Star Trek: Enterprise (2/25/05)

[Arnwyn]

It was a cool episode. I'm sure that going on a spacewalk between two tethered ships at warp speed breaks a million rules of geek-physics (aren't inertial dampeners required to prevent one from becoming a bloody splat against the back wall of a ship?), but that was still damn cool.

I thought just Archer showing up on the colony all by himself was pretty stupid ("where are the MACOs that are supposed to be behind him?" I was thinking), but otherwise I thought it was pretty good.

 

[Richards]

I think the fact that the spacewalk/tether occurred while within the two ships' warp fields makes it "okay."

Johnathan

 

[Orius]

I'm sure that going on a spacewalk between two tethered ships at warp speed breaks a million rules of geek-physics (aren't inertial dampeners required to prevent one from becoming a bloody splat against the back wall of a ship?), but that was still damn cool.

It probably does, but then nobody in their right mind should take Star Trek "science" seriously anyway.

 

[TDRandall]

OK, I really liked the tether scene too, but something niggles at my brain about it. Was there, or was there not, any real lateral force happening between the ships - some type of "space winds" or something?

Originally I thought no, that Tripp's major difficulty was merely coordinating his movements to progress up/down in his perspective. After all, Malcom didn't seem all that concerned that his shot of the tether across the gap might not make it into the other ship's bay exactly where he wants. I didn't have a problem with that, contributing it to the joining of their warp fields, but then I couldn't figure out why Malcom just didn't reel Tripp in to make the transfer real quick like (except for the exciting, drama filled reasons of course!)

But then when the winch ripped out, the assembly and cable go flying away extremely quickly rather than slowly drifting out of the area. If that was the case, then Tripp should have been wipping around like a flag strung on that line and probably ripped to shreds with intersteller dust.

Of course, I misunderstood the whole plan in the first place. I thought Malcom was going to have to use the transporter to transfer Tripp over, and that had never been done at warp speed before.

Then again, ST physics are whatever will give the most in terms of flash or story. A complete warp engine reboot in a matter of seconds? Wow!

 

[Silver Moon]

A complete warp engine reboot in a matter of seconds? Wow!

That was the part that bugged me. Before they attempted the reboot they knew they had a very limited window of time but seemed to lose precious seconds at the beginning in coordinating the "start" and then even more seconds later on by not having Engineers standing ready with things when Tripp needed them. When every second counts it should.

 

[myrdden]

I missed the last 20 minutes. Can anyone summarize what happend for me?

 

[devilish]

I missed the last 20 minutes. Can anyone summarize what happend for me?

You're probably better off -- you already saw all the best parts of the episode.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong -- my memory is trying to dissolve the ending.

Enterprise goes to the Klingon base/lab that's creating the Augments. Columbia is
around but out of range. 2 Klingon Battlecruisers open fire on Enterprise.
Archer beams down to the planet with the son of the guy running the lab.
They're threatened by one of the leaders of the BC to give up the Augment
recipe or die -- They can't do it fast enough....unless they happen to use a
human to mass produce the serum. How convenient! Archer offers himself up,
grunts and groans through a partial Klingon transformation. BC leader says "What,
you're working on a cure, not the Augmentation?!? I'm blowing you up." Phlox
transports virus onto BC and BC leader gives up. Cue Happy Ending(tm).

What Klingon in their right mind would bow to that? Wouldn't they rather die
with honor than admit they were outsmarted by a (whatever-Phlox-is)? And
why did Archer beam down by himself (others have complained already so I'll
let that dog lie)?

OK, I really liked the tether scene too, but something niggles at my brain about it. Was there, or was there not, any real lateral force happening between the ships - some type of "space winds" or something?
.
.
.
But then when the winch ripped out, the assembly and cable go flying away extremely quickly rather than slowly drifting out of the area. If that was the case, then Tripp should have been wipping around like a flag strung on that line and probably ripped to shreds with intersteller dust.

Of course, I misunderstood the whole plan in the first place. I thought Malcom was going to have to use the transporter to transfer Tripp over, and that had never been done at warp speed before.

The space winds/dust particles were not there b/c of the warp field. I think
the warp field failed and that's why the winch ripped out, calling off all bets on
the pocket of space they created.

But, yeah! I thought they said "Malcolm has had experience on transporting in
warp" and then we're at the winch-thing. Error in the writing/editing??

 

[myrdden]

You're probably better off -- you already saw all the best parts of the episode.

Gotcha - thanks for the update.

I assume the "covert agent" thread was wrapped up somewhat? Is Trip still on Columbia?

 

[devilish]

Gotcha - thanks for the update.

I assume the "covert agent" thread was wrapped up somewhat? Is Trip still on Columbia?

The agent part -- let me try to recall ... Archer yelled at the guy who was calling
in the favor on Malcolm. Section 31 guy says "This is bigger than all of us" or somesuch.
Later, Section31 guy calls Malcolm privately who says "I have a new commander now!!" or
somesuch (I had forgotten that this, along with the other 2 things I mentioned,
annoyed me as well! It was such a predictable line that I think I said it word-for-word
as I was watching it.

Trip is on Enterprise "for a couple more tune-ups" but Archer/Trip said that he
would be returned to Columbia as soon as he's done.

I know I'm soaking in sarcasm, but aside from those 3 things, I really liked the episode
and the season. I just started this year (with the ancestor Soong) and have
really enjoyed it. As much as the 'physics' of the opening of this episode
teased at the back of my brain, I thought "Wow! This episode rocks!" until I hit
the other 3 speed bumps.

 

[TDRandall]

Yes and no. Maybe?

Tripp is still officially the Columbia engineer, but ended the episode on loan for a while to Enterprise. Seems like it was to get the engines back to top shape, and (don't remember if explicitly or implicitly) to better train the new engineer who had let things slide.

Whether that means next episode he'll still be there or will be back on Columbia I really don't know.