ENT: Carpenter Street

         First of all, it is totally reasonable when Archer asks why the Xindi are trying to make a virus (or is it a toxin, they don't seem sure) when they are making a super weapon to literally destroy earth. The fact that they point out this huge plot hole doesn't remove the plot hole though unfortunately. On the upside the actual episode worked pretty well. Maybe giving us a reason why Loomis decided serial kidnapping was the right call when he had a decent job already, but it didn't ruin things to not have that. They did well casting the guy who played the serial killer hologram in Revulsion. Here he also managed to seem believably desperate without seeming crazy or anything. For a time travel episode it worked pretty well, I think the idea of time changes propagating slowly is new to Trek, but it seemed like a reasonable way for a universe to work. Could have used less Archer of course, but at least he didn't have to rescue T'Pol which is something.
         We open in 2004 Detroit with a guy who it turns out works at a blood bank (which is actually fairly smoothly inserted in) kidnapping a prostitute and dropping her off in warehouse with two other sedated people and the guy, named Loomis, leaving with a briefcase of cash. On Enterprise Daniels drops in on Archer hanging out with Porthos with the news about the Xindi in Detroit. Archer and T'Pol are sent back to try and stop them. They start by stealing some cash and a car with a magic stealing box. They use a scanner to track down the Xindi just as Loomis shows up with another victim. They follow him home and he flees out a window but T'Pol takes him down with a neck pinch. He assumes they are the cops despite some pretty obvious signs they aren't. He agrees to drop Archer off not sedated as though he was a victim. Archer finds three Xindi making what he can tell from across the room is a virus tailored to human blood types. He stuns one of the reptilian Xindi but the other two make off the with toxin (I know). T'Pol tries to help but gets into a fight with Loomis and has to stun him. Archer takes down another Xindi so we are on the way to the rooftop showdown. Of course Archer wins and gets the virus and the Xindi who are transported to Enterprise along with their equipment. We close with Loomis getting arrested.

         Review: The story works in some ways and not others. Overall a lot more fun to watch that much of ENT, but it could have used another rewrite or two. 

4 out of 10