Enterprise | Season 3

Countdown

Directed By: Robert Duncan McNeill
Written By: Andre Bormanis & Chris Black

Rating:

Reviewed on: 10 June 2004
Reviewed by: Michael Axe

In Brief:

Review: (Contains Spoilers)

Being the middle chapter in a trilogy is arguably always a tough job, and to an extent, I think this episode does struggle slightly. A number of plot elements are clearly there to delay the inevitable final confrontation, and so other elements seem a little slow-paced after the frantic climax of the previous episode.

Having said that, there are still plenty of redeeming features, and the episode is not bad by any stretch of the imagination … the above comments are more an indication of a problem with the general “feel” of the episode…

Arguably the biggest ‘stalling plot device' is the whole subplot concerning Hoshi's capture. On the negative side, it does feel at times that the convoluted Reptilian plan to capture Hoshi to decrypt the Aquatics' launch code is a little tacked on, and mainly only there to prevent the Reptilians launching the weapon immediately before Archer and the crew have finished doing what they need to do.

Having said that, however, the subplot does offer a number of positive points. Hoshi's capture and torture – and especially her brave defiance – is all the more heroic as we know how afraid she must be, and her courage under such conditions really shows how far she's come since season one's “Fight or Flight” . Her capture also adds a whole other dimension to the episode's climax, and sets up the need for the daring MACO rescue mission.

Speaking of which, Major Hayes is excellent as ever, and his earlier exchanges with Reed were very well acted, especially his reaction when he learns of Hawkins' death. The two characters finally reach an understanding based on mutual respect … which with hindsight probably wasn't a good move on Hayes' part! Just as Degra is murdered shortly after making peace with Trip, Hayes meets his end in the episode too. But even this is handled very well, with the character heroically placing himself in danger to ensure his injured colleagues can escape first – before being hit unexpectedly just as he is beamed away. This was done very well, as it really kept the viewer guessing as to how badly injured he'd been. The fact that he was killed by the blast (whereas similar events in TNG and DS9 have not injured the person being transported) is another nice tip of the hat to the dangers of the still-primitive and unproven transporter technology. Hayes' actual death scene in sickbay was touching, if a little clichéd (most deaths scenes are, to some extent), and the scene where Reed has the break the news to the other MACOs was very emotionally charged. Hayes was another recurring character who'd been in a number of episodes, and I personally think it's a testimony to the character that he made such an impact on the show despite only appearing in five episodes.

As a side note, one of the many improvements the show has seen this year has been the fleshing out of additional secondary characters – but with so many of them dead by the end of season three, I hope we wont be back to the situation where there are no supporting characters for season four…

The last bit of ‘negotiation' Archer needs to do is concluded this episode, when he convinces the powerful Aquatics to join Enterprise , the Humanoids and Arboreals in the assault on the super-weapon. The turn around from ‘warrior' to ‘peace envoy' over the last few episodes has been very refreshing, as despite the fact he had to cut a number of ethical corners to get there, Archer hasn't lost sight of the fact the goal should be to save both civilisations, not just Earth. In their own way, the Xindi are as much a victim as the Humans. This concept is highlighted nicely once again at the end, where even the Insectoids begin to question the truthfulness of the Guardians. In the end, only the Reptilians still follow the guidance of the Guardians, and by this stage it is becoming increasingly unclear as to whether Dolum is motivated by blind, unquestioning faith in the Guardians, or the promise of glory and power over the other Xindi species…

Of course to get the Aquatics onboard, Archer promises them the one thing they want more than anything else – and end to the threat posed by the Spheres. It's a gamble – and it falls on T'Pol and Trip to live up to Archer's promise. While their theories and scientific discussions may be nothing more than technobabble, the subplot is primarily there as a justification to force the two officers to spend some time together. Arguably, they're not really communicated since they slept together in “Harbinger” , and certainly T'Pol's recent Trillium withdrawal has put a great strain on their ‘relationship' (I use the word in its loose sense). But here they finally have a heart-to-heart and clear the air – and although Trip may still be none the wiser as to what's causing T'Pol's increased stress, the bond of friendship and support between them is certainly reinforced in this episode.

Before long the stage is set for the final attack on the super-weapon (which is why the Hoshi subplot felt like it was only there to make the Reptilians wait for the others to catch up…). The MACO rescue sequences are well shot and paced, while the spectacular space battles with the various Xindi ships, the super-weapon, and the barely–holding together Enterprise were some of the best I've seen on a Trek show in years, reminding me of the heady days of the Dominion War. The decision of the Guardians to intervene directly with the Sphere-created anomalies was a dramatic and unexpected way to turn the tide, and allowed the super-weapon to escape, thereby setting up the finale.

So you can see what I mean – a large chunk of the episode felt like it was only there to stall the launch of the weapon, and the last ten minutes is spent planning everyone's assignments for the season finale – which results in an episode which definitely suffers from ‘middle chapter syndrome'. However, the other elements of the episode are all terrific, and the upside of having all the various missions planned out ready for next week is that it means the season finale can be concerned with the execution of the missions, rather than their planning.

All in all, a decent and thoughtful middle chapter, with a very well handled climax and a touching epilogue to a character that will be sorely missed.

Michael Axe is the author of a number of novellas and screenplays, and is a main reviewer for ST Universe. All his reviews are copyright © Michael Axe and are used here exclusively with his permission.