Question about the Xindi's actions.

[Servo]

So, here in the UK, we've just hit the S2 finale on Channel One's Enterprise re-runs, which marks the beginning of the Xindi arc. As you all remember, the episode opens with the Xindi probe carving a 4,000km canyon across Earth.

So, I was wondering, why did the Xindi send that probe in the first place? I mean, it was a hell of a risk really, because it alerted Earth to the danger ahead, and resulted in Enterprise travelling to the Expanse to stop them. Surely they should have just tested the probe on some inconsequential planet in the Expanse, and then sent the big daddy weapon to Earth when it was ready, and Earth was unaware of the danger. With no early warning, Enterprise still out in deep space, and limited Earth defenses, the Xindi could have accomplished their mission and destroyed the planet.

Obviously, the "real" reason they sent the probe was to set up the danger, and set the foundations for the S3 story arc, but "in-universe" is seems like a major gaffe by the Xindi.

 

[AMQ]

Well, it was a first prototype and they tested it on Earth. It is kind of silly when you consider that the second prototype was tested like you said on some inconsequential planet in the
Expanse. I guess they didn't care, they wanted to destroy Earth when they first found out, maybe to satisfy Sphere Builders, or because they thought that they were invincible having aliens from the 26th century on their side.

 

[Servo]

That's what I mean. Why test the prototype on Earth at all? They basically warned Earth they were coming, and put their whole mission in jeopardy, when they could have just waited for the main weapon to be ready, and destroyed Earth without incident.

 

[AMQ]

They obviously didn't expect Earth - Humans to be able to respond the way they did
Or really it's possible that it was demand from the sphere builders.

 

[Servo]

They obviously didn't expect Earth - Humans to be able to respond the way they did

It's still one hell of an assumption to risk their objective on.

Or really it's possible that it was demand from the sphere builders.

In which case, that would make the Sphere Builders even dumber than the Xindi.

 

[Dukhat]

Testing the probe on Earth was for dramatic effect for the audience. Period. No, it doesn't make sense when you really analyze it, unless you use the old argument that aliens don't think like humans do.

 

[JiNX-01]

So, I was wondering, why did the Xindi send that probe in the first place? I mean, it was a hell of a risk really, because it alerted Earth to the danger ahead, and resulted in Enterprise travelling to the Expanse to stop them. Surely they should have just tested the probe on some inconsequential planet in the Expanse, and then sent the big daddy weapon to Earth when it was ready, and Earth was unaware of the danger. With no early warning, Enterprise still out in deep space, and limited Earth defenses, the Xindi could have accomplished their mission and destroyed the planet.

Why was it a gaffe? The Xindi had no reason to think that the humans would find out who hit them and subsequently track them down.

Celestial objects are not all identical. That weapon would have had a different impact on Jupiter or Titan.

Perhaps using the smaller weapon gave them information on the Earth's structure. Degra did tell Archer he was watching the telemetry coming in during the attack. It's possible they needed more information about their target to ensure that The Big One would obliterate Earth.

 

[Servo]

So, I was wondering, why did the Xindi send that probe in the first place? I mean, it was a hell of a risk really, because it alerted Earth to the danger ahead, and resulted in Enterprise travelling to the Expanse to stop them. Surely they should have just tested the probe on some inconsequential planet in the Expanse, and then sent the big daddy weapon to Earth when it was ready, and Earth was unaware of the danger. With no early warning, Enterprise still out in deep space, and limited Earth defenses, the Xindi could have accomplished their mission and destroyed the planet.

Why was it a gaffe? The Xindi had no reason to think that the humans would find out who hit them and subsequently track them down.

Celestial objects are not all identical. That weapon would have had a different impact on Jupiter or Titan.

Perhaps using the smaller weapon gave them information on the Earth's structure. Degra did tell Archer he was watching the telemetry coming in during the attack. It's possible they needed more information about their target to ensure that The Big One would obliterate Earth.

Yeah, but Jupiter and Titan aren't M-Class planets anyway.

Sorry, but if a weapon is powerful enough to destroy a planet, then it's powerful enough to destroy a planet. There's nothing unique about Earth that would render such a powerful weapon ineffective.

As for the Xindi not thinking the Humans would find them, or find out they were responsible? That's just plain stupidity, and one hell of an assumption. I know if I was planning to blow up a planet, I wouldn't be sending any kind of clue to the people who inhabit it.

As has been pointed out, it was done for dramatic effect, and to set a jumping-off point for the Xindi arc. In-universe, however, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

[AMQ]

Well I didn't realize that the point of the thread was to announce that it was stupid. I thought that the point was to find some possible and plausible explanation. But OK, we should agree - for the sake of it - that for as much as we know it was only for dramatic effect.

 

[Servo]

Well I didn't realize that the point of the thread was to announce that it was stupid. I thought that the point was to find some possible and plausible explanation. But OK, we should agree - for the sake of it - that for as much as we know it was only for dramatic effect.

The point of the thread was not to "announce" anything. The stupidity of sending a test probe to attack Earth, therby alerting Humanity to the danger ahead, is entirely my opinion on the event.

We know that the attack was for dramatic effect, and I was hoping to not get too caught up in that, seeing as it's pretty obvious. But the point I was trying to make is that when you do something for dramatic effect, it should at least make sense in the context of the story. In this case, for me at least, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for the Xindi to risk everything by sending the probe to effectively poke Humanity with a stick.

Initially, I was wondering if there had been an explaination as to why they sent the probe, that I couldn't remember seeing as it's been a while since I saw the Xindi arc.

 

[Jax]

The writers should of put in a line about it was the Reptilians/Insectoids that during the test for it, choose to test it on Earth against the other wishes. You could use that as the reason why the 5 code system was made for the 2nd weapon.

 

[Jack Bauer]

The Reptilians had a hard on for attacking Earth so they probably pushed for it. Remember they're impulsive, arrogant and not very bright. Like Jax said they should've said that on the show at some point.

 

[F. King Daniel]

If we're trying to rationalize it, I'd suggest the Sphere Builders made them do it. They see various future timelines, right? I guess they didn't like the way things were going so they ordered a weapon sent ASAP to derail history. Of course it's limited by the nonsense TCW time war rules, where you somehow can't just go back a week and try again when Archer and co foil your plans .

 

[DarKush]

The attack on Earth didn't make much sense. If there had been some later dialogue about the Reptilians going rogue and sending the humans a message for example would've made the action understandable.

But I don't think a lot of what the Xindi did make sense. Why they just let the NX-01 pretty much fly through their space unmolested didn't make sense. Why not track the ship down in force, capture the crew, and then interrogate them to determine if they were the vanguard of an invasion force, or why not just destroy them?

I even thought the conversion of Degra didn't work for me, esp. after Archer undermined his own peaceful intentions by flying a shuttle packed with explosives to take out the weapon. I think Archer would've strengthened his case by flying out defenseless to seek a diplomatic solution.

 

[Jax]

TBH despite having some real gems in that season the whole XINDI arc falls to bits if you examine it too much. They could of kept so many of the episodes anyway in a non xindi arc with some tweaks and had a great season 3 anyway. I always loved the idea of the Azati Prime ending being used as a season 3 finale to kick off the Romulan War.

 

[Shatnertage]

From a real world perspective, I think it was a stand-in for 9/11.

In-universe, I can't think of any reasons besides what's been offered above.

To be fair, from what I've heard they didn't have the entire storyline fixed before they started. At the LV convention, the Xindi Council guys said that they pretty much got to develop their characters as it went on.

I think they started with the idea of a 9/11/Pearl Harbor type attack, then built it out from there.

Still, I like the way it came together. I would have liked some more resolution of the Xindi in season 4, but I guess by then people were ready for something else.

 

[DarKush]

TBH despite having some real gems in that season the whole XINDI arc falls to bits if you examine it too much. They could of kept so many of the episodes anyway in a non xindi arc with some tweaks and had a great season 3 anyway. I always loved the idea of the Azati Prime ending being used as a season 3 finale to kick off the Romulan War.

Yeah, I agree. There were some solid shows but it might've been better to just do the first half of the season with the Xindi and the second half back on Earth dealing with the after effects, with an overarching Terra Prime arc. Putting all the Xindi shows together instead of spreading them throughout the season might've increased the tension. Throwing in as many non-Xindi episodes as they did sort of made the season a bit aimless at times. Though I enjoyed season 3 pretty much, but didn't like the season finale twist.

You know I had hoped that Archer had done something to alter the trajectory of the Xindi weapon, destroying a Romulan planet in the process, setting the stage for a future Romulan War.