IMO that's just way too corny and sappy for my tastes. It wasn't even remotely canon. I guess with Fan Fiction it's the writer's imaginations at work, so non canon is cool, but it does take something away from the stories. I liked the way Rigil Kent handled the bond and Trip & T'Pol in his "unfinished symphony" The Endeavour Chronicles. It was very light on the sappy stuff but all the points got across.
I hated Worf/Jadzia a hell of a lot more than T/T'P. Mostly because they got whole episodes dedicated to their stupidity, rather than only the obligatory five minutes Trip and T'Pol got in season four.
I really disliked Riker/Troi. So sappy. I was reading a string o TNG novels and liking them when the next one in line was "Imzadi". Needless to say, my last TNG was the one right before it.
I definitely see Archer as a "bros over hoes" kinda guy (even though as a friend, he was a failure). Anyway, I think it would be okay for him to pursue T'Pol if he was madly in love with her, but I don't think that was the case. Just never got that vibe from him.
Thank you for pointing that out ICEB, I don’t know how the heck I missed that! If we are believe that TATV is more than just a flawed holoprogram from a lost TNG episode (which I don’t) then Trip did die for Archer. So to go after the EX of a best friend, right after he dies for you, would be the lowest of the lows and would make Archer a real snake and a skunk! If you think bout it, he had five years to “make a move” on T’Pol and he waits for Trip to die? (Like, what's that all about?) That is not Jonathan Archer, as I perceive the character. He is my favorite Captain in the franchise (Picard was the best Captain, but Archer was my favorite) and I just couldn’t reconcile him doing that to a friend like Trip, even if he is dead. As a fan of Archer’s character, I am grateful that it didn’t occur.
MACH5, I’m looking at this from my personal value and belief system as both a human and (most importantly) a guy. Going after a best friend’s EX (doesn’t matter if he’s alive or dead) is something I wouldn’t do and I wouldn’t look favorably upon someone who would. Maybe this is a generational difference between you and me. I do agree with you, however, that Archer didn’t send that “vibe” in TATV and hopefully the character is enough of a “stand-up guy” not to do something that low and violate the “Bro Code”.
Penguin, I first watched TATV in December 2007 and a second time a few weeks later (only because I couldn’t believe the garbage I saw). I haven’t watched it since then and the chances of my watching it again are less than zero; so I’m going from memory here. I didn't see Archer as having any interest in T’Pol in that episode, nor did I see T’Pol having any interest in Archer, other than their friendship. IMO, it would be real stretch to come to the other conclusion. Please don’t take this personal, but I don't want to have a lengthy debate on this issue, because it's a matter of opinion and my opinion isn’t likely to change. I will say, however, that the only official continuation of the Enterprise story, the re-launch books, published by the owners of the Star Trek franchise, have rendered the discussion of what happened after TATV pointless. Events after TATV have already been determined and, from my POV, until something comes up on screen that contradicts the re-launch books, the re-launch stories stand. I know that there are differing points of view on canon status of these books, but that is my POV.
Consider this... You have a best friend, love him like a brother and stuff... He has a girlfriend or a wife that you like a lot, yet he treats her like shit. Then he dies, and you and that woman realize you share feelings for one another... Would you be able to deny yourself true love for the sake of a dead person?
Chances are he wouldn't be my best friend if he treated his wife like shit and I knew them both. I can tell you true a story (PM off line) of something that happened to me years ago that is similar. Anyway, everyone is different and I don't expect everyone to agree with me, it's just my POV. In any event, the scenario you just described really doesn't apply to Archer and I think we both agree that the Archer character, as written in the series, wouldn't be a skunk. James Kirk however .......
I'm not a TNG guy, so I'll defer to you on this one. I guess I'm the only guy here who thinks going after the wife or girlfriend of a dead friend is "creepy" or should I say "scuzzy".
I guess maybe we disagree here. I felt Archer was more of an honorable character and wouldn't stoop to such a low life thing (IMO). Anyway, as I said before, I didn't see that dynamic with T'Pol in TATV. In fact, if anything, I though that T'Pol was having second thoughts about Trip in TATV (that stupid shuttle pod scene). The re-launch books squared everything away.
I was under similar impression, but what I've found disturbing was that T'Pol was the one lamenting over what might have been, and Trip didn't really seem to care. He seemed surprised by T'Pol bringing up the subject IIRC, and they both acted like their relationship was no more than a meaningless fling, never revealing the reason for the breakup (ridiculously bad storytelling if you ask me).
Actually, the shuttle-pod scene made even less sense in TGTMD. Trip asked T'Pol the same question as in TATV: “You know how long it’s been?” In fact, it's been literarely one week between Trip's staged death and the shuttle-pod scene, while the breakup happened just days before Trip "died." Well, at least the M&M's gave the reason for breakup - T'Pol couldnt handle all the emotions that accompanied love; joy, sadness, ambivalence, anger, fear... So she/they decided to just give up.
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Yeah, that is weird when you think about it, but remember, she was spoken to by the "Chef of the Future" (a famous line from an old Honeymooner's episode). I personally hated that shuttle pod scene and it was bad storytelling and a horrable follow-up to what we saw Terra Prime. This is why I subscribe to the middle finger theory and I ignore TATV as a canon episode because of the re-launch books. If figure that if JJ can throw out 40 years of canon, I can throw out one episode.
I'm going to have to re-read that part before I comment; but I do give the 3 M's a lot of credit for doing their homework, finding out what the fans wanted and righting the wrongs of TATV.
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