| Review : |
This episode is a well-executed piece of the current arc, with a handful of quibbles - the most noticeable for me that Phlox is pretty much just standing around while Major Hayes is seriously injured. Why wouldn't he be a flurry of activity, trying to stop bleeding, repair tissue, etc? I'm also a little annoyed at the reptiles/insects bad, mammals good dichotomy that seems very common in Star Trek and other sci-fi. T'Pol's addiction recovery is a bit frustrating too - I wouldn't mind if she were actually struggling with some kind of withdrawal symptoms, but instead it feels like a cheap ploy to remake Vulcans in humanity's image. This quibble is more with the arc as a whole, but this episode seemed to highlight it for me. |
| Review : |
The Xindi arc is really ramping up. A decent action episode, placed pretty much perfectly. I still think that the whole thing could have been covered in much less time. This would have made a perfect first half to the last of three, although it would need a few cuts. We lose the redoubtable Hayes in this episode. Hayes never really had enough character development, and the MACOs seem to be the Redshirts of the 22nd Century. Still, I was hoping that he would see it through, and perhaps emerge as something more than a 1-dimensional Space Marine. That way, his death might have had more resonance. On the usual minor points, I notice that the crucial structure is Sphere 41 not Sphere 47. Also, if the Sphere Builders had all that power at their disposal, why did they not use it before? Still, the 'Death Star' (or whatever it's called) is on its way, and somehow I can't imagine Mayweather taking a shuttle down a canyon on its surface... It's all building up for a great climax. |
