Episode Report Card Sara M: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT Degra Dearest
By Sara M | Season 3 | Episode 20 | Aired on 04.27.2004
The Degra ship, now with Degra aboard, detaches itself from the Enterprise. On the viewscreen, Cobra Commander tells them to attach themselves to his "starboard docking port." Either that's some kind of Xindi pick-up line, or Degra's in trouble. Or both. Degra asks for Cobra Commander's word that his crew will not be punished. Cobra Commander does not give it.
On the Enterprise, the crew watches the Degra ship approach the Reptilian ship. Suddenly, the Degra ship fires on the Reptilians, knocking out their shields. The Enterprise fires its photon torpedoes at the Reptilians, and then both the Degra ship and the Enterprise fire phasers until the Reptilians' weapons have been knocked out. Archer and the bridge crew are psyched, but wait: Degra is charging his weapons again! He fires on the Reptilians, and they blow up. Degra hails the Enterprise all, "Uh…whoops. But I really had to do it."
T'Pol wanders along a beat-up hallway, holding a large metal drum. She finds Trip fixing something and says the metal drum, which contains some portable power cells courtesy of the Xindi, will help him. T'Pol asks if she can help. Trip says Taylor could have helped, but she's dead. Then he kicks the metal barrel, and that has got to be a few broken phalanges right there. He points out to T'Pol that they're near where Taylor was found, and every time he tries to write that letter, all he does is think about his sister. He's spent the last nine months trying to convince himself that she was just one of the seven million who died, and not someone he knew personally. But he really can't, so he starts crying. T'Pol doesn't really know what to do, so she puts a hand on his shoulder. Trip says he envies Vulcans for not having emotions. T'Pol says Vulcans feel the loss of someone important, but they're not able to "give in" to their emotions. She envies humans for being able to do that. Trip cries some more. I think it's kind of lame that they put a Vulcan on this show and decided to sort of give her feelings. Couldn't they have just made her a human if they wanted her to have emotions? Is it really that hard to write for a Vulcan character without giving them emotions? TOS never had a problem writing for Spock.
Degra tells Archer to speak to The Council personally and show them his evidence. He thinks they'll believe him. Archer doesn't think he'll convince the Reptilians, and Degra tells him to be more concerned about "the Aquatics." I don't even want to know what that race is all about. Degra thinks Archer can still sway the majority, and that's all he'll need. He gives Archer directions to the meeting place, but it's weeks away. Degra says there's a "shorter route" through a subspace corridor. But to get there, they'll have to go through a nebula, and this nebula is filled with a "hostile species" that are sure to create suspense next week. Archer extends his hand, and Degra shakes it, which was really quite a gesture, considering that Archer's hand has got to be pretty rank by now, what with all the not showering.