Where to begin? What exactly to say other than this was some great stuff! After watching this episode, one actually had the satisfying feeling of enjoying some really good sci-fi drama. It was like having a wonderful gourmet meal with a pleasant aftertaste in your mouth that was memorable. Finally, the various Xindi plot threads all come together in a well written action-type story.

The central focus of Archer during the Xindi story arc has been to do what ever it takes to accomplish the mission. Well, that issue had come to a full climax in this episode. Archer was willing (without hesitation or doubt) to sacrifice himself in order to destroy the Xindi weapon. His willingness to go on a suicide mission seemed genuine and real. Nothing wishy-washy at all about it.  And most important of all, it actually made sense to the overall story! That seemed crucial in making the overall plot flow smoothly.

There have been other episodes in which T'Pol would have an emotional scene, most of which had been mediocre and didn't really make any sense. This time her tears and genuine concern for Archer  actually played out well. It seemed to represent not only her personal feelings for Archer, but how the rest of the crew felt as well. Previous episodes had been unclear as to whether her "feelings" were more for Archer or Trip. This one seemed to strongly indicate that her personal feelings are focused towards Archer. Guess she just needs Trip for physical sex.

The special effects in the final battle scene were wonderful. Watching the Enterprise being damaged piece by piece was not only heart-breaking and gruesome for any fan, but also tantalizing as a visual representation of the drama that was unfolding. The different angle views of the ship and shots of the inside of the ship while it was being attacked were top-notch work. The close-up of T'Pol at the end when the bridge was smashed was superb. All what one had to do was look at the reflection in her eyes and could not only see the destruction around the bridge, but also the fire in her life slowly being destroyed. For once, she was actually scared.

Overall, this was a well fast paced and entertaining story. Evidently, someone put some real thought and planning into this episode. I actually had the feeling that I was watching a real Star Trek show!

1) Mayweather gets to pilot a Xindi shuttle.

2) Nice reference to Enterprise-J, thanks to Daniels.

3) Building the Xindi weapon underwater was cleaver!

4) Finally, there was some clarity made as to why one episode the Xindi were building a planet buster and another they were building a bio-weapon.

5) How many times has Archer been held by captured by aliens and tortured?

6) Interesting insectoid dialog.

7) Degra has seconds thoughts about creating the weapon.

8) I'm beginning to think that Daniels really is a hologram.