I had to pull an all-nighter at work this week, so I was watching the first couple episodes of VOY to keep myself awake (and not pull a Phlox in the empty, dark office). In comparison, VOY's technobble is really thick and constant, while ENT's reminds me more of that Tim Allen show, "Home Improvement." One of the catch phrases there was along the lines of, "I couldn't get my lawn mower to do more than 5 mph on the highway, . . . so I REWIRED it!" Silent Enemy struck me more like that. "Let's plug that into this and, . . . WHOA!" The rolling up of sleeves is nice, but I live for the pull down the top of jumpsuit and tie the arms around the waist moments, myself.
I've gotten till "Unexpected" in my rewatching and I must say I didn't really notice the A/B story structure (but those are probably the episodes that don't make heavy use of it). "Silent Enemy" however is a prime example of this story structure. And not that great, either. Okay, we learn a bit more about Malcolm. And the alien ship looked cool. I think Daniels is just trying to screw with Archer. He comes off as somewhat clueless later on and also as socially awkward. It's his big chance to mightily impress people he somewhat admires. That's what appealed to me, too, right from the start. I always thought that the jumpsuits were kind of impractical because you can't just take your jacket or sweater off but have to tie it round your waist.
On the other hand, you don't leave your jacket anywhere by accident. If you're busy, you'd tie a sweater around your waist anyway, right?
Funny, I saw it the other way. I was interested in the "action" story, and found the "Hoshi's on a mission to find Malcolm's favorite food" cutesy and boring. But then I always wanted to see Data's Spot sucked out of the nearest airlock. As for my viewing, I'm onto the last two discs of the first season, and, while the quality is spotty, I'm still overall pretty pleased. "Fallen Hero" I enjoyed, and really liked "Vox Sova." But "Aquisition." Ugh. I hate, hate, hate the Ferengi. I think they are a stupid concept for an alien race, though their initial menace on TNG had some promise. But their role as the "Comic Relief Aliens" grates me to no end. Just make them go away. Funny, considering how much they were on DS9, and I liked that show. But really, I'm fairly left-wing, and even I find the whole Roddenerrian "capitalists are evil buffoons" thing pretty heavy-handed. I'm enjoying how T'Pol is developing as a character, though I still think her costume is ridiculous. Still, Phlox has to be my favorite character, although Malcolm is creeping up.
Dear Doctor *applaudes* Wow. This was just... amazing. What could have been a simplistic moral lecture about explotation of the weak turned out to be such a nuanced episode about... I'm not fairly sure, but it was very insightful. Insight, that's the keyword for this episode.This is a story that's all about insights. I had a lot of feelings going through me while watching this episode. One of them was of course: „Those fucking Valakian imperialists! Freedom to the oppressed!! Down with the Valakian imperialism!!!“ The other was: „Oh noes, please don't play God Archer. It's not even your... you just came here passing by and now you took the burden to decide the fate of this world like.... it's...“ Of course, part of the reason was why I didn't want Archer to play God because my heart was with the Menk and I feared that giving support to Valakians would mean some really bad things for the Menk. In a way, we were both playing God. But this episode wasn't about telling which „feeling“ is right or wrong, instead it takes us outside of ourselves and we gain insights, understandings. It's hard to describe what that understanding or insight actually is... there of course is the possibility of each viewer having a different insight or understanding.. For me there were a lot of insights outside of this Menk-Valakian thing too... that I just can't begin to describe the awesomeness of this. It's like meditation. It takes the time out to stop and observe, consider, understand... it emulates a sort of patient wisdom. One of the most amazing episodes of Trek... ever. This is probably one of those episodes where later reviewings say completely different things to you. This episode stops and listens, it hears and observes. And it speaks, not saying anything concrete, but saying a lot. And now it's time for: First-Timer's Mid-Season Impressions Enterprise has shown itself to be pretty amazing. Of course the episode I just watched has probably colored my impression... but I think Enterprise has been great. I really like this show. There's just so much good in this. I feel like Enterprise has done more with the characters in 13 episodes than a lot of Treks in seasons. Certainly... there is that „newness“ factor, which might color my understanding. I think I might have thought the same thing with Voyager when it was in it's first season. But still, I feel that all characters have had those emotional insightful moments that some previous Trek characters had to wait for 5 seasons. I was approaching the show with an open-mind at first... and well Broken Bow and Fight or Flight didn't help to shake of the stigma of „lesser Voyager-even lesser TNG“ that it has on the internetz, but I see now that it's something completely different. It breathes a completely different quality. For example - sometimes, sometimes I just have these desires to see Chakotay washing the bartable with someone's face, or Picard shoving a combadge down someone's throat and yelling: "I'm Jean-Fucking-Luc Picard, Bitch!!!" or any of these male actors really deserving some manly things to do... to have that to do. And it seems to me that Enterprise has that. That the men are allowed to do manly stuff. Captain getting beaten up, the crew drinking beer together... and building snowmen. It's not bucketloads of testosterone, but it's presence is much more stronger. To have testosterone doesn't mean you have to emulate God of War or Conan. These are nice friendly kind people. And they are manly. It's very feel-goodish show actually. And the characters are wrong. Quite often. And it's good. It's good stuff.
You don't know how right you are. I have seen widely ranging opinions of "Dear Doctor," but the episode worked very well for me. As you say, quite thought-provoking, and it stays with you for long after the credits roll.
Sleeping Dogs A far more weaker episode than Dear Doctor. What did I enjoy? The crew interaction. Arguably the only good thing about the episode. What I did not enjoy? The rest of the episode. It felt too recycled. And I can't stand Klingons much. I only like Klingons when they are like K'Ehleyr, Duras sisters or Ambassador Kell... you know, when they speak and breath normally, when they're not killing me with their uptight honor. But this gal here was just... klingons are just tiresome when they are like that. But in the end she did consider the possibility of hot wild sex with Archer, so that's okay I guess. Well, she did gave Archer an appraising look later. One must be grateful for even these small chances of developing your character. And there was the non-existent plot, which was just a recollection of recycled events. However the crew interaction made it watchable. I noticed that there is a lot more playfulness between the characters than in other shows. Not just the dialogue, but the body language, unnoticeable smiles - like the captain grinning when seeing Trip sitting in his chair - stuff like that. And of course the ending scene in the contamination chamber.
Shadows of P'Jem Good to know that Archer's decisions get consequences. Vulcans: "Okay, so we let you have your fun... let you pretend that you're "space explorers"... and the first thing your "captain" does is to undermine our authority behind our backs. I've had enough of this shit. You and I are done professionally, bitches." I find it interesting how much of TNG era Federation inherited from Vulcans. The whole classification of planets for one. And the prime directive. And I also like that the founders of Federation can't stand each other in the beginning. And it's amazing how many recurring characters Enterprise has already had. There are a lot of interesting connotations one can make with Vulcans, pro-vulcan governments staying in power by delivering resources, widespread poverty in that planet and rebels who've had enough. Some of them too obvious. I just find it interesting. The one good lesson Enterprise has learned from previous Treks that shaking the camera in every episode while filming the bridge scenes does not action make. There is just so much fun in fistfights, beatings and gunfire and frentic ducking and... But the funnest scenes of all where the ones with Captain and T'Pol. I'm sure the "untying" scene was a lot of fun to film. It was sure a lot of fun to watch. And the porridge eating scene. That's how it's supposed to be. When I was a kid, my father asked me which I liked more - James Bond or Indiana Jones. I said Indiana Jones, because Indy gets beaten, cut, he's always hurt somewhere and he always looks like a wreck in the end. And that's how it's supposed to be.
Thanks for checking in with your thoughts, Jimmy Bob. Untainted first impressions of the series are hard to come by nowadays, and I always find them interesting.
Shuttlepod One Bourbon. Drinking. Malcolm's dream. Dominick and Connor are just so likeable performers. I really enjoyed their interaction with each other. Which is what this episode is all about. Fortunately. They could have ruined it with some alien anomaly. But no, it's good old-fashioned stupidity and two tough guys just sitting in one room and talking. I love it. This whole guy thing is just so refreshing. There was one thing that bothered me. The opening dialogue. The whole "you americans, we europeans" angle of it. And "...serbocroatians." Who cares? Well no one, but it probably does make a serb or a croatian feel a bit funny inside, due to because, they're very different and the whole yugoslavian war and pre-war history. But oh well, Trek does have a history of ignorance with non-american world. Anyway, they started drinking. And then they talked about T'Pol's ass. Wonderful. And while I have seen books on small electronical devices before in Trek, my mind just now decided to reveal it's similarity with Kindle to me.
The subtitle on Croatian national TV (HRT) said "Srbi i Hrvati," as if Trips said "Serbs or Croatians" even though he clearly said Serbocroatians (BTW, its not "Croatians," its Croats!). Naturally, this line strongly resonated on Croatian sci-fi forums, and reactions ranged from "yeey, we got mentioned in Trek!," to "Serbocroatians, WTF? Booo!" There were also serous discussions about this. Like, was it a goof? A sign of Trip being an ignorant hick? Or is it possible that the writers introduced the idea that in the 22. century United Earth, we (Croats) and the Serbs were considered one people? Need I even say that many people here find this idea quite disturbing, even indecent... Absolutely wonderful! Shuttlepod One is by far my favorite ENT episode, and one of my favorite Trek eps in general. Who's Stinky?
Fusion Andorian Incident post: "I imagine the vulcan religion has same symptoms with all organized religions. Strong traditions do keep a society in balance, but sometimes these religious traditions serve and maintain another idea, different from it's origin... or well... I think vulcans might have their own „different interpretations“ of what Surak really meant." Turns out I was right. This free-spirited sense-oriented movement might not have had a huge impact, but at least the conservative vulcans adapted mind meld again. Because if they hadn't, then Tuvok wouldn't have had anything to do on Voyager. Mind meld was what he was all about. That T'Pol - like a good christian women, secretly longing for and enjoying "sins". It's funny how in most cases "sin" is not about right or wrong but of our own desire for something we've been taught is evil or disgusting... and that desire for something which might be perfectly normal, mixed with self-disgust and repression (because it is "evil") only then actually perverts the situation into wrong. Well actually, it was pretty serious so I probably shouldn't make these sort of jokes. She was genuinely frightened in the end. That guy did hurt her. But we all know that we like that "sinful" T'Pol, secretly listening to jazz music in some seedy San Francisco bar. But aside from the creepy guy, the rest of the emotional vulcans were quite nice, no? But I guess there is a logic in repression... Tuvok for example also was a raging serial murderer just waiting to happen, but this kind of repression allows those kind of people also to live in a civilized society. Still... If I'm alive for the time they make first contact with vulcans, I'd sure like to stumble on a vulcan chick who follows that philosophy. I assume it would be easier to talk her into. Plastic surgery should keep me young and pretty enough, no? And then I can die happy...
I see where you're going with this analogy, Jimmy Bob, and (far from being a joke), I think it's a good one, with a minor revision for nuance. T'Pol as "good Christian woman" probably should be refined to "good Christian woman on the more conservative, restrictive end of the Christian spectrum." It's not that she likes "sinning," it's that she's drawn to something that her whole being recognizes as part of her nature, something that has been unnaturally suppressed. Of course, in our world, this is sex. Many of the more restrictive portions of Christianity (and I'm speaking from experience here, not bashing) approach sex in the same way these 22nd Vulcans approached mind-melding: not ever, except in marriage, and even then, we're not going to talk about it. And so the things leading up to the possibility of opening yourself up to what's forbidden also become forbidden (certain types of music, like free-form jazz (or when I was a kid, music with drums and electric guitars), etc.). It's a theory of don't even start down that road because it leads to loss of control. Obviously, the ship of Vulcans, Tolaris excepted, represents the idea that loosening a bit of control doesn't necessarily lead to all-out havoc. The rest of them were unoffensive. Tolaris is the poster child for why the rule exists. I don't agree that , rather, that one extreme creates the other. The possibility that a mind-rapist would take advantage of a completely natural curiosity proves that the complete suppression of that curiosity is necessary, at least in the minds of TVPTB (the Vulcan Powers That Be). That's why repressive rules come in to being. Fusion and, later Stigma and the 3rd and 4th seasons (no spoilers!) really resonated with me as a religiously raised, practicing Christian, because T'Pol's whole journey is so, so familiar.
It sounds like you're having as much fun watching ENT, as I do reading your reviews! I pray you're this enthusiastic this time next season, when that new car smell suddenly goes and there's a considerable amount of wheelspin. Who knows maybe you'll find positives among the negatives and continue to make my neck ache from all this nodding...
Rogue Planet Captain Archer goes down to a planet. Captain Archer meets Beatiful Girl. Captain Archer and Beautiful Girl have to solve environmental problems. I hope this doesn't become a basic Archer episode formula (just like how in Voyager all B'Elanna episodes are similar... B get angry, B goes on a abandoned/destroyed/suspicious ship, B fights monsters and learns about herself). This episode didn't leave me with any particular impression. If they'd gone completely with the Captain Archer and the Half-Naked Dryads of Rogue Planet angle... then perhaps. There were some nice dialogues. And I kinda liked the half-naked forest-girl thing. And one of the hunter alien actors had a really cool voice. And it was done quite tightly and nicely. Some nice atmospheric moments. But the episode was just too fillerish. Lately, all episodes have brought something new to the table. And this didn't. And nothing new for Archer too. Pretty much like Civilizations with the same environmental theme, only that had nice costumes. But Trek shows in general have bitten more than they can chew with 26 episodes a season. I personally don't know any other shows that have this much episodes per season.
If you like the Surak religious aspect of this episode, you'll LOVE a certain trilogy once (and if) you get to ENT's 4th season. (and that's all I'll say).