Questions/Comments of an Enterprise Newbie

[Too Much Fun]

I try to avoid starting threads and instead resurrect old ones because lately most threads I start die an immediate death (no replies) and mods seem to prefer not clogging up forums with too many threads. However, my recent attempt to bump the Augment thread was a dismal failure, so I figured what the hell, I'll make a catch-all thread for my "Enterprise" thoughts and questions as I'm exploring some of the series for the first time. I saw the Mirror Universe two parter awhile ago and loved it, so I decided to check out some more of the serialized/connected to the original "Star Trek" season 4 episodes. I've now seen the Augment trilogy and the Babel episodes. I'm going to watch the Klingon two-parter soon. A few questions and comments before I move on.

- What's the general consensus on "Bound"? I like how the Orions were portrayed and expanded upon in the Augments trilogy. How was their depiction in this? I'm considering watching this one too and want to get opinions first.

- I love how this show expanded on the Tellarites and Andorians. They were such lame, laughably one-note characters in "Journey to Babel". It amazed me how the Babel episodes actually came up with a plausible explanation for the Tellarites being so grating, annoying, and confrontational and gave the Andorians a rich, dignified, and honorable culture.

I thought all the people who played Tellarites and Andorians in "Journey to Babel" were pathetically hammy. On the other hand, in the "Enterprise" Babel episodes Shran is quite a moving character and while the Tellarites are still irritating, their attitudes actually make sense. I think the conceit that they're always impulsively accusing and insulting others because that's their culture is brilliant. Archer 'greeting' them by saying "you're even uglier than I remembered" was fantastic.

- How the hell did the people making "Enterprise" get the Andorian antennae to move? It looks too practical to be CGI, but I can't imagine how they made that work so fluidly without it.

- If the Andorians and Tellarites were the founding races of the Federation along with humans, why were they completely ignored by every other live action Star Trek series between "Star Trek" and "Enterprise"? Did the other ones just think the Andorian and Tellarite make-up and characters were too lame based on "Journey to Babel"?

- Does Trip remind anyone else of Brad Pitt? With the way that actor looks, and more importantly, the way he talks/the way his voice sounds, I can't help but constantly think of Brad Pitt whenever he's on screen. I don't know if he's trying to sound like Brad Pitt on purpose or if that's just the way he talks, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a conscious impression, because to me really sounds that much like the guy.

- How do Enterprise fans feel about the Trip and T'Pol romance? Does it have a lot of 'shippers'? Even though I've only seen six episodes covering it, I think it's one of the best ones I've seen on any Star Trek series and I'm not sure why. Maybe the writers and producers learned from all the weak past ones?

I find it much, much more believable than the Jadzia/Worf and Ezri/Bashir pairings, and at least as good as Riker/Troi and Picard/Crusher. It feels very subtle and natural. Trip makes it so obvious that he cares deeply about her when he's around others while being coy around her, and in both cases he does so without being over-the-top. Good acting.

- How well do Archer and T'Pol get along? I'm not sure if they argue a lot like Sisko/Kira or if they're more like Kirk/Spock or Picard/Riker. I remember when "Enterprise" first came out, I saw promos where he's yelling at her - "TAKE YOUR VULCAN LOGIC AND BURY IT!", but in the episodes I've seen, she has had dinner with him in 'The Captain's Mess' and invited others to join them.

- I read on Memory Alpha that the Organians were present (but not seen) on episodes of "Enterprise" and that outside of TNG, DS9, and "Star Trek" 2009, the only time Cardassians have been mentioned in the Star Trek franchise is when they were mentioned by Organians. Did this happen on "Enterprise"? They sure as hell weren't mentioned in the original series.

- Does "Enterprise" maintain the continuity from the Original Series of humans not ever seeing Romulans for many, many years (despite having a long war with them), as established on "Star Trek"? I noticed that during those Babel episodes, Trip and Reed never see the Romulans, only speaking to them through the drone ship. I know that "Enterprise" was supposed to have episodes that covered the Romulan war arc in the proposed 5th season, but they never happened.

What were their relations like with the Romulans like during the series? Archer mentions hearing about them being dangerous, but based on what he said, I can't tell how much they know about Romulans or if they've even seen Romulans before. If the producers kept the Romulans out of human sight to keep continuity with "Balance of Terror" for the whole duration of the series, I think that's pretty cool.

- Could someone refresh my memory about the Remans? I was wondering what the hell they were doing on "Enterprise". My memory of "Nemesis" is fuzzy, so I'm not sure, but did that movie establish them as basically the slave labour race of the Romulans?

If so, I'm assuming they basically functioned as hired muscle/goons/intimidating potential torture providers for higher ranking Romulans. That sort of makes sense, but at the same time feels like a bit of a retcon since we never saw them accompanying Romulans in the other Star Trek shows.

- Why did T'Pol's husband give her the Vulcan equivalent of a divorce?

- Did T'Pol and Tucker ever eventually become a couple?

- Manny Coto rules. The stuff I see him doing as showrunner of the fourth season is stellar. It's a shame he wasn't there from the beginning. It seems like, to this series, he performed very much the same function that Michael Piller and Ronald D. Moore did on TNG, immediately shaking up something that had started off very flawed and significantly helping guide it to incredible heights through really creative and organic writing and planning.

It's a shame the show got canned just as he was apparently getting it into a groove. It seems needlessly wasteful to me, but I guess if I'd had to sit through three poor seasons, I wouldn't find it as hard to understand. I would love to see him get a shot at building his own series from the ground up like Ronald D. Moore did with "Battlestar Galactica" (yes, I know that it was kind of a remake, but it has his unique touch all over it).

 

[Shatnertage]

I'll take your question about Bound--it seems to be disliked by most fans. I thought it was tolerable, and was completely redeemed by Tucker's weary rejection of the Orions in that last scene, "Ah, I'm not the guy who runs this place. Shut up and sit down." (or words to that effect.) It was perfectly played.

I also like the way Mayweather says, "It helped my BICEPS" in the gym scene. Cracks me up.

 

[Mach5]

- What's the general consensus on "Bound"?

A very few people like it.

- How the hell did the people making "Enterprise" get the Andorian antennae to move?

Animatronics. The technique has been around since the dark ages.

- Does Trip remind anyone else of Brad Pitt?

That's a first..

- How do Enterprise fans feel about the Trip and T'Pol romance?

Majority loves it, many are indifferent, while some hate it with a (very weird) passion.

- How well do Archer and T'Pol get along?

They're practically family.

- Does "Enterprise" maintain the continuity from the Original Series of humans not ever seeing Romulans for many, many years (despite having a long war with them), as established on "Star Trek"?

Yep

- Could someone refresh my memory about the Remans?

Basically, they're Romulan slaves and cannon fodder.

- Why did T'Pol's husband give her the Vulcan equivalent of a divorce?

Who needs a wife who loves another man and is never around and available for sex?

- Did T'Pol and Tucker ever eventually become a couple?

Yes

- Manny Coto rules.

Indeed.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Romulans and humans never meet face-to-face in Enterprise. First contact is in "Minefield", and it's by radio only.

Manny Coto did do his own show, prior to Enterprise, called Odyssey 5. It was cancelled. I enjoyed what episodes they showed in England (I don't think we got the full season). Five people in a space shuttle watch the end of the world and are somehow sent back in time five years to try and undo it.

 

[Mach5]

I loved Odyssey 5! It was kinda trashy and all, but Peter Weller was great, and the other characters and their stories were intriguing to say the least.

 

[Admiral Shran]

I can't speak for everyone, so here's my personal thoughts....

- What's the general consensus on "Bound"? I like how the Orions were portrayed and expanded upon in the Augments trilogy. How was their depiction in this? I'm considering watching this one too and want to get opinions first.

I didn't care for the depiction of the Orions in Bound. The whole idea of the women controlling everything seemed to fly in the face of everything we had previously known about the Orions. Their depiction in the Augment trilogy is better, however.

- I love how this show expanded on the Tellarites and Andorians. They were such lame, laughably one-note characters in "Journey to Babel". It amazed me how the Babel episodes actually came up with a plausible explanation for the Tellarites being so grating, annoying, and confrontational and gave the Andorians a rich, dignified, and honorable culture.

Agreed, I only wish they had developed them more, especially the Tellarites.

I thought all the people who played Tellarites and Andorians in "Journey to Babel" were pathetically hammy.

I thought the Tellarites in Journey to Babel weren't anything great. But I have to disagree on the Andorians. I think Reggie Nalder, who played Shras, was wonderful.

- If the Andorians and Tellarites were the founding races of the Federation along with humans, why were they completely ignored by every other live action Star Trek series between "Star Trek" and "Enterprise"? Did the other ones just think the Andorian and Tellarite make-up and characters were too lame based on "Journey to Babel"?

Rick Berman. He felt that aliens with antennae were crony and too similiar to 1950s B-movie aliens, so he refused to allow them onscreen. That's why Andorians only appeared twice in the TNG/DS9/VOY era, and then were non-speaking roles and only onscreen for seconds. He also felt that the make-up department couldn't adequately create passable Tellarite makeup. Once ENT came along, Braga was able to convince him that makeup techniques had matured to the point where the characters would pass his requirements.

- How do Enterprise fans feel about the Trip and T'Pol romance?

I think it's a good idea - a sort of opposites attract kind of thing - that was HORRIBLY executed. If they hadn't done the whole "will they/won't they" thing it would have been immeasureably better. This wasn't Friends, it was Star Trek. Consequently, it's my least favorite Trek coupling. Jadiza/Worf, Ezri/Bashir, Miles/Keiko, and Torres/Paris are all better, IMO.

- How well do Archer and T'Pol get along? I'm not sure if they argue a lot like Sisko/Kira or if they're more like Kirk/Spock or Picard/Riker. I remember when "Enterprise" first came out, I saw promos where he's yelling at her - "TAKE YOUR VULCAN LOGIC AND BURY IT!", but in the episodes I've seen, she has had dinner with him in 'The Captain's Mess' and invited others to join them.

They start out VERY rocky, but quickly learn to respect and admire each other.

- I read on Memory Alpha that the Organians were present (but not seen) on episodes of "Enterprise" and that outside of TNG, DS9, and "Star Trek" 2009, the only time Cardassians have been mentioned in the Star Trek franchise is when they were mentioned by Organians. Did this happen on "Enterprise"? They sure as hell weren't mentioned in the original series.

DS9 established that Cardassians were known to the Vulcans, and I assume the rest of the Federation, by as early as 2245 (DS9: Destiny). So the Trek XI reference doesn't bother me. And who's to say First Contact with them wasn't earlier. After all, Trills were never mentioned in TOS, but Emony Dax knew McCoy (DS9: Trails and Tribble-ations).

- Does "Enterprise" maintain the continuity from the Original Series of humans not ever seeing Romulans for many, many years (despite having a long war with them), as established on "Star Trek"? I noticed that during those Babel episodes, Trip and Reed never see the Romulans, only speaking to them through the drone ship. I know that "Enterprise" was supposed to have episodes that covered the Romulan war arc in the proposed 5th season, but they never happened.

Yep, no visual contact.

- Could someone refresh my memory about the Remans? I was wondering what the hell they were doing on "Enterprise". My memory of "Nemesis" is fuzzy, so I'm not sure, but did that movie establish them as basically the slave labour race of the Romulans?

They were simply a slave race who were conquered and oppressed by the Romulans. I had no problem with them being in ENT. Again, just because they weren't referenced until Nemesis doesn't mean they weren't there in-universe.

- Manny Coto rules.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[JiNX-01]

Too Much Fun wrote:

What's the general consensus on "Bound"? I like how the Orions were portrayed and expanded upon in the Augments trilogy. How was their depiction in this? I'm considering watching this one too and want to get opinions first.

My reaction to Bound was *meh.* I would have liked to have seen the females on board save the ship rather than having The Only Unaffected Male On Board play the hero (much as I love Trip).

I love how this show expanded on the Tellarites and Andorians. They were such lame, laughably one-note characters in "Journey to Babel". It amazed me how the Babel episodes actually came up with a plausible explanation for the Tellarites being so grating, annoying, and confrontational and gave the Andorians a rich, dignified, and honorable culture.

I thought all the people who played Tellarites and Andorians in "Journey to Babel" were pathetically hammy. On the other hand, in the "Enterprise" Babel episodes Shran is quite a moving character and while the Tellarites are still irritating, their attitudes actually make sense. I think the conceit that they're always impulsively accusing and insulting others because that's their culture is brilliant. Archer 'greeting' them by saying "you're even uglier than I remembered" was fantastic.

The Andorian representative to the TOS Babel conference was played with rational dignity. And he only had one scene, so it's inevitable that neither he nor his species would be well developed. The only other "Andorian" was actually a cosmetically-altered Orion. The Tellarites were also poorly developed because all they were was a plot device. Besides, the story wasn't actually about Andorians or Tellarites, so why expect more?

The ENT "Babel One" arc is actually the story of how Archer was able to bring adversaries together for a greater good and in order to do that, the writers had to present the antagonism to demonstrate just what he was up against. So naturally, the Andorian and Tellarite species had to be better developed.

How the hell did the people making "Enterprise" get the Andorian antennae to move? It looks too practical to be CGI, but I can't imagine how they made that work so fluidly without it.

I see the question has been answered, so I will simply add that I was so tickled to see the antennae move in The Andorian Incident.

If the Andorians and Tellarites were the founding races of the Federation along with humans, why were they completely ignored by every other live action Star Trek series between "Star Trek" and "Enterprise"? Did the other ones just think the Andorian and Tellarite make-up and characters were too lame based on "Journey to Babel"?

Can't answer this one.

Does Trip remind anyone else of Brad Pitt? With the way that actor looks, and more importantly, the way he talks/the way his voice sounds, I can't help but constantly think of Brad Pitt whenever he's on screen. I don't know if he's trying to sound like Brad Pitt on purpose or if that's just the way he talks, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a conscious impression, because to me really sounds that much like the guy.

Somebody suggested that Brad Pitt looked kind of like Connor Trinneer in "Burn After Reading." I never saw the movie, so I can't speak to that.

How do Enterprise fans feel about the Trip and T'Pol romance? Does it have a lot of 'shippers'? Even though I've only seen six episodes covering it, I think it's one of the best ones I've seen on any Star Trek series and I'm not sure why. Maybe the writers and producers learned from all the weak past ones?

I find it much, much more believable than the Jadzia/Worf and Ezri/Bashir pairings, and at least as good as Riker/Troi and Picard/Crusher. It feels very subtle and natural. Trip makes it so obvious that he cares deeply about her when he's around others while being coy around her, and in both cases he does so without being over-the-top. Good acting.

I liked the idea of Trip and T'Pol but I think it was handled very poorly. To often, it seemed to me that we were watching a pair of angst-ridden teenagers -- and not very interesting ones at that.

How well do Archer and T'Pol get along? I'm not sure if they argue a lot like Sisko/Kira or if they're more like Kirk/Spock or Picard/Riker. I remember when "Enterprise" first came out, I saw promos where he's yelling at her - "TAKE YOUR VULCAN LOGIC AND BURY IT!", but in the episodes I've seen, she has had dinner with him in 'The Captain's Mess' and invited others to join them.

Yeah, the writers tried to build in dramatic tension by having Archer hate Vulcans early on. The problem was, at the end of Broken Bow, he actually asked T'Pol to remain on board as his science officer (and then he pretty much ignores her counsel and disrespects her for the next two seasons ).

I read on Memory Alpha that the Organians were present (but not seen) on episodes of "Enterprise" and that outside of TNG, DS9, and "Star Trek" 2009, the only time Cardassians have been mentioned in the Star Trek franchise is when they were mentioned by Organians. Did this happen on "Enterprise"? They sure as hell weren't mentioned in the original series.

One episode, season 4, "Observer Effect."

Does "Enterprise" maintain the continuity from the Original Series of humans not ever seeing Romulans for many, many years (despite having a long war with them), as established on "Star Trek"? I noticed that during those Babel episodes, Trip and Reed never see the Romulans, only speaking to them through the drone ship. I know that "Enterprise" was supposed to have episodes that covered the Romulan war arc in the proposed 5th season, but they never happened.

This one is a mixed bag. Yes, the humans never see the Romulans. OTOH, they do see a Romulan ship that has cloaking technology (whereas Kirk and Spock are surprised that the Rommies have a cloak in "Balance of Terror." You'd think Archer might have mentioned it in one of his logs.)

What were their relations like with the Romulans like during the series? Archer mentions hearing about them being dangerous, but based on what he said, I can't tell how much they know about Romulans or if they've even seen Romulans before. If the producers kept the Romulans out of human sight to keep continuity with "Balance of Terror" for the whole duration of the series, I think that's pretty cool.

Season 4 has a couple of arcs in which we see Romulans. The humans never see them.

Could someone refresh my memory about the Remans? I was wondering what the hell they were doing on "Enterprise". My memory of "Nemesis" is fuzzy, so I'm not sure, but did that movie establish them as basically the slave labour race of the Romulans?

I don't recall Remans appearing in Enterprise. What episode?

If so, I'm assuming they basically functioned as hired muscle goons/intimidating potential torture providers for higher ranking Romulans. That sort of makes sense, but at the same time feels like a bit of a retcon since we never saw them accompanying Romulans in the other Star Trek shows.

Why did T'Pol's husband give her the Vulcan equivalent of a divorce?

I believe he saw the logic of releasing her because she made it really, really clear that she didn't want to be his wife -- and he probably wanted a spouse who would be there for him when pon farr strikes.

Did T'Pol and Tucker ever eventually become a couple?

Sort of. See Demons/Terra Prime (and then read the ENT novels "The Good That Men Do," "Kobayashi Maru" and "The Romulan War.")

Manny Coto rules. The stuff I see him doing as showrunner of the fourth season is stellar. It's a shame he wasn't there from the beginning. It seems like, to this series, he performed very much the same function that Michael Piller and Ronald D. Moore did on TNG, immediately shaking up something that had started off very flawed and significantly helping guide it to incredible heights through really creative and organic writing and planning.

Manny watched the original series. I read somewhere that Bermaga never bothered, which is why ENT seems more like a prequel to TNG than to TOS.

It's a shame the show got canned just as he was apparently getting it into a groove. It seems needlessly wasteful to me, but I guess if I'd had to sit through three poor seasons, I wouldn't find it as hard to understand. I would love to see him get a shot at building his own series from the ground up like Ronald D. Moore did with "Battlestar Galactica" (yes, I know that it was kind of a remake, but it has his unique touch all over it).

Well, I don't think season one was bad, and yes, there were a few consecutive episodes in season two that left a bad taste in many mouths, but I don't consider the first three seasons a total washout, especially not season three. Even the very weak season 2 had some gems (and some scenes in bad episodes that were also gems, not enough to save the episodes themselves, but... ).

 

[Admiral Shran]

I don't recall Remans appearing in Enterprise. What episode?

United and The Aenar. They accompany Senator Vrax as his bodyguards in United. Vrax also uses them to intimidate Valdore. In The Aenar they take Valdore away after he fails in his mission.

http://ent.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/4x13/united_072.jpg

 

[F. King Daniel]

Did T'Pol and Tucker ever become a couple?

No. The finale episode (set six years later) brushes the whole thing off in a couple of lines, and then ensures with the utmost finality that they won't ever get back together again.

The novel The Good That Man Do, which ignores/rewites the (terrible) finale episode (into an even more stupid mess, IMO) takes a different path.

 

[Too Much Fun]

The Andorian representative to the TOS Babel conference was played with rational dignity. And he only had one scene, so it's inevitable that neither he nor his species would be well developed. The only other "Andorian" was actually a cosmetically-altered Orion. The Tellarites were also poorly developed because all they were was a plot device. Besides, the story wasn't actually about Andorians or Tellarites, so why expect more?

Thanks for all the thorough replies, folks. They've been fascinating to read. I think the reason I remember all Andorians and Tellarites in "Journey to Babel" as lame and one-dimensional is because the only 'Andorian' I could remember was actually the Orion in disguise. I don't remember the representative at the conference. The Tellarites just yelled at and bullied Sarek.

I'm watching "Affliction" now. It's weird how Seth Macfarlane showed up only to play a dull 'glorified extra' of a crewman. I'd expect an actor with some comedic chops like him to be given more to do, but I guess (as a fan) he was just happy to get a part on a Star Trek episode, even if it was just a walk-on nothing role.

 

[JiNX-01]

I don't recall Remans appearing in Enterprise. What episode?

United and The Aenar. They accompany Senator Vrax as his bodyguards in United. Vrax also uses them to intimidate Valdore. In The Aenar they take Valdore away after he fails in his mission.

http://ent.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/4x13/united_072.jpg

Oh, OK, thanks! I missed the Aenar episode last week when the Babel arc was on Sci-Fi.

 

[JiNX-01]

The Andorian representative to the TOS Babel conference was played with rational dignity. And he only had one scene, so it's inevitable that neither he nor his species would be well developed. The only other "Andorian" was actually a cosmetically-altered Orion. The Tellarites were also poorly developed because all they were was a plot device. Besides, the story wasn't actually about Andorians or Tellarites, so why expect more?

Thanks for all the thorough replies, folks. They've been fascinating to read. I think the reason I remember all Andorians and Tellarites in "Journey to Babel" as lame and one-dimensional is because the only 'Andorian' I could remember was actually the Orion in disguise. I don't remember the representative at the conference. The Tellarites just yelled at and bullied Sarek.

I'm watching "Affliction" now. It's weird how Seth Macfarlane showed up only to play a dull 'glorified extra' of a crewman. I'd expect an actor with some comedic chops like him to be given more to do, but I guess (as a fan) he was just happy to get a part on a Star Trek episode, even if it was just a walk-on nothing role.

Seth appeared in two episodes of ENT: The Forgotten (2004) and Affliction (2005). He might not have had time to have a larger role since he was also involved in a variety of shows during the same period.

 

[Too Much Fun]

After watching "Turnabout Intruder" again, I have to call the female captain of Columbia no less than...wait for it...A CANON VIOLATION! Of course, that depends on whether or not it was simply fact or an exaggeration when Janice Lester said, "the world of Starfleet captains doesn't allow women". I wasn't so keen on those Klingon augment virus episodes. It seemed like a lot of convoluted exposition to connect "Star Trek" and "Star Trek: Enterprise" in a way that wasn't really necessary.

By the end it made sense and was satisfying (I liked the smooth forehead Klingon calling his condition a disfigurement at the end), but the journey to reach that satisfying conclusion wasn't quite as exciting as that of the Augment trilogy or Babel episodes. One bit of continuity fan service I did find more enjoyable was the section 31 stuff. I like how they tied it into DS9 without mentioning the actual name of the organization directly (and the way it was referenced in a line of dialog anyways was cool).

I got excited when I saw the James Avery's name in the opening credits. He seems like such an obvious choice for a Klingon, I can't help but wonder why it took so long for him to be cast as one. With his ability to do a sinister voice honed during his years as Shredder on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and his hulking frame that I remember seeing on "Fresh Prince of Bel Air", I can't think of many actors in the history of Star Trek more suited for a Klingon role.

One thing I can't help but wonder based on these episodes is how the Klingon and Starfleet relationship has been depicted in this series. Obviously they're not as buddy-buddy as they were in the TNG era, but they're not exactly the bitter enemies they were in the time of "Star Trek" either. There seems to be some uneasy alliance going on, similar to how they were on DS9.

They're not at war, but they're not allies either, so what's the deal with them? Archer didn't seem that nervous about going into Klingon space (certainly not as nervous as all captains are about going into the Romulan neutral zone) and Reed was really nice to the Klingon in the brig, so I'm not sure just how hostile their relations are or how much they know about each other.

Also, I am more convinced than ever of 'Brad Trip' . When he and T'Pol were looking at each other all starry eyed and poorly trying to deny their feelings for each other, I half expected Angelina to jump out and attack her in a jealous rage.

 

[AMQ]

One thing I can't help but wonder based on these episodes is how the Klingon and Starfleet relationship has been depicted in this series. Obviously they're not as buddy-buddy as they were in the TNG era, but they're not exactly the bitter enemies they were in the time of "Star Trek" either. There seems to be some uneasy alliance going on, similar to how they were on DS9.

They're not at war, but they're not allies either, so what's the deal with them? Archer didn't seem that nervous about going into Klingon space (certainly not as nervous as all captains are about going into the Romulan neutral zone) and Reed was really nice to the Klingon in the brig, so I'm not sure just how hostile their relations are or how much they know about each other.

Humans - Klingons relation in Enterprise is certainly not as "close" as they will be in TNG. Archer had many conflicts with Klingons, they even sentenced him to death. So I think Archer mostly did everything he could to avoid them, not really expecting their help or assistance in any way.
They never seemed to get along - most obviously in Divergence when Klingons won't even consider Phlox' cure until they're practically forced to.

Also, I am more convinced than ever of 'Brad Trip' . When he and T'Pol were looking at each other all starry eyed and poorly trying to deny their feelings for each other, I half expected Angelina to jump out and attack her in a jealous rage.

I definitely can't see any resemblance between Brad and "Trip". Trip's unique

 

[Admiral Shran]

One thing I can't help but wonder based on these episodes is how the Klingon and Starfleet relationship has been depicted in this series. Obviously they're not as buddy-buddy as they were in the TNG era, but they're not exactly the bitter enemies they were in the time of "Star Trek" either. There seems to be some uneasy alliance going on, similar to how they were on DS9.

They're not at war, but they're not allies either, so what's the deal with them? Archer didn't seem that nervous about going into Klingon space (certainly not as nervous as all captains are about going into the Romulan neutral zone) and Reed was really nice to the Klingon in the brig, so I'm not sure just how hostile their relations are or how much they know about each other.

I think the relationship the producers were going for was one of mutual disregard with a sprinkling of hostility. Over time that attitude would evolve into open aggression by the time of TOS.

 

[Deckerd]

Did T'Pol and Tucker ever become a couple?

No. The finale episode (set six years later) brushes the whole thing off in a couple of lines, and then ensures with the utmost finality that they won't ever get back together again.

I think everyone in the trek world is in agreement that the final episode did not, in fact, happen and was just a terrible nightmare.

 

[neozeks]

One thing I can't help but wonder based on these episodes is how the Klingon and Starfleet relationship has been depicted in this series. Obviously they're not as buddy-buddy as they were in the TNG era, but they're not exactly the bitter enemies they were in the time of "Star Trek" either. There seems to be some uneasy alliance going on, similar to how they were on DS9.

Well, Klingons in ENT are a great power, just like in the later series, but Earth is much, much weaker, they've only barely stepped onto the galactic stage. Klingons probably just view Earthlings as a puny and pesky nuisance, not worthy of their full attention.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I'd say that if anything's gonna turn the Klingons into the enemies of Earth they were in TOS, it was that whole Klingon colony being converted into humans.

If I were an affected Klingon, I would be utterly furious.

 

[C.E. Evans]

In TOS, it seemed that the Federation and the Klingons were mostly fighting over territory/political dominance. I could see how relations went from bad to worse in the 23rd-Century that way.

 

[Too Much Fun]

I just watched "In a Mirror, Darkly" again. Seeing a few 'regular' episodes first made me appreciate it even more this time and I now truly believe it is a towering achievement worthy of comparison with some of the finest episodes of "Star Trek", TNG, and DS9. One thing I'm confused about in this episode (even after reading up on it at Memory Alpha) is how the Defiant wound up in the mirror universe.

I'd appreciate some clarification if anyone understood it better than I did. I realize that in "The Tholian Web" the Defiant was pulled into an alternate univese, and Kirk was stuck there with it, while the rest of the crew was beamed back to their ship in their universe. When I first watched this episode, I assumed that Archer and his crew reached the same Defiant Kirk was on, but got there after Kirk had already left.

However, the episode mentions that the Defiant was from 100 years into the future, so how could Kirk and his crew find the Defiant in Tholian space 100 years after Archer and his crew had hijacked it? The only other explanation I can think of is that after Kirk was rescued from the Defiant, when it sank into the alternate reality, it also sank into the past. This is a bit convoluted, but I guess when you have a concept as vague as a 'rift in the fabric of space', it's easy to make up conditions like the rift being able to cause something to sink into an alternate world and time period at the same time.

I read on Memory Alpha that they originally planned to have William Shatner in this episode. Their idea of how to use him (with Kirk and Archer working together) seemed a bit far-fetched and forced, though. Whenever I watch this episode, I just keep thinking it would have been cool if we'd seen flashes of Kirk fading in and out of existence in his goofy spacesuit (as we did in "The Tholian Web"). If that were the case, they may not have even needed to cast Shatner, as we could have just seen his silhouette, and maybe Archer's crew wouldn't even notice him.

I also don't understand how the Tholians could make their web so instantaneously and intricately when it took hours to make a simple one in "The Tholian Web". To me it just looks like the producers of the show are showing off how far special effects have come since the 60s, and ignoring continuity to do it. Memory Alpha suggests it's either because there were more Tholian ships in this episode or because this episode takes place at a later time when Tholian technology is more advanced, but again, if it takes place at a later time, how do you explain this being before the time of Kirk if the Defiant is hijacked by the time Kirk gets there? I love the continuity porn of this episode, but sometimes thinking about it makes my head hurt.

While the sophistication of the Tholian technology seems like a possible plot hole, I was for the most part really impressed at how the episode managed to make the technology of "Star Trek" look so convincingly more powerful than that of "Star Trek: Enterprise". The only thing I find a bit of a stretch is the way Archer's crew is equipped with rifles that seem as advanced as those in "Star Trek: First Contact" and DS9.

On the other hand, it was great to see how much more destructive Defiant's weapons were and how much stronger its shields were compared to any other ships they encountered, and Archer's fascination with the phaser being able to vaporize someone was funny. I also got a kick out of Scott Bakula acting absolutely nuts the whole time (he was wooden as hell, but it was hilarious), Hoshi playing conniving super slut, and T'Pol in that original series uniform. I think my favourite line will always be Phlox's "Would you kindly DIE?". That's badass.