Enterprise 01-08-03

[John Crichton]

Not a bad ep but it was a bit dry. If not for the fact that Connor Trinneer is an entertaining actor I would have been fairly bored as the material wasn't that good. Another decent Trip ep, but I want some more meat with my TV.

 

[nHammer]

Another crap episode....The show needs new producers.

 

[jaerdaph]

It was also similar to the movie Enemy Mine.

As for the quality of Enterprise lately, let's just say that last night I took a phone call during Star Trek for the first time ever in my life.

 

[Mark]

I've got to agree that if there is a weak link in the Enterprise formula, it is the plots. Not so much even the scripts, or the sub-plots, which I think range from serviceable to good. I'm also beginning to tire of the recycling abuse that surrounds plots.

That said...

The directing of Roxann Dawson has impressed me, as may be gathered by my including former series cast member turned director names in the top ten poll recently. It would seem that, in general, people agree. I'm sure that the directors do not scoff at the chance to take their turn in the chair when offered the scripts, relating that they feel that the writers need to cease their plundering of hackneyed plots. Nevertheless, some new blood is obviously needed in the writer's room, or looser guidelines on what is acceptable from above. Consider me a convert who will enjoy the show for its good points, but will continue to express my displeasure with aspects of the writing.

I liked the magic spit also!

I was thinking about the possibilities, considering most fans' wish to keep canon as sacred. It came to my mind that there are many. many (someone give me a number here please) members of the Federation and that we know precious little about most of the species. I think a new route to go would be the building of the Federation, rather than trying to run into just the previously mentioned species. It seems they may already be dipping their toe in the pool of this plan.

And this isn't Voyager where we have to see every single light year of the journey. As long as the scripts are solid, I do not mind if there is a leap ahead by a year or two, with some exposition on the generalities of what has happened and who has been brought into the fold. Let's mix it up a bit and get things popping!

What about something along the lines of the Vulcans realizing from this recent encounter that the Humans are much more suited to securing allies? T'Pol's line about succeeding in one day where the Vulcan's hadn't in one hundred years rings rather ominous in my ears as a new trend for future episodes. I'm not so sure we need the relationship between the Humans and Vulcans to be so clearly drawn as either adversarial or not. Let's have a mission to Vulcan and see who is on our side (wishing us to be the forerunners of future events) and who is trying to keep the Humans down! Then we can build from there.

Seven years (typical series length, right?) might seem like a long time from this side of the equation, but it will be all too short when Enterprise takes her final mission and we're stuck watching nothing but reruns...

*edit* added "aspects of" *end edit*

 

[Mallus]

Nah, the TNG episode is better, especially the part where Worf refused to give transfusion to a critically injured Romulan that they had onboard in sickbay

I always liked that episode of TNG... You expect Worf to do the Federation-Seal-of-Approval "right thing" at the end and save the Romulan's life... and he doesn't.

I always hoped they'd make use of Tomolok as a recurring villian, but alas, not. I'm glad he went on to play G'Kar...

This episode of Enterprise was a fine example of what's wrong with the series as a whole: each episode reminds you that its been done before, and better. The Romulan ep. had more drama, and a great moment for Worf --probably the last until he got shipped out to DS9. And Darmok --the episode w/race that communicated entirely in story fragments-- had a great SF idea, one of the few in TNG...

 

[myrdden]

... I'm also beginning to tire of the recycling abuse that surrounds plots.

That said...

...I think a new route to go would be the building of the Federation, rather than trying to run into just the previously mentioned species. It seems they may already be dipping their toe in the pool of this plan.

And this isn't Voyager where we have to see every single light year of the journey. As long as the scripts are solid, I do not mind if there is a leap ahead by a year or two, with some exposition on the generalities of what has happened and who has been brought into the fold. Let's mix it up a bit and get things popping!

Amen, my friend. Amen.

Myrdden

 

[Ranger REG]

I always hoped they'd make use of Tomolok as a recurring villian, but alas, not. I'm glad he went on to play G'Kar...

Yeah, they could have made better use of his Romulan character but he was memorable enough.

In fact, they would have done so with NEMESIS. Have him pair up with half-Romulan Major Sela of the Tal Shiar who were the strings behind the Shinzon clone. I probably would have believed what they were doing to the Romulan Empire.

 

[Orius]

Good question, actually... any sign of the Gorn in Enterprise so far? I don't recall them ever coming up in TNG.

That would be kind of inconsistant, as I believe the TOS episode where the Gorn first appeared was the first contact they had with the Federation (and by extension humans).

They were never in any of the later series, but apparently made peace with the Federation at some time, because at least one DS9 episode refers to a Federation colony or settlement on Cestus III, the same planet that was attacked by the Gorn in "The Arena".

 

[Mark]

That would be kind of inconsistant, as I believe the TOS episode where the Gorn first appeared was the first contact they had with the Federation (and by extension humans).

Still... They managed to finagle the Ferengi into an episode in spite of them never knowing who they were, eh?

They were never in any of the later series, but apparently made peace with the Federation at some time, because at least one DS9 episode refers to a Federation colony or settlement on Cestus III, the same planet that was attacked by the Gorn in "The Arena".

See, that's what I am on about. I watch the first gen movies and see a Federation Council with hundreds (?) of delegates and wonder how they are going to squeeze a lot of them into the new series. Sure, conflict often equals drama for a plot, but if we keep fighting nintey-five percent of the folks we meet, you'd think that they'd all know we were coming and blow us out of space before season three. Maybe even send more of those Doomsday devices hurtling toward our precious little sphere.

And another thing...

Haven't the Damned Vulcans (thx Bones) made any friends for us to run into. They seem to have met tons of folks, cause that Vulcan Database seems pretty extensive, but except for Risa (sp?) (and they'll take anyone, apparently a bunch of space sluts), we've hardly found anyone very sympathetic to the pointy-eared bastards. I'm beginning to think they've spent the last one- hundred years being our pal because they're like that kid next door that really doesn't have any other friends... *shrug*

 

[Orius]

Still... They managed to finagle the Ferengi into an episode in spite of them never knowing who they were, eh?

Yeah, that episode was funny (and it brought back the Ferengi energy whips), but it was very inconsistant. The Ferengi were supposed to be a relatively new race to the Federation in TNG.

See, that's what I am on about. I watch the first gen movies and see a Federation Council with hundreds (?) of delegates and wonder how they are going to squeeze a lot of them into the new series. Sure, conflict often equals drama for a plot, but if we keep fighting nintey-five percent of the folks we meet, you'd think that they'd all know we were coming and blow us out of space before season three. Maybe even send more of those Doomsday devices hurtling toward our precious little sphere.

That depends on what happens in the 100-odd years between Enterprise and those movies. There's always external threats and such that might convince these races to work together (like Suliban, Romulans, Klingons, etc.). Or perhaps these planets see advantages to joining the Federation rather than going alone. There may also be planets within Federation territory that are warp capable, yet aren't part of the Federation. The Federation isn't a power that would conquer them like the Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, etc. They keep that sort of thing vague intentionally, so the writers don't have to worry about screwing up continuity too much...

And another thing...

Haven't the Damned Vulcans (thx Bones) made any friends for us to run into. They seem to have met tons of folks, cause that Vulcan Database seems pretty extensive, but except for Risa (sp?) (and they'll take anyone, apparently a bunch of space sluts),
we've hardly found anyone very sympathetic to the pointy-eared bastards. I'm beginning to think they've spent the last one- hundred years being our pal because they're like that kid next door that really doesn't have any other friends... *shrug*

Yeah, I got that impression from this last episode too. The Andorians hate them. The Arkonians don't like them either. Hell, the Vulcans even seem to irritate humans at times, but since human values value diversity, the Vulcans are in luck. It's probably because the Vulcans are so damn arrogant that everyone seems to hate them.

The Risans don't seem to have any sort of hang-ups whatsoever. It seems to be like Spring Break Planet or something. The only contradiction at all to that was the old couple having dinner Hoshi briefly spoke to, which made it seem more like a resort than Party Central for the Alpha Quadrant. Of course Risa doesn't seem like a spot that would be popular with Vulcans anyway, so maybe they haven't spent enough time there to irritate the locals.

Or maybe, taking a different angle from your kid next door analogy, the Vulcan see humans as sort of an irritating kid brother they don't want tagging along when they hang out with their friends.