The Xindi (ENT episode)
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The Xindi are also a species in Star Trek fiction.
"The Xindi" is the premiere episode of the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise. The episode officially introduced the season's story arc in which the crew of Enterprise scour the Delphic Expanse to prevent the Xindi from destroying Earth (although some exposition was provided in the second season finale, "The Expanse").
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Plot summary
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Based on information from a freighter captain "of questionable character", Jonathan Archer leads Enterprise to a mining colony within the expanse. He strikes a deal with the mine's foreman, a man who is characterized as equally suspicious. In exchange for a half-litre of platinum, Archer and Trip Tucker are allowed to meet with a Xindi-Humanoid worker named Kessick. Archer tries to extract the coordinates of the Xindi homeworld, Xindus, from him, but Kessick refuses to help the captain unless Archer assists him in escaping the planet.
Archer refuses, but he soon learns that the foreman had ulterior motives in allowing him access to Kessick. Kessick has trapped him and Tucker in the mine and has recalled three warships to the planet in order to gain control of Enterprise. He plans to use the crew as slaves in the mine.
Kessick claims to know how to escape the mine, but asserts that he will only tell Archer if the captain agrees to allow him to escape on his ship. Archer reluctantly agrees, and Kessick leads him and Trip through the mine's sewage removal system. However, the group is discovered by the mine's foreman, who floods the system with plasma in an effort to kill them. They escape before being killed, but fall into the hands of the foreman's security forces.
By this time, T'Pol, on board the Enterprise, determines that a rescue attempt must be made before the warships arrive. She orders a team of the newly-assigned MACOs to the surface in a shuttlepod. They perform remarkably well in combat, and manage to rescue Archer and Trip and kill the foreman very effectively. The shuttlepod returns the to ship, which takes off just as the warships arrive. Unfortunately, Kessick is injured in the firefight on the surface and dies shortly thereafter.
Themes and Significance
This show introduces several major themes that are revisited throughout the third season. One is Archer's willingness to use morally questionable tactics to save his people. He first puts the crew in danger by accepting the questionable advice and later threatens and manhandles Kessick to extract information. Although these actions were not indefensible, Archer's limits and tolerance for unordinary and violent tactics would be tested as the season progressed.
A second theme introduced was the function and authority of the MACOs. As the rescue mission was being planned, the MACO leader, Major Hayes, became involved in a heated conflict with Enterprise security chief Malcolm Reed about whose men should participate in the mission. Issues relating to the Hayes and his MACOs' allegiance and power would be revisited in the episode, "Hatchery".
The introduction of these themes came at the expense of Malcolm Reed's ego. In the opening scene, Archer and Reed are in the command center. Reed objects to Archer's plan to visit the mining colony on dubious intelligence, saying it will put the crew at risk. Archer responds by chewing him out, asserting that since the Enterprise has been in the Expanse for six weeks and found nothing, the crew must take some risks to find the Xindi and save Earth. Later, T'Pol chooses Hayes' rescue plan over Reed's. Hayes claimed that his men should perform the rescue while Reed's men, who know the ship's layout better, stay on board to defend against a possible boarding. Reed claims it was a matter of military pride, not strategy (possibly an allusion to combat leadership and presence conflicts between the United States Navy and the Marines), but dismisses this in favor of Hayes' plan.
Finally, the episode explores interspecies prejudice. Tucker, a human, is experiencing sleep problems as a result of the death of his sister in the Xindi attack on Earth, but he is unwilling to attempt to alleviate his insomnia by participating in neuro-pressure sessions with T'Pol, a Vulcan. In response, Doctor Phlox, a Denobulan, resolves the problem by getting T'Pol to persuade Tucker to attempt the therapy after tricking him into going to T'Pol's quarters to drop off a report. The neuro pressure sessions continue through the show's third season, allowing both characters to explore their misconceptions about the other's species. They also cause the couple to grow increasingly intimate, most significantly in the future episode, "Harbinger".
The crew's (and especially Archer's) racism against the Xindi is also challenged. At the beginning of the episode, the Xindi are viewed as universally evil enemies. Such an attitude is reinforced by Kessick's ostensible selfishness and indifference. However, at the end of the episode, just before he dies, he reveals the location of the Xindi homeworld to Phlox. Archer brings the ship there, but finds only an asteroid field, the debris of a destroyed planet. Archer orders the ship deeper into the Expanse, ingenious that he is being monitored by the Xindi Council.
The third season would explore Xindi politics, characteristics, and history, gradually revealing more information about the council and the destruction of the planet. Although "The Xindi" is not considered one of Star Trek's best season premieres, it is thought of as a entertaining show and is significant for its introduction of the popular Xindi story arc and the themes related to it.
Show changes
"The Xindi" marked the start of Enterprise's "new direction" following two seasons that were heavily criticized for a lack of focus, and low ratings due to issues with its network, UPN. The launch of a season-long arc was an attempt to try and break the "status quo" of previous Star Trek series, and would be moderately successful as a whole.
Some minor cosmetic changes occurred with the new format. A new, more upbeat arrangement of "Where My Heart Will Take Me", the series' controversial theme song was introduced (following fan rumors that it would be replaced by everything from an orchestral piece to a heavy metal song). The appearance of T'Pol was softened somewhat. Concurrent with her resignation from the Vulcan High Command, she was now depicted wearing a series of colorful, more casual outfits. Her physical appearance was also altered, with more traditional Vulcan eyebrows added to the makeup and a new wig for actress Jolene Blalock was introduced giving T'Pol a less severe hairstyle. Some of these changes, as with most others involving the series, were met with criticism by some fans who felt T'Pol was being sexualized, particularly in the controversial neuro-pressure scene in this episode in which T'Pol appears topless and appears to have a sexual reaction when Trip accesses a neuro-pressure point on her back.
External link
- Startrek.com episode synopsis (http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/1729.html)
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