Enterprise 05-21-03 (Season Finale)

[el-remmen]

. It's kinda funny in a way that most of the people who call themselves Trek fans didn't even start watching until just after it had been cancelled and was run as a weekend filler during the daytime (and most not until it got into it's second round of reruns years later

I don't see how when you first started watching the show and franchise has to do with how much of a fan of it you are.

Also, bad science doesn't bother me so much when it comes to Star Trek (as long as it isn't too crazy) - it is the characters, stories and situations that matter to me. . .

So the rift cut into Florida didn;t have enough water in it? Who cares about such things, seems like a silly detail to worry about. . . The quantum dating thing is much more glaring - though I can't imagine another way to show proof - I would have had then go into the Expanse on faith alone - faith vs. logic being the recurring conflict between humans and vulcans through out the star trek franchise.

I did like that they blew up th Klingon ship - which will (hoepfully) start the precedent for a war with the Klingons in the future.

Maybe they'll run into Romulans in the Expanse and something about the area will make video contact impossible - thus eventually instigating the war with the Romulans.

See, I am not as inteested in Enterprise as a way to do "new" things - but as a way to explore old things - stories, legends and histories we first heard about in the past series.

I think its silly to complain about "the same old villians" and such - they are aren't "old" in this series and good writing can capture that awe and mystery again. . . also, just because we know what is gonna happen doesn't mean it isn;t entertaining. If you watch a war film about WWII does it ruin it b/c you know the Nazis are going to lose?

Or to take a sci fi example - the new star wars movies are not disappointing because we know Anakin is going to become Darth Vader - that is what we pay to see - it is disappointing because Lucas is doing a horrible job of showing it - Enterprise is disappointing to me because they are doing little of showing that stuff I always heard about, but want to see. . .

I still think that newer fans could really enjoy that stuff too, seeing it for the first time.

 

[John Crichton]

Sounds like we are on similar pages. Allow me a few short responses.

That will come as the seaon progresses. Although the show hasn't been spectacular for me, and it has been boreing more often than entertaining, I will say that the main characters are interesting and usually well acted.

Agreed. The acting has been good and I they do a good job with what they are given. I actually enjoy all the characters which is a first for me on a Trek show. There is usually one in there that I don't like all that much. Time will tell.

I would be ok with that as well. However, instead of a Kirk/Spock relationship (which would draw criticism for being a blatant rip-off) how about a McCoy/Spock relationship? Both characters having a well earned respect for one another, as well as a close friendship, but they are constantly at odds with their respective outlooks on life? It sort of there right now, but it needs some more refinement.

Bottom line - just do it well...

I would be cool with an adversarial relationship as those are usually more entertaining than an more conventional friendship. It has been hinted at that there may be a potential romance in the works for the two characters. Now, that would be interesting if done correctly. Yes, it could be soap-opera-ish but these things DO happen, just rarely onscreen. And if done well, really do wonders for the overall story as it creates a bunch of natural situations.

And I really don't care what they do with the Archer/T'pol dynamic as long as it works. It's the most important relationship of the show so it has to be at least solid. The only thing of greater importance is the main antagonist.

I like the Phlox character but I feel that his pressence detracts from the consept of the show. This is supposed to be the explorarion of space by humans. Why not have a human doctor who must struggle with the knowledge that human medicine doesn't know everything? The Phlox character seems to be well experienced with space medicine, which would be vital on the mission, but sometimes seems a bit too convienient. I really do like the character so this is only a minor nitpick.

I sometimes feel that having a human doctor would make things more interesting. However, I really like the character's contrast to the humans. Humanity is learning but so is Phlox. Plus, we get to learn about him and his culture. Since Trek has all but eliminated inter-human racial and cultural problems/tensions we have to look elsewhere for conflict so aliens are next best thing. They haven't used the doctor not being human as a Deus Ex Machina yet, so I am happy with that.

I'll agree with this. Of all the characters, I feel Archer is the weakest. I think this will be addressed by having more background story as the season continues. I thought that the episode "First Flight" was decent, but I was a bit unsatisified with Archer being a test pilot. Just a personal preference I suppose.

I wonder - is the show trying to create a Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship between Archer/T'Pol/Trip? There are some similarities.

Well, every successful Trek series has had a really interesting relationship between the Captain and the science officer (Kirk/Spock, Picard/Data, Sisko/Dax) so having one here would just be keeping in line with the formula.

As for Archer being just a test pilot, he was one of Earth's best which seemed to be really important. I had no problem with his position in that show.

I think they will have to tread very carefully with awarding T'Pol a field commission. It was stated that Spock was the first vulcan to enlist in Starfleet. Now technically it was the Federation and not Earth but splitting hairs like that could cause further problems for hard-core fans. I think they have setup a plausible storyline whereby Archer can use the Klingons as a reason for not being able to take T'Pol home. T'Pol gets to stay on the ship and she doesn't need to resign her position. I'm just thinking out loud.

I agree about the treading lightly which is why a field commission could do the trick. She never enrolled in Starfleet therefore keeping Spock's importance intact. Additionally, I don't think Phlox is officially a Starfleet officer as he is never in uniform. Well, that an the whole interspecies exchange thing. I guess the one problem will be that she is the second highest ranking officer on the ship. I just hope they handle it well. They have said that she is getting a new uniform (or did they actually say catsuit?) next season so maybe that means something. I think it would be a shame to have her reduced in rank (and therefore influence) on the ship as it's fun to see her remind Trip that she outranks him. You just know it drives him and probably Malcolm nuts.

 

[Viking Bastard]

I wonder - is the show trying to create a Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship between Archer/T'Pol/Trip? There are some similarities.

Yup. They are. B&B said so before the show started. Honest. If
you dig up all 'em old articles and interviews with 'em (particularly
Berman, he's a much better media pimp) you'll find many statements
on it.

 

[John Crichton]

Yup. They are. B&B said so before the show started. Honest. If
you dig up all 'em old articles and interviews with 'em (particularly
Berman, he's a much better media pimp) you'll find many statements on it.

Really? I read about the Kirk/Spock influnce but not the Big 3. I don't doubt it...

 

[Orius]

SPOILERS

I thought this episode was terrible.

For all the talk about a "new direction," they managed to produce the same tired old Star Trek/Enterprise plot. How many times have we seen the "getting ready for a big mission" show? Too many to count. How many times have Klingons been after the captain of the Enterprise? About three times in this season of Enterprise alone (and countless times in other shows). How many times do we have to see T'pol agonize over whether to defy the Vulcan High Command?

I generally agree. This seemed to have a lot of elements of Trek we've seen many times before. And as for Braga's statement of needing to do something fresh, why then did they shoehorn Klingons into the plot? They're the most overused race in Trek.

It wasn't too bad overall, though. Just not something overly exciting. Duras must have been one stupid Klingon; he chooses to attack Enterprise just as it reaches the solar system. What an idiot! Why did the Klingons even let him go back out after Archer after making that blunder? Still, it would have been cool if they didn't kill him off and kept him around as a recurring nuisance.

They also slipped in some Suliban and that guy from the future, though they seemed like little more than a plot device.

And T'Pol's staying on Enterprise seemed contrived and not at all logical, I think that really needed a better approach than it was given.

Anyway, I think I'll just have to wait and see how this plot line develops before passing judgement.

 

[Orius]

Well, every successful Trek series has had a really interesting relationship between the Captain and the science officer (Kirk/Spock, Picard/Data, Sisko/Dax) so having one here would just be keeping in line with the formula.

Come to think of it, did Voyager even have a science officer? Not that I recall.

 

[fba827]

Come to think of it, did Voyager even have a science officer? Not that I recall.

What was Kim? I think he sat in the place the science officer would sit.

If not Kim, then, definately, seven took that role when she became the chief user of the astrometrics facility on the ship
(even if not by official rank/title, she was the main science officer at that point)

 

[fba827]

Really? I read about the Kirk/Spock influnce but not the Big 3. I don't doubt it...

Yeah, now that someone mentioned it - I do recall reading lots of the early promotion for the show stating how that was one of the key things they were trying to recreate - that trio's relationship with these three specifically.

 

[John Crichton]

What was Kim? I think he sat in the place the science officer would sit.

If not Kim, then, definately, seven took that role when she became the chief user of the astrometrics facility on the ship
(even if not by official rank/title, she was the main science officer at that point)

I don't recall a science officer at all for Voyager. I guess Seven would qualify as she did deal with science a great deal. But I wouldn't characterize her relationship with Janeway as key to the show or even that interesting.

 

[fba827]

I don't recall a science officer at all for Voyager. I guess Seven would qualify as she did deal with science a great deal. But I wouldn't characterize her relationship with Janeway as key to the show or even that interesting.

Oh - I completely agree. Their relationship was not the kirk/mccoy type relationship. I was merely answering the other person's question as to whether or not there was a science officer on Voy. Wasn't meant as a response to the questions about sci-officer/captain relationships in general

(while they did have a relationship, it was like a mother-daughter sort of thing, not the best-friend/co-worker-at-odds sort of thing.)

Maybe it's just something confined to the male captains - if you are a male captain on star trek, then you must have a certain relationship with your science officer

(not meant as a gender issue.. just making a joke about the pattern that was formed).