Like Vic Fontaine says, 'The best is yet to come, and won't it be fine...'..in S4....me, I had no real problems with the rest, but, well, to each his own...
First-Timer's Impressions of Enterprise
- Thread starter Jimmy Bob
- Start date
Don't worry guys. I'll do all 4 seasons, I've just been very busy lately.
Impulse
Good things:
1) I like the continous "tritium d will help us deal with the expanse anomaly" plotline
2) Very visually captivating.
3) Trip's post-credits dialogue scene with Archer. It wasn't anything special... but it had bit of that Archer "growing distant from his crew due to his obsession" angle.
4) T'Pol looks like 500% better than she did in season 1-2. I know, I've said it before... but damn. Her costume just has such a wonderful retro space opera vibe, and the purple one was just perfect.
Bad things:
1) Resident Evil: Enterprise? Zombie-vulcans? I would have prefered something much more psychological. Something that would have mirrored Archer's own twisting.
2) What was the point? This episode added nothing to the characters nor to the Delphic Expanse itself. When Expanse (season 2 episode) told us the tale of how one vulcan ship went to look for another vulcan ship and came back all turned inside out... this wasn't really the followup we wanted.
3) Stupid uninteresting plot with no emotional edge at all. I just wasn't emotionally into it. It was just flashy lights and interesting angle's for me.
So, we have this pointless episode, but I just can't hate it because it was just that visually good.
Impulse
Good things:
1) I like the continous "tritium d will help us deal with the expanse anomaly" plotline
2) Very visually captivating.
3) Trip's post-credits dialogue scene with Archer. It wasn't anything special... but it had bit of that Archer "growing distant from his crew due to his obsession" angle.
4) T'Pol looks like 500% better than she did in season 1-2. I know, I've said it before... but damn. Her costume just has such a wonderful retro space opera vibe, and the purple one was just perfect.
Bad things:
1) Resident Evil: Enterprise? Zombie-vulcans? I would have prefered something much more psychological. Something that would have mirrored Archer's own twisting.
2) What was the point? This episode added nothing to the characters nor to the Delphic Expanse itself. When Expanse (season 2 episode) told us the tale of how one vulcan ship went to look for another vulcan ship and came back all turned inside out... this wasn't really the followup we wanted.
3) Stupid uninteresting plot with no emotional edge at all. I just wasn't emotionally into it. It was just flashy lights and interesting angle's for me.
So, we have this pointless episode, but I just can't hate it because it was just that visually good.
Being a huge fan of zombie movies (Fulci lives!), Impulse is one of my special Enterprise delights. Even though the Vulcans were more like 'infected', but that will do just nicely. Back in the days of TNG I never expected Trek would one day have its own 'zombie episode'!
Exile
Hmm... gothic castles in wintertime, beatiful girl and an ugly lonely bastard - it's Beauty and the Beast in Star Trek.
I love Hoshi, so having her walking around in skimpy dresses was a plus for me. But... season 3 has a lot of good ideas so far but there's something lacking. Certain inspired touch. I think the problem is that so far Berman and Braga have written almost every episode in Enterprise so far. Sure we have no more "story by Braga&Breman, teleplay by *random*", just "written by *random*", but those random writers aren't that distinctive from each other. Whatever faults Enterprise has is because the writers are inable to break the barriers of their own inability to overcome what they're used to write so far. Or something like that.
So we have finally an episode dedicated to Hoshi, about how she's somewhat alienated aboard Enterprise, about a fellow lonely Beast trying to establish a connection in a "become my Beauty" way and perhaps Hoshi is somewhat tempted but she is now dedicated to her duty and besides that guy she did in Two Nights looked much better... and it feels very ho-hum.
So, in the end, the most interesting scene for me was the ending dialogue between Archer and T'Pol. So, as I understand those cool-looking spheres radiate lines throughout Delphic Expanse and those lines are those anomalies? The anomalies happen when Enterprise happens to cross one of those lines. So it's like a very delicate trap system? And those cool-looking spheres actually create the Expanse, so Expanse is an artificial creation?
Archer's face before the credits was very promising for the upcoming episode. Oh I forgot, I loved that scene where Archer and Trip are on that sphere and they have to shoot down their shuttlepod. That was just so cool.
Hmm... gothic castles in wintertime, beatiful girl and an ugly lonely bastard - it's Beauty and the Beast in Star Trek.
I love Hoshi, so having her walking around in skimpy dresses was a plus for me. But... season 3 has a lot of good ideas so far but there's something lacking. Certain inspired touch. I think the problem is that so far Berman and Braga have written almost every episode in Enterprise so far. Sure we have no more "story by Braga&Breman, teleplay by *random*", just "written by *random*", but those random writers aren't that distinctive from each other. Whatever faults Enterprise has is because the writers are inable to break the barriers of their own inability to overcome what they're used to write so far. Or something like that.
So we have finally an episode dedicated to Hoshi, about how she's somewhat alienated aboard Enterprise, about a fellow lonely Beast trying to establish a connection in a "become my Beauty" way and perhaps Hoshi is somewhat tempted but she is now dedicated to her duty and besides that guy she did in Two Nights looked much better... and it feels very ho-hum.
So, in the end, the most interesting scene for me was the ending dialogue between Archer and T'Pol. So, as I understand those cool-looking spheres radiate lines throughout Delphic Expanse and those lines are those anomalies? The anomalies happen when Enterprise happens to cross one of those lines. So it's like a very delicate trap system? And those cool-looking spheres actually create the Expanse, so Expanse is an artificial creation?
Archer's face before the credits was very promising for the upcoming episode. Oh I forgot, I loved that scene where Archer and Trip are on that sphere and they have to shoot down their shuttlepod. That was just so cool.
It is very atmospheric and gritty I'll give you that. Trek action usually looks very dull, but this looked awesome.
The Shipment
My rating:
Since I've lately started each episode with a descriptive smiley, I thought I'd try to make it into my unique rating system. As in faces my face made while watching this episode. It probably needs some work. Anyway I'm trying to imply that I was excited and somewhat bored at the same time.
So the Good:
1) Everything that has to do the with the Xindi. The Xindi are probably the most interesting post-Cardassian created alien species in Trek. I just digged all those information scenes.
2) Continuing so directly from the previous episode. Actually all the continuity, like Trip investigating the weapon the reptiles left behind in Rajiin and...
3) The weapon was pretty cool with that organic ammunition
4) It seemed to me that this episode tried to say that it's still Archer, the kind gentle man of previous seasons, in this difficult situation. I liked that.
The Bad:
1) The action scenes. Just very boring - visually, emotionally. God I hope that Impulse action scenes won't be an exception.
2) The environment. It looked so sickeningly familiar.
3) The conflict, the drama. Erm... so they get this guy, Archer yells a lot, they run around and then this guy says I'll help you, they run back, guy talks with people while Archer sneaks around and then they run some more and become best friends ever. Something about it was just very dry. Perhaps it was the acting or directing or something... but when Judgement did this it was like the best thing ever. This time it was just so very dry. It had no juice.
4) In Anomaly Archer was scary. Here he is kinda funny when he's angry.
The execution of this episode was just very boring. It was very dry, no inspired juice at all. There was a lot of interesting information, but that's it really.
My rating:
Since I've lately started each episode with a descriptive smiley, I thought I'd try to make it into my unique rating system. As in faces my face made while watching this episode. It probably needs some work. Anyway I'm trying to imply that I was excited and somewhat bored at the same time.
So the Good:
1) Everything that has to do the with the Xindi. The Xindi are probably the most interesting post-Cardassian created alien species in Trek. I just digged all those information scenes.
2) Continuing so directly from the previous episode. Actually all the continuity, like Trip investigating the weapon the reptiles left behind in Rajiin and...
3) The weapon was pretty cool with that organic ammunition
4) It seemed to me that this episode tried to say that it's still Archer, the kind gentle man of previous seasons, in this difficult situation. I liked that.
The Bad:
1) The action scenes. Just very boring - visually, emotionally. God I hope that Impulse action scenes won't be an exception.
2) The environment. It looked so sickeningly familiar.
3) The conflict, the drama. Erm... so they get this guy, Archer yells a lot, they run around and then this guy says I'll help you, they run back, guy talks with people while Archer sneaks around and then they run some more and become best friends ever. Something about it was just very dry. Perhaps it was the acting or directing or something... but when Judgement did this it was like the best thing ever. This time it was just so very dry. It had no juice.
4) In Anomaly Archer was scary. Here he is kinda funny when he's angry.
The execution of this episode was just very boring. It was very dry, no inspired juice at all. There was a lot of interesting information, but that's it really.
Twilight
My faces while watching:
Yes! Oh my god it's heaven!
This is just so good. It's like the holy grail for an Archer/T'Pol shipper like me.
Okay. Umm... how to review amazing? Okay, I can do it.
Archer wakes up, he is all confused, his hair is in a slight vulcan style, sun is shining and T'Pol is in the kitchen making breakfast. And it's like the way it's supposed to be. Only it's very sad. This episode is very heartbraking. Jolene really delivers the pain of T'Pol for us. When Archer said "I... am grateful" it was just very sad.
And everyone looks so cool when older. Malcolm had an awesome beard and Trip was very cool as a captain. Very on edge.
There was just quite a lot of sad in this episode. That good sad that inspires you and makes you feel all elevated.
This is the inspired juice I was talking about. Anomaly had it, Twilight has it.
I really don't have much to say besides:
Oh and that ending scene was an extra bone for us shippers. Trip and T'Pol is just one of those "lock two people from opposite sexes in one room thing and with time..." things. Nothing too deep. I hope.
My faces while watching:
Yes! Oh my god it's heaven!
This is just so good. It's like the holy grail for an Archer/T'Pol shipper like me. Okay. Umm... how to review amazing? Okay, I can do it.
Archer wakes up, he is all confused, his hair is in a slight vulcan style, sun is shining and T'Pol is in the kitchen making breakfast. And it's like the way it's supposed to be. Only it's very sad. This episode is very heartbraking. Jolene really delivers the pain of T'Pol for us. When Archer said "I... am grateful" it was just very sad.
And everyone looks so cool when older. Malcolm had an awesome beard and Trip was very cool as a captain. Very on edge.
There was just quite a lot of sad in this episode. That good sad that inspires you and makes you feel all elevated.
This is the inspired juice I was talking about. Anomaly had it, Twilight has it.
I really don't have much to say besides:
Oh and that ending scene was an extra bone for us shippers. Trip and T'Pol is just one of those "lock two people from opposite sexes in one room thing and with time..." things. Nothing too deep. I hope.
Impulse:
Hoshi and the Beast isn't one of my favorite episodes - I prefer Vanishing Point for a Hoshi-centric story. It's kind of filler, with a couple of continuity moments tossed in. However, I can forgive them anything for coming up with Twilight. I love that episode, Magical Reset Button notwithstanding.
Umm. Just wait? As for The Shipment, it's one of those mid-season episodes that, down the road, you'll have an a-ha moment and realize why it was necessary.
Hoshi and the Beast isn't one of my favorite episodes - I prefer Vanishing Point for a Hoshi-centric story. It's kind of filler, with a couple of continuity moments tossed in. However, I can forgive them anything for coming up with Twilight. I love that episode, Magical Reset Button notwithstanding.
Twilight is one of my favorite episodes and I think you hit the nail on the head with what makes it special. I think even the magical reset button is just fine. I do wish we had a tweak that maybe everyone remembered.
I really liked Impulse. Sorry you weren't as crazy about it as I was. I thought of all the "T'Pol in trouble" episodes that this was one of the best. For the first time, someone recognizes that Vulcans suppress their emotions. The script of Impulse was written that Archer appeals to her friendship, and I think I like that better than him forcing the gun out of her hand. But I think they make the point they're friends.
Shipment was nice. It gives you a better understanding of the Xindi. We don't see any real character development of the baddies until Stratagem though.
I really liked Impulse. Sorry you weren't as crazy about it as I was. I thought of all the "T'Pol in trouble" episodes that this was one of the best. For the first time, someone recognizes that Vulcans suppress their emotions. The script of Impulse was written that Archer appeals to her friendship, and I think I like that better than him forcing the gun out of her hand. But I think they make the point they're friends.
Shipment was nice. It gives you a better understanding of the Xindi. We don't see any real character development of the baddies until Stratagem though.
Yeah, Twilight was very nice.
Actually, I think I'm going to watch it right now.
I still get goosebumps when they destroy the bridge.
Actually, I think I'm going to watch it right now.
I still get goosebumps when they destroy the bridge.
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It's perfectly fine to disagree with someone's opinion about particular episodes and even the series in general, but JimmyBob is entitled to his impressions, and to write reviews in this thread reflecting that. Please keep that in mind. Thanks.
^ Whoah. Congrats on the promotion, Blue!
North Star
Oh. A western. Like Impulse, it's just visually very cool. And deputy Bennings - or more precisely the guy who played him was just so the type. Just one of those perfect casting moments.
Well. Let's see what we have here. At first I thought that this was going to be some cowboys vs indians things where the big bad wasps do bad things to the natives... but then it was revealed that the cowboys where actually descendats of slaves and the oppressed ones the descendants of slave-masters. But, it was still very run-of-the-mill tale about prejudice. It's a thing that Trek social commentaries sometimes suffer from - they say all the right things that should theoretically make a liberal sissy like me proud with sharing the "truth" with this show I'm watching... but they sometimes just say that without possessing that inspired touch to them. Just a pre-digested slogan, or parroting a mantra, or... sometimes Trek social commentaries are very systematic and thoughtless. And such it was with this episode also.
I mean, this episode only says something meaningful if you just use it as an illustration for the knowledge you already got. Like how diaspora groups often cling more tightly to the ethnic culture of their homeland at the moment of their departure than the homeland itself. Or how national identities formed around a collective victim past often distort the reality into an unneccesary hate-fest that really is stupid because by this time at least by blood they are related - like that woman had like 1/8 alien blood in her. Eastern Europeia of today is also like that with russians getting treated like second-class citizens.
But, despite the run-of-the-mill prejudice lection, this episode was visually and atmospherically very fun. Pretty much like Impulse, only since I don't dig zombie-genre that episode left me cold. But North Star and Impulse are in the same box - they are atmospherically and visually perfect, and if you dig the genres that are being tributed with them then you are going to enjoy them.
I personally was all giddy during the final shootout, with Archer getting shot and stuff. Like some of you were all giddy with Resident Evil: Enterprise.
Now I'd like something more emotionally captivating. Superficial fun is fun only so much.
Oh. A western. Like Impulse, it's just visually very cool. And deputy Bennings - or more precisely the guy who played him was just so the type. Just one of those perfect casting moments.
Well. Let's see what we have here. At first I thought that this was going to be some cowboys vs indians things where the big bad wasps do bad things to the natives... but then it was revealed that the cowboys where actually descendats of slaves and the oppressed ones the descendants of slave-masters. But, it was still very run-of-the-mill tale about prejudice. It's a thing that Trek social commentaries sometimes suffer from - they say all the right things that should theoretically make a liberal sissy like me proud with sharing the "truth" with this show I'm watching... but they sometimes just say that without possessing that inspired touch to them. Just a pre-digested slogan, or parroting a mantra, or... sometimes Trek social commentaries are very systematic and thoughtless. And such it was with this episode also.
I mean, this episode only says something meaningful if you just use it as an illustration for the knowledge you already got. Like how diaspora groups often cling more tightly to the ethnic culture of their homeland at the moment of their departure than the homeland itself. Or how national identities formed around a collective victim past often distort the reality into an unneccesary hate-fest that really is stupid because by this time at least by blood they are related - like that woman had like 1/8 alien blood in her. Eastern Europeia of today is also like that with russians getting treated like second-class citizens.
But, despite the run-of-the-mill prejudice lection, this episode was visually and atmospherically very fun. Pretty much like Impulse, only since I don't dig zombie-genre that episode left me cold. But North Star and Impulse are in the same box - they are atmospherically and visually perfect, and if you dig the genres that are being tributed with them then you are going to enjoy them.
I personally was all giddy during the final shootout, with Archer getting shot and stuff. Like some of you were all giddy with Resident Evil: Enterprise.
Now I'd like something more emotionally captivating. Superficial fun is fun only so much.
Similitude
Great episode. Beautiful, haunting, touching. It is solely because of Trinner's performance. Well okay, not solely, but his performance is like at least 80-90% of this episode. Sim is such a tender character. And Connor really makes him so unique.
There's that fuzzy ethical side to all of this. In a way I found this to be a remake of Tuvix. Much better than Tuvix. But I don't know, in a way it was easy for Archer that Sim made the choice to sacrifice his life, whereas Janeway had to kill Tuvix beacuse Tuvix wasn't willing to sacrifice his life. I mean, it's just was made easy for Archer... Sim makes a choice to lay down his life and then Archer can arrange a grand funeral to him.
But... Connor just makes it into such an haunting experience. Of course John, Scott and Jolene hit all the right notes too... but the solist here just transcended the limitations of this mere mortal episode.
I don't really know what to say anymore. I have some issues with the episode but Connor's performance just touched me in such a powerful way. Your thoughts? Anyone?
Great episode. Beautiful, haunting, touching. It is solely because of Trinner's performance. Well okay, not solely, but his performance is like at least 80-90% of this episode. Sim is such a tender character. And Connor really makes him so unique.
There's that fuzzy ethical side to all of this. In a way I found this to be a remake of Tuvix. Much better than Tuvix. But I don't know, in a way it was easy for Archer that Sim made the choice to sacrifice his life, whereas Janeway had to kill Tuvix beacuse Tuvix wasn't willing to sacrifice his life. I mean, it's just was made easy for Archer... Sim makes a choice to lay down his life and then Archer can arrange a grand funeral to him.
But... Connor just makes it into such an haunting experience. Of course John, Scott and Jolene hit all the right notes too... but the solist here just transcended the limitations of this mere mortal episode.
I don't really know what to say anymore. I have some issues with the episode but Connor's performance just touched me in such a powerful way. Your thoughts? Anyone?
You got your wish. This episode is right up there in my top two or three of the series. Beautifully made, thought-provoking, emotionally evocative, haunting performances by all concerned. Very moving.
I wish it had been longer...some of the scenes we don't see are food for thought too. What "father-son" talks did Sim have with Phlox? How did Sim react when he remembered Elizabeth's death? Who brought Porthos to Sim for comfort? How did Trip learn about Sim, and how did he feel?... There was just so much going on under the surface in this piece.
I don't think Archer had it easy at all, from the moment he told Phlox to create Sim. The way we saw Archer seem to age 20 years before our eyes as the episode progressed...I thought it was a very effective way to illustrate how hard this was on him.
Yes, Sim made the final decision. He could have escaped on the shuttle, or tried to blackmail Phlox into trying to extend his life. But it wasn't in Sim's character (or Trip's) to be so selfish, so I didn't think it was a cheat. I also think, based on that confrontation between Archer and Sim, that Archer would have done what he had to, to save Trip -- and been devastated by it forever.
Archer will be tested again. Stay tuned.
I don't think the moral here is as obvious as you suggest. Thre are enough hints that the oppressed minority rising up and overcoming their captors story told here (by the formerly oppressed) may not have been entirely accurate. And it certainly was used to justify the present treatment. Especially to an American audience, where the "formerly" oppressed minority is seen to be aiming for parity, not superiority, the episode plays more like a what if? scenario: what if the Native Americans had, after a while, taken back their country; what if the African descended slaves had transformed themselves into the dominant culture? Culturally, does power corrupt and absolute power corrupt absolutely? We don't know that answer and we probably never will; we're too busy getting all excited when "one of us" wins an Academy Award.
I'm old enough to remember Saturday afternoon westerns like High Chapparel, Big Valley, and The Rifleman, as well as "spaghetti westerns." There are so, so many homages to the Western, all the way to Unforgiven. I love, for example, the Chuck Norris moment during the last fight. This episode also has one of the best commentaries on a DVD, ever.
Similitude is heartbreakingly sad. I have to be in a certain mood to watch it.
Carpenter Street
Trek wouldn't be a Trek of it's decade if it didn't have it's characters travel to the decade of the production of the show and say how bad it was (is) then (now/the time of the production).
TOS had Tomorrow is Yesterday and Assignment: Earth for the 60's. The films had Voyage Home for 80's. And Voyger did Future's End for the 90's. So now Enterprise being the Trek of 00's has to do one for 00's. And it's pretty much the same message. Things suck in our time.
Of course my memory is a bit fuzzy on TIY, AE and VH, because it's been 5 years since I saw them, but I watched Future's End this spring and it had the same "humans are so cruel to each other in this 20th/21th century" angle to it. And what I remember from Assignment: Earth was it's eery assassination prediction.
Now speaking about stuff that makes them different from each other.
There are differences of course. I'd say Trek saw the 60's, 80's and 90's in an optimistic way. They were very sunny and bright episodes. But 00's are shown in a dark, bleak and dampy way. Whereas in previous decades Trek had at least couple of side characters who were inspired by the moral goodness of Trek characters and went all "this is the moment I've been waiting for all my life... yohooo! Let's kick butt for goodness!" Or something like that. Then in 00's the the Trek characters meet and hang out with a creepy scumbag who sells people to medical experiments. The message is still the same - contemporary times just suck, better work on that thing that makes things out of thin air, and then we can save the world. But there was no sun, no brightness, no optimism expressed by side characters, no one getting inspired. The only guy to know the truth represented by the Trek characters probably ends up in a mental asylum. Welcome to the 00's as Trek saw it.
I think that when people start to study how Trek saw it's contemporary decades like some 30 years from now, then 00's definitely stick out as a very dark and inhuman decade.
Speaking of Leland Orser, this was again one of those perfect casting moments. He has that Steve Buscemi touch to him, no matter how creepy there is something inherently likeable about the guy. Well to me anyway.
Trek wouldn't be a Trek of it's decade if it didn't have it's characters travel to the decade of the production of the show and say how bad it was (is) then (now/the time of the production).
TOS had Tomorrow is Yesterday and Assignment: Earth for the 60's. The films had Voyage Home for 80's. And Voyger did Future's End for the 90's. So now Enterprise being the Trek of 00's has to do one for 00's. And it's pretty much the same message. Things suck in our time.
Of course my memory is a bit fuzzy on TIY, AE and VH, because it's been 5 years since I saw them, but I watched Future's End this spring and it had the same "humans are so cruel to each other in this 20th/21th century" angle to it. And what I remember from Assignment: Earth was it's eery assassination prediction.
Now speaking about stuff that makes them different from each other.
There are differences of course. I'd say Trek saw the 60's, 80's and 90's in an optimistic way. They were very sunny and bright episodes. But 00's are shown in a dark, bleak and dampy way. Whereas in previous decades Trek had at least couple of side characters who were inspired by the moral goodness of Trek characters and went all "this is the moment I've been waiting for all my life... yohooo! Let's kick butt for goodness!" Or something like that. Then in 00's the the Trek characters meet and hang out with a creepy scumbag who sells people to medical experiments. The message is still the same - contemporary times just suck, better work on that thing that makes things out of thin air, and then we can save the world. But there was no sun, no brightness, no optimism expressed by side characters, no one getting inspired. The only guy to know the truth represented by the Trek characters probably ends up in a mental asylum. Welcome to the 00's as Trek saw it.
I think that when people start to study how Trek saw it's contemporary decades like some 30 years from now, then 00's definitely stick out as a very dark and inhuman decade.
Speaking of Leland Orser, this was again one of those perfect casting moments. He has that Steve Buscemi touch to him, no matter how creepy there is something inherently likeable about the guy. Well to me anyway.
Chosen Realm
I saw a pretty cool dream today. I was Trip and I was on Enterprise. There was some kinda time loop going around. So I was investigating it. I started to notice that the time loop depends on two people being in wrong places at wrong times. One was a pretty woman and the other was some guy. The thing was that I as Trip had to make it sure that they wouldn't meet each other and would leave the ship without ever knowing that they were both on the ship. So I try to do it, and once when I'm pretty close to succession - the girl had just left the ship and the guy hadn't seen him nor knew that she was on the ship - then Malcolm comes and throws me out the airlock. Well not immediately. It turns out that Malcolm had also noticed the time loop was happening and he came to the conclusion that it was because of me - Trip. So eliminate Trip and everything turns back to normal. And then I'm like in a white balcony in a white and sunny sci-fi city with that time loop woman who's dressed in a very interesting retro space opera dress... and there's some talks about punishment or something and I'm thrown in a cave, filled with boodlusty mob, I'm all topless and more muscular than in real life.... because I am Trip. I'm given this sort of weird blade. It's like a very thin sharp rectangle with a place for the hand in the middle. And then some big Brian Thompson looking guy comes and I'm like supposed to fight him. So we do a duel and these boxing blades remove thin slices of flesh from our bodies, it's a very peculiar sensation... and then I wake up.
The point is that my dream was awesome. This episode was not.
Like he says. All the right things to make my liberal sissy senses happy, but it's just a pre-digested slogan that doesn't inspire much thought. The ending scene was nice though.
I saw a pretty cool dream today. I was Trip and I was on Enterprise. There was some kinda time loop going around. So I was investigating it. I started to notice that the time loop depends on two people being in wrong places at wrong times. One was a pretty woman and the other was some guy. The thing was that I as Trip had to make it sure that they wouldn't meet each other and would leave the ship without ever knowing that they were both on the ship. So I try to do it, and once when I'm pretty close to succession - the girl had just left the ship and the guy hadn't seen him nor knew that she was on the ship - then Malcolm comes and throws me out the airlock. Well not immediately. It turns out that Malcolm had also noticed the time loop was happening and he came to the conclusion that it was because of me - Trip. So eliminate Trip and everything turns back to normal. And then I'm like in a white balcony in a white and sunny sci-fi city with that time loop woman who's dressed in a very interesting retro space opera dress... and there's some talks about punishment or something and I'm thrown in a cave, filled with boodlusty mob, I'm all topless and more muscular than in real life.... because I am Trip. I'm given this sort of weird blade. It's like a very thin sharp rectangle with a place for the hand in the middle. And then some big Brian Thompson looking guy comes and I'm like supposed to fight him. So we do a duel and these boxing blades remove thin slices of flesh from our bodies, it's a very peculiar sensation... and then I wake up.
The point is that my dream was awesome. This episode was not.
Like he says. All the right things to make my liberal sissy senses happy, but it's just a pre-digested slogan that doesn't inspire much thought. The ending scene was nice though.
Some Mid-Season Thoughts
Storyline:
First an overview.
The Xindi - Enterprise has been already some weeks in the Expanse. The Captain means business. First scene with the anomalies. It is revealed that there is no Xindi homeworld, so there's something else going on than what that Suliban Time Leader told Archer. The Doctor creates a situation for Trip and T'Pol where they have to spend a lot of time together touching each other. Obviously some bonding is going to happen.
Anomaly - That slightly funny anomaly scene in Xindi is revealed to be something big and dangerous. Also that Trillium D is needed to make the ship immune against that anomaly. Also we get our introduction with the spheres.
Rajiin - While the events of Extinction get mentioned, that episode still seems to have nothing to contribute to the overall storyline. With Rajiin we get an alternative plan to destroy humans. They only need to get some DNA scans or something. So Rajiin gathers them. And that's it. Also the reptiloids attack Enterprise and leave a gun behind.
Impulse - Trillium D has a bad effect on vulcans. Thus captain Archer can't use it in his ship.
Exile - The Beast reveals the location to somekinda secret important lab for Archer. The crew discovers that there are a shitload of spheres out there and that those spheres are in fact responsible for the anomalies. Delphic Expanse seems to be an artificial creation.
Shipment - Archer goes to that lab. Learns to make some differation between Xindi. And I think that whole thing he did with that ship's kemocite cargo was a tracker thing. So we're like supposed to see these guys being tracked someday. Trip studies that left behind gun and learns that it's all weird.
Similitude - There's something going on between T'Pol and Trip.
Carpenter Street - Reptiloids do some mean things in the past. A biological weapon or something. Archer stops them.
The show feels like it's going somewhere. That's a major improvement over season 2. It doesn't go in that interesting manner. Many episodes have been quite meh outside of their contribution to the overall storyline. And also, while Twilight and Similitude were awesome and I would have it no other way, I still feel like the show is stalling somewhat lately. There hasn't been any real progression since Shipment.
Here are some of my thoughts what might be going on. I think that Delphic Expanse's artificial nature is going to play a role. And from what I gather with all these council scenes and Carpenter Street, I think the reptiloids are most close to the behind the scenes machinations here. So reptiloids = bad. Also, in Twilight I think it was the reptiloids that came to stop Archer's cure. So they might not be the big bad but they are involved with the big bad.
Characters:
Archer - This season has been Archer's story mostly. You might as well call it Star Trek: Archer. Fortunately, Archer's story seems to be very promising. Archer's vs Delphic Expanse. Yeah. Hasn't quite delivered yet (except for Anomaly), but I'm interested in how it all ends.
T'Pol - T'Pol seems to be a bit tired all the time. Probably doesn't get much sleep with all that midnight medicinal touching of Trip. But not that central anymore. Whereas season 2 belonged to Archer and T'Pol as they were the only characters to get developed, season 3's duo seems to be Archer and Trip.
Trip - Trip has really improved from season 2. Season 2 really didn't do anything with Trip, in fact he sort of became a background character in season 2, but now there seems to be a certain journey for his character too.
Malcolm - Malcolm mostly just runs around and shoots things. He's all military and everything. Kinda becoming an extra.
Hoshi - Hoshi got her annual spotlight moment, but... I would have really liked if instead of just giving other characters an episode, they'd also have a journey throughout the year. Because Hoshi's episode felt too separate from the Xindi storyline. The 80's rock opera atmosphere didn't help either. So now what? Hoshi's lonely? Back to the extra bench for her, eh? That's it? Why not give her (and others) their own journey's?
Doctor - Phlox doesn't seem to have any character journey either, but despite that he seems to be very central and important. He feels like he is needed in this story, like he belongs in it, like he's one of the pillars of it. Perhaps it's just Billingsley's acting or perhaps he is featured in so many integral scenes, but Phlox doesn't feel like an extra.
Travis - I actually forgot him, but when I was just about to submit I discovered that I hadn't write anything about him. Well, season 2's Horizon despite it's many faults really did an effective job in making Travis feel like a character who has spent two years on Enterprise and who has changed in that time. Horizon was a naturalization process for him. But... I can't really remember when was the last time I saw Travis. Last I remember, he and Trip were trying to mine some Trellium D on some asteroid. And that was like some 8-10 episodes ago. I guess Enterprise doesn't even try to bother that Travis is an character but he doesn't get any meaningless spotlight at all anymore. Well, I do hope for Tony's sake that Travis get's another Horizon. Otherwise it would be just sad.
Storyline:
First an overview.
The Xindi - Enterprise has been already some weeks in the Expanse. The Captain means business. First scene with the anomalies. It is revealed that there is no Xindi homeworld, so there's something else going on than what that Suliban Time Leader told Archer. The Doctor creates a situation for Trip and T'Pol where they have to spend a lot of time together touching each other. Obviously some bonding is going to happen.
Anomaly - That slightly funny anomaly scene in Xindi is revealed to be something big and dangerous. Also that Trillium D is needed to make the ship immune against that anomaly. Also we get our introduction with the spheres.
Rajiin - While the events of Extinction get mentioned, that episode still seems to have nothing to contribute to the overall storyline. With Rajiin we get an alternative plan to destroy humans. They only need to get some DNA scans or something. So Rajiin gathers them. And that's it. Also the reptiloids attack Enterprise and leave a gun behind.
Impulse - Trillium D has a bad effect on vulcans. Thus captain Archer can't use it in his ship.
Exile - The Beast reveals the location to somekinda secret important lab for Archer. The crew discovers that there are a shitload of spheres out there and that those spheres are in fact responsible for the anomalies. Delphic Expanse seems to be an artificial creation.
Shipment - Archer goes to that lab. Learns to make some differation between Xindi. And I think that whole thing he did with that ship's kemocite cargo was a tracker thing. So we're like supposed to see these guys being tracked someday. Trip studies that left behind gun and learns that it's all weird.
Similitude - There's something going on between T'Pol and Trip.
Carpenter Street - Reptiloids do some mean things in the past. A biological weapon or something. Archer stops them.
The show feels like it's going somewhere. That's a major improvement over season 2. It doesn't go in that interesting manner. Many episodes have been quite meh outside of their contribution to the overall storyline. And also, while Twilight and Similitude were awesome and I would have it no other way, I still feel like the show is stalling somewhat lately. There hasn't been any real progression since Shipment.
Here are some of my thoughts what might be going on. I think that Delphic Expanse's artificial nature is going to play a role. And from what I gather with all these council scenes and Carpenter Street, I think the reptiloids are most close to the behind the scenes machinations here. So reptiloids = bad. Also, in Twilight I think it was the reptiloids that came to stop Archer's cure. So they might not be the big bad but they are involved with the big bad.
Characters:
Archer - This season has been Archer's story mostly. You might as well call it Star Trek: Archer. Fortunately, Archer's story seems to be very promising. Archer's vs Delphic Expanse. Yeah. Hasn't quite delivered yet (except for Anomaly), but I'm interested in how it all ends.
T'Pol - T'Pol seems to be a bit tired all the time. Probably doesn't get much sleep with all that midnight medicinal touching of Trip. But not that central anymore. Whereas season 2 belonged to Archer and T'Pol as they were the only characters to get developed, season 3's duo seems to be Archer and Trip.
Trip - Trip has really improved from season 2. Season 2 really didn't do anything with Trip, in fact he sort of became a background character in season 2, but now there seems to be a certain journey for his character too.
Malcolm - Malcolm mostly just runs around and shoots things. He's all military and everything. Kinda becoming an extra.
Hoshi - Hoshi got her annual spotlight moment, but... I would have really liked if instead of just giving other characters an episode, they'd also have a journey throughout the year. Because Hoshi's episode felt too separate from the Xindi storyline. The 80's rock opera atmosphere didn't help either. So now what? Hoshi's lonely? Back to the extra bench for her, eh? That's it? Why not give her (and others) their own journey's?
Doctor - Phlox doesn't seem to have any character journey either, but despite that he seems to be very central and important. He feels like he is needed in this story, like he belongs in it, like he's one of the pillars of it. Perhaps it's just Billingsley's acting or perhaps he is featured in so many integral scenes, but Phlox doesn't feel like an extra.
Travis - I actually forgot him, but when I was just about to submit I discovered that I hadn't write anything about him. Well, season 2's Horizon despite it's many faults really did an effective job in making Travis feel like a character who has spent two years on Enterprise and who has changed in that time. Horizon was a naturalization process for him. But... I can't really remember when was the last time I saw Travis. Last I remember, he and Trip were trying to mine some Trellium D on some asteroid. And that was like some 8-10 episodes ago. I guess Enterprise doesn't even try to bother that Travis is an character but he doesn't get any meaningless spotlight at all anymore. Well, I do hope for Tony's sake that Travis get's another Horizon. Otherwise it would be just sad.
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