The third season of Enterprise proved to be a turning point, taking the show to new levels of excitement and intrigue. Whatever shortcomings the first two seasons may have had, they were more than made up for by Season 3. For the first time on Star Trek, an entire season was turned over to a singular storyline, this one being the mission to destroy the Xindi weapon which is designed to destroy Earth. (Sure, DS9 came close with their final season arc, but namely just the final ten episodes.)

It's hard to narrow down the highlights of the third season as there was a consistency throughout for the first time on the show. But some episodes, let's just say, are more better. Without further ado, here is our "unbiased" list of some of Season 3's finest.

"The Xindi"
The story picks up where the second season finale left us hanging. The Xindi have launched an unprovoked attack on Earth, and Enterprise is dispatched on a special mission to find the aggressors. The metaphor for the U.S. going into Afghanistan and Iraq may be obvious, but the stakes here are much higher. Losing isn't an option; if the Xindi succeed, then Earth will be nothing but space dust.

"Rajiin"
This one makes the list mainly because we get an interesting female character who is not all she appears. Of course, they are in the Expanse after all. But Rajiin has all the traits we admire in a character of unknown orgin. Who is she, what is she and who does she work for? Will she get away with using her seductive manner to get what she wants? Find out in "Rajiin"!

"Exile"
O.K., O.K., our bias is showing. Once again, we have a strong central female part, only this time it isn't a guest star, it's the underused Hoshi Sato (Linda Park). In "Exile" we get the mysterious alien with telepathic powers who may, or may not, be willing to help Archer and his crew find the Xindi. Right out of old-school sci-fi, complete with the central character's old-school Roman name of "Tarquin," this beauty-and-the-beast tale diverts us from the season arc only slightly, and Linda Park gets one of her rare opportunities to shine.

"Twilight"
Much has already been said about "Twilight" and its place in the pantheon of great Star Trek episodes. Written by staff veteran Mike Sussman, the story of "Twilight" works wonderfully, even if you accept this new-ish twist on biological time-bending, as opposed to the standard subspace rifts, black holes and wormholes. Of note is Scott Bakula's excellent performance as the memory-challenged former captain now living his life in simple seclusion with T'Pol as his caregiver. It should also be noted that Jolene Blalock's performance is also taken to new levels as well.

"North Star"
This episode is fun, and very Star Trek. Pure and simple. The David A. Goodman story takes elements of the Original Series (the finding of a culture with roots from Earth's past), and drops it in the middle of the Xindi arc without missing a beat. We get smoky saloons, gun fights and six-shooters in what could be Trek's best-ever Wild West-type story. Not only that, we get the themes of old-school Trek when it comes to the endemic racism found on this planet when the Skagarans, or "Skags," are persecuted by the transplanted humans. As always, there is a twist ...

"Similitude"
This is another crowd favorite that once again borrows from the best elements of Star Trek. When Trip is gravely injured while saving the ship from certain destruction, Dr. Phlox comes up with an unorthodox way of saving Trip. Only it's like growing a new Trip via a symbiot named "Sim," then using the new Trip's neural tissue to help save the dying Trip. The one drawback? Sim has a 15-day lifespan. This episode raises questions of medical ethics — think stem cell debate — and the idea of creating and destorying a life to help save a life. Kudos to Connor Trinneer for a strong central performance.

"Chosen Realm"
Another great metaphorical episode, "Chosen Realm" offers timely debate in the perennial topic of religious fanatacism and fear-based mythological structures to help make sense of the universe. This time, it is the Triannons, a race who feel that the Delphic Expanse is the titular "Choosen Realm," and Enterprise has desecrated some of their holy space, where mysterious spheres reside. The plot thickens when the aliens of the week try to take over the NX-01 ...

"Proving Ground"
Yes, it's the return of our favorite Andorian, the perpetually angry Shran. In "Proving Ground," we have a nice cat-and-mouse story involving secret testing by the Xindi of their planet-destroying weapon, and joint cooperation between Shran and Archer. Not everyone trusts Shran and the Andorians, but the story provides the Enterprise crew plenty of opportunity to size up this blue man group.

"The Forgotten "
Archer must rendezvous with Degra, one of the chief Xindi weapon designers, and one of the only ways the captain will be able to defuse the attack on Earth. This episode provides a nice build-up to the countdown of the final two installments of Season 3.

"Countdown"
The time is at hand! Hoshi is kidnapped, and using divisions amongst the Xindi races, Archer and his crew look to sabotage their destructive plans.When the Reptillians get Hoshi to decipher launch codes, it appears certain that their plan will finally work. But wait, the MACOs are coming to save the day! Then Major Hayes is killed following a gun battle and things don't look so hot ... Now, it's all a race to the finish!

"Zero Hour"
Earth's destiny is in the hands of a brave and desperate few. If there is one thing Star Trek has taught us over the years, it's to never underestimate the power of humans — and their alien allies of course — when it comes to saving planets, races or star systems. "Zero Hour" provides plenty of thrills and chills, especially when Archer, having destroyed the weapon (c'mon, you knew he would!) wakes up on a dystopic Earth with alien Nazis. A fitting, if weird, climax to a seaon-long sci-fi joyride.