I hate to say it, but if the Xindi destroy Earth, Phlox is the one who's going to go, 'That was terrible. Now, my next assignment ... .'

On the other hand, having an episode practically to himself doesn't allow Billingsley to engage in his normal gloating in front of his harder-working cast members.
He even has a song for it (set to the tune of Harry Belafonte's "Day-O"): "Character actor have more fun; six days off and the check still come. Other people work, I lie in the sun. Character actor, he have more fun. Day-O, d-a-a-ay-O!"

"In the first and second season, we were able to master every situation so perfectly that it just became routine. There have been episodes in which there has been a moral struggle, but when it comes down to brass tacks, we're gonna win.

"I have always been interested -- and am still interested, and will be interested -- in having us lose. For the most part, most of the explorers of the world lived short and violent lives. That's the nature of things, of course, but that runs into the demands of network television."

I realized last week when I thought Phlox had lost his head that he is my favorite character on this show. Learning more about the actor only seconds that.