Sex on and near Enterprise?

[Guy Gardener]

Tucker got into so much trouble for getting knocked up in the beginning, did T'Pol say he couldn't keep it in his pants? Regardless she was quite blatant about her low opinion of the honkytonk good ol'boy... but Charles was really worried about jeopardizing his commission, about making a first contact go all pearshaped and breaking a mess of rules he had sworn to uphold. He was mortified about sexing with the aliens with out doctors approval...

Nearly a year later T'Pol says the crew needs to get laid and they spend 4 episodes making their way towards Risa. Okay once you toss aside the idea that the Vulcan lost all her earlier seen prudishness, you have to ask how little sex was going on on Enterprise that they needed to especially chart a weird and lengthy course to a prosti-planet, or is it that the crew had already tried every combination of couplings and were quite board with each other?

70 people trapped in a metal box for weeks at a time. What the hell was going on?

 

[JiNX-01]

Guy Gardener said:
Tucker got into so much trouble for getting knocked up in the beginning, did T'Pol say he couldn't keep it in his pants? Regardless she was quite blatant about her low opinion of the honkytonk good ol'boy... but Charles was really worried about jeopardizing his commission, about making a first contact go all pearshaped and breaking a mess of rules he had sworn to uphold. He was mortified about sexing with the aliens with out doctors approval...

I don't think T'Pol thought much of Trip (I'm sure he struck her as too casual, undisciplined, emotionally volatile) and she presumed his laid-back approach to life included casual sex. Even she didn't know who the Xyrillians were and how they reproduce.
Her scolding him was a very funny exchange, but the fact is, what he did was completely innocent. There were sparks when Ahlen had direct physical contact with him during the "ice cube scene" and she said something "similar" happens when the Xyrillians touch each other. That is obviously how the females implant genetic material in the males.

Nearly a year later T'Pol says the crew needs to get laid and they spend 4 episodes making their way towards Risa. Okay once you toss aside the idea that the Vulcan lost all her earlier seen prudishness, you have to ask how little sex was going on on Enterprise that they needed to especially chart a weird and lengthy course to a prosti-planet, or is it that the crew had already tried every combination of couplings and were quite board with each other?

I don't think T'Pol is a prude. She just has a very high standard of decorum. Trip was on the ship for three days. She figured he was fooling around with Ahlen (no doubt in light of Trip's "goodbye" conversation with her just before the ships parted company).

70 people trapped in a metal box for weeks at a time. What the hell was going on?

Plenty.

This subject comes up in "Breaking the Ice" when Archer and the crew answer questions from students back home. One kid asked about dating and Archer explains there aren't a lot of places to go on a starship to be alone, but that people can usually find a way to be together if they want to be.

There was also a scene (don't recall the episode) with Phlox and Trip in the mess hall where the doctor remarks that he believes a couple dining nearby are planning to mate and wonders if they'd let him watch.

In "Fallen Hero," T'Pol was mainly addressing Archer and Trip's need for shore leave, since it's against regulations for them to "releasing tension" with subordinates.

For me the odd part of that trip to Risa is that they only stayed a couple of days and half the crew didn't get to go ashore at all.

 

[SmoothieX]

In "Fallen Hero," T'Pol was mainly addressing Archer and Trip's need for shore leave, since it's against regulations for them to "releasing tension" with subordinates.

Anything to stop them from releasing it all over a bulkhead instead?

 

[JiNX-01]

SmoothieX said:

In "Fallen Hero," T'Pol was mainly addressing Archer and Trip's need for shore leave, since it's against regulations for them to "releasing tension" with subordinates.

Anything to stop them from releasing it all over a bulkhead instead?

Uh... yeah.

 

[Pensive]

SmoothieX said:
Anything to stop them from releasing it all over a bulkhead instead?

HAHAHA...wow....

I can't help but think if that was the Mirror Universe, evil!Trip would suggest releasing his tension in her quarters later

 

[SmoothieX]

The title sex 'on' the Enterprise gives me the image of 2 crewmen in spacesuits trying to do it on the outer hull.

I think they should have installed a Dot Matrix-esque Virgin Alert on board to prevent any tension from being released inappropriately.

 

[Guy Gardener]

if they were having sex, then technically, it was one space suit, the same as when you zip two sleeping bags together.

 

[commodore64]

Guy -- your original synopsis was dead on. I think ENT actually focused too much on sex and not enough on story (plot) or characters. It's what's known as, in the biz, spectacle. Spectacle is neat and makes people tune in, but it rarely keeps people coming back.

I think it would've been interesting if the writers had pursued sex with the captain. They did and a small cross-section of the audience here raised holy hell that a 42 year old man would think about sex b/c he had the rank of captain. I thought it was a good topic to cover b/c it *would* happen. The "what are characters thinking about" part of sex I always thought was relevant and interesting. The "look tits and ass" part of sex on ENT with unlikely coupling and retarded plot lines that destroyed characters I never liked and felt insulted about.

 

[angie]

I liked Trip when he was Kirking around because he was so innocent about it.Humans were naive about other species and Trip portrayed this perfectly. It did make sense for it to stop after the attack on Earth.I think it is also why T'Pol chose him for her experiment.

 

[tambo]

I liked the fact that the writers chose not to have Archer pursue a sexual relationship with a member of his crew showed he had a little bit of character have worked in a few places were the head honcho was fucking one of his associates it doesn't do much for the workplace but cause added tension i could only imagine what it would be like in a military environment besides if Archer needed to get laid there is always plenty of alien planets with willing females besides he had Porthos

 

[Kalen Archer]

tambo said:
...besides if Archer needed to get laid there is always plenty of alien planets with willing females besides he had Porthos

I really don't want to know.

 

[commodore64]

Tambo, just like Enterprise explored the value of the prime directive, seems like they could've explored dating subordinates. In a way, they explored the idea by having T'Pol sleep with Trip. She's his honcho (or honcha as the case may be), especially when the captain is out of action.

More, and I fear shipping territory is near (but hope speaking in generalities will be okay - because this is really true), I like the idea of not showing sex per se, but showing love. Sex and love? Sure, but the love's gotta be there. Just the sex is not as interesting. Besides, the complication of falling in love among the ranks (more than just having sex) wields a whole new set of problems that are much more interesting! And since we know in TOS Kirk goes out of his way to avoid Janice Rand (because he has the hots for her), I think it would fit into canon to show Archer making a "mistake" with a subordinate or helping to craft this regulation based solely on feelings. I mean, the reg had to come from somewhere -- why not Archer's time. He - in essence - created the prime directive and many others. This seems like a good one, too. And it doesn't have to covered in a silly fashion that shows him unable to command, but what if he needed to order her to give up her life (as in TNG) or she gives up her life to rescue him because of a relationship or sacrifices her life just to be with him (like during an abandoned ship or other). That's good stuff!

Since Enterprise was the first warp 5 vessel, able to go into deep space for long periods of time, seems like dating of subordinates is the perfect topic to cover! And Archer isn't Kirking around (great line!), but he *is* a man and has needs, and it'd be silly to avoid it. I mean, the stories that are always the great ones are about complicated matters and circumstances. Dramatic and interesting!

 

[tambo]

commodore i hope i don't get a warning for this but i also enjoy seeing two characters fall in love i believe they showed that with Trip & T'Pol during S3 i liked where they were taking the characters even though i would have liked for the writers to have taken more time before they made love i really don't want to offend any one group but we all have different opinions when it comes to this i really enjoy reading your posts and i would enjoy talking to you about enterprise and kalen archer i didn't mean he had sex with Porthos that is kinda sick

 

[Kalen Archer]

commodore64 said:
More, and I fear shipping territory is near (but hope speaking in generalities will be okay - because this is really true), I like the idea of not showing sex per se, but showing love. Sex and love? Sure, but the love's gotta be there. Just the sex is not as interesting. Besides, the complication of falling in love among the ranks (more than just having sex) wields a whole new set of problems that are much more interesting! And since we know in TOS Kirk goes out of his way to avoid Janice Rand (because he has the hots for her), I think it would fit into canon to show Archer making a "mistake" with a subordinate or helping to craft this regulation based solely on feelings. I mean, the reg had to come from somewhere -- why not Archer's time. He - in essence - created the prime directive and many others. This seems like a good one, too. And it doesn't have to covered in a silly fashion that shows him unable to command, but what if he needed to order her to give up her life (as in TNG) or she gives up her life to rescue him because of a relationship or sacrifices her life just to be with him (like during an abandoned ship or other). That's good stuff!

commodore64, if you feel you're getting into 'shipping territory, my advice is to bail out. What you posted above is very obviously a criticism on how you felt the Trip/T'Pol relationship was portrayed, and that's against the rules to discuss in a non-shipper thread.

One warning under the category of other - violating the 'shipper rule.

tambo said:
commodore i hope i don't get a warning for this but i also enjoy seeing two characters fall in love i believe they showed that with Trip & T'Pol during S3 i liked where they were taking the characters even though i would have liked for the writers to have taken more time before they made love

tambo, I'll reiterate what I just said above, if you feel you're heading into 'shipper territory, and will thus receive a warning, bail out. If someone posts something that has broken the rules and you respond, also breaking the rules while doing so, you're not immune from a warning. Again, the above is discussion of Trip & T'Pol's relationship that is against the rules in a non-shipper thread.

As above, one warning under the category of other - violating the 'shipper rule.

Everyone is free to quote a post from a general post in a 'shipper thread and continue discussion there. If the appropriate 'shipper thread does not exist, feel free to create one.

 

[Majisto]

I just can't believe with all the advances in disease curing and anti-baby drugs that casual sex isn't rampant on a starship that practically runs itself. C'mon, it's the future, loosen up people.

 

[Odon]

I assume Starfleet eventually realised the psychological benefits of having crews engage in regular 'tension release'. Why else would they replace those baggy jumpsuits with miniskirts so short you can see what branch of Starfleet a female crewmember is in, just by looking at her matching space panties?