In many ways one could easily be led into thinking that Archer sided with the Andorians just because they weren't the Vulcans...
TheGodBen Revisits Enterprise
- Thread starter TheGodBen
- Start date
Being as I'm watching the episodes one per night (or sometimes more) I'm gonna shamelessly hijack TheGodBen's thread until further notice... this basically takes us from almost at the end of Season 2. I'm not starring anything, I'm not counting anything (because that would be a bit out of order and spoil things) as it's not my thread, but it's better than me making a new thread on the forum every day for each episode I watch.
So... tonight... Regeneration. Did I hear a groan?
As soon as I saw a frozen Borg, my mind began screaming "WHY!? WHY!? WHY!?"... I believe the reason behind it was that I couldn't understand why yet another perfectly likeable element of TNG had to be bastardized just so the show could attract one more viewer. Starting an episode on the defensive isn't the best of signs for a good episode.
I do want to point out that before the Regeneration bashing ensues, there were exciting things about the episode. I really liked the soundtrack for a start, it was a little different to the other episodes, which was nice. I also liked... ok, no that was it. In fact the more I think about this, the more I realise the episode was almost thrown together like In A Mirror Darkly (which I watched out of order on Youtube...BAD Tallis... before I started watching ep by ep). It basically attempts to hit all of the right Borg story clichés (oh no they're coming... something gets assimilated... now we modulate the phase pistols... now some of the ship gets taken over... they ignore us if we're not a threat... main character has something done to them... triumph by the skin of our teeth) while still somehow maintaining some semblance of order in the 22nd century, and while at times it makes a passable job, it's tenuous to say the least.
What did I like?
- the fact the Borg still felt threatening
- Phlox's grim resolve that he would die before being assimilated
- the fact the crew have impact through not being introduced until about 5 minutes after the teaser
What didn't I like?
- The fact that omicron radiation is enough to cure Phlox from being assimilated. This seems pretty archaic, and if 24th century physicians really didn't think of that then I'm stunned. If they did then the Borg would have found a way to adapt. Either that or they didn't, in which case First Contact should have ended with all of the Borg intruders and the Queen being killed by Picard sealing off the lower decks and flooding it with omicron radiation.
-The fact that the Borg on Enterprise adapted to the phase pistols after 2 shots, and 10 minutes later Archer and Reed were still killing drones with them. It's a collective for frick's sake, they don't have to contact the other ship and go "Borg to Borg, we adapted over here", it should happen simultaneously between the two places.
- The fact it took 30 minutes to assimilate someone and yet as soon as the assimilation tubules hit Enterprise's system large components just slide out and into place... which never seemed to happen on the U.S.S Enterprise-E...
- Denobulans are immune to everything.
- There were Tarkalians and not a drop of tea.
- The fact that everything seems to have to be a predestination paradox. Obviously the Borg would never have come for Earth if their future selves hadn't time-travelled back to let their past selves know where Earth was and oh no I've gone cross-eyed...
NEW FEATURE UNTIL TGB GETS BACK
When commenting on an episode you gotta review it in 5 words. For Regeneration, mine are...
No. No. Dear God, no.
So... tonight... Regeneration. Did I hear a groan?
As soon as I saw a frozen Borg, my mind began screaming "WHY!? WHY!? WHY!?"... I believe the reason behind it was that I couldn't understand why yet another perfectly likeable element of TNG had to be bastardized just so the show could attract one more viewer. Starting an episode on the defensive isn't the best of signs for a good episode.
I do want to point out that before the Regeneration bashing ensues, there were exciting things about the episode. I really liked the soundtrack for a start, it was a little different to the other episodes, which was nice. I also liked... ok, no that was it. In fact the more I think about this, the more I realise the episode was almost thrown together like In A Mirror Darkly (which I watched out of order on Youtube...BAD Tallis... before I started watching ep by ep). It basically attempts to hit all of the right Borg story clichés (oh no they're coming... something gets assimilated... now we modulate the phase pistols... now some of the ship gets taken over... they ignore us if we're not a threat... main character has something done to them... triumph by the skin of our teeth) while still somehow maintaining some semblance of order in the 22nd century, and while at times it makes a passable job, it's tenuous to say the least.
What did I like?
- the fact the Borg still felt threatening
- Phlox's grim resolve that he would die before being assimilated
- the fact the crew have impact through not being introduced until about 5 minutes after the teaser
What didn't I like?
- The fact that omicron radiation is enough to cure Phlox from being assimilated. This seems pretty archaic, and if 24th century physicians really didn't think of that then I'm stunned. If they did then the Borg would have found a way to adapt. Either that or they didn't, in which case First Contact should have ended with all of the Borg intruders and the Queen being killed by Picard sealing off the lower decks and flooding it with omicron radiation.
-The fact that the Borg on Enterprise adapted to the phase pistols after 2 shots, and 10 minutes later Archer and Reed were still killing drones with them. It's a collective for frick's sake, they don't have to contact the other ship and go "Borg to Borg, we adapted over here", it should happen simultaneously between the two places.
- The fact it took 30 minutes to assimilate someone and yet as soon as the assimilation tubules hit Enterprise's system large components just slide out and into place... which never seemed to happen on the U.S.S Enterprise-E...
- Denobulans are immune to everything.
- There were Tarkalians and not a drop of tea.
- The fact that everything seems to have to be a predestination paradox. Obviously the Borg would never have come for Earth if their future selves hadn't time-travelled back to let their past selves know where Earth was and oh no I've gone cross-eyed...
NEW FEATURE UNTIL TGB GETS BACK
When commenting on an episode you gotta review it in 5 words. For Regeneration, mine are...
No. No. Dear God, no.
Initially, I loathed the idea of Borg on ENT. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Regeneration, the first truly satisfying Borg episode in many years. Finally, the Borg were intimidating again. No negotiations, no Queen, no humanization. Great score, excellent production values.
I liked Regeneration a lot, but only after I went back and watched, um, whatever the Trek movie was that had them. Before that, I was like, "Borg and Borg, what is Borg??"
I must be a terrible person, because my favorite scene - and it's soooo well done - is the Archer-Malcolm-T'Pol solution to the Tarkalean problem. (I'm trying not to spoil here.) Everybody's facial expressions, and the fact that there were no words necessary, that was brilliant. Also? The Arctic scenes were creeeeepy.
I must be a terrible person, because my favorite scene - and it's soooo well done - is the Archer-Malcolm-T'Pol solution to the Tarkalean problem. (I'm trying not to spoil here.) Everybody's facial expressions, and the fact that there were no words necessary, that was brilliant. Also? The Arctic scenes were creeeeepy.
It had an amazingly strong start! I loved it. Shame Forrest didn't get assimilated though! mwahahahaha.
Yes, that scene with T'Pol, Reed and Archer was amazing. For me, that's the first time since the start of S1 that I thought "OK. Tough call, and he did the right thing, this is Captain level stuff".
Will put up a new ep tomorrow
Yes, that scene with T'Pol, Reed and Archer was amazing. For me, that's the first time since the start of S1 that I thought "OK. Tough call, and he did the right thing, this is Captain level stuff".
Will put up a new ep tomorrow
I know! It's what they're for, for goodness sake! Can't have Tarkaleans without tea!I missed an episode where Phlox actually got to do something? Damn, I really like the guy, but the only episode I've seen that gave him interesting stuff to do involved him advising Archer to let an alien species die and that made me angry.
ARR! Matey, ye missed some good episodes. If this old sea dog remembers correctly, "Dear Doctor", "Stigma", "Bounty", "Doctor's Orders", the Augment arrc and the Klingon arrc all had a big role for that scurvy ol' spacedog.
Yeah, I have missed quite a few episodes. I've seen about half of the episodes from the first two seasons - it's not really been practical to watch all of them. I saw The Expanse (about which I have mixed feelings), but I'll probably give season 3 a go at some later date.
Ohhhhh. Andorian Incident. One of my favorite episodes. Nice twist at the end. Hope you feel better soon.
Disillusioned
Commander
Oh, that's right, it's technically "Talk Like a Pirate Day" now.
I missed that at work... not chuffed, usually annoy a great deal of "sensible" people with it.
I've been on a binge! D: Watched 3 episodes of Enterprise in a row this morning... so here goes, mini review for each.
First Flight
Sometimes I find episodes like this boring. Archer has an old friend who died, whoop-de-do, who gives a crap. Well, me in the end. Quite quickly in fact.
What did I like?
-Scott Bakula's acting seemed to be a little better than usual. I'm not sure why, or if it was because the guy playing AG milked a good performance out of him (I apologise for any adverse visual imagery that may have caused), but he just seemed a lot more convincing.
-Trip as a green Lieutenant was interesting. I also enjoyed seeing how he and Archer became friends.
-They stole the warp 3 prototype. That was pretty cool. Although stealing things is BAD kids. Don't do it, or a policeman on a hover car will chase you and make you drive whatever it is you stole over the edge of a cliff. Wait, wrong timeline...
-T'Pol managed to seem friendly and supportive while still maintaining her Vulcan stoicism. Can't be easy to act, but it worked.
-I actually felt like I'd been taken on a ride through a well-thought out developed story. And they managed to throw in a semi-gratuitous fight scene along the way... that didn't look like it had been thrown together by some of the lower ranked members of WWE.
What didn't I like?
-The footage of the shuttle firing the charges into the dark matter nebula looked the same every time. Sure, it would have looked the same every time had I actually been there, in continuity, but they could have changed the angle or something? I dunno...
Pretty good stuff!
5 words: Tell me another one grandpa...
Bounty
Anyone from the UK who is of a certain age might remember a show called The Old Grey Whistle Test... the idea of it was that a song from the charts would be played and some random grandad from off the street would have to listen and then whistle it back. If he could, then it'd be a hit. If not, it was gonna suck. How the hell is that relevant? My mum (who by the way isn't old and grey, and I'm actually too young to remember that show, am going on a description my dad chucked at me a few years ago) walked into the room and saw this episode. She used to watch TOS during its original run, and she's a DS9 fan too. Her take on things: "This is more like my Star Trek". Yes, she compared ENT to TOS. No, you may not lynch her. She now wants to see more ENT episodes, and didn't even care that T'Pol spent half the episode jogging around in her pyjamas. Can't be bad.
What did I like?
-T'Pol running around in her pyjamas. I have a pulse, you do the math.
-The Tellarites. Wow, is their make up better than the tunnel-eyed crap of yore. You may lynch me (but lynching privileges on my mother are still denied). It was an excellent job taking a not-too-convincing concept and turning it into something new. The actors' voices were kinda gruff and piggy as well, which suited things well.
-The story was convincing. Always helps.
What I didn't like
-Eww, Phlox has man boobs...
I was a little worried initially that the plot went Serious -> Boobs -> Serious -> Boobs, but as soon as the Pon'Farr was mentioned and they added some kind of level of danger on board the ship as well (albeit minimal) it added a bit more credibility than the whole "Oh no, we went to a planet let's all strip" that we sometimes get.
5 words: T'Pol acted her ass off
Great episode.
The Expanse
Ouch. Big hole in planet. This bad. People dead. Eeek.
I was looking forward to this, the cliff hanger at the end of a season is always good fun. At the end I was semi-satisfied with the episode, think I'd put it at 75%, and here's why...
What did I like?
-The scope of the Xindi's power was quite strikingly put across at the start of the episode. I believed they were a major threat, and not just some flash in the pan.
-Phlox got to kick some ass. "Escorting someone to an airlock" is the best it gets for him, other than getting beaten up by other members of the crew.
-The episode was exciting and set up season 3 nicely.
-T'Pol finally telling the Vulcan High Command to feck off, which she's being wanting to do for a long time.
What didn't I like?
-I have a horrendous feeling that Trip being all messed up over his sister's death is just going to be forgotten.
-Soval poopooing time travel is now turning into a yawn-fest. I keep thinking "Yes, we know."
-There was no visual and auditory echo in the time-travel chamber...
-Sillik is a good guy now is he? I doubt it, but I also doubt we'll find out why his faction in the temporal cold war now seems to be helping us...
Looking forward to seeing Shraan next ep.
5 words: Follow up better be good
Mother Tallis's 5 words: That was very far fetched
Bring on S3, some Tarkalean tea and a complementary phase pistol in case TGB6 doesn't take kindly to me crowbarring my reviews in here! *Starts looking for some stealth technology*
I've been on a binge! D: Watched 3 episodes of Enterprise in a row this morning... so here goes, mini review for each.
First Flight
Sometimes I find episodes like this boring. Archer has an old friend who died, whoop-de-do, who gives a crap. Well, me in the end. Quite quickly in fact.
What did I like?
-Scott Bakula's acting seemed to be a little better than usual. I'm not sure why, or if it was because the guy playing AG milked a good performance out of him (I apologise for any adverse visual imagery that may have caused), but he just seemed a lot more convincing.
-Trip as a green Lieutenant was interesting. I also enjoyed seeing how he and Archer became friends.
-They stole the warp 3 prototype. That was pretty cool. Although stealing things is BAD kids. Don't do it, or a policeman on a hover car will chase you and make you drive whatever it is you stole over the edge of a cliff. Wait, wrong timeline...
-T'Pol managed to seem friendly and supportive while still maintaining her Vulcan stoicism. Can't be easy to act, but it worked.
-I actually felt like I'd been taken on a ride through a well-thought out developed story. And they managed to throw in a semi-gratuitous fight scene along the way... that didn't look like it had been thrown together by some of the lower ranked members of WWE.
What didn't I like?
-The footage of the shuttle firing the charges into the dark matter nebula looked the same every time. Sure, it would have looked the same every time had I actually been there, in continuity, but they could have changed the angle or something? I dunno...
Pretty good stuff!
5 words: Tell me another one grandpa...
Bounty
Anyone from the UK who is of a certain age might remember a show called The Old Grey Whistle Test... the idea of it was that a song from the charts would be played and some random grandad from off the street would have to listen and then whistle it back. If he could, then it'd be a hit. If not, it was gonna suck. How the hell is that relevant? My mum (who by the way isn't old and grey, and I'm actually too young to remember that show, am going on a description my dad chucked at me a few years ago) walked into the room and saw this episode. She used to watch TOS during its original run, and she's a DS9 fan too. Her take on things: "This is more like my Star Trek". Yes, she compared ENT to TOS. No, you may not lynch her. She now wants to see more ENT episodes, and didn't even care that T'Pol spent half the episode jogging around in her pyjamas. Can't be bad.
What did I like?
-T'Pol running around in her pyjamas. I have a pulse, you do the math.
-The Tellarites. Wow, is their make up better than the tunnel-eyed crap of yore. You may lynch me (but lynching privileges on my mother are still denied). It was an excellent job taking a not-too-convincing concept and turning it into something new. The actors' voices were kinda gruff and piggy as well, which suited things well.
-The story was convincing. Always helps.
What I didn't like
-Eww, Phlox has man boobs...
I was a little worried initially that the plot went Serious -> Boobs -> Serious -> Boobs, but as soon as the Pon'Farr was mentioned and they added some kind of level of danger on board the ship as well (albeit minimal) it added a bit more credibility than the whole "Oh no, we went to a planet let's all strip" that we sometimes get.
5 words: T'Pol acted her ass off
Great episode.
The Expanse
Ouch. Big hole in planet. This bad. People dead. Eeek.
I was looking forward to this, the cliff hanger at the end of a season is always good fun. At the end I was semi-satisfied with the episode, think I'd put it at 75%, and here's why...
What did I like?
-The scope of the Xindi's power was quite strikingly put across at the start of the episode. I believed they were a major threat, and not just some flash in the pan.
-Phlox got to kick some ass. "Escorting someone to an airlock" is the best it gets for him, other than getting beaten up by other members of the crew.
-The episode was exciting and set up season 3 nicely.
-T'Pol finally telling the Vulcan High Command to feck off, which she's being wanting to do for a long time.
What didn't I like?
-I have a horrendous feeling that Trip being all messed up over his sister's death is just going to be forgotten.
-Soval poopooing time travel is now turning into a yawn-fest. I keep thinking "Yes, we know."
-There was no visual and auditory echo in the time-travel chamber...
-Sillik is a good guy now is he? I doubt it, but I also doubt we'll find out why his faction in the temporal cold war now seems to be helping us...
Looking forward to seeing Shraan next ep.
5 words: Follow up better be good
Mother Tallis's 5 words: That was very far fetched
Bring on S3, some Tarkalean tea and a complementary phase pistol in case TGB6 doesn't take kindly to me crowbarring my reviews in here! *Starts looking for some stealth technology*
Tallis Rhul, I'm very happy for you. Imma let you finish, but Trip's loss has one of the best pay-offs of the season.
Then I look forward to seeing what happens
I'm not old enough to know for certain, but I'm fairly sure the show was named after what was known as the old grey whistle test (which is pretty much as you describe), rather than featuring it itself. I think the show just had music, going by clips of performances I've seen from it. But I could well be wrong.
Oh, good times...
I remember being in this forum back in 03, mere hours after the synopsis for Regeneration was posted on Trek Today. Chaos ensued. Things got really REALLY ugly on here for a while.
When the episode actually aired, I surprisingly thought it was the best Borg outing in years.
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