Proving Ground

**** (4 stars out of 5)

Plot threads begin to weave together. Hoshi and T'Pol are struggling to reassemble the computer maps from the shambles the crazed zealots left of the database. Victimized and floundering yet again, how will they ever stop the Xindi in time?

Glory be! Shran rides to the rescue. Partly to prove that the blue people can be a better friend to the pink people than those green people ever were. Meanwhile, flirting archly with Reed, Lieutenant Talas sets out to prove that blue people are hawwwt.

Fortunately for all, despite six months of our "heroes" making very little headway, the Xindi have made very little either. The Sloth Xindi secretly sabotaged the doomsday device, and, more importantly, Xindi seem to love TESTING the weapons on things more than actually using them already. 'It worked 8 out of 10 times, sir, and we're running out of moons.' 'Well, test it again! And bring me more kemacite and Tylenol!  I swear on my cheek pouches, if we don't get this right the humans will get suspicious one of these months and come after us!'

Andorians, boastful but very competent, have superior sensors to humans, and lead them to the "Proving Ground". It's the Xindi version of Bikini Atoll, which unfortunately has me imagining Xindi in bikinis. Their weapon can destroy moons, but the psychological scarring of an Insectoid in skimpies lasts forever.

Say... who knew Shran was so altruistic? Could he be after a WMD for some reason? Could he have an ulterior motive concealed in his black pleather sleeve? Or is that just another bottle of Andorian ale?