Enterprise - Bring me up to Speed...

[Scarecrow]

Okay, so having lost interest half way through the second series, I picked up Enterprise again in the middle of the thrid at 'Chosen Realm' and I'm trying to figure it out.

Now I'm aware that the 'Xindi' test-fired a 'weapon of mass destruction' on the United States destroying much of Florida and that the Enterprise has taken on a bunch of marines called MACO.
I know that they have set off into the 'expanse' to find the Xindi and use any means necessary to stop them using their weapon to totally anihilate Earth and the human race.
I know that the Xindi are made up of five races - Insect, Reptile, Primate, Arborial and Subaquatic and that a sixth, winged species was wiped out in a ferocious war that lasted a century and destroyed the Xindi homeworld.
I know that on the way they have discovered that the Xindi have been lied to and manipulated by a race of trans-dimensional beings called 'Sphere-Builders.' and now Archer and the crew want to try and convince the Xindi that the 'Sphere-Builders' are the threat, not Humans.

I've seen up to 'Azati Prime' and I'm watching 'Damage' tonight.

Did I miss anything?

What exactly is the 'Expanse'? It seems similar to the 'Briar Patch'

Have we seen the 'Sphere Builders'?
Have we seen the Aquatic Xindi?
The underwater structure in 'Azati Prime' - was that Aquatic Xindi or was that a Sphere?

Crow

[Scottomir]

Wow, for a guy who missed an entire season you somehow have learned pretty much everything important that happened. Heck, I've watched almost every darn episode and even I hadn't heard about the 6th winged species. (BTW, that's how I understand the Xindi: they are not related races, but rather independent species that evolved to sentience on the same planet and formed a joint civilization after centuries of conflict.)

The "Delphic Expanse" is a large stellar region full of bizarre gravametric anomolies that twist space and bend the rules of normal physics. The only way to survive in the Expanse is to coat your vessel with a local compound called Trillium, which is toxic to Vulcans (hence T'Pol's extreme reactions). While searching the Expanse for the mysterious Xindi, Enterprise encountered a series of gigantic metallic sphereoid structures. One they found was damaged, allowing them to break-in and study it. As they encountered more and more spheres, Enterprise crew came to realize that it was the spheres which were causing and expanding the Expanse. Recently, they learned from their Xindi ally that there are an even greater number of spheres than they had previously suspected. Unless the spheres are somehow stopped, they will transform the Expanse into an other-dimensional region unhabitable by our dimension's lifeforms.

We have only seen the sphere-builders very recently. One of them spoke before the Xindi council via a hologram. Previously, when they spoke to the Xindi council we pretty much only heard their voice.

Yes, we saw the Aquatic Xindi several times before. First time was in the Xindi council--they were the manatee-like creature behind the glass. Recently, when Archer was captured by the Xindi he was held aboard an Aquatic ship (hence why he was trapped in an aquarium-like cell).

The underwater city was a Xindi city. It would only make sense that it was an Aquatic city, though I don't think that was specifically stated. Enterprise wanted to attack it because they thought the WMD was being researched there.

[Ergi]

I have to make one comment to your post, Scarecrow. You make it sound as if Enterprise's hull was coated with Trillium, although it isn't. Although trillium is the only thing offering protection from the gravimetric distortions found throughout the Expanse, Archer has decided not to use it, since it attacks Vulcan neural systems, making them bloodthirsty, violent and illogical (zombies). This, however, shouldn't have been that much of a problem, since T'Pol has found out that the gravimetric distortions appear only at points in space where two or more hypothetical lines drawn between the spheres cross. Therfore they should have been able to stay clear of those areas, unfortunately somebody (I don't remember who) wiped their computer core, erasing all information about the positions of the spheres.

[Scarecrow]

Cool! Thanks guys.

I just watched 'Damage' and they showed one of the Spheres in the opening catch-up.

Also, the 'Sphere-Builder' woman was there talking to the council members.
I also saw the Aquatic Xinidi - fantastic!

I love the idea of the Xindi and the Spheres. This is great stuff. I just hope it isn't cancelled now =)

Crow

[Rayaru]

The computers were erased during Chosen Realm, when the zealots took over the ship.

[Ergi]

Ahh, right. Thanks.

[Space_Cadet]

Scarecrow , you should check out the episode called "Twilight" and "Anamoly" (a couple of gems of this season).

[Scarecrow]

Imthink the series is due to be re-shown on terrestrial Channel 4 soon, so I think I'll have to make sure I watch the whole thing.

Cheers!

Crow