Written by: Manny Coto

Written by Andre Bormanis and Mike Sussman
Directed by Michael Grossman

What I liked about this episode:

I thought everyone did their part in bringing out the best in each character that they could. Trip stood up for the Captain for as long as it made sense to him to do so. T'Pol seemed to be on a personal vendetta to bring Archer back to the reality of the mission. Reed and Hayes seem to be trying to work things out and establish some sort of a working relationship. I liked Hayes in this episode. His loyalty to the Captain was appreciated. I liked Archer's line... " There are rules, Trip, even in war." I liked the special effects, specifically the Xindi hatchlings. I'm not a bug person, but from a distance they were cute. I admire the fact that Scott didn't mind them crawling all over him. I know they were not real, but they were real enough, and I don't think I would have been all smiles and pretending to calm them down and comfort them if they had been crawling on me. I think the question on my mind would have been ... where's the flyswatter? But with that said, Scott did do a great job portraying the "caretaker" of these little varmints. I like it when he has the opportunity to show his gentle and nurturing side. He is VERY good at this. I think through this scene we caught a glimpse of how he actually relates to his own kids and family. You cannot pretend to be that gentle and caring if you have no clue on how to do it. No amount of "acting" is going to bring that quality to the screen. He and his children must have a wonderful relationship!

I would be remiss if I did not comment on Scott in his blue skivvies. A few thoughts come to mind and they are in no particular order...If anyone was concerned about Scott's "loss of weight" perhaps last nights episode will put their mind at ease! The man looks very healthy to me! It is endearing to me that he keeps himself in top condition mainly because he wants to be able to do things with his kids. He has stated in a previous interview that he wants to be able to do the same things with his youngest child that he was able to do with his oldest. A very noble goal.

Mutiny is not a word I would have used to describe what the crew did. I think that's a little dramatic. (But this is Hollywood after all) Archer's senior officers recognized that something was wrong with their Captain so they took the necessary steps to correct the problem and rescue him. I liked the scene where the crew lead by T'Pol takes back the bridge from the MACO's. And I really liked the scene when Major Hayes was in sickbay and told Phlox that he wanted to talk to the Captain -- just to verify in his own mind that the Captain was really okay.

What I didn't like about the episode:

I remember similar episodes from The Next Generation, as well as the original Star Trek back in the 60's, where the Captain gets infected with something, and the crew is left scratching their heads wondering what is going on. Granted, it was better since Scott was portraying it, but I thought it still lacked imagination on the writers' part. I was not drawn into this episode partly because I knew as soon as Archer was sprayed by the alien egg sack that it would have some sort of altering effect on him. I think they tipped their hand too early in the episode. I like to be kept guessing. I found this episode to be too predictable. The actors carried out their parts as best as they could, but they really needed better material. I think the writers let our Enterprise crew down. And this is the second time in a month that this has happened (I'm referring to Harbinger) And in sweeps week, no less. I know that you can't always be at 100% all the time, but when the quality/imagination of the writing goes down to less than 50%, I see this as a big problem! Come on people! Everyone needs to be pulling together on this venture. If the actors and the special effects people are giving their 100%, the writing staff needs to follow suit. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle and everyone has to contribute to the best of their ability to make this show work!!

*A side note:* 

One of the many things I admire about Scott is his acting style. He is not just out there reciting his lines. From a well placed nod or a raised eyebrow, to a shoulder shrug or drumming his fingers, -- Scott always manages to personalize whatever character he is portraying. This is what makes his characters so endearing to me. If you watch Scott's eyes when he is interacting with another character, you will notice that he is focused on them and listening to what they are saying to him. He is not just waiting for them to say their line(s) so he can respond with his own; he is hearing what they say, processing it, and then responding to it. In my book, Scott is one of the most believable and dedicated actors out there. I think Scott did a great job portraying the Captain as a man who had been infected with some sort of mind-altering substance. It was a tribute to his wonderful acting ability!

Sarah's Two Cents