The ENT and Melakon

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Enterprise' started by Melakon, Feb 6, 2013.

  1. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I was completely horrified when I first watched Unexpected for all the reasons you give but typically I've grown to like it just fine. I think the aliens and their ship kept it interesting.
     
  2. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    The male pregnancy plot was so old, Joan Rivers had directed Billy Crystal in 1978's Rabbit Test. It probably goes back further than that in literature, it sounds like the sort of fantasy that Thorne Smith would write.
     
  3. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Here's the things I never want to see in science fiction again:

    1. Male pregnancy OR ridiculous alien pregnancy of a human like on Torchwood.

    2. The Rapid Aging disease.

    And the worst one that I just throw stuff at the screen for..

    3. Alien something or other is Jack the Ripper. That a was a great story in Wolf in the Fold NO NEED to ever do it again. Sanctuary made a main character be Jack the Ripper! And the Babylon 5 ep was so deeply embarrassing it hurts to remember it.
     
  4. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    1:07 - The Andorian Incident

    TV Blurb: Vulcans play charades, Andorians don't play nice, and Archer plays human punching bag.

    I first saw this on original broadcast, and not again until recently, which is the case with all of Seasons 1 and 2. My initial negative impressions of the series are starting to change, now that I've been able to rewatch these early episodes.

    Jeffrey Combs makes a welcome return to Trek, now as Shran, leader of Andorian commandos invading an ancient Vulcan monastery. He'll eventually become a recurring character.

    We begin to learn that Vulcans aren't quite so honorable as we once thought, and that besides being arrogant bastards, they're sneaky little shits as well. These are not your parents' Vulcans anymore. At the end, it isn't entirely clear if T'Pol was aware of the deception going on at the ancient monastery for those studying kolinahr, but viewers can easily draw their own conclusions.

    This episode originally gave me an unfavorable impression of Archer, as he gets beat up. A lot. But now I can see he allowed that to happen for a reason, and not just because he was a wimp or masochist.

    Jeffrey Combs gets to be a real tough guy for a change, and Steven Dennis is deliciously creepy as his sidekick with a lusting eye for T'Pol ("I'll enjoy having you... as a prisoner.")

    The new Andorian makeup features moving antenna, radio controlled by off-screen puppeteers, and subtly indicate changes of mood.

    I didn't find The Big Revelation at the end all that impressive.

    Favorite line: "For people without emotion, you sure have a flair for the dramatic."

    The season's blooper reel has an outtake from one of Archer's interrogations.

    Next episode is "Breaking the Ice".
     
  5. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The signs were all there with T'Pring.
     
  6. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    Yes, and this might explain some of the fan outrage with ENT's Vulcans. Spock is the prototype, but he's half human, and was from honorable parents. Many of the Vulcans we saw in the earlier series were with Starfleet, and therefore honorable. Though there might have been some in Section 31 we didn't know about.
     
  7. The Mirrorball Man

    The Mirrorball Man Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In my opinion one of the good things about Enterprise was the way it portrayed a cultural shift among Vulcans.
     
  8. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Spock, like all who have a lot to prove, tried far harder than those safely ensconced in their culture.
     
  9. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    It's possible that the Proto-Spock in The Cage is how full Vulcans really behave. Unemotional Logical Spock didn't exist until Roddenberry gave him the female Number One's characteristics.
     
  10. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Admiral

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    I always thought the Vulcans were the one thing that Enterprise got right. They reminded me of the ones we saw in "Amok Time". :shrug:
     
  11. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    I never had a problem with ENT Vulcans. There's the initial surprise at the behavior, no doubt intended, but you get used to it during the first episode. And then as the series goes on they gradually introduce other characters representing familiar concepts.
     
  12. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Admiral

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    I wasn't surprised at all. Vulcans were always standoffish pricks, even Spock. :techman:
     
  13. feek61

    feek61 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I thought the way the Vulcans were portrayed on "Enterprise" was interesting and fresh. It really made the species much more interesting than in previous versions of Trek.
     
  14. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    And really, if they'd kept Vulcans like they were in the 24th century, people would be complaining about that instead.
     
  15. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    1:08 - Breaking the Ice

    TV Blurb: Malcolm and Travis build a snowman, Vulcans are cool, and Trip talks about shit.

    While Reed and Mayweather take samples from a comet, the crew answer schoolchildren's letters, host dinner for a Vulcan captain, and Trip becomes involved in T'Pol's personal problems.

    Some nice special effects with the comet (the episode was nominated for an Emmy). But the end of the expedition, with the shuttle sinking into the ice, reminded me too much of a similar accident in the earlier Terra Nova. The fall into the crevice looked to me like they simply recycled the action file of the shuttle animation and used a different environment.

    Although he's supposed to be an athletic outdoors enthusiast, Travis hurts his leg yet again.

    There are some nice moments in the schoolkid's letters scene. Phlox is visibly though momentarily annoyed when Archer interrupts his lengthy discussion. And Archer seems to take perverse delight when Trip has to explain how the toilets work.

    Trip gets drawn into T'Pol's personal life, encouraging her to start thinking about her own desires rather than necessarily what's expected of her by Vulcan tradition.

    My favorite scene though, is the dinner with visiting Captain Vanik (William Utay). The Vulcan has a gift for making anything he says sound insulting or demeaning ("You're easily impressed.") I was surprised when I realized that actor Utay had played Phil, the homeless guy who hovered around district attorney Dan Fielding on the show "Night Court".

    A pleasant enough episode, but just average.

    Next up: Civilization
     
  16. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Why they get so embarrassed about the toilet thing I don't know.. isn't this THE FUTURE?!
     
  17. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well, Travis said his dad always kept the gravity a bit lower than 1g on the ship. So quite easily this could weaken his muscles and make his legs brittle. :p
     
  18. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    *shakes head sadly* Those 22nd century people... such prudes.
    Good point.

    1:09 - Civilization

    TV Blurb: Enterprise discovers a heavily populated planet, though they're not the first to find it.

    During original broadcast, this was the first episode I actually liked. I know that's a minority opinion around here, but I don't apologize for it. I guess I'm just an old fashioned guy.

    There were several elements that appealed to me. Of the episodes I'd seen up to this point, it felt like it could have been a TOS story. Archer falls in love (and I'm not a fan of love stories), a less advanced culture needs our help, and it was a nice reference to see the Malurians before Nomad annihilates them a hundred years from now.

    There aren't any outstanding moments I can think of, but the episode had me thinking that the show had started to find its footing. I guess the credit goes to Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong, because I really liked the story.

    Next: Fortunate Son
     
  19. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I don't get the whole land on primitive planet, fall in love with primitive woman deal.. or I guess I do get it. Pretty easy to be an amazing, genius, hero if you come from a culture that far advanced.

    Anyway the whole point of Civilization was putting T'Pol in that medieval princess dress.
     
  20. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well... this is exactly how Neelix got Kes. The scavenger from -space- was literally the most exciting man she ever met. It wasn't until she was on Voyager long enough to get a proper frame of reference that she realized he was a glorified garbage collector.