The Council (episode)

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"The Council"
ENT, Episode 3x22 Production number: 074 First aired: 12 May 2004
←	73rd of 97 produced in ENT	→
←	73rd of 97 released in ENT	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 97 released in ENT Remastered
←	702nd of 726 released in all	→

Written By Manny Coto Directed By David Livingston
February 12, 2154
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Archer confronts the Xindi Council.

1 Summary
2 Background Information
3 Links and References

[edit] Summary

While Enterprise and Degra's shuttle are on their way to the Xindi Council planet, a shuttlepod containing Sub-Commander T'Pol, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed, Ensign Travis Mayweather, and Corporal F. Hawkins heads off to investigate a sphere; T'Pol thinks they can access the redundant memory core and acquire some data on the Sphere Builders. After being confronted by a Sphere Builder concerned with his actions, Degra briefs Captain Jonathan Archer on the various members of the Xindi Council he will soon meet.

A fleet of Primate and Arboreal vessels escorts Enterprise into the security zone surrounding the Council planet. A few shots are exchanged between the escorts and Commander Dolim's flagship, but he is forced to let them in. Archer (assisted by Hoshi Sato, who translates) enters the Council chamber. The session does not go well; the Reptilians walk out.

In order to bring the Aquatics onto their side, Phlox and Commander Charles Tucker prepare a biometric hologram of the Sphere Builder test subject they encountered a few weeks ago. It works – the Aquatics see the resemblance between the test subject and their so-called "Guardians", and agree to delay the launch of the Xindi superweapon. Amazingly enough, so do the Reptilians.

Meanwhile, the away team manages to acquire the sphere's redundant memory core, but a gigantic claw emerges from the walls of the sphere. Hawkins defends the rest of the team as they get away and is vaporized in the attempt. Reed barely manages to destroy the claw with his phase pistol as more claws converge on them; the team barely escapes and begins heading for Enterprise.

Dolim's conversion was nothing more than a ruse. He murders Degra, and then the Reptilians and Insectoids walk out on the Council; they launch the weapon. Enterprise, the Arboreals, and the Primates try to stop the weapon, but are not fast enough; it and its escorts enter a subspace vortex. Just before the Reptilians leave, they transport Hoshi onto their ship.

[edit] Background Information

This episode marks the death of Degra (Randy Oglesby) and Corporal F. Hawkins (Sean McGowan).
Dolim and Jannar's names are revealed in this episode.
Knowingly or not, the writers put a sentence from George W. Bush into Dolim's mouth: "Either you stand with us, or you stand against us."
T'Pol's words echo those of Spock in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan when she tells Reed about the Vulcan saying "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
In the council chambers when Archer is telling the Xindi council members that Earth would destroy them in 400 years isn't true, a Xindi-Insectoid stands up and screeches. Hoshi Sato tells Archer that the Insectoid is a he, when it was previously confirmed in "Hatchery" that the Insectoids are genderless.
This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series but lost out to the episode "Countdown".