Retro TV Review: Star Trek Enterprise Season Three Episode Twenty-Two: The Council

The one where Archer talks to the Xindi Council….originally broadcast on May 12, 2004  this is The Council.

The Episode:

Captain’s Star Log Date February 12, 2154

Archer and Degra meet with the Xindi Council to convince them to not launch the weapon after, unbeknownst to them the Sphere Builders find that many of the timelines seem to indicate that Enterprise will succeed in preventing Earths destruction.

After The Sphere-Builders try to convince Degra to change his mind but he doesn’t relent, Degra tries to do all he can to help Archer prove his case. The Xindi Council are at first unwilling to listen to Degra’s new evidence but, over time and several side missions to bring them more information, in the end they are willing to postpone the weapon delay pending an inquiry.  Although it seems that Dolmin the Reptilian Xindi is on their side, he reveals his true colors when he kills Degra for his part in destroying the Reptilian vessel in order to save Enterprise.  The Council is soon fractured with the Arboreals and Primates siding with the humans,  but the Reptilian and Insectoid Xindi go ahead and launch the weapon before anyone can stop them.  In the process, the Reptilians kidnap Hoshi.

Is this a ‘Good’ Episode:

It’s hard to say if this is a good one or not as this whole Xindi Super Weapon storyline has been rather disappointing to say the least.  There has been a lot of terrible stories this season so far and, well, this is essentially the beginning of the end of those stories.  With that in mind, this episode isn’t a terrible one, it’s just very predictable.  We finally get a chance to see Archer and team meet with the Xindi leadership council and, ‘almost’ prevent the potential destruction of Earth.  Of course, with two more episodes remaining after this, it was obvious that things wouldn’t turn out as planned or this would have been the season finale.  

Unfortunately there is nothing really ‘stand out’ in this one to speak of.  It’s a perfectly serviceable episode but all it really does is set up the final two episodes in this season.  Oh and there is a claw that kills one of the MACO crewmembers so there is that. 

Gleanings and Cool Bits:

• The Xindi council uses the lost sixth tribe’s ruins as a place to hold their meetings.
• Tucker finally comes to terms with his hatred toward the Xindi realizing that maybe he has been a little too harsh.
• We learn that Phlox’s weight loss regimen includes the use of a tapeworm that he extracts via his…well…you know. 

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Late To The Game 10/11/2021

Special Thanks to Memory Alpha as they are one of the best sources for details on Star Trek information available.  Although I have a pretty deep knowledge on the subject, they have proven invaluable as a regular resource.

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