Archer, Trip, T'Pol, Malcolm, and Phlox talk in sickbay after Phlox has analysed the follicle and found out that it's the daughter of Trip and T'Pol. Trip talks it over with a meditating T'Pol, who confirms that she never got pregnant. Archer tells Samuels, who warns him not to make the news of the baby public, as it might stir up anti-alien xenophobia, which has already been a problem due to the Xindi attack, threatening the welfare of the coalition. He tells Archer to leave the investigating to Starfleet, but Archer asks Malcolm to talk to Agent Harris, which he does. After some awkwardness with Harris insisting that by contacting him, Malcolm still works for Section 31, Harris reveals that Khouri was a member of the extremist organisation Terra Prime, and that finding the child is the key to solving the mystery.
On the moon, Paxton and Mercer discuss Khouri's and Mercer's allegiances when it comes to the kid, with Paxton calling her an "abomination". Mercer leaves, telling Paxton to "put together a team" and meet him at the "third junction" in an hour, then Paxton sends for Daniel Greaves.
On Earth, Archer visits Samuels in the conference hall, where he is arguing with a Coridanite ambassador — the Tellarites have been pushing for a trade embargo against the Orions, who have allegedly been attacking Tellarite freighters, but the ambassador dismisses it as "slander", claiming that the Coridanites have been trading with the Orions for a long time. When Archer arrives, the ambassador leaves, and Samuels reveals that the Starfleet chief investigator has rejected Archer's request for a case file. Archer tells Samuels to intervene, and when he refuses, Archer reveals that Samuels used to be a part of Terra Prime, but now regrets it. Samuels agrees to get Archer the case file.
Travis's ex-girlfriend, a reporter named Gannet Brooks, visits him in his quarters, claiming that she's doing a story on the Enterprise from the crew's perspective. They argue over their past relationship, but he agrees to let her tour the ship. In sickbay, Trip wonders to Phlox if T'Pol is lying about never having been pregnant, but Phlox thinks Trip is being "foolish". Trip also notes that his father has always wanted a granddaughter.
In his office on the moon, Paxton watches a video of Philip Green that was made a few years after WWIII. Greaves enters and they discuss Green's morality or lack thereof, and Greaves hands Paxton a diskette containing a status report on the baby. Greaves leaves, then Paxton gives himself an injection.
Travis and Brooks end up in the launch bay and enter Shuttlepod 1, when she learns that that's the shuttle he used to penetrate a sphere. They talk about their regrets, and she complains about his "bad habits", but then they start making out. Meanwhile, the crew discusses Khouri's autopsy, and Phlox has found growth hormone containing myofibrilin, which is used in the Orpheus mining facility, where Terra Prime hangs out. Malcolm says that Travis has a "friend" in the Orpheus facility, who might be able to smuggle in an undercover team, which T'Pol and Trip volunteer for.
Meanwhile, on the moon, miners dig around to reveal Mercer's dead body. Trip and T'Pol search the moon, while Travis and Brooks (who were implied to have done the nasty) discuss getting back together. Josiah introduces himself to Trip and invites him to a Terra Prime assembly. T'Pol joins him and tells him of Mercer's death and his connection to Khouri. Brooks is then arrested for spying, since Archer and Malcolm have reason to believe she's with Terra Prime.
Trip and T'Pol are discovered and taken hostage, where Paxton compares them to Romeo and Juliet. Trip demands to know who Paxton is and he reveals that he's in charge of the facility and the leader of Terra Prime. He claims that his lifelong goal has been to return Earth to its "rightful owners". He then orders Greaves to put the facility into launch mode without telling Trip or T'Pol where they're going.
Archer and Malcolm interrogate Brooks, having found out that her universal translator was rewired to record the alien delegates at the conference, and she has made three trips to the lunar colony in the last month. She claims her editor sent her there, but Malcolm reveals that her editor never did. Archer asks her if she knows that Trip and T'Pol are in danger, but Brooks just demands legal counsel. Archer orders her taken to the brig, tells Travis that he's sorry, and is notified on the intercom that the Orpheus colony is taking off.
When the facility is in space, Paxton reveals that it doubles as a warp-capable vessel. As it heads off to Mars, Archer pursues it, and it lands. Terra Prime takes control of the verteron array, which is usually used to redirect comets, and blasts energy at the moon to demonstrate it. Paxton then demands all non-humans to leave the Sol system via subspace radio.
Tropes in this episode include:
- Absolute Xenophobe: While there were hints of xenophobia back in "Home," this episode introduces Terra Prime, a group that seeks to completely isolate Earth from the galaxy.
- The Alliance: The focus of the conference is the formation of the Coalition of Planets. Presumably, this served as the looser-organized predecessor to the United Federation of Planets, much like the League of Nations was for the United Nations or the United States under the Articles of Confederation prior to the Constitution.
- Call-Forward: A contentious issue in the Coalition of Planets is the disagreements between the Tellarites and the Coridanites note . TOS shows us that a century later, the Tellarites are still distrusting of the Coridonites and oppose their admission into the Federation.
- Cassandra Truth: Trip, at one point, wonders if T'Pol is lying about never having been pregnant.
- Continuity Nod:
- Travis tells Gannet about the maneuver that Enterprise and Columbia pulled during the Klingon Augment incident.
- Colonel Green first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Savage Curtain" as one of the Excalibians' recreations of historic figures representing evil.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: T'Pol brings up the dangers of warping inside a solar system—as if that's ever stopped anyone.
- Deface of the Moon: Paxton takes control of the verteron array on Mars and uses it to put a new crater on the Moon, just to prove that he means business.
- Didn't Think This Through: Trip and T'Pol think they can covertly infiltrate the Orpheus mining colony, despite being well-known across Earth in general and to Terra Prime in particular (as it was their DNA that was filched to create their "daughter"). Their cover is blown pretty much the moment they show up, and they're quickly captured.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: One of Colonel Green's proclamations brings to mind the infamous white supremacist slogan known as the "Fourteen Words." Compare:Green: For the sake of our children, and our children's children, we must reject the impure and cast them out!
14 words: We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children. - Dude, Where's My Respect?: Malcolm, Trip, and Travis are annoyed that Samuels' speech doesn't mention the contributions of Enterprise and her crew. T'Pol then agrees that Archer isn't getting his share of the kudos.Phlox: I thought it was a fine speech.
Travis: Just missing a few names.
Malcolm: You'd think this was all his idea.
Hoshi: It's not about who gets credit.
Trip: He could've at least mentioned Enterprise. Who does he think got the Andorians and Tellarites talking?
T'Pol: I'm sure history will reflect our contribution.
Trip: Not if he's writing it.
Archer: That's enough.
[...]
T'Pol: Commander Tucker does have a point. Enterprise laid the foundation for this event. Perhaps it should be you they're photographing.
Archer: Samuels likes the spotlight, and he's welcome to it. - Equal-Opportunity Evil: Paxton's crew has several women and is ethnically diverse.
- Fantastic Racism: As befits a gang of Absolute Xenophobe terrorists, naturally.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Turns out Terra Prime had actually been around for years, but their support had waned in recent years. Right until the Xindi attack gave them a boost in popularity.Samuels: You haven't spent much time on Earth lately. After the Xindi attack, there was a dangerous increase in xenophobia.
Archer: We got a taste of it.
Samuels: It died down somewhat, but not completely. There are still people out there who want us to stay in our little corner of the galaxy. The news of a Vulcan-human hybrid could inflame them, give them something to rally against.
Archer: I can't believe we're talking about more than a small minority.
Samuels: As I said, you've been away for a while. - Half-Human Hybrid: The baby is artificially created from the DNA of Trip (a human) and T'Pol (a Vulcan).
- Humble Hero: Even though it was Archer's actions that got the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites to work together during the Babel Crisis, he allows Samuels to take all the credit for the conference.
- Idiot Ball: Sending two of the most recognized faces on Enterprise to infiltrate the mining facility was not such a good idea. Top it off with the fact that the mentioned pair are the parents of the baby that is at the center of the plot and one of them is a Vulcan.
- I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: The dying nurse gives T'Pol a vial with the baby's hair.
- I Want Grandkids: Apparently, Trip's dad has always wanted a granddaughter.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: In light of Samuels's grandstanding, Trip questions if history will ever remember the crew's hard work. None of the characters in the preceding shows and movies could acknowledge the NX-01 and her crew, due to Enterprise being a prequel produced after the fact.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: Paxton has Doctor Mercer killed in what looks like an accidental rock slide.
- Narrative Profanity Filter: Samuels wishes that the translators could be a little less precise when he's dealing with the Tellarites.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: We learn a bit more about Colonel Green, who killed "impure" survivors of radioactive fallout to prevent "suffering" for their children.
- New Era Speech:
- Paxton watches a recording of Colonel Green delivering one.Green: In the shadow of this incalculable devastation, we find ourselves facing a colossal challenge. There's an entire world to rebuild. Not only our cities and homes, but mankind itself! Now is not the time not the time for timidity and second guessing. We cannot afford to doubt ourselves. Unless we act decisively, we will pass on the scars of mutation and decay to future generations. For the sake of our children, and our children's children, we must reject the impure and cast it out!
- He delivers his own at the episode's end:Paxton: A new era is at hand. An era that will expose the concept of inter-species unity as an absolute and vicious lie. An era that will witness the advent of a human-centric consciousness that will place our world before all others. As of this moment mankind casts off the shackles of alien interference and now determines its own fate. Terra Prime... forever.
- Paxton watches a recording of Colonel Green delivering one.
- Oh, Crap!: Trip, when he gets recognized by the Terra Prime supporters.
- Old Shame: Minister Samuels was a member of Terra Prime years ago, after his father was killed in a shuttle crash that he blamed on the Denobulan pilot. Archer doesn't expose him, but does use this intel as leverage to take control of the investigation.Samuels: I was very young when I joined Terra Prime.
Archer: You were eighteen.
Samuels: Didn't you make any questionable choices when you were that age, Captain? It was a stupid mistake. I was a fool. My father had died in a freighter accident and I blamed the pilot, who happened to be Denobulan. We all have our demons. I've exorcised mine.
Archer: I don't care what you did when you were young, Minister. I need your help.
Samuels: I underestimated you. I suppose I'm not the first person to make that mistake. You'll have your case file within the hour. - Remember the New Guy?: Terra Prime is stated to have been around for years, having protested when Enterprise was launched.
- Shout-Out: Paxton compares Trip and T'Pol to Romeo and Juliet.
- Space Clothes: Averted—business suits haven't changed much over the years. Neither have laborers' jumpsuits.
- Stunned Silence: Sickbay falls silent when Phlox reveals that the DNA from the hair is for a Vulcan-human hybrid...and is from Trip and T'Pol.
- Swiss-Cheese Security: Okay, how does some random woman with no ID get into what's supposed to be a secured conference room?
- That's an Order!: Once Samuels finishes his speech, Archer tells his crew to "Clap louder!"
- Title Drop: When Archer confronts Samuels about his history with Terra Prime, Samuels replies, "We all have our demons. I've exorcised mine."
- We Will Use Manual Labor in the Future: A lot of it is going on on the Moon mine. They use some futuristic blinking lights (maybe scanner for whatever they are mining) and a laser drill, but there still is a lot of people operating the equipment.
- Wham Shot: The teaser ends with a shot of a baby girl...with Vulcan ears...
- Written by the Winners: Discussed by Paxton and one of his mooks, Daniel, re Colonel Green. They both believe that Green suffered an Historical Villain Upgrade, and Paxton wonders if he's destined for the same.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Both people who cared for the baby end up dead.
