Did Mayweather make it to admiral?
- Thread starter TEH BABA
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Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
If I ignore TATV (which I do, always), I can see Mayweather moving steadily up the ranks. He was a very competent helmsman. His amount of dialogue is irrelevant.
I'm trying not to be offended by the "token black guy" comment. It's disheartening, though, that a character of colour is looked on as having no intrinsic value.
If I ignore TATV (which I do, always), I can see Mayweather moving steadily up the ranks. He was a very competent helmsman. His amount of dialogue is irrelevant.
I'm trying not to be offended by the "token black guy" comment. It's disheartening, though, that a character of colour is looked on as having no intrinsic value.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
Well, Mayweather was lacking value. Its a shame too because his character was the one I was both looking forward to the most and was expecting the most out of.
Theres alot of potential in a character born and raised in space, something that was rare at the time
Well, Mayweather was lacking value. Its a shame too because his character was the one I was both looking forward to the most and was expecting the most out of.
Theres alot of potential in a character born and raised in space, something that was rare at the time
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
I liked Mayweather. He was nice. I think being nice is an undervalued quality these days. If I were stuck on the Enterprise with all of the ENT characters, Mayweather would probably be the only one I wouldn't want to punch in the face after a week.
I liked Mayweather. He was nice. I think being nice is an undervalued quality these days. If I were stuck on the Enterprise with all of the ENT characters, Mayweather would probably be the only one I wouldn't want to punch in the face after a week.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
I disagree. He did not lack value. He piloted the ship, and sometimes showed serious skillz doing so. That's different from "didn't have a lot of lines." Without him, the ship drifts in space. To me, he'd be a token if he were just the sassy black friend who had no obvious role on the ship. He's not.
I disagree. He did not lack value. He piloted the ship, and sometimes showed serious skillz doing so. That's different from "didn't have a lot of lines." Without him, the ship drifts in space. To me, he'd be a token if he were just the sassy black friend who had no obvious role on the ship. He's not.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
I always thought it was idiotic that they had a "regular" cast member whose only role was to steer the ship. Yeah, I know about the Big Three concept, but Anthony's screen credit was up front along with Scott, Connor and Jolene, which made him a regular.
There were occasions when Enterprise was being attacked inside and outside the ship. And that would force Malcolm to divide his attention or leave one of his dutiees to a lower ranking, possibly less experienced officer.
Splitting the tactical and internal security duties makes sense to me. And IMO, Anthony's build -- and experience deal with aliens -- made him perfect for security chief.
ETA: I agree, that token remark, is offensive.
I always thought it was idiotic that they had a "regular" cast member whose only role was to steer the ship. Yeah, I know about the Big Three concept, but Anthony's screen credit was up front along with Scott, Connor and Jolene, which made him a regular.
There were occasions when Enterprise was being attacked inside and outside the ship. And that would force Malcolm to divide his attention or leave one of his dutiees to a lower ranking, possibly less experienced officer.
Splitting the tactical and internal security duties makes sense to me. And IMO, Anthony's build -- and experience deal with aliens -- made him perfect for security chief.
ETA: I agree, that token remark, is offensive.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
After watching him in Horizon I think he had the potential to one day be at least an XO. I'll never understand the latent hostility towards Mayweather/Montgomery. After watching ENT, I still can't figure out if the problem was the character or the actor behind the character.
After watching him in Horizon I think he had the potential to one day be at least an XO. I'll never understand the latent hostility towards Mayweather/Montgomery. After watching ENT, I still can't figure out if the problem was the character or the actor behind the character.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
You know, JiNX, I think the whole Who is Mayweather? problem might have been avoided if the opening credits only referenced Bakula, Blalock, Trineer and Keating, with maybe a "and John Billingsley as Phlox." Leaving Montgomery and Park to the end credits (as, iirc, the minor TOS cast originally were) would have obviated the griping, or at least changed it to Why is this an all-white cast!!? Which is a different issue completely.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
But as a character on the show Mayweather was a nothing. It's not Montgomery's fault, he was just given very little to do beyond piloting the ship and the character never went anywhere. The sad truth is that you could have swapped Travis out for somebody else and it wouldn't have changed the show all that much. As a character he had little to no value.
On the ship he had value, sure. But everyone on the ship had value, they all had duties to perform and every single one of them, even the extras who never talked, all had value on the ship.
But as a character on the show Mayweather was a nothing. It's not Montgomery's fault, he was just given very little to do beyond piloting the ship and the character never went anywhere. The sad truth is that you could have swapped Travis out for somebody else and it wouldn't have changed the show all that much. As a character he had little to no value.
Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
Also dislikes the thread title. Mods?
Agreeing with the above, TATV put aside, all of the characters would have been given promotions. It's actually shocking to me that they all weren't after the Xindi crisis. What does a crew have to do to earn some promotions? Saving the World isn't enough? The way I think of it, Archer, T'Pol and Tucker were all offered promotions after year 4, which they turned down to remain on Enterprise. Reed was bumped up to Lieutenant Commander, Hoshi and Mayweather made Lieutenant.
After the Enterprise was decomissioned, I'd imagine that he stayed on with starfleet and probably made it signifigantly up the ranks.
Also dislikes the thread title. Mods?
Agreeing with the above, TATV put aside, all of the characters would have been given promotions. It's actually shocking to me that they all weren't after the Xindi crisis. What does a crew have to do to earn some promotions? Saving the World isn't enough? The way I think of it, Archer, T'Pol and Tucker were all offered promotions after year 4, which they turned down to remain on Enterprise. Reed was bumped up to Lieutenant Commander, Hoshi and Mayweather made Lieutenant.
After the Enterprise was decomissioned, I'd imagine that he stayed on with starfleet and probably made it signifigantly up the ranks.
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Re: Did Token Black Guy make it to admiral?
Probably best to PM one of them or use the notify mod button.
Probably best to PM one of them or use the notify mod button.
God how I love this thread, let's hope the commie bastards don't censor the awesomely accurate yet hilarious title.
I swear to god, if you change it I wont forgive you in a million years.
I swear to god, if you change it I wont forgive you in a million years.
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Back when the show started, nobody had a problem with Anthony or Mayweather. The hate Travis gets didn't start until it became apparent that his creators were not going to do anything with him. That's when posters started laying into him. His character had a backstory that was the most original of all the others, tying nicely into the show's premise of these Earthlings being the first, early space pioneers. The dissappointment over such an original concept not being persued, the character not being allowed to contribute to understanding situations that came about as season one progressed, all factor into the harsh attitude directed towards him.
Anthony's made guest appearances on other shows-including the critically acclaimed series Boomtown, and none of those viewers ever went running onto a message board to rant about him. So most of AT's problems stem mostly from the stilted dialogue that everyone got during s1-2. There is a myth I've heard repeatedly that the Beebs didn't allow words to be altered without permission. If true, then this is where AT was hurt the most...if you watch closely, you'll notice how Travis' dialogue just doesn't feel as natural, organic if you will, as it should have been. In Horizon, the conversation between him, and his brother came off sounding more like 2 tax attorneys discussing Wall Street bailouts than two brothers estranged, mourning the loss of their father, and at odds over their families' future.
Not all actors are equal, and while as a writer you'd perfer that the cast make what you've written come to life onstage, the producer side of you needs to adjust when you see one of your actors just not clicking with the dialogue you've crafted.
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I never understood why Sato and Mayweather were so dreadfully underused. There was plenty of time to develop the whole cast in TNG in the first 4 seasons.
IIRC they wanted it to be more of a trio like with TOS but this time with Trip/T'Pol/Archer.
IIRC they wanted it to be more of a trio like with TOS but this time with Trip/T'Pol/Archer.
Even Harry Kim on VOYAGER didn't get a promotion until well after the ship got home if "Endgame" was any indication...alternate timeline or not. I guess some TREK bridge officers are just doomed to be perenially underused and underappreciated.
A couple months ago I sat down to watch I'm Through With White Girls, an indy film starring Anthony Montgomery. I poured a big glass of wine and steeled myself to sit through the whole wooden performance. Because, hey, that's what Trek fans do - support their actors, right?
It was bloody hilarious. I don't know if it was the writing, or maybe some of it was improv, but Montgomery was natural, charming, angsty (in a genX way) and truly funny. So, I think the stilted dialogue theory has some merit.
Yes, I saw that movie too and also liked it. What killed me was seeing Cirroc Lofton show up.
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