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"The Shipment"
Story by: Chris Black & Brent V. Friedman Teleplay by: Chris Black & Brent
V. Friedman Directed by: David Straiton
Synopsis followed by review:
Degra and two Xindi-Reptilians are talking together. The Xindi-humanoid
says they will test the weapon on an uninhabited planet and that he will
need another shipment of kemocite from Gralik. If all goes well, the weapon
will be ready to deploy in a few weeks.
Archer, T'Pol and Reed are in the command centre studying the planet where
the telepathic Tarquin from "Exile" said there is a Xindi colony and that
part of the Xindi weapon is being built there. The planet doesn't seem to
have defense systems but Archer notices that there are high energy readings
and wants to investigate them.
While Enterprise hides behind the planet's moon, Archer, Reed and Major
Hayes take a shuttlepod to the planet and find the source of the energy
readings. They are coming from what appears to be a complex of sorts.
Archer, using binoculars, spots some Xindi-Sloths at the entrance. He
contacts T'Pol to tell her what they've found and that they will make their
way into the complex to investigate further. When inside, Reed takes scans
and finds canisters containing a radiolytic compound.
Meanwhile, three Xindi-Sloths enter the room and Archer and the others hide.
The Xindi talk about "kemocite" and how Degra is unrealistic in wanting such
a large shipment. The Xindi leave and Archer and the others go back
outside.
Archer beams over one of the canisters to T'Pol and Trip so it can be
analysed further. Reed and Major Hayes suggest blowing up the complex but
Archer decides it can wait as he wants to find out where the kemocite is
being shipped to as that is most likely where the weapon is being built.
One of the Xindi-Sloths, the one who appears to be the boss, leaves the
complex to go home. Archer and the others follow him and break into the
house. Archer tells him: "I have some questions for you."
Archer tells Reed and Hayes to go outside and stand watch and proceeds to
interrogate the Xindi. He finds out that his name is Gralik Durr. Archer
asks about the kemocite and Gralik tells him that it is a multiphasic
isotope that is used for "numerous applications". He asks about Degra and
Gralik tells him that's none of his business. Archer asks what Degra wants
the kemocite for. Gralik says he doesn't ask his clients what they plan to
do with the kemocite he sells them. Archer tells him it will be used to
build a weapon to "exterminate my people". Gralik is shocked and says he
doesn't know anything about that or where the weapon is being built. Archer
says he won't leave until he gets answers.
Later, Archer is outside with Reed while Hayes watches Gralik. Archer is
speaking with T'Pol who tells him that the isotope has a subquantum imprint
that is also on the Xindi probe that was used to attack Earth.
Trip tells Archer that the rifle they got from one of the Xindis that had
boarded the ship in "Rajiin" also has the same imprint. Trip wants to take
the rifle apart. Reed congratulates Archer in succeeding in the mission
since they will be destroying the complex. Archer questions their plan.
Archer tells Reed: "They think they're acting in self-defense. By
destroying this complex, we'll be confirming their worst fears about
humanity." He tells Reed to have Hayes "lay down blast suppressors" so that
only the complex will be destroyed and not the settlement. Reed mentions
that Gralik will tell the others about Enterprise. Archer says he will deal
with Gralik when the time comes as he doesn't want anyone to know they were
there.
T'Pol beams down a fragment of the Xindi probe. Archer shows Gralik the
fragment and says it is imprinted with the same quantum signature as the
compound they produce at the complex and that it was part of a weapon that
killed "7 million people." Gralik denies having anything to do with the
weapon.
Meanwhile Phlox and Tucker examine the rifle. Seems that the rifle has
biological components that are alive and can reproduce.
Back on the planet, Gralik tells Archer that the fragment is made up of
highly refined kemocite and that it was synthesized at the complex. He
tells the captain that Degra had told him it was to be used for research
purposes. He also tells him that there was a sixth species, the Avians, but
that because of war they are now extinct. The homeworld was destroyed by
the Insectoids and Reptilians and the remaining five species are scattered
throughout the Expanse. Hayes comes in and Archer goes outside with him.
T'Pol calls Archer to tell him that a Xindi ship is approaching the planet.
Phlox has discovered that the organic component of the Xindi rifle modulates
the rifle's power output. Phlox has been trying to find a way to destroy
it. He's found that delta radiation does the trick but that it would take
large amounts to work and that this would be dangerous to humans.
Back in Gralik's house, Archer is told that he may not have much time.
Gralik tells him that they've been processing kemocite for Degra for almost
six months and that this is to be the final shipment. He tells Archer that
he may be able to find out about the weapon. Archer questions his honesty.
He tells Archer: "I won't let my work be corrupted in this way." Two Xindi
come looking for Gralik.
Trip and Phlox prepare to test the rifle. Meanwhile Degra and the
Xindi-Reptilian are waiting for Gralik. The Xindi-Reptilian decides to go
looking for him. Archer, Reed, Hayes and Gralik are outside when they
realize that they are being followed. It turns out that "seekers", devices
that are used for tracking, are being used to find Gralik. Gralik suggests
they go to a nearby cave where they will be safe from the seekers. In the
meantime, Trip and Phlox test the rifle but it overloads and Trip must beam
it out in space before it explodes. Back at the cave, Gralik asks Archer if
he will kill him and if he will destroy the facility. Archer tells him that
it's not his fault that the weapon was built and asks him if he will help
give Degra the "shipment" but not quite in the condition he was expecting.
Archer decides to trust Gralik and let him go alone back to the complex.
Archer contacts T'Pol to tell her to "hold off on those spatial charges"
and that he has an assignment for her and Hoshi. Gralik returns to the
complex and tells his employees to test the shipment again while he runs
submolecular scans presumably to alter the kemocite and render it unusable.
Hoshi beams down the canister they had taken and tells Archer that they have
modified the radiolytic signature and will be able to track it if he can get
it on the Xindi ship. Meanwhile, Degra and the Xindi- Reptilian come back
to the complex and question Gralik. He manages to hold them off and tells
them he wants to make sure the shipment is up to standards.
Archer makes his way onto the Xindi shuttle and replaces one of the
canisters with the modified one. Meanwhile, Gralik asks Degra and the
Xindi-Reptilian, as they are about to leave, what the shipment is for.
Degra tells Gralik there's a "ruthless alien species" that is out to destroy
the Xindi. Archer contacts T'Pol to ask if they can track the signal and
they can.
Back at Gralik's house, Archer asks if something is wrong. Gralik
says: "I may have just betrayed my people to a ruthless alien species."
Archer tells him it's not the case. They drink and make a toast to trust.
Gralik tells him that Degra's plans will be delayed. Archer is concerned
that the Xindi ship has gone into an energy portal and they've lost the
tracking signal. Gralik tells him that the portal's range is only a few
light years and to keep searching. Gralik tells Archer: "If everything
you've told me is true, of the attack on your world, I hope you remember
that not all Xindi are your enemy."
Review:
There was a quiet, subdued tension maintained throughout this episode that
kept me on edge as I watched it. There were no big explosions (save for the
rifle) or frenetic action sequences and no space battles and yet there was
plenty of suspense nonetheless. Straiton does a great job here in terms of
pacing and brings out the best in Bakula and Cothran (Gralik) and the solid
dialogue and character interaction helps to make for an engaging show.
The interaction between Scott Bakula and John Cothran Jr. as Gralik stood
out to me as quite believable. Archer is brash at first with Gralik while
the latter is calm and attentive. The progression from the first moment
they meet to how they finally decide to trust each other is done
realistically and believably. Of course, it's a little hard to believe that
Gralik would trust Archer so easily and in essense betray his own kind and
vice versa. But the fact that Gralik knows the history of his people and
how they destroyed their own world suggests that he is aware of how violent
they can be, especially the Reptilians and Insectoids. We've also seen in
the past how in the Xindi Council meetings that the Xindi- Sloth appears to
be more cautious, intellectual and reasonable so Gralik is not out of
character in his behavior. As for Archer, he realizes that Gralik is
innocent and is willing to trust him if only to avoid what could be a worst
situation.
A good episode always leaves you thinking, asking questions and wanting to
see more and this one certainly does the job. For example, it brings up the
question of whether or not the Xindi are evil. Archer does say that they
are acting in self-defense since they believe humans will destroy their
world in the future. Gralik suggests that while the Reptilians and
Insectoids went too far in their civil war and ended up destroying their
planet that it wasn't their intention. He also mentions that the Xindi-
Primates have always been trustworthy but that maybe now they've changed.
Archer doesn't tell him why the Xindi are planning to destroy Earth.
Gralik finds out later when he speaks to Degra. Still, he doesn't betray
Archer as he doesn't want to be responsible for the creation of such a
devastating weapon that will be used for murder and it shows that he has a
great deal of intregrity. You can't judge a species (or race) by the
actions of a few of its members. Communication, trust, cooperation and
respect for life all stand out as Roddenberry ideals and they are all found
here in this very, classic Trek episode and it leaves us wondering if a
diplomatic solution can and will be found. Still, it's good to see the
Xindi being fleshed-out and becoming less and less two-dimensional.
Which brings up the question of who told the Xindi that humans would be
responsible for their destruction. The Suliban leader from the future seems
to be on Earth's side. In season one, Silik prevented the Enterprise from
being destroyed. It all seems to mean that someone in the future doesn't
want the Federation to be created but it's not the Suliban faction or is it?
I like how the Temporal Cold War is still part of the storyline and wonder
how it will play out in this arc. Another question that comes up is now
that the super-weapon will be delayed does this mean that the bio-weapon
will be created and used instead?
I also enjoyed the interaction between Phlox, T'Pol and Tucker as they try
to find out a way to eliminate the threat of the Xindi rifles. I like that
T'Pol is the more cautious one while the guys heedlessly go ahead to test
the weapon. Trip's attempts at dealing with Expanse technology lately
always seem to end up exploding as in the time when he and T'Pol were trying
to synthesize Trellium-D. It's good to see that things aren't so easily
solved and have consequences. In addition, the rifle's bio- component must
have been genetically engineered. In "Rajiin", Phlox also mentioned that
the Reptilian who died had committed suicide by activating a "suicide gland"
which Phlox said was also engineered. Is this Xindi technology or has it
been given to them by the future guy who told them about Earth? And of
course, who built the Expanse and why? So many questions make all this fun
to think about.
Reed continues to be competent and works well with Hayes and other MACOs.
Yet we see how they are not experienced in leadership as they are quite
ready to blow up the facility and the settlement. Archer is very much the
captain here as we see him think about the lives involved. He doesn't want
the settlement to be destroyed along with the facility. Still we wonder how
he would have dealt with Gralik considering that he didn't want anyone to
know that the Enterprise had been there. Would he have had him killed?
Continuity continues to be solid and the arc storyline is becoming more and
more interesting and complex as time goes by. Jay Chattaway's score added
much to the proceedings and the visuals were top-notch as per usual.
All in all, a very good episode.
I give this one an A.
Gisele La Roche
For previous episodes go to:
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