Most Overrated Character
- Thread starter indycar
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(You might stimulate more discussion if you explain why you picked the character you did.)
Archer. He got off to a shaky start but got better in season 3 onwards.
Archer. He suffered from bad writing. They were always TELLING how awesome he was, but Bakula played him like a regular Joe, so the two things didn't gel. The character never really solidified, for me, anyway. So with all the hype and discussion about how awesome Archer was, and how poorly written some of his little speeches were, we never really knew who he was. I think it resulted in a surprisingly boring character.
This is a tough one, between Archer and Trip. Trip was the best written character, and arguably the best acted on the ship. In a sense it was really Trip's show. He lost the most in the Xindi attack and his relationship with T'Pol was the biggest love story on Enterprise. And it was his death that closed out the series. That being said I wish they had scaled back on him a bit and given more opportunities to other characters.
And also that being said, I can't say Trip's the most overrated, but the most overexposed. Archer is the most overrated. Nothing against Bakula as an actor or person because he seems like a cool dude and was a cheerleader/ambassador for Enterprise. Plus we saw how good he was on Quantum Leap. I just think the writing or the very conception of the character didn't work. And unfortunately it looked too often like Bakula was constipated when he was playing Archer which didn't help. I just never bought that Archer was a great explorer, that Archer was so important or essential to the galaxy or peace. They took great pains to tell us this, and not enough to show us this. And when they did the damage had been done and I just didn't believe it.
And also that being said, I can't say Trip's the most overrated, but the most overexposed. Archer is the most overrated. Nothing against Bakula as an actor or person because he seems like a cool dude and was a cheerleader/ambassador for Enterprise. Plus we saw how good he was on Quantum Leap. I just think the writing or the very conception of the character didn't work. And unfortunately it looked too often like Bakula was constipated when he was playing Archer which didn't help. I just never bought that Archer was a great explorer, that Archer was so important or essential to the galaxy or peace. They took great pains to tell us this, and not enough to show us this. And when they did the damage had been done and I just didn't believe it.
I don't think he was in the show enough to be overrated. I said he was the most underrated though, for what it's worth.No-one voted for Travis.
One of the (my observation) problems with Archer is it's isn't clear why he as given command of the Enterprise. We find out later that Earth has other starships, which presumably have captains with experience in ship command, but not exploration. The Enterprise is apparently Archer's first command, there are no long winded stories of Archer's time as a first officer or working his way up the ranks.
He was a test pilot, then he was given a fairly major command. Some fans have guessed that nepotism was involved.
The other series captain's have backstories of their time advancing through the ranks, where did Archer come from?
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He was a test pilot, then he was given a fairly major command. Some fans have guessed that nepotism was involved.
The other series captain's have backstories of their time advancing through the ranks, where did Archer come from?
.
Season 2, episode 15 "Cease Fire". Archer is crucial to preventing war between Andoria and Vulcan. A great episode.
I say Archer cos his name was never mentioned in the other tv shows. Its a shame they did not harp back to a name mentioned by Kirk, Picard or Sisko in any of their shows instead they have to do a retcon with the novels and mention how great an explorer Archer was. So the poor audience has to pretend that Kirk and the other Captains had heard of him and his crew.
To be honest with you Eyeresist I don't know if I even saw that episode. I didn't become a committed Enterprise watcher until season 3. I really liked the second season finale, and I was on board for the last two seasons. But fair enough to your point. My general impression of Archer was that he wasn't that impressive, despite whatever Agent Daniels might say about him.
Nyotarules, I think you are on to something. Perhaps if the Archer character had been named Stiles or Christopher or even April it might have been neat for at least me and maybe some other fans. Particularly thinking of using a Captain Stiles since the Romulan War was looming over the series. The audience in the know would be anticipating Stiles's fate. It might add a sense of resonance or tragedy to his/her actions.
Nyotarules, I think you are on to something. Perhaps if the Archer character had been named Stiles or Christopher or even April it might have been neat for at least me and maybe some other fans. Particularly thinking of using a Captain Stiles since the Romulan War was looming over the series. The audience in the know would be anticipating Stiles's fate. It might add a sense of resonance or tragedy to his/her actions.
Yes Captain Stiles, Pike or April or even Daystrom would have been a much better choice of names, being famaliar to the audience, he or she could have been an ancestor.
Sub-Commander T'Pol.
She either existed to have her cold, Vulcan logic proved right (Strange New World) or proved wrong (The Andorian Incident).
She either existed to have her cold, Vulcan logic proved right (Strange New World) or proved wrong (The Andorian Incident).
Hey don't be knocking Archer. When I was in my early twenties on a trip to East Africa, I saw a gazelle giving birth. It was truly amazing. Within minutes, the baby was standing up—standing up on its own. A few more minutes, and it was walking. And before I knew it it was running alongside its mother, moving away with the herd. Archer is a lot like that. He learns from his mistakes. That's what being a starship captain is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that.
In the same way that the fact that the British navy doesn't discuss Captain Cook on a regular basis proves Captain Cook didn't exist...
Captain Cook is in our history books, but he was not the first British Captain to explore the seas was he? Archer is the canon first Human Captain to explore the galaxy, I would expect his name to pass Kirk's lips since he loved history. Other Captains mentioned Kirk in the series.
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