Enterprise 02/04/03

[Sagan Darkside]

You're joking, right? As a counter example, I hold up TOS: Let That Be Your Last BattleField. The whole half-white/half-black racism thing. Not clever at all.

It has been time since I have seen it, but I would have to disagree from what I can recall. The problem between the two aliens is not clear until a dramatic confronation between them. It then shows the ludicrous nature of racism. Considering the time period- it was rather clever since no other show would touch the subject with a stick.

This episode of Enterprise was stupid. The connection between mind-melds and AIDS is ridiculous- and I feel bad for anyone with AIDS who had their problem made light of by being turning into psychic power instead of a deadly disease.

If Enterprise was alone in panting their agenda in the story lines, then I might not have a problem with it. However- it is either becoming more common or I am just becoming more aware of it. Either way I tire of it.

Not to mention the show becoming 7of9 Part 2 in the form of T'Pol being a common center of the story lines does not help the matter. I feel as if I know more about her then many of the other characters on the show combined.

I think I should just give up on television- and stick with the few shows I enjoy.

SD

 

[John Crichton]

This episode of Enterprise was stupid. The connection between mind-melds and AIDS is ridiculous- and I feel bad for anyone with AIDS who had their problem made light of by being turning into psychic power instead of a deadly disease.

Huh? The sickness was spread by mind melds, not caused by it. And it was deadly. If the doc didn't get the info from the Vulcan doctor, T'pol would have died. I thought that was pretty plain. Besides the point of the show, IMO, was that she didn't share the general outlook of hatred against those people and would have died and given up her career to protect her beliefs. Yeah, it seemed a little preachy, but not in a bad way. But that's just my opinion.

Not to mention the show becoming 7of9 Part 2 in the form of T'Pol being a common center of the story lines does not help the matter. I feel as if I know more about her then many of the other characters on the show combined.

She was the center of 2 maybe 3 shows this season. I wouldn't quite call that common.

 

[Dinkeldog]

Sagan, TOS came on in the 60s and featured a woman, and a black woman at that in a position of authority, as well as a Russian as a member of the crew. Sure, it doesn't mean much to us now, but Nichelle Nichols broke serious social ground just being in the series. View it in the context of its times.

Also, the disease was spread by a form of "intimacy" that was disapproved of by the conservative elements of Vulcan society. That's a sledgehammer, sure, but the parallels are way too strong. Also consider that the one doctor was told that he was going to lose his job and have his career in the medical service ended because he had that ability, not even that he used it.

 

[Mallus]

The connection between mind-melds and AIDS is ridiculous-

SD, I didn't think it was a great episode either, but the metaphor used in it isn't inherently sillier than any other in SF/F. What's the inherent connection between the global spread of Communism and giant pea pods from outer space? Or between Jesus Christ and a talking lion? The AIDS/telepathy thing was just par for course IMHO.

I can't say I thought they did a lot with it. First off, its hardly timely. Maybe if were an ep. of TNG... Second, it wasn't melodramatic enough. I miss Bill Shatner's testerone-fueled, internally-rhyming righteousness.

Still, I watched it all the way through, which is more than I can say for most Enterprise episodes. The Trip/Phlox/Mrs. Phlox stuff was very funny. And almost sophisticated. I see Enterprise is continuing the trend began in Voyager where the most well-rounded and human acting characters are supposedly to aliens or AI's...

 

[Mark]

That is one valid question!

Didn't mean to put you on the spot!

I'll drop back in later and comment a bit more. You've given me much food for thought.

Sagan, TOS came on in the 60s and featured a woman, and a black woman at that in a position of authority, as well as a Russian as a member of the crew. Sure, it doesn't mean much to us now, but Nichelle Nichols broke serious social ground just being in the series. View it in the context of its times.

IIRC Kirk and Uhura had the first on-screen television interacial kiss. If that wasn't considered a sledge hammer back then, and sending a message, I don't what could be considered such.

 

[Dinkeldog]

*snip*
I can't say I thought they did a lot with it. First off, its hardly timely. Maybe if were an ep. of TNG... Second, it wasn't melodramatic enough. I miss Bill Shatner's testerone-fueled, internally-rhyming righteousness.
*snip*

Perhaps the feeling that it isn't timely makes it that much more timely. HIV/AIDS hasn't disappeared, you know. It just seems to have lost a sense of urgency to some populations.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

SD, I didn't think it was a great episode either, but the metaphor used in it isn't inherently sillier than any other in SF/F. What's the inherent connection between the global spread of Communism and giant pea pods from outer space? Or between Jesus Christ and a talking lion? The AIDS/telepathy thing was just par for course IMHO.

Fair enough. You are correct- I am perhaps overly jaundiced at the moment. It was the side story that irritated me more then the main one.

SD

 

[Mallus]

Fair enough. You are correct- I am perhaps overly jaundiced at the moment. It was the side story that irritated me more then the main one.

SD

I've had to wrestle with my own critical snootiness in the past. Times when I felt there was something inherently wrong with a genre that tried to address issues like class warfare using canabalistic troglodytes in the year 800,000 or retell the Cantebury Tales in space, complete with giant-tree starships and characters in power armor {which BTW, I loved}. But aside from a few slip-ups, I got over that...

You want a stupid metaphor? That big white whale...

You know, I liked the side story. And usually the human interest {non-human interest?} B stories annoy the hell out of me.

 

[Mallus]

Perhaps the feeling that it isn't timely makes it that much more timely. HIV/AIDS hasn't disappeared, you know. It just seems to have lost a sense of urgency to some populations.

DD, I don't know where by head was... Despite what I wrote I am aware of the seriousness of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. I realize the success of certain treatments here {America} has hepled push HIV below the radar, so to speak.

I was thinking of the episodes call for tolerance. I'd dearly like to believe that's old hat. Maybe I just don't get out of my liberal East Coast city neighborhood enough...

 

[rangerjohn]

My main problem is with the Vulcans. This is the species that has the philosophy of IDIC? (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination) As for them changing that much. In what for them in one generation? Also mind melds go from something only a "crimanal element" does, to something the majority does in a generation