two seconds later, what I forgot to add:
Every time I see the word "Triannon" it kicks off that Fleetwood Mac song in my head, and it won't go away!!
Er, wrong board, Influx.
TUE: Shran's captain's chair is quite clearly the captain's chair from the USS Voyager.
Luigi Novi: I was wondering why there was a button on the armrest marked “Mr. Coffee”…
TUE: When Shran first meets with Captain Archer, he walks around the room and his antennae flip back almost instantaneously to avoid a low beam. That's quality sensory perception of the week.
Luigi Novi: Hardly implausible, since many Earth animals have such perception, such as whiskers, butterfly’s feet, and cats’ tails.
TUE: I liked learning about Shran's brother. It gives his character a lot more depth.
Luigi Novi: I wonder if this was a ploy for sympathy.
Sparrow47: So, seriously, it seems like every time the Enterprise hosts aliens, it backfires somehow. How long until Archer gets wise?
Luigi Novi: He did. He made sure to get the weapon’s activation codes, which he used against Shran.
Sparrow47: One of the Xindi councilors said that the attack on Earth was meant to annihalate humans "in one stroke." So, I guess those colonies on Mars and Alpha Centauri really don't mean anything?
Luigi Novi: I thought he meant the humans on Earth. If he did indeed mean all of the humans on all the colonies, then he’s right, because the weapon can’t do this if it’
Sparrow47: I didn't quite buy that the Xindi didn't have enough radiation shielding in place to go retrieve the prototype right away.
Luigi Novi: I just understood that they were farther away than the Enterprise and the Kumari.
KAM: Enterprise is pulled out of an anomoly by a tractor beam. Isn't it amazing that the tractor beam wasn't affected by the anomoly?
Luigi Novi: Shran said they developed “tricks” to deal with the anomalies.
Christopher Q: Why didn't Shran just try to find the Xindi weapon himself without first finding Enterprise? Did he suspect that Archer would know where it is?
Luigi Novi: Of course he did. The Enterprise is the one with Future Guy’s instructions on where to find the Xindi, and all the data they’ve collected thus far. The Andorians have zip.
TJFleming: which raises the question, How does the UT translate made-up words in the first place? (Of course, we learn later that someone's UT is malfunctioning when Shran tries to protest that he doesn't serve at Archer's pleasure, but it comes out "leisure.")
Luigi Novi: Isn’t that word usage just as correct? Doing something at one’s “leisure” is, as far as I know, grammatically correct.
Anonymous: Reed must have a very strong bladder if he doesn't have to take a bathroom break for 12 hours, or he wears Depends under his uniform.
Luigi Novi: I assume he was exaggerating.
Kazeite: And I believe helm console comes from USS Equinox
Luigi Novi: Geez, how the hell did you notice that??
Kazeite: OK, there's one thing that troubles me... From previous episodes I've got the impression that Xindi vessels are more than a match for the Enterprise; similiary, they seem to be concerned about the odds in the beginning of this episode (in addition to being concerned about firepower of the pocket DS)
And yet, Enterprise easily disables one of the Xindi ships here and we are told later that they "disabled both ships" without "apparent damage".
Luigi Novi: In previous encounters, I believe the Xindi overpowered the Enterprise through force of numbers. Here, it may be because the Andorians gave the Enterprise certain enhancements, like better antimatter injectors and improved sensors, for example.
ScottN: I thought it was mentioned in Minefield. Reed’s story about the submarine?
Luigi Novi: Yes, he said he had a great uncle who served on the Clement, but I don’t believe he gave the specific number of generations in his family that were in the military.
Luigi Novi: Geez, how the hell did you notice that??
Well, I once drew Equinox bridge plans, so I had to go throught the episode with freeze frame, so I remembered characteristic shape of helm console
Luigi Novi: In previous encounters, I believe the Xindi overpowered the Enterprise through force of numbers.
Like, say, in Twilight?
Here, it may be because the Andorians gave the Enterprise certain enhancements, like better antimatter injectors and improved sensors, for example.
Sensors weren't modified by Andorians, but I guess that having better antimatter injectors could explain this sudden improvement
Didn't Talas help Reed improve their sensors?
I think that she merely sabotaged them, explaining that she was checking whether weapon repair didn't affect them.
You're an illustrator, Kazeite? Or do you just draw as a hobby?
In Trek fandom, there is disagreement about whether Andorian antennae detect light, sound, smells, or a combination. We still aren't clear on that, are we? It is nice seeing them used to express emotion, but what other senses do they have?
Is Luigi, or anybody else, keeping tabs on the movement of antennae in various situations, to catch any inconsistencies? Or should we assume that it's so complicated it wouldn't be easy to find any pattern?
Nit: The Andorians in "Journey to Babel" didn't move their antennae at all.
Anti-nit: They were really old Andorians with arthritis of the antennae. And of course one was really an Orion.
Me: Shran tries to protest that he doesn't serve at Archer's pleasure, but it comes out "leisure."
Luigi Novi: Isn’t that word usage just as correct? Doing something at one’s “leisure” is, as far as I know, grammatically correct.
:: Grammatically, it's fine. It's just that the substance of the statement makes no sense. What does it mean to serve at someone else's leisure? But to serve at another's pleasure is a common political idiom and describes exactly what Shran was objecting to.
Luigi: We learn in Act 4 that Andorians have blue blood, when Archer punches Shran.
:: As well they should. Now if TPTB could just reconcile this with the pink conjunctiva that we saw in a closeup of Shran's face?
Moving along, Archer has now learned "Brace for impact!" (Previously expressed as "hold on!") And contrary to my attribution in "The Expanse" show board, Janis Joplin did not say "hold on, hold on, hold on." Blame it on cheap-ass 1969 stereo equipment. (It's "come on, come on, come on . . .")
I had the impression that Shran and the other Andorians were originally sent to the Expanse to find Enterprise, with the intention of rendering assistance and perhaps at the same time picking up some info on the Xindi weapon for Andorian scientists. It seemed to me that Shran's orders changed once the Andorian command learned about the possibility of stealing the prototype. After all, this is the point at which Shran asks whether it is worth making enemies of the humans over the matter; if they had been planning all along to screw us over I would think that Shran would have to have been comfortable with the idea in order to volunteer for the mission.
Sparrow47: I didn't quite buy that the Xindi didn't have enough radiation shielding in place to go retrieve the prototype right away.
Luigi Novi: I just understood that they were farther away than the Enterprise and the Kumari.
Dan Gunther: Nope. It's stated outright that the Xindi have to wait until the radiation levels drop in order to retrieve the prototype.
Doesn't that indicate that they were holding back? The Andorians, on the other hand, had forcefields, and didn't have to.
And no, Roger, I'm not keeping track to Andorian antenna movements. I assume the movements are arbitrary as far as the prop masters are concerned.
Actually, I read somewhere (I think in an interview with Jeffrey Combs) that the prop guys are VERY particular about the movement of the antennae. In casual conversation, they sort of bobble around in no particular manner, but if an Andorian has a strong emotion, the antennae move in the same manner depending upon the emotion. (According to Combs anyway)
TUE
Luigi Novi: You're an illustrator, Kazeite? Or do you just draw as a hobby?
Nah, just as a hobby
Grammatically, it's fine. It's just that the substance of the statement makes no sense. What does it mean to serve at someone else's leisure? But to serve at another's pleasure is a common political idiom and describes exactly what Shran was objecting to. - TJFleming
It's not just grammatically sound, at one's leisure is the correct idiom. It means "at one's whim."
No, but Archer was a few shades of green when he woke up the next morning
Another nit: When offering Archer Andorian ale dinner in Act 1 (which interestingly, like Romulan ale, is blue in color), Shran says that Archer enjoyed it during their last encounter, which they drank in the last scene of Cease Fire. Maybe, but it must’ve been from a different color of malt or hops, because it wasn’t blue in that episode.
There’s a nice bit of continuity with respect to the history of the technology in Act 2 when Talas is helping Reed fix the phase cannons. When he said all that’s left is to reset the emitters, she asks what the frequency is, and he politely balks, saying that when it comes to their weapons frequencies, he wouldn’t trust his own mother. This seems to indicate that resetting the weapons frequencies is an involved technical process that can’t be easily done with the push of a few buttons, whereas by NextGen, it can be done by the tactical console in episodes like Q Who(TNG), and even on handheld phasers by the push of a button or two. Nicely done!
As for who sent the transmission at the end of the episode, I think the creators deliberately left it vague for one of two reasons:
-It may pertain to some plot point in an upcoming episode that they don’t want revealed or telegraphed
-They want to leave it open so that their options for using it in a future episode are more malleable.
Of these two, I think it’s the latter. I can’t see how revealing it might negatively impact a future plot point that they have already written (though it’s possible—hey, maybe Future Guy or Daniels was on the Kumari?), and if they knew that it was Talas or Shran, I get the feeling from past experience that they would’ve made it explicitly revealed. I could be wrong, though.
Re: Did the Andorians improve the Enterprise’s weapons?
Okay, Kazeite, I reviewed the scene in question in Act 3 where Talas and Reed last appear together in the Armory, and it turns out that she improved the efficiency of the phase cannons just slightly.
There’s a nice bit of continuity with respect to the history of the technology in Act 2 when Talas is helping Reed fix the phase cannons. When he said all that’s left is to reset the emitters, she asks what the frequency is, and he politely balks, saying that when it comes to their weapons frequencies, he wouldn’t trust his own mother. This seems to indicate that resetting the weapons frequencies is an involved technical process that can’t be easily done with the push of a few buttons, whereas by NextGen, it can be done by the tactical console in episodes like Q Who(TNG), and even on handheld phasers by the push of a button or two.
To me, rather than indicating an involved technical process, I took it as a security issue.
Just how did Enterprise catch the Andorian ship at the end of this episode? Shran brags about his vessel's speed twice during this episode. Even if they had to slow to impulse to traverse the edge of the Expanse, they should have been well away from Enterprise at that time.
I'll buy that Archer would accept assistance from the Andorians in making repairs, but was anyone checking the work the Andorians had done? How did Lieutenant Talas disable the sensors? Reed commented that, if he hadn't seen Talas working on the sensors, it would have taken weeks to find the sensor problem. Had he checked Talas' work as soon as she had completed it, he might have noticed the sabotage attempt earlier.
The Andorian Imperial Guard shows a massive amount of self restraint in this episode. If my commander was punched in the face by some visitor on my bridge, I would have knocked that visitor senseless and dragged his unconscious carcass into an escape pod, not throw him angry looks and let him shrug out of my grip.
I have to say that was the best episode of the season so far.
I thought that the Xindi weapon looked kinda small compared to what we saw earlier.
I didn't think anybody directed the Xindi weapon data to the Enterprise. I thought the Andorians placed the Xindi weapon data transmission they were sending to their homeworld in the "background noise" to conceal it from enemies like the Vulcans.
I think the reason some us think it was directed at the Enterprise is because of T'Pol's line:
"Judging from the clandestine nature of the transmission, I'd guess that whoever sent this didn't want to be discovered."
If the Andorians were just sending it home to Andor, then wouldn't T'Pol have simply said, "It must be a status report sent to Andor." But if someone where sending it to the Enterprise, exactly who did so would be a question. If it were directed toward Andor, wouldn't T'Pol just assume it was an official report that Shran or the Kumari communications officer was sending in Shran's name?
I agree completely with Luigi Novi. T'Pol's line makes it clear that the transmission was directed at Enterprise. The question of who sent it is a mystery for us to ponder.
I don't know... Look at Shran's face in the closing scene.
??? Shran isn't in the closing scene. If you mean in his last scene (pick, pick, pick! ), I think the episode conveyed the idea that Shran was conflicted about what he was doing. His loyalty is to Andor, but he harbors a respect and admiration for Archer, and even turned down a commendation from his general.
Whoops! My bad!
ScottN - you may yet be shown to be right. I previously stated that Shran is a prime suspect so I'm not arguing that he didn't send the transmission. However, I think there is plenty of room for speculation on this matter. As Luigi Novi points out, Shran is conflicted and has a lot weighing on his mind that could explain the look on his face. Afterall, his mission to retrieve the weapon has failed. He is definitely "feeling blue".
Anomaly sense... tingiling!
And the last nit before I see next episode:
When "green wall" anomaly passes throught the ship, Archer throws himself back before wall touches him.
Also, does it mean that everybody on the ship have now those subspace worms in their brains? :D
At the end, when Archer told them to "send the info to Starfleet" about the Xindi weapon, it made me wonder why they didn't send copies of that data that the religious nut wiped out to Starfleet. If they had, they would simply have to call up and have them send a copy back.
Well, at least it’s better than what was in the original script, when he claimed it was a Xindi insurance job
Jamahl Epsicokhan, in his review of the episode at http://www.st-hypertext.com/ent-3/proving.html, pointed out that it was a bit of a jump to a conclusion (and externally, a writer’s decree) for Archer, with his limited information, to conclude that any malfunction in a device as complex as the Xindi Weapon must automatically be due to sabotage by Gralik.
Forgive me if I'm repeating something that has already been said (I don't think I am), but after having a chance to review this episode that I'm positive we haven't seen the last of Shran.
As the episode ends the Andorian vessel was "limping" back into to anomaly field presumably on a course back to Andoria. The prisoner that Archer took in the episode "Anomaly" told Archer that there was no way back through the thermobaric clouds. I'm hoping that Shran will return under the premise that they could not find a way out.
I have no doubt he will return, Clayton. The dynamic between him and Archer is better than any among the main characters.
re Andorian antennae... in Enterprise, they protrude from the temples of the head (i.e., if your nose is at 12:00, the antennae come from 10 and 2 o'clock). In Trek Classic and Next Gen, they protrude from the rear areas, approx 4:00 and 8:00.
So, in approximately 105 years from 2151-2154 to 2268 or so, the antennae moved around to the back of the head and stayed there!
All right... I can accept antennae that can bend along their length, but I can't buy a wholesale relocation.
In Trek Classic, Shras tells Spock that Andorians are a violent people but they do not fight without a reason, and they have no quarrel with Kirk. What is the Andorians' quarrel with the Vulcans, and why would the Vulcans call that duplicity?
"Enterprise" has been changing premises... Vulcan mind-melding being a shady practice, etc.
(I expect, if the series runs seven years, that Mayweather's family will be lost when the Horizon disappears somewhere in the Iotian sector.)
Andorian antennae portruded from the front in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home as well.
The antennae do not protrude from the temples. The temples are the portion of the head on the side, just in front of the ears.
Maybe antenna placement varies in the various "races" of Andorian, just as ear shape and placement varies within different varieties of dog (who are all the same species, since they interbreed and create fertile offspring).
So you just know Degra was hell when his teachers made him hall monitor in grade school
Once again, there is no scale or hierarchical delegation of authority depicted in important operations. Degra not only developed the weapon and is in charge of conducting its tests, but is also apparently the captain of his ship and the one who confronts Shran when Shran shows up to scan the weapon, when someone else should be in charge of the ship and be in a position of authority in security matters. Even despite Trek’s history in this regard, it has usually not extended to scientific research conducted by visiting scientists. When special projects were conducted on the Enterprise in episodes like Evolution(TNG), Half a Life(TNG) and visiting scientists like Dr. Stubbs and Dr. Timicin were were civilians, and not given authority over the ship.
I don't understand... if it's his ship, why shouldn't Degra have authority over it?
I mean, I understand your point that having one person be in charge of all aspects of the operation is inefficient, especially for such an important undertaking. But maybe the Xindi simply aren't all that efficient. Perhaps there are circumstances (the destruction of their world) that allow for more individual autonomy.
Degra is developing the weapon, so it makes sense for him to be in charge of its testing... and he's using his own ship to do it, so it makes sense for him to be the captain of it.
It just seems like the type of project that would be militarized, which to me would mean that it would fall under the jurisdiction of the Xindi as a group. Why would the scientist developing it be using his own personal ship for this? The setup mentioned in those TNG eps I brought up just makes more sense to me. Maybe it's just me.
Again, I understand and agree with your assessment. However, that doesn't mean the Xindi have to follow our reasoning.
Happens all the time in real life... where one person or organization or society has a different way of doing things that another person/organization/society finds ridiculous.
I notice that Andorians have blue blood...who wants to bet that the creators will forget about this pretty soon, just as they did with the Klingons' purple blood and the Vulcans' green blood? (OK, they didn't exactly forget the latter, but they've got it wrong in several episodes, most obviously Year of Hell (VOY) when Tuvok cuts himself while shaving).
Ah, the old Frank Burns trick--taking bets when the game is over.
Jan 24 (this board):
"Luigi: We learn in Act 4 that Andorians have blue blood, when Archer punches Shran.
Me: As well they should. Now if TPTB could just reconcile this with the pink conjunctiva that we saw in a closeup of Shran's face?"
But we already knew that TPTB have a 5-minute attention span.
Good point, but I think the colour of conjunctivas is just something we have to suspend belief for. There is really no way around it without messing with those full-eye contact lenses they used in "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (TOS). There have been plenty of shots where you can see Vulcans with reddish or pinkish conjunctivas.
Thande: (OK, they didn't exactly forget the latter, but they've got it wrong in several episodes, most obviously Year of Hell (VOY) when Tuvok cuts himself while shaving).
Dan Gunther: Uhm, I just watched Year of Hell, and his blood looks pretty green to me... How did they get this wrong? It seems a *little* darker than usual, but still green...???
That serves me right for quoting from another nitpicking source without actually going back and watching the scene myself. 
It' always nice to see the Andorians, and this one didn't disappoint. It was great to see Shran, and to see how far his respect for Archer is bringing him. Even with the betrayal at the end, things seem to moving toward and Earth/Andoria alliance. We also get some good Reed moments between him and Talas. I love it when he gets offended about her comments on the Enteprise's primitive weaponry.
Do Enterprise's nacelles always shut off when it's at impulse? This is the first episode I've ever noticed that they're actually dark when not at warp.
I love the shot when Shran first appears on the viewscreen. Classic.
This episode may establish that Andorians call their homeworld Andoria.
Sparrow47: So... since they were sharing the same data, how did the Andorians manage to miss the Xindi code data?
I guess the Enterprise didn't share all their data with the Andorians.
kazeite: So, I don't see why Enterprise would need Andorian help in "liberating" weapon - they seemed quite capable of retreving it themselves.
Luigi Novi: Isn’t it interesting that in the previous episode, the Triannons were allowed to stroll around the Enterprise with no apparent security detail, blow a hole in the hull of the ship and pose the same threat to the warp reactor, but in this episode, when Shran, a friendly face from the other side of the Expanse arrives to offer his crewmen to help them, T’Pol suggests assigning a security team?
At least it's T'Pol, the Vulcan, that suggests it.
It's doutbful they could've taken in all four.
kazeite: So, I don't see why Enterprise would need Andorian help in "liberating" weapon - they seemed quite capable of retreving it themselves.
I don't think the Enterprise could take on all four ships by itself.
Josh, I believe the Andorian homeworld was first called Andoria in an episode of DS9, although I couldn't say which one. It's also been referred to as Andor elsewhere (in episodes as well as non-canonically).
As for Archer suddenly getting security conscious - maybe it's because the Triannons violated their trust last week. Having a hole blown in your ship's hull will make you a little less easy to trust people coming on board.
JoshM: This episode may establish that Andorians call their homeworld Andoria.
Luigi Novi: No, that was Prophet Motive(DS9). And In the Cards(DS9) established that an alternative one is Andor.
Interesting that it seems simple enough to say that Andor and Andoria are just minor variations, but I've seen people here claim that Phlox giving his homeworld variously as "Denobula Triaxa" and just "Denobula" is a changed premise. I think people are less prepared to give Enterprise the benefit of the doubt.
Oh, and the name "Andor" appears in Tolkien, although I'm not quite enough of a Tolkien purist to claim Roddenberry stole it.
Andor or Andoria
Denobula Triaxa or Denobula
Vulcan or Vulcanis
Vulcans or Vulcanians
Humans or Terrans
United States or America
Ketchup or Catsup
Denobula Triaxa or Denobula
Denobula is a logical shortening/abbreviation of "Denobula Triaxa", just as America is a logical shortening of "The United States of America".
Potayto or Potahto
Josh M: JoshM: This episode may establish that Andorians call their homeworld Andoria.
Luigi Novi: No, that was Prophet Motive(DS9). And In the Cards(DS9) established that an alternative one is Andor.
I meant that this may be the first time we hear an Andorian call their planet Andoria. I thought that the mentions in those episodes were by aliens (Non-Andorian).