Extinction (Star Trek: Enterprise)

"Extinction" is the 55th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise, the third episode of season three. It first aired on September 24, 2003 on UPN in the United States. This was the first episode to include the prefix "Star Trek" in the title of the series. Set in the 22nd century just prior to the formation of the United Federation of Planets, the series follows the adventures of Starfleet's first Warp 5 starship, Enterprise, registration NX-01.

Season three of Enterprise features an ongoing story following an attack on Earth by a previously unknown alien race called the Xindi. In this episode, while investigating a planet visited by the Xindi, several crew members, including Captain Jonathan Archer, become infected with a virus that mutates them into another species. While they develop a cure, the Enterprise crew must prevent an alien race from exterminating the mutated crew members. The episode was written by story editor André Bormanis and directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumnus LeVar Burton.

"Extinction" was shot across seven days, with the soundstage transformed into an alien jungle for filming. John Eaves designed a Xindi pod, as well as an alien spaceship which he strongly disliked. Jolene Blalock, Scott Bakula, Linda Park and Dominic Keating were each required to undergo extended make-up sessions during six days of the shoot in order to show their characters in various states of mutation. Around four million viewers watched "Extinction" on first broadcast, but the critical reception was mixed. Although the actors who underwent additional make-up were praised, the plot was found to be similar to previous episodes in the franchise and the ending was considered poor.