"Hatchery"

Written by Andre Bormanis and Mike Sussman
Directed by Michael Grossman


In which Archer becomes attached to a hatchery of Xindi Insectoid eggs when an exploration of a crashed Xindi ship goes awry...

Captain's Log - Final Analysis







Captain's Log

This “sweeps” period has been an odd one for “Enterprise”. Instead of pulling out the more intelligent action-oriented episodes for the ratings period, the producers seemed to play it safe. In fact, they were probably playing it a little too safe. Running strong episodes in the ratings-barren month of January was an error that the series might never recover from, if the negative press out of the network is any indication.

While this episode touches on the overall Xindi arc a bit more closely than the previous two episodes, the focus is still very much on a stock stand-alone plot from the traditional Trek archives. Mind-altering substances are hardly a new plot device for the series. However, rarely has such a substance resulted in an interesting (if ultimately unsatisfying) exploration of intent.

There’s no question that Archer is acting under the influence of some kind of Xindi Insectoid biological imperative. Like the previous episode, that plot twist is telegraphed from the very beginning, making the final moments of the episode more of a coda for the characters than a reveal for the audience. Having firmly established the source of Archer’s evolving behavior in the episode, the writers take that concept and use it to introduce shades of Archer and his attitude towards “the mission”.

The writers manage this exploration of Archer’s character to varying degrees of success. At first, it appears as though the biochemical influence on Archer will be subtle, reinforcing existing character traits and redirecting them to protection and care of the hatchery. This is where the episode succeeds and should have remained, because the conflicted reactions to Archer’s behavior is far more interesting than the direction ultimately taken.

Instead of allowing Archer’s decisions to mesh closely with his existing attitudes, and therefore making the resulting “mutiny” more questionable and revealing of those involved in that mutiny, the writers push Archer so far across the line that the conflict has no real ambiguity. One can see how the writers attempted to suggest that level of uncertainty and inner conflict within the strained relations between Reed and Hayes, but that is never fully realized.

Clearly defining the “right” side of the argument is the weakness in the premise. Imagine a less cleanly resolved version of this episode, in which Archer’s decisions are influenced by the Xindi biochemistry but effectively consistent with his established morality. Then it would be a less obvious choice between following Archer’s orders or defying him. As written, it’s hard to believe that Hayes would be so devoted to the chain of command that he would fail to recognize what was happening.

It also would have been nice to see a division between the senior officers during the mutiny. Perhaps one of them could have agreed with the concept of saving lives to deliver a message to the Xindi, which was a good rationale somewhat lost over time. It’s frustrating to see an episode that has all the right elements slowly devolve into more standard Trek fare, because if Archer had been portrayed as rational throughout, the ending would have been less predictable.

This episode does a better job with continuity than the past couple of episodes, specifically in terms of the relationship between Reed and Hayes. It’s good to see the writers making the effort to bring forward their evolving work relationship, especially since that was not necessarily handled as well as it could have been prior to “Harbinger”.

Like some of the more recent episodes, time is spent fleshing out the Xindi, without the immediacy of the conflict to shape that exploration. The writers have now given some screen time to the Xindi Primates, Sloths, and Insectoids. One could also make some reasonable assumptions about the Xindi Reptilians, based on what has been shown. All in all, only the Xindi Aquatics have been left relatively untouched. This may not seem remarkable on the surface, but it should be remembered that such a broad canvas has not been attempted very often in the modern Trek era.

Other elements of this episode can be considered promising. One important element is the capture of the Xindi craft, which gives Trip and Mayweather something to work with for the impending action at Azati Prime. This is a nice throwback to the capture of the Suliban cell ship, which established that the duo is adept as an engineering team. In a similar way, using Hayes’ talents at tactical simulations is a better use of the character than originally presented. Hayes should have been involved on that level in past episodes.

Speaking of Mayweather, it’s good to see the character actually show up for once. Perhaps it’s the lack of familiarity with the character over the past three seasons, but some of his scenes felt a bit off. It’s as though Montgomery isn’t sure who Mayweather is, either! As usual, Mayweather is revealed as the most visible example of the shortcomings of characterization.

As with all of the “sweeps” episodes, the basic premise is a little too familiar, leaving it to the writers to develop something unique to the situation to make the concept seem fresh. Tying the effects of alien biochemistry to the Xindi arc, even indirectly, gives the episode more depth and relevance than much of “Harbinger” and “Doctor’s Orders”.

The real deficit is the same as with most “Enterprise” episodes: lingering consequences. There’s no indication that Archer’s decisions will be addressed after this, and that’s an unfortunate oversight. Considering some of the questionable decisions that Archer has made since entering the Expanse, especially on angry impulse, it would have been interesting to see the crew struggle with an Archer giving orders under a more subtle influence.

The benefit of that approach would have been a rising tension as the final act of the season begins. With time running out, Archer could be forced to make split-second decisions with little or no consultation. If the crew had reason to question those decisions, it would elevate the drama. This still might be the ultimate direction that the season takes, but this episode could have been an intriguing factor in that equation.


Final Analysis

Overall, this episode was a step in the right direction, even if ties to the Xindi arc couldn’t completely overcome the familiarity of the premise. As usual, the cast and director did their best to sell the material, maintaining the higher quality that the series has been trying to achieve. What is really needed, however, is a return to the season arc, which should be resolved before the season (or series) concludes.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 7/10




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