Treking through all Star Trek

[Yug]

Shazam! wrote:

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But he is watching Star Trek XI after Enterprise : /

Actually, he said he's watching Star Trek XI dead last. Technically after ENT, but he meant the last thing he'll watch after all of Trek (ENT,TOS,TNG,DS9,VOY and movies) is the reboot... which does make plenty of sense.

[thew40]

barnaclelapse wrote:

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Hope you have a good time, man. I've always wanted to try for that.

Thanks!
It's one of the "nerd dreams" I've always wanted to do and, well, just figured it was time y'know?

Yug wrote:

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Actually, he said he's watching Star Trek XI dead last. Technically after ENT, but he meant the last thing he'll watch after all of Trek (ENT,TOS,TNG,DS9,VOY and movies) is the reboot... which does make plenty of sense.

Yeah, that whole conversation was confusing to me too.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Unexpected”
Trek Installment # 4
Grade: D+
Date: September 16, 2009

Ship gets stalked by some moochers. Trip goes over to help ‘em, gets trippy, takes a nap. Fixes engine. Has telepathic contact with an alien lady. Gets knocked up. They try and find the baby mama. Bump into Klingons. Hilarity ensues.

I think this episode has a nice premise and really could have been used to really show off just how strange an alien species can be and just how being intimate with one can be so much more wild and gross than with regular humans. In fact, the Xyrillian’s are nice and alien, with small little differences that make them above the standard “forehead of the week.”

Unfortunately, those differences don’t exactly make up for the fact that the episode devolves into typical pregnancy clichés that are supposed to be more funny because they’re coming from a dude. Seriously, this would have been a great chance to play around with ideas of abortion, adoption, surrogacy, or even just baby mama drama. Instead . . . it gets real stupid real fast.

The introduction of the holodeck always bothered me here. I’m assuming something happened to the Xyrillians that prevented them from joining the Federation and giving us some of that tech for a while. And obviously the Klingons just thought it was useless and buried it.

One thing I liked about this episode were the problems the Enterprise was having in the beginning. It would have been nice if this was an on-going thing – like the ship was just a constant work-in-progress.

K’tinga-class vessel? Really? Thanks for the info, Memory-Alpha.

T’Pol gets some nice moments, like her exchange with Phlox about human food and when she’s chiding Trip in sickbay. Not to mention standing up for Archer on the bridge – it’s good to see her getting integrated with the crew.

So, yeah, it gets a D+ . . . in spite of my wife stating that there were “funny moments.”

“I can see my house from here!”

[fek'lhr]

I want to do the same thing but that means having to watch all of enterprise.

[thew40]

Fek'lhr wrote:

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I want to do the same thing but that means having to watch all of enterprise.

Honestly? It's not that bad. Some of the episodes are down-right good. Others are pretty terrible, but you get that with all the shows.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Terra Nova”
Trek Installment # 5
Grade: D-
Date: September 16, 2009

Because the caverns sets from “Strange New World” just weren’t awesome enough for one episode, we needed to have them in TWO! The episode pushes the limit on the plausibility scale. I can not imagine a civilization falling apart so much in just 70 years and that fact alone kills the already clichéd characters (stubborn grandma, cautiously trusting middle-aged man, angry youth) and boring plot.

Again, Enterprise simply does not take advantage of the potential here. Just with “Unexpected,” the episode could have been so much better. It could have been a great story about the dangers and politics of colonization. The backstory about Captain Mitchell and Mark Logan would have been made for a more interesting and intriguing story than what was delivered.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “The Andorian Incident”
Trek Installment # 6
Grade: C+
Viewing Date: September 18, 2009

Finally! A decent episode!

This was a great way to introduce the Andorians. Making them opponents to the Vulcans is a nice touch and I’m very happy for the conflict it creates. Shran, of course, is pretty awesome despite not getting much time in this particular episode. I have to applaud the producers for this one – having the first meeting between three of four founding members of the Federation be a complete disaster was a great idea.

The directing is a lot better in this episode than previous. Lots of great action.

My biggest problem with it, though, is the way Archer talks to T’Pol throughout the episode. He’s very demeaning and cocky and just rude to her. Borderline racist at times, I felt. I also hated that the Vulcan’s lied in this episode. The fact that they were always willing to tell the truth was one of the most interesting aspects of that species. Not anymore, I guess.

[apenpaap]

Only a C+ for the Andorian Incident? I thought it was one of the first season's jewels. I agree that having the first meeting be a disaster was a great idea. I don't agree that having the Vulcans lie was a bad idea. It shows the Vulcans of this era are different guys then those of later eras, which is good, as TOS already explored Vulcan culture, giving Tuvok little to do on VOY.

[thew40]

apenpaap wrote:

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Only a C+ for the Andorian Incident? I thought it was one of the first season's jewels. I agree that having the first meeting be a disaster was a great idea. I don't agree that having the Vulcans lie was a bad idea. It shows the Vulcans of this era are different guys then those of later eras, which is good, as TOS already explored Vulcan culture, giving Tuvok little to do on VOY.

One of my biggest issues with the deception on the part of the Vulcan's was that it was just overkill. Enterprise seemed to be trying way to hard too make the Vulcan's into asshats. This episode was just over the top with that. Hence the C+.

I consider it a good one, I guess, but I certainly liked the next episode better . . .

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Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Breaking the Ice”
Trek Installment # 7
Grade: A -
Viewing Date: September 18, 2009

Best episode thus far. It didn’t try too hard, it wasn’t crazy, and it had some genuine heart to it. It’s an episode of small moments, each one of them great. Enterprise chasing a comet really takes this episode down to its scientific roots. Reed and Mayweather making snowmen (and a snow-Vulcan) on the comet was fun and even though I groaned a little when they stopped to look at the ice cracking, the comet adventure was enjoyable. I loved the scene where the crew answers questions from the elementary school.

Even the dinner scene, which would be rather groan-worthy, was nicely done because it made the Vulcan captain look like such a snob and Archer look like such a jerk. It didn’t quite come off as the normal Vulcan snobbery – this guy made it seem personal.

This episode – held together by the T’Pol/Koss subplot – is just the character-building adventure I needed to help wash the taste of some of the baddies out of my mouth.


The whole episode came off as "what happens on a regular day on board the Enterprise." Some nice characterization on all fronts -- notably Archer, T'Pol, and Trip. And on the Trip/T'Pol note, this definetly felt like the beginning of what would come later. A deeper sense of trust is present here, which only aids the dynamic between them.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Civilization”
Trek Installment # 8
Grade: C
Viewing Date: September 20, 2009

An okay episode, though it certainly dragged on for a while. I liked the introduction to the Malurians and Garos’ scheme. It added a much-needed twist to an otherwise boring episode. On that same note, I actually enjoyed the Riann’s role in the episode and it would have been nice to see her again in some capacity or another. I liked Phlox statements about Riann’s discovery of science.

Overall, not a terrible episode, but nothing really exciting.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Fortunate Son”
Trek Installment # 9
Grade: B-
Viewing Date: September 20, 2009

Better than most episodes of Enterprise, even though the plot was predictable. I like the idea of the Earth Cargo Service and wish it had been explored more. Mayweather also got some much needed development, which is always nice to see.

Actually the best scene in it was the last scene, with the two captains talking about what had happened in the meantime. It really showed the stark differences between both Starfleet and ECS. I just wish Archer had had a drink with him.

[thew40]

Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Cold Front”
Trek Installment # 10
Grade: B
Viewing Date: September 20, 2009

Based on the reaction of the alien in the first act, I tend to think that Archer and crew are getting a reputation for being the most annoyingly friendly species in space. I like the grumpy alien, though. The scene on the bridge where Reed leaves Mayweather in command is fun and it gives the characters a chance to really break out a little bit. There’s a far more relaxed feel to this crew than any other and I like that.

The Temporal Cold War elements play out well here, though we’re still left in the dark. Confusion is allowed to reign supreme, but (if I recall), there’s never really much in the way revelations here. This episode keeps it mysterious and intriguing – which works. The idea that only two characters we can’t really trust know what’s going and the rest are just pawns makes for a compelling episode.

It frustrates me that we never had any solid resolution to Temporal Cold War, but I’m not really letting that affect my opinion on this episode. Taken on its own, it’s a good one.

[DevilEyes]

thew40 wrote:

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Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Strange New World”
Trek Installment # 3
Grade: C-
Date: September 15, 2009


The premise of the episode is reasonable – dangerous undetectable pollen causes away team to become paranoid. Chaos ensues. But it drags on . . . and on . . . and on. It broaches on silly, with no interesting twists, no character revealing moments, just crazy paranoia. And all is forgiven at the end.

Again, T’Pol is the voice of reason. Again, Archer's ambition gets in the way and causes trouble. Again, no one listens to the experienced Vulcan.

There are some nice little moments, but none of them are very exciting. The “lower deck” crewmembers at the beginning is nice, though I don’t think we see any of them ever again (except for Cutler). The amazement at arriving at a new world is a nice touch, as it’s all pretty new to this crew.

There is just one problem that prevents this episode from being excellent: it is a weekly TV series, and Trip, T'Pol and Mayweather are regular cast members. Had it been a movie, it could have been a very dark, very suspenseful story of paranoia and misunderstanding, with a Pitch Black-like atmosphere. But, since it is a TV show, and only at its 3rd episode, we knew from the start that T'Pol and Trip would not kill each other, that everything would turn out right in the end, and that they and Mayweather would survive - and therefore there just couldn't be any real suspense. The only thing we did not know is whether the two redshirts would survive - and I was happy that Novakovich did not die, not because I cared about him - we didn't even know the guy - but because killing off a redshirt would be conforming to the oldest, most worn-out Trek cliche.

Still, I would grade it higher - it deals in a good way with the suspicions, prejudice and conflicts present in the crew early on in the series. If only we had seen anything like that on Voyager... That alone makes me decide that ENT is better than VOY (not that this means much...), even though I've only seen 3 episodes so far.

[thew40]

DevilEyes wrote:

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The only thing we did not know is whether the two redshirts would survive - and I was happy that Novakovich did not die, not because I cared about him - we didn't even know the guy - but because killing off a redshirt would be conforming to the oldest, most worn-out Trek cliche.

I agree. I hadn't seen the episode since it first ran, so I couldn't remember if he was doomed or not. If anything, I wish the paranoia would have been more centered on the redshirts, as (like you said) we knew the others were going to survive.

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Series: Enterprise - Season One
Episode: “Silent Enemy”
Trek Installment # 11
Grade: B+
Viewing Date: September 22, 2009

Another good episode. Nice way to show up the beginning of phasers, strong development for both Reed and Archer, and a good kick in the face. Even the music was better than average. Archer admitting that they may have left Earth too early is surprising – but well done. His fear of being overpowered and his concerns about meeting so many aggressive aliens really launches him forward in terms of character development.

The aliens themselves are mysterious and strange, which only helps further the idea of danger and paranoia. The Reed subplot was kinda fun too and it thankfully showed off Hoshi, who is very rapidly becoming one of my favorite characters.

[wecoyote]

I have an Excel spreadsheet that breaks down the sequence as it relates to the DVDs that are available through Netflix. If anyone is interested, PM me and I can e-mail it to you.

I have done the same thing and am on the last three discs of ENT season 4.

All along I have been a TNG fan and the latter movies with Capt. Pecard. I had never seen ENT until I started this. I must admit, in my eyes (please don't flame me), ENT is just as good.

Again, PM me if anyone wants me to e-mail the spreadsheet.