Wow, could it be, I'm the first post?!
And there will be spoilers...
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I thought this was great!!!! I thought it was a nice show of Sato, and I really loved her spitting into Dullin's face. She really got her space legs now.
You know, with Reed and Hayes airing out their feelings so .......quietly, I had a strange feeling that Hayes wouldn't be with us for very much longer. And I guess, I felt like Reed, seeing Hayes die, I would be kind of numb too. I think a deeper friendship would have emerged, if Hayes lived.
I wonder if it was a bit freudian of Reed to phrase Hayes rescuing Sato, as 'bringing her back home'.
I bet a lot of you are going to remarked positively on the break up of ships, when the anomolies started erupting. Especially the hugh Aquatic's ship. That was different!
I would put another notch in the Trip/T'Pol shippage chart with their little working out session there. It did still amaze me, when T'Pol shouted out 'Trip' to get him back to her.
You know, I don't know if it was me, but I can't find any huge nits in this episode. Can anyone else?

Malcolm has become the anti-Red Shirt. He doesn't die, but people around him do. Two weeks in a row, now.

Very nice. A few random thoughts:

When Hayes is unable to transport out of Hoshi’s cell, he tells his team that they need to return to the “beam-in point.” Is this the first use of the term “beaming?” (I’m guessing not, given the increasingly cavalier use of the transporter, but I don’t remember the term jumping out at me before.)

Some nice scenes for Hoshi, but was she really the Reptilian’s best choice for deciphering the Aquatics' command codes (no matter how gifted a linguist she is)? Surely an aggressive and technologically advanced species like the Reptilians, previously at war with the well-armed Aquatics and with hundreds (if not thousands) of years to tackle the problem, could have come up with a better way to translate\decrypt Aquatic than ... oh.... say .... relying on the on-the-fly, drugged-up efforts of a sworn enemy.

Speaking of Hoshi -- If Phlox’s apparent diagnosis is correct, and Hoshi wakes up with no serious permanent injuries … well, boo to the Giant Reset Button. It’s not that I want Hoshi to suffer permanent brain damage. But given the generally grim tone of this season, I thought that TPTB might just have the guts to follow through on the threat of serious harm to one of the regulars. (Those osmotic eels are the Trek equivalent of the sonic screwdriver -- they can fix anything!)

I kept expecting Malcolm to make some awkward, manly “brothers in arms” gesture toward Hayes -- clasp his shoulder, maybe, or even just a “good luck” handshake. On reflection, I think his not doing so was the better call. Malcolm just isn’t naturally demonstrative, and his failure to do or say something when he had the chance underscores the grief he so clearly feels later. Kudos to Dominic Keating for giving some real emotional depth to Malcolm this season, especially in the last few episodes as we begin to see the emotional toll the mission is taking on him.

Finally, did the “Captain’s Table” sequence strike anyone else as ill-timed and way too lighthearted? I understand the concept -- senior officers share a few moments of camaraderie and small talk on the eve of the big battle. But Jeez Louise, this is hardly the calm before the storm. The Xindi Superweapon has been launched, Hoshi has been kidnapped and you’re in hot pursuit. Is now really a good time to have Chef break out the steaks?

Just some thoughts. Your mileage may vary.

I thought it was the equivalent of Angel's "take the day off" sequence... I think it was supposed to give us the impression that Archer felt this might be it... it might be their last meal.

Just a couple of things:

Trip repairing the transporter, sees the lights going steady and bright, and saying the transporter is up. [Maybe he did check out the console and everything was OK, but not shown].

Major Haynes moving out of his cover into the hall with the lizards at both ends??? His people and Hoshi were being beamed out by the wall, but, no, the good Major had to break cover and get shot.

I actually enjoyed this episode. I am looking forward to seeing its resolution next week.

Three things I thought about, though.

The crew has obviously gotten over their fear of transporting. Looks like the plot device of not using them to transport people is over.

I wanted to kick my TV over this one - if T'Pol becomes a Star Fleet member, it will directly fly in the face of the established canon of Spock being the first Vulcan in Star Fleet. Again, another example of the idiocy of Berman and Braga in a potential violation of continuity. But as continuity has never mattered to these two morons, I'm not surprised.

I saw Hayes' death telegraphed a mile away. He was an interesting character - too bad they killed him. Fortunately, he came back as the Speaker of the House on The West Wing. It was odd watching both shows back to back and seeing him there.

"if T'Pol becomes a Star Fleet member, it will directly fly in the face of the established canon of Spock being the first Vulcan in Star Fleet." -- Harvey Kitzman

I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I can't recall anything being said in any episode that proved that Spock was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. I seem to remember that there was an entire Federation ship filled with Vulcans in a TOS episode ("The Doomsday Device" I think). I believe it was the Intrepid. Intrepid is a Federation ship name.
Also, it doesn't make sense for Spock to be the first Vulcan in Starfleet. Starfleet is supposed to be the defense and exploration branch of the UFP. The UFP is made up of many different races. The question should be why we see so many humans on Starfleet ships in the other series. It seems pretty unreasonable that humans were in charge of defending the entire Federation for almost a century.
Watching the Original Series one gets the impression that the Federation is synonymous with Earth. Why weren't there all kinds of aliens running around the decks of the Enterprise. (Because of budget restraints of course, but I don't deal in reality)
And of course I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the Starfleet of Enterprise is not the same Starfleet as the later series. This is the EARTH Starfleet. Later series have a FEDERATION Starfleet.
This is such a muddled issue that I really don't care whether T'Pol joins Starfleet or not. At least it would get her out of that catsuit.

THE AQUATIC SHIP:
This aspect of the show gets its own category. That was one sweet ship. It was bada$$! I want one! And the encounter between the Aquatic ship and the anomaly was gorgeous. The water poured out of the hull and immediately turned to ice. It was a spectacular visual.

BY THE NUMBERS:
What was with the away team of 4 throughout the show. Why not send a huge away team over to the Xindi ship to retrieve Hoshi? Why not take more than three MACOs on Degra's ship?

FINAL REQUEST IGNORED:
Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission.

PRICELESS LOOK YET TO BE SEEN:
I have to agree with Trip. I would also like to see the look on Soval's face when he sees T'Pol in a Starfleet uniform.

AFTER THE MISSION:
I'm glad we're seeing some hints about what's going to happen in season 4. I think next season is going to be grand if they can get back to exploration while keeping the character development that they've had this season as well as the use of story arcs.

WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT:
I can't wait to see what happens next. I really want to see how they're going to resolve this storyline. I especially want to see what is going to happen to the Xindi. The new Humanoid leader seems like a nice guy. He's no Degra as far as interesting characters go, but I think he seems like a good ally. I hope we see a bit more of the Xindi next season.

OVERALL OPINION OF THE WEEK:
It was a necessary prelude to what is sure to be a very packed season finale. Now that word as finally come down that Enterprise will indeed return next season (alas on Fridays though), I am very interested to see where this show is going. This show is far more interesting than Voyager. With Voyager, you could be pretty sure that it was going to be the same stuff every week, but at least with this show, you never know what's going to happen.
Overall grade: A-

See ya later
TUE

TUE: Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission.

I noticed that, too. I assumed that Malcolm was letting his sense of guilt and personal responsibility for the mission override Hayes' advice. Still, he should have at least brought MacKenzie along as the most qualified "2nd."

Federation ship filled with Vulcans in a TOS episode ("The Doomsday Device" I think)

The Immunity Syndrome(TOS). The USS Intrepid was manned completely by Vulcans, and destroyed by the space amoeba.

What was with the away team of 4 throughout the show. Why not send a huge away team over to the Xindi ship to retrieve Hoshi? Why not take more than three MACOs on Degra's ship?

In both cases, space? The transporter doesn't look like it can handle too many more than four (or five, counting Hoshi). Degra's ship doesn't look that big either.

DMW:
Finally, did the “Captain’s Table” sequence strike anyone else as ill-timed and way too lighthearted? I understand the concept -- senior officers share a few moments of camaraderie and small talk on the eve of the big battle. But Jeez Louise, this is hardly the calm before the storm. The Xindi Superweapon has been launched, Hoshi has been kidnapped and you’re in hot pursuit. Is now really a good time to have Chef break out the steaks?
-Yup! I thought so too. Maybe in some sense, to bring calm back into the ship. But as you said, and I'm with you, with Hoshi gone, I would be worried about her warfare, and not enjoying steak.

DMW{TUE: Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission.

I noticed that, too. I assumed that Malcolm was letting his sense of guilt and personal responsibility for the mission override Hayes' advice. Still, he should have at least brought MacKenzie along as the most qualified "2nd."
-Well, I have noticed this too. Not only that, where was Corporal Cole as well. And the other chick we see more than once, yea, I know, she was injured, again!, but now I can't tell what her name is, is it Kemper or Parsans??

Kemper, I believe. Sgt. Kemper.

Maybe they were killed in the battle at Azati Prime?

I thought the new Xindi leader's makeup looked somewhat different -- balder? Still, to me he's always Commodore Ross from Space: Above and Beyond.

Anybody who watches Jimmy Neutron will understand why when they talked about "entering the Xindi vortex" it really creeped me out.

Wow, two rather important secondary characters killed in two weeks! Next thing you know they'll bring back Shran just to kill him off.

I hope they don't end the season with a cliffhanger, and actually resolve this storyline.

Some nice scenes for Hoshi, but was she really the Reptilian’s best choice for deciphering the Aquatics' command codes (no matter how gifted a linguist she is)? - DMW

I thought this was a pretty cool ep, though I was fairly distracted this past Wed. and I'm definitely going to catch the rerun- so forgiveness please if this point was answered during the ep- but why would Hoshi, or the Reptillians for that matter, need to decript the Aquatics' codes specifically? At that point they could've gone for the Humanoids' or Arboreals' codes and not have the added linguistic barriers to deal with, no?

Anti-Nit

TUE: Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission.

Reed didn't pick her because she is to be the new leader of the MACOs. Remember, as Reed pointed out, that Hayes had individually picked each MACO because he knew they could get the job done. Thus more MACOs are on Earth, that will need a new commanding officer.

Nits

Did Archer and company destroy all of the Xindi ships minus the Lead Reptilian and Lead Insectoid? The Reptiles destroy the Insectoid Council Member's ship and no word of any problems with the rest of the "bad" Xindi ships?
...Speaking of the Insectoids being quite annoyed at this moment, I hope TPTB use a different approach than that of DS9 and the Cardassians. Maybe something more stealthy.

NANJAO

Deflector Pulse? Hmmmmm... See: Best of Both Worlds. (TNG) Part I

Today! We celebrate our INDEPENDENCE DAY!
The scene of the Insectoid ship hitting the Xindi Weapon reminded me of ID4. Just what kind of damage would a object traveling at that speed do to the Weapon? I know that the closing velocities wouldn't be that great, but I would imagine that it should still dent the weapon.


(Gotta keep the Luigi Monster alive you know...)

"I wanted to kick my TV over this one - if T'Pol becomes a Star Fleet member, it will directly fly in the face of the established canon of Spock being the first Vulcan in Star Fleet. Again, another example of the idiocy of Berman and Braga in a potential violation of continuity. But as continuity has never mattered to these two morons, I'm not surprised."

B&B would never allow her to join Starfleet. That would mean trading catsuits for jumpsuits. Nuh uh.

I don't remember if this was something I read in a book somewhere, or imagined it to cover other plotholes before, but I believe that Spock is the first Vulcan to graduate Starfleet Academy. This explains away the original series nit of a whole shipload of Vulcans, and allows Spock to retain his "special" status. Kind of like how we will participate with other allied forces, even allowing them to command us in missions, but that doesn't mean they went through the same training, share our philosophy, etc. When Spock went through the Academy, that sealed the relationship between Vulcans, The Federation, and Starfleet.

Boy Stephen Culp was dying all over the place this week. First, Enterprise then JAG. I dont think he died on the West Wing.

The question should be why we see so many humans on Starfleet ships in the other series. It seems pretty unreasonable that humans were in charge of defending the entire Federation for almost a century. - TUE
Enterprise establishes that Starfleet is a human organization long before the formation of the Federation. It does seem that the bulk of the Starfleet vessels in ST:TNG time are staffed by humans, but humans have been serving in Starfleet for 100 years before Kirk and Co. Do other races contribute their own ships to Starfleet and staff them with non-mixed crews? Or do other races simply not show abundant interest in serving in Starfleet, as humans do?

Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission. - TUE
I wondered why they didn't take all the MACOs on that mission. Then I figured that the Enterprise will be attacking a sphere soon, and Reed might be anticipating that they would need a MACO team on that mission. If Reed is on the team with Archer, McDaniels would lead the MACO team onto the sphere. Besides, they seem to have established that when Reed lead the MACOs, no other MACO officers are on the team.

I don't remember if this was something I read in a book somewhere, or imagined it to cover other plotholes before, but I believe that Spock is the first Vulcan to graduate Starfleet Academy. - Ron Saarna
I can't cite source, but I was also under the impression that Spock was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This was the crux of the rift between himself and Sarek. In ST 4, Sarek tells Spock that he misjudged Spock's decision to serve Starfleet.

I have trouble believing that Hoshi can decrypt the Aquatics' launch codes. Deciphering the language (with the help of the UT) may be one thing, but codebreaking is extremely difficult when different languages are involved, much less different species. For example, we tend to encrypt data using mathematical sequences. Would the Aquatic species also encrypt data this way, or would they do something completely different, such as musical tones interspersed with recipes involving seaweed? It's much more likely that the Reptilians would be responsible for breaking the codes, and Hoshi was there to help them translate.

The MACO rescue team finally moved like a real military unit, very efficient. I didn't like their arrangement at the beam-in point, but I'm assuming that the beam-in point was in the middle of the corridor, and that they could not beam out from the intersections, which would have been a much more defensible position. I did disagree with their beam-out sequence. Hoshi should have been transported by herself, giving the MACOs full firepower, then have 2 beam out and allow Hayes and 1 other to remain and provide mutual supporting fire, then beam out together.

Archer was warned that the Reptilians would have troops on the weapon. I sure hope he brought more than 3 MACOs on this boarding party. I would have brought about 1/3 of the crew, and all the phase pistols and explosives on the Enterprise. This IS the end of Earth, I think I'd maximize my firepower and do as much damage to the weapon as possible.

The USS Intrepid (destroyed in The Immunity Syndrome(TOS)) is also problematic with Spock being the first Vulcan in Starfleet. Of course, Spock could have gone through the Academy, and after he graduated, the Intrepid was crewed...

I agree with the Maco nit... even if Degra's ship is tiny (and if it has a medical bay, it can't be that tiny) why not shoe-horn a few more Macos in there? The bridge (or wherever it is that Degra talked to the Gaurdian) looks big enough to hold all of them by itself.

Also, this episode answers a long-running question I had: Apparently, if shot early enough in the transport cycle, you can be injured or killed during a beam-out.

the "bullet" probably beamed with him.

When the Reptilian commander orders Hoshi taken back to her cell, it sounds as if the cell is nearby, but she must have been taken to another Reptilian vessel. Lucky for the Enterprise; otherwise, the anomaly would have kept them from rescuing her. However, I assumed they didn’t just kill her once she figured out the code because they might need her talents again. So why would they put her on a different vessel?

Archer: If the Aquatics agree to help us, they’re going to need those details.
Trip: Sir…I hope you didn’t make them any promises.

First of all, T’Pol already informed Trip that the captain told the Aquatics they could disable the spheres. Second, since Trip already knew all that, what’s the point of telling Archer he shouldn’t have done it?

The Reptilian commander told his underling to lock weapons on the Insectoid ship. The underling just looked at him, dumbfounded. Then when the commander orders him to fire, he does so immediately. If it can be done that quickly, why have a separate command to lock weapons?

Not only did Trip not pick McKenzie, but where is she? When Trip tells the MACOs of Hayes’ death, there are no females present. The female that was wounded in sickbay was Kemper. If she was sleeping off-shift, this should be important enough to wake her.

Reptilian: The anomaly disabled 3 Aquatic ships.
Rept. Commander: The Guardians will not let us fail.

(this implies the Commander knows the Guardians control the anomalies)

Insectoid: The anomalies worked to our advantage.
Rept. Commander: We were fortunate.
Insectoid: There may be more to it than that. The humans claim the Guardians built the Spheres.

(this implies the Commander doesn’t know the Guardians built the spheres, but the Insectoid is beginning to figure it out)

So which is it?

The latter could also imply that the Commander does know and is covering for the Guardians.

That could be true, but if he knows the Guardians built the Spheres, isn't he aiding his own extinction by helping them? Or does he not know that the Expanse is being reconfigured? It's hard to keep up with who knows what.

Didn't the Guardian promise Reptilian dominance if Earth were destroyed? Even if he knows about the reconfiguration, he may simply think that as long as he works to help the Guardians, they'll protect the Reptilians and exclude them from their plans of conquest.

I'm surprised no one mentioned the one event of the episode that made me go "ooh, cool!" During the dinner scene in the Captain's Mess, I was wondering what was going on outside the window - why we didn't see stars streaking by. I put it down to an effects error until Captain Archer told Malcolm "Cut us loose" and the doors to the Aquatics' cargo bay opened and disgorged Enterprise. Not only was it a neat-o effect, it also gave us a sense of perspective on the size of the Aquatics' mothership. I would love to know the size in comparison to the Reptilians' and Insectoids' ships.

Which adds ammo to the anti-nit for the dinner. They're not cruising under their own power. They have no control until the Aquatics let them go.

I've been reading some of the above posts about how if T'Pol joined Starfleet it would contradict Star Trek history since Spock is believed to be the first Vulcan to join Starfleet. I consulted the Star Trek Encyclopedia on this. What it said was Spock was the first Vulcan to enlist in the Federation Starfleet.... Note that the quote said Federation Starfleet. The Starfleet we're seeing on this series is pre-Federation Starfleet, or to be more specific, united Earth's Starfleet. If T'Pol were to join, technically she'd be joining Earth's Starfleet, not the Federation Starfleet that Spock joined. Technically, they are two seperate organizations, so I suppose having her join earth Starfleet would not contradict previously established show history claiming that Spock was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. I realize this explanation may shakey at best, but I can't think of any other way around it.

---Critique:
Another good solid entry in the buildup toward the finale, with some good tension-building developments sharing time with some really good character work.
---T’Pol calls Trip by his nickname in Act 2 for the first time ever, a definite and welcome first, and even though the elder T’Pol referred to him as such in E², it was still a nice twist to see the “real” T’Pol do so here. I also enjoyed that many other characters had some nice material. Hoshi gets to shine by initially using her job of deciphering the arming codes to add more encryption, in defiance of the meekness with which she was characterized in the first season. The other Xindi-Humanoid, having now taken Degra’s place as Archer’s main contact, is now getting more character screen time (now if only he can get a name!), the material between Reed and Major Hayes near the end of Act 2 was well-done, and the dinner between Archer, Trip and T’Pol in the closing scene of the same Act was great.
---The battle in Act 3 was of course, incredible, the best such sequences since the final seasons of Deep Space Nine, and the events therein were entirely unpredictable, including the destruction of that huge Aquatic ship, the activation of one of the Spheres by the Sphere-Builders just when the tide was turning in the Enterprise’s favor, Hayes beaming out as a Reptilian shot at him, only to reveal when rematerializing back on the Enterprise that he did take a partial hit before beaming out, etc. What was great about these sequences is that the obstacles and injuries faced by the good guys—not being able to communicate with the Enterprise while in Hoshi’s torture chamber, only being able to transport two at a time, Hayes dying in the next Act, etc.—felt believable rather than contrived, and largely because these characters were fleshed out enough for us to care about them. Bravo!

---Notes:
---For some reason, after two episodes that used a Five-Act structure, this episode now returns to the Four-Act one.
---We see large-scale Aquatic ships for the first time in this episode, and hear their voices translated into English. The Xindi-Humanoid and Jannar tell Archer in the second scene of Act 4 that while they have powerful weapons, their speed is limited, and that Degra’s ship is considerably faster.

---Continuity Nods:
---Phlox uses a cardiostimultor to try to revive Major Hayes in the opening scene of Act 4, a device first used by Bones on Spock in Journey to Babel(TOS).

---Terms:
Sphere 41 Trip and T’Pol’s designation for one of the four Spheres that act as control lynchpins in the subspace energy grid that connects the Spheres, enabling them to act in concert, as Trip and T’Pol explain to Archer in Act 1.
interspatial manifold Area on the surface of Sphere 41, which T’Pol and Trip tell Acher in Act 2 they think is used to connect the Spheres, and which they think they can disable with a deflector pulse.
thermal chamber Area of Dolum’s ship where he tells his lieutenant he’ll be in the opening scene of Act 3, right before the Aquatics and Arboreals show up, presumably the room in which he was subjecting himself to intense light in Act 1 of The Council.
Commander Kolo Commander of one of the Reptilian squadrons, whose position Dolum tells his lieutenant to tell to hold after the Aquatic ships exit the vortex to confront the Reptilians in Act 3.
Kelly The MACO soldier that Hayes orders take to Hoshi when beaming her back from Dolum’s ship in Act 3.
Woods One of the three MACO soldiers Reed chooses in Act 4 for the mission to board the Xindi Weapon.
Ramira One of the three MACO soldiers Reed chooses in Act 4 for the mission to board the Xindi Weapon.
Forbes One of the three MACO soldiers Reed chooses in Act 4 for the mission to board the Xindi Weapon.

Dolum misread page 1 of Planet-Destroying Weapons and You: An Owners Manual
In the teaser, Dolum tells his lieutenant that Hoshi will crack the launch codes. I think he meant arming codes, which is how the Xindi-Humanoid correctly refers to them to Archer in Act 1. The Weapon, after all, has already been launched.
“…even if you can’t hear me…”
When Archer goes to speak to the Aquatics in person the last scene of Act 1, the first thing he says is “Thank you for seeing me…” in a very low voice, even though Degra cautioned him in Act 2 of the previous episode that Aquatics view hushed tones with suspicion.
And you thought people drove like crazy on the Autobahn
The Xindi-Humanoid tells Archer in the Situation Room in Act 2 that the Reptilians and Insectoids have stopped less than four light years from the Enterprise’s current position. Archer asks how quickly can they get there. Well, Broken Bow established that the Enterprise, at Warp 4.5, can travel a light year in 4.53 days, so four light years would require 18.1 days. “Less than” four lights would require less, though since Trip told Archer he could give him Warp 3.4 “with a little coaxing” in Act 5 of the previous episode, it would probably be much more. I can buy the idea that the Aquatics’ ships are as fast as the Reptilians’ and Insectoids’, but the Enterprise keeps up with them, and the impression one gets from Acts 2 and 3 is that they got to the Weapon in a short amount of time. Or does the vortex grant the same amount of speed to every ship that enters it, regardless of the ship’s warp factor?
Live long and flirt with screwing up Trek continuity
T’Pol tells Archer over dinner in the closing scene of Act 2 that she’s considering formalizing her service to Starfleet, and stresses that she’s merely considering it. Well, I hope so, since Spock was, if I recall correctly, the first Vulcan in Starfleet.
It was conducting a scientific study examining the effects of ass-kicking on reptiles and insects
Isn’t Degra’s ship a science vessel? Why does it join the battle in Act 3? I can suspend my disbelief enough to suppose that it was able to destroy the Reptilian ship near the end of The Forgotten by using the element of surprise, but to go into battle with it? The Xindi-Humanoid even says in the second scene of Act 4 that even though it’s considerably faster than the Aquatics’ ships, going after Dolum in it isn’t wise because it isn’t well-armed. So why did it join the attack earlier, rather than hang back?
Where’s the cast of ER when you need them?
Okay, I’m not a med tech, and I don’t know if what I’ve seen on TV and in the movies is accurate emergency medical procedure, but in the beginning of Act 4, Phlox tries to revive Major Hayes with only two attempts with the cardio stimulator before giving up. Am I the only one who would’ve tried at least one or two more times?
Geez, just how many Sphere missions did Reed go on?
When Reed goes to address the MACOs in Act 4, the impression I got is that the MACOs lined up comprise the entire group, given the importance of the news he must tell them about Kemper and Hayes, and of having to pick three for the Weapon-boarding mission. So where is Corporal Chang from The Xindi? Where is Parson, the female brunette with her hair pulled back in a bun (she was the first to use that “shock stick” in The Xindi, and was wounded during the Illyrian warp coil theft in Damage)? True, she was hit during the mission to rescue Hoshi, but since Reed didn’t mention her along with Kemper, this would indicate that she is not in sickbay. Where’s MacKenzie from Anomaly, whom Hayes himself mentions as a replacement to Reed right before he died? Where’s Corporal Amanda Cole from Harbinger? Did all these MACOs die offscreen, or in between episodes? Is that way Reed thought the body count was 23 when it was really 19 at the end of the previous episode?
They’re Phlox’s animal equivalent of anaprovaline
Right after the above scene, Archer goes to see Phlox about Hoshi. Phlox tells him that the Xindi parasites were no much for his osmotic eel. Wow, those osmotic eels sure are versatile, aren’t they? In Act 5 of Broken Bow, Phlox used one to cauterize Archer’s thigh wound. In Act 1 of Marauders, he told E’lis that their also used to heal injured arteries. Now we find out that they can destroy neural parasites that have been injected into someone’s neocortex? How can they do this?

You had me at “blow that thing up,” Sir.
Great Moment:
(As Reed’s team prepares to leave for the Weapon in Act 4, Trip flags him down by the airlock…)
Trip to Reed: “Bring me back a piece of that weapon?
(Malcolm looks at Trip quizzically.)
Trip: “A souvenir.”
Reed: “With pleasure.”

One gets the feeling that the Aquatics are never the ones to make beer runs or get the pizza on poker night
When T’Pol first suggets to Trip in the Command Center in Act 2 that a deflector pulse might disrupt the subspace links connecting the Spheres, Trip says it wouldn’t be powerful enough, and when T’Pol suggests tying the impulse reactors directly into the deflector array, Trip says it would rupture every EPS conduit on the ship. I don’t understand this. Why are they acting as if Enterprise has to do this alone? Sure, Archer promised the Aquatics they’d disable the Spheres, but the Enterprise is badly damaged, the three remaining Xindi species have ships of their own that must have deflector dishes, and the Aquatics’ weapons are powerful. So why doesn’t Archer simply feed the three species continuously updated information on their findings, and advise them to create a pulse of their own, or barring that, engage in a joint venture? Surely if the Xindi have powerful ships in good condition, then the most important part in the mission is to find the way to disable the Spheres. If they find a viable means to do so, it would hardly seem that the carefully deliberate and objective Aquatics would refuse to implement it, and expect the Enterprise to do it themselves, particularly when the Aquatics are willing to later commit several ships to be destroyed in a battle with the Reptilians, a much more dangerous and costly endeavor.
Dolum diverted all power from their transporter to his tanning room
If the Reptilians have transporters, as established at the end of the previous episode, why don’t they just beam the MACOs into cells of their own, or better yet, off their ship?
Level “Seven”? My God! Those monsters were going to dye Hoshi’s hair blonde, give her breast implants, and stick her in a silver catsuit!
Either the Reptilians were intended to number their decks differently from humans (making this a NINJAO), or the creators messed up. T’Pol tells Archer during the battle that Hoshi is on one of the first three decks of the Reptilian vessel, but after the MACOs board it and take cover with Hoshi in the corridor, Dolum’s Lieutenant says the intruders are on Level Seven. Certainly the MACOs didn’t travel between four and six decks with Hoshi, did they?


Trike: Malcolm has become the anti-Red Shirt. He doesn't die, but people around him do. Two weeks in a row, now.
Luigi Novi: He wasn’t on the mission to rescue Hoshi.

DMW: Some nice scenes for Hoshi, but was she really the Reptilian’s best choice for deciphering the Aquatics' command codes (no matter how gifted a linguist she is)?
Luigi Novi: I’ve always gotten the impression that Hoshi is uniquely talented in this area, in a way that most people have never seen, so the Reptilians may not have anyone on her level of linguistic genius.

DMW: The Xindi Superweapon has been launched, Hoshi has been kidnapped and you’re in hot pursuit. Is now really a good time to have Chef break out the steaks?
Luigi Novi: They have to eat, DMW, don’t they?

Duane Parsons: Trip repairing the transporter, sees the lights going steady and bright, and saying the transporter is up. [Maybe he did check out the console and everything was OK, but not shown].
Luigi Novi: Maybe. Or perhaps those lights are a trouble-shooting indicator. When they’re lit, all major systems in the transporer pad are operational (though this would certainly ledn itself to tripping up the creators later on if a scene requires the transporter to be down and they’re still lit up. )

Duane Parsons: Major Haynes moving out of his cover into the hall with the lizards at both ends??? His people and Hoshi were being beamed out by the wall, but, no, the good Major had to break cover and get shot.
Luigi Novi: He didn’t know they were at both ends. They were only at one end initially. When the two other Reptilians appeared at the opposite end, he knocked them out with a grenade, and with no further weapons fire from that direction, he didn’t know there were any more in that direction. After dealing with the first batch in the first direction and having the others beamed out, Hayes moved back in that second direction. Only then when he tried to make a break for it in that opposite direction did that solider appear before Hayes could take cover.

And who’s Major Haynes? Is that the guy who inspects underwear in his free time?

Harvey Kitzman: if T'Pol becomes a Star Fleet member, it will directly fly in the face of the established canon of Spock being the first Vulcan in Star Fleet.

The Undesirable Element: I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I can't recall anything being said in any episode that proved that Spock was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. I seem to remember that there was an entire Federation ship filled with Vulcans in a TOS episode.

ScottN: The Immunity Syndrome(TOS). The USS Intrepid was manned completely by Vulcans, and destroyed by the space amoeba.

Justin ODonnell: I consulted the Star Trek Encyclopedia on this. What it said was Spock was the first Vulcan to enlist in the Federation Starfleet.... Note that the quote said Federation Starfleet. The Starfleet we're seeing on this series is pre-Federation Starfleet, or to be more specific, united Earth's Starfleet. If T'Pol were to join, technically she'd be joining Earth's Starfleet, not the Federation Starfleet that Spock joined. Technically, they are two seperate organizations…
Luigi Novi: I don’t buy that. It’s the same organization. Just the planetary organization that has power over it changed. The use of the word “Federation” before “Starfleet” is simply used descriptively, not as a historical qualifier, since the pre-Federation existence of Starfleet established by Enterprise was not known at the time the Encyclopedia was written.
---Moreover, I think the Encyclopedia passage needs some clarification. The Encyclopedia usually cites an episode or movie as reference for each data point therein, but it is unclear if it actually does so for this particular point. This is the passage in the entry for Spock that starts off the third paragraph, the one with the heading Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise:

Aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise: Spock was the first Vulcan to enlist in the Federation Starfleet, and he distinguished himself greatly as science officer aboard the original U.S.S. Enterprise. His logical Vulcan thought-patterns proved of tremendous value when Spock first served aboard the Enterprise during the command of Captain Christopher Pike. (“The Menagerie[TOS]). Spock said he worked with Pike for 11 years, 4 months, which suggest he was young enough when he first came aboard the Enterprise that he was probably still attending Starfleet Academy.

Now The Menagerie is cited as the reference for this passage, but is it referring simply to his service with Pike (which is referenced in that episode), or does it also provide reference for his status as the first Vulcan in Starfleet? In fact, I reviewed that episode, and while Spock does indicate in the teaser that he served with Pike for 11 years, 4 months and 5 days, no such thing about him being the first Vulcan in Starfleet is ever stated therein.
---As for the Intrepid being manned completely by Vulcans, this, in itself, neither proves nor disproves that he was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. For all we know, some or many of those Vulcans enlisted before Spock, or Spock did enlist before any of them. I don’t believe this status was ever explicitly mentioned onscreen, and I question whether it is something that has merely been assumed as a part of Trek tradition. So does anyone know if it was ever explicitly stated onscreen?

MrPorter why would Hoshi, or the Reptillians for that matter, need to decript the Aquatics' codes specifically?
Luigi Novi: They don’t. Dolum merely used Hoshi’s earlier deciphering of the Aquatics’ language as an example of why he was impressed with her linguistic abilities. That doesn’t mean that that was the specific arming code he wanted her crack. For all we know, the Humanoid or Arboreals’ codes are the ones he had Hoshi crack.

Nove Rockhoomer: When the Reptilian commander orders Hoshi taken back to her cell, it sounds as if the cell is nearby, but she must have been taken to another Reptilian vessel.
Luigi Novi: She was. T’Pol told Archer on the bridge during the battle that she was on one of the Reptilian vessels.

Darth Sarcasm: Didn't the Guardian promise Reptilian dominance if Earth were destroyed? Even if he knows about the reconfiguration, he may simply think that as long as he works to help the Guardians, they'll protect the Reptilians and exclude them from their plans of conquest.
Luigi Novi: But why Dolum would settle for mere “protection” and “exclusion” from conquest, when he was promised dominance? How can the Reptilains be “dominant” if the entire Expanse is going to be made uninhabitable for them? What, are the Guardians going to give the Reptilians an itty-bitty “portion” of the Expanse in which they can survive, kinda like a fishbowl? Is Dolum really content with having “dominance” over a tiny portion of the Expanse, and being unable to travel to any other part of it, when he can pretty much travel to any part of it he wants now? It’s like playing Monopoly and manipulating others so that you can get Baltic and Mediterranean Avenue.

As for the Intrepid being manned completely by Vulcans, this, in itself, neither proves nor disproves that he was the first Vulcan in Starfleet. For all we know, some or many of those Vulcans enlisted before Spock, or Spock did enlist before any of them. I don’t believe this status was ever explicitly mentioned onscreen, and I question whether it is something that has merely been assumed as a part of Trek tradition. So does anyone know if it was ever explicitly stated onscreen?

I'm not sure about their status either. However, in the present U.S. military, there is more then one way to become a commissioned officer. You can go to one of the military academies. You could also go the ROTC route, or go through Officer Training School. Direct commissions are also available to professionals such as Doctors, nurses, lawyers, etc. Perhaps Starfleet has their own equivalant or ROTC or OTS? Maybe some some of the Intrepid's crew transferred from the Vulcan Space Service to Starfleet, or joined as enlisted personnel and earned field commissions? Some may have graduated from the Academy before or after Spock did? Who knows? The only thing I do know is that the writer's have potentially written themselves into a corner over T'Pol joining Starfleet. If she goes that route, its going to contradict alot of established Trek history, and fuel us nitpickers in the process

Only if this special status of Spock's has been canonically established. If it hasn't, it won't contradict it.

Guess Enterprise has become the new Friends
In Act 4, Reed picks three MACOs for the mission to board the Weapon: Woods, Ramira, and Forbes. Two of them are Caucasian, and one is a bald black man. But in the closing scene of the episode, when Reed and the three MACOs go to the airlock with Hoshi, all of them are Caucasian.

Luigi Novi: Where is Parson, the female brunette with her hair pulled back in a bun (she was the first to use that “shock stick” in The Xindi, and was wounded during the Illyrian warp coil theft in Damage)?
Her name is S. Money. Apparently she changed her name second time now

Wow. Brilliant. In fact, it's hard to see how they could improve on it for the finale (no spoilers pleassse).

Well, it makes a change from nicking race names from Star Wars...
The hyowge Xindi-Aquatic ship (what was that, twice the size of the Enterprise-D?!!) had architecture that reminded me of the Mon Calamari ships from Star Wars. This actually makes sense, because the Mon Calamari are also supposed to be an aquatic race. The Arboreal ships (have we seen them before?) also seemed to have a vaguely Star-Warsy theme about them, though I can't quantify exactly what...maybe the engine exhausts.
In fact, with the SW theme, I half expected Dolum to activate the Weapon and use it against the Aquatic ship a la the Death Star vs. the Liberty...

No, it's because they've finally run out of VFX budget
Again we see Sphere-Builders in a cloud of whiteness - perhaps another indication that they, like the Prophets, see time in a nonlinear fashion. Perhaps their universe does not have time in the conventional sense.
Incidentally, I've just realised what the Sphere-Builders remind me of: the ancestral humanoids from "The Chase". Maybe they moved to another dimension and now want ours back?

Well, they managed to get them into every episode of Voyager...
If the Sphere-Builders can't exist in our universe yet, how did they manage to build the Spheres in the Expanse? My theory is that there was maybe just one patch of anomalies there to begin with, so they could push through and build a first Sphere. Then that Sphere creates a patch of anomalies and they can move another Sphere in...maybe the nexus of anomalies in "Harbinger" was them preparing to move one more Sphere in.

Sphere-Builder: It's very easy to construct - you can get all the parts at your local outlet of the Gadget Shop...
What was that gyroscopy thing in the middle of the Weapon? And, furthermore, exactly who built this Weapon? The Xindi-Primate (Luigi's right, he really needs a name) said that the Aquatics actually built the Weapon, which presumably means that Degra designed it...but why is its architecture so different to that of all the Xindi species? We've now seen examples of all their ships, and the Weapon is totally different. My guess is that the main plans and some parts were actually transported through by the Sphere-Builders, which explains the funny readings on the first Weapon in "The Expanse".

Because Worf would miss and hit a planet full of hospitals for sick children
If the Xindi eventually join the Federation, why doesn't the Federation have the Weapon technology? Apart from the fact that they might actually be prepared to use it to destroy planets when their principles break down in the Dominion War, the Weapon technology could also be used to e.g. destroy the asteroid from "The Paradise Syndrome" or the moon from "Deja Q".

I'm going to need some time to consider that question...call you in three weeks?
Are the Aquatics supposed to be mammals or fish? They seem to have gills, yet otherwise look like mammals. And while we're at it, as someone mentioned on another board: without hands or other manipulators, how did the Aquatics build that huge ship and the Weapon?

Well, that's my two pence for now. Can't wait to see the finale...

And that makes a dozen! My plan to take over the universe by influencing others to use funny headings has reached another milestone! Bwahahahahahaa......


As for why they don't use planet-destroying weapons, it's for the same reason we don't want to use nukes today. Civilians would get killed.

Luigi Novi: As for why they don't use planet-destroying weapons, it's for the same reason we don't want to use nukes today. Civilians would get killed.
Me: Yes, that's what I said - Starfleet would never usually use the technology to actually destroy inhabited planets, but I thought some admirals might condone it during the darkest hours of the Dominion War when their principles were breaking down (Ross in "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges", Sisko in "In the Pale Moonlight" etc. My main point is that the Weapon technology could be used for NON-military purposes as a way to destroy e.g. the huge (Earth-moon-sized!) asteroid from "The Paradise Syndrome" et al.

Thande: If the Xindi eventually join the Federation, why doesn't the Federation have the Weapon technology? Apart from the fact that they might actually be prepared to use it to destroy planets when their principles break down in the Dominion War, the Weapon technology could also be used to e.g. destroy the asteroid from "The Paradise Syndrome" or the moon from "Deja Q".

Question: was it ever stated when the Xindi joined the Federation? Daniels says that the Federation consists of "humans, Xindi, Klingons," aboard the Enterprise-J, but that's in the 26th century, I believe. Perhaps the Xindi don't join until after the TNG/DS9/VOY time frame. If so, the planet-destroying technology wouldn't be available to the UFP for the events you mention.

I accept the above point.

Man, this show is on a roll. Great episode.

Poor Hoshi. Those Reptilians are brutal.

At the end, the Reptilian commander says that he'll be in his thermal chamber. Is that the bright room we saw him relaxing in a few eps ago?

DMW: Finally, did the “Captain’s Table” sequence strike anyone else as ill-timed and way too lighthearted? I understand the concept -- senior officers share a few moments of camaraderie and small talk on the eve of the big battle. But Jeez Louise, this is hardly the calm before the storm. The Xindi Superweapon has been launched, Hoshi has been kidnapped and you’re in hot pursuit. Is now really a good time to have Chef break out the steaks
I don't see why not. There's nothing they can do until they get there.

MrPorter: I thought this was a pretty cool ep, though I was fairly distracted this past Wed. and I'm definitely going to catch the rerun- so forgiveness please if this point was answered during the ep- but why would Hoshi, or the Reptillians for that matter, need to decript the Aquatics' codes specifically? At that point they could've gone for the Humanoids' or Arboreals' codes and not have the added linguistic barriers to deal with, no?
I assume that the written languages of the Primates and Arboreals are different as well.

Luigi kind of brought this up above, but isn't it a bit weird that Dolum can beam Hoshi off the bridge even though we've never seen ANY indication of the Xindi having transporter tech before, and could have used it to great effect in past episodes (e.g. in "Rajiin" where they have to actually dock with Enterprise to bring boarding troops on board), and even right now Dolum could have used it to beam the whole bridge crew away or beam some of his troopers in.

All the creators would have had to do to explain this is have a short piece of dialogue like this:

Dolum: It is time. Ready the new technology the Guardians have bequeathed to us.
Subordinate: We will only be able to manage one activation before the [TECHNOBABBLE] burns out.
Dolum: One is all I need. (Meaningful look at the Aquatic cypher)
Subordinate: But sir! I cannot guarantee that the process will be successful-
Dolum: You will, or you will be the next test subject.
(Subordinate fearfully rushes off)

See?

Did Archer and company destroy all of the Xindi ships minus the Lead Reptilian and Lead Insectoid? Torque
I don't believe so. When they enter the vortex I'm fairly certain there's more than just the weapon and two ships.

T’Pol tells Archer during the battle that Hoshi is on one of the first three decks of the Reptilian vessel, but after the MACOs board it and take cover with Hoshi in the corridor, Dolum’s Lieutenant says the intruders are on Level Seven. LN
Maybe the Reptilians number their decks backwards.

MrPorter why would Hoshi, or the Reptillians for that matter, need to decript the Aquatics' codes specifically?
Luigi Novi: [...] That doesn’t mean that that was the specific arming code he wanted her crack. For all we know, the Humanoid or Arboreals’ codes are the ones he had Hoshi crack.
Dolum stated more than once that he intended for Hoshi to crack the Aquatic's code.

You could also go the ROTC route, or go through Officer Training School. Justin
It's called Officer Candidate School, or OCS.

Those anomolies must've been extra potent because most, if not all, Xindi ships are insulated with terellium-D, which are supposed to protect them from anomolies. The Reptilians say Hoshi is strong-willed, but by this point she has just physically fought them off. Why did T'Pol have Trip meet her in the Command Center in 30 minutes after she returned from the sphere? Does she need a coffee break before downloading the memory core? About that module, T'Pol says there isn't enough information after telling Archer about sphere 41. There's plenty of information T'Pol, you've just only translated a small amount of it.

>>>By DMW on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 7:25 am:
Some nice scenes for Hoshi, but was she really the Reptilian’s best choice for deciphering the Aquatics' command codes (no matter how gifted a linguist she is)? Surely an aggressive and technologically advanced species like the Reptilians, previously at war with the well-armed Aquatics and with hundreds (if not thousands) of years to tackle the problem, could have come up with a better way to translate\decrypt Aquatic than ... oh.... say .... relying on the on-the-fly, drugged-up efforts of a sworn enemy. <<<

Yes and no. Under other circumstances the Reptilians probably would have better ways to crack the code. However they are at this point pushed for time. The Xindi council has fragmented with at least two of the races now against the Reptilians with a third considering their position. Since it is almost certain that Enterprise is going to try and destroy the weapon - and they'll have help - they'd want to go ahead and use the weapon before someone can stop them. The real danger to the Reptilians would be if the Insects have time to think about what is going on and decide to back out (Which in a way they do anyway).
Hoshi has already impressed the Reptilian leader with her ability to learn the Aquatic's language - he notes that he's heard it most of his life and still has trouble with it, but Hoshi picked it up in a few days. Because of this they no doubt consider Hoshi their best bet for cracking the codes at that time.

>>>Finally, did the “Captain’s Table” sequence strike anyone else as ill-timed and way too lighthearted? I understand the concept -- senior officers share a few moments of camaraderie and small talk on the eve of the big battle. But Jeez Louise, this is hardly the calm before the storm. The Xindi Superweapon has been launched, Hoshi has been kidnapped and you’re in hot pursuit. Is now really a good time to have Chef break out the steaks? <<<

Good Captains know that if you are going to go into battle its best to do so well fed and well rested. Its not that they don't care about Hoshi, or are not worried about whats ahead, its that they know they will be no use to her or Earth if they are tired and hungry.

>>>By Harvey Kitzman on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 1:53 pm:
I wanted to kick my TV over this one - if T'Pol becomes a Star Fleet member, it will directly fly in the face of the established canon of Spock being the first Vulcan in Star Fleet. Again, another example of the idiocy of Berman and Braga in a potential violation of continuity. But as continuity has never mattered to these two morons, I'm not surprised. <<<

It has never been stated on screen that Spock was the first Vulcan in Star Fleet, and only what is shown on screen is considered Cannon in Star Trek.
Surak simply said that he disagreed with Spock joining Starfleet, which could be nothing more than Surak having wanted his son to take a different career.
The USS Intrepid makes it clear that there were Vulcans in Starfleet, and it would something of a stretch to say that the 400 or so Vulcans on that ship joined after Spock - and it would be a greater stretch to imagine that a ship of 400 has a Captain who hasn't been in the fleet longer than Spock.

Anti-nit; There may be a simple explination that would sort the problem out, and that would be if Spock was the first Vulcan to join Starfleet Academy ON EARTH.
This would make T'Pol joining Starfleet no nit, since she never went to Starfleet academy on Earth - and the comments about T'Pol going to the Academy could be nothing more than teasing. After all I really can't see a reason why an experienced officer, who has been well trained AND who has been acting as Enterprises first officer for some three/four years would be required to do training at the Academy.
We know that both the Andorians and Vulcans had large fleets before they joined the Federation, and we also know that Vulcan had some type of academy for training crews (I think T'Pol has mentioned the Vulcan academy at least once), so I'd assume the Andorians had something like this.
It may be that when Spock joined Starfleet it trained its Vulcan officers on Vulcan, not Earth. It would make sense if the Academy on Earth wasn't the only place Starfleet officers were trained, since it doesn't seem as if the academy on Earth is large enough to supply the entire Starfleet with officers for its ships. Things might well have changed since Spock joined, even by the time of the movies, since Vulcan is relatively close to Earth they could have shifted the training programs from Vulcan to Earth.

Note; While 'Starfleet academy' has always been shown as being on Earth there is nothing in Startrek to indicate this is the only place officers are trained in the Federation.

>>>By The Undesirable Element on Thursday, May 20, 2004 - 4:22 pm:
BY THE NUMBERS:
What was with the away team of 4 throughout the show. Why not send a huge away team over to the Xindi ship to retrieve Hoshi? Why not take more than three MACOs on Degra's ship? <<<

I think four is the limit of how many people the transporter can manage in one go. While they could transport another team down to help this would only increase the time it would take to extract everyone.

>>>FINAL REQUEST IGNORED:
Hayes's last words to Malcolm are to let MacKenzie have control of the MACOs because she knows them best. Yet when it comes time to pick his group to go on Degra's ship, Malcolm neither consults her nor chooses her to go on the mission. <<<

Reed could have talked to her before he talks to the rest of the MACO's. In fact if she is now the senior MACO Reed should have informed her of her change in position prior to talking to the rest of them.
As to not taking her along, in that I would agree with Reed. She is now the senior MACO, and as such it would make sense for Reed to keep her on Enterprise to handle the ships security duties. Spliting the Security/MACO force in two and then taking the twomost experienced and senior offiers off with the smaller group makes no sense.

>>>PRICELESS LOOK YET TO BE SEEN:
I have to agree with Trip. I would also like to see the look on Soval's face when he sees T'Pol in a Starfleet uniform. <<<

We already know what Soval is likely to say from Twilight; 'It doesn't suit you'.

>>>By Torque, Son of Keplar on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 9:52 pm:
NANJAO

Deflector Pulse? Hmmmmm... See: Best of Both Worlds. (TNG) Part I<<<

Or Voy Endgame (Used to close temporal hole), ST Generations (Used to break free of the nexus), TNG All good things (Used to conduct an inverse tacyon scan), ST First contact (The Borg tried to turn it into a beacon for the Borg of that time to find Earth). And thats just the episodes I can think of off the top of my head. Lets face it, the most over designed bit of kit on Starships seems to be the main deflector dish - that thing seems to be able to do almost anything....

>>>By Zarm Rkeeg on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 10:55 am:

Also, this episode answers a long-running question I had: Apparently, if shot early enough in the transport cycle, you can be injured or killed during a beam-out.

By Torque, Son of Keplar on Sunday, May 23, 2004 - 8:34 pm:

the "bullet" probably beamed with him.<<<

I assumed that the energy discharge scrambled the energy signiture where it passed through Haynes.

>>>By Torque, Son of Keplar on Friday, May 21, 2004 - 9:52 pm:

Did Archer and company destroy all of the Xindi ships minus the Lead Reptilian and Lead Insectoid? The Reptiles destroy the Insectoid Council Member's ship and no word of any problems with the rest of the "bad" Xindi ships?
...Speaking of the Insectoids being quite annoyed at this moment, I hope TPTB use a different approach than that of DS9 and the Cardassians. Maybe something more stealthy.<<<

No, if you watch the end of the battle you'll see that Reptillian and Insectiod were still fighting. Only two of the Xindi ships managed to get through the vortex with the weapon.

Nit;

When Trip tells Hayes he can only transport two at a time off the Xindi ship Hayes tells him to take Sato and Kelly. However the name patch on the arm of the MACO who transports with Hoshi reads E Hamboyan.

TUE: I seem to remember that there was an entire Federation ship filled with Vulcans in a TOS episode ("The Doomsday Device" I think).
ScottN: The Immunity Syndrome(TOS). The USS Intrepid was manned completely by Vulcans
There's also the ship on Take Me Out to the Holosuite (DS9) that was all Vulcan.

Obi-Juan: I have trouble believing that Hoshi can decrypt the Aquatics' launch codes.
Although Hoshi's skills are certainly amazing I too have trouble believing this, and the Insectoids' language. Both of those languages cannot be even close to languages she or her translator is use to. Also, I took the use of the word codes here as for something individually created and entered, like a password, not like an encryption that can be broken. Why wouldn't the Xindi use their codes in this fashion to prevent this very thing?

Nove: Not only did Trip not pick McKenzie, but where is she? When Trip tells the MACOs of Hayes’ death, there are no females present.
We all know who you meant but that was Reed not Trip. Though I agree that McKenzie shouldn't go to the weapon now that she's in charge but it would've been nice for her to be present for that scene, or at least a quick one earlier or Reed asking her opinion of who should go. Some of the other female MACOs would've been nice too.

Thande: If the Sphere-Builders can't exist in our universe yet, how did they manage to build the Spheres in the Expanse?
Good question! Short of having them pop up out of nowhere, transported from the Guardians' universe, I don't know how they would've done it without being noticed.

Thande: And while we're at it, without hands or other manipulators, how did the Aquatics build that huge ship and the Weapon?
Aquatics do have hands, and arms. You can see them coming from behind the gills and settling near their head.

During the rescue of Hoshi the MACOs find themselves in a crossfire and before Hayes throws that grenade we see two MACOs turn around to cover the new threats. This is not wise. What they should've done is one cover fore and the other aft (relatively). Based on the basic shape, the large deflector (in their case), and the fact that they're reptiles the Reptilian ships remind me of the Cardissian's, just with those minor points though.

Duane: Major Hayes moving out of his cover into the hall with the lizards at both ends???
I thought that a bad move as well. He had to assume he was surrounded, so why break cover when there were two successful beamouts? Also, why was he the only one who used a stun grenade? During every beamout they could've used one and covered at least one side of the passageway.

Taoiseach: I put it down to an effects error until Captain Archer told Malcolm "Cut us loose" and the doors to the Aquatics' cargo bay opened and disgorged Enterprise.
Archer didn't tell Malcom this, he was talking to the Aquatics via ship-to-ship comms.

LN: I can buy the idea that the Aquatics’ ships are as fast as the Reptilians’ and Insectoids’, but the Enterprise keeps up with them, and the impression one gets from Acts 2 and 3 is that they got to the Weapon in a short amount of time.
Although it was only a few seconds, perhaps around 10, the other Xindi ships arrived before the Aquatics. Also, Enterprise didn't have to keep up with the fleet, the Aquatics housed them in their forward bay and let them out when Archer said "cut us loose."

LN: Okay, I’m not a med tech, and I don’t know if what I’ve seen on TV and in the movies is accurate emergency medical procedure, but in the beginning of Act 4, Phlox tries to revive Major Hayes with only two attempts with the cardio stimulator before giving up. Am I the only one who would’ve tried at least one or two more times?
Definitely not the only one Luigi! I remember thinking 'that's it, only twice' during this scene. Plus, Phlox put the devices in the wrong spot! In order to stimulate the heart the paddles have to be placed in a manner that directs the arc of energy across it. The way Phlox had them placed he had a better chance of stimulating his stomach; which probably would've ruined this dramatic death scene