The Council (episode)

Archer confronts the Xindi Council.

Summary
While Enterprise and Degra's ship 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. The claw is destroyed by the shuttle 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 Sato onto their ship.

Memorable quotes
"You've brought Humans into this chamber, Degra. Explain yourself, if you expect them to leave here alive."
 * - Commander Dolim, to Degra, as Captain Archer and Hoshi are brought before the Xindi Council

"Do me a favor. Don't try to get on my good side."
 * - Tucker, to Degra

"I can't change what happened to your sister or any of the seven million. But I'm risking my life, I'm risking the lives of my family, I've killed members of my own species, all because I'm trying to save both our worlds."
 * - Degra, to Tucker

"When I was on the future Enterprise, 400 years from now, there were Xindi aboard. Humans and Xindi were serving together in the Federation. That's a future worth fighting for."
 * - Captain Archer, to Degra

"The crew of that ship are the last Xindi you'll ever betray. When the Humans have been eliminated, when the Council has been replaced by Reptilian rule, I am going to find your wife and children and do the same to them. Your traitorous bloodline will end at the tip of my blade."
 * - Dolim, to Degra

"Ever since the attack on Earth, all I've thought about is getting back at whoever was responsible."

"And now we are making peace with them."

"I've gotten used to the anger. It's going to be like, I don't know, losing an old friend."

"You have other friends."
 * - Tucker and Phlox

"Maybe we're getting a bit too comfortable with losing people. 23 men and women. On any given mission, the limits of acceptable casualties is 20%. So says traditional military doctrine. Well, we've crossed that margin."

"There's a Vulcan axiom: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Corporal Hawkins understood that."

"That doesn't make his death any more acceptable."

"No, but it makes it honorable."
 * - Reed and T'Pol

"The weapon cannot be launched without three of the codes. You only have two."

"Do you really believe we haven't considered that?"
 * - Xindi-Primate councilor and Commander Dolim

"I can't believe I actually feel bad about Degra. 24 hours ago I would have been celebrating."

"A lot can happen in a day."
 * - Tucker and Archer

Background information

 * This episode marks the deaths of Degra (Randy Oglesby) and Corporal F. Hawkins (Sean McGowan). Lieutenant Reed angrily notes that Corporal Hawkins is the 23rd crew member to die in the Expanse.
 * Dolim and Jannar's names are revealed in this episode.
 * T'Pol's words echo those of Spock in when she tells Reed about the Vulcan saying "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
 * This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series but lost out to the episode.

Main cast

 * Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
 * John Billingsley as Doctor Phlox
 * Jolene Blalock as Subcommander T'Pol
 * Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
 * Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
 * Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
 * Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest stars

 * Randy Oglesby as Degra
 * Tucker Smallwood as a Xindi-Primate Chairman
 * Rick Worthy as Jannar
 * Scott MacDonald as Dolim
 * Josette DiCarlo as a Sphere Builder woman
 * Sean McGowan as Corporal F. Hawkins
 * Bruce Thomas as a Xindi-Reptilian soldier
 * Andrew Borba as a Xindi-Reptilian lieutenant
 * Mary Mara as a Sphere Builder presage
 * Ruth Williamson as a Sphere Builder primary

Co-star

 * Eric Lemler as a helm crewman

Uncredited co-stars

 * Solomon Burke, Jr. as Billy
 * Hilde Garcia as Crewman Rossi
 * Unknown actor as Xindi Reptilian Aide

CGI co-stars

 * Kiaphet Amman'sor
 * Xindi-Insectoid councilor
 * Xindi-Insectoid aide