Enterprise 3x4 "Rajiin"

rating: **

the story: The crew takes aboard a troublesome passenger.

what it's all about: "Rajiin" quickly puts the season arc back into focus after lapsing in "Extinction."  Not only does it bring back the Xindi Council, last seen in the season premiere ("The Xindi"), but it shows them actively working on something.  At this point they still seem like a fairly anonymous group, perhaps comprised of actors familiar from various other appearances across the franchise, but little more than bad guys who show up once or twice an episode just to remind you they exist.  Once we've been properly introduced, later, these appearances take on greater significance.

The episode itself is another instance of Enterprise evoking the original series.  Kirk was encountering random beautiful women all the time; the association became so great that he was considered a ladies man regardless of whether or not he actively pursued every woman romantically.  The implication seemed to be enough.  Archer had been put in this position before, and this is one of the most explicit examples.

Other than all that, "Rajiin" is mostly an example of the arc being a continuous experience for the characters, as we touch back in with T'Pol and Trip, for example, during the therapy sessions Phlox suggested in the premiere.  So also is the acquisition of a compound the crew needs to coat the ship with; we'll see another explicit example, of why it's so crucial, in the next episode ("Impulse").

criteria analysis:

• franchise - Casual fans ought to be reminded of Kirk in the original series.
• series - Nudging the season arc along.
• character - I don't want to sell the episode too hard, but there is character work within, it's just not ultimately the point.
• essential - It would've been interesting if Rajiin had been a member of the Xindi Council.

notable guest-stars:
Randy Oglesby (Degra)
Scott MacDonald (Dolim)
Tucker Smallwood
Rick Worthy